Long overdue… and I apologize.
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Claire finally sat down on the grassy patch and brought her knees up to her chin. It had taken her fifteen minutes to come to the conclusion that she needed to be here. In front of her, stood a tall, thick Weeping Willow. The numerous thin strands of leaves hung above her, acting as an umbrella for shade. She and her team were now in China, investigating numerous cases of mysterious murders. Several bodies were found mangled and decomposed, and there were many areas in the Great Wall that had been noticeably desecrated. Bones of the workers who had helped build the wall had been taken from its cracks and crevices. It was such an odd mystery that Chris felt obligated to head to China and confirm whether the instances were related to Umbrella.
After hours of investigation, Chris had told them they would be spending a few weeks in Beijing. He allowed them a day of rest. Apparently, things were going to get rocky again. Leon had offered to spend time with Claire, but she politely refused. Understandably, he didn't like her going off by herself, but she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I just need some time to myself," she said.
She decided to take a stroll down to a large lake that was surrounded by Weeping Willows. It seemed that she was the only person who decided to enjoy the great outdoors that Beijing had to offer. For that, she was grateful. Once she was satisfied, she contemplated why she chose this exact spot. There was nothing special about this area. It held no sentimental value to her. She reached into her pocket. 'At least not yet…' She clutched the tiny bag in her hand, and held it to her chest, feeling like a fool.
"I never got to say goodbye," she said out loud after taking a deep breath. "It would be easier talking to some kind of monument rather than talking out into thin air." She felt her throat begin to close. "You were a bastard, Albert Wesker," she said with a smile. "I can't believe that I'm still thinking of you despite all of the crap you put me through. You made see things that I never wanted to see, made me into something I never wanted to be." She thought back to her imprisonment at the mansion, but she couldn't say that there was nothing but bad memories there. She sniffed, feeling that large rush of emotion filling her. Since she became human again, she was experiencing common emotions to a much larger degree. "But I'd have to say that I don't regret it. None of it. How could I?"
There was a soft wind picking up, cooling her face where the tears fell. She reached back and pulled her ponytail free. "I hate you and everything you stand for. You will forever be my enemy and my brother's enemy, but…" she stood to her feet and faced the Weeping Willow. "There was a part of you that I found that I am sure is now lost forever. But for the tiny brief moment that I saw it, I loved it." She reached up and used the rubber band to tie the tiny bag to the leaves of the Willow. Claire pressed her lips to the tiny bag, closing her eyes, and allowing herself to leave memories of Albert Wesker behind. "Goodbye," she whispered.
Till the day she died, she would help put a stop to the creation of BOW's. That was her calling. She couldn't see herself anywhere else. An unpredictable chapter had closed in her life, and she was ready to start another one. She turned and walked away, leaving the tiny bag of candy corn to sway with the leaves of the Weeping Willow.
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AN: This marks the end of the New Game story, but I've decided to continue with a sequel named "Save and Continue". The first chapter is up. I hope I can live up to the expectations that have been set from this story. Thank you all for reading.
Kris =)