The village bustled with life as he approached it. Ezekiel wrapped Emry’s body in his cloak as soon as The Last God returned him back to the heart of the forest. He walked confidently for days back to his home. Cuts and scrapes disappeared as soon as they came. He wasn’t tempted by the silver sap or the golden leaves of the trees. They were about as ordinary as an oak tree to him. It was glorious. The library was no longer some place he needed to go now that he was immortal. Everything was different.

Ezekiel could now listen to the humans speak and share information. He could bask in the glory of living forever and reap its rewards. There is no piece of information Ezekiel would not have because he would have it all.

Sombre gazes fell on him. He knew this would happen. The travellers and adventurers had guessed as much would happen to Emry when she entered the forest. He heard their whispers in the tavern after Emry left. They didn’t care about her at all, though. Azuriel cared about her. He didn’t know how he was going to face her, not after he was the one that killed Emry.

He looked at Azuriel. She stood outside the restaurant. Her hands covered her mouth, her tail stopped wagging back and forth. Ezekiel could see the tears form in her eyes. He walked past her and continued towards his house. He would talk to her later, if he could manage to do that. There were so many secrets he kept from her. Could he really tell another lie to protect himself? Another secret…

Ezekiel arrived at his house. The sound of the whispers disappeared as he entered his house. Every sound melted away. He felt something inside of him break down as he entered his house. It didn’t make sense. He had everything he had ever wanted in his life. He achieved what his grandfather couldn’t. So why wasn’t he happy? Why did he feel like crying? I’m not someone to cry. He set Emry on the couch. Ezekiel fell to his knees beside her and cradled her hand.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Tears rolled over his cheek and fell to the ground. He was an awful person for what he did, but she would have done the same, wouldn’t she? If everything she wanted was right in reach, she would do whatever she had to do to achieve it? Humans did anything for power, and she wouldn’t have been different than them. If he were in her shoes, he would have killed himself to get immortality. She would live forever and face adventures. Would she do that?

Ezekiel released her hand. She would have. There was no reason to feel guilty over her, especially when she told him not to. He should talk to Azuriel and arrange funeral arrangements. It was the least he could do for Emry after stabbing her. Did he deserve to say goodbye to her though?

He stood and walked over to the door. He just needed to focus on the funeral, but she didn’t tell him anything about her family. Humans always invited their family to such an event. What about hers? Certainly, they would like to know that their daughter is dead. Ezekiel looked back at her. Maybe it’d just be best to do a small gathering with Azuriel and Zahara. That would be alright, wouldn’t it?

A knock came from the door, snapping Ezekiel out of his daze. Slowly, he opened the door. Azuriel pushed through and hugged him.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispered. “I know how much she meant to you.”

Did she mean that much to me if I killed her? Ezekiel frowned. “Yes, she meant a lot to me.” He wrapped his arms around Azuriel. “I’m glad you showed up. I wanted to ask if you could help me with the funeral. Just a small one between you, Azuriel and I. You could bring the flowers, and we could share a few words about what we loved about her?”

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“I would love to.” Azuriel pulled away from Ezekiel and wiped her eyes down with her sleeve. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Ezekiel ruffled Azuriel’s hair. “I’ll see you tonight. She liked the night sky.”

“See you soon then.” Azuriel left the house, shutting the door behind her.

===

Ezekiel picked Emry up. Her weight felt heavier than this morning. He struggled as he opened the front door, but he didn’t want to set her down. It was the last time he was going to hold her in his arms. This is what the price of immortality was. This is what his punishment was. He walked out of his house. Torches lined the dirt pathway. All he had to do was follow it to the graveyard where they would lay her to rest. It seemed fair. A life for everlasting life. But not just any life, the life of someone he loved.

He walked down the steps of his porch and followed the path. He adjusted Emry when she began to slip from his arms. Ezekiel refused to let her fall. Each step was a reminder of the choice he made, and those reminders started the moment he left the forest.

The town felt lifeless after Emry passed. Laughter didn’t fill the air. The bar was sombre with people hunched over the counter as they drank. The effect Emry had on the town in her short time was evident with her now gone.

Arriving at the metal gates of the graveyard was the hardest thing he has ever done. There was one torch to the side of him, but it was well past its prime. Ezekiel wasn’t sure how it stayed lit ablaze when it was rotting. He walked past the open gates and down the unkempt path. Weeds. littered the dirt path, and rocks stuck out like a sore thumb. Each step he had to watch, because one wrong move would mean falling to the ground.

A small torch was lit in the distance. He knew who would be there once he arrived. He was grateful that they were the first to arrive. Ezekiel didn’t know what he would do if he had to wait there for them.

Ezekiel nodded to Zahara and Azuriel as soon as he arrived. Zahara held the torch that guided him to this spot, while Azuriel held a bouquet made up of daisies, snapdragons, and lilies. This was the quietest he had ever seen them, but he understood why. One sound could disrupt the quiet scene around them. One sound meant that they would be the one to break the silence.

He set Emry down in her recently dug out grave. He still felt the weight of her in his arms. Azuriel set flowers on her chest. The flowers she set down were Emry’s favourite. She would stand outside Azuriel’s garden and look at them in the morning light. She looked the most beautiful at those moments in time. A worldly, yet down-to-earth person. It was who she was.

Ezekiel cleared his throat. “Thank you Zahara and Azuriel for gathering here today as we celebrate the life of Emry. I did not know much about her other than she was an adventurer and a seeker of knowledge. In that way, she was destined to come to the village and change it. She brought humanity to it, something us Tralechs lack.” That’s right, we lack a short life where we live freely. We’re tied down by our determination to become immortal again, by what I have now. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Azuriel wrapped her arms around him. “She always smiled. She lightened everyone’s spirit. If she could make you loosen up, she could make anyone loosen up,” she said with a tearful voice.

“I thought you two would get married with the way you looked at each other. You hated her so much, but beyond that, you had a glimmer of love. I saw it in your eyes. She looked at you with absolute trust.”

Trust that I broke.

Zahara joined the embrace. She sniffled slightly. Their three tails intertwined with each other, creating a feeling of comfort. But why should I be comfortable when I killed her? When I’m the reason she’s in the grave?

Ezekiel’s knees buckled, and he fell to the ground. “I’m so sorry. I should have been better. I shouldn’t have let this happen.” Azuriel and Zahara moved beside him.

“It wasn’t your fault,” they said at the same time.

“You don’t understand. It was my fault.” Ezekiel looked at them through tear-filled eyes. “I killed her to become immortal. It was what The Last God offered. I have to fix it.”