"So it was an unknown entity?" Zack asked with a frown as he rubbed his arm, tracing the long scar that ran from his shoulder down to his hand. Listening to his girlfriend's story sent a chill through him. "Did he say anything strange?"
"He said he had changed destiny—that he shouldn't exist in this world—and that because of him, many people who should have died are still walking in the realm of the living," Aerith replied, her brows furrowed.
Zack fell silent, then let out a long sigh. "I guess I'm one of them..."
"Why do you say that, Zack-san?" Tifa asked, puzzled by his words.
"Because it was thanks to Cloud that I'm alive," Zack admitted, his voice heavy. "Listen, this is something I haven't told you before because... honestly, I still have nightmares about it. But it happened after our mission to Nibelheim..."
Tifa was quiet for a moment before realization dawned on her. "You mean the time we lost track of you?"
"Exactly," Zack nodded, searching for the simplest way to explain. "After Sephiroth burned Nibelheim, Cloud and I went after him to the reactor. We wanted to stop him, but Sephiroth's strength was far beyond what we could handle alone. We fought together, but during the battle, I was gravely wounded."
"You two couldn't defeat Sephiroth?" Tifa asked in disbelief. She had never imagined that outcome.
"He was a monster, Tifa. Honestly, it's a miracle I survived," Zack said, shaking his head. "Cloud never told me exactly how he managed to bring Sephiroth down, but he swore it was pure luck..."
"Honey, you're rambling," Aerith cut in, planting her hands on her hips. "Get to the point."
"Okay, okay—I just wanted to give some background," Zack sighed, glancing at her. "Anyway, after that, Sephiroth vanished, leaving Cloud and me mortally wounded. That's when Hojo's men showed up and took us. That was the start of our hell..."
"Hojo?" Tifa repeated, her expression darkening as memories of the man's cruelty surfaced. "Did they experiment on you?"
"For months," Zack growled, clenching his fist. "I only remember bits and pieces, but what they did to me doesn't even compare to what Cloud endured."
"What did they do to you?" Tifa asked anxiously, her eyes flicking to her unconscious lover.
"They injected us with Mako energy until we were saturated, like they were trying to push SOLDIERs to their absolute limits. On top of that, they pumped us full of some strange liquid," Zack said through gritted teeth. "Whatever it was, it changed us..."
Aerith frowned, her stomach twisting. She suddenly understood that eerie, unspoken fear she sometimes felt when she was alone with Zack—a fear she could never explain until now.
"Eventually, I recovered fully," Zack continued, his tone steady but hard. "Stronger than ever. I knocked out the scientist who was feeding us, and that's how we escaped. Cloud wasn't as lucky—he was far worse off than me. He looked like he was trapped in a vegetative state, so I carried him out with me."
"What happened after that?" Tifa pressed, her face tight with concern.
"A kind man helped us reach Midgar. We still visit him sometimes at his Chocobo farm," Zack said with a faint smile. "But when we got close to Midgar, Shinra troops ambushed us. Too many to count..."
"And then?" Aerith asked, her throat tightening. She wanted to stop him, not hear the rest—but at the same time, she couldn't bear not knowing more about what her beloved had been through.
"I don't remember everything clearly," Zack admitted, frowning. "I just know I cut down hundreds of those bastards. But there were too many. They nearly killed me. I was about to black out when I heard an explosion... The last thing I saw was Cloud, standing in front of me with his spear. He was surrounded by an incredible surge of mana, and a strange red glow appeared before him."
"Red glow?" Aerith echoed, her brows knitting as she thought. "That sounds like a summoning."
"Could be. Honestly, I don't know. Cloud never mentioned it afterward," Zack said, shaking his head. "But that's the point—Cloud saved my life. If he hadn't woken up and done... whatever it was he did, I wouldn't be here with you now."
Aerith nodded softly while Tifa brushed her fingers through Cloud's blond hair—only to gasp in shock as his eyes fluttered open.
"Cloud!"
"Where am I?" Cloud mumbled, blinking as he tried to take in his surroundings.
"At Tifa's bar," Zack answered, arms crossed as he studied his friend. "You okay, old friend?"
"Yeah... just a little confused, and with a massive headache," Cloud muttered, slowly sitting up. A sharp throb lanced through his skull. "Ugh..."
"I'd suggest you rest. That thing hit you harder than you realize," Zack said, frowning.
"That thing?" Cloud echoed, his memory stirring. "Right... an unknown entity appeared before us... and then..." His brows knit as he searched his mind. "I can't remember the rest..."
Aerith quickly repeated the story she had told earlier. Cloud's expression twisted with disbelief. "There? Seriously?"
"I'm not lying," Aerith said firmly, folding her arms. "Her words were strange and confusing."
"I see..." Cloud murmured, still dazed. He wasn't from this world—he knew that much. But until now, he hadn't been certain how deep the changes ran. Clearly, they were greater than he'd thought.
His memories of the original plot were gone; only the [system] mission remained. Eight years had passed since his past life memories resurfaced, yet still no sign of his true objective had appeared.
"Are you really okay?" Tifa asked, her hand brushing against his arm as worry filled her eyes.
"Yes. Don't worry," Cloud reassured, forcing a small smile to ease her concern.
Aerith glanced at Zack and subtly motioned for them to leave.
Zack smirked faintly and followed her out, leaving Cloud and Tifa alone together.
"Cloud?" Tifa whispered, surprised when his hand closed gently over hers.
"Tifa..." Cloud breathed, meeting her gaze.
Her heart fluttered, and heat crept into her cheeks as she remembered the words of her parents... and of Cloud's mother.
A heavy silence settled between them. With every second, Tifa felt her face grow warmer. "Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked softly.
"You look good," Cloud said, then winced a little. "Okay, that was... awkward. But it's a start, right?"
Tifa let out a small laugh and sat down beside him. She wasn't acting like her usual self—and she knew it. "So... what do you want to talk about?"
"It's simple. About us," Cloud replied, exhaling slowly. "I've really kept you waiting too long..."
"And you finally realized it?" Tifa teased, giving him a blank look as she crossed her arms. Then she shook her head, smiling faintly. "Who am I kidding? I'm just glad you're here again. And besides... Zack already told us why you couldn't come sooner."
Cloud scowled and sighed. "I'm going to have words with that idiot for saying things he shouldn't."
"I need to know, Cloud," Tifa pressed, her smile fading into a frown. "I can't just ignore what Shinra did to you. Maybe they're still after you even now."
Cloud stayed silent. She wasn't wrong. The odds of Shinra still pursuing him were high, considering everything he'd endured. And yes—he'd been conscious during the experiments. He simply couldn't react. His mind had been fractured by the unstable energy they forced into him, and it had taken time to rebuild himself. Regaining consciousness at the exact moment of their escape had been nothing short of coincidence.
"Don't worry. I can take them on," Cloud said at last, trying to ease her worries. "But let's get back to the real point. I was planning to do this after the mission, but... things didn't exactly go as planned."
-
NEW WORLD - FINAL FANTASY VII ( AFTER THIS - DRAGON BALLS ]
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