The Other Side of the Fairytale

         Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a tall castle that resided among the clouds. The castle emitted such a foreboding aura that none dared approach it. Even if one had been so unwise as to pass through the creaking doors, he would have been greeted by a large, empty hall. An old chandelier was dangerously suspended by several thin chains, and it lit up the hall with an eerie light.
         If he had not left the castle out of fear already, he would have gone up the many spiraling steps to reach the upper floors. All the doors but one were heavily locked and bolted. One could only guess what horrors resided beyond those doors, and none had a particular desire to find out.
         Shivering and shaking, he would enter the only unlocked room. The door would swing open almost too invitingly, only to reveal many shelves of preserved toads and gurgling potions the color of blood. If he had even gotten as far as that room, he would definitely flee.
         It is quite fortunate that no one ever reached the lowest floor, for that floor was the dungeon. Skulls and mangled skeletons littered the ground, still chained into their prisons. Mist slithered around the room like snakes, making the air heavy. Dim torches provided the only light.
         At the end of the seemingly infinite rows of cells, there was an opening partially concealed by a moth-eaten curtain. Through that opening was another room entirely—a room smaller than the dungeons, but far more malicious. The scent of evil itself masked every bookshelf and every chair; every shadow seemed to have eyes.
         In the middle of this unpleasant place was an unconscious princess with long, golden hair. She was the fair maiden that had been kidnapped by the evil sorcerer. She was, without a doubt, dreaming about her magnificent hero rescuing her and the happy life they would then lead together.
         However, the man lurking in the shadows was not going to allow that. He was the sorcerer who was always portrayed as the villain; the antagonist in all fairy tales. He did not have a name—the villains were generally not thought of as important enough to possess such a personal label. After all, his single and insignificant role in fairy tales was to get in the way of the heroes. He was simply known as the antagonist, the evil sorcerer, the villain, the obstacle, the dark mage, or any other fancy title that anyone chose to call him.
         But the antagonist himself thought very differently. He was the most important character in his story—he was the hero. He did exactly what he thought was right. Smiling slightly, he stared at the sleeping princess. His plans were to sacrifice her so he could obtain ultimate power to rule the universe, and all the parallel universes, and all the universes other than that. He wanted to change everything for what he thought was the better.
         He sighed. He looked around impatiently. He was waiting for someone—but not just anyone. He was waiting for the hero. He was waiting for the hero because he knew that the hero had to come to save the princess. He even knew that, in the end, the hero would be victorious and would live happily ever after with the princess. But the evil sorcerer had been given a role in the story, and he had to fulfill it. He had to be the evil one, the one to lose, and the one to die.
         In reality, he was not an evil person. He had no desire to take over all the universes as everyone assumed. He was simply an ordinary man who used to have a family. But due to a cruel twist of fate, his wife and children were killed in a fire and he was the only survivor. He regretted not being able to save his loved ones that fateful day, and decided to gain power so that he would never again be hurt in the same way.
         He glanced at the princess again with contempt showing clearly in his eyes. It was this princess and her knight that would receive the happy ending of which he was cheated. They would live happily ever after, having many children and ruling a kingdom until they grew old and passed on the throne. Then they would die peacefully in their sleep.
         The man put a hand to his heart. He could feel every pulse, every beat. He had a heart, despite what the others said. He could feel it, and he felt more and more human with every pump. He was human, and he had human emotions. He was not devoid of feelings as so many people thought. He was not an undead. He was one of them, no matter how much they denied it. And he deserved to live like them. He dropped his hand.
         When the knight came, he decided, he would fight with all his heart. He would not give up just because he was destined to lose—he would fight for himself, his family, and his happy ending. He would fight to defy the fate that was set upon him; he would fight against the rule that made him an outcast. He would fight to defend his humanity.
         Soon enough, the hero came crashing into the room. He wielded a long silver sword that gleamed in the fading light. Taking his cue, the dark mage left the shadows to confront his enemy. It was sword against magic, and their strength was even. However, due to the hero’s natural tendency to win the battle, the other man was soon defeated.
         As the sorcerer lay on the floor, blood pouring from his chest, the knight woke the princess. Then, without a second glance to the man they had destroyed, they left on a great stallion to return to the kingdom that they would soon rule. The villain was left alone in the quiet and empty room.
         He tried to lift his head one last time, but failed. He collapsed onto the cold floor, feeling life escape him little by little. He saw one last fleeting vision of the life he could have had; of his family happily awaiting him at their warm home. He smiled, a thin trickle of blood making its way out of his mouth, and closed his eyes for the last time. He knew why the hero had won and why he and the princess were the ones who got the happy ending. It was because it was all a fairy tale, and in fairy tales, the princess and her knight always win. The villain is simply written off like he never existed.
         As the last of his soul slowly ebbed away, he made a dying wish. He wished that the hero and the princess would live happily ever after.

         If he couldn’t have his happy ending, they would have it for him.