<i>Once a dream did weave a shade</i>
<i>O'er my Angel-guarded bed,</i>
<i>That an Emmet lost its way</i>
<i>Where on grass methought I lay.</i>
<i>—Songs of Innocence and Experience</i>
The moment you pass through the rift, the blur of light and shadow rapidly solidifies into a clear scene.
The air smells like soil and flowers. Sunlight filters through the leaves and lands on a small forest path. The warmth puts a soft golden edge on everything.
Alpha knows this place. She's run through these woods countless times, laughing. She's listened to cicadas singing in the trees. She's chased the path of butterflies in the air.
This is her home.
It's like the disasters never happened. Everything looks the way it used to.
Except for one thing. Far off on the horizon, that huge twisted building is still there. Its outline is clearer now—a sign you and Alpha are getting closer to Shadow.
...
You recognize it too. You've seen this place before on a mission with the Cerberus squad. Back then, it was all ruins.
You both get off the motorcycle.
Then, behind you, a voice calls out. Gentle, hesitant, like it can't quite believe what it's seeing.
Lu... cia?
Alpha stiffens for a split second. Then she slowly turns around.
A woman with long black hair and a gentle face stands there, staring at you both. Her eyes are full of surprise, confusion, and a happiness she doesn't dare fully trust.
The word feels strange on Alpha's tongue—one she hasn't spoken in years, lingering in her throat.
...Mother?
A mother can recognize her child at a glance, no matter how much they've changed.
The woman steps closer and reaches out to touch Alpha's cheek.
...
Alpha instinctively steps back half a pace.
You're home and you didn't tell me?
Come here. Let me look at you.
She rests her hand on Alpha like it's the most natural thing in the world, then presses her forehead to Alpha's, the way she used to.
Mm... you've changed so much, but you still feel like you.
It's the same familiar touch, one she's felt more times than she can count.
Welcome home, Lucia.
A bedroom at night.
Lucia, Luna. Time for bed.
I want a story.
A story, huh... Lucia, do you want one too?
Yes!
Mother gently presses her forehead against Lucia's.
A long, long time ago...
The courtyard in the afternoon.
Mommy...
Water-gun fight with Luna again? Let me see... you're soaked.
Mother leans down and touches foreheads with Lucia.
Oh, you...
The living room in the morning.
Mother lifts Lucia as she steps out of her room, still half asleep, and presses her forehead close to Lucia's.
Let me see who's still not awake.
Go wash your face. Breakfast is ready.
<i>Memories hit Alpha like a wave and pull her under.</i>
<i>They don't care if she resists. They don't care if she backs away.</i>
<i>They only repeat one truth in the gentlest way possible:</i>
<i>—I love you.</i>
Lucia?
Her mother's voice pulls Alpha out of the flashback.
And who's this with you? Introduce your friend to me.
This is [player name], a friend of mine.
That's wonderful.
Come on. Let's go home. Dinner's almost ready.
The three of you walk up the forest path toward a house at the end of the trail.
The walk is short. Along the way, her mother talks softly, giving Alpha gentle reminders and sharing what's been going on at home.
Your sister's out right now, and your dad's away on a trip.
Even if you're a Construct now, and stronger than me, you still need to take care of yourself day to day.
Don't stay up late. Boil your water. Drink more warm water.
And don't be picky with food...
Don't spend money like it grows on trees. Save some.
...
You listen quietly and look around as you walk.
You notice something small. Every now and then, her mother's eyes go slightly unfocused.
The door opens and you all step inside.
The house feels warm and cozy. It's almost exactly like what Alpha remembers.
Make yourselves comfortable. I'll get some tea.
Alpha's eyes drift up to the second floor. That's where she used to share a room with Luna.
She was still a child when the Punishing outbreak hit.
Now she suddenly wants to know what "Lucia's" room looks like here, as an adult.
Will it be the same as that world where I became a warrior at F.O.S. College?
I'm... heading upstairs.
Alpha walks upstairs in silence. At the top, she hesitates, then opens the door on the right.
A young woman's bedroom comes into view. It's unfamiliar, yet it feels strangely intimate.
There's a bed, a desk, a small sofa, and a TV. Everything is neat and clean, but the room feels empty, like no one's lived here for a long time.
The corkboard is covered with photos in different sizes. Alpha steps closer and looks through them one by one.
The photos start to piece together "Lucia's" life here.
A family photo at an elementary school gate. Lucia has long hair and a school uniform.
Another photo. Lucia has twin ponytails and a different uniform, eating breakfast. It looks like middle school.
After that, the background changes to a hospital.
She grows thinner, but her eyes are still bright. She's trying hard to smile for the camera.
In another photo, Lucia wears a hospital gown and sits in a wheelchair, looking up at an apricot tree in the hospital garden.
Later photos show Lucia as a Construct. You can tell it's a Lotus frame. She no longer looks sick in these.
...
Alpha looks away from the photo wall and goes to the desk. She opens a drawer and finds a camcorder inside.
She connects it to the TV. The screen lights up with home video.
The footage is a bit shaky. On a lawn, a little girl, maybe four or five, runs around happily in a cute dress.
Off-screen, you hear the mother's younger voice, full of laughter.
Slow down, Lucia. Careful, don't fall.
The little girl giggles, stumbles toward the camera, and falls into her mother's arms.
The next clip plays.
Lucia learning to ride a bike for the first time, trying not to fall.
The next clip plays.
At a birthday party, her face covered in frosting.
The next clip plays.
Sunset fills the room. Lucia, about eight, sits at her desk. The light turns her black hair red.
Even then, her face looks calm and serious for her age.
The mother's voice comes from off-screen.
Lucia.
Hm?
Lucia sets her book down and turns to the camera.
Come have some fruit.
The camera moves closer to young Lucia. Someone extends their hand from outside the screen, placing a fruit plate on the desk.
Thanks, Mom.
Lucia, what are you reading?
A storybook. It tells the tale of a great queen from the past. In her kingdom, there lived a group of deities in the heavens.
When the deities were unhappy, they would bring down torrential rains or summon fierce storms.
Her people suffered greatly because of the deities' unpredictable moods.
So, the queen decided to search for the legendary crown that could stand against the deities.
After enduring countless hardships, she finally found it.
When the queen put on the crown, she didn't drive the deities away.
Instead, she said to them, "If you wish to bring disaster, let it fall upon me. Do not harm my people."
Moved by her spirit, the deities decided never to trouble the people again.
She sounds like an extraordinary person.
But also... a pitiable one.
I think she's a kind person!
And what kind of person does Lucia want to become when she grows up?
Young Lucia thinks for a moment, then looks straight into the lens, like she's looking through the screen at Alpha.
When I grow up, I want to be...
Click—
The TV shuts off. The screen goes dark, reflecting Alpha's face back at her.
...
You done watching?
She doesn't turn around, but she knows you've been standing in the doorway for a while.
...
I remember once... in the greenhouse. I pointed at a yellow flower and asked her what it was.
She said... it was a dandelion.
Later I realized most people only remember the white fluff. Almost nobody remembers the flower.
...
One gust and it's gone. I hate that.
Alpha is usually sealed off, like solid ice. Even now, she can't say what she means directly. She circles around it.
Would you... remember the dandelion's flower? Not just the fluff.
Don't answer that yet.
She shakes her head.
Dinner's ready!
Her mother's voice calls up from downstairs, just like years ago. Nothing about it has changed.
Dinner is a full spread of home cooking, steaming hot. The three of you sit around the table under warm yellow light.
Alpha eats very little, like she doesn't know what to do with a scene this normal.
Her mother keeps looking at Alpha with soft eyes and tries to put more food on her plate.
...
Alpha doesn't respond. She just quietly eats what's already in her bowl.
[player name], so, are you in the military?
Alpha's mother smiles as she looks at you, sitting beside her daughter.
How did you two meet?
I enlisted. [player name] is my Commandant.
Alpha hesitates a moment before she says it out loud.
How were you doing? Was it hard for you?
Alpha freezes. She wasn't expecting that question at all.
No one has ever asked her that. For a moment, she doesn't know what to say.
...
The woman nods.
I know you're not the Lucia I remember. But I still want to know what kind of life you've lived.
...
The truth everyone has been avoiding gets said out loud. The table goes quiet.
Will you tell me your story?
Alpha looks at you in silence.
Even the hardest ice can melt.
I...
Under the warm light, Alpha starts talking. She tells her past. It goes on for a long time.
By the time she finishes, the table has been cleared.
The house feels like a safe harbor, but you both still have to move on.
You're... leaving, aren't you?
Yeah.
She stands and takes an old Polaroid camera from a nearby cabinet.
Come on. Before you go, let's take a picture. Just... something to remember this "home" by.
Alpha looks like she wants to refuse. But under her mother's gentle, stubborn stare, she joins you at her mother's side.
Click—
Under the warm light, the photo slowly slides out. Her mother is smiling. Alpha looks tense. You stand on the other side.
The three of you stand close. For a moment, it really looks like a family photo.
You take the photo, gather your things, and get ready to go. The mother walks you to the door.
Before Alpha steps out, she looks back. Her mother is watching her with gentle eyes.
[player name].
[player name].
She steps closer and lightly holds your hand, the way someone would with a child leaving on a long trip.
She may... look cold, and she doesn't talk much. But she let you walk this far with her. That means... you matter to her, more than she'd ever admit.
Please, keep an eye on her from here on out. There are things she can't say, but... you understand her, don't you?
She smiles, satisfied, and turns to Alpha.
<i>You'll meet people you'll love, and people who'll love you back.</i>
<i>Be a little more honest with yourself, Lucia.</i>
<i>Let yourself love more, Lucia.</i>
<i>You'll always have my blessing.</i>
<i>Follow now the beetle's hum;</i>
<i>Little wanderer, hie thee home.</i>
<i>—Songs of Innocence and Experience</i>
