Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Book 2

Claire Lynch never asked for this life. She never wanted to be thrust into a centuries-old war between the Assassins and the Templars, or to relive the memories of a long-dead ancestor through a machine that blurs the lines between past and present. But the world rarely offers choices to those who stand in the crossfire of fate, and Claire has always known how to survive.

Her journey began with pain—loss that shaped her, betrayal that scarred her, and captivity that almost broke her. As a child, she had been stripped of everything she knew, dragged into the cold, clinical hands of Abstergo Industries. They made her relive lives that were not her own, searching through her bloodline for secrets hidden in the shadows of history. For years, Claire endured their experiments, fought against their control, and resisted the pull of the Animus. But one day, she found herself living through the memories of a woman who changed everything—Amelia Tessaro, a fierce Assassin in Renaissance Italy, whose path intertwined with that of Ezio Auditore.

Through Amelia's eyes, Claire saw a world of courage and violence, of love and loss. She felt the thrill of leaping from rooftops, the pain of old wounds, the heartbeat of a hidden city that thrived in the shadows. She learned to fight like an Assassin, to move through the world unseen, to wield a blade as an extension of her own breath. And through it all, she felt Amelia's love for Ezio—a love that grew despite the darkness surrounding them, a connection that defied time itself.

Yet, with every memory Claire relived, the lines between herself and Amelia blurred. She couldn't tell where Amelia's emotions ended and her own began. Did she care for Desmond Miles, the man she shared those moments with in the Animus, because she was drawn to him? Or was she simply following the echoes of a love born centuries ago, one that lingered in the blood they shared?

As the modern-day Templars closed in, Claire fought to keep her mind, her heart, and her freedom intact. But even with Desmond and the Assassins by her side, the shadows of her past and the ghosts of Amelia's memories lingered. Desmond's presence stirred something in her—feelings she couldn't decipher, desires she couldn't quite claim as her own. And yet, there was a comfort in knowing that he, too, understood what it meant to be haunted by a past that was not truly his.

Now, with the world on the brink of chaos, Claire faces a choice. She can cling to the past, letting the memories of Amelia guide her, or she can carve her own path forward, one that doesn't rely on the weight of history pressing down on her shoulders. But every decision comes with a price, and Claire knows that to change the course of history, she will have to confront her own fears, her own pain—and the lingering question of who she truly is, when the past no longer has a hold on her.

Because the truth is, she isn't just Amelia, and she isn't just Claire. She is something more—a woman shaped by two lives, two battles, and two hearts that have learned to endure, even when the world would rather see them shattered.

In the end, she will find her own way through the darkness. She will face the Templars, face the memories that bind her, and face the growing spark between herself and Desmond. But whether that path leads to victory or ruin, only time will tell.

AMELIA TESSARO

CLAIRE LYNCH

WELCOME TO THE BROTHERHOOD