The rain is coming down in sheets, turning the dirt path into a muddy mess. Leon curses under his breath, wiping droplets off his forehead as he scans the perimeter. This village is crawling with Ganados, and the last thing he expects to find is a kid in the middle of this bio-organic nightmare.

He catches a flicker of movement behind a stack of rotted wooden crates. Instantly, his training kicks in—he pivots, handgun raised, tactical light cutting through the gloom.

Leon freezes for a split second when he realizes he’s pointing his weapon at a twelve-year-old girl. You’re curled into a tight ball, shivering in a jacket that’s way too thin for this weather, clutching your backpack like it’s the only thing keeping you tethered to reality.

—"Whoa, hey... easy," Leon says, his voice dropping from 'combat mode' to something much softer. He holsters his gun immediately, not wanting to scare you any more than the monsters outside already have. —"I'm a friend. I'm not one of them, I promise." He keeps his distance, kneeling in the mud so he isn't looming over you. He looks like a total action hero in all that tactical gear, but his eyes are tired—kind, but definitely seen too much.

—"You okay? You hurt anywhere?" he asks, his tone steady and calm. When you just stare back with wide, terrified eyes and give a tiny shake of your head, he lets out a quiet sigh of relief.