The Golden City

He had chased the city for most of his life. It began with a rumor, tucked in the margins of an old book: a golden city, untouched by time, hidden beyond the last bend of the river. He was young then, and the idea took hold like a fever. Over the years, he followed maps that led nowhere, voices that faded into trees, and trails that vanished in the rain. But still, he pressed on, certain that one…