177 Funeral

It was a dark and gloomy day with moderate snowfall. The weather was cold, yet the interior of the mourning hall of the church was quite warm as the air conditioner pumped in warm air into the large, open room. Up on the elevated marble platform before the large painting of the Endirith, the Goddess of Death, that covered the entirety of the wall up to the tall ceiling was a polished dark wood casket. Within it rested the beautiful and yet still figure of Luna.

She laid in the padded casket atop its white flower petal bed. With her hands clasped on top of her stomach and her eyes closed, she appeared to be in a deep slumber. Her face was so peaceful, and the outline of her eyes were perfectly visible from underneath her eyelids that it made it appear as if the young girl could open her eyes at any second and just wake from this slumber. Yet, the heart within her was not beating and it will never beat ever again.

Directly beneath the casket that was situated above on was the altar where the priest of the Goddess of Death stood, reading in a solemn tone from the Book of Endirith, the scripture used during mourning ceremonies. And sitting facing the priest was the friends and family of the deceased girl, all dressed in some formal clothing that was black.

The ceremony was long and gloomy in nature. All remained silent as the priest's voice echoed in the mourning hall of the church with their head kept low. Luna's mother was sobbing at the very front row, and her father comforted his wife by gently rubbing her back with bloodshot eyes. As for the others, we were all in our own state of mourning.

Sitting next to me at the very back row was Erith, who sobbed into a tissue. It would appear that Luna had truly never told her or anyone else other than her direct family of her condition, making it all a sudden surprise for them. No one had expected that formerly lively and healthy girl to suddenly go like this all of a sudden. Even for me. When I close my eyes, it was as if I could still see her smiling at me, yet...that is simply my imagination. It is a scene that I will never be able to see ever again.

Sitting near me were the people in our group. For them, maybe it's because they've only technically known Luna for a few months, the damage wasn't as devastating for them. However, I could tell that they were all saddened greatly by her death as their faces were gloomy. For Irina though, she was weeping as well, maybe it was because Luna was her second female friend. However, I believe it was anyone else, Irina would be weeping as well. That's just who she is.

The funeral ceremony then continued on and the priest finished reading from the Book of Endirith. Next came the farewell sequence of the funeral where everyone present would approach the casket and drop in a white lily before the casket is sent off to be cremated. Finally, it's time to say goodbye.

The order of the farewell is decided based on seating, meaning that for me, I am the last one to go as I sat at the very back and at the very corner of the row. I stood in line with melancholy in my mind as I held onto the fresh, white lily that I shall be dropping into her casket. Before me, the line of people dressed in black extended all the way up to the marble platform where the casket rested before the large painting of the Goddess of Death.

With a sigh, I observed the painting of Endirith. She was a beautiful figure depicted with dark hair and pale white skin, symbolizing the symptoms of death in humanity. In her hands and surrounding her were orbs of light that were of a light gray color that was still visible despite the black and red background.

Are there really such an entity as a Goddess of Death? I asked myself as I slowly inched toward the stepped platform. If there is...is she then a separate person from God?

Those before me paused before the opened casket, praying for the deceased Luna momentarily before they allowed the white lily in their hands to be dropped gently into the casket and onto her chest. Each person had their turn and was given the opportunity to pray for as long as they would like, so it took a while before it was finally my turn.

Slowly, I stepped forward and up the marble steps and to the casket situated at the very top of the platform. Her body was covered by a layer of white lily flowers, leaving merely her face and part of her chest exposed. Looking in, I gazed at Luna's face for the last time. Her face was still as pretty as ever, and her countenance was peaceful as if she was simply in a slumber. Yet, that cadaverous paleness of her skin told me that she was dead. It proved to me that she was dead and that there's nothing that I can do to change the fact.

For the funeral, I did not cry at all. In fact, my eyes didn't even become bloodshot. Instead, it was the same, calm gaze that I had prior to receiving the Socialization app. There's no light in my dry eyes, as there's really no light for me to perceive anymore. I'm alone in my dark prison cell once again. No one will ever soar past that ocean and over the walls of the isolated prison to visit me ever again.

I dropped the white lily into the casket, allowing it to land on the center of her chest. Then, I stepped down from the platform and returned back to my seat. After that, the priest began the conclusion of the funeral ceremony after the casket was sealed closed.

Everyone exited the mourning hall after her casket that was being escorted out of the mourning hall through the large, double-frame, dark metal doors by figures dressed in a dark skeletal mask and wearing the dark robes of the Goddess of Death.

Since I was at the very back, I was one of the first to exit after Luna's parents. Once outside, my eyes followed the closed casket and onto the black funeral vehicle that would deliver the casket to be cremated. Luna's parents had to go with the vehicle to the cremation as well, but prior to boarding the vehicle, Luna's father approached me.

"You're Alevian, right?" the middle-aged man with fatigued and bloodshot eyes asked me in a soft voice.

I nodded my head.

"Luna wanted you to have this," he said, handing me Luna's locked diary. "She told me that prior to the surgery..."

Right... I recalled. Instead of the surgery being in the spring, it was actually that Saturday, which is just a week ago. She had lied to me at the very end of it all...Looks like she thought that if it had occurred suddenly, it wouldn't be as painful as watching it slowly approach. I guess...she might be right because my heart is feeling extremely numb right now.

I accepted the locked diary from her father. Then, I watched as he boarded the funeral vehicle and the car started driving down the road towards its destination where Luna's body would be rendered into ashes. This is the final goodbye...

Prior to disbanding, the others gathered in a small circle to have a quick chat before saying goodbye to each other. However, since I wasn't in the mood, I remained silent as I waited for my taxi to arrive. When it finally did, I simply left the circle and walked towards the vehicle and opened the door to it.

"You want a ride?" I asked Muria in a soft, and melancholic voice.

Muria shook her head. "I'm going to accompany Irina home first." She then looked down and at the girl who she was comforting by having her arm around Irina's shoulder. "Thank you though."

I stared at the two for a second before I turned and boarded the vehicle, feeling nothing but a sense of emptiness. The ride home took a bit more than half an hour, but that time passed by quickly as I stared out the windows and observed the city. The sky was grey with the clouds that snowed down small flakes of snow onto the world, making the city appear dark and gloomy in the daytime. Even though there was the occasional light in the windows of highrises, none of the illuminations that outline the buildings and neon signs were on yet, making the world appear in an even gloomier state than nighttime would have made it look.

Once home, I rested her locked diary on the surface of my desk and stood there staring at it with my blank eyes. Inside this diary, is an account of her life; Inside this diary, is Luna's message to me. If I were to unlock it with that silver key she had gifted me on my birthday, then I would be able to read what she had left behind for me.

Slowly, I removed the thin chain necklace around my neck and stared at the key that was attached to it.

This is the key that can unlike it all. This is the key that will unlock the doors so that I could meet with Luna for the one last time in my life.

Slowly, I looked over at the diary once again. With a sigh, I grabbed the diary and placed it in one of my drawers along with its key. Then, I walked over to my bed and collapsed on it out of fatigue.