The Story of Victoria Strife

Chapter 3: Beneath the Crimson Cloak

The air in Midgar's Sector 5 slums was thick with moisture, a faint mist rising from the cracked pavement as Victoria led the group through the twisting alleyways. Their destination loomed ahead-the Shinra weapons development facility, hidden in the shadow of the massive steel plates that supported the city above. The mission was clear: infiltrate, gather intel, and, if possible, cripple Shinra's operations.

But the silence between her and Vincent was harder to ignore than the damp chill that clung to her skin. He was just a few steps behind her, moving with the grace of someone who had long learned to blend into the shadows. His crimson cloak fluttered lightly, a splash of colour in the otherwise muted landscape. It had been hours since they'd exchanged more than a few words, but the weight of his presence was always there, lingering just at the edge of her awareness.

Victoria's thoughts churned as she pressed on, the strange connection she felt with Vincent growing ever more complicated. They were allies, partners in this fight-but something about him made her feel uneasy, like she was standing at the edge of an abyss, peering into a darkness she wasn't ready to understand. And yet. at the same time, there was a strange comfort in his quiet strength, a sense that she could trust him with more than just her life.

As they approached a narrow corridor leading to a service tunnel, Victoria slowed her pace, allowing Vincent to catch up. His sharp eyes flicked over her, noticing her hesitation. Without a word, he stepped beside her, his movements as smooth and silent as ever.

"Are you worried about what we'll find in there?" he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper, yet it carried easily through the thick air.

Victoria glanced at him, surprised by the question. It wasn't like Vincent to ask about feelings—he usually kept his distance from such things, preferring silence to small talk. But there was something about his tone that suggested he wasn't merely asking out of obligation. He genuinely wanted to know.

She shrugged, her hand instinctively tightening on the strap of the weapon slung across her back. "It's not about what we'll find. It's more about... what it means if we don't find anything. We're pinning a lot on this lead."

Vincent nodded, his expression inscrutable beneath the shadow of his cloak. "Shinra is good at hiding its secrets. But if there's something in there, we'll find it."

Victoria couldn't help but notice the way Vincent spoke—his words calm and composed, almost as if he was making a promise. And somehow, that promise felt unbreakable. She had seen him fight, had watched him take down enemies with terrifying precision and cold efficiency. But beyond that, there was something else. A shared understanding, perhaps. Like Vincent knew what it was to carry the weight of another's legacy.

"I just..." Victoria paused, unsure of how to continue. "I feel like I'm always walking in Cloud's shadow. Like no matter what I do, it'll never be enough. It's hard to know if I'm fighting this battle for myself, or just trying to live up to what he's already done."

Vincent was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed ahead as they navigated the winding tunnel. His footsteps made no sound on the steel grate below, but the steady presence beside her grounded her, in a way.

"You're not Cloud," Vincent said after a long pause, his voice unusually soft. "And you don't have to be."

Victoria glanced at him, waiting for him to say more, but Vincent's attention was still focused forward, his expression unreadable. She found herself wondering just how much of his own history weighed him down. He had been a part of Cloud's story—no, part of something much older than that. Sephiroth, Hojo, Lucrecia... names that carried as much weight as the Shinra logo itself. And yet Vincent seemed to walk through all of it as if those memories no longer held him captive. Or maybe he was just good at hiding the chains.