Knowing now what he had in mind and not caring now whether he had the agreement of his superiors or not, Chris Redfield had wasted no more time. He and his squad, still in their trusty black van, had now been driving for a day and a night on American roads, until they finally reached a remote corner somewhere in Maine and not far from a small coastal town. After leaving the main road and driving for long minutes on a dirt track, the van finally arrived in front of an old gate and a fence forming the limits of an isolated property at the edge of a small forest.

Chris got out of the van from the back and lit a cigarette and took a first puff. But suddenly, the echo of a pistol shot sounded nearby, surprising the whole squad except Chris who remained impassive.

_"But... what the fuck? Where did this shot come from?" Umber Eyes asked.

_"It's nothing, don't worry." Chris told his teammates. "She's probably training. Decidely, she'll never change."

The other squad members shared puzzled looks but trusted their leader and his judgment as other similar sounds of gunfire rang through the air and seemed to come from behind the house. Cigarette in mouth, Chris walked without hesitation through the creaky old metal gate and past the mailbox, and found himself in front of a modest country house. He walked around the building towards the field behind it, and when he got there, he couldn't rebuke a smirk from forming on his lips as he looked up at someone.

About a hundred yards away, a woman, with semi-long brown hair, dressed in a blue tank top, brown military pants and black boots, was concentrating on firing a pistol. She fired with great precision, each shot hitting wooden targets placed in rows at a great distance and whose shapes represented zombies. Without any difficulty, the woman hit all the targets at head level, demonstrating a dexterity worthy of an elite soldier.

_"Nice shot." Redfield then announced with a smile.

The woman heard him, pausing her shooting practice and looked over her shoulder, first showing a firm, hard look but then softening and smiling at Chris.

_"If the zombies were able to think, they would have capitulated a long time ago." she answered with a certain sarcasm.

_"Good to see you again, Jill. It's been a long time." Chris said then.

Jill Valentine. The last time Chris had seen her was in Africa in 2009, after destroying Albert Wesker once and for all during the Uroboros case. Having been infected by a virus because of Wesker to manipulate her, Jill had to be taken care of by the BSAA in order to remain under observation and in quarantine, while tests were carried out to verify that there were no sequelae left from the various viruses that Wesker had been able to experiment on her. Only one permanent side effect remained in Jill's organism, however: her metabolism was slowed down, so she would age more slowly than an ordinary human, and unfortunately, no treatment could change it. Having had to get used to this idea and after very long months in quarantine, Jill was allowed to go out, and was eager to be able to return to service. But at least now she had been able to regain her natural hair color and no longer wear that pale blonde when she had become the bio-weapon manipulated by Wesker.

Putting her pistol on a small wooden table, Jill walked over to Chris and the two former STARS members and longtime friends hugged tightly.

_"I missed you, Chris. But I know you..." Jill then said without judgment. "If you came all the way here it's not just to talk about the good old days, is it?"

Chris laughed softly, recognizing the Jill he knew, true to herself and not mincing her words.

_"I imagine you've heard of what's going on in the world right now with this organization, the Connections?" Chris asked as Jill went back to get her gun to load new bullets and continue practicing.

_"Of course, all the media talk about it." replied Jill. "Why? Any news?"

_"Yes, and unfortunately they are far from reassuring." Chris confessed, joining her near the makeshift shooting range. "Some time ago, me and my team made a discovery. The Connections aren't just about terrorist attacks on capital cities around the world. They're after something... New bio-weapons they're calling the " Lords" or something like that.

Jill looked at Chris in bewilderment, curious what it could be as Chris' face grew darker and thoughtful.

_"Something is afoot, Jill. The black market in bio-weapons continues to grow abnormally. It's a real arms race, the world is on the brink of explosion and the BSAA is completely overwhelmed."

_"I understand, Chris, believe me..." Jill answered, sorry for him. "But you know I can't do anything. The BSAA has confined me here until further notice."

_"They can go in hell." Chris said bluntly, which surprised Jill a little at first. "Listen Jill...You and I have fought tirelessly to ensure that a tragedy like Raccoon City never happens again...Too many lives have already been lost unnecessarily, and we need to put an end to this, once and for all... But I couldn't do it alone. I need all the help I can get... I need you."

Jill listened to him and could see and guess, in the expression of his eyes and the tone of his voice, that he was more than sincere. Chris was a strong man, both physically and mentally, he who had dedicated his entire life to fighting bio weapons and the organizations that created them... But this time, he showed that he felt overwhelmed by the situation which was slowly poisoning the world. Jill had also never forgotten her debt to Chris for saving her from Wesker and she would be eternally grateful to him. She had no right to turn her back on him and let the world burn. It was her duty.

_"You're not alone, Chris. You never will." she said, coming to lay her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Their eyes met and the same proud smiles appeared on their lips. Chris gave Jill a thankful look, then took from his coat pocket the STARS badge he had treasured for all these years, and handed it to Jill, who was both surprised but also touched to see this badge she had once worn with great pride.

_"Ready to resume service, partner?" Chris asked with a smirk.

Jill looked at him with the spark of determination flashing in her eye, smiling, then let out the sound of her pistol loading.

_"I thought you'd never ask." replied Jill Valentine with a proud and determined smile.

************

In these dark and uncertain times, any moment was good to take in order to cling to a minimum of hope. Needing to be alone for a moment, which Mathias understood and respected very well, Alcina Dimitrescu crossed the small stone bridge and went to the family chapel connected to the castle. There, in a heavy atmosphere, the Countess silently lit a candle which she carefully held in her gloved hands and walked through the middle of the rows of empty pews to the back of the chapel where were the tomb of her ancestor and founder of the Dimitrescu family, Cesare.

In order to respect the eternal rest of her ancestor, Alcina remained silent for a minute, standing in front of this weathered stone vault. Behind the tomb, the stained glass let in the grayish glow of the rather dull weather outside, the sun struggling to pass its rays through the mass of gray clouds that covered the sky of the region. Once the traditional minute of silence was over, Alcina bent down and came to put the candle at the foot of the tomb.

_"Lord Cesare, great and powerful founder of the Dimitrescu line..." said Alcina in a prayer. "Please protect my daughters Bela and Cassandra, and bring them back to me safe and sound. As for Daniela, may her soul forever rest by your side in the pantheon of our ancestors."

As she prayed and spoke, Alcina felt her throat tighten. A mixture of sadness and frustration stirred inside her. Anger, she felt for herself, unable to refrain from holding herself responsible for having been unable to protect her daughters from danger. Losing Daniela had already been a wound that would never heal, but knowing that Bela and Cassandra were somewhere, perhaps already dead, only added to the feeling of helplessness the Countess struggled to hide, her pride forbidding her to look weak. Even if Mathias, may he be blessed, was there to support her, Alcina had never felt so vulnerable and knew very well that this mysterious organization, the Connections, was not done with them. This simple thought made her feel desire for revenge. It was a mental war, and it wouldn't be said that Lady Dimitrescu let herself be defeated so easily, not without fighting to the last of her strength.

After her prayer, Alcina saw a U-turn and started walking along the central aisle, but noticed that Mathias had just arrived at the entrance of the chapel and was slowly pushing the door aside.

_"Excuse me, I wanted to see how you felt. If you want, I can come back later." said the young man.

_"No, no, I was done. So stay... please." replied Alcina, holding him gently by the arm and letting guess in the tone of her voice that she needed a presence with her.

Mathias knew his wife by heart, he guessed it right away and naturally stayed with her, also suffering from seeing her like this. The couple sit side by side on one of the benches in the chapel and Mathias takes Alcina's hand.

_"For so many years, I was in control." Alcina then said, looking pensive and sad. "This castle, my daughters, this new life, I controlled everything, I anticipated everything... But now, the more the days pass and the more I have the feeling that everything escapes me, without my being able to do anything about it, and that is unbearable to me."

To support her, Mathias placed a small kiss on her gloved hand.

_"We all have our moments of weakness." he said without judgment.

_"I am not weak." Alcina growled in frustration.

_"I know, my love. That's not what I meant." added Mathias while remaining calm.

_"Forgive me..." sighed Alcina, sincerely sorry to be so angry with him, then came gently to hug him. "But...I miss them so much. I can't help but be scared for them."

_"I know." said Mathias while hugging her. "But your love for Bela, Cassandra and Daniela is far from being a weakness. On the contrary, it is one of your greatest strengths."

Alcina wiped away a budding tear from the corner of one of her eyes and smiled at Mathias, then leaned over to place a tender kiss on his lips.

_"You will always find the words to support me, my love." she said. "And I can assure you that the culprits of these crimes will suffer the wrath of the Dimitrescu family."

Mathias, looking his wife straight in the eye with the same spark of determination, took her hands in his.

_"Not just Dimitrescus, Alcina." Mathias answered her with support. "They will also suffer the judgment of the last of the Derunes. Our two houses are united. You and me, forever."

Alcina smiled tenderly, touched by the unwavering support that Mathias continued and would continue to show her. Their enemies may have managed to reach them in their house and win a victory over them by kidnapping members of their family, but they would never be able to break the bond that united the couple and that allowed them to hold their ground in the face of adversity.

_"We will need reinforcements, however." Mathias said. "I doubt the lycans are enough for our army and who knows what kind of other abominations this organization may have created."

_"I never thought I would say that one day, but that idiot Heisenberg would be very useful to us in this fight. Only he can control his army of mechanical soldiers." confessed Alcina in agreement with Mathias's words. "Who can know where he is now?"

_"Hmm, if I may..."

This familiar male voice caught the attention of the couple, who were surprised to see the Duke's friend, this strange Merchant from Spain, standing on the threshold of the chapel doors, his face still hidden under his hood and his scarf, and his huge bag on his back carrying all his merchandise. How the hell had he come here without them hearing him coming? This unexpected arrival angered Alcina Dimitrescu who glared at the merchant and got up from the bench, accompanied by Mathias.

_"How dare you desecrate the Dimitrescu chapel with your presence without having been invited? Are you so keen on dying?" said the Countess fiercely.

Even if he tried to temper his wife's anger, Mathias also recognized that this merchant had some nerve to have taken them by surprise in an intimate moment between them.

_"Far this idea be it from me, madam." said the merchant politely. "However, I could not prevent my ears from hearing your conversation about this Heisenberg."

_"Why? Do you know where he is now?" asked Mathias, puzzled.

_"No, but I can absolutely use my contact networks to locate his trace." the Merchant suggested mischievously.

Alcina and Mathias shared a hesitant look, for knowing full well that these merchants never did anything for free, they were getting to know them well. Alcina, still with that distrustful and cold air towards the merchant, took a step forward.

_"And what will be the price of such a service? Be very careful with the choice of your next words." she warned, letting her knuckles crack.

Mathias was still standing next to her but crossed his arms, making it clear that he would not try to stop Alcina if she decided to carry out a bloody execution. However, the Merchant remained perfectly serene despite Lady Dimitrescu's undisguised threat,and showing a mischievous and satisfied look, opened his great coat.

_"Oh don't worry about that, my lady." he said. "I already got what I wanted."

With these words, he showed something that unfortunately brought back bad memories for the couple. In his hands, the merchant held a golden mask in the shape of a bird's head. They easily guessed who this artifact belonged to... Miranda's mask.

_"Where did you find that?" Mathias asked, glaring at the mask.

_"Can't tell. Professional secrecy, I'm afraid, my lord." replied the merchant humbly. "But I bought a good price on it and the Duke seemed pleased to give it to me."

Of course, thought Mathias, looking up. What more could he expect from a merchant, moreover, a friend of the Duke? Their secretive behavior sometimes annoyed him, but they were very helpful, that was the main thing. Alcina did not hide her repudiation towards Miranda's mask and did not even want to deign to put her gaze on it, turning away.

_"Get that filthy thing off my property, now." she ordered in a commanding and contemptuous voice.

_"With pleasure, my lady." replied the Merchant with a respectful bow as he stepped back. "And don't worry about Lord Heisenberg. We'll find him very soon. Have a good day, my lords."

The strange merchant from Spain left the place as quickly as he had come, like a ghost, leaving the couple of lords to their concerns, the latter continuing to support each other in order to continue this fight which was theirs and which they were counting on win.

*************

Meanwhile, somewhere in the world, the mysterious leader of Connections, still dressed in that same hooded jacket that kept his face perpetually shadowed, had retreated to the lower levels of the complex, having entered into a secure room that only he had permission to access, except for the organization's most senior and loyal scientists. The room was modest in size, shrouded in semi-darkness, and completely devoid of any furniture except for one thing.

In the center of the room, lit by a white neon on the ceiling, was a huge gray metal container, held firmly to the ground by shackles and being connected to a multitude of pipes and tubes which seemed to permanently inject inside the chamber of different liquids, one being black and resembling moldy mud, and the other being thick and red like blood.

The hooded man kept a profound silence as he approached the large metal box, gazing up and down at it almost as if in a kind of morbid adoration, then came to snuggle up against it, touching and stroking the cold metal with his hands. Letting hear his deep and unhealthy breathing, the head of the Connections could not contain a small crazy laugh while he seemed to enjoy being able to touch this container so precious to him.

_"Soon, my dear..." he said with terrifying fanatical conviction. "Be a little more patience... Very soon, they will all be able to contemplate your magnificence. Yes... You will show them the true way, and all will bow down before you... Before the one and only god."

On a precise place of the large metal box, a plate decorated with an inscription in black, just above the head of the chief of Connections, could be read with only one word, almost like a name: SERAPH.