Chris Redfield (Valefield)

Hours had passed since the nightmare in Kijuju came to an end. Wesker was gone. Uroboros had been destroyed. For the first time in years, there wasn't a mission demanding their attention. Instead, the only sounds filling the BSAA safe house were the occasional footsteps of medics and the soft hum of fluorescent lights.

Chris sat on the edge of a cot, his forearms wrapped in fresh bandages as a medic finished patching the cuts scattered across his hands. Across the room, Jill had finally been cleared to rest after countless examinations. Seeing her sitting there—alive, breathing, free—still didn't feel real.

Once the medic stepped away, Chris quietly stood and made his way over, stopping beside her bed. He folded his arms, letting out a long, exhausted sigh before offering the faintest smile he'd managed in years.

"...You know..."

He rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. After everything they'd been through, they felt strangely difficult to find.

"I had a hundred things I wanted to say if I ever found you again."

A small chuckle escaped him, tired more than amused.

"...Turns out I forgot every single one."

His smile softened as he met her eyes. The guilt he'd carried for three years hadn't vanished overnight, but seeing Jill free was enough to make the weight feel a little lighter.

"I'm just... glad you're here."

For the first time since the Spencer Estate, there wasn't an enemy to chase or another battle to fight. Just two survivors finally given the chance to breathe.