William's mind was clouded, like a heavy mist obscuring his thoughts. He had no clear path forward, no immediate solution for survival. He felt like a rag doll tied to the wheels of a relentless carriage, battered and bruised as it dragged him through this cruel world. Yet, despite it all, he pressed on, surrendering himself to whatever twisted fate awaited him next.
"I'll keep running while Ron and Shiro find the real one, but what am I supposed to do about everything else?"
His mind raced, grasping at strategies, but the world seemed intent on throwing obstacle after obstacle in his path. Every solution he found led to another problem, another trial.
"I need to find a way to save everyone."
Yet, amidst his resolve, uncertainty lingered. He had no way of knowing what would become of his companions—or himself.
"I won't let anything happen to them. Even if I die, I'll get them to safety. I will see this through to the end... Alright, let's release a bit more, shall we? Come at me, you little shit! I have a kid to get to."
He needed to find them, especially Nicolas. He needed to understand the emotions behind Nicolas' sorrow and frustration—the way the boy looked at him, despite barely knowing him. He needed to hear, from Nicolas himself, why he had placed so much trust in him.
The path before him stretched endlessly. Torches flickered, casting long shadows, yet no matter how far he ran, there was no sign of an exit. A strange thought crossed his mind—what if there was no way out at all?
"This place... What is all this?"
Conspiracies churned in his mind like a broken record, but it was too late to seek answers now. His life was nearing its limit.
The ground trembled beneath his feet. William barely managed to stay upright as he ran. He clenched his jaw.
"So... you're finally here."
A serpent rose from the earth, blocking his path a few meters ahead.
—Wait, they're not moving...
William halted, glancing back. The Jawer clones that had been chasing him were frozen, watching the interaction between him and the serpent. He was dumbfounded. This creature was more than just a mindless beast—it was aware, intelligent.
His gaze returned to the serpent. Its scales pulsed with a fluorescent red glow. "So," he said, eyes locked onto it, "what are you going to do?"
On cue, the ground beneath him cracked and crumbled. Before he could react, he was falling into an endless abyss. He had nothing to grasp onto, no way to stop his descent. Time seemed to slow as he plummeted. He locked eyes with the serpent, expecting it to devour him. Instead, it merely watched. It had something else in store for him.
The fall ended abruptly as he crashed into a body of water.
"Wake up."
William's eyes fluttered open. He lay half-submerged in the shallows of a stone-paved shore, water lapping at his legs. Slowly, he lifted his face.
—Where am I?
He found himself in a surreal landscape—a vast field of flowers surrounded by water. It made no sense. He had fallen into the depths of the tunnel, yet here he was, in a place so far removed from the horrors he had encountered. But normalcy had long abandoned him the moment he stepped onto the serpent's path.
Then he noticed something even more unnatural.
—What the hell?
The water flowed in four distinct directions, dividing the field into quarters. At the center, where the streams converged, a floating platform hovered above a lake. Shadows circled it—large figures, bird-like in shape, yet much larger than any he had ever seen.
—Wait, wasn't there someone with me?
A voice had woken him. Two simple words, spoken coldly, lifelessly. He searched his surroundings, but there was no one—only the shadowy figures above.
—Could the person who called me be up there? Would this take me to them?
Conflicting instincts warred within him. One urged him forward, telling him to touch the monolith near the lake. The other screamed at him to turn back. A chill ran down his spine. His arms bristled with goosebumps, his jaw clenched involuntarily. Fear gripped him, and he didn't understand why.
"At this point, I might as well check what's up there."
Tentatively, he reached out toward the monolith. Just before his fingers could make contact—
"—Ugh!"
A piercing scream ripped through the field. The sound was overwhelming, shaking him to his core. A flood of memories rushed back to him.
"Olivia!"
The realization hit like a hammer. He turned his back on the floating platform and sprinted toward the corridor ahead.
"Olivia!?"
William's voice echoed through the tunnels as he ran. He had heard these screams before—the ones that had reverberated through the darkness, powerful enough to send the Jawer clones into seizures.
He called her name over and over, but no answer came. The sound of her agony felt close, yet no matter how far he ran, he couldn't find her. The twisting corridors seemed to lead nowhere—a maze with no exit.
—This is worse than the top floor.
At last, he stumbled into an open chamber. A figure lay on the ground.
"Is that... Olivia!"
He rushed to her side, gathering her in his arms. Her body was battered, covered in cuts and bruises, but she was alive. He could hear her steady breathing. Relief washed over him.
The last time he had seen Olivia, she had been fighting the serpent alongside Sebastian while he and Nicolas fled. Now, Sebastian was nowhere to be seen. Nicolas was missing, too.
"Olivia, please, wake up."
He brushed dirt from her face. Her warm brown skin was marred with grime and blood. Gently, he caressed her cheek. Her lips trembled slightly at his touch.
Then, her eyes fluttered open. "Oh, it's you."
William smiled wryly. "I'm glad to see you too."
Despite her injuries, Olivia remained as sharp-tongued as ever. Somehow, it comforted him.
"What's so funny?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
He wiped away the moisture gathering in his eyes. None of them deserved this suffering. He had to find a way to save them all. But how? How could he stop this cruel fate from consuming them?
"Olivia, I need to know what happened."
She let out a tired sigh. "Sure. But first, can I ask you one thing?"
"Of course."
"Can you let go of me?"
William blinked, suddenly realizing he was still holding her tightly. "—Ah. Sorry about that." He scratched his head, face turning red.
"...Scum."
"Hey, it's not what it looks like!"
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you sure?"
"I swear, I wasn't trying anything weird."
Olivia knew he meant no harm. Still, something about his touch unsettled her.
"—Besides," he added, "isn't it normal to react this way when you find a friend hurt?"
"A friend? I don't remember agreeing to that."
"Come on, Olivia. We've known each other since we were kids."
"That doesn't justify friendship."
William smiled faintly. "You and your weird logic… Alright, let's drop it. Tell me—what happened while I was gone?"
Olivia's expression grew serious. "We were fighting the serpent. Everything was going smoothly... and then the child appeared."
William's heart skipped a beat. "You mean Nicolas?!"
William was relieved to know Nicolas had found his way to them.
Olivia nodded. "I saw him alone. I knew something must've happened to you, but I didn't have time to dwell on it—I rushed to protect him."
"I bet he must've been scared."
Nicolas was still a child, lacking the physical strength to defend himself. William imagined him wandering the dark tunnels alone, searching for Olivia and Sebastian, constantly on edge, fearing a serpent attack at any moment.
"On the contrary."
"What?"
Olivia locked eyes with him. "The kid that returned wasn't the same one who left with you."
William's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"—Ugh!" Olivia winced, gripping her side in pain.
"Shouldn't you be healing yourself?"
"I'm having... some difficulty."
"Then rest. We'll talk more later."
"One thing before that—don't mention this to anyone."
"What? That you're human? Come on. Just focus on healing."
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The tattoos on her body pulsed with energy, and slowly, her wounds began to mend.
"That power of yours never ceases to amaze me."
A faint smile touched her lips, though her eyes remained distant. "Your companion said something strange. He said, 'It's happening.'"
"Sebastian? I wonder what he meant by that."
The butler was always watching Nicolas, wary. One thing he had never wavered on was keeping the boy under close surveillance.
"He told me once that Nicolas was a ticking time bomb."
"He might look pathetic, but he's a cautious man. Maybe we should trust his instincts."
"Still, could he have been talking about Nicolas?"
"Who knows? Before I could ask, we were separated."
"How?"
"The serpent threw us down here."
"Same thing happened to me..."
"I was searching for the kid, and then I saw—" Olivia's fists clenched, trembling with rage.
"What did you see?"
"The one controlling all this—!"
"What? Who—?!"
A spear shot out from the shadows, striking past William. His eyes followed the trail of blood—to his severed right arm. Agony tore through him.
"Intruder!" Olivia cried, but before she could act, she was struck with devastating force, her body reduced to little more than a bloodstain on the wall.
"Olivia, no!" William cried out.
"—What a noble act. You must've really cared for this person. Although, you were always like that..."
A figure emerged from the darkness—brown-skinned, tattoos covering his body. He extended his hand toward the spear, and at his command, the weapon flew back to him. He detached William's severed arm from the weapon and let it drop to the floor.
"Now," he said, locking eyes with William, "this is as far as you'll go."