William sat quietly, Nana asleep on his lap. After crying for so long, she had eventually drifted off in his arms, something he had grown all too familiar with.

Emma took it upon herself to prepare breakfast for everyone, since none of them had eaten yet, including her and William.

William had insisted on helping, but Emma stopped him. "It's okay. Don't move around too much when you're not well."

In the end, he gave in to his wife's insistence and stayed where he was.

"This place is nice... away from the noise of the cities, and the weather is pleasant too."

William nodded. "Yes. Emma really liked the overall feel of this place. She has never been fond of crowded areas, and she prefers the mountains, so this felt like the perfect haven for us."

Vitori let out a faint chuckle. "Though, considering your health, it doesn't seem like you're enjoying it much."

William grew slightly flustered. "Ah, no. It's not like that. My body is just taking some time to adjust... not only to the weather, but to the changes happening within me."

A subtle heaviness settled over the room at those words.

Vitori was well aware of what had happened at the academy that day. The entire incident had been relayed to him by his old friend, the headmaster himself.

The destruction caused by those sinister beings had yet to fade.

The Tower and the capital were working to rebuild the place, but the trauma would linger in people's minds far longer than any ruined structure.

The students who died that day would be remembered by all who survived, their loss leaving behind a stain on Ardentia's name that could never truly be erased.

From Edward's perspective, William had been declared an evil being, someone who had lived among humans behind a mask of innocence.

When Vitori questioned the kindness William had shown in saving others, Edward admitted that William had only protected the one person who truly mattered to him.

Even Edward, who saw William as nothing short of a demon, could not deny that William loved Emma enough to defy his own nature.

"Tell me more about it," Vitori said, leaning back in his chair. "How do you feel? I might be able to help."

William let out a quiet sigh and looked down at his hand.

There was no visible change, aside from the calluses on his hands slowly fading from the lack of training.

In a quieter voice, he said, "It's not influencing my behavior or affecting my health. But... recently, I've grown extremely sensitive to malice. I can sense when darkness builds inside someone, even from miles away, and locate them with my eyes closed."

After a brief pause, he continued, "And that's not all. I'm constantly regulating Nyx within me... the air around me gets purified every time I breathe in. It's like I've become a living filter."

Vitori listened, the phenomenon sounding as foreign to him as the man sitting before him.

He had never seen or read about any mortal capable of channeling both aether and Nyx at the same time while retaining their sanity.

Yet William sat right in front of him.

"Tell me about your magical abilities. Can you still control them?"

William nodded. "My control is as strong as ever, but my range has expanded astronomically. I think you understand what I mean."

Vitori gave a slow nod.

It had taken him three different teleportation gates and half a day in a carriage to reach this place. And yet, William had contacted him through telepathy from that distance with ease.

Vitori hummed before rising from his seat.

He picked up his bag and pulled something out.

A stack of parchments, their edges worn, as if torn from an old book.

"This?" William asked as Vitori held them out to him.

"When I heard about your condition, I searched through every archive I had for beings who possessed powers like yours. The ability to manipulate both forces of nature."

William glanced at the parchments before looking back at him. "And... how many did you find?"

Vitori fell silent for a moment.

Then, in a heavy voice, he answered, "Just... one."

William fell silent at those words. So... his assumption had been right.

What he once was... it truly...

"What do you think about it? What exactly was that being?" William asked, wanting to hear Vitori's opinion.

Given that he had pulled those pages from specific books, he must have studied them in detail.

Vitori stayed quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts before finally speaking.

"I have mixed feelings about this being. He never appeared at the beginning of chaos, but always remained an observer through every major crisis humanity has faced. Just like you can see on the first page."

William lowered his gaze to the parchment.

Two sides clashed in the illustration. One wielded axes and swords, the other bared claws and fangs. And above them, suspended in the air with a halo over its head, was a figure whose face had not been drawn, yet whose presence dominated the entire scene.

"At first, he was only a myth. A belief that every cause and the outcome that followed were guided by him. Some believed he created chaos to bring peace to the world. Others claimed he was always the bringer of peace, someone who remained dormant until the stakes grew too high to ignore."

William studied the illustration as Vitori spoke.

The being... Lucifer... appeared in each depiction. Most of the time as a silent observer, but in a few, he stood as something more. A savior. A judge. Someone who saw both sides without bias and punished those he deemed to have broken the balance.

"William... have you discerned anything? A memory, perhaps, that could tell you about your origin?"

Vitori hadn't meant to go this far. He had come simply to meet his daughter and son-in-law, to see them reunited with their adopted child.

But the conversation had deepened on its own, and he found himself unable to stop.

Above all, he was still a researcher. Curiosity was second nature to him.

William exhaled and set the parchment aside.

Resting his hand gently on Nana's head, he muttered, "I... have had several dreams. Dreams too vivid to dismiss as mere birth of wild imagination." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Vitori gave a silent nod, waiting for him to continue.

William's gaze drifted toward the window. "Father... there is a reason both sides have been fighting for so long. Why do devils keep appearing on this land instead of waging war against the heavens themselves."

"Hmm?" Vitori frowned, clearly taken aback. "What do you mean?"

William sighed. "I can't say it with certainty, but whichever side claims this world... whether it's them or the other side... would gain absolute dominion."

Vitori's brows rose. "You're saying... even heaven is trying to take control of this world?"

William gave a slow nod. "Why else do you think churches and apostles exist?"

Vitori still looked unconvinced. "But why this planet?"

William's eyes darkened.

For a brief moment, Vitori flinched as an oppressive, tightly restrained aura leaked from him.

Meeting his gaze, William spoke in a low, heavy voice,

"Because this is the key... to reach the Library."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. William is connected to this place—Library. Now what that place is...you would know in a few chapters.