"Even when you were prepared and knew it was coming, separating with people you love forever still felt like your heart was torn into pieces. No amount of preparation or foreknowledge had helped dampen the pain or sorrow when the inevitable eventually happened, and time claimed her due.

Mother passed away in her sleep last night, and we were now busy arranging for her funeral. She apparently knew her time was coming, judging from the last entry she wrote in her diary yesterday, which I had read myself after her passing. A winged messenger was already sent to grandpa Aarin to inform him of mother's passing, and the funeral was planned with his presence in mind.

Knowing grandpa Aarin, he would probably arrive here before the week is through, but in the meantime, our family grieved for mother's passing in private. It pained me how we could not even arrange a grand, public funeral for her due to the current worsening political climate, and yet, at the same time, I guess mother would have preferred it done this way…" - Diary of Aideen Fiachna, the First Unliving, circa 61 VA.

Fiachna Mansion, La Fiachna, Theocracy of Vitalica, seventh day of the third week of the fourth month, year 61 VA.

A black carriage, drawn by four monstrous bone beasts, rumbled through the roads of La Fiachna, and yet, despite the rise of anti-undead sentiments, nobody accosted it. Nobody dared to do so, for even the most foolish instigator was well aware of just who used such a carriage, and not even they dared to stand in the way of the Bone Lord.

The Bone Lord had travelled in haste when he received the news of his disciple's passing, and hastened his way to the Vitalican capital - though of late there had been whispers that they should move the capital to where Danna used to be instead - when he received the news of his disciple's passing.

He sighed sadly when he thought of Aoife, remembering the time when he first met her, a little girl living in the woods with just four small undeads as her pet. Time flew by, and before he knew it, that little girl had passed on, in her eighties at that.

Oftentimes he lamented the short lives of his many disciples, and it was one reason why he was enthusiastic when he discovered what happened to Aideen, and others like her. It was for the same reason he chose to help some elves and show them a different way to live, just to have companions that would not just desert him when their lifespan inevitably ran out one day. While elves still died from old age, they at least lasted far longer than most others.

The Bone Lord snapped himself out of his reminiscence when the carriage stopped, as they had reached the Fiachna mansion, and Mimia, who had travelled with him, opened the door for him. He stepped down from the carriage, followed by his young half elven disciple behind him, as they walked to the door.

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Before they even reached it, Aideen opened the door, and welcomed her grandpa Aarin with a warm hug. The Bone Lord noticed that she had cried on his shoulder, and kindly rubbed her back as he allowed her to pour out her grief, allowing her to collect herself, before he bid her to lead them inside.

Inside the mansion, everyone was in a somber mood, though they got up and welcomed the Bone Lord properly regardless. Kestera gave him a deep bow of respect, which she made her daughter follow. Only Ciarran was not present, but Aideen mentioned that he was mostly by her mother's casket this past week, so she led the Bone Lord there.

They found Ciarran sitting with his back slumped by Aoife's casket, with a lost look on his face. The Bone Lord rubbed his shoulder and offered him his condolences, for which Ciarran sadly thanked him, while he formed a small set of stairs from bones so that he could climb up and peer into the casket.

Inside the casket lay Aoife, her eyes closed for the final time, and yet with a peaceful smile on her face. Her body was kept in pristine condition by Aideen's magic, and had shown no signs of decomposition despite it having been a week since she had passed on. The Bone Lord sighed sadly, and gently caressed her forehead with one bony hand, before he went down from his perch.

He took another look at Ciarran, who looked broken and lost, as if he had lost his purpose in life, before he shook his head and pulled on Aideen's hand, hinting that it might be better to leave Ciarran on his own, to his sorrows, for the time being.

"Let us walk, child. Your father will need time to come to terms with his grief, so let him have some," said the Bone Lord as they walked. Mimia was talking with Éirynn and Kestera at the moment, so the Bone Lord took Aideen elsewhere, towards the vacant backyard, where he stopped and turned to face her. "You also look like you wish to talk about something. Go ahead and ask, my child. I shall answer where I can."

"Mother wrote in her diary that I should pass Haon and the rest to you, grandpa," said Aideen sadly as she proffered a storage ring to the Bone Lord. "All her personal possessions, we had placed there as well, other than some paintings we wished to keep to remember her."

"I had… expected as much," said the Bone Lord sadly. "They will be treated well, this I promise. Are they aware of Aoife's passing?"

"I believe they are. Haon was out on the night mother passed on, and had howled all night, which was when we discovered that mother had passed," replied Aideen with a nod. " He then became dormant and refused to move, as if he wanted to go back into the ring, so we obliged him."

"I will see if Mimia can help. She has shown that she was capable of communicating with them to an extent before," noted the Bone Lord. "Yet that is not all, isn't it, child?"

"How do you… cope with losses like these, grandpa? To deal with the feeling of losing those you love to death forever?" Aideen asked. "Please tell me…"

"I do not think you would ever get used to it, my child," said the Bone Lord with a sigh. "The pain of such losses still hurts even me, even after so long and so many loved ones I had left behind. What you can do, is to cherish the memories of the happy times you have with them, and ensure that they live on in your heart."

"I… see. I will try, grandpa," nodded Aideen with some reluctance. "It's just that… I do not know if I can handle this as time goes on…"

"I believe in you, my child. Have more faith in yourself, or at least, have some faith in me, who believes in you."