One.

Sometimes one heartbeat is just enough to become someone else.

There is also this microscopical, almost indistinguishable moment between the transformations, when you don't know if you still are yourself, or him already.

When you can see everything what you love disappearing. Of course, it doesn't literally disappear - it's rather you who disappears from everything you love.

Because there is this one moment between heartbeats, when there is no you, no him; when there is no fear, no suffering. It should last forever, this fraction of a second, when there is no number ten nor eleven, when there is only a zero - absolute and finite.

It was what Tenth wished with all his strength - to remain in this nonentity-entity, not having to leave. He wished not to eat pears, to communicate with Donna without using spoken words, to save the world, to look at Rose, to breathe.

He wished to remember, because memories are alive even when there is no human. When there is no body, there is a memory in which you can live, although it is unhealthy, taming the progress. Progress? What progress? When this zero behind disappears, and one appears, when ruffled hair disappears and neatly arranged strands of hair appear? This is not progress, this is agony because you are done with being yourself, because you are becoming him. Him, whom you will never meet. As Valerie never met Eve, the Tenth will never meet the Eleventh, even if it shouldn't be this way. There should be serenity, there should be acceptance, there should be no fear.

But the Universe is not fair, that lesson Tenth understood without any problem. Destiny cannot be stopped, circle of life cannot be broken. You have to accept it and walk away with your head held high, even if-

I don't wanna go...

And there is this one, last heartbeat, ending everything you love.

This one heartbeat after which there is nothing left for you.

This one heartbeat...

...which begins a new life. When zero disappears, and one appears.

The good side is the person, who you used to be, will be deep inside you forever.

Till the end of your time.

Till the one heartbeat, which really will become the last one.