Where am I?
William had no idea how he'd gotten there. One moment he was inside the serpent's path, and the next, he was standing in a world of endless white. There was nothing around him—except a throne and two white porcelain legs sticking out from one side.
"—Man, talk about graphic, am I right?" a woman said, poking her head out from the other side of the throne.
When she saw the blacksmith, her eyes lit up with joy and a faint smile played on her lips. William was sure he'd never seen her before, yet her voice sparked a strange familiarity in him.
"Do I know you?" he asked.
"Heh, who's to say? I'm just glad you have a body this time."
"So… you do know me?"
The woman chuckled. "Always with the questions."
"Well, I'd say it's justified, considering I have no idea where I am."
She shrugged. "Beats me."
"You don't know?"
Standing up from the throne, she strolled toward him, hands folded behind her back. She leaned forward slightly, letting strands of red hair fall over her shoulder as she studied his face, their eyes just inches apart. William blushed, but she didn't seem to notice—or care.
"—I don't," she finally said. "One day, I just woke up here. That was that."
"Is that so? Then I guess we're on the same page..."
It was a problem. If he didn't know how he got here, and she didn't either—then how had both of them ended up in a place with no visible exit?
"—Not exactly."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Turning her back to him, she walked slowly back to the throne. "You're here because I allowed it. At least this time. The first time, you showed up without my permission. Caught me off guard—but I was pleasantly surprised. You looked different then. Just a speck of light."
William frowned, trying to recall anything of the sort. He couldn't—but deep down, her words made sense. Somehow, without realizing it, he'd crossed a boundary between his world and hers. He didn't know when, or how, but it explained why everything felt so… familiar
"Wait—if your permission is needed for me to enter this place, why did you allow it this time?"
The young woman sank back into the throne, rested her chin in her hand, and let out a yawn, "Many reasons... but mostly because of your current situation."
"My situation?"
"I apologize—I got carried away. It'll come back to you, little by little. For now, just listen."
"Alright... what's going on?"
She sighed, "I don't know why, but I've been seeing everything you see, hearing everything you hear... feeling everything you feel. It's as if we've become one."
"That's... terrifying."
The woman slammed her tiny fist on the throne's armrest, "That's what I should be saying! You, on the other hand, should be grateful to be sharing all this with a beauty such as myself."
"—You are a beauty, sure. But I wouldn't say I'm exactly grateful."
That revelation meant she knew more about William than anyone else ever had. She had seen the man beneath the Jaeger name—his doubts, his flaws, his quiet pain. The good, the bad... and the deeply embarrassing.
"Since when have we been connected?"
"Hmm..." She twirled a strand of her hair as she thought. "Time's weird here, but judging from what I've seen, I'd say... about a month? That's when I first woke up in this place too."
"I see... A mystery, then. And when you say you've seen 'everything'... how far does that go, exactly?"
"Don't worry, I don't see everything." She said in a teasing voice. "There are moments when I respectfully look the other way." She smirked, playful as ever, and began twirling her hair again, "Although... I have been curious."
"—Please, let's keep it respectful!"
She laughed, "Relax. I'm asleep most of the time anyway. Being awake in this world drains me. When I am awake, it's usually during your more... dramatic moments. Like the current crisis."
"Yeah... the tunnel. It blew up—with all of us in it."
"Great! Your memories are starting to catch up."
And they were. The tunnel. The monsters. The people. The chaos. The deaths. The crushing despair. William remembered it all.
"So... what's left to do now? I'm dead."
"—No, you aren't."
The blacksmith's eyes widened, "What do you mean? I was blown to bits! There's nothing left of my body to return to—let alone a world."
The young woman rose from the throne, her expression calm yet serious, "I don't think you're fully grasping our current arrangement. We've become—at least to a certain extent—one. We share everything. And that includes our abilities."
"...What does that even mean?"
"I don't remember anything from before I was trapped here," she admitted, placing a hand over her chest. "But there's one thing I do know—something engraved deep within my existence..." She drew in a deep breath, "I was once known as a goddess of time. And you, unknowingly, used my power to create a time loop."
William stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment—then suddenly burst into laughter.
The young woman flushed red, clearly irritated, "What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry—really." He said, still laughing. "It's not you. It's just... I've seen some insane things over the past few days. And now I'm meeting a time goddess? It's absurd."
The laughter faded as quickly as it had come. William's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor. His shoulders trembled, and his eyes welled up with tears.
"I'm tired," he murmured.
Not tired in body—but in soul. He had pushed forward through pain, loss, and confusion for what felt like an eternity. He was worn thin.
"I know," the goddess said gently.
She knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Her small, porcelain hands cradled his frizzy hair as she whispered softly in his ear.
"It's been hard, hasn't it?"
"So hard," he said through his sobs.
"I've seen how much you've given. How deeply you care for everyone involved."
"I really do," he whispered, voice cracking.
"Don't give up. Even if the world crashes down... just know I'll be here—with arms wide open."
"...Thank you."
They stayed like that for what felt like hours. The goddess said nothing more. She didn't judge him. She didn't interrupt. She simply held him. Because out of everyone in existence, she understood him more deeply than anyone else ever could. And in that moment, William didn't need answers.
He just needed someone.
***
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that."
"It's a privilege to witness a man cry and allow himself to be vulnerable."
The blacksmith chuckled softly. "You must think I'm pathetic."
The goddess shook her head. "On the contrary... I see it as a sign of great strength."
William wiped his tears. In his heart, he felt nothing but gratitude toward her. Thanks to her presence—her words—he had regained something he thought he'd lost: composure, courage, and the will to move forward. How he would face his challenges, he didn't yet know. But he was ready to try again.
"You mentioned I used your powers and created a time loop without realizing it. Does that mean... I'm starting over?"
"Yes. You'll find yourself back in the carriage. This will be your second time looping, won't it?"
"I guess it is..." He sighed. "Then I've got to find a better way to deal with everything this time around."
The goddess stood and extended her hand. "Whatever it is you decide to do—please be careful. I don't know what this power does to someone who wasn't meant to wield it."
William took her hand and stood as well. "Alright. I'll try to use it as little as possible... though I still don't even know how I use it. How am I supposed to know when I've activated a loop?"
She tilted her head, blinking as if the answer were obvious. "You just do. Don't you feel it?"
He offered a sheepish smile. "No… I guess I'll figure it out as I go."
The goddess sighed. "Just don't make a habit of it. Remember—I'm experiencing it too. And I'd appreciate it if you took better care of your life. Looping isn't always the answer."
"You're right." He nodded. "This time, I promise—I'll have a happy ending."
The goddess chuckled. "That's what I like to hear. I suppose... it's time to send you back."
She took both of his hands and gently closed her eyes. A circle of light began to form beneath their feet, glowing brighter with each passing second.
William watched in awe. The woman he had just met—who had teased him, comforted him, and held him close—now radiated with a light so pure, so ethereal, it left him breathless.
She really is... a goddess.
And yet, something about her felt so distant. A being trapped in a realm of white and silence, her only contact with the world outside made through his eyes.
A lonely goddess.
"Will I get to see you again?" he asked.
She smiled, her eyes still closed. "I have a feeling you will—whether I allow it or not."
"Good... Also, what's your name?"
Just before the light overtook him entirely, the goddess opened her eyes, looked at him warmly, and whispered:
"Annabelle."
And with that, William was gone.