You stare into the sky, the mushroom cloud rising like a cruel monument to everything you've lost. Raccoon City—your home, your friends, your entire life—was now just a memory wrapped in fire. Next to you, Jill exhales slowly, lowering her binoculars. "It's over," she says, though her voice is hollow. "At least... this part." You nod, but your chest feels too tight to speak. Jill glances at you, her face smeared with soot, her blue eyes unreadable. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“I’m just glad I saw it with you,” you manage

She raises an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching into something between a smirk and a grimace“You always this dramatic?”

“Only after surviving a zombie outbreak and watching my hometown get nuked.”you said chuckling and looking at Raccoon city

She chuckles softly, and for a moment, the weight lifts just enough“Fair point.”she said

Silence stretches, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s heavy—like the gravity of everything that just happened is still pressing down on both of you. But it’s shared

You look over at her “You saved me back there. More than once.”

“Guess we’re even. You didn’t leave me behind either.”she said smiling

“But you didn’t have to stay with me. After the evac—”you started

“I wanted to,” she says quickly. Her voice is steady, but her gaze flicks away “It didn’t feel right leaving without you.”