The Falling Of The Autumn Leaf...

Within the Kazuya Household…

The previous cozy home had become chilling and quiet. The only sounds were the near-silent heaving breath and quiet weeps of a girl holding a sickly hand. On a table nearby was a mask and a framed picture of a joyful family of six, an elderly couple and a younger couple with a young brunette holding her father's arm while the mother carried a young child. On the side of the face of the elderly man was the same white mask.

"You will be ok, Grandma, yo-"

"Don't worry, Yuki, oh my beloved Yuki, everyone is destined to die."

Yuki held her Grandma's hand ever so gently. Her angelic face was tear stricken. "Shoku will be here soon…." Her voice broke. Behind Yuki stood Ichika looking at her dying Mother In Law.

"Mother In La-"

"Call me Mum, my dear child."

"Ma!" The stern mother threw herself at the only parental figure who had entered her life but would soon exit. Crying, Ichika held her mother tightly, "We will miss you, I will miss you."

"There, there child, Ho its the first time I have seen you so gentle… Don't you remember when we would bicker so pettily? We made little Shoku seem like an adult." The dying woman stroked her back, a smile ever so present in her face even when death had confronted her.

The little comment slightly lightened the sombre atmosphere. "Come on. I don't want to leave this world knowing that my dearest family is so sad. You're making it seem like you guys are dying and not me" she lightly chuckled at her cough, but then intense coughs and spits of blood followed it.

The room went silent at the mention of her soon death.

Suddenly a child could be seen rushing towards the house from the window, his tiny legs stumbling on the flat pathway. He slammed the door open as a cold gust of wind followed his entry to the house.

Eyes bloodshot, the boy looked at his Grandmother lying on the ground ever so feebly. His long black hair swayed along with the wind untamed as he squinted his crimson eyes, trying to cover up the tears. Walking towards the dying woman, he fell down on the cold oak floor.

Picking his tired body up, he crawled towards his Grandmother.

Yuki tried to pick him up but was stopped by the shaking of her fathers head.

"He must go through this along. We should all leave," his voice croaked.

Yuki, seemingly reluctant, wiped her teary face as her mother and father left the dim room.

"Why the dark mood, don't you love seeing Grandma Shoku?" She said, her bright eyes staring at her beloved Grandchild contrasting with her pale skin.

(POV Kazuya Shoku)

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back as I looked at my Grandmother, who was once although old but vigorous and youthful seeing her in a state where she couldn't move much, or it would be the death of her.

I promised not to cry, but I couldn't take it anymore as I collapsed onto the ground as tears welled up in my eyes, and I poured all my sadness out. Letting out wordless mumbles, I tried to talk, but the shortness of my breath made my throat tight as a heart-wrenching pain struck my soul. Crying, my cheeks were soaked as a weak hand caressed and wiped my tears away.

Looking up, I stared into her eyes.

"I-I-I'm" words couldn't escape my mouth as I continued to weep. I must've seemed pathetic.

"Shoku", She paused, "It's ok to cry, but don't let this grief destroy your bright future. Although I do regret not being able to see you, children, here, I will see you and them in the future."

"G-Grandma", I could finally speak, but I still sniffled between my words. "Why did you have to leave me?" I questioned. I couldn't understand being a five-year-old child, I had never lost somebody, yet now I'm losing one of the most important people in my life.

Staring at her heartbroken grandson, she was in pain. She wouldn't be able to see who her young boy will grow up to be, would he eat enough, would he get bullied, would he get married, if so, who? Will they have children? Will he still remember his old Grandma…

Thoughts rushed through her head as she held her grandson's head closer to her chest, letting him hear her waning heartbeat.

"Shoku, I know life will be hard, but it's for the best. You do not need to feel any guilt for my passing. You have done nothing wrong." Coughing, she paused as I looked at her, worrying, trying to help her.

"Grandma I-" Interrupting me, she continued.

"Do not feel guilt, and do not let grief ruin your life, my child." She said, looking at the Autumn Trees as I followed her gaze.

"Look, Shoku, our lives are like a tree; we pass through many seasons, but when the time comes, we will grow old and fall, just like the autumn leaves with our death painting the world a golden hue feeding future generations. Do not grief, like the Autumn Leaf, which will fall towards the earth. My body will decay in it, but my soul will rise to the world above…." She looked towards the sky, her vision passing through the solid ceiling.

There I will be with my waiting husband and ancestors telling them stories of my beautiful Grandchildren and a mischievous, charming scoundrel" She flashed a smile.

"But your death will leave me with a heartache which no time could ever heal."

"Ho, when did you become so poetic, and why not remember that my love will leave you with an eternal memory, one which none shall steal. And don't ever forget that, no matter how cruel the world becomes, no matter how sad you are, no matter how much your heart is in pain. Remember that there is always hope where there is love, that this world is filled with good, but you must search for it and if you can't find it… Become the good not only for yourself but those who need it too. So smile and breathe. You don't want old Granny here to be sad, now do you?"

"I will forever miss you, Grandma, you know that", my lips quivered, and I breathed and put on a smile containing all the feelings I could muster; pain, sadness, grief, love and other emotions. Yet in all these emotions, I strangely became calm and serene, my breath synchronised as I controlled my feelings.

Reaching towards a bench, she picked up a white mask and looked at the framed picture. Holding both in her hands, she reminisced of her husband. Her dying eyes lit with final flickers of joy…

"This mask was your Grandfather, and I give it to you now. I know one day you will grow up to be a fine young man just like your father and Grandfather, and if not, your mother and sister will definitely discipline you in my stead, although I had never done anything but dote on you, my dear Shok ...."

Her hand passed me the mask while the picture fell, cracking in the process. The crack created a division between the elderly couple and the younger family.

Her voice stopped right after she handed me the mask. "Grandma!" I shook her hand, and the pulse had faded away as all traces of warmth vanished, leaving her skin deathly pale. Her eyes dulled and became a milky white. No trace of life could be seen. Her heartbeat had disappeared, and blood ran no more. But even in death, her face had a smile and contained no trace of regret…

"GRANMA!" I screamed with all my might as I lost any semblance of control. My emotions ran loose once more.

Entering the room were three teary figures who put their hands around Shoku.

The winds howled, and rain had started to pour down, the clouds wetting the ground with their tears creating a sad melody along with the cries of a child in pain. The night sky had become even darker, turning the world into an abyss.

"It hurts" I clenched my teeth and gripped my chest.

"I know, sweety, we know," Ichika said, putting her son in her warm embrace.

In the distance, a single golden leaf fell from an old tree, the wind picked up the leaf, and for a short moment, the leaf had blossomed into a glorious flower but quickly wilted away as it lay on the wet, brown earth blanketing it with a golden lustre.

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A/N: ( This has definitely been a sad chapter. I don't know If I could reach any of your hearts, but I did try a bit. If you didn't notice, the Masked man was her husband, and the mask does hold some importance…

Also, one of the quotes I copied from the internet, but I changed it a bit so it would work in the talk it went like this "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal" So yeh although I did copy my quote was a bit different so who cares.

Finally, I would like to talk about something tragic that has happened today…The day I'm writing this is the 2021/12/26 Sunday.

After eating chicken, chips, Pita bread or what I call Lebanese bread with toom or "Garlic Sauce" I don't know what people call it (By the way I'm Arab so yeh) it was quite a delicacy, I decided to go and have a shower and wear only pyjamas for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, my mother gave me some bad news! I was told I was going to my aunties house -____-

Although I love it at my Aunties house, it means I couldn't wear my Pajamas as that is very disrespectful. So I wore proper clothes after my shower and went to my aunties. It was lovely, I won't lie, but we stayed longer and came home late… Struck by the sadness of this traumatic event, I decided to pour all my emotions into this chapter. Of course, it wouldn't have been so heartbreaking if it wasn't due to the heartbreak I felt since I know I'm going out next week, and I hate going out since I'm lazy… So the moral of the story is Gimme yo power stones….

Anyways I love ducc.