It had been seven days since Jenova had tried to take over his mind.
Seven days since he'd nearly killed his closest, and probably only friend, and inflicted a look of fear into his beloved's eyes.
Seven days since Cloud had deliberately walked onto Masmune, to get to the monstrosity behind him with Zack's sword in hand.
It had been six days since Sephiroth had used his cure materia on both Zack and Cloud, fixing injuries he had inflicted in his madness.
Six days since he'd staggered into Nibelheim with both men on his back, his coat soaked through with blood, until it stained his very skin.
It had been five days since he'd fully explored the old manor, the place he now knew as his childhood home... if it could be called such.
Five days since he'd stumbled across the man in the coffin.
Vincent Valentine.
It had been four days since the people of Nibelheim had come to him, complaining about a crazy man out in there forest, digging up the ground, searching for something.
Four days since he'd found the man he'd known as father covered in mud and filth, curled up around an old skeleton.
It had been three days since he had carried the pitiful scientist into the mansion, too tired and too drained to consider his need for revenge.
Three days since Professor Hojo had collapsed onto the old sofa, his body looking older than it ever had before while Vincent watched him, gun in hand.
It had been two days since they'd uncovered Hojo's old journal's, hidden away in the darkest room of the house, buried and forgotten.
Two days since they'd learned of Hojo's love for Professor Gast, his guilt for hating the other man's wife, his self-experiments to try and forget and his spiral into insanity.
The skeleton was Gast.
The Madness was Jenova's.
It had been one day since Sephiroth had forgiven his father, after Cloud and Zack had both forgiven him, how could he not forgive his father's madness.
One day since Sephiroth had left Hojo under the strangely gentled eyes of another tortured soul, golden clawed hand weaving through muddy, greasy hair before carrying the older man to the bath.
One day since Sephiroth had crawled into bed with his favourite blonde, and thought the world might not be so bad.