A Place To Say Good-Bye

They stepped through Green Heart's banquet hall doors. The air shifted, rich with earth and herb scents. Nature's magic engulfed the room. Once vibrant with life and laughter, the space was now silent. From the wooden ceiling's high beams, a green-tinted glow from the enchanted lanterns spilled down. Moss and ivy crawled up the walls while the faint hum of nature echoed: birdsong, wind through trees, and water dripping from leaves, all creating a serene atmosphere. Large windows, their panes covered in vines, opened to the gardens and the distant South Kingdom’s ocean. They diffused the light with a soft, ethereal glow.

In the center, a stone pedestal draped in dark velvet held Charlie's body. The contrast from the hall to this somber centerpiece was stark. He was pale and still, the fabric beneath him embroidered with symbols of protection and remembrance. A faint shimmer of residual magic still clung to him, a reminder of the brutal fight that brought him here. Unsettling marks of monster bile remained along his body's edges. The large gaping wound on his torso had been sewn closed; the rest was preserved to show what he endured.

The rest of the room felt hollow, though meant to comfort those who entered. The space around the pedestal is empty except for the small offerings of flowers, herbs, and tokens left by those who cared for him. The closer one walked, the quieter the sounds of nature, which usually fill the air, became. A somber vibe was tangible, as if the world held its breath. There were no tapestries and no banners. Just nature's quiet reverence for the dead. The room's stillness starkly contrasted with the life that had once coursed through Charlie. His warmth, wit, and passion.

It was here, in this sacred space, that they inevitably had to say goodbye.