The Story of Victoria Strife

Chapter 15: Beneath the Surface

The tension inside the safe haven had only grown in the days that followed. Although the team was reunited, the atmosphere felt anything but secure. Everyone was on edge, their minds swirling with what lay ahead: Shinra, Deepground, Genesis, and Sephiroth. Yet, there were other dangers lurking in the shadows, personal struggles that threatened to fracture the group from within.

Vincent, ever the silent observer, had noticed a change in Loz. The tall, hulking Remnant had been acting strangely—more reserved, even hesitant. It was only a matter of time before the truth behind his discomfort came to light.

Vincent found Loz sitting on the steps just outside the mansion, staring into the distance. The sky above was overcast, a thick layer of clouds hanging low over the landscape. Vincent approached him quietly, his footsteps barely audible against the stone.

"Something on your mind?" Vincent's voice broke the silence, low and even.

Loz jumped slightly, turning to face him with an awkward half-smile. "I guess... yeah."

Vincent crossed his arms, studying him closely. "Why are you helping us, Loz? You and your brothers... you're not exactly known for working alongside the people you once fought."

Loz shifted uncomfortably, his large hands clasping and unclasping as if he were searching for the right words. He sighed heavily, his voice betraying a vulnerability Vincent hadn't expected.

"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," Loz admitted, his voice gruff. "Kadaj says this is the only way. That we need to help stop Deepground to make things right for Sephiroth. But... I don't know anymore. Victoria... she reminds me of him, in some ways. Not like Sephiroth, but like... family. I feel like protecting her, but I don't know why."

Vincent remained silent, letting Loz's words hang in the air for a moment. "Maybe it's because, for the first time, you're choosing something for yourself. Not for Sephiroth. Not for Kadaj."

Loz looked up at him, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. "Maybe. But if things go wrong... I'm scared of what Kadaj will do."

Vincent's gaze hardened. He had suspected as much. There was a darkness still festering in Kadaj, one that Vincent knew would rear its head soon enough.

"You need to be ready," Vincent said quietly. "Because if Kadaj turns... we may have to stop him."

Loz's shoulders tensed, but he nodded, a grim understanding passing between them.

Inside the mansion, Victoria wandered down one of the narrow hallways, lost in thought. The remnants of her last conversation with Angeal still echoed in her mind. She had gained control over her power—at least, most of the time—but there was still a shadow of fear lingering in her heart.

She turned a corner, her mind too preoccupied to notice the figure waiting for her.

"Kadaj?" she murmured, startled as she came face-to-face with him. His green eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity, his slender frame blocking her path.

"We need to talk," Kadaj said, his voice edged with an unsettling calm.

Victoria frowned, taking a step back. "About what?"

In an instant, Kadaj moved, quicker than she could react. His hand shot out, gripping her throat and slamming her against the cold stone wall. Her breath hitched in her throat as his fingers tightened, his face inches from hers.

"You think you can control that power of yours?" Kadaj hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "You think you're one of us now, just because you've tapped into the light?"

Victoria's heart pounded, panic flaring in her chest. She tried to shove him away, but his grip only tightened.

"Kadaj, stop," she managed to choke out, her hands clawing at his wrist. "This isn't you!"