"The End is the Beginning"
Introduction
It was under heavy rainfall that Vincent Valentine arrived in Nibelheim that evening. The small village, whipped by the winds at the foot of Mount Nibel, had hardly any inhabitants left, so he encountered no one as he made his way through the town to the mansion. Facing the imposing wrought iron gate, his metallic claw resting on the large handle, he stood still for a few moments. The rain streamed down his hair and face, soaking his cape and the rest of his clothes, yet he remained there, motionless, immersed in his memories.
Spirals of mist escaped his lips as he exhaled. The air on this October evening was already icy, just like that day, thirty-two years ago. With infinite sadness and melancholy, he recalled the face of the young woman who had once captured his heart:
Stumbling as she exited the helicopter, she had clumsily caught herself on the arm of the TURK, apologizing. Wrapped in a thick gray woolen scarf, the tip of her delicate nose and her cheeks flushed from the cold, she had then smiled at him, a smile he could never forget. Why didn't he act when he still had the chance? Why did he wait so long before intervening, before trying to stop them?
Everything was now over. Lucrecia's son was dead, and she would forever be imprisoned in her crystal tomb, deep within a cave lost in the middle of the mountains.
Swallowing his grief, his throat tightened, he adjusted his cape, covering half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible, and decided to push the gate, which emitted a deafening creak, allowing him to enter the gardens of the old mansion.
His intention was simple: to destroy the mansion. To get rid of this nightmarish place where it all began, and where it should all end. Perhaps then, he could mourn his past and try to forget... Yes, forget. It wouldn't be easy, but his friends would be there to help, he knew he could count on them, on their support, on their friendship.
Over time, deep and undeniable bonds had formed between him and the members of Avalanche. A faint smile momentarily illuminated his features as he thought of his teammates. Almost unconsciously, he crossed the paved path that led to the porch.
Built fifty years ago, the Shinra mansion had weathered the passing years, and the particularly windy climate of the region had taken its toll on the exterior facades, which were now cracked from their foundations to the roof. Despite this, the building still seemed to retain its former grandeur.
As he entered the mansion, astonishment suddenly shook him out of his dark thoughts. Bewildered, he casually dropped the bag he had been carrying on his shoulder, containing healing potions and other travel provisions. He could expect anything in this place, but certainly not this!
The hall of the mansion sparkled from floor to ceiling, seemingly benefiting from a thorough cleaning! Gone were the monsters! Forgotten were the specters! No more spider webs or bat nests to be found...
Only the slightly faded wallpapers and polished woodwork still bore the traces of time since their creation. On the large marble sideboard near the entrance, a few candles were finishing their burn, proof that the place was now inhabited.
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?" called out a feminine and unquestionably authoritative voice from the top of the stairs in front of him. The silhouette stood against the immense stained glass window, and the backlight made it difficult to see her clearly. Taken aback and confused, Vincent stammered some excuses:
"Um... please excuse me, I'm surprised, but... you see, I left this house a few months ago, and... well, I didn't think anyone... I thought I would find it... well... in the state I left it, and, of course... unoccupied..."
The person descended the flight of stairs to the ground floor, exclaiming in a skeptical tone:
"This house was inhabited? Are you kidding me? In the state it was in?"
She was a woman about fifteen years older than him, or at least she appeared to be of the same age. Fairly slim and of average height, her sandy blonde hair was gathered in a messy bun on top of her head. Round glasses perched on an aquiline nose gave her a somewhat stern look, which was softened by small dimples at the corners of her cheeks. Her outfit, rather plain and unpretentious, consisted of a long flowered skirt, a lace cardigan worn over a light-colored camisole, all accompanied by a pair of boots. The only detail that caught the TURK's attention was a slight, discreet scar on the top of her right temple, just above her ear and extending to the hairline.
"Yes, it was inhabited... well, in a certain way," the ex-TURK replied, scratching his neck, troubled, after placing his assault rifle against the wall a few paces away, making it clear to the stranger that he did not pose a threat.
"Oh, well, sorry," she replied in a much calmer tone, almost embarrassed. "In that case, I should probably apologize for moving in here, when this house doesn't belong to me. I'm sincerely sorry. However, when I arrived here, the villagers assured me that no one had lived here for decades! And seeing the state it was in, I really believed that... Never mind, it doesn't matter," she concluded, trying to hide her disappointment.
This situation slightly disrupted his plans. He couldn't destroy the mansion if it was now occupied. For Vincent, the years spent with the TURKs had made him wary of life's surprises. Always anticipate, never be caught off guard. That was the creed of this elite organization. Mentally going through all the options available to him, he continued the conversation as if nothing had happened:
"Could I still ask for shelter for the night, if it's not too much trouble? You see, I've been on a long journey, and..."
"Of course! What a question! Oh my! I am so sorry! Seeing this mansion, I really thought it belonged to no one anymore! Mister...?"
"Valentine. Vincent Valentine. But you can call me Vincent. And I repeat, no need to apologize. I had left this mansion for so long..."
"You should take off your cape; it's soaked!" she said, concerned.
Listening to her advice, Vincent unfastened the straps of his garment and let it slide off his shoulders.
"May I offer you something to warm you up? Tea?"
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that."
"You're welcome. Please wait for me in the sitting room; I'll be right there."
As Vincent entered the room, he was relieved to see that his host had kept the old grand piano. Before placing his cape on the armchair, he lightly brushed the keys, which emitted a few discordant notes, bringing back memories of Lucrecia playing the same instrument many years ago. He loved to listen to her play and sing, as she had a beautiful voice and a true talent for music.
After about ten minutes, the hostess, whose name he still didn't know, found him, carrying a round tray with two cups and a carafe of steaming liquid, as well as a large towel he could use to dry himself.
"Vincent, is everything alright?" she inquired, seeing the nostalgic look on her curious guest's face.
"Yes... yes, everything's fine...
- This piano was yours?"
"No...
- Here is your tea..."
She handed him the hot cup and took a seat on the couch.
"Thank you. You still haven't told me your name..."
"Oh, yes! How silly of me! You surprised me so much! I didn't expect to receive visitors at this late hour in such a remote village! But you can call me Selene. Selene Danler."
They settled around the coffee table, and Vincent continued the conversation by asking the question that had been on his mind since he entered the Shinra mansion and discovered it was no longer vacant:
"Please excuse my curiosity, but I'd like to know one thing: did you discover the mansion's basement?"
"Yes, but I didn't go down there," she replied sincerely. "I'm not particularly fond of danger, you know. I immediately sealed off that room by locking it."
Vincent noticed the worried look on her face. Was she questioning the secrets hidden in the mansion's cellars? Probably. So he decided to quickly change the subject of conversation:
"Do you live here alone?"
"Well, no. I live with my grandson. We used to live near the plains of Kalm, but we left some time ago when the meteor crashed into Midgar."
She paused briefly and brought the cup to her lips.
"And you, where do you come from, Vincent? And how is it that you lived in this house in its state?"
"Well, it's a long story, but... to sum it up, I'm a former TURK who left Midgar to settle here, and..."
"A TURK?" she interrupted.
"Former TURK. I had some disagreements with Shinra."
"Who hasn't!" she exclaimed with a laugh.
He was about to continue when the living room door opened slowly, interrupting him. A small head peeked through the opening, whispering :
"Granny? I can't sleep! Can I come with you?"
The woman hesitated, seeming undecided. Her gaze alternated between her visitor and the little boy half-hidden behind the large door. She had not expected him to wake up so late and join her. Usually, he was always afraid to go downstairs alone in the dim light. After a few seconds, she resigned and finally signaled for the child to come in.
"Who's the man, Granny?" the boy asked in his adorable childish voice, fidgeting with a plush Chocobo doll in his hands. Affectionately, Selene smiled and kissed his forehead.
"The man is called Vincent. Vincent, let me introduce you to my grandson, Adonis."
She turned to her interlocutor, and she saw that he was staring at the child, his eyes widened in surprise, and she suspected a touch of fear in his crimson gaze. The hand holding the cup froze halfway between the table and his mouth.
The boy couldn't be more than five years old. Nestled on his grandmother's lap, he affectionately hugged his plush, which seemed to have gone through many battles, with one eye clumsily stitched back on. He smiled shyly at Vincent, observing him with a unique, distinctive gaze that frightened the ex-TURK. The boy had sharp, thin pupils, so fine that they could have belonged to a cat, embedded in vibrant blue-green irises. And those hair, short and tousled, some locks falling harmoniously on his forehead, and... the same color as steel. A silver-gray, surprising for someone so young.
He was an exact replica, a pint-sized version, of the man who had once been the greatest member of SOLDIER: The Hero Sephiroth.
Worried, Selene nervously questioned Vincent, "You recognized him, didn't you?"
Vincent couldn't help but stutter, so taken aback he was that he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
"Who... who is this child?"
The middle-aged woman let out a deep sigh:
"And here I thought enough time had passed since his father's death and that no one would make the connection! Judging by your reaction, I was apparently wrong!
- His... his father?
- Yes! That's why you're making that face, right? You recognized my grandson as that former SOLDIER who died a few years ago, the one we saw in the newspapers during the war!
- Sephiroth...
- Yes! That's it!
- He had... a son? But... and you say you're his grandmother..."
Vincent couldn't stop stammering, so utterly confused he had become.
"Yes, that's correct. This little one's mother was my daughter. Unfortunately, she died shortly after giving birth to him. May Gaia have her soul..."
A veil of sadness briefly passed through the steel blue eyes hidden behind the small glasses.
"Granny, are you talking about mommy and daddy?"
- Yes, my dear! But now it's time for you to go back to bed! Off you go!
- Come on! Please! Just two more minutes!" the child insisted, stifling a yawn as he rubbed his eyes.
"No, young man!
- One minute?
- No!
- Half a minute?
- No!
- Alright..." the little one surrendered with an obvious pout.
"Vincent, please excuse me for a moment. I need to put this charming young man back to sleep!"
Sélène got up, her grandson still in her arms, and left the room. With his head nestled against his grandmother's shoulder, Adonis waved goodbye to Vincent while sucking on a corner of his teddy bear.
The door closed softly, and Vincent finally let out the breath of despair that had been stuck in his chest since he laid eyes on the little boy. A multitude of questions rushed through his mind, and he couldn't find any reassuring answers to any of them.
Sephiroth had a son. Considering that the young man was twenty-three years old the first time he died in Nibelheim, it didn't seem improbable. Did he know about it? And was it really a natural child? Or did Hojo have a hand in inserting some genetic codes into a new embryo? Did the child inherit Jenova's genes? If so, wasn't he in danger, just like his father had been? Or was he a danger himself? If Cloud found out about his existence, what would happen?
Lost in his thoughts, he patiently waited for Selene's return, who, in the meantime, was putting her grandson to bed; he had refused to return to his room and agreed to sleep in his grandmother's bed, convinced she would soon join him. She lovingly stroked Adonis's silver hair as he slowly began to fall asleep.
If she hadn't helped her daughter give birth to the baby, she would never have guessed that he was her grandson. The child had taken everything from his father, which, honestly, make things really difficult for her.
Before her daughter's death, she had entrusted her to hide the child's lineage so that the head of the Shinra's scientific department would never get his hands on him. For the first few years, the grandmother lived with the baby in a secluded little house not far from Kalm. The few visitors she had were friends in whom she had complete trust. Most of them were members of various Avalanche groups, and they would never betray her for Shinra.
But Adonis grew up, and she felt it was time to let him have a normal childhood. Had she made a mistake? So far, whenever they went out, Adonis always wore a hat or a cap and a pair of tinted glasses. Seeing the ex-TURK's reaction, she had probably done the right thing. But what about the future?
Excusing herself, she finally returned to the small living room, where Vincent waited patiently.
"Excuse me, Vincent. I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"
He responded with a smile that he hoped looked friendly. "It's no trouble."
"In any case, do you still want to know about this child's story?"
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"Before anything else, you should know that it's a long story..."
"I like long stories," said Vincent, signaling for her to proceed.
"All right, then... It all started eight years ago. That's when my only daughter left home for Midgar, hoping to join SOLDIER..."
"I thought SOLDIER didn't accept women?"
No, it didn't accept women..."
A mischievous smile then stretched across her lips. Remembering the past, she began her story...
To be continued...