Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 3 - Claire

Day 3

As Claire's senses adjusted to the Animus environment, she found herself enveloped in a vast, ethereal space—the Black Room. It stretched endlessly around her, like a dreamscape painted in muted blues and grays, cast in a ghostly, ambient glow. Towering stone pillars jutted up at odd angles, their edges softened by an unnatural haze, as if they'd been placed there by forces that cared little for earthly geometry. The landscape was sparse, with jagged rocks and patches of grass breaking through a smooth, reflective ground that seemed to shimmer as though caught between reality and something else entirely.

The emptiness felt both calming and unsettling, the quiet almost oppressive. Everything around her had a hollow echo, as if the place itself was alive but holding its breath, waiting. In the distance, faint shadows flickered at the edge of her vision, memories trying to form but dissipating before they could solidify. These were fragments of Desmond's life, lives within lives, all struggling to stay distinct in the vastness of the Black Room.

Just a few yards ahead, Claire caught sight of Desmond. He was standing alone, his silhouette sharply defined against the pale glow emanating from a massive gate in front of him. The gateway loomed like an ancient monolith, its surface rippling with soft light, casting Desmond's form in a stark, almost spectral contrast. He looked fragile, his figure flickering in and out, as if he were merely an echo of himself. As he took a step forward, heading toward the glowing portal, he hesitated for the briefest moment—then disappeared through the light.

Left alone in the silence, Claire's heart pounded, her pulse echoing in her ears. She was here, in the Animus with Desmond, but separated by a world of shifting memories and hazy barriers. She was aware of the void stretching infinitely around her, a blank canvas that could come alive with any number of memories, histories, and emotions if she wasn't careful.

"Hello, Claire."

The familiar voice pulled her back to the present, and she spun around, heart pounding. Standing a few feet away was Clay—Subject 16. His figure seemed solid enough, but there was a faint, ethereal quality to him, a soft edge that hinted he was less substantial than he seemed. He wore a faint smirk, his arms crossed as he watched her with a wry, knowing expression. Behind him, the pillars rose in silent, watchful rows, stretching toward an unseen sky.

"Clay," she breathed, a mix of relief and trepidation flooding her chest. She hadn't expected to see him here, not after everything. "I... I didn't think I'd actually see you here."

He shrugged, the smirk softening into something almost gentle. "You always were full of surprises, Claire. But I didn't think you'd come here, not like this."

She shifted, glancing back toward the gate where Desmond had vanished, her voice quiet. "He's... he's in trouble, Clay. I can't just sit by and let him go through this alone." Her voice softened, a touch of guilt slipping through. "I couldn't save you. But maybe... maybe I can do something now."

Clay's smirk faded, replaced by a quiet understanding. He studied her, his gaze intense in a way that felt both comforting and unsettling in the vastness of the Black Room. "You still carry that guilt, huh?" He shook his head slowly, the ghostly surroundings seeming to blur with his movement. "You couldn't save me, Claire. Don't let that eat you alive. This place... it does things to people. But Desmond? He's stronger than you think."

Claire swallowed, her gaze dropping for a moment before lifting to meet his again. The empty expanse around them seemed to stretch even further, and for a moment, she felt as if they were the only two souls in existence. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean I'm walking away."

He nodded, his expression softening. "I knew you'd say that. Stubborn as always." He paused, glancing back toward the path Desmond had taken, a sadness flickering in his eyes. "He's got a long way to go in here, sorting through all those memories. He's facing things he's not ready for. That's part of why I'm here—guiding him, trying to keep him on track. But seeing you here... that'll mean something to him. You just have to be careful. This place is made to pull memories apart, to make people lose themselves."