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The only thing around him was fire. But between the flames, he saw her standing in front of him.
A woman that had her golden hair in a bun, had green eyes like the meadow, and wore that elegant purple dress he always liked…
Evelyn. His Evelyn. Just as he remembered her.
He limps and stumbles towards her, towards his wife. His whole body, now mostly mechanical, but still partially made of flesh and bone, creaked under its own weight as he desperately walked to the love of his life.
Once he was close enough, he stopped. He extended his hand towards her, fingers twitching in pain as his nerve endings were being fried by the flames licking his entire being. His hand came to rest on her shoulder. She was real. And she was smiling.
“…I missed you so much…” His voice was way beyond raspy, but it held a certain softness. He hugged her. As much as he could with only one arm. For a moment, nothing else mattered.
“I missed you too.” Her voice, filled with emotion, was still sweet like honey. Her arms wrap around his neck, and it feels… cold.
Although it’s comforting in the fire, William pulls away from the touch.
Before him is Ballora. The animatronic he designed in his wife’s likeness. She’s falling apart, but still stands tall in his embrace. She still has that same adoration in her eyes. Even in death, she’s still beautiful as the day he met her all those years ago.
He couldn’t help himself but to kiss her, despite neither of them having lips. But the clank of metal against metal was satisfactory.
“What happened to your arm?” Her head tilted to the side, looking at her husband’s missing forearm for a moment. “Don’t worry, we’ll patch you up.” She put a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into the gentle touch.
The sound of crackling fire gets replaced by the familiar laughter of children.
A much younger Michael, along with Chris and Elizabeth, all run in a circle around their parents.
The burning building slowly fades away. Right now, nothing else matters.
