Hazbin Hotel: Singed Wings

- "...I..." William exhaled sharply, lifting his head toward the falling particles. "Back then, I thought I could do what neither God nor the Seraphim could... I thought I could help people. I thought I knew better..." William spoke quietly, covering his eyes.

- "An arrogant fool who thought he could do anything," Sera's voice carried an emotion now. Displeasure. "An arrogant fool who wanted to climb higher and higher, stepping over naive souls who only wished for..." Sera's calm voice pressed down on William more effectively than any of Lucifer's threats.

- "At first, yes!" William raised his voice, leaning forward on the table, resting his elbows. He looked straight into Sera's calm eyes. "Yes, at first, I didn't know you, didn't know Emily, but... But I've changed!" William was breathing heavily, rubbing his face with his palm. "I... I really wanted all those things you might think, what the Department of Good or Heresy reported to you... But back then... Back then, when you took me to Eden, I managed to forget about it." William exhaled, trying to steady his uneven breathing and regain some composure.

- "Back then, you were busy with the Song," Sera nodded, tilting her head slightly. "You lied and withheld, disappeared to conspire with Lucifer, wanting..." Sera's voice filled with cold displeasure again, and William couldn't bear to listen.

- "To help Eve," William raised his voice, cutting Sera off for the first time during their meeting. Her white eyes showed surprise, and for a moment, uncertainty flickered across her face. "The Second was on the edge. My tests, simple conversations, could only delay, buy time, but not heal her damned soul." William shook his head, exhaling. "What did Raphael find?"

- "...Fragmented visions, hidden deep within the corners of Adam's wife's soul," Sera answered almost reluctantly, her voice momentarily returning to its familiar tone. "Fragmented memories, emotions, words, associations... Was that you?"

- "She lived through the Great Flood, watching the distorted, unrecognizable remains of her children," William said quietly, making Sera flinch. "She felt everything that happened during the Flood, she... experienced every era of humanity, she... suffered..." William grimaced, looking away.

- "You saw it?" Sera asked, her voice losing its previous tone, now filled with agitation.

- "Not everything, only the brightest and... most horrific moments," William shrugged, sighing and sinking into memories. "The aftermath of the Flood, some moments with various people Eve had grown close to... Her despair and pain, the most vivid moments..."

Sera didn't respond, retreating into herself as the clock ticked softly.

William closed his eyes, steadying his breathing and calming his racing heart. What he had seen in Eve's soul always weighed heavily on him, which was why he could only delve into it on Earth, fearing Hell's nature might exploit a moment of weakness...

"By the way, that's a decent hypothesis..." William noted mentally, setting a reminder for himself, focusing on steadying the trembling in his fingers.

- "I took care of her," William smiled faintly, catching Sera's attention. "Sat and listened to her... you probably already figured that out." William's voice was weak, almost joking, earning a nod from Sera. "Walked with her, celebrated some holidays... I spent the twenty-seventh Christmas not with my family, but with Eve... Telling her about her children and Adam in Paradise." William smiled faintly, looking at the table, sighing. "But... I suppose that's not the topic of today's meeting."

William lifted his gaze to Sera. Her expression was once again almost indifferent, not a single emotion or intention showing.

- "...You didn't trust me. You didn't think it necessary to share even such a secret with me, even though I've shared things with you that not every Cherub has in their libraries." Coldness returned to Sera's voice, her gaze devoid of any previous emotion.

- "I was afraid," William nodded, easily agreeing.

- "A coward who, like a child, wanted to achieve his foolish goal without even asking for advice from a wiser soul." Sera's steady voice trembled, and William could hear notes of resentment. "A coward who feared turning to the closest souls, not even asking for advice, but at least sharing his intentions."

William didn't respond, because it was true. He could lecture Charlie all he wanted about her childish words or views, but he was no better, certainly not back then. Now it all seemed like stupidity, a pathetic excuse to just do something...

- "I wanted to achieve something grand, something that would require all my knowledge," William forced the words out, seeing Sera's gaze harden. Her eyes filled with emotions, but not the ones William wanted.

- "An arrogant fool who took on what even the Aspect of Miracle wouldn't dare, something that could only be changed by the hand of God," Sera said quietly, staring intently at William. She didn't move, but it felt like with every word...

The room seemed to shrink, pressing down on William. Reality itself seemed to tremble, his vision faltering. Whether it was his imagination or not, William began to see strange distortions in space, like static on an old TV.

The clock ticked, William and Sera sat in silence.

- "You..." Anger crept into Sera's voice. "An arrogant and vain man, thinking that because he mastered a tiny part of the ocean, he could dive into the Abyss." Sera clenched her fingers on the table, cracks appearing in the palm covering her face. "You spat on others, you... You endangered the souls of those close to you, your colleagues in the Department!" Sera's face darkened, and William winced.

No, he knew the Department of Heresy had gone through his soul, but shouldn't they at least respect the secrecy of souls...?

- "Dangerous, unholy rituals, conspiring with an Archangel, complete disregard for respect toward superiors." Sera's words dragged on, her form seemingly dissipating. With each word, reality around them trembled, and Sera became more emotional. "You spat on others, seeing only yourself, spat on the feelings of an innocent angel, spat on the love of a naive Sera, spat on the sorrow of the First, spat on everything, seeing only yourself, yourself, and yourself, never thinking of others!" The eyes in her halo, in her hair, opened, and William saw no threat in them, only grief and resentment. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF ME!" Sera shouted, standing and leaning on the table, her form...

Sera's face and figure simplified. Her human-like face became more bird-like, her nose disappearing, replaced by a sharper edge. A third eye opened on her forehead, and her white halo-crown became a semicircle, framing her head like a hood, the "crown's" protrusions broken in the middle, the eyes shifting to the right side of the semicircle. More eyes appeared on her wings, and the diamonds of her dress now looked like eyes staring at him.

- "A reckless, foolish man, blind to anything beyond his own stupidity, unable to see...!" Serah was breathing heavily, all her eyes fixed on William. "How much PAIN he causes others, how much grief he brings with his silence, his half-truths, how many..." Sera's head lowered, but the eyes continued to stare at the frozen William. "How many tears..." Sera calmed down, clenching her fists, slightly crushing the table beneath them.

The room was ready to shatter, petals falling up, down, or simply freezing in mid-air. The strange parody of an office distorted, details melting, symmetry breaking.

The clock, as William noticed out of the corner of his eye, cracked, stopping again.

- "...You... you..." Sera covered her face with her hand, sinking back into her chair. The Seraph said no more, as if exhausted, even the eyes seeming to soften.

The space stopped collapsing, returning to almost its previous state, though the clock on the left still had cracks.

- "...I didn't know you could change forms... That you had an... 'angelic' form?" William cautiously remarked, in a weak attempt to change the subject. Sera only sighed but didn't object.

- "That and much more, things that never even caught the attention of the arrogant fool." Sera spoke dryly, leaning her elbows on the armrests of her chair, her face supported by her right hand.

- "Right... that and everything else." William said quietly, nodding. Sera's eyes, all three of them, looked at William. "I really was fixated on my pursuit of knowledge, on... my desires, goals, and ambitions... I even wanted to become a Sera." William smiled bitterly, and Sera's eyes seemed to raise an eyebrow—William couldn't tell for sure, but it felt that way. "I... I admit my guilt, admit that I hurt you with my attitude and... not telling you about the Song, but I..."

William sighed, rubbing his face, leaning on the table. He was nervous, wanting to lay everything out at once. A childish mistake, one made on Earth, he was above it, he...

- "I'm sorry." William exhaled, lifting his tired gaze to meet Sera's calm one. "I really am... just a foolish man." William smiled dryly, shaking his head. Sera sighed, returning to her previous form, looking at William without the previous coldness, but still without warmth.

- "You created the Song of Light. God's Wrath." Sera stated evenly, watching as William nodded. "You harmed countless innocent souls, brought suffering to millions, and worst of all... you tainted generations." Sera's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Somehow, it passes from parent to child, and..."

- "It's just upbringing..." William said weakly, looking away, avoiding Sera's piercing white eyes. "A mother carries a child, the child's soul forms... and absorbs the 'infection' from the mother, worsening the 'outcome.'" William briefly summarized his latest research on the Distortion.

- "...What do you know?" Sera asked tensely, frowning. "What did you do to those innocent sons and daughters?"

- "I don't know." William shrugged, looking at Sera with sorrow.

- "What do you mean, 'don't know'?! Wasn't it you who came up with all those 'formulas,' 'Weavings,' and everything else?!" Sera stood up, raising her voice. "Your hypotheses and predictions should have..."

- "They didn't exist in the end." William laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "When the mistake was realized, when Lucifer provided new knowledge, I saw the depth of my stupidity, realizing that all my calculations were wrong." William's weak, fake smile only irritated Sera more. "That's what I'm trying to..."

- "You... are trying to study the effects of the Song?" Sera said slowly, her eyes scanning William's figure. "But you're..." Sera's voice became uncertain, and for a moment, a long-forgotten but pleasant uncertainty and unspoken plea appeared in her gaze.

- "A fallen Archangel. I can go to Earth, but my time is limited." William shrugged, not hesitating to share this with Sera. Even if she no longer considered him close, common sense dictated he should inform the Supreme Seraa.

- "...And I see what I've done, Sera." William sighed heavily after a moment of silence. "On Earth, people still have a chance, but here... Here, they're trapped in prisons of agony, excessive pleasure, and stagnation in ever-decaying shells... Madness, obsession, uncontrollable bloodlust... Even the forms of the Distorted..." William shook his head, lifting his gaze to Sera's frowning face. "I'm still researching this, but as soon as..."

- "You won't be doing this on Earth." Coldness returned to Sera's voice, her eyes flashing with a threat that made William flinch.

- "What? Sera, you know I could..." William, for the first time during their meeting, lost control of his words, his previous concentration shattered.

- "You can't, William." Sera's voice pressed down on him, her eyes reappearing. "You don't even know what you've done by turning to the Devil for help, dooming your idea to failure..." Serah's words dragged on, her gaze filled with condemnation. "What made you think the Prince of Lies could help you with anything?" Sera almost sneered, looking at William like...

- "Sera, he genuinely wanted to help..." William sighed, straightening his back.

- "Lucifer always wanted to help, but look where that led." Sera immediately dismissed his words. "You lack restraint, lack the wisdom to handle even a fraction of the power you've gained... How can I trust you to heal these 'Distorted'? How can I know that everything you've told me isn't just another lie mixed with half-truths?"

William... William fell silent, losing his previous energy and drive.

- "But Heaven and the Church have started working..." William said weakly, but Serah just waved him off.

- "Raphael, Camael, and Gabriel are doing everything they can to mitigate what you've done, William." Sera shook her head tiredly, looking at the frozen clock. "And you can show at least a shred of wisdom..." Sera continued speaking, something about Heaven and its intentions.

William...

William wasn't listening.

"So... I can't research this, can't try to fix my mistake..." William's thoughts formed slowly, but even so, Sera had barely finished her first sentence.

So, he's a fool? Yes, but he can become wiser. Arrogant and a coward? His pride was shattered, and his cowardice nearly erased under Lucifer's pressure. Lacking knowledge? What had he been doing all this time?

William even tried to say something about the Ether and his thoughts on how Raphael wouldn't be able to fully heal the Distorted humans, but Sera didn't even give him a chance to speak, continuing her monologue.

William was starting to get angry.

Sera had been his closest soul, and she still was, but... Even so, hearing how the once-supportive soul so easily... Forbade him... William...

Wanted to prove her wrong. Wanted to wipe that smug look off her face, or whatever it was, off Sera. Her, Emily, Adam, and the whole damn Heaven.

He mumbled something about work and the "Reserve"? That he simply didn't have time for everything?

William would just figure out how to bypass or solve this issue too.

"Even if I have to turn to the Goetia or the Sins for their knowledge, even if I have to go to Lucifer, or finally lower my morals and ask Adam to retrieve something secret or forbidden from the libraries... maybe even from Raphael himself..." William wasn't upset, wasn't sad, as he listened to Sera's ongoing speech.

No, William would fix this Distortion. He would return to Heaven, become an Archangel again, achieve Redemption, and then...!

William had an idea. A stupid, dangerous one, making his soul ache.

He wanted to test it...

- "Then, what about us?" William said slowly, looking at Sera, who immediately fell silent as soon as he finished the question.

- "What do you mean?" Sera tilted her head, looking at William with genuine confusion. William smiled faintly.

It was nice to see that Sera was still Sera.

- "I'm a fool, a coward, and a scoundrel who betrayed and let you down." William spoke, watching Sera frown. "I hurt you and Emily... So, I propose we end this." William exhaled, forcing the words out with a heavy heart.

- "What?" Sera's voice still carried confusion, but she was starting to understand William's words, even if she'd never had such conversations before.

- "I heard how I hurt you, how you don't trust me and don't know if you can believe me at all." William shrugged, nodding. "So... I propose we end our relationship." William said, noticing Serah twitch. "Just let me meet Emily one last time, then burn the mark, and we'll never see each other again." William even thought he saw a hint of resentment in Sera's gaze.

Silence fell between them again, and William... had placed everything on this small move.

William wasn't a master of love games, but he'd read some popular works that allowed him to spice up his and Sera's and Emily's personal life...

The idea was rushed, foolish, to just... cut one of the main threads still holding his mind together in the madness of Hell, but...

He just couldn't continue this uncertainty. By any means, he wanted...

- "...It would be a poor decision to lose a direct source of information about the Distortion and the actions of Lucifer's daughter." Sera said slowly, her eyes wandering over William's face, who was doing his best to suppress a smile.

- "We could keep in touch through Adam, submitting annual reports or sending them to the Embassy, where one of his Shield Sisters would collect the paperwork." William exhaled, tapping his fingers on the table. William caught Sera's slight shift of discomfort. Just a moment, but William recognized her posture.

"Even if this is a decent idea, it's still so hard to force the right words out... Harder than in those books..." William thought, looking expectantly at the silent Sera, holding his breath.

Sera looked at William, and he held her steady gaze.

A myriad of emotions flashed in Sera's eyes, hard to decipher without...

Anxiety, Fear, Anger, Rage, Fear, Anxiety, Panic.

William jerked his head, rubbing his temples and clearing the noise from his ears. Serah looked away, her usual form softening.

- "...I wouldn't want..." Sera spoke quietly, almost inaudibly, looking at the slowly ticking clock. "...I would..." Her eyes wandered over his face, her fingers tapping the table.

- "...Not to have to send reports through Adam and just cut off contact?" William finished in an even tone, inwardly cringing and hoping that...

- "No!" Sera exhaled, immediately blinking,

William's heart warmed and a small smile appeared on his face.

"But you said you loved..." - William said just as quietly, to which Sera just pressed with her voice.

"That's just a turn of phrase." - Sera said somewhat embarrassed, averting her gaze. - "I... I don't know, William." - Sera exhaled, seeming to relax for the first time. - "I can't believe you, I just can't bring myself to... I can't forget the suffering of the innocents, those screams, those poor souls of the Righteous, searching for their loved ones but finding only near-extinct relatives." - Sera clenched her palm, closing her eyes. William did not interrupt.

" ...I wish we could forget, about this, but... I just can't... I can't let go, I can't..." - Sera said almost suppressedly, but immediately sighing and regaining her former firmness of voice.

William would like to go over and hug Seraphima, but she definitely wouldn't allow it. Not now, not with those thoughts. William would only make things worse.

- "...Then just find someone else." - William spoke slowly, suppressing the twitch in his face. He didn't want to say it, with all his soul he didn't want to, but if it would make Sera feel better... -"Just forget about me and..."

To be continued

You were right, I will always be the villain.