The wind blew cold over the snowy mountains of Nibelheim. Clouds loomed over the village like a grey curtain, hiding the sun's rays that barely pierced through the pine trees. In that remote, silent landscape, a ragged breath shattered the stillness.
Cloud's eyes shot open, his heart pounding. The air was different. It didn't reek of steel, blood, and Mako oil — but of burning wood and snow. He sat up, gasping. His hands were… small.
"What the hell…?"
[Welcome, Player.]
A metallic voice echoed in his head, followed by a light-blue window floating in front of his eyes.
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System Activated: "GAMER"
User: Cloud Strife
Age: 8
Location: Nibelheim
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His blue eyes widened. This wasn't a dream. Not a simulation. He was… alive. But not in the usual way.
There was a weight in his mind, as if he had lived two lives. Blurred memories: a desk, a screen, a controller… and then darkness.
He had the body of a child, but inside he felt… whole. Unnatural.
And now, there was a system. An interface. A game.
He reached out with his fingers — the window followed his movement naturally.
🟦 STATS:
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Vitality: 4
Mind: 7
Charisma: 2
Luck: ???
🟦 SKILLS:
– Analyze (Lv.1)
– Cold Resistance (Passive)
– Intuition (Passive)
🟦 ACTIVE QUESTS:
– "Recover who you were" [Main Story]
– "Talk to Tifa" [Side Quest]
"Tifa?" he whispered. The name stirred something in him. A memory. A girl with lively eyes and fast fists. A friend? Something more?
He stood up from the snow with difficulty. His clothes were simple: rough shirt, baggy pants, worn boots. A village child. But in his eyes… there was something else.
Determination.
The house was small and warm. Fire crackled in the hearth. A woman — his mother — touched his forehead.
"Do you have a fever? Lost in the woods again?"
Cloud shook his head, still dazed.
"I'm fine, Mom… just a bad dream."
She smiled, and something in his heart cracked.
It was her. His real mother. Alive. Still here.
[+5 Willpower. Emotional State: Nostalgia.]
He went out later that day, pushed by something he didn't yet understand. The interface flickered occasionally at the edges of his vision. "Talk to Tifa."
He found her near the wooden bridge, punching a hanging sack.
"Hey… Tifa?"
She turned, surprised. A lively girl with long brown hair and fierce eyes.
"Cloud? I thought you were still in bed."
"I feel better. Can I… train with you?"
She smiled. That smile hit him like a Mako shock to the heart.
"Only if you can keep up."
[QUEST COMPLETE: "Talk to Tifa"]
[+50 EXP | New skill unlocked: "Basic Training (Lv.1)"]
As they began punching the sack together, Cloud felt something shift. The world felt real… more real than the past he couldn't quite remember.
He had a second chance.
And this time, he wouldn't fail.