Shionne's POV:
As I watched Aeltialiese's form gradually diminish in size as she walked away, I found myself perplexed by her behavior. Why had she offered me her condolences when we had barely spoken? I couldn't recall a single instance where we had exchanged more than a passing nod or a curt greeting. Her usual demeanor was one of complete detachment, as if she were disinterested in the world around her.
It was this very aspect of her personality that made her presence in the hospital all the more baffling. Who could she possibly be visiting? I hadn't heard any rumors about anyone from the Afaretia House being admitted to the hospital. It was entirely possible that she was here to visit someone from another noble house, but that seemed unlikely given her lack of social connections.
Aeltialiese had always been an enigma to me. I had heard rumors that she had been engaged to Leon, but after his disinheritance, their engagement was apparently abolished. If that was the case, then it was unlikely that she was here to visit him. After all, why would she bother visiting someone she was no longer engaged to? It just didn't make sense.
Perhaps she was present because her father was also in attendance, and she intended to join the funeral procession to the cemetery where my grandfather would be buried. I was actually surprised to see her here, considering her lack of interest in everything.
As I stood there, lost in thought, the head maid approached me with a gentle touch on my shoulder, and her voice quivered as she said, "It's time, young lady."
I nodded, my gaze now fixed on the serene white snow that covered the ground. It was a stark contrast to my clothes—I was now clad in a somber black outfit, appropriate for the occasion.
As I looked towards the entrance of the hospital, my heart sank at the sight of the retainers of our house carrying a casket, one that I knew held my beloved grandfather, who had passed away recently.
My eyes began to well up with tears, and the realization that this would be the last time I would ever be with my grandfather hit me like a ton of bricks. He had been my confidant, my guide, and my mentor throughout my life. Now, I had to say goodbye to him forever.
"Grandfather..." I mumbled softly under my breath, my voice trembling with emotion, as I heard the sound of the retainers' footsteps crunching the snow as they carried his coffin.
My heart felt heavy and burdened with the weight of loss and sorrow, as I struggled to come to terms with the fact that my beloved grandfather was no longer with me. The snow that surrounded me seemed to reflect my mood, the once serene white now a painful reminder of the cold emptiness that had crept into my life.
As I looked at the retainers, who were carrying my grandfather's coffin, I couldn't help but notice a man who was not a retainer of our house. He stood out with his fiery red hair, which was done up in a ponytail.
"He's Lord Leonelle. He was once your grandfather's student," the head maid said to me, seeming to notice my gaze towards him.
As we started to walk, the solemn procession was already in motion, and the casket was being carried in front of us. The atmosphere was thick with sadness and grief, and it seemed as though a dark cloud had settled over us all. Each person who followed the cortege was dressed in black, a visual representation of the collective mourning that we all shared. I could recognize some of the faces in the crowd: the heads of Afaretia, Sterea, Fanah, and Asura house, all of whom had come to pay their respects to my grandfather.
With each step we took, the weight on my heart grew heavier, and a deep sense of sorrow washed over me. It was as if the very air around me was suffocating me, and I could barely breathe. My eyes, filled with tears, could hardly see anything through the haze of my grief. I tried to hold back my tears, but they flowed uncontrollably, cascading down my cheeks like an unrelenting waterfall. The icy coldness of my tears matched the frigid air around me, but no matter how hard I wiped them away, they kept coming, as if my grief was too great to contain.
The world around me seemed to blur and fade away, and all I could see was the casket in front of us. Memories of my grandfather flooded my mind, and each one felt like a dagger in my heart. The laughter we shared, the advice he gave me, the stories he told, all of them felt like they were slipping away from me, leaving me with an unbearable emptiness.
As we arrived at the burial site, my eyes were bleary and swollen, my vision obscured by a thick fog of tears. The coffin slowly descended into the ground, and I felt as though my own heart was being buried with it. The pain was too much to bear, and I couldn't stop myself from screaming, as if that would somehow bring my grandfather back to life.
"Grandfather!!! Uwaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"
The sound of my own voice seemed foreign to me, detached from my body and my pain. I could hear myself screaming and crying uncontrollably, but it was as if it was someone else's voice, not my own. The world around me had faded away, and all I could focus on was the sight of my beloved grandfather's coffin being lowered into the ground. It was a heartbreaking moment that tore my soul apart, leaving me feeling empty and lost.
"Uwaaahhhh! Uuuuhhh!" I screamed and cried, as the coffin was lowered six sword-lengths underground, wanting nothing more than to hold onto my beloved grandfather for just a little longer.
"Uwaaah! Grandfather!"
My screams and cries of agony echoed through the air, but they did nothing to stop the relentless descent of the coffin. It felt as though I was being torn apart from the inside out, my very soul ripped away from me with each passing moment.
As the coffin was being lowered into the ground, my heart ached with an intensity that felt unbearable. My beloved grandfather, who had been such an integral part of my life, was being taken away from me forever. I wanted to hold onto him for just a little longer, to cling to him as tightly as possible, but it was useless. My pleas went unheard, and the gravediggers continued their work, covering him with dirt.
I watched in horror as the dirt began to pile on top of the coffin, as though trying to smother the life out of it. I longed to see him one last time, to say goodbye properly, but it was too late. The moment had passed, and I was left with nothing but regret and sorrow.
Time seemed to stand still as I stood there, watching the earth swallow up my grandfather. The people who had come to pay their respects offered their condolences, but their words meant nothing to me. I was lost in a sea of grief, drowning in my own despair.
Hours passed, or maybe it was only minutes, but eventually, my sobbing stopped. I was left feeling hollow, as though a part of me had been ripped away and could never be replaced. I had no tears left to cry, but I still remained standing before his grave, unable to let go.
As I stood there in the empty graveyard with the head maid, my heart weighed heavy with sadness. The last of the mourners had long since departed, leaving me alone with my grief and memories. I couldn't bring myself to leave, not yet. I was lost in my thoughts, staring blankly at the freshly-dug grave where they had buried him.
The head maid spoke up, interrupting my thoughts, "Young lady, it's time to go home."
I couldn't bring myself to move. I was fixated on the ground, staring at the spot where they had buried him. My grandfather, the one person who had always been there for me, was gone. His words echoed in my mind, "Then, if you have the time, would you bring me some?" he had asked me, referring to the flower of mourning, Elysium's Embrace. This flower was said to possess the power to connect the living with the dead, to bridge the gap between this world and the next.
I looked up at the sky, but it offered no solace. The cloudless, sunless day seemed to mirror the emptiness in my heart. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and loneliness, and I longed to feel connected to my grandfather once more. Perhaps, if I searched for the flower of mourning, the Elysium's Embrace, it would bring me solace and comfort, and I would be able to feel a connection with him again. I wondered if it was possible. Could I really reach out to him once more, even though he was now gone?
The only way to know for sure was to embark on a quest to find the Elysium's Embrace.
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Well, hello there, folks! Whoooo! Wow! Can you believe it? We have finally reached the impressive milestone of 100,000 words for my novel! If you have managed to stick with me all this way, then I must express my deepest gratitude to you! You are the real MVPs!
Now, I humbly ask for a favor from you. It would mean the world to me if you could take the time to leave a review of my work. Your feedback is valuable to me as it will help me to improve and refine my writing skills.
And, I know this may sound a bit thick of me, but I would also appreciate it if you could vote for me, just a little bit. Even though I have managed to reach this far, it seems that my work has not had the exposure it deserves. (Insert sad emoji). But, I'm keeping my head held high because your readership alone means a lot to me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my work and supporting me through this journey. And once again, let's give a huge round of applause and a hearty congratulations to myself for reaching this incredible milestone of 100,000 words! That's right, folks, we did it!
So, stay tuned for the next chapters because I have plenty more in store for you. And as always, let's keep those positive vibes and high spirits rolling. Cheers!