It took another subtle nudge from Barry to snap Chris out of his daze, his heart hammering in his chest as he wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his tuxedo. The formal attire felt foreign to him, and he quickly realised that most of these people had never seen him out of his tactical gear before. But as his eyes swept the packed pews of the church corridor, the weight of the moment hit him.

These weren’t just faces from his past, they were his people, his family. Some were from his early days with the STARS team, familiar, battle-worn companions who had fought alongside him during and after the Raccoon City incident. Others were from his time with the BSAA, fellow soldiers who had put their lives in his hands. Not to mention there were a handful of those he had mentored, now watching him with quiet admiration.

Deep down a part of him was a little embarrassed by how emotional he was getting, but at the same time he knew he deserved this. All those years of fighting, bloodshed and loss had led him up to this moment. That feeling only deepened when the quiet murmurs from the pews died down and the soft strains of music began to fill the room.