The air inside Don Corneo's mansion was heavy with a sickly-sweet scent, a mix of stale perfume and something else, something vaguely unpleasant.
The gaudy decorations, gold statues, and plush, red carpets seemed to soak up the light, making the hallways feel dimmer, more secretive.
Tifa, light on her feet, led the way. Her eyes, sharp and quick, scanned every shadow, every corner. Arthur walked behind her, his senses stretched.
He kept one hand near Aerith, who walked beside him, her flower basket still clutched in her hand.
Even here, in this den of grime, her presence felt like a small, bright light. Cloudia followed, a quiet, watchful shadow, her hand never far from her hidden sword.
They moved like ghosts through the mansion's public areas. They saw some of Don Corneo's guards – big, brutish men with blank stares – but they seemed more interested in lounging around than actually guarding anything.
Occasionally, they heard distant music and laughter from a large hall, where some kind of party or "audition" was likely happening.
"Corneo's office,"
Tifa whispered, pointing down a less-traveled hallway.
"That's where he'd keep anything important. And his private chambers are usually nearby."
As they got closer, the sounds from the main hall faded, replaced by the faint murmur of voices. They approached a heavy, ornate door. It was made of dark wood, with a gold lion's head knocker.
"This is it,"
Tifa breathed. She tried the handle. Locked.
"Stand back,"
Arthur said, stepping forward. He focused his energy, the invisible force coiling in his hands. With a soft click that was almost silent, the lock on the door popped open.
He still had to be careful not to reveal too much. A simple lock-picking trick, something that could be passed off as a clever device, was better than blowing the door open with raw power.
'I can also use wizardry magic but this is more convenience'
Tifa's eyes widened slightly in approval.
"Nice trick,"
She whispered, pushing the door open just enough to peer inside.
The room was a mess of papers, expensive furniture, and half-eaten food. A large, ornate desk sat in the middle, piled high with documents. This was clearly Corneo's office.
"Cloudia, Aerith, stand guard at the door,"
Tifa instructed.
"Let us know if anyone comes."
Aerith nodded, her face serious. Cloudia, ever silent, took up a position beside her, her gaze fixed on the hallway.
Tifa and Arthur slipped into the office. The air here was even heavier, smelling of stale cigars and cheap cologne. Tifa immediately went to the desk, her fingers flying through the stacks of papers.
Arthur began checking the shelves, looking behind paintings, and even carefully examining the floorboards.
"Shinra... Shinra... just a bunch of bills and bad poetry here,"
Tifa muttered, sifting through a pile.
"He definitely keeps his important stuff hidden."
Arthur found a small, hidden latch beneath the desk. He pulled it, and a secret drawer slid open with a soft squeak. Inside, there wasn't money or jewels, but a stack of sealed envelopes, all with Shinra's official seal.
"Bingo,"
Arthur said, his voice low. He handed an envelope to Tifa.
Tifa quickly opened it. Her eyes scanned the document, and her face grew paler with each line she read.
"Oh no... this is worse than we thought."
She spread the papers out on the desk, quickly reading the key parts aloud for Arthur.
"It's a demolition order. From Shinra's Urban Development department. For Sector 7."
Arthur felt a cold dread spread through him. This was it. There was no twist. His memories were mostly right.
"Demolition? Are they really going to...?"
"It says here,"
Tifa continued, her voice trembling slightly,
"That due to 'unforeseen structural instability caused by eco-terrorist attacks'—that's us, by the way—'emergency measures must be taken to prevent further collapse.' They're planning to blow up the main support pillar of the Sector 7 plate."
"They're going to collapse the plate and blame Avalanche."
He knew it, but seeing it in cold, hard print made it real. The scale of the sheer evil of it, made his blood run cold. Thousands of innocent people lived on that plate.
"It gets worse,"
Tifa said, her voice barely a whisper.
"The 'emergency measures' are scheduled for... tonight. After midnight. They're going to do it while everyone is asleep."
Tonight. Arthur's mind raced. They had only a few hours.
Just then, Aerith's voice, hushed and urgent, came from the door.
"Someone's coming! A lot of them!"
Arthur quickly grabbed the Shinra documents.
"We have to go!"
They moved fast, Tifa stuffing the papers into a hidden pocket in her clothes. But as they burst out of the office, the hallway was no longer empty. Don Corneo's bouncers, along with a few Shinra security guards, filled the corridor. Leading them was a corpulent, sneering man in a silk robe – Don Corneo himself.
"Well, well, well,"
Don Corneo purred, his voice slimy.
"Look what the sewer rats dragged in. And a pretty little flower girl too! Did you enjoy my little party?"
His eyes lingered on Aerith, making her shrink back slightly behind Arthur.
"We just want the information you're holding, Corneo,"
Tifa said, her fists clenching.
"Let us go, and no one gets hurt."
Corneo let out a high-pitched, wheezing laugh.
"Information? Oh, you mean the special delivery I received from my friends at Shinra? Naughty, naughty, trying to snoop around in my private affairs."
He snapped his fingers.
"Get them! But be careful with the ladies, especially the flowery ones. Donny likes to play..."
The guards surged forward.
"Aerith, stay behind me!"
Arthur commanded, pushing Aerith gently behind him. He knew he had to be careful with his power, but this was a clear threat. He couldn't hold back too much.
The first bouncer lunged at Tifa, a massive fist aimed at her head. Tifa, a blur of motion, easily dodged it and landed a swift kick to his knee, sending him stumbling.
Cloudia, moving with silent grace, drew her Buster Sword. It hummed slightly as she swung it, a wide, sweeping arc that forced the attacking guards to leap back, their eyes wide at the sheer size of the blade.
She didn't attack to harm them seriously, but to create space, to keep them away.
Arthur faced a group of Shinra guards, their guns drawn. He didn't want to use his full power unless absolutely necessary, not with the Whisperers lurking.
Instead, he chose a middle ground. He extended his hand, and an invisible force slammed into the lead guard, sending him flying backward into his comrades like a bowling pin. It looked like a powerful punch, but there was no contact.
"What was that?!"
One of the guards yelled, bewildered.
"Shinra Tensei, My bad… It was just a joke…"
Arthur smirked, he couldn't help it.
He launched another guard through the air with a powerful, unseen shove. He was strong, fast, and untouchable.
Tifa was a whirlwind of punches and kicks, taking down guards with practiced ease. Her martial arts were formidable.
Aerith, meanwhile, despite the danger, used her magic. She wouldn't fight directly, but she could help.
As guards tried to get around Arthur and Cloudia, she cast a Sleep spell, and a few of them instantly slumped to the floor, snoring. Then she cast Protect on Tifa and Arthur, making their defenses stronger.
"This way!"
Tifa yelled, seeing an opening down another hallway, away from the main group of guards. They needed to escape and warn Avalanche.
Don Corneo watched the chaos, his face contorted in a mix of rage and fear.
"Get them! Don't let them escape with that information!"
The group fought their way through the mansion, Tifa and Cloudia clearing the path, Arthur pushing back anyone who got too close, and Aerith providing quiet, effective support. They were a well-oiled machine, even in the chaos.
They burst out of a back entrance into a dark, trash-filled alleyway behind the mansion. The sounds of alarm bells already started ringing inside.
"They know we have the information!"
Tifa panted, looking back at the mansion.
"They'll send everyone after us."
"We need to get back to Seventh Heaven,"
Arthur said, his eyes scanning the narrow alley.
"And warn Barret. We don't have much time."
Cloudia was already moving, leading the way with quick, long strides. Aerith, still clutching her flower basket, ran surprisingly fast beside Arthur, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
As they ran, Arthur felt a familiar chill. A Whisperer. It was there, a shadowy form flickering at the edge of his vision, observing him.
He had used more power than he usually did, enough to draw its attention. A silent, cold message resonated in his mind: Interference detected. Anomaly remains.
He ignored it. Right now, the fate of Sector 7 was far more important than the Whisperers' rules. He'd deal with them later. First, he had to stop Shinra.
The neon lights of Wall Market flashed around them as they sprinted through the alleys, avoiding main roads. They could hear the sounds of alarms and distant sirens growing louder. Shinra security would be everywhere soon.
"Faster!"
Tifa urged, pushing herself to the limit. They had to make it back, had to tell everyone the truth before it was too late.
The weight of the world, of countless lives, pressed down on them, but they ran, fueled by desperate hope and fierce determination.
The quiet evening in Seventh Heaven was truly over. The storm was about to begin.
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