Through Your Eyes

by astahfrith

'You never know how you look through other people's eyes.' -Unknown. Duo may think the others blind to him. But do they understand him more than he thinks? Do they wonder what lies beneath his mask? [Death's Masque #5]

6. Epilogue: What Hurts the Masqued

Through Your Eyes

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EPILOGUE: WHAT HURTS THE MASQUED

'He who wears a mask cannot see within himself.'
-Unknown

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In the end, what hurts the most is not the way that they look at me—the pity, the disgust, the anger, the annoyance—but the knowledge that it's my own fault they look at me that way.

'This is what you wanted, isn't it? This is the mask you built.'

It was. Is it still?

I don't know.

But it hurts.

In the end, what hurts the most is not keeping this mask—have you seen it crack? No, you haven't, but it does—but knowing that if I were to remove this mask, I would know who I am anymore.

In the end, what hurts the most is not losing those that I love, but rather learning to love in the first place, knowing that I will still lose them in the end.

(Because Death is always alone)

And, in the end, what hurts the most is not that they condemn me—I condemn myself—but rather that they condemn me for what I cannot change, rather than what I can.

'After all, how many times have I wished that I wasn't what I am? What I was? What I'll always be?'

I don't know why I am saying this. I don't know what finally gave me the courage to speak these words.

Perhaps it finally hurt more to keep it inside than to set it free.

I don't know the reason.

All I know is that it hurts. It hurts so much.

And I don't think that it will ever stop.

- fin -

Wrote this months ago for no particular reason. Found it perfect for this epilogue. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it; keep an eye out for other multi-chapters in the future of this series. Insert standard disclaimer below.