Death for a God

It was time to say goodbye. The girl placed her hand on the capsule holding the body of her grandfather. As she stood on the funeral deck, she couldn’t help but feel the tearing loss in her gut, despite the warm company to celebrate her grandfather's new purpose. All she could hear were the memories of her grandfather and the quiet hum of the machinery in the nearby airlock.
From the inside of the city dome, the girl looked out into the depths of the ocean. Somehow to her, it felt a little colder, a little darker. Memories of her grandfather flooded her mind—his tales of his time before Gyllis, his laughter that echoed through their home, and the solidarity of his presence that had made even the worst days more bearable. She clutched a small object in her pocket—a worn-out seashell that he had once given her from one of his dives in the Gyllis mines. Small lines on her palm remained from squeezing it too hard.
A woman from the death committee placed a hand on her shoulder. “Jane. It’s time for him to rejoin the Shark God.” She knew that the woman was right. Dark figures had already started to congregate around the airlock. They knew. They could sense what was about to happen. “Yeah, okay.” she replied in a bitter voice. She knew this was a part of the process, the dedication of one's body to Shark God. It would be her destiny as well, and she happily accepted it for his protection and unity. She just wished that it would help with the hollow knot twisting inside her, but she knew the only thing that would help with that was time.
The death committee pressed the button on the funeral deck's main control panel, and the capsule holding the girl's grandfather descended into the bowls of its machinery. The girl had expected to either cry, or celebrate with the rest of those attending, but she just felt nothing. Empty.
With a press of a button, the capsule shot into the ocean, rocketing into the depths. The girl took a small step forward, her hands still clenched around the shell, but she knew all she could do was watch. She must watch, it is her duty to Shark God to embrace his welcome. So she did.
As the lifeless, bare body emerged from the capsule, it became an eerie silhouette against the backdrop of the deep-sea expanse. Drawn by instinct and the scent of death, the sharks swiftly closed in on her grandfather. The cold, remorseless waters bore witness to a primal dance as the sharks, sleek and formidable, tore into the bare flesh with razor-sharp teeth. The dark, carmine aura enveloped the body like a cloud while small celebrations came from the onlookers behind her. He was now one with Shark God. The once-human form, now flesh to ribbons.
The girl couldn’t help but feel nothing. She watched as the once-beloved features of her grandfather now obscured in shadow and crimson floated away, the sharks having taken their fill. Her grip on the railing tightened as reality set in. He was really gone. Eviscerated.
The young woman released her grip on the rail, knuckles white. It was an honor to watch this ceremony. Now is the time to celebrate his life and death, he belonged to Shark God now.

As the God swallowed the last of her grandfather's remains, she knew that one day, it would be her turn to dance with the sharks.