“I Remember Both” — Tifa’s Perspective

[Verse I — Memory] [(quiet piano)] I remember fire on the mountain Ash falling through the sky A blade reflected in the flames And the moment childhood died People tell me time moves forward That the past should fade away But scars don’t follow reason They remember every day Your name still lives in silence In places words won’t go Some wounds don’t close completely No matter how we grow [Pre-Chorus] [(strings rise gently)] So when you walk through Reunion And everyone holds their breath… I’m the one who already knows What you’re capable of. [Chorus — Truth] [(music opens, emotional but controlled)] Sephiroth… I remember both The monster and the man The one who took everything from us And the one who tries to stand I don’t know which is real yet Or if they’re somehow the same But I see you choosing differently And that matters… all the same [Verse II — Watching] [(steady rhythm)] You never ask forgiveness You never beg or explain Just carry something heavy Like you expect the pain I watch the way you speak to her Your voice careful and low Like you’re afraid one wrong movement Will make the whole world go And I hate that part of me notices The things you try to hide Because understanding someone Feels too close to taking sides [Pre-Chorus II] [(soft but firm)] Cloud still fights your shadow Even when you walk away And somehow I’m standing between you Trying to keep both safe [Chorus — Conflict] [(stronger instrumentation)] Sephiroth… I remember both The fear and what was lost But strength isn’t pretending That forgiveness has no cost You don’t get a clean beginning You don’t outrun the past But maybe being human means Learning how to last [Bridge — The Scar] [(music drops, intimate)] Sometimes my hand still finds the scar Before I even think Proof that some moments never leave No matter how we heal the brink And still… I let you stay here. That’s the part I don’t explain. [Bridge II — Choice] [(warm strings enter)] Because protecting people Isn’t only stopping harm — Sometimes it’s watching carefully While someone learns to disarm [Final Chorus — Acceptance Without Forgiveness] [(full emotional rise)] Sephiroth… I won’t forget Nibelheim And I won’t pretend you’re free But I see the way you fight yourself More fiercely than any enemy If redemption is a road Then walk it day by day — I’ll stand here guarding tomorrow While remembering yesterday [Outro] [(piano alone)] I don’t trust you. …Not yet. But I believe people can change. And that’s why you’re still here.