Bane Of Time (Completed)

Heartbreak

William's point of view: 

   I watched her go back to her mother's cottage, I haven't seen a descendant of Elizabeth in about three hundred years ago, I thought I was starting to forget her and get used to her absence but now there's this girl, once I saw her my heart started doing its flips again.

   I remember the day I knew that I've lost Elizabeth forever and her descendants would haunt me forever and as long as I'm living in this bloody castle.

   ...There were so many rooms that she and her beloved hadn't discovered yet, so much history yet to be uncovered. But for today, all them two were having is a simple adventure under the rising sun. 

   Her lover was waiting for her on the marvelous, moss-covered steps in front of the grand, creaking gate of this abandoned structure. When he saw her, their smile was so beautiful and soft that she could not help rushing forwards and pulling them into a tight embrace. They laughed, arms wrapping around her as well, before pulling her into the castle, my castle, out of the rain. The sun was peeking in the castle windows, gray yellow light dampened by the translucent shower of water outside.

   The two of them wondered at the gray cobwebs and layers of dust, but that didn't stop her hands from tracing the faded walls as she walked through the halls. Her lover, inspired by the surroundings, launched into a grand story composed of a ball, one that welcomed lovers both rich and poor, genteel and battle-worn, and it was a wonderful event for all; the irony though. They laughed, immersed in the tale, as he grabbed her hand and pulled you into a dance; I felt a pang of jealousy since I never got to dance with my dear Elizabeth on the night before our wedding day.

    As they waltzed through the castle, the sun outside did not brighten, its light filtered by gray clouds. But it only caused a certain mood to settle around the two of them, somewhat grim, daunting, yet entirely magical as well; they reminded me of my past with her grandmother. Each kiss felt weighted, special, and precious between them. Neither of them stopped dancing, even if the distant clock that tolled told them both it was well beyond their curfew, and maybe a chance to talk with her alone and get her to remind me, since she were identical to the love of my life.

    When the two of them finally separated, the rain finally pausing for a moment, it was with a laugh, a kiss, and a promise to see each other soon once more. She stayed in the castle for a while and I took it as a chance to approach her, I know it was wrong, I know I should let her be happy with her life, but I was breaking inside. 

   "I see you're coming back over and over again, despite knowing the fact that I'm breaking inside each time I see you with him instead of me." she did look startled when hearing my voice, but is it because I scared her or did she remember me? I wished it was the later.

   She took a step back and swallowed before answering me back, "who are you?"

   My heart sank down at these words but I'll try giving her some hints to refresh her memory, "Come on Elizabeth, you and I together became the owner of this property, it's our home, where we should've raised our children together."

   She looked terrified at that moment, my plan certainly didn't work the way I wanted it to go, "I'm sure you got the wrong person, my name is Emma not Elizabeth, and I'm so sorry for trespassing, my fiancée and I thought it was one of those abandoned ancient castle, due to it's current look. I'll be on my way out, and again I'm very sorry if I caused you any problem." I watched her go, running down the stairs and disappearing between the old trees and into the forest, probably back to her house.

   I gripped on so tightly despite the fact that my palms where sore and burned. My nails dug deep onto the corroded strings to give myself a better grasp, to give myself one more hope that I would succeed. A tear rolled onto my cheek, but I didn't care; I had to stay focused. I used to tell myself, "I need to stay focused"...but after a lifetime of being oblivious torture, I let go. I realized that they didn't care and so I stood up and walked away from her - that stupid rope of hope and everything it had done to hurt me. And I started to live again, not the way that everyone would think of, but I asked my maid to start cleaning the castle again and help me go through the day with another hope of finding love again.

   This heartbreak feels cold. It feels like concrete drying in my chest. This heartbreak was unexpected, as they always are - top of the world one minute and cut down the next. Why is that? Is there part of the world that dislikes to see me happy? When I finally found happiness with the girl I love, the universe decided to punish me by killing her and making me an immortal with her doppelgangers visiting me and haunting my life forever. 

   The gods throw their dice, like we're some kind of pawns in their tiny chess game, and someone down here will lose someone dear, get their like wrecked upside down, and they wouldn't even care. But I didn't give anyone the satisfaction of breaking me, there was a time I was angry at the universe, to introduce us only to take her far away, yet I have found my peace with it. For in these days of missing her, I cannot entertain the idea of another. In this I have become as close to independent as it is for a soul such as myself to achieve. For this, though it is a challenge, I can have only gratitude. 

   I used to count the years, months, days until I was able to see a copy of Elizabeth, and it was enough to see her beautiful face again after all these years, I loved it when a girl opened the grand front doors alone with her lover to discover the place, it reminded me of the good old days I've spend with my dear. I don't know how much it will last but it feels amazing to see her familiar face after a century of absence; true she's not an exact copy of the original but being with her feels like it; a copy of a copy of a copy.