Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 28 - Claire

The air was thick with tension as Claire, then just a teenager, watched her mother pace the dimly lit room, her movements sharp, her expression grave. She could feel it—a storm brewing, something cold and merciless encroaching upon them. Her mother's face, usually so warm and calm, was hard, steeled by a resolve Claire couldn't yet understand.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she listened to her mother's words, each one feeling like a blow, twisting her stomach into knots. "They're coming, Claire. We don't have time. We can't let them use us. Not for this." Mary's voice was controlled but laced with desperation as she turned, her gaze piercing, almost pleading.

Claire's throat tightened, her mouth dry as her mother's intent became clearer, the realization crashing over her like ice water. "No... no, there has to be another way," she choked out, her voice quivering. "Mom, we can escape, we can fight back—anything but this."

Mary's eyes softened for a brief moment, a glimmer of regret there, and she reached out, gently cupping Claire's face. "If we run, they will find us. I know these people, Claire. They don't stop. They don't forget. And they will use us—me, you, your brother—to find what they seek." Her voice dropped to a whisper, a tone Claire had never heard before, raw and vulnerable. "We have to protect it. We have to protect you."

Claire felt a surge of desperation well up inside her, her hands trembling as she grabbed hold of her mother's arms, clinging to her as though sheer force alone could change her mind. "Then let's run! Hide somewhere they'll never find us. Please, Mom! You don't have to do this!" Her voice broke, the tears streaming down her cheeks as panic clawed its way into her chest.

Mary shook her head, sadness mingling with a grim determination in her gaze. "Sweetheart, there's nowhere left to run." She brushed a thumb across Claire's cheek, wiping away a tear, her own eyes beginning to glisten. "I wish things were different, that we could have had more time. But this is our duty... my duty."

As Mary moved away to take her husband's arm, Claire felt a surge of desperation, the primal instinct to protect her family overwhelming her. "No! Please!" she cried, stumbling forward, her hands reaching out as if she could pull her mother back from the edge of this nightmare. "You don't have to go! I... I'll stay and fight with you. I'll do anything, just... please don't leave me."

Her mother's face softened, and for a brief moment, Claire saw the woman she'd known all her life—the woman who'd taught her strength, kindness, resilience. Mary pressed a gentle kiss to Claire's forehead, lingering for a heartbeat. "You are stronger than you know, Claire. And one day, you'll understand. But right now... you have to be brave. Brave enough to live."

Claire's entire body felt frozen, paralyzed with grief, horror, and helplessness as she watched her mother step back, a strange calm washing over Mary as she nodded to her husband. The Hidden Blade gleamed briefly in the faint light, and then, with one swift movement, her mother's life ended in a cascade of crimson.

As Mary's lifeless body slumped to the ground, Claire felt her world shatter into a thousand pieces. Her mother—her protector, her guide—was gone, her final moments spent on a desperate, brutal act of self-sacrifice to protect them all. Claire could barely breathe, her vision swimming with shock and disbelief as she staggered backward, her hand clapped over her mouth, trying to hold herself together.

But before she could even process what had happened, a strong hand seized her shoulder, yanking her back toward the cold stone floor. She turned, her tear-filled gaze meeting the steely, determined eyes of Joseph. He wasn't her father, not even close, and she had never called him anything so personal. To her, he was simply "Joseph"—her mother's partner, a distant figure who'd entered their lives but never felt like family. And now, in this moment, his face was a mask of chilling resolve.