They are born to live immortal.
Almost.
It is not a choice. No one ever approached them, at an age of reasoning, and asked them if this lifestyle was their desire.
Instead, most of them are born alone, and left to discover just how intense this life is.
The lucky ones are found and mentored. Those unfortunate are discovered and exploited.
If they are lucky, and their mentor chooses to keep the darkness away from them while they are still innocent at heart, then their fates are only being delayed. Those who are thrown straight into reality, while they don't ever have the chance to enjoy true innocence, at least they understand what they're up against right from the start.
As they all grow up, there is a struggle for power within their domain. There always is.
Some struggles go nowhere beyond the petty banter of politicians, while other conflicts lead to the shot of a gun. For being one nearly immortal, and moving alongside their leader, they are powerless to stop the bullet from becoming ten. From there, the bullets only multiply until the rift in the country tears through their heart.
And those humans don't hear the cry of the one who has no choice but to bear the physical slash that comes from the nature of differing opinions.
Differing opinions!
It is always this particular piece of human nature, at its rawest form, that these almost immortals are thrust into the fray.
For even if these almost immortals can escape a cruel split, they cannot escape the outside threats. Some have tried, but they still have scars.
When decisions are left to those much younger and less experienced than them, and those who know more are still ruled over by these knave leaders, it is easy for the fire to be lit.
It is easy for those experienced to be burned by the fire, and then be made to burn others with it.
Sometimes it is hard to tell which is worse: watching your own people die along with a wound ripping into your flesh, or watching yourself exterminate those around you, and see someone of your kind bleed in front of you.
Sometimes this person they're making bleed is the love of their life. But it doesn't matter what emotional connection they may have with the person across the battlefield. That fifty year old told them to attack, and they have no choice.
For those with the darker pasts, they must bear the guilt on their shoulders… even if it wasn't their choice.
It was never their personal choice to shoot that gun. It was never their dream to see those of another culture, innocent as they may be, be slaughtered. It was never, even in the deepest depths of hatred, their absolute aspiration to see that bomb dropped.
But then there is peace again, and almost suddenly. Once the politicians slyly shake hands, these experienced and scarred almost immortals may finally put down their weapon for a little while.
The fire has died, but war isn't the only burden.
Many of them have to see their own people through the worst of times.
Through the hopelessness of a sinking economy… and the one who will always live alongside the privileged leaders can't even create new jobs.
Through the pains of deep hunger… and the one who could survive a bullet to their chest can't even relieve a famine.
Through the agony of spreading epidemics… and the one who can heal so quickly can't even find the cure.
Through the destruction and loss of natural disasters… and the one who might only suffer eternal injuries can't even find the loved ones that were buried.
And yet, in spite of all this, they go on.
When one lives for centuries, they have to find a way to hide the pain. A requirement to their lifestyle is figuring out a way to cope with the pain.
So they smile. So they scream. So they do anything in their power to seem strong.
No one, not even those of their own kind, can see them breaking around the seams. No, there's too much responsibility laid out in front of them for them to fail. They can't fail. They just can't.
They have their people to look after. They are their people.
They are countries, personified, but with the same emotions as a human.
They are born to live immortal.
Almost.