_Chapter Begins_
Their footsteps echoed throughout the ancient hallway of the castle. Small drops of water came down from the rock ceiling, making for a very humid atmosphere.
The black-haired siblings walked through the darkness with cautious steps, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. For obvious reasons, both had their eyes closed shut and they refrained themselves from talking. This made for a very miserable mood to hang over the pair, as both were forced to sit with their own thoughts for the duration of the journey. And considering the revelation that had been said not so long ago, it was only natural that their minds would drift to that topic.
William took a step forward, his foot striking the cold and wet rock below. His face was unmoving and his body walked as if it was on autopilot.
"Gods, this really is becoming one big mess. What is that blue-eyed freak planning..."
His best guess would be that she wanted to use him as an asset in the ongoing conflict, as the help of a Pillar of Sin would probably be a pretty big boon.
"No. That doesn't make sense at all."
Sure, he had a lot of potential, but when it came to his current strength, he wasn't nearly as strong as he would have liked to believe. The angel of Kindness had defeated his greatest enemy with no effort, so when it came to competing against other pillars, William was nowhere near their level.
So what help could he be to Elsa, when he struggled to defeat mere abominations? Of what use could he be to her?
William's steps became ever so slightly faster, and his breathing slowed down considerably.
"...Favored by Fate... could it really be that? Is Fate an actual being?"
There was Adam, the Pillar of Death, Evelion, the Pillar of Imagination. Would it really be that much of a stretch to say that there could be another being out there that represented Fate? If this was indeed true then...
"Has my journey through this Hell... been predetermined? No—no that can't be the truth, right?"
Was that the reason why Elsa stuck beside him, because she knew that he was favored by Fate? Did the angel of Kindness also know about this? Was that the reason why she didn't kill him despite his sin being the opposer of her virtue?
William's breathing came to a halt and his steps picked up so much speed that he was starting to overtake his sister, who was meant to be the guide through the hallways.
"Have I no choice in the matter? Is there really some pillar out there that is controlling me and everyone else like a marionette?"
Suddenly, William felt someone's hand grab his own, which halted his speed walking, and a voice rang from somewhere behind him.
"William, why the hell are you speeding up so much? You don't even know the way to the main room."
Hearing Jane's annoyed voice made him calm down a little. William quietly took a few steps backward and let his sister take the lead once more.
"Sorry, Jane, I was just thinking about some stuff."
He heard a few stifled curses coming from his sister, which made William chuckle. The mood had finally lightened a little, which was great because it allowed William to think more clearly and not panic.
Now with his calmness back, William could dive back into the absurdness of the situation.
"Fate can't control everything, I know that for a fact."
His talk with the Pillar of Imagination had revealed that the gods and the pillars of the universe were not bound by Fate. This was said in that weird prophecy that Evelion had told him.
So the Pillar of Fate, if it existed, was not all-powerful and had its limits. The question was where that limit stood exactly, and just how much cause and effect it could control. And most importantly of all, what type of favor did the pillar have toward him, and why?
"It seems that I have my work cut out for me, huh."
His thoughts were interrupted by the joyful-sounding voice of his sister, which resounded from a few meters in front of him.
"We finally made it to the main room. William, get over here!"
Hearing her words, a small frown formed on William's face and his hands clenched into two tight fists. Even though he didn't feel like he was being watched, William somehow still felt her presence disturb his soul.
Slowly opening his eyes, William was slightly taken aback as the "main" room, as Jane called it, was revealed to him.
The room was massive, and it was made from the same ancient rock that the hallways were made of. Inside it were a lot of things that caught his interest...however, one took the spotlight over the rest.
William's frown slowly turned into a deep scowl and a sweat drop rolled down his forehead. Despite his arms twitching ever so slightly, William made direct eye contact with a certain someone.
"Finally found you. Care to explain yourself, devil!"
She flipped her golden hair back, her majestic blue eyes staring into his soul. A wide smile was painted across her face.
"Devil... haven't heard that one before. But to answer your question, yes, I would love to explain everything now—you've earned that much."
Despite her voice not having an ounce of emotion, it still made William pop a blood vessel. How was she so irritating without even trying?
He sighed and took a few steps forward to be right beside Jane, who was shaking as she stared at Elsa.
"Well, it's finally time. I will finally get to know what is going on in this realm."
He had spent long enough wandering Hell with no goal or motive in mind. It was about time for him to focus on actually doing something. Whether that would be reuniting with his brother, participating in a cosmic conflict, or whatever else was going down here in Hell.
_Chapter Ends_