She loved him. She loved him so much, more than the earth loves the sun's gentle rays, more than the rooster loves to herald a new day. Forever, eternity – those were all meaningless against her infinite, timeless love for him. He allowed her to let loose, to be free, from the narrow boundaries of the world they lived in. So she loved him.
He loved her. He loved the way a smile would tease across her lips - and then erupt into a laugh when he made a joke. She would smile and bring those clear, endless blue eyes to his, and that thing inside of him that he thought was steel and unbreakable would melt, melt into those fathomless eyes. So he loved her.
They were intertwined in each other's arms, inseparable, inescapable. He only had three words for her, and she answered with her lips. He held her tight, tighter than he should, because he was afraid the gentle creature in his arms would float off like a feather without him. And she, a woman with independence and freedom, let him hold her, caress her. With every beat of her heart, she loved him, trusted him. He would protect her. There were others who loved her – no, lusted after her, who would hold her less gently, with iron fists. He would protect her. He would save her.
One day, it happened. He waited for her, waited and waited. It was raining, and he worried. He worried and waited and worried and waited for hours, days, weeks. It never stopped raining. He searched and scoured the world for her, his love with the endless eyes. And with his persistence, he eventually found her. Should Fate, toying with this broken man, have let him find her? Find her mangled, misshapen body in the impoverished abyss of the world?
He knelt beside her lifeless body, the rain beating down on his hunched back. His tears poured out, adding to the relentless rain. He stroked her hair through a veil of tears, her once beautiful hair, now filled with lice and dirt. He held her hands, felt her rumpled, ripped dress, and noticed her missing shoes. But not once did he look at her eyes, look into those still open, endless eyes, those eyes that wondered why he hadn't been there, why he hadn't saved her, why he hadn't held her.
And he screamed. He let loose the animal inside, the anger, the sadness. His scream was inhuman, something not real. He let the world know it would pay for taking her. He cut his heart from himself. He became heartless, the man with no heart and many hearts. He became Kakuzu.