Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine-Chapter 237 - 236- Funeral

Bodies fell. Hope flickered. Even the proud Princess of the Vampire Domain collapsed under her wounds.

But when despair threatened to consume them, it was him—

It was Alex—who stood unbroken.

He was their shield.

Their sword.

Their last light.

The man who gave humanity the courage to dream of survival, even when the world turned against them.

The name that gave them the strength to endure endless trials.

Alex—the legendary swordsman, the warrior who refused to fall—now lay still.

At his funeral, the world itself seemed to crumble.

The Monarch of the Blood Domain stood in silence.

The towering Tribal Chief Barka bowed his head low.

The four rulers of the Human Domain clutched their cloaks in trembling fists.

The Pope, with hollow eyes, whispered prayers that shook with sorrow.

And the Saintess wept openly, her hands shaking as she reached out to him one last time.

All gathered at the capital, where the black flags of mourning snapped in the cold rain.

They wore black—the color of endings.

But the rain made their clothes heavy, their hearts heavier still.

No one cared to shield themselves.

No one spoke of comfort.

The world had lost its voice.

When their eyes fell on Alex's broken body, a deeper silence fell.

Torn, bloodied, almost unrecognizable—

His skin, once warm and proud, was now cold and ghostly pale.

The fire that had blazed in his eyes, the smile that had steadied a thousand hearts—all of it was gone.

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He had given them everything.

And in the end, they could do nothing but cry.

"How is she?" Adolf asked, his voice low and heavy.

The butler behind him bowed his head.

"She is being treated... safe, but very tired and weak," he said softly, repeating what the healer had told him.

The Princess had not stopped crying.

Her heart-wrenching sobs filled the air, slicing through the cold rain, making even the strongest clench their fists in helpless grief.

Just days ago, she had been engaged to Alex.

Smiles, promises, dreams—all of it torn away as if the Gods themselves had reached down and ripped her happiness from her hands.

Her cries grew so fierce, so broken, that at times she simply collapsed from the pain and passed out.

Compared to her, Sarah and Rebecca were holding up a little better—but only on the outside.

Sarah stood still, her face pale as a ghost, not once daring to look at Alex's broken body.

Her hands trembled by her sides, and though she said nothing, her silence screamed of how close she was to shattering.

Rebecca fared no better.

She seemed lost, adrift.

She reacted slowly to everything around her as if the world no longer made sense.

Even though her family surrounded her, offering what little comfort they could, she remained frozen, unable—or unwilling—to accept the cruel truth.

The truth is that he was gone.

Gone forever.

The funeral bell tolled, its heavy sound echoing across the rain-soaked city.

Each ring felt like a nail being hammered into their hearts.

The priest stood before the coffin, his voice trembling as he chanted the final prayers.

The words—meant to bring peace—only made the air colder, heavier.

No prayer could fill the hole Alex had left behind.

The coffin itself was simple, but sturdy—made of dark wood, polished only enough to look clean.

There were no grand decorations.

Alex had lived as a warrior, and he would be buried as one—plain, proud, and unbending.

A white cloth was gently laid over his body, hiding the wounds that had torn him apart.

Only his face remained uncovered—pale, quiet, peaceful in a way that broke them even more.

One by one, they came forward.

Celestria, supported by two maids, barely able to walk, placed a single black rose on his chest.

Her hand lingered there for a long time, trembling before she was led away, her sobs muffled against her sleeves.

Sarah stepped up next.

She clutched a locket in her hand—one Alex had once given her—and slipped it inside the coffin with shaking fingers.

She did not speak.

She simply bowed her head and stumbled back, as if her strength had finally left her.

Rebecca followed, dragging her steps like her body weighed a thousand tons.

She knelt by the coffin, pressing her forehead against the wood, whispering something no one could hear.

Tears streamed down her face, but she stayed there, unmoving, until her father gently pulled her away.

And then...

It was time.

The coffin was closed with a heavy thud that made many flinch.

It sounded so final, so cruel.

As if the world was sealing away a part of their souls with him.

Six soldiers, their faces pale and grim, lifted the coffin onto their shoulders.

Slowly, they carried him through the lines of mourners.

The soldiers lowered the coffin into the grave, the chains creaking softly.

Once it rested at the bottom, the priest spoke a final blessing, his voice almost drowned by the rain.

And then, shovelfuls of dirt began to fall.

One after another, the mourners took turns—throwing a handful of soil onto the coffin.

Each thud was a hammer blow to the heart.

Each handful was a final goodbye.

The grave slowly filled.

The coffin disappeared beneath the earth, swallowed whole by the cold, uncaring ground.

When it was over, a simple stone was placed at the head of the grave.

No grand titles.

No long words.

Just one line:

"Alex—The Shield of Humanity."

The rain did not stop.

It only fell harder, as if the heavens themselves were grieving a hero the world could never replace.

...

After that, Sarah, Rebecca, and Celestria were taken back by their parents.

Naturally, they couldn't be left alone around these times.

Amanda also returned with her sister since she must be quite shaken up by her lover's 'death'.

The only one who didn't have to go with anyone was Edric.

He told Amanda that he would come to meet her in a few days.

Leaving those words behind, Edric was headed towards the forest near the academy.

He was present during the funeral but stood on the sidelines. He had to present a perfect act but was failing to do so. That's why he remained away from the limelight.

'Hmm...' He glanced back. There was no sound but still a feeling that someone was behind him.

Even if someone was chasing after him, they would think that Edric was heading towards a labyrinth to vent his anger and forget about Alex's death.

However, the fact was, the labyrinth was the place where Alex was currently hiding.

"You can come now. No one is following you."

As soon as Edric stepped inside, he heard the familiar voice of Alex from the bottom of the labyrinth.

Edric directly jumped down ten floors and landed on the ground with a loud thud.

Alex was cooking something...barbeque.

"You cleaned the place..." The last time Edric visited, it smelt like a sewer and was filled with huge rat monsters.

But now, it was quite clean and dry. Alex has planted a few tents as well. And water barrels on the side with clean water in it.

Just as always, he travels with full preparation.

"Well, I will stay here for a few days," Alex responded casually as he flipped the meat on the grill.

After a brief pause, Alex asked, in a low tone, "How were they...did they cry?"

"Yeah...they were crying...Celestria even fainted. And I don't think they were pretending at all."

Alex could understand. The one who was lying in the coffin was his clone, but seeing even the clone of Alex dead and gone must have shattered their heart.

...he has traumatized them thrice now.

"So what do you plan on doing now?" Edric asked as he took a piece of meat and stuffed it inside his mouth.

"I told Sarah to return to the Cathedral and tell the church people that she is going on a celestial journey." The celestial journey is a pathway that connects humans and the Goddess. And for that, she could pretend to stay in the room for weeks.

"Rebecca will easily slip away. I actually allowed her to tell her father the truth."

"About Cela...then, I have told her to return to Blood Domain with Natasha somehow."

Edric suddenly said something that made Alex flinch, "You forgot about one. Professor Jullie knows nothing about your fake death...imagine how would she react when she finds out that you are dead."

"...."

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A/N:- I had to play some mourning music to write the whole funeral scene. Thanks for reading.