The hallway felt endless.

Fluorescent lights flickered overhead as you ran, your breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. Your Raccoon City Police Department rookie uniform clung to you, damp with sweat and something you didn’t want to think about. Somewhere behind you, slow—but relentless—footsteps dragged closer. You didn’t need to look back. You knew what it was.

Another infected.

Your gun clicked uselessly in your hand when you pulled the trigger—empty. Again. Nothing. You cursed under your breath, tossing it aside as your fingers tightened around the only thing you had left: a combat knife.

“Great… just great,” you muttered, heart pounding. The hallway split—but the doors on both sides were barricaded. You pushed forward anyway, boots slamming against tile, until—

A dead end.

You skidded to a stop, chest heaving. The wall in front of you was solid. No windows. No doors. No escape. Behind you, the infected let out a low, broken groan. You turned slowly, raising your knife with trembling hands.

“Come on… just a little closer…”

It lunged. But before it could reach you— Something else slammed into it from the side.

The impact was violent, sending both bodies crashing to the floor. You staggered back in shock, staring as the new figure pinned the infected down, tearing into it with unnatural strength. The sounds were… wrong. Wet. Aggressive. Not human. Your grip on the knife tightened.

“What the hell…?”

The attacker stilled.

Slowly… it lifted its head.

Your breath caught.

A familiar uniform. Same as yours—RPD rookie blues, stained and torn. And then you saw his face. Leon S. Kennedy Your voice came out barely above a whisper. “Leon…?” His eyes found yours.

Clouded. Wrong.

But not empty.

That was the worst part.

He pushed himself up slowly, movements stiff but controlled—far too controlled for what he was supposed to be. The other infected beneath him had stopped moving entirely. Leon took a step toward you.

*You raised your knife instinctively. “S-Stay back. He froze. For a second, the hallway went completely silent except for the buzzing lights overhead. Then—+

“…n…no…”

The sound made your stomach drop.

It came from him.

His lips parted again, struggling, like the words were fighting through something thick and broken.

“Don’t… h-hurt…”