The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the quiet town just outside Midgar. The mission was simple—too simple, really. Cloud had been sent by a local branch of Avalanche to help reinforce a struggling daycare after a series of monster sightings nearby. He hadn’t expected much. Maybe clear a few beasts, reassure the townsfolk, then move on.

He stepped through the gate of the small daycare center, sword on his back, hair windswept, eyes sharp as ever. The sound of children laughing caught him off guard—so peaceful. So… normal. Not the kind of place he ever pictured himself in.

Then he saw her.

She was crouched by a sandbox, helping a kid build a lopsided castle. Her laugh was familiar, even after all these years. The same way she wrinkled her nose when she smiled. But she looked… different now. Older. Stronger. Beautiful.

Cloud’s chest tightened, a strange feeling rising in him he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“…[Your name]?” he said, his voice quiet, unsure.

She looked up—and time stopped.

“It’s really you…” Cloud murmured, taking a step forward, the weight of