"Freya?" came the young voice from her side. The persocom turned to see her little sister, Elda, standing at her side. "What are you looking at?
"I'm looking at the sky," said Fureya.
Elda looked up at the sky curiously. "Hey, Freya," she said casually. "Mommy says that that's where people go when they die. I'm confused. What's 'die'?"
Freya was surprised at her sister's question. She turned around to face her innocent sister and just looked at her for a second. Then, with a sigh, Freya turned back to the window.
"Dying is when someone shuts down," said Freya listlessly.
"Like us?" asked Elda.
"No, Elda," said Freya. "Death is more than stopping. Death is... Death is when you stop feeling things, and you stop moving. Death is when your heart doesn't beat and you don't think anything."
"So it is like shutting down?" asked Elda.
"No," said Freya. "When someone dies, they won't come back. Their thoughts and feelings go somewhere else. But that person will never wake up again."
"Never?" asked Elda in a small voice.
"No, Elda," said Freya emotionlessly. "Never."
"But...," Elda trailed off. Then, "What makes people die."
"If someone gets sick," said Freya. "They might die. It depends on how sick they are. Sometimes, though, people just get too old."
"Don't people last forever?" asked Elda.
"No," said Freya. "People also die in accidents. If someone were to slip and fall down the stairs, they might die. But maybe... Maybe people die from heartbreak, as well."
"Heartbreak?" asked Elda. "What's that?"
"Heartbreak is when the one just for you does not love you back. Heartbreak is when that person goes away. If they were to die, then the person who loved them would be heartbroken," said Freya dully.
Elda thought about this for a second. Then, she looked worried. She reached over and gently tugged Freya's sleeve. When her sister had turned, Elda spoke up.
"Is Freya going to die?" she asked in a small voice. For a second, Freya was shocked.
"No, Elda," said Freya finally. "I'm not."
"But Freya is heartbroken because the one she loves does not love her," said Elda worriedly. "Does that mean you are going to shut down for good?"
"No," said Freya. "But it still hurts."
Elda looked sadly at her older sister as Freya turned to watch the sunset. Elda began to walk out. Suddenly, though, she turned around.
I wish... I wish that Freya couldn't answer my questions.