Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 25 - Claire

September 8th, 2012, 6:00 pm

It had been a long time since Claire had last stepped into an Animus. The machine felt both familiar and foreign, stirring memories she'd buried deep—the sterile hum, the disorienting blend of past and present, the sharp, mechanical scent that brought her back to Abstergo's cold labs. She'd forced herself to remain steady as the session began, breathing through the initial wave of anxiety. But as the memories took hold, as she was drawn back through centuries into Amelia's life, the familiar pull of the Bleeding Effect wrapped around her senses, blurring the line between herself and her ancestor.

Now, as she emerged from the Animus, Claire's mind spun, struggling to reorient to the dim, cool light of the underground safe house. The echoes of Amelia's world clung to her thoughts like lingering shadows, and she pressed a hand to her side, grimacing as a ghostly pain flared—a phantom echo of Amelia's wounds. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she focused on grounding herself in the present, reminding herself that she was Claire, not Amelia.

Desmond's voice broke through the haze, pulling her back into reality. He sounded tired, strained, but there was an undercurrent of genuine concern in his tone that made her chest tighten.

"Everything alright?" he asked, his voice soft, as if he were afraid to shatter the fragile balance she was clinging to.

Claire glanced over at him, managing a weak smile, though the fatigue and lingering emotions made it difficult to fully mask her discomfort. "Better than alright," Lucy chimed in, though the clinical efficiency of her words barely registered through the haze of Claire's thoughts.

"Amazing's quite a strong word," Shaun muttered, his sarcasm cutting through the room like a sharp edge.

Claire let out a breathy chuckle, but her amusement quickly gave way to something darker. As the Animus session had drawn to a close, she'd found herself haunted by Amelia's last moments with Ezio—the tenderness in their unspoken bond, the way their connection had deepened with every shared trial. It made her painfully aware of the distance she wanted to keep from Desmond, and the barriers she had put up to protect herself. She stole a glance at him, noting the lines of exhaustion under his eyes, the way he rubbed the back of his neck—a habit she'd seen in Ezio more than once.

Desmond's expression tightened. "Then why are we stopping?"

Rebecca, always the voice of caution, replied, "Prolonged exposure to the Animus can have... side effects."

Claire shifted uneasily in her seat, memories of Subject Sixteen flashing through her mind—cryptic drawings smeared across the walls, the haunted look in his eyes. The idea that she might follow a similar path sent a chill down her spine. She pressed a hand against her side, half-expecting to find blood beneath her fingertips. Amelia's pain had been so real, too real.

Desmond's attempt at humor did little to lift the heavy mood. "Ha, awesome."

Lucy leaned forward, her expression softening. "It's nothing to worry about. You haven't shown any of the symptoms."

Claire tried to keep her breathing steady, but the edges of reality still felt frayed, as if Amelia's voice might break through at any moment. The memory of Amelia's determination to protect Ezio, her fierce loyalty, lingered, making Claire's own vulnerability feel more pronounced. She wanted to reach out, to find some kind of anchor in the chaos, but the fear of being hurt, of losing someone else, kept her hands firmly at her sides.

"What symptoms?" Desmond asked, his brow furrowed, clearly sensing the tension in the air.

Rebecca, ever the pragmatist, listed off the side effects with a casual tone that belied the seriousness of her words. "Degradation of cognition, temporal hallucinations, multiple-awareness issues, overlapping realities... you know."