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With one arm wrapped tightly around an urn, the Witch Princess strode towards the mountain's peak as cold winds grazed her scarf. The nights of Echo Valley were lonely in many ways, a sensation unfamiliar to the once bustling town, but at the same time, not so much.
"Do you see it, Alice? We're almost home, to be reunited with our family."
Having resided here for long enough, she understood the valley's perpetual cycle of life and death, driven by young pioneers in search of an idyllic life away from the city. She did consider being next in line to run for mayor, though she'd probably end up turning it into a village for bears.
When her spouse passed on, the former denizens were fortunate that her daughter was willing to carry on his legacy, though her grandchildren had bigger dreams in the city. She didn't blame them, not one bit, but it irked her that no one truly remembered her spouse anymore, the driving force of this town, whom she made countless memories with as they spent their days away, counting down to the inevitable.
The witch was never fond of attaching herself to humans. Their lifespans were far too short for someone of her nature, but at the same time, that flaw made them all the more endearing to be with. It was always a joy to conduct late night experiments with her partner, knowing that these were lifetime experiences for him, things that she'd already seen a thousand times over.
For as long as she could remember, he was the only one she'd ever dared to reveal her heart to, and perhaps that would carry on over the next millennium as well. A curse that will never be lifted, and a longing heart never again to be satiated.
The witch was never fond of godhood. She will fulfill her last promise, and once that is done, she will remove that burden before it latches onto her for good.
Atop the hill stood her husband's grave, facing the stars as it should. She smiled at the sight of her rosemaries, as fresh as they were all those years ago, gently coiled around the stone.
She knelt down and lowered her daughter's ashes beside his. Reciting a spell, she waved her arms around and gravitated the nearby vegetation towards her, forming a grave just like her spouse's.
"You won't be lonely anymore, my dearest Haruto," The witch spoke in a comforting tone, reserved only for those closest to her. "Mommy won't be coming back for a while, so be a dear and take good care of your daddy, okay Alice?"
She remained for a while longer. And for even longer, so much that she didn't notice a familiar face watching beside her.
"Alice was such a ball of energy to everyone in the valley. You raised her well, Witchie."
Jolted from her train of thought, the witch jerked her head towards her old rival. "Tch, of course you'd show up."
"Well, you've been sitting still for an hour next to my spring..." The Harvest Goddess muttered. "Not that I mind, of course. I do clean his grave from time to time, so don't worry too much about the upkeep."
"Thanks, Dessie." The witch relented.
She certainly wasn't in the mood for fighting, and as much as she'd hate to admit it, the Harvest Goddess was tentatively her closest friend by default.
"So... do you want to reminisce about the old days? I know you're uptight about these matters, so I won't bother you if you're not willing," she asked.
"I'd rather not," The witch faltered for a moment before declining. "I have no shortage of stories to tell, the reminiscing would never end. You already know what I have to do. In fact, we might have had this conversation many times before."
"You'd be correct about that. Let me recall, I think this would be your-"
"Don't tell me."
"...Fine," The goddess huffed upsetly, albeit with a tinge of sadness. "But you can't run away from the truth forever. We're both immortals, our connections with humans don't last long. That's just how things are."
"I never wished to live an eternal life," The witch firmly maintained her stance.
"Tell me this. In a thousand years from now, would you rather live with fond memories to cherish and look back to, or do you wish to live in ignorance once more? To spend the rest of your days in solitude, attempting to alleviate your own endless boredom which you had already found the cure to."
"Don't stall me any further." The witch shot a glare at her rival. "This is all for the sake of my future self's happiness. No matter how long it takes for a second time."
"Very well... Goodbye again then, Witchie. I truly hope that you will find what you seek." The Harvest Goddess dejectedly sunk back into her pond.
"I'm certain I will, Dessie."
With nothing left to hold her back, the witch whisked herself to her hut in the blink of an eye.
A familiar chill from her old residence envelops her, one that she'd soon be reacquainted with.
The witch scoured her archives for a specific book of spells, but as she pulled out the dusted tome from deep within, a photograph came flying out.
Happy birthday, Witchie! I got Alice to help me find those foreign herbs to cook your favorite dish!
R-Rainbow Curry? Oh Haruto, you really didn't have to...
She had to cast the spell now. She will free herself from this burden.
"ε ο υ ρ Ψ π Α, ε ο υ ρ Ψ π Α..."
Daddy told me you've been wanting to eat this for a looong time, so I worked very very hard!
Mementos scattered across the walls began to shrivel up. She will start afresh, and she will relive life as she knows it, in bliss of not knowing what comes tomorrow.
"ε ο υ ρ Ψ π Α, ε ο υ ρ Ψ π..."
My sweet Alice, and Haruto... Thank you. I couldn't have asked for a more loving family.
A maddening howl fills the room, scattering all sorts of reagents around. She swore to restart on a clean slate.
"ε ο υ ρ... Α, ε ο υ..."
I love you too, dear. Let's be together till the very end.
Oh, don't say such things, silly! Let us share a toast to our eternal happiness!
But this time, something snaps, and the cycle halts in place.
"ε... ... Damn it, damn it all!"
The Witch Princess succumbs to the mortality she sought for, and with it, an everlasting curse that shall never fade.