Chapter Text
Never, not even in your strangest dreams, did you expect to stand in this city again.
The city where everything in your life began.
You stare at the ruins of Raccoon City, feeling the sting of tears threatening to escape your eyes. Everything good and bad in your life happened there. You smile lightly at the memory of your first date in the cafeteria. The boy had seemed sweet and nice, until he left you with the bill to pay. At the time, it was a huge deal, but looking at it now, it makes you laugh.
The wind moves through the broken remains of buildings that once stood tall and proud, and for a moment you can almost see the city as it used to be. You shake your head, gathering one last thought: you should be listening to your captain’s briefing right now, not mourning the ghost of your past.
Instead, your mind drifts back to that one day in January 1997. Back then, you were just a teenager. Sixteen years old, proud and full of ambition. You had won a City Hall competition for your chemistry project, and the reward you gained had felt unreal: an invitation to visit Umbrella’s facilities so you could familiarise yourself with the place before starting your summer internship.
You still remember how you felt that day: like you were an unstoppable genius. And honestly, it sounded like that. You were a sixteen-year-old girl from a normal family, already stepping into the world of Umbrella Corporation, the company everyone admired and trusted in Raccoon City. The workplace for many people and the sponsor of almost the entire city. People called the company “the place where the future was built.”
What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently, everything.
At first, though, it really was perfect. You were given access to information most students could only dream of. Advanced training sessions. Technical briefings. Laboratories filled with equipment you had only seen in textbooks.
The staff treated you with surprising respect for someone your age, answering your endless questions and letting you observe their work. You soaked up every moment of it. You walked through the corridors with your head held high, trying to look professional, but inside you were glowing with pride.
You felt like you belonged there, like this was the first step toward the future you had always imagined for yourself.
For a while, you truly believed you had found your place in the world.
And in those bright, sterile corridors, surrounded by brilliant minds and cutting-edge technology, you walked as if the entire facility already belonged to you.
“Hey, Sergeant, were you even listening to the briefing?” your teammate asked, stepping beside you.
You sighed quietly.
“Not really.”
A chuckle came from behind you. Your lieutenant was standing nearby, arms crossed.
“That’s not exactly the answer you’re supposed to give,” he said, scolding you a little.
“I know, but…” You hesitated, your voice lowering slightly. “I... I need to tell you something, guys.”
The words felt heavy in your throat. You had carried them for years, and suddenly they were right there, ready to spill out.
That you had been there.
That you had once been part of Umbrella.
Part of Raccoon City itself.
That the nightmare everyone here studied like history was something you had actually lived through.
You tightened your grip, just to check if you could still feel your hand. The black marks had appeared higher on your arm every day. At first, it had started as a small dot near your pinky finger. Over the next few days, it spread slowly, finally covering some of your veins.
You had started wearing gloves and long-sleeved shirts, no matter the weather. People noticed. Your captain asked questions. Your lieutenant too.
It was the perfect moment to tell them.
But before you could continue, a sharp movement signal cut through the air, stopping the conversation instantly. Your team shifted into position without hesitation.
And just like that, the moment was gone.
The truth stayed buried inside you.
Along with the memories.
Along with the demon that still haunted you, even now.