The sun was just rising and birds were singing their morning songs and slowly but surely elves all over the Silvergrove were starting to wake up and emerge from their homes to start their day.
From his own home Ethari moaned sleepily as sunrays peaked through his curtains and hit his face.
"Hm~" he hummed as he rolled onto his side, reaching over only for his hand to meet nothing but the matress.
He opened his eyes and stared at it in confusion for a moment before reality caught up with him and he felt overwhelmed with grief.
That's right.
Runaan wasn't with him anymore.
He had gone on that blasted last mission and despite promising to return, he didn't.
Runaan was now dead and Ethari was alone.
Being reminded of this tragic fact made tears start to form in his eyes but he forced himself not too.
As much as it hurt, he couldn't spend his whole day at home crying.
He had too much to do.
He performed a calming breathing technique Runaan had once taught him to calm down just enough before getting up.
The rest of his day went painfully slow, everything reminding him of the one thing he didn't want to be reminded about.
He only had to cook and set the table for himself.
He was alone.
During lunch no one came inside to remind him to eat.
He was alone.
The same happened when his workday was over, no one to come get him when he was too focused on his newest weapon until it was too dark to see.
He was alone.
When he finally noticed a cut on his hand he hadn't noticed before it wasn't before someone else noticed first and was fussing over him and he in turn had no one to fuss over himself.
He was alone.
After a dull dinner he sat on the couch in complete and utter silence with nothing than his thoughts.
He was alone.
When he finally went to bed he lay on his own in the same big, cold, empty bed he woke up in.
He was alone.
"Runaan... I miss you so much..." he whimpered as tears he had been holding in all day finally spilled, letting out all the pain he had been holding in but still felt every day till he finally cried himself to sleep until the next day which would go the same way, just like every single day since Runaan's flower sank.
Because now Ethari was alone.