Placid sometimes wondered if he deserved the title of Alfendi Layton. He could more often compare himself to a leech born to feed off the life of another until satisfaction or death. Well, he wasn't in it for the latter, but would he possibly be able to die? Was it possible for a full personality to disappear without a trace?
Surely then, his host's death would be his own.
Then was he Alfendi? Or just a pest that went down with his home?
He couldn't do anything to stop himself, kill himself. Just one side of a man couldn't fade and yet, when he thought about the drastic changes of his real self's life, he realized how much of an impact he was. He felt himself falling apart at the idea.
His true self, the murder loving arrogant man named 'Potty', never stopped trying to get himself back. It was frightening almost, to know he was just a poorly fabricated pawn lurking within the real man.
And his memories, how horribly woven they were, threads of his unreal self pulling apart as the truth broke free.
Who really was Placid anymore?
Not Alfendi, to be sure.
He was something that never should have happened. A mistake. So maybe he should bury himself in the darkest parts of a mind that was never his. A place where the night always stayed. Where bastards like him could lie in silence.
Yet the light would always bring him back. It brought back the true Alfendi, and proved him a fake, fraud, sham, and a liar, but despite all that still loved him all the same.
The unreal man.
No matter how much Placid tried to let go, to disappear, to become nothing but a lie in a broken memory, the light shined into his grave and he had no choice but to return.
Even the imposter was human, lies and all.
And he was needed, so his time would keep going, his 'heart' would continue beating in time with the truth. He would feel the light again, warm and gentle.
And Lucy would smile at him like he was just as real as his other.