*Ding.*
The laboratory door slid open, but Dr. Muller didn't bother turning around. His eyes remained fixed on the monitors as he spoke calmly.
"So… have Umbrella's troops arrived yet?"
"Professor, is your research finished?"
The voice belonged to Captain Crispin Jettingham of Echo Six. He stepped further into the underground lab, weapon lowered but ready. "We need to leave immediately. This place is no longer safe. I strongly advise you to comply and head to the extraction point—now."
Jettingham's tone was firm. He had just received Sienna's report: their team had failed to hold back Umbrella's advancing forces.
Muller let out a low chuckle.
"Hmmm… don't worry about them. My research is complete." He slowly turned in his chair. "We can afford to wait for them to come to us. Oh—by the way… did you bring a camera?"
Jettingham frowned, clearly confused.
"Dr. Muller… what do you mean, wait for them?"
Muller scoffed, his expression filled with mockery, as if the soldiers around him were ignorant children who couldn't possibly understand the masterpiece he had created.
"Just follow my orders this time," Muller said coldly. "And don't ask unnecessary questions."
He turned back to the console and began typing rapidly, his fingers dancing across the keyboard. Warning lights flickered on the control panel as a system prompt appeared.
[NUTRIENT TANK — ACTIVATION SEQUENCE INITIATED]
[SUBJECT: THANATOS]
Deep within the laboratory, massive clamps disengaged with a heavy clang. The thick, murky fluid inside the nutrient tank began to drain, revealing a towering silhouette. Tubes disconnected one by one as the creature inside twitched—then moved.
A deep, unnatural heartbeat echoed through the chamber.
Jettingham's grip tightened around his weapon.
"…W—What exactly did you create down here, Professor?"
Muller's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with madness and pride.
"My greatest work," he whispered.
"A Tyrant that will make Umbrella regret ever coming after me."
Behind the reinforced glass, Thanatos stirred—slowly raising its head as the final restraints unlocked.
...
Meanwhile, Alex had already arrived in L.A. and was on her way to a massive mansion that looked like a medieval castle—said by Raviel to be their new place of residence going forward. Along the way, Alex removed the nano-mask she had been wearing all this time and glanced at her reflection in the car's mirror. She smiled faintly, clearly satisfied. Her face now looked youthful again, like a girl who had just entered her early twenties, even though her actual age was already around thirty-eight. The passage of time no longer seemed to leave any marks on her.
When she finally arrived at the mansion, she was greeted at the entrance by Justeaze and Tiamat, who were already waiting for her.
"How are you, dear? You must be tired after such a long trip," Justeaze said warmly to Alex.
"Hehe, Mom, I missed you. You too, Tia. I'm fine, really. How are you and everyone else?" Alex replied as she hugged both Justeaze and Tiamat. Even though Justeaze was not her biological mother—she was Allen's mother—Alex had long since come to see her as family. The way Justeaze and the others always welcomed her with open arms made her feel truly accepted.
"Well, we're always doing well, thankfully," Justeaze said with a gentle smile. "Come inside. The others are already waiting for you in the backyard."
"Okay. Oh, wait a moment—I brought some snacks for everyone on the way here," Alex said, then opened the trunk of her car. Inside were many different kinds of food, neatly packed in boxes.
"Let me help carry some of them," Tiamat offered. She was currently serving as a maid in the mansion, her posture calm and refined.
"Okay, thanks, Tia," Alex replied, not refusing the help at all. She knew very well that Tiamat had a rather unusual fondness for her role as a maid.
Together, they carried the boxes inside, the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. The mansion itself felt warm despite its castle-like exterior, filled with quiet luxury and a sense of safety. For Alex, this place felt less like a temporary stop and more like a true home—one where she could finally let her guard down, at least for a while.
When Alex stepped into the backyard, she immediately spotted several familiar faces. Athena, Artemis, Hestia, and Persephone were splashing around in the swimming pool, laughing as they played with water guns alongside a young girl who looked to be about twelve years old. Alex already knew who the girl was—Sherry Birkin. The Black Rose team regularly sent weekly reports about their missions, so Sherry's situation was no mystery to her.
Not far from the pool, Demeter was relaxing under the sun while chatting casually with Dr. Annette Birkin. The atmosphere felt surprisingly peaceful, almost unreal considering everything that had been happening elsewhere.
"Hey everyone, does anyone want some snacks?" Alex called out, lifting the boxes she had brought with her so they could see.
Hearing that, Sherry quickly turned around and looked at Alex with curiosity. "Sister Athena, who is she?" Sherry asked, her eyes filled with interest. Despite her question, her gaze briefly drifted toward the snack boxes.
Athena chuckled softly. "Oh, that's Alex—she's one of Allen's lovers. Come on, let's introduce you to her," she said, already moving closer. Truth be told, Athena herself was starting to feel hungry and had her eye on the snacks.
Hestia, Artemis, and Persephone followed along, walking toward Alex together.
"Hey, it's been a while. How have you been?" the goddesses greeted her warmly. They had missed her, especially since Alex hadn't visited much after leaving Raccoon City.
"I've been doing well, thanks," Alex replied with a smile, exchanging cheek kisses and hugs with each of them one by one.
"H-Hello, my name is Sherry," the girl said shyly, her voice a little hesitant.
Alex smiled gently and reached out to pat Sherry's head. "Hi, Sherry. It's nice to meet you. I'm Alex. Would you like some snacks? I also brought some ice cream," she said, offering one to her.
Sherry's eyes instantly lit up. "Yes! I want ice cream!" she exclaimed happily.
At that moment, Demeter and Annette also walked over. Demeter greeted Alex warmly, asking about her condition before pulling her into a brief hug.
"You must be Dr. Annette," Alex said afterward, turning toward her with a polite smile. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"I feel the same way," Annette replied sincerely. She already knew exactly who Alex was, and meeting her in person only confirmed the impression she had formed from what she'd heard.
For a brief moment, surrounded by laughter, snacks, and familiar faces, it almost felt like the world outside didn't exist at all.
Meanwhile, Tiamat arrived as well, accompanied by Yoko Suzuki and Monica Stevens. The two women were guided toward Alex, and after a brief moment, they introduced themselves.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you both," Alex said with a warm smile. "My name is Alex… Alex Wesker. You can just call me Alex."
Hearing the last name Wesker made Monica visibly flinch. Her body stiffened, and her face went pale for a split second.
"W–Wesker…? A–Are you Miss Wesker… from Umbrella?" Monica asked nervously, her voice trembling. She knew that name far too well—anyone who had worked even remotely close to Umbrella understood what the Wesker name represented.
Damn it… was I set up by Allen? Monica thought in panic, her mind racing.
Alex noticed the reaction immediately and chuckled softly. "Well, yes. But don't worry," she said calmly. "As long as you don't betray Allen, I have no reason to do anything to you."
In truth, Alex already knew why Monica was here—and rather than being angry, she was actually impressed. After all, Monica had managed to steal the G-Larva successfully, something even Umbrella's USS Alpha team had failed to do back in Raccoon City.
"A–Ah… y–yes, Miss Alex," Monica replied quickly, nodding repeatedly. "I'll always be loyal to Allen, I swear."
"Hahaha," Hestia laughed lightly, stepping in between them. "Alex, you're scaring her."
She gently placed a hand on Monica's shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Come on, let's grab some snacks and relax a bit."
Monica let out a quiet sigh of relief as Hestia guided her away. Yoko, who had been watching the exchange in silence, looked slightly confused. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but sensing the tension had passed, she decided not to ask any questions. Instead, she followed Hestia and Monica, choosing to enjoy the snacks and the brief moment of calm.
Alex watched them go with an amused expression before turning back to the others.
"Oh, by the way—congratulations on your pregnancies," Alex said, her gaze naturally drifting toward the visibly rounded bellies of Athena, Annette, Hestia, Artemis, and Tiamat, all of whom were clearly showing now.
"Thank you," they replied almost in unison.
Annette, however, looked a little shy. She instinctively placed a hand over her own stomach, which was only slightly swollen compared to the others. It wasn't very noticeable yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. The thought made her uneasy—especially because Sherry was smart. Too smart. If Annette admitted she was pregnant and that Sherry would soon have a little sibling, the girl would immediately piece together the truth about her relationship with Allen. Annette had no idea how she would explain that when the time came.
"Well then," Artemis said with a playful smile, "when are you going to follow us?"
Alex shook her head calmly. "At least not right now. I'm still busy with my affairs at Umbrella."
She knew the risks better than anyone. If she became pregnant now, Spencer could very well see her child as leverage—something to hunt her down for, something to use as a hostage. It wasn't a risk she was willing to take.
"Besides," Alex continued lightly, "we're going to live for a very long time. There's no need to rush things like that, right?"
Even so, there was a faint hint of envy in her eyes as she looked at the others.
The girls understood immediately. Without saying much, they stepped closer and gently embraced Alex, offering silent comfort and reassurance.
Alex couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of comfort from the way the girls surrounded her, offering warmth and reassurance without needing to say much. After spending several hours chatting, relaxing, and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, a question slowly began to form in her mind.
She looked around again, noticing the absence of a few familiar faces.
"By the way, Mom… where are Raviel, Jill, and that woman from Tricell?" Alex asked, turning to Justeaze. "Shouldn't they be at home?"
Justeaze paused for a moment, then gave Alex a gentle smile. "Hmm… about that. Let's talk inside instead," she said softly. "It's better if we discuss this somewhere private."
Alex nodded, sensing the seriousness in her tone. Demeter and Annette also stood and followed them, clearly wanting to be part of the conversation. They moved into the spacious, elegant living room and took their seats on the plush sofas.
"Well," Justeaze began calmly, "Raviel, Jill, and Excella are currently traveling… to another world."
Alex blinked, clearly confused. "Another world? What do you mean by that? I don't understand."
Seeing Alex's expression, Justeaze took her time and began explaining everything in detail. The story was long—about Raviel, about worlds beyond this one, about divine beings and places that existed far outside normal human understanding. Alex listened in silence, her expression shifting between disbelief and disbelief mixed with curiosity.
When Justeaze finally finished, Alex let out a short breath. "Mom… please tell me you're joking," she said, shaking her head. "This isn't something you should joke about. Gods from another world? Other dimensions?"
Justeaze smiled gently at her reaction. "I understand why you'd think that," she replied. "Normally, magic can't be used in this world at all. There's no prana here. But Raviel gave us special access—limited permission to use a small amount of power."
She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out an exquisitely crafted key. It shimmered faintly, as if reflecting light that didn't quite exist in the room.
"This key is a special access granted by Raviel," Justeaze continued. "It can open a path to her dimension. It can't be stolen, copied, or used by anyone without her permission."
Alex stared at the key, her confusion deepening. Before she could say anything, Justeaze lifted it and turned it in the air, as if inserting it into an invisible lock.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then, space itself seemed to react.
A doorway made of pure light formed in front of them, its edges glowing softly, rippling like water under sunlight. The air felt different—heavier, yet strangely calm.
Alex's eyes widened as she stood up abruptly.
"W–What the fuck…?" she muttered, staring at the luminous door in shock.
Magic was real.
And that meant everything Justeaze had said… was true.
"Please watch your language, young lady," said Justeaze with a smile. She wasn't angry, of course, especially seeing Alex's shocked expression at that moment.
******
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