William's room was off limits to everyone, including the cleaners.

Whenever he returned, he cleaned away the dust and spider webs without frustration. Why? Because he would rather find a thick layer of dust waiting for him than discover even a single thing misplaced in his room.

The room was filled with memories, things he had saved and kept for years. Things that reminded him of people he had lost, days he could never bring back, and moments he would never forget.

It was his safe haven, the place that reminded him of who he was. The promises he had made to his mother, this room reminded him of all of it.

The first person other than his father and mother to enter this room was Emma.

The last time they visited, he hadn't brought her here because there had been too much to clean.

Emma looked around the place, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The room was not much different from the one where she had stayed the night before.

It was almost as large, with several windows that let fresh morning sunlight pour inside. A bed stood at the center of the room, big enough for two people to sleep comfortably. Several cupboards lined the left side, while bookshelves and display cases filled the right.

Emma noticed a cradle resting in one corner. In another, she saw a rack of used wooden weapons.

She could tell he treasured the things connected to his childhood.

William hugged her from behind, his arms lightly locking around her waist as he said, "Sorry for the disappointment."

Emma shook her head. "I wasn't expecting anything, truth be told. But this is beautiful, Will."

William smiled. "Hmm? Why do you think so? I don't find anything beautiful in this room."

Emma looked at him over her shoulder, then pointed to the wall behind the bed and said, "That single painting makes this room beautiful."

William sighed as he turned to look at the woman's portrait hanging there.

Fiery crimson hair cascaded down her shoulders like flowing lava. Warm golden eyes that made you feel as though everything would be all right, even if the world was dyed in chaos.

Emma sighed as she admired her beauty. "She looks so composed and dignified."

William hummed. "She was. She was a gentle mother when I felt cornered, and at times, there was no one stricter than her if she believed I was straying from my path."

Emma turned to him and asked, "William… I never asked, but what exactly happened to her?"

The blond man's shoulders dipped as he replied, "I have no clue, and neither does anyone else. No one knew what exactly caused her death. She was infected by something that ate away at her organs and decayed her skin."

His voice trembled slightly as he added, "Her condition grew so severe that she asked Father to bury her while she was still alive."

Emma's heart wrenched at those words.

She could tell the woman must have been in immense pain to say something like that.

And as someone close to her, she could barely imagine what Carter and William must have gone through.

After a brief pause, she asked, "If… not necessarily now, but sometime, can you tell me the ailments you noticed and how her condition deteriorated?"

William frowned slightly, not in displeasure, but in genuine confusion. "Why?"

Emma lowered her head. "I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling your mother was targeted by a symbiote."

William flinched at those words. He knew exactly what a symbiote was, a rare species that could not enter areas close to the sea due to their preference for hot climates.

Then…

"Do you mean to say someone targeted my mother?"

Emma shook her head. "I can't say for sure. Even the symbiote theory is just, as I mentioned, a wild guess based on what I've heard."

William quickly added, "But several medics examined her, and none of them could trace what was wrong. A living symbiote would surely have been detected, wouldn't it?"

Emma remained silent for a few moments before saying, "William… I can't say anything with certainty. And if this is hard for you, we can forget this entire conversation." She was already regretting bringing it up and ruining the moment.

However, William shook his head. "No. I trust your instincts, Emma. And you don't need to feel guilty. If you think there is more to this than we know, then you would be doing me a favor by investigating it."

Emma let out a slow breath and said, "I can do that, but I don't want to hurt you with the truth, William."

He shook his head. "You won't, trust me." His eyes sharpened, and the room suddenly felt smaller as he added, "But if it turns out that someone truly conspired against my mother, that person will learn that death can sometimes be a mercy."

Emma simply stared into his fiery eyes, her breathing turning slightly unsteady for reasons she couldn't explain.

Just then, William asked, "Want to have breakfast again?"

Emma suddenly cupped his cheek and said, "Can I ask you to kiss me? Right now."

William was taken aback. "What's so sudden?"

Emma shrugged. "I just want to leave a memory of myself here."

Emma kept looking at him in silence, thinking she might have been a little too absurd but then…he moved.

William didn't answer with words. His hand slid to her waist, firm and warm, pulling her closer until there was no space left to question. She felt his presence first, the steady heat of him, the faint scent of sweat and clean metal that clung to him.

He leaned down and kissed her slowly, as if giving her time to breathe him in. His lips were warm, unhurried, tasting of morning and something deeper. Emma's fingers curled into his shirt, feeling the strength beneath, the quiet restraint that made her heart beat faster.

The kiss deepened, gentle but sure. His thumb brushed her cheek, rough skin against her softness, sending a small shiver through her. She melted into him, rising on her toes, her world narrowing to the way he held her as if only she mattered, as if this moment was being carved into memory.

When they finally parted, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling, the fire still humming softly between them.

William smiled, the sharp edge gone, replaced by something warm and real. Emma smiled back, her heart light, knowing that this room now held something new.

A new beginning.

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- And that's it for the arc I guess? We are going toward the big revelation arc where the world would know him and his strength. Soon, we are going to discover the rest of the world.

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