[@Silver][@PlatinumSkink][@Gutshot][@Blitz]I just wanted to thank you all for the kind words included in your reviews, and offer a bit of clarification in a hider, in case you wanted some elaboration.
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So this story was one I had actually had floating around in my head for a while, but no real reason to put it to text until this contest reared its head. So I jumped onto the chance to both throw it at a contest, and to have it reviewed by great writers.

As for the actual story, it was inspired by a lot of things, historical, religious, and fictional. The 'god-king' figure through which we see was inspired by the many religious figures and political leaders that found a nation or a faith, and dedicate their lives to ensuring it is kind and just to their people, only to have most, if not all, of their work undone at the hands of some antagonistic force, long after they've lost the ability to act.

The length of this story was a choice I made deliberately, because I felt that if I were to make it very much longer, I would have found myself becoming repetitive. As for 'resolving the plot' so to speak, or setting the story in a specific universe, telling the tale of a specific figure, I felt that that wasn't a direction I wanted to take with this one. I wanted the figure in the story to be able to take on any role the reader felt was the most accurate in their minds, whether that be the Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer 40k, the Abrahamic God known to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths, or even a benevolent ruler from our own world, kept on life support and forced to watch as his ministers and advisors undo his great works. Ultimately I wanted to reader to be able to apply the story to a figure they know of, because I felt that helps it appeal to a much broader audience than say, if I were to outright say it was God, or Lenin, or Zeus.
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As for my opinions on the various stories, that will come later today, I have work to do.