Willow sat across the table as she watched the mysterious man eating his morning breakfast that she had the maids make for him. She really didn't know what to make of him, other than what was obvious. He's silent and only speaks when spoken to, and of course: he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen in all her days on remnant. But what still puzzled Willow, was not just why he was so quiet but more importantly the strange look he gave her last night when he woke up.
When the man woke up from his slumber in the open sarcophagus, he set his sights on Willow and his eyes grew large. He looked at her as if he'd seen a ghost. The man stretched his hand towards her which bewildered Willow at the time. But then she saw his eyes flickered, and he promptly fell to the ground, unconscious. Leading the pair to where they are now.
The man donned a bathrobe big enough for his figure, one that Willow had to rummage from her father's old wardrobes. He sat eating both his pancakes and bacon with a glass of water next to him. He was savoring each bite of his food; almost as though he hadn't eaten said food in a long time.
Willow stared at her intertwined hands on the table. She thanked her lucky stars that Jaques wasn't around to know of this sudden event. Before discovering the ancient sarcophagus, Jaques informed her that he will be traveling to another kingdom for business reasons and will be gone for one or two months. Until he returned, the mansion was all hers. Which Willow found to be perfect since not only she wouldn't have to deal with Jaques, but she could utilize her time by getting to know the man sitting across from her.
It was then that Willow realized: the man was staring at her again with those intense, curious eyes.
"You're staring." It came out more like a statement but Willow figured it would suffice.
The stranger proceeded to eat his slice of pancake.
"You remind me of someone." The man stated suddenly. Willow blinked in surprise.
"Oh? Who?" Willow asked, looking at the man curiously. She frowned when he didn't grace her with a response and continued eating his food.
Silence hung heavily over them.
"Um, do you have a name?" Willow asked nervously after some time of awkward silence. The man paused and shifted his gaze back at her.
"William." He replied, finishing his pancakes.
Willow perked up. William. Though it didn't have color to it, it was such a good sounding name. She smiled at him.
"Well, it's nice to meet you William." Willow said cordially.
Willow glanced at the floor and placed her hand over her heart. She didn't know why, but she found William's voice oddly calming. It was deep and gruff, but soothing nonetheless. Willow found it so strange; she barley knows this him, yet she felt as though she could tell him anything, and he'll listen.
Willow blinked.
"Why were you inside that sarcophagus?" Willow questioned William. William placed his glass of water down on the table.
"I was sealed in there." William explained bluntly. Willow raised a brow at him.
"Why were you sealed in there?" Willow pressed. William's eyes narrowed at the table.
"Incase they needed me again, if another evil arose." He answered shortly.
Willow blinked. In case they needed me again? if another evil arose? What does he mean by that? Willow's lips parted to probe with another question but quickly shut it when William glared inhumanly at her.
"Why did you wake me?" William demanded, his calm demeanor slipping away to a harsher tone. Willow was taken aback by his sudden change of mood.
"Last night, before you woke up. I heard something fall outside of my room, so I went to investigate and found your tomb just sitting a few inches away from my window," Willow explained calmly, keeping her hands folded neatly on top of the table as she leaned forward with rapt attention. "I guess curiosity got the best of me so I touched it, which somehow opened the lid, and in turn awakened you."
William pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Willow frowned worriedly.
"Was I not supposed to wake you..?"
"…"
Silence once again lingered between them.
"I…I'm so sorry. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to wake you." Willow apologized sincerely, her head bowed down low. She raised her head and formed a small smile. "But maybe, maybe we can—"
"The damage is already done." William interrupted Willow abruptly, resting his hand on the table and glanced to the floor. "I can never go back to that prison."
William shifted his narrowed gaze back at her.
"Where's the other tomb?" William asked. Willow blinked in puzzlement.
"The other tomb?" Willow was confused.
"There's another sarcophagus similar to mine that has my armor in it. Where is it?" William inquired, finishing his last piece of bacon. Willow sighed and crossed her arms.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where it is. Yours was the only thing I found." Willow replied apologetically. William hummed in acknowledgement, gulping down the last bit of water from his glass.
William scanned around the room they were in. Paintings lining the wall behind Willow depicted scenes from the legends of their world. One caught his attention when he saw a painting of Willow standing next to a white haired man with a bushy mustache. The man wore a blank expression while Willow's face held a soft smile.
Willow followed William's line of sight, and her smile faded slightly upon seeing herself and her husband posing together. She turned away from the painting and frowned at the floor. William noticed this and his brow rose.
Willow gathered herself, clearing her throat before speaking.
"Would you walk with me?" She requested, motioning towards the door. William nodded and slowly stood up from his seat. He followed Willow and they walked side by side through the long hallway, leaving the dining area behind.
The pair proceeded past the portraits that Willow declined to gaze upon, while William observed each painting with curiosity. His gaze became fixated on the portrait of an armored man, who stood with his helmet cradled beneath his right arm. This man was of considerable height, possessed long white hair, a white beard, and piercing blue eyes. He donned an elaborate suit of armor, adorned with intricate details, and wore a black shirt and trousers underneath. Additionally, he sported a red fur-trimmed cloak, secured by a golden cord.
Upon spotting this tall man, William experienced a peculiar sense of Deja Vu. Although he was unable to identify the man or comprehend the reason behind this sentiment, he did not dwell on it. Instead, he attributed it to a vague resemblance to someone he had encountered before, although he struggled to recall the exact individual.
"Tell me, you don't know where you are, do you?" Willow spoke from beside him. William glanced towards her.
"No." Was all he said. Willow faced forward whilst proceeding her stride down the carpeted hallway.
"This is the house of the Schnees," Willow began, "This mansion belonged to my father before he passed, and his father before him. The Schnee family also owned The Schnee Dust Company or SDC for short, and was founded by my father, Nicholas Schnee. It is also one of the largest producers and exporters of Dust in the world of Remnant."
Willow frowned to the floor.
"But it is now owned by my husband, Jaques Gele Schnee, who is now in control of the SDC. I'm honestly grateful that it was me that found you and not him; otherwise, God knows what would've happened."
William raised a brow.
"Is he dangerous or 'somethin?" William queried with a slight tinge of amusement in his voice. Willow shook her head.
"Oh, no no," she responded, "he's not dangerous. He's just, well," Willow hesitated, "between you and me, he's a callous, snide, arrogant, vindictive and overbearing man. But I never have the courage to say that to his face."
William glanced to the side.
"Then I don't see why you should be worried for my safety." He remarked with a casual shrug.
Willow's lips parted slightly, as to say something until she and William paused. The pair scanned their surroundings warily and froze when they detected a slow faint flap. Their gazes drifted upward and Willow stared with wide eyes at the ceiling.
Something was above them.
William instinctively leapt at Willow, knocking her onto the ground and shielding her body protectively with his. The resounding noise of shattered concrete reached a crescendo. The ceiling burst apart from above them, showering them with dust and debris. Said debris missed the pair and instead landed around them in a circle.
The air became filled with dust as the two individuals gracefully maneuvered beneath the collapsed ceiling. After a brief period of time, the dust settled enough for Willow and William to regain their bearings. Both promptly rose to their feet just as the ground trembled from a resounding thud. Their gazes swiftly shifted towards the origin, causing Willow to experience a chilling sensation coursing through her veins.
A colossal behemoth now stood before them. Its body was adorned with a coat of black fur and feathers, accentuated by white bone-like spines. These spines extended along its wings, which were also adorned with a row of bony spikes. Additionally, a white birdlike skull adorned its head, accompanied by a bone-white beak and four red eyes. Gray webbing adorned the sides of its beak. This creature possessed the head, wings, and talons of a large predatory bird, while its rear legs, tail, and body resembled that of a lion or tiger.
William glanced up at the hole the creature descended down from. He saw one—no, thousands of wraiths similar to the creature before him and Willow, hovering around the entrance. A chorus of shrieks filled the sky as the creatures flew in different directions while others soared in a circle. William redirected his gaze back at the monster in front of them before standing in between the beast and Willow.
William glared at the creature.
The Grimm Griffin bellowed, flapping its massive wings in anticipation, and charged.
A/N: And that was chapter 3 young readers! Though Willow have awakened William, aka the Doom Slayer, from his slumber there was one thing she didn't account for: the Grimm are attracted to negative energy. So as soon as she opened the sarcophagus' lid, the Slayer's aura of negative energy literally lit up like a Christmas tree; grabbing the attention of a whole horde of Grimm towards Atlas, endangering the lives of every innocent soul. Her actions caused major consequences.
Next chapter will feature William doing his best to wipe out as much Grimm as he can, sadly without his armor or his favorite weapons. Huntsman and Huntresses fighting off the Grimm and some familiar faces that'll fight along with them. With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave. See you all in the next chapter!