A mask is what he wore

A white mask with a single black tear

Who was he? No one knew

Was he a phantom?

He remained in the shadows, didn't he?

Was he human?

No, he had no heart

All humans have a heart

All humans have feelings

What did he feel?

Anguish, Solitude, Sorrow, Guilt

Guilt?

What did he do?

Why would he feel guilty?

Why would he feel any of these things?

He's not...he's not

...human.

You question if I am a phantom?

You question if I am a human?

I couldn't answer that if I wanted to

I, too, do not know the answers

But what do I feel?

You guessed most of it correctly, but what else? What else is there?

I want to know myself too

What does it mean to know oneself?

Are you human?

Possibly

So where does that leave me?

Do you want to know why I feel the way I do?

One word

Love.

Love?

Why would love make a man feel this way?

Love is...

You're sad are you not?

You're angry are you not?

You're guilty...are you not?

You blame love for what you feel

Love is beautiful, happy, majestic

It is no mistake

If it is, it's a happy mistake

Love is serene

Serene...have you ever felt serene?

That is what love feels like to you

We are different

We've experienced love differently

Love has treated us differently

It was your friend, now it is my enemy

You love love and the idea of it

I hate love and the idea of it

Was it always this way?

No

But that is how it is now

There's nothing you can do about it

There's nothing I can do about it

Love is no longer a serene notion for me

Love is like poison

Poison that stays within my throat

Burning it

Forever and ever

You haven't experienced it

Your love is fake love

And so was mine.

You're wrong

I sympathize with you

It must be hard

You're alone now I assume

Don't be alone anymore

Let me take care of you

Let me show you what love is

I promise-

Promises. Ha, what a joke

You love me?

I'd rather die than to have my heart ripped from my chest

You say all humans have a heart?

I don't have one

You say all humans have feelings?

I only have bad feelings

So what am I?

A human with feelings and no heart

I guess you could say I'm stuck then

Stuck where?

Hell maybe...I don't know anymore.

Don't you see?

I am here to bring you out of this hell

I cannot grant you entrance into heaven

But I can get close enough

I will do anything I can

Just to make you happy

Will you let me?

Or will you stay holed up in that hell you speak of?

A stranger to a stranger

Wants to make who happy?

Why me?

Why am I your next victim?

I don't want you to try

Just let me suffer

Why must you care?

You have no reason to.

I don't want you to.

You're confused

You don't mean that

You'll never know unless you try again

Please

Don't you want to be happy again?

Don't you want to know what happiness feels like?

...I'm sorry, I can't.

Why not?

I want to help

I want to get to know you

What should I call you?

Do you have a name?

I don't have a name...

Well...V

Call me V.

V...V...

Okay, V

I'll come back and make you talk to me

Until then...

Hmph

He won't return

They never do

With or without this mask

I'm still a monster to the people...

...not human.