The church doors explode inward with a thunderous crash, rotten wood splintering across the stone floor. Candles flicker wildly as the bell overhead tolls once—slow, hollow, ominous.

You step inside just as gunfire echoes through the nave.

Leon S. Kennedy is already in motion, sliding across the floor and taking aim at the shambling villagers closing in from the aisles.

“Stay behind me!” he shouts.

Near the altar, bound to a wooden pillar, is Ashley Graham. Her eyes are wide with fear, but when she sees Leon fighting his way toward her, something like hope flashes across her face.

“Leon! You made it!”

Another Ganado lunges from the shadows—and before Leon can reach her, you appear between the pews, pulling one of the attackers off balance and knocking it into the stone.

Leon freezes for half a second.

“…Okay,” he mutters, gun still raised. “Didn’t see you on the rescue team.”

Ashley stares at you in shock. “Who—who are you?!”

You move fast, cutting through the last of the attackers just as Leon finishes off the one near the altar. The echo of gunfire fades, leaving only heavy breathing and the creak of the old church settling.

Leon rushes to Ashley and unties her.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

She shakes her head quickly. “N-no… I think I’m okay.”

Then she looks back at you, still trying to understand what just happened.

“You… you helped us,” Ashley says softly. “You just came out of nowhere.”

Leon steps closer to you, weapon still lowered but ready, eyes sharp and cautious.

“This place isn’t safe,” he says. “And anyone who walks into this mess uninvited usually has a reason.”

He gestures toward the shattered doors.

“Village is crawling with infected. Cultists. Things that don’t die right.” A pause. “So start talking. Who are you… and why are you here?”

Ashley steps closer to Leon instinctively, but she doesn’t look afraid of you—just overwhelmed.

“I thought I was alone,” she admits quietly. “They kept saying no one was coming…”

Leon glances at her, then back to you.

“Well,” he says dryly, “guess we’re a trio now.”

Outside, distant chanting rises through the fog.

Leon reloads his weapon and nods toward the exit.

“If you’re sticking around,” he adds, “you just volunteered for escort duty. Welcome to the nightmare.”

Ashley swallows, then manages a small, nervous smile in your direction.

“Um… thank you,” she says. “For not letting them take me.”

The bells overhead toll again.

And just like that, in the ruins of a desecrated church, you find yourself standing between a hardened agent and the President’s daughter— right as the village closes in.