Cloud slowly raised his head to stare over at Sephiroth, forcing himself to gain some measure of composure again. He met Sephiroth’s gaze squarely again, pushing off the wall to stand, clenching a fist at his side before even that faded down to a much more neutral position.

He shook his head a little, pushing out the questions before they even had time to settle in his mind. His eyes flicked to the wall beside him as he forced his mind to remain focused. He could not be swayed and pushed around by Sephiroth; people were relying on him to be strong and face the adversity.

“You do not care how I feel,” he stated and looked back at Sephiroth. “What I felt when I saw you was that I knew, looking at how your guard was down, how easy it would be to finish you off again… for a third time.” He pushed a hand through his hair and glanced to the window. “And even if I felt something else, it does not matter.”