When the flame dies out

One last time

The flame died.

It was over.

Calliope had done it, she had finally wiped her out, Takanashi Kiara was no more.

Thoughts started flooding her mind, but none of them were about her relationship with Kiara, they were rather practical thoughts.

-"(How will I explain this to them?)"

It was quite ironic that among all of their lifespans, the one who was supposed to be immortal was the one to vanish first.

She scratched her head and pressed her teeth together as hard as she could.

She knew this day would come, there was no point in mourning, there was still work to be done.

-"Calli?"

A distant voice called.
She didn't care to turn around, after all, if the girl behind her was truly a time traveler, she probably already knew what was up.

-"What made you stop here?"

Calliope asked, struggling to keep her voice from cracking.

-"... I couldn't see Kiara anywhere beyond this point"

She heard her approaching steps through the grass, until she was right by her side, staring at the same pile of ashes as her.

"What happened?"

Calliope didn't answer.

"...What did you do?"

With this simple question, Calliope changed her mind, if she had already lost her loved one, she definitely didn't want to lose a friend because of a simple misunderstanding.

-"It's her soul"

-"What about it?"

Calliope swallowed and suppressed all of her tears and before she allowed herself to explain.

-"Unlike any other soul, her soul is like a burning flame, one that keeps burning even after she dies. Or at least it should be like that, but..."

She directed her soulless eyes towards her friend.

-"But I noticed long ago, that every time she died, the flame turned smaller, even if it was by a millimeter of height, it never stopped shrinking"

Watson's face went pale.

"This... Was the smallest it would get"

Her pupils shook and a small trail of tears flowed down her cheeks.

-"Calli... You can't be serious... She's a phoenix... She's immortal, she can't die!"

-"Watson"

She interrupted her.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Watson struggled to believe her, but she knew she had to, denial never helped anyone.
She took off her hat and held it close to her chest as she looked back at that same pale gray pile of ashes. At that moment everything she could think of, everything she loved and hated about Kiara was reduced to a pile of rubbish on the cold ground, it was all that was left of her.
She put her hat back on, low enough to cover her eyes.

-"...Can I have them?"

-"Do what you want, there's nothing left for me here"

She didn't want to show her sorrow, it was harder to keep it from coming out when one of her friends was there, so she walked out of the place. She didn't wait for Watson, and neither did Watson go after her.