The Story of Victoria Strife

Chapter 17: A Darkness Unleased

Victoria's eyes fluttered open, but her vision was blurry—unclear. Her body felt heavy, as if weighted down by the very air around her. The sterile scent of a lab filled her senses. Cold. Unforgiving. She tried to move, but her arms were strapped to a cold metal table, and her legs were bound in place. Panic surged through her chest, and she fought against the restraints, but it was futile. Her heart pounded as her surroundings came into focus.

She was in the SHINRA science lab.

Her eyes darted around the room, her breath catching in her throat as she recognized the figures gathered in front of her. Sephiroth stood by a console, his cold eyes fixed on her, a faint smirk on his lips as he observed her struggles. Rufus Shinra was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, watching her with calculated disinterest. Reno and Rude, the Turks, stood by the door, their expressions unreadable. And lastly, looming over her in the corner of the room was Hojo, the twisted scientist whose experiments had been her nightmare for so many years.

Victoria's pulse quickened as she realized what was happening. They had captured her. Again.

"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling against the restraints, her voice cracking with fear and anger. But no one moved to release her. Instead, she saw Sephiroth step closer, his gaze unwavering.

"You can't escape, Victoria," he murmured, his voice low and almost soothing, like a predator taunting its prey. "This is where you belong. You were always meant for this."

Victoria's breathing grew shallow as memories of her past experiments flooded her mind. The pain, the helplessness, the feeling of being a puppet in their twisted game—it all came rushing back. Her head swam, and the weight of her memories crushed her chest.

Rufus pushed himself off the wall, his expression cold but curious. "She still doesn't understand, does she?" he said, his tone mocking. "She has no idea what she's really a part of."

Victoria's eyes burned with hatred as she glared at him. "You're all monsters," she spat.

Rufus gave a short laugh, not reacting to her venom. "It's too late for that. You are part of something far greater than you could ever imagine. And soon, you'll be as much a weapon as your brother ever was."

With a sharp motion, Hojo activated a console beside her. "The process is ready," he said with twisted excitement. "This is the culmination of all my work. The mixing of Omega and Chaos cells with Mako and Jenova will make you far more than a mere experiment. You'll be... perfection."

Victoria's heart hammered in her chest as the floor beneath her hummed to life. A transparent glass tube slowly lowered down over her, enclosing her within. The chill of the glass was suffocating, and she was instantly aware of the feeling of liquid being pumped inside the tube—cold, viscous liquid. Her body went stiff as she realized what it was.

The Omega and Chaos cells—two of the most dangerous substances ever created. Combined with the Mako and Jenova cells in her body, she was being turned into something far worse than just an experiment. She was about to become a weapon.

"No!" she screamed, fighting the restraints with all her strength. "I won't let you do this!"

Rufus stepped closer, his face impassive. "You have no choice, Victoria. This is your fate. You are already part of Shinra. You always have been."

As the liquid continued to fill the tube, something inside Victoria snapped. The weight of her past, the terror of her experimentation, the injustice of it all—her anger boiled over. She felt the darkness and light inside her surge simultaneously. The conflict within her became unbearable, a storm of power that tore at her very soul.