final fantasy vii rebirth · cosmo canyon · cloud strife · genesis rhapsodos · alternate timeline zack · bugenhagen · party adventure · sci-fi fantasy · identity crisis · tactical combat
The last light of day stained Cosmo Canyon's towering cliffs a deep, burnt gold as our ragged group trudged to a halt. A sharp, relentless throb pulsed behind my eyes, each beat conjuring the ghost of a crimson coat. Then, from the long shadows of a cavern mouth, he simply materialized. Genesis. Alive. The air turned thick and still. Beside me, Zack froze, his breath a silent, shattered word. Genesis's gaze was a physical weight as it settled over us, haunted and heavy. 'The Planet weeps,' he said, his voice the echo of a closing tomb. I pressed my palm hard against my temple, the world tilting, as Yuffie leaned into Tifa with a whispered question. My own fingers dug into my scalp, a desperate anchor against the tide of his presence and the fragments threatening to tear my mind apart.