AN: This is my take and outlet on the AC world, we'll see where it goes. Eventually Ezio/OC.
Italics: Italian
The blazing midday sun beat down on my skin, its warmth enveloping me like a comforting embrace. I had chosen to wear a bright orange spaghetti strap romper, which flowed like a dress to my mid-thigh, accentuating my sun-kissed skin. My brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun, a direct result of the oppressive humidity that seemed to cling to everything. To shield my eyes from the bright sun, I wore iridescent heart-shaped sunglasses, which added a playful touch to my outfit. And on my feet, I had my trusty black high tops, which were comfortable. As I rummaged through my small burgundy backpack, my heart sank a little when I realized how little money we had left for the day. But then I remembered that there was more money waiting for us back at the hotel. So, with a small smile on my face, I shrugged off my momentary worry and continued on with my day.
As we strolled through the charming streets of Florence, Italy, I slipped my arm through my boyfriend's. Adam and I, Brielle, had embarked on a grand tour of Europe, hoping to rekindle the flame of our four-year-long relationship that had grown stale and fraught with constant bickering. But we were not going to dwell on that now, not on this glorious day that was unfolding before us. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the city was bursting with life and history. From Paris to Florence and beyond, we had been hopping from one city to the next, soaking in the sights and sounds of each new place. It was a refreshing change from our mundane routine back home, and I felt a sense of renewed hope that we could make things work between us.
Or so I thought, as we approached another grand Palazzo, Adam's stomach growled loudly, and he turned to me with a pout. "I'm starving. Let's find a place to eat," he said.
I looked around, admiring the beauty of the Palazzo. "Let's go see this first, and then we can grab a bite to eat," I suggested. He didn't go for it.
I shook my head. "We don't have much cash left, and the hotel has a great buffet. Maybe we can grab a snack and head back there?"
Adam's face clouded over, and I knew I had hit a nerve. "You should have planned better and brought more money," he snapped.
I sighed, feeling my frustration bubble up. "Why is it always my responsibility to do these things?" I muttered under my breath.
Adam scowled and crossed his arms. "I'm not the only one who's been spending money," he said, accusingly.
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I had splurged on a few too many souvenirs. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'll find a place to eat, okay?" I conceded. We'll just have to find a cheap place and come back here another time. " You know what there's a street vendor around the corner, just wait on the bench and I'll be right back." I wasn't quite ready to leave this area and I'd make it work for the both of us. Luckily he listened this time.
I took a deep breath and continued walking, my thoughts drifting to the beautiful architecture and history of Florence. Suddenly, a whistling gust of wind blew past me, causing a large sign, Palazzo Auditore, to swing above my head. As I stopped to watch it, my attention was drawn to a small alleyway. The sign had piqued my curiosity, and now I couldn't resist exploring.
As I walked down the alleyway, I noticed that one of the bricks on the wall was glowing with a strange golden light. I took off my sunglasses and rubbed my eyes, wondering if it was just a trick of the light. But the glow persisted, beckoning me closer.
I glanced back over my shoulder to see Adam sitting on a nearby bench, engrossed in his phone. I contemplated getting him, I shrugged and continued on, my curiosity getting the better of me. Food could wait.
The closer I got the brighter it got. I couldn't resist touching it. And to my amazement, I gasped as it opened into a secret passage. No way. This isn't actually happening right now. But it was and I went in. The further I walked down the passage, I couldn't believe what was happening. My heart raced with excitement as I stepped inside, eager to explore this mysterious place.
The air was cool and damp, and I shivered as a gust of wind blew past my bare arms. I descended down a staircase, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The darkness seemed to go on forever, and I couldn't help but wonder where this passage led. At least it's not as creepy as the Catacombs in Paris. I took out my phone for a flashlight to see better but quickly turned it off as gold started glowing again, around the walls, as I entered a circular cellar-type room.
The ancient symbols adorned the walls, glowing a brilliant gold. The room was filled with statues of robed men and women, their faces serene and unchanging.
A sense of awe washed over me as I stood there, taking in the strange surroundings. I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there, but my curiosity got the best of me. I had to share this discovery with Adam.
As I turned to leave, a sudden stronger gust of wind caught me off guard, knocking me to the ground with a thud. Pain shot through my palms and knees as I struggled to maintain my balance amidst the wild and frenzied winds. It was howling in my ears, and my hair whipped out of its bun and around my face, blinding me momentarily as I crawled towards the nearest wall, using it as a shield against the tumultuous gusts.
But as my fingers brushed against the shining symbols etched into the stone, an excruciating pain coursed through my body like an electric shock, bringing me to my knees once again, crying out. I felt as though the very marrow in my bones was on fire.
Gasping for air, I scrambled to my feet, desperate to escape the strange and unsettling place. Just as I was about to succumb to my rising panic, the winds suddenly calmed, and the pain faded away as quickly as it had come.
Stunned and bewildered, I could only stare in disbelief at the glowing symbols on the wall also. What the actual fuck had just happened to me?
I stood up fully, brushing the dust off my clothes, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. I looked at my hands, trying to make sense of what just happened. The symbols on the wall were still glowing faintly as if mocking me for my curiosity. I took a step back, feeling like I had just crossed some sort of invisible boundary. My mind was racing with questions, but I couldn't find any answers. Was this some sort of prank? A hallucination, maybe?
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. That pain was too real to be a figment of my imagination. And what about the wind? It was as if something powerful had just passed through here. Something that didn't belong in our world.
I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself. I needed to find Adam and get out of here. This was way beyond my understanding. As I turned to leave, I noticed something strange. The symbols on the wall were now pulsating as if responding to my presence. Yep, time to leave. I lied, this is creepier than the catacombs.
I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding in my chest. The stairs seemed to go on forever, but finally, I saw the faint light of the entrance. I burst out of the secret passage, panting and sweating.
Much to my dismay once I emerged I noticed the setting sun on the horizon. Panic began to set in as I realized that Adam would be furious with me for being gone so long. What would I even say to him? As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed that everything seemed slightly off, different somehow. The buildings looked newer and less run down than I remembered. And where was Adam? The bench where he was supposed to be sitting was nowhere to be found. Did he leave? Even the familiar asphalt road and Palazzo Auditore sign were gone but the building was there. What the actual fuck was going on here? The more I looked around, the more confused and scared I became. My eyes fell upon the people around me, dressed in old Renaissance clothing. I suddenly felt extremely out of place in my bright orange, somewhat revealing romper, and quickly retreated into the shadows.
Alright, breathe Brielle. Don't panic. You've got this. I dug into my bag and retrieved my phone, quickly turning it on only to be met with no service. Of course. I tried to rationalize the situation, thinking that maybe there was some sort of Renaissance fair happening tonight, but that seemed too improbable. I needed to find Adam and figure out what the hell was going on.
As I scanned my surroundings, my attention was drawn to a man rushing out of the Palazzo and into the alleyway I had just come from. I watched intently as the man approached the same wall I had touched, but no secret passage revealed itself to him. Just as I was about to turn away, I realized I had been staring for too long as the man, who appeared to be in his forties, caught me watching. Shit. My heart pounding, I panicked and took off running.
I ran as fast as I could through the winding streets of Florence, my heart pounding in my chest. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I had to keep moving. My foot caught on a cobblestone and I stumbled, nearly colliding with a group of people carrying baskets of fruit.
As I turned a corner, I saw a group of men in dark robes ahead of me. They turned and spotted me, they looked like thugs. Not what I need right now. My heart spiked as I turned and ran in the opposite direction, but they were gaining on me quickly.
I sprinted through the bustling market square. I weaved through the throngs of people, knocking over more baskets of fruit this time and crates of pottery as I went.
"Sorry!" I called out over my shoulder. My breaths were coming in short gasps, and my legs burned with exertion. But I couldn't slow down now. The thugs had disappeared but I caught sight of the original man and he was still on my tail.
I could hear their footsteps pounding on the pavement behind me, and I knew I had to lose them. Desperately searching for a place to hide, I darted into the nearest building, which turned out to be a tavern.
It wasn't very busy, but I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. At least the man chasing me was nowhere in sight. The people in the bar, mostly men, were staring at me as if I had two heads. I felt so awkward and out of place. All I wanted was to find a restroom or somewhere to hide.
"Inglese?" I asked the barkeep, who was the only woman there. A busty middle-aged woman with dark black hair. She nodded.
"Um, do you have a restroom or somewhere I can change?" I asked, hoping she would understand me. The woman nodded with pity and led me to a makeshift bedroom at the back of the bar.
"Thank you so much!" I said in relief as she closed the door behind me. I was on the verge of tears, but I had to keep it together.
Sighing for what felt like the thousandth time today, I dug into my bag for my hoodie, something was telling me I should cover up and it was beginning to cool down.
"What the..." I said to myself, looking down at my right forearm. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the strange symbols from the secret room tattooed into my skin. Tattooed! I quickly checked the rest of my body and found more on my upper left arm. I couldn't believe it. How had they gotten there? And what did they mean?
"WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted out loud, unable to contain my panic, this day kept getting weirder and weirder.
I quickly grabbed my plain black pullover hoodie and slipped it on. Definitely covering this up. I wished I had packed my pants, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
Perhaps I could make my way to the American Embassy, I thought to myself, hoping it was a safe haven. But how would I get there? As I re-entered the bar, I noticed that it was now empty, which seemed odd.
Suddenly, a voice growled at me in Italian, "Who are you?", causing me to flinch and press myself against the wall as a blade was pointed at my neck. My heart raced with fear as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. This must be a bad dream, right?
"Inglese?" I said, hoping he could speak English.
"Who are you?" he repeated in English, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Brielle?" My voice trembled, too afraid to ask who he was.
"And why were you sneaking around my home, Brielle," he demanded, tightening his grip on the sword.
Sneaking? My confusion was evident as I stuttered, "I wasn't in your home. I was...I was just touring Italy. I was checking out a historical palazzo!" I could feel my voice getting higher with panic but the man's intimidating glare made it difficult to stay calm. If looks could kill...
He didn't seem convinced. He remained silent, and I didn't know what to do, so I just kept talking, not realizing it was his tactic.
"Look, okay! I have no idea what's going on! I went through a secret tunnel, got knocked on my ass by the wind, and somehow wound up... I don't even know how it's possible, but it looks like the 1400s! And on top of that, I got freaking tattooed! Somehow!" I was beyond comprehending and bordering on hysterical.
The man unsheathed his sword and rolled up my sweater sleeves, not gently but not unkindly. He gasped when he saw the symbols tattooed on my skin. "It cannot be," he muttered.
"How did you acquire these?" he asked, looking at me in disbelief.
"I don't know," I said, exasperated.
Sensing my distress, his demeanor changed, less deadly and more pitying. "Put this on and come with me," he said, passing me his cloak.
I obliged slowly. One moment, he was going to kill me, and the next, he wanted to help. Did I mention that this day keeps getting better and better?
"Wait, what is your name?" I asked before we left.
"Giovanni Auditore," he replied. The name from the sign.