The Story of Victoria Strife

Chapter 21: Cracks Beneath the Surface

Cloud paced back and forth in his and Tifa's room, his fists clenched at his sides as he tried to make sense of the swirling emotions inside him. For weeks, he had bottled everything up—his frustration, his doubts, the overwhelming weight of the battles they'd faced—but now, with everything spiralling out of control, it felt like he was on the verge of breaking. And he couldn't hold it in anymore.

Tifa sat on the edge of the bed, her brown eyes following his every movement. She had always been the calm to his storm, the voice of reason when everything seemed to be falling apart. But tonight, even she could see that Cloud was barely holding himself together.

He stopped suddenly, running a hand through his messy blonde hair as he turned to face her. "I can't take it anymore, Tifa. Everything—everything's just so wrong. Vincent and Victoria, Sephiroth, the remnants—it's all too much."

Tifa's expression softened as she stood and approached him, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "Cloud, you've been carrying a lot. But we're all in this together. Talk to me."

Cloud shook his head, his blue eyes filled with frustration and something deeper—something Tifa hadn't seen in him for a long time. "It's not just the battles, Tifa. It's them—Vincent and Victoria."

Tifa tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean? They've been through so much, just like all of us."

"I know that," Cloud snapped, then immediately regretted the harshness in his voice. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I know they've been through hell, but that's not what's bothering me. It's... it's seeing them together. Every time I see them, it's like a reminder that I couldn't protect her. My sister."

Tifa's eyes softened with understanding, but Cloud wasn't done. He started pacing again, his hands moving restlessly as he spoke. "I'm supposed to be her brother, the one who keeps her safe, but I didn't. I couldn't. I didn't even know what was happening to her for years, and now, Vincent's the one she turns to. Not me."

"Cloud..." Tifa's voice was gentle, but Cloud barely heard her. He was too lost in the flood of emotions he had kept buried for so long.

"And then there's Vincent. I trust him, but I can't help feeling like... like I'm losing her. I spent all those years searching for Victoria, and now, it's like she's slipping away from me again. Every time they're together, I wonder if there's even a place for me in her life anymore."

Tifa stepped closer, placing both hands on his arms and forcing him to stop pacing. "Cloud, look at me."

He did, though his expression was still conflicted, his jaw tight with suppressed anger and sorrow.

"You're her brother," Tifa said softly. "Nothing can change that. No one can take that from you—not Vincent, not anyone. She loves you, Cloud. But you have to understand that she's not the same person she was before. Neither are you. You've both been through things that changed you, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need you."

Cloud's shoulders slumped slightly as Tifa's words sank in. But the weight of it all still pressed heavily on him. "I just... I don't know if I can keep watching them like this. It reminds me of everything I failed to do. And then there's Sephiroth. He's always lurking, always there, waiting to take her from me again. I can't shake the feeling that I'm going to lose her."

Tifa gave his arm a gentle squeeze, her voice full of quiet strength. "You won't lose her, Cloud. And you won't face this alone. We'll deal with Sephiroth, with all of it. But you need to let go of this guilt. You've done everything you can, and so has she. You both need to trust that."

Cloud let out a shaky breath, his anger fading into something more like exhaustion. "I just... I don't know if I can."

"You can," Tifa said firmly. "We all can. But only if we trust each other."