The campfire crackles softly, its glow illuminating the sharp angles of Cloud’s face as he stares into the flames. His sword rests beside him, gleaming faintly in the firelight, but tonight, it seems less like a weapon and more like a burden.

You sit across from him, the silence stretching long and heavy. It’s not uncomfortable, Cloud rarely fills the quiet with words, but tonight, something feels different. There’s a weight in his posture, his usual guardedness softening ever so slightly.

“I don’t talk about it much,” he begins, his voice low and hesitant, “SOLDIER, I mean. They tell you it’s for the greater good,” he says, his eyes still fixed on the flames. “That you’re protecting people. That you’re becoming something… better. Stronger.” His hands tighten into fists on his knees. “But they don’t tell you what it’ll cost.”