The warmth only lasted for a while...…. Someone came and quietly informed Queen Mother of something urgent, their voice filled with urgency explaining everything happened with Mother Veny group. Suddenly, everyone moved toward the entrance, their expressions shifting from comfort to deep concern.
They saw sobbing Mother Veny carrying a smiling child in her arms. Mother Julia walked beside her, carrying her friend's remains covered in cloth. The sight stopped everyone in their tracks completely. No one said anything. The silence grew heavy with grief and respect, pressing down on all of them.
"Ariana, can you draw us together?" Mother Veny asked in a low, broken voice that barely held itself together.
"Um, yes." Mother Ariana simply nodded, understanding immediately what was needed without further explanation.
"I want my daughter to be properly sent away, Malina." Mother Veny looked at Queen Mother with pleading eyes that glistened with unshed tears.
Queen Mother nodded solemnly, her own eyes beginning to glisten with moisture.
"I will help." Grandmother instructed, and slowly everyone got busy with purpose, each person finding their role in the sacred preparations.
.
.
The children were washed properly and changed into beautiful clothing with tender care. Alice's body was cleaned with reverence, every movement gentle and respectful of the small life lost. Her friend was dressed in warm, beautiful clothes, wrapped lovingly in soft fabric. Zack healed Mother Julia very swiftly, the energy flowing quickly through his hands to ease her pain. Sasha and the others helped treat Fia, Maren, Miss Eva, and Lurvi, tending to their injuries with gentle hands and quiet words.
Mother Ariana sat near the burning ceremony site, quietly watching over them all. On a large sheet of paper spread before her, she began to draw with careful strokes. She placed Mother Veny at the center, smiling, with a child held safely in her arms. Around her, she added the others, encircling them with care and attention to each face. Lurvi and Tyra floated above in the drawing, light and watchful over everyone below. One by one, she drew every person present in this moment. Those standing nearby, those injured and resting, even those sleeping far away in distant rooms and those who are doing their things away from them. No one was forgotten in her careful rendering.
Leader Mikaela moved around helping wherever needed, gathering supplies and organizing things with quiet efficiency. Zack introduced Miss Phoebe to everyone, and she also joined in helping after getting news that her husband already knew everything about their situation. She shook her head with a tired sigh, deciding to focus on helping first and dealing with explanations later when there was time.
Chieftess, Maid Nima and Miss Eva helped as much as they could, their movements quiet and respectful of the solemn occasion.
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"Big Brother Zack, how can people do something so evil to our Alice and her friend?" Sio asked with anger burning in her voice as she stood beside Zack, who was sitting with Mother Ariana and the other injured people. "We don't even know how many kids suffered because of that man. Clearly, that bastard is behind this!"
Her small hands clenched into fists, shaking with pure rage.
"I don't know." Zack spoke sadly as he wrapped his blanket tighter around himself, his jaw tight with tension.
"Can't we kill that person? We know Grankell did it." Maren spoke while grinding her teeth together, her voice low with dangerous tone that barely contained violence.
"You also know we can't do that. He already has strong support, and this city depends on his money for survival." Fia spoke while feeling pain throb through her body in waves, her voice resigned to reality.
"Then can't we just stop depending on him?" Sio asked in genuine confusion, tilting her head to one side.
"Huh? How do we do that?" Maren rubbed her forehead tiredly and looked above, seeing the shimmering energy power shield around the city, glowing faintly in the afternoon light.
"Hmmm…"
Zack also looked above, his mind growing quiet as he went into deep thinking mode, completely ignoring the continued talk of the girls around him. His eyes narrowed with focus, calculating something in the silence of his thoughts.
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.
Slowly, many dried wood pieces were put in place, arranged carefully into a proper structure. Everyone stood respectfully close to it, forming a circle of mourners around the pyre.
Mother Veny gently carried a beautiful girl dressed in a cute outfit that made her look peaceful. Alice's body seemed to have healed tremendously under Zack's treatment. Her face was glowing with soft radiance, no longer scary or twisted but showing the cute little girl, she truly was beneath all the suffering she had endured.
With huge tears falling down her cheeks in steady streams, Mother Veny gently placed Alice on top of the wood structure above the soft thick cushion. Making sure her daughter was comfortable in her final resting place; she placed a soft cloth above her and laid her on her back with infinite care and love. Mother Ariana brought her friend, wrapped in beautiful clothing, and gently placed the remains beside Alice so they could rest together.
Slowly, everyone one by one came forward and placed beautiful flowers around Alice and her friend. They prayed and talked to them softly, saying their goodbyes in whispered voices meant only for the departed. The mothers kept sobbing hard, barely holding themselves together under the crushing weight of loss.
Mother Veny came last and placed a beautiful white flower near Alice's head with shaking hands. She leaned down and kissed Alice's forehead tenderly, her tears falling onto her daughter's peaceful face and sliding down her cheeks.
"Daughter, your mommy is sorry for not giving you more happiness…... SNIFF AGHH!!.... Sorry I came so late to you. Mommy will never forget you. Please rest in peace, and in your next life, come to Mommy again, okay, my dear one?"
SOOBB SOOBB ACCCK ACCKK, SOBB.
Mother Veny clenched her hands tightly putting it against her chest.
"I AM SORRY! MOMMY WAS NOT GOOD TO YOU! I AM SORRY! WE ARE SORRY FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO SAVE YOU!"
Mother Veny started bawling hard, her whole body shaking with grief so powerful it seemed to tear her apart. She slowly leaned down and kissed the warm clothing covering her friend's remains with reverence.
"Sorry, dear, and thank you for staying with her all this time. I hope you will be together up there, holding hands. Please take care of each other."
THAP!
"Don't be a wuss! Smile for your daughter!" Grandmother came forward and gently hit Mother Veny's back, her own eyes red from crying but her voice firm with ancient wisdom.
Mother Veny nodded through her tears and smiled sweetly despite the pain, fixing Alice's clothes one last time and smoothing down her small strands of hair with motherly affection. Alice lay there smiling happily, holding her friend's hand as if they were just sleeping peacefully together under warm sunlight.
Mother Julia also prayed and gently kissed their foreheads, her tears falling silently onto their faces.
Everyone shed tears as Grandmother started reciting prayers, her voice carrying the steadiness for the departing soul and the weight of countless farewells spoken over generations. She performed rituals as others did their part, following the sacred traditions passed down through time. At last, she said, "The eldest son or daughter, please come and start the fire and send your little sister to heaven."
Everyone then looked at Sasha.
"Dear, please send her away." Mother Julia spoke warmly, though her voice broke at the end with emotion.
Sasha looked at the others gathered and spoke clearly, her voice carrying through the gathering with strength. "Let's send our little sister on her last journey together."
Sasha stood at the front and called everyone present to join her. Zack, Fia, Maren, Oliver, Gloomy, and Sio all came forward, with Lurvi and Tyra floating above them protectively. They stood together, united in grief and love for the little girl leaving them.
Then they bowed deeply to Alice and her friend, their heads lowered in utmost respect, and said their prayers silently in their hearts.
Grandmother gave a long wooden piece already lit with fire on the tip to Sasha. The others gently touched the big wooden branch, their hands overlapping one another's, and they said together in powerful unison:
"YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, AND WE WILL MISS YOU, ALICE AND HER FRIEND. WE LOVEEEE YOUUUU!!!!!!"
"LURR! TTYRRAA!" Lurvi and Tyra cried out from above, their voices echoing across the space.
Then they gently placed the wood inside a hole at the base of the structure, pushing it in carefully. Slowly, the whole structure made of dried wood caught fire. The flames climbed higher and higher up the carefully arranged pieces, and at the top, Alice smiled sweetly, her face peaceful in the growing light that surrounded her.
HEHE, MOMMY, ALICE LOVES YOU! AND BIG BROTHER AND SISTERS, I LOVE YOU TOO!
As if Alice was speaking to them one last time from beyond, everyone shed tears as they watched the whole structure engulf in flames. The fire roared to life, consuming everything with cleansing heat that rose into the sky.
"MOMMY LOVES YOU, MY CUTE LITTLE DAUGHTER! WAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH! HICCC! AACCKKK! WAAHH! UUWWAAA! AAA! MY DAUGHTERRR! WAAAHHHH! AAAHHHH! AHHHH! IT HURRTSSS! WAAAHHH!"
Mother Veny cried harder, her voice completely broken by anguish. "WHYYY?! WHYYY?! AAGHH! COUGHH! COUGGHH! UUUWWWAAA!"
She collapsed on the ground and started bawling hard, her body shaking uncontrollably with the force of her grief tearing through her.
Mother Julia, Queen Mother, Mother Ariana, Mother Silja, and Kyra all broke down, their sobs mingling as one sound of shared pain. Around them, the other children stood with Miss Expert Sister, their Grandmother, Leader Mikaela, Miss Phoebe, Chieftess, Maid Nima, and Miss Eva. Each person in their own place around the pyre, crying openly as the structure slowly burned to ash. Thick smoke rose high into the sky, carrying their grief upward with it.
The winds swept the smoke away to a faraway place, carrying Alice and her friend's spirits to wherever souls go to find their final rest.
The flames crackled and roared with fierce heat, but beneath that sound, there was only weeping. The sound of hearts breaking and love enduring beyond death itself.
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At 4th Rock
"Hey, why were we called so early here? I thought our time was a little further away." A man asked while walking into a very big meeting room, adjusting his collar with annoyed movements.
"Seems the Princess is quite a to-the-point character." Another replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "She swiftly dealt with our stupid bosses and called this meeting immediately without wasting time."
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At Some Other Place in the Meeting Room
"Hey, why are you here? Didn't you work overtime till late at night? And now came here without even taking a bath?" A senior old man scolded a tired-looking man harshly, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the smell.
"Boss, it was mandatory to attend. What if I…"
"Shut up! You coming here in this state brings shame to our entire company! Go stand in the corner and don't show your face around!" The boss shouted, pointing toward the back of the room with contempt.
The tired man shuffled away, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion and humiliation.
Useless people. You guys are getting fired after this anyway. Thuu!
The boss muttered under his breath, spitting his contempt onto the floor.
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At Another Place
"Hey hey, Miss, did you reach home safely after our late-night dinner? Hehe, sorry to take your time." A bald old man laughed and spoke as a woman brought some beverages to them, her hands trembling slightly as she set them down.
"Yes, Boss." The woman hesitantly nodded, not meeting his eyes directly.
"What? Of course she can go safely! Who wants to touch her? Hahah! Except us!!! I reckon no one bats an eye for her. She must be grateful, right, Miss? You are grateful, right?" Another old man said as he gently touched her ass, bringing a shiver through her entire body.
"Agh! Yes." The woman meekly spoke, her voice barely audible, her face flushing with shame.
"Hey hey, this is sexual assault, you know! She'll complain to Princess, and then your life is over! Haha!" The man laughed from the side, not actually caring at all about her wellbeing.
"Oh, will you do that?" The first man said, his grip tightening as he grabbed her ass more forcefully. "But I was thinking of promoting you soon. Don't you want to go higher on the ladder?"
The woman's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded mechanically, her voice fully hollow. "I will not complain, Boss. Please be rest assured."
"Haha, good subordinate you have, my friend!" The other old man laughed while checking her body out, his eyes roaming lewdly over her figure.
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At Another Place
"Hey, you useless group of people, go sit in the back! Barely surviving in this industry and daring to sit at front!" A rich-looking man waved dismissively at some people who were trying to sit in better seats near the stage.
"Mr., there is no seat assigned. We can sit wherever we want." A woman at the front spoke with determination, her chin lifted defiantly.
"Hahha! What a stupid woman! Go home! Don't you have kids to take care of?" The man sneered at her with open disdain. "Your company is already in ruins. Why are you trying to win some favor with Princess? Go away! I heard she'll dismantle useless people. Go now!"
The man waved at them dismissively and didn't bother looking at them anymore, turning his back.
The people's eyes changed, filling it with anger at the treatment they receive just by sitting in front, they couldn't do anything, so they stood up and slowly walked back, forced to sit in the worse seats at the rear.
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At the Front of the Entrance
"Sir, please let us go! We'll stand at the very end! We just want to ask some things to Princess!" Several people pleaded, standing at the entrance, their voices desperate with need.
"Don't let me repeat myself again! Only working people with badges are allowed in here!" The security guard barked at them aggressively. "You people are just trying to make everyone uncomfortable here! Get out, otherwise we'll have to use force!"
The security guy threatened them, stepping forward menacingly with his hand on his weapon.
The people backed away slowly, their hope crushed under the weight of rejection, forced to leave empty-handed with nowhere else to turn.
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Inside, the meeting room was filling up with people from all walks of life. Some powerful, some struggling to survive, some corrupt beyond redemption, some trying desperately to hold onto what little they had. All of them waiting to see what Princess would do next.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
I miss making images for my chapters. Is there some kind soul out there willing to sacrifice their Grok subscription for this poor, struggling author?
Wait… why do I hear thunder?
OUCH!! God please don't hit me!!! Alright, alright, I get it. Please do not strike me again.
Fine, I will not torture my readers with shameless requests. I have learned my lesson....
Although, becoming a member on Patreon would definitely help me get that subscri...
OUCH!!! OUCCHHH!!!!! Okay, OKAY!! that one was deserved.
I am going now before things get worse.
Goodbye everyon.....BOOM.....
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