William opened his eyes to find himself back in limbo. Dave was gone—any trace of him erased.
William cast his line into the pond, resuming his endless duty as the watcher of souls. The forest pressed close, dense and quiet, strange in its peace. From here, he would see many approach the water and find their rest. Yet even though he was mere feet away from it, he would never know that peace.
After watching countless souls move on, a flicker of motion in the shadows caught his eye. Charlotte stepped forward, head lowered, arms crossed. She walked over and settled beside him on the fallen log.
"Charlotte," he said quietly. "Have you gotten lonely?"
She gave a silent nod.
"I can relate," William murmured. "Those shells you were given... they're not exactly good company."
A long silence stretched between them.
"Charlotte... are you ready to rest?" he asked.
Her body tensed, rage flashing in her eyes.
"No! I can't! I can't let him be free! I need to laugh at him... like he laughed at us!"
William let her outburst hang in the air.
"Charlotte," he said softly, "unlike me, you have a choice. I can't force you to rest... but I know Henry misses you. And I know... you're tired."
Her lips trembled. "I can't... I need him to suffer."
"And he will," William replied, calm. "Whether you're here or not."
She looked at the pond, dark and still, then back at him. "I do want to rest. I want to see my dad again. But... this rage. It's all I know."
"Then even now," he said gently, "he has trapped you in a prison."
Charlotte's eyes widened as the truth sank in.
"No... I... I can't let him do that to me. Not again."
She glanced back at the water, softer now. "I... I don't think I want to rest yet."
"Ah... so you've chosen to continue his torment?" William asked.
"No... I... I just want to keep you company, Uncle William," she said, a small, sincere smile tugging at her lips.
William's chest tightened. A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he returned the smile. "Thank you, Charlotte. That... means a lot."
They sat together in silence, the fog curling around them, the pond stretching endlessly before them. William would never know the peace beyond its waters, but for this brief moment, he had company—and that was enough.