Chapter 16 – The Last Goodbye
The morning air was cold and heavy, but nothing compared to the weight in our chests. The school grounds were silent in a way I'd never imagined, the corridors empty except for whispers and murmurs.
The news had spread quickly. Care… our Care… was gone.
Every student, teacher, and friend who had ever known her had gathered. But none of us could look at the empty space where she should have been without our hearts shattering.
Cole's POV
I couldn't breathe. Every step toward the coffin felt like I was walking on broken glass. Her favorite scarf lay over her folded hands. I wanted to scream, to shake her awake, to tell her to stop playing this cruel joke.
"Care… I promised… I promised I'd protect you," I whispered, voice cracking. My fists were clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. Tears burned my eyes, spilling over uncontrollably.
I knelt beside her coffin, pressing my forehead against the cold wood. Memories of our first meeting, our secret moments, our laughter, our arguments, the last kiss before the OR—all of it came crashing down.
"Why… why did you have to go?" I choked out. My entire body shook. The world had gone silent except for my sobs.
I had never felt so powerless, so broken. She had been my world. And now… she was nothing but stillness.
Ash's POV
I collapsed to my knees as soon as I reached the coffin. My hands shook violently. "Care… my soul sister… my… my other half…"
Every memory of us together—the nights we cried, laughed, studied, fought, and healed each other—was stabbing me like knives. I screamed, a raw sound of pain that seemed to shake the very air.
"I was supposed to protect you… I was supposed to hold you, guide you… keep you safe!" I wailed, tears streaming uncontrollably. My body shook as I buried my face into her folded hands.
The world was empty now. She had been my anchor, and without her, I was adrift in a storm of grief.
Lyra's POV
I clutched her letters tightly against my chest, each one a lifeline that would never be used by her. My body trembled as I walked slowly toward the coffin, unable to comprehend the reality.
"She's gone… my Care… my friend… my sister…" I whispered. Every word was a dagger.
I collapsed beside Ash, pressing my hand against her arm, feeling her tremble. I couldn't stop crying. My knees were weak. My chest felt hollow, as though someone had ripped the center of me out and left a vacuum in its place.
I wanted to scream at the sky, to demand answers, to bring her back. But all I could do was fall apart, silent sobs tearing from my throat.
Nova's POV
I couldn't stand. My knees were weak, and the world felt like it had disappeared. Every student, every teacher, everyone was staring at us, but I could only see her—the small, fragile girl I had protected for months, now lying motionless in a coffin.
"No… no… Care… you can't… you promised me," I whispered, voice barely audible. My hands shook as I gripped the edge of the coffin.
Memories of all the times we had fought, studied, laughed, and cried together surged through me. I had kept her secret, fought for her every day, and now… I had failed.
I sank to my knees, pressing my face against the wood. My sobs echoed in the empty courtyard. My heart shattered into pieces that would never be whole again.
Ben's POV
I had never felt so small, so powerless. She had been my little sister, the one I had always protected, the one I had promised to be there for. And now… she was gone.
I sank to the ground beside the coffin, arms wrapped around myself. Every laugh, every scolding, every shared moment came rushing back, but they only made the pain sharper.
"She's gone… my Care… my little sister…" I whispered, voice breaking. I couldn't stop shaking. The world had ended in the moment they told me.
I wanted to scream, to fight, to rage against the universe—but all I could do was cry. Silent, uncontrollable grief.
Daisy's POV
I hadn't realized how much I had relied on her, even when I was competitive. She had been stronger than I ever knew, but also human, fragile, full of love. And now… she was gone.
I fell to my knees, clutching her letters and gifts I had kept from her. Tears streamed uncontrollably. My chest felt like it was being crushed by an invisible weight.
"I should have told her… hugged her… appreciated her more," I whispered, sobs breaking through. "She deserved so much more… and now…"
The emptiness inside me mirrored the emptiness in the coffin. My heart ached like it would never heal.
The Service
The principal's voice trembled as he spoke, recounting her achievements, her kindness, her strength. But it all sounded hollow. None of the words could fill the void left by her absence.
Her friends and classmates wept openly. Teachers tried to console us, but no hand could reach into the hole in our hearts.
I remembered the first day she had walked into school. The timid girl who had been afraid of everything. And now… the same girl who had fought so hard, loved so much, and inspired everyone… was gone.
Author's POV
The cemetery was filled with sorrow. Six hearts shattered in different ways, yet all broken in the same place. Each step of the coffin lowered into the ground was a hammer blow to the soul.
Ash clung to Lyra. Cole knelt, fists pressed into the dirt, body wracked with sobs. Nova was silent, rigid, holding onto the coffin until her fingers went white. Ben wept quietly, rocking back and forth, while Daisy sat frozen, clutching her chest, unable to comprehend the world without Care.
The flowers lay around her, bright colors stark against the dark grief. But no beauty could mask the emptiness, the loss, the unbearable weight of reality.
Time passed slowly. No one spoke. No one moved. Only sobs, tears, and broken hearts.
And as the last shovelful of earth covered her coffin, it was impossible to imagine life without her laughter, her warmth, her light.