He watched the world around him descend into madness in the infinite sadness that came from knowing, absolutely, that it was not the world he could ever change; but only himself. It felt so without point to even try, but, unshaken, he pressed on; wondering how much could he accomplish before the inevitable occurred, and utterly alone - he would die. His tenacity? It was unmatched. Quite like comparing a conflagration to a match. His grotesque and numerous myriads of scars, he always questioned whether or not anyone would ever see the beauty hidden just beneath. Without pause, he pushed himself beyond any limit that could ever or would ever be, thankful that it hurt more than he's ever felt. That was the true strength of his insubvertable will, the reason he never hesitated to kill any and all malignance within himself; regardless of the impact upon his health. He always felt alone, and after twenty-four years, he didn't believe this could ever change. He couldn't rearrange what he felt. No longer was there a mask, for him, to hide the pain - it spilled all over every page; defined every note in the songs that he wrote. Attention, most people seemed to believe that what he wanted was attention; when in reality, all he was seeking was a suspension of the immutable isolation of his soul. Someone to hold him close and say: "You're not alone any more. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I love you, not despite all of the pain that calls your name, but because of it. I will forever be your muse..." but it was always punctuated with a sigh and the quiet mouthing of "what's the use...?" So he would recede, even farther within himself; almost finding solace in the solitude. Almost convincing himself that this was what he wanted; that this was the way things were meant to be - a loner, forever lonely.