William was finishing his meal. He had just had a fine dinner, fitting even for a king. His maid had really done her best this evening and he really appreciated it. The ingredients had been simple, the main dishes being roasted potatoes and chicken, but the maid had cooked them to perfection with her outstanding skills. William had enjoyed this meal absolutely, which was important on days like this one – that was what he thought. He wiped his mouth clean with a tissue and then placed it on his plate where his cutlery was neatly positioned. He had a little bit of red wine left and he took a hold of his glass and took a sip. William twiddled his glass a little bit absent-mindedly, making the red liquid swirl around. He let his gaze wander around the long table; a clean white tablecloth covered it and there were various empty chairs surrounding the table from all sides, and every seat had plates, cutlery and wine glasses on the table in front of them as if waiting for guests. Setting the table like this was a simple ritual which William asked his maid to do every time, for he preferred to dine like this when it seemed like he had important friends.

Eventually his stare shifted to the closest one of the huge windows that surrounded his dining hall. He could see a bright flash of lightning breaking the black sky for a blink of an eye. The wind was howling like a starving beast that just wanted to sink its fangs into fresh flesh. A cold rain was pouring from heaven, bringing misery down to the earth. The storm had been tormenting the town for a while now, the sun had disappeared from the sky a long time ago, perhaps trying to escape from the merciless storm. Most people found this kind of weather miserable, but William thought it was somewhat soothing.

With one more gulp, he drank the rest of his wine. Then he stood up and slowly walked away from the table, leaving all the dishes for his maid to take care of. However, she had left home already for the night, leaving William alone. Though he wouldn't be for long, because he was waiting for someone. Not exactly a guest, more like a client. He should arrive soon enough, so William began to make his leave from the dining hall.

Almost like a ghost from the past, William walked solemnly through one of the corridors of his mansion. The building was silent, only the ominous sounds of the storm could be heard. This mansion had been silent for so long that William couldn't even remember if there had ever been noises inside it. His steps were soft as he walked past many portraits of people he had long forgotten and their dead eyes followed how he treaded forward. There was practically no light, only the occasional lightning strikes would offer very brief illumination on his lonely path. But darkness was something he liked, so the lack of light didn't really bother him.

Not purposely, William then wandered to one of the sets of stairs that gave access to the great hall. He began to descend these magnificent stairs that were so beautifully crafted that they themselves were like a piece of art. A grand chandelier was hanging above the great hall, but it wasn't shedding any light at that moment, it was just dangling from the ceiling like a decorative corpse. Slowly William managed to get down the first set of stairs, coming to the section where two sets conjoined, merging into a larger stairway that led all the way down. He descended them, reaching the ground floor and his eyes got fixated on the great double doors in front of him. They had many carvings of hideous and terrifying creatures and it was their purpose to keep the evil beings out.

And coincidentally, he could then hear a knocking on the door. It was feeble. And insecure. Hesitant. William knew who there was, but he was a little surprised that he was this early at his doorstep. William made no haste as he walked to the door and he pulled one of them slightly open to welcome the lonely wanderer.

A rather young man was standing there, shivering from the cold. He looked emaciated, carrying pain that was too much of a burden for him. He was utterly soaked by the relentless rain and his long dirty blond hair was dangling over his face.

“Ah, Edwin, you're early”, William said and stepped aside so the man could get inside his mansion.

“I'm sorry, I just… I hope it's not a problem?” Edwin's voice was weak and was shaking a little. He stepped past the doors and he looked around, still admiring William's grandeur home even though he had been there before.

“Not at all”, William responded as he closed the door, leaving the storm behind the doorstep. He noted that his guest was staying stationary and still shivering. “Take off your wet coat, you're clearly freezing.”

Seeming a bit uncertain, Edwin did as William had suggested. Once he was free from its cold embrace, William then stepped forward and took the piece of clothing from him and hung it on the hallstand that was standing close to the doors like a bony servant. Then William glanced at Edwin, examining him with his gaze. It had been a little while since the last time he had seen him. He was a handsome man, but the agony that was corroding him from the inside had darkened his face and his eyes reflected only pain. William understood why he had arrived a bit sooner: he was at his limit. Only seeing forward for this appointment had given him strength to carry on this long.

William placed his hand on Edwin's shoulder. “Come, you should warm up a little before we start.”

Edwin didn't respond, even though he probably would have wanted to say something against this idea. Nonetheless, he let William guide him towards the left hall. William took him to a salon that was prepared for entertaining guests. A bright flame was burning in the fireplace and it effectively was banishing cold from the room, making the salon probably the most warm room in the mansion at that moment. William directed Edwin to a comfortable chair near the fireplace so the fire could kill the coldness that plagued him. Then William walked to a counter and snatched a little green bottle he had left there earlier and returned to Edwin.

“Drink this”, he said. Edwin eyed the bottle hesitantly and judging by his expression, he really didn't want to take anything. So William had to persuade him a little: “It's my own mixture. It's like an anesthetic drug and thus is necessary for the operation. We can't do it if you don't drink this.”

That was all that needed to be said. Edwin took the bottle from him, removed the cap and started to drink voraciously. However, the bad taste of the liquid surprised him, causing him to gag. 

“It's important that you drink it all”, William pointed out.

Edwin continued drinking, though now more patiently. Meanwhile William made his way to a cabinet that was located next to the counter, grabbed a bottle of wine from the cabinet and a glass from the counter. He poured some of the alcohol to his glass and then made his way to the sofa where he could face Edwin. He took a sip from his wine and at this point, Edwin had managed to drink the bottle empty.

“Now we wait for a little while so the substance can take effect in your body”, William informed.

Edwin looked at him. “How long will that take?”

“It depends”, William responded and took another sip. “Just let me know when you start to feel really sleepy.”

Edwin's gaze fell on the carpet. Silence between the two men took over the moment and only the sounds of burning wood and the storm moaning outside were clashing with each other. Shivers were still tormenting Edwin, but bit by bit the warmth of the fire was casting the coldness away from his body. William continued to leisurely enjoy his drink while they waited, but time seemed to crawl forward in Edwin's opinion as William noticed the pained expression on his face.

“You loved her so much, didn't you?” William asked softly.

The shadows seemed to darken on Edwin's face. “Yes… But I should have known better… Why couldn't I see that she was deceiving me… I still can't fully comprehend it.”

“Love is blind, my friend”, William said and drank his wine.

So many stories he had heard during his lifetime. They all were different, but the outcome was always the same. They all ended with heartbreak and pain. But that's where he would come into the picture.

Then the men were silent again for a while. William decided to not provoke Edwin's agony more than that, he just wanted to make sure that Edwin was absolutely positive about where he was getting into, because there would be no going back. Though, he was aware that all these people that came looking for him were confident that they wanted to go through with this plan, it was their last resort after all. But being certain was something he considered necessary.

William's glass of wine was almost empty when he started to notice the first signs of Edwin becoming droopy. He gulped the last bits of his drink when Edwin said: “I think I'm getting tired…”

“Good.” William placed his glass on a small side table that was standing next to the sofa and he stood up. “I will show you the way. Follow me.”

Edwin got on his feet as well and the men began to walk away from the comfort of the salon, heading to a place much darker, although Edwin didn't know that yet. William had taken the leading role once more and he guided Edwin through the darkness that hung in every corner of his mansion. They had returned to the great hall, but had then moved past it and gone to the opposite hall. Edwin could see a glance of some spacious room at the end of the hall, but they didn't go there as William turned left and they went to some smaller corridor instead. They didn't follow that one long since William opened the first door on the left they came across. So far Edwin had been able to somewhat see around, but now the darkness ahead of them was much more heavy, it was just unpierced blackness. But William flipped a switch and then a pale light lit the space, which turned around to be a stairway down. The light was meant for Edwin rather than him, it just wasn't a good idea to let him try to go down the stairs in pitch-black darkness. They started their descent into the depths of the mansion.

A narrow tunnel waited for the men at the bottom of the stairs. There were no lights at this section, only that slight illumination from the stairs gave a tiny portion of light to the tunnel. Edwin shivered again, but this time not because of the cold; the air down here felt suppressive somehow, it was like it was filled with distress. But even this didn't change his mind about what he was walking into and he continued following William. The sound of their steps echoed ominously from the empty walls as they proceeded further. Then the tunnel took a sharp turn to the right and when the men stepped behind the corner, the light faded and disappeared. Edwin's movements automatically turned uncertain because he couldn't see, but still continued moving forward.

“Stop”, William commanded suddenly and his voice vibrated in the air eerily.

Edwin did as was told and waited in the darkness for something to happen. Soon he heard a click, like something got unlocked and then then another one, but this time it was a light switch. The sudden light hurt his eyes for a second, even though it wasn't a particularly bright one. A single light bulb hanging from a cord was swaying from side to side as if an invisible hand was playing with it. In its unnatural light, he could see where William had guided him to.

The room wasn't remarkably big and it wasn't packed with things. The first point of interest was of course the operation table in the middle of the room. It was spotless. Then Edwin noticed a closed door in the opposite direction from where he was now standing. He let his gaze look around, but there wasn't much else to see. A table where a few instruments were waiting for the moment when they would be needed, neatly organized. A white coat was hanging from a hook. And oddly, he spotted a gramophone sitting on a small table in one corner of the room. He could feel significantly sleepier now, he noticed, as he was looking around their surroundings.

“Please take your shirt off and lay down on the table”, William said while he snatched the coat and put it on.

Once again Edwin obeyed the other man. He started to unbutton the shirt and took it off, and William immediately grabbed it from him and with practiced movements he folded it neatly, placing it on the table. Meanwhile Edwin climbed on the operation table, his body feeling so heavy now, it was getting difficult to move it. The direct light from the ceiling was hurting his eyes so he closed them and even his eyelids felt heavy, he noticed.

“When I wake up… Will the pain be gone?” Edwin asked quietly.

“I guarantee it”, William replied.

William put on his surgical mask and gloves. Then he made his way to the most out of place object in the room and meddled with it for a brief moment. Soon the room was filled with opera music, a woman's singing voice resonating in the air. Listening to her strong vocal sound, Edwin's consciousness faded away completely, putting him into a state much deeper than sleep. William watched how his expression relaxed and it was the first time he had seen this young man looking that peaceful. But that would soon change, he was sure of it. He waited just a little bit more; the time wasn't ripe quite yet. His eyes fixed on Edwin's face, he soon got the sign he had been waiting for. A faint dark circle had appeared above Edwin's head, but gradually it turned darker and a small white orb emerged inside it, starting to swirl around the circle; it was the manifestation of Edwin's dark mind leaving his body.

Now it was the time. William walked to the table he had prepared with various instruments and picked up a scalpel, made from a bone of a devil, perfect for cutting skin and flesh. Then William stepped towards the operation table, to begin the same surgery he had performed on so many people before Edwin. Now he would make art with his body as well and remove the agony that had rooted deep inside the young man.

Cleanly William cut open the chest of Edwin. Using his tools that all had a dark origin, he infiltrated inside Edwin, the blood of him soon staining William's gloves that always enjoyed the taste of this tainted red liquid, never getting tired of it. William had made a gaping hole on his patient's chest, to forcefully take a look at what was hidden inside; it was unnatural curiosity. He dug deeper into Edwin's chest in order to eradicate the source of pain that otherwise would never heal. He found the heart, its beats causing just more and more ache for the one who was bearing it. Slowly and steadily, William snipped the organ out of Edwin's chest, holding it in his bloody hands to inspect it a little. The heart had grown abnormally dark and looked badly bruised. There was no doubt about it, it truly was a broken heart. But it wouldn't plague Edwin any longer. Carefully William took the heart to a jar he had left on the small table along with his tools and dropped it inside. The jar had been filled with greenish liquid and the heart sank to the bottom where it would stay forever.

William returned to Edwin and started to stitch him up with care. He would hide the contents of his insides once more and hopefully, they wouldn't have to be revealed ever again. An ugly scar would be left as a reminder by this operation, but that was a small price to pay. Time and time again William's black needle pierced Edwin's skin as he slowly closed his open chest. Once he was done with that, he went to his tool table to snatch the last thing he had prepared for this operation: an injection needle. It was filled with a drug that would make Edwin's consciousness return back to his body and wake him up. William injected the substance into Edwin's body, thus concluding this operation. While waiting for his patient to wake up, William took the heart jar, stepped towards the closed door and opened it, its hinges giving a pained shriek.

A storage space of some sort was waiting behind the door. Rows and rows of crude metal shelves, some of them badly rusted, crowded the entire area. William's lone steps brought some sound to the otherwise eerily silent storage, even the opera music playing in the operating room sounded so distant now. William walked through the narrow passages in between the shelves which were stocked up with jars containing hearts, all of them broken and abandoned to the depths of William's mansion. Although they had been removed and trapped inside their jars, their enormous amount of pain was still seeping through, causing the air to feel suppressive.

William found a perfect spot for Edwin's heart. He placed the jar on an upper shelf which was still quite empty. But before heading out from the storage, William did his mandatory visit to the farthest and darkest corner of this place. He was looking for a specific heart and soon he found it from the most depressing nook there was. He stared at the removed organ for a moment, it was the oldest one in the room. It was utterly black, bruised and shredded, indicating that it had been removed by a brute force rather than cleanly and surgically like the rest of the hearts in the storage.

It was William's own heart.

He wasn't exactly sure why he had this need to see the heart every time he visited the storage. Perhaps it was because it was a part of him and it still yearned to be one with him once more. But William didn't want that and that would never change. 

Then he turned around and began to walk away from the storage. All the hearts would be left here, forsaken, to wallow in their own misery.

William's job with Edwin wasn't completely over yet. He had to help him recover. Because he knew, oh he knew it so well, how tough it was to heal after losing your own heart.