This...the smiles, the laughter, the fake contentment...it was nothing more than an illusion.

Merely something conjured up from nothing, created only to satisfy a passing fancy.

They couldn't feel. Such things as happiness, the urge to smile, did not exist. Rather, it did exist, but in the same manner as they, themselves, existed - lost in the shadows.

Emotions existed only in the hardest to reach corners of their memories. They could remember what it felt like to feel, but to not feel anything? It meant Nothing. It was Nothing, and it meant Nothing. Without feelings, there is Nothing.

Oh yes, they could remember emotions. Remember them in the same manner as one recalls pain: it's not really there. One can remember being in pain, not the pain itself. Otherwise, memories would be painful in more than one sense of the word. Likewise, emotions simply cannot be remembered. The actions, words, expressions, and connotations can be remembered, but not the feeling.

So they go around creating false emotions. It's all just stupendous theatrics. This helps me get closer to my goal, so I'll smile, and that's happiness. This wasn't in my plan, so I'll widen my eyes and gasp, and that's surprise.

To not feel...what a hellish torture.

And he couldn't even feel tortured.

Not feeling emotions was not the same as not existing. They were definitely 'there,' as 'there' as a Nobody can be. They knew that they had presence, took up space.

Well, the Castle took up space as well. As did the furniture. As did even the illusion they currently lounged in.

His illusions were a good metaphor for themselves. One could believe that there was substance inside - the lake for IX, the lightning storm for XII, the vast plethora of flowers through which XI strolled - but in truth, there was nothing there.

Creating something from nothing. That was what they did when they lied to themselves and told themselves they felt anything. They had to tell themselves what to feel, what they were feeling.

They were like the Castle, like the illusions - an empty shell. An onlooker might see a person, but this person was hollow.

They had a sense of touch. They could register pain, but they couldn't be in pain. They could know that they had taken damage, and they could break. After all, they had bodies. They were bodies. And bodies have brains, and nerves, and they are meant to have hearts.

All they wanted was to have hearts. To feel. So everything wouldn't be a lie anymore. No more illusions.

To be granted a heart and be opened up to the emotions that come with it...even the sadness, desperation, pain, heartache, rage, envy, and susceptibility that came with it...a heart was the only cure.

Because this...the smiles, the laughter, the pretense of being content...it was nothing more than a pathetic illusion.