Unconditional (Sephiroth x OC)

Chapter 18 - Beneath The Surface

Two weeks had passed since PR had approved and published the articles.

Director Lazard had become a fulltime hermit, spending most of his time in his office and only keeping contact with his team via e-mail. Sometimes Mona would stand in front of his office door, first mid-air but never knocking.

A lot of thoughts had been plaguing her mind and the lack of communication from her boss prepared her for the worst outcome. Had she been too confident in her idea? Had she overestimated herself by accepting this job? What if her style of writing did not resonate with young boys?

Mona stared absent-mindedly at her laptop screen.

She had decided to work from home today because the Soldiers were out of town for a mission and Lazard ... well, it was clear that he would not provide distraction either.

With nobody to talk to, she decided to do something she had not done in a while – write her thoughts in her notebook.

She rummaged through her drawers, huffing in annoyance as she emptied out the contents. Soon, a mess of papers, pens and work supplies were scattered on her desk, reflecting her chaotic thoughts. She examined it thoroughly and sighed. "Where did I put it?"

Her search operation was disrupted by the ringing of her cellphone. Mona's lip twitched as she recognized the special ringtone, a sound that sent a jolt of anticipation through her.

"Hi!"

"Have you turned on the news yet?" She heard Sephiroth's familiar voice ask, drawing her attention away from the previous struggle.

"The news?" She asked back, confused. "Wait, aren't you in Kalm right now?"

"Turn it on. Now."

"Which ... which channel?" She put the phone on speaker and shoved the mess on her desk aside, opening a new tab of her laptop. "Shinra News? Okay."

The website finally loaded and let her listen to the live-stream. A woman with a tight bun and dark-red blazer was reading out the news. The little screen on the top right corner showed a large group of widely-smiling boys who held up messily filled-out forms into the camera.

"... have been a major success as the current number of applications sets a new record in Soldier's history."

Mona gasped loudly, heart racing. "That's ... no way." She barely registered Sephiroth's faint chuckle on the other line.

"We have asked Soldier's director Lazard Deusericus about his feelings on welcoming new recruits after a long time."

The screen now showed Director Lazard, looking sleek as ever, as if he had not practically lived in his office for the last two weeks.

"I am absolutely thrilled about these positive developments, especially after the hardships my team and I had to face in the last months." He paused, looking into the camera with a confident gaze. "With the new recruits forming the basis, our goal now is to prove to those who doubted us that Soldier is vital and irreplacable!"

Mona felt tears brimming in her eyes. "He looks so happy! Director ..."

„The Shinra Electric Power Company congratulates Mr. Deusericus and his team! Stay tuned for more updates after a short commercial break."

She wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her oversized sweater, pressing the phone back to her ear again.

"Don't cry." Sephiroth's smooth voice soothed her. "This is a happy occasion."

"That's exactly why I am crying." She chuckled, wiping away a new stream of tears. "I feel so relieved, so ... I cannot describe it."

"Take your time."

"For so long, I have felt like a shadow, as if I everything I did was fruitless." She paused. "Now for the first time, I feel like I have actually achieved something meaningful, something that could change people's lives. It has always been ... my dream."

"I understand." He said earnestly. "In soldier terms, we would call this accomplishing a Type C mission."

„Hmm?"

"Beneficial to the greater good."

"Should that not be type A?" Mona chuckled, gazing out of the window, her heart lightening "I mean ... thank you. I hope it will be."

A voice calling Sephiroth's name echoed in the background. "I have to go now. I will see you on Thursday for the celebration."

"Right. Take ... take care." She bit her lip, feeling reluctance and anticipation at the same time.

"You too."

As the line went quiet, she couldn't help but smile, watching the cloud of anxiety that had been looming above her finally disappear.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit confines of his laboratory, Professor Hojo adjusted his glasses as he flipped through the mint-green notebook in his hands. He paced back and forth, letting out an occasional scoff that cut through the sound of machines humming and chemicals bubbling in test tubes.

"How childish." He mumbled to himself, carelessly flipping to the next page. "Senseless drivel that could rival diary the entries of a third grader. To think that my fine specimen would be swayed by this."

His steps halted for a second as he considered his own words. "Then again, if arranged differently ..."

A cunning smile spread accorss his face as his thoughts darkened. He took a seat at his work desk, fishing out a marker from a neatly organized drawer. Highlighting passages here and there, he mumbled to himself. "This, and this ... - oh! This is perfect!"

After a while, he put the marker aside and admired his work. "Voilá! This is how garbage becomes gold in the hands of a genius!"

A sinister laugh echoed through the laboratory, marking the beginning of a storm.