"Good night, good night! 

Parting is such sweet sorrow, 

That I shall say good night til it be tomorrow." 

- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

"For as long as the world spins and the earth is green with new wood, she will lie in this box and not in my arms."
— Lurlene McDaniel

" ...and when his ashes rise up to the heavens, may he be granted a new life amongst us, and the memories to be kept long after his resurrection. Et exolvuntur factum est ut circulus plenus sit." The priest, with those words, then tossed a handful of soil onto the mahogany casket, where careful patterns and scenes were carved into; the deceased's whole life, their important events, such as the Crowning when they reached adulthood, a rite of passage for male elves, the Mayflower dance every Spring organised for the humans and elves to mingle, and for hopeful participants to find their mates, the visiting of the ancestors' graves every time a new member of their family was born, military feats if the deceased had participated in the fighting - in which case there was none - a ceremonial wedding if the deceased had met their one true love - again, none, though he wished there was some hint of it on the casket, and finally, the cause of death at the right bottom of the wood. 

The other mourners murmured the words along with the priest, and each stepped forward to offer their white lily and to toss the soil on top of the casket. Hyunwook, however, mumbled something of his own instead; "Till death do we not part, but our souls remain entwined for the rest of eternity; it is an eternal promise to those who knows it, and respects it. Farewell," He pulls out a blood red rose, completed with thorns in the suit pocket. "My love." He throws it in, which caused collective gasps to rise amongst the crowd, at least those who saw it, but he quickly covered the colour of the flower with his own handful of soil. Surely no one would dare to disturb or disrespect the dead in any way by purposely brushing off the soil just to reveal the colour of a flower some stranger they did not know throw onto the casket.

He stayed throughout the service, though he needed not to - the Greenswalds barely knew him, the only closest relation to the family, even the most slightest, being the deceased's elder sister - who now stood awkwardly behind him, though close enough to be with her own family, while the priest continued to drone on, about how wonderful the deceased was. 

Hey. 

Hyunwook bit his lip and kept his head down, letting the black hair he possess naturally fall onto his downcast eyes, the bright blue sapphire eyes that he especially adored, the shining blue almond eyes that are shining because of the tears that were gathered at the corner of his eyes, the tears shed for him. 

Do you hear these words?

Dahyun clapped a hand on his shoulder, as if he should feel better just by that single touch, but he was grateful for the slight warmth spreading from her fingers, nonetheless. The cold bit into his skin, into every part of him, but he barely felt it, except for the cold flames at his nearly dead soul. 

They are glorifying you, like you're some saint. I want to laugh, but it's too sad to even say a word. 

"You can return, if you want to," She bent down and whispered, strands of escaped brown hair brushing against his freezing skin, into his ear where he was sitting at the base of the large winding willow tree they had spent time laughing under for countless summers. "There is always a place for you to return to." There was a brief silence, then, as if forcing it out, she continued, "Even if his widow is technically married to our family. Even if Mother doesn't - " 

"Thanks, Dahyun." Hyunwook ran his fingerpads onto the roots of the tree, feeling the coarse wood under his skin, as well as the years that came along with them. "I'll keep that as reminder...when I need it." A shower of blue feathers rained onto his black locks, and he raised a careless hand to brush them away. When Dahyun had no intention of leaving him as he was - kneeling against the roots of a tree which contained too many memories...of them together, he murmured, barely inaudible, but still loud enough for her to hear; "Himchan seems to have a bit of trouble with the horses; why don't you help him? I'm sure Blackstar will listen to you more than him." 

Because without you here - 

The woman sighed, and turned her heel, black skirts sweeping the dead leaves carpeting the forest floor and swishing, swirling the leaves into a small harmony. "Fine. But please, do visit. Mother adores you, you know. It's just hard for her to show her affection sometimes - " 

"I understand," He broke in, showing a slight bit of annoyance in his tone. "Thank you kindly." 

- nothing really makes sense, I guess. 

"See you around, I guess, then." Dahyun shot one last concerned look at the young boy and finally turned her back. "Will." 

We shared too many memories under the weeping willows. Hyunwook realised, and continued running his fingers along the length of its great trunk, the colour of the tree turning even darker as it got colder. So many that it feels like this is our special place - when this isn't. 

He leaned against the tree, letting the tears he had been holding back throughout the funeral finally out, the hot tears burning trails onto his pale skin, becoming even paler under the falling snow which dropped onto his bare skin, his freezing skin, the cold burning into his veins - yet somehow he couldn't feel it. 

Why did it have to be you? Hyunwook mused bitterly, and looked up to the empty branches, where in summer, would be bowed under the weight of the heavy leaves lining it. There were still branchlets hanging off the main branches, but they were all empty as well, resembling the beard hairs of some old man, whose face was visible with the effects of passing time, but still stand strong and sturdy throughout. Just like this weeping willow, which looked as if it was weeping its sorrows along with him. 

What it was weeping for, he had no idea.