Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 2 - Claire

September 16th 2012, 5:30 am

Claire stepped carefully through the villa, her gaze fixed on Amelia's spectral figure as her ancestor moved with a purpose only she seemed to understand. She could feel Desmond's eyes on her, sensing his curiosity and worry as he watched her navigate the space with an intensity that spoke of something more than just the villa's crumbling ruins.

"What are you seeing?" Desmond asked quietly, his voice threaded with a hint of concern.

Claire didn't look back, her focus pinned to Amelia, who stood by a bent section of fencing that jutted out over the cliffside. "Amelia's showing me something," she murmured, barely aware of the words leaving her mouth. She moved closer, her footsteps echoing against the stone, and as she approached, Amelia turned toward her, an unspoken invitation in her eyes.

Without hesitation, Amelia leaped off the edge, her form disappearing into the shadows below. Claire's breath caught as she watched her ancestor perform the leap of faith, plunging gracefully into a haystack hidden just beyond the broken fence.

Desmond's hand found her shoulder, grounding her for a moment. "Claire?"

"She... jumped," Claire managed, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a step closer to the edge, glancing over to see the broken fencing and the haystack below, hidden by the shadows and overgrown brush. It was a daring leap, one that defied every instinct to hold back.

Claire glanced back at Desmond, a spark of determination flaring in her eyes. "We need to go this way."

She positioned herself on the edge of the drop, every nerve in her body alive with anticipation as Amelia's silent guidance echoed in her mind.

"You're just going to jump?" Desmond asked.

"We've done it lot's of times." She said, her voice kind of shaking. That had been in Amelia's memories. She knew that it would come like muscle memory but the thought still scared her.

Desmond's eyes widened slightly, and though he tried to keep his expression neutral, Claire could see the flicker of unease in his gaze. "In her memories, yeah," he said, his voice low. "But this isn't the Animus."

Claire's fingers tightened briefly around the edge of the broken fence as she steadied herself, glancing down at the haystack below. She could practically feel Amelia's presence urging her forward, the ghostly whisper of her ancestor's bravery coaxing her to take the leap. Logic warred with instinct; in Amelia's memories, this leap was second nature, a part of her training, her courage. But standing on the edge herself, with the cold wind tugging at her coat, Claire could feel the grip of hesitation tighten around her heart.

She let out a shaky breath, glancing at Desmond. "It'll come back to me. It has to. You can follow once I've cleared the way."

Before he could protest further, Claire closed her eyes, letting the muscle memory from Amelia's memories settle into her body like a familiar rhythm. She bent her knees, feeling the tension coil in her legs, and with one final inhale, she pushed off the ledge, the ground dropping out beneath her.

The wind whipped around her, pulling at her coat as she fell, the sensation both exhilarating and terrifying. She forced her body to rotate and within seconds she landed on her back in the hay. She laid there for a moment to catch her breath, the bruise on her back aching terribly with the impact.

"Claire?" Desmond called when she didn't stand right away.

As she stood up, Claire looked up, meeting Desmond's wide-eyed gaze from the top of the ledge. She flashed a shaky grin, more to steady herself than to reassure him. "See? Just like in the Animus."