The Girl flickered before my vision again.
She had glowing turquoise hair—her hair was luminous—and she wore a plain white dress and had white wings.
But her face was blurry.
Who was she?
I myself saw a fragment of space serve as a mirror for me here.
I was a faceless man, with a top-hat and a black suit, white shirt and a black tie with black wings sprouting off my back.
But while hers freely allowed her to float in the air, my wings weighed across the ground.
She grasped my hand and pulled me along to a desolate building.
It had ancient chains fastened around it.
I was reluctant to go in—but with her, I felt as if I had a strange feeling, like I could do anything.
She spun in the air with me, and we flew through the entrance.
There was a bunch of faceless people.
They stuffed their plates with an assortment of food.
There was a man who had specific cutlery to cut his bloodied steak with.
There were children who chased each other with intoxicating youth and innocence.
There were teenagers who stood in the corner and watched, as one sheepishly dipped a strawberry in the fountain of chocolate fondue.
There were women who pranced around most primally, swinging about and pattering across the floor.
And in the centre of it all, there were people dancing.
Around me. Dancing.
As the lights themselves danced around us, moving to the shadows and with great vitality spiralling back around us.
I was smiling with no face.
I was dancing.
I was dancing.
That was exactly it.
It was only I dancing.
And she was never there.
They were only dolls—
in preconfigured destinies.
I will open the toy-box again.
We will play once more...
But what was your name?
I set the building on fire.
I watched it burn down.
As the faceless angel who danced so perfectly—
only her face, her smile—
flicked out of existence.
I walked, as fireflies danced around me.
I saw a GRAY_FOG.
It had nothing but truths.
But I could not get lost in the fog.
Like a grand composer—
no, like a grand conductor—
I directed the fireflies to clear the fog.
And it became ultraviolet mist.
I saw her again.
She held a flower.
It was a hyacinth.
But it quickly withered away.
And so did she,
as I floated through the mist.
I trudged on slime-filled roads,
with a great and terrible army—
shadowy figures of no men.
They were bigger than any men,
and they followed behind me,
a perfect caste.
This time—
I WILL WIN.
"So this is my destiny, huh?"
The girl shook her head.
And I saw her slain—
by the very army I raised.
She was shattered to pieces.
I wish I could cry,
but tears were better saved for happiness.
I will put you back together.
I will bring you out the castle.
My army was swallowed by a terrible ocean.
It was only me.
It was always only me.
I was picked up by a shadowy talon.
I saw multiple heads.
And a multitude of split-faces.
But only briefly.
And I forgot it.
The marionette that was me
smashed across the ground.
I was tangled in strings.
Strings that were unbreakable.
Diamond chains.
I was in the very cube Edmund gave me.
Me—
a mere toy that spun, wrapped in cobwebs.
What a pathetic archaic dream.
The cube shattered.
I saw me slowly break apart—
and then reform.
I saw me—
a swarm of rats.
I saw me—
a hooded figure blowing out a candle,
with a crow perched on my shoulder.
I saw me—
a king in yellow.
It was a yellow, rain-slicked coat.
I had hollow eyes,
and tentacles spiralled chaotically from the coat.
I saw me.
It was only me.