The air of anticipation buzzed through Leonardo's workshop as he paced back and forth, a tangle of nervous energy. His fingers tapped rhythmically against a rolled-up blueprint, his brow furrowed in thought. Amelia leaned against a cluttered workbench nearby, her arms crossed as she kept a close eye on the strange contraption that dominated the center of the room. It looked like something out of a dream—a skeletal frame of wood and stretched fabric, crafted with Leonardo's signature attention to detail. Despite its elegant structure, the idea of it soaring through the skies seemed more like a dreamer's fantasy than a grounded reality.

Ezio stood beside Leonardo, his stance brimming with determination and a barely contained excitement. Amelia knew that look well. It was the same one he wore before every reckless leap of faith, every daring stunt that left her simultaneously impressed and exasperated. As always, she felt a twinge of concern gnawing at her. He had a way of throwing himself into danger without hesitation, but this time, it felt even riskier. Her gaze lingered on the glider, then shifted back to Ezio's confident expression, and she let out a small sigh.

"I need your help, Leonardo," Ezio said, his voice taking on a serious edge. He gestured towards the peculiar contraption with a sweeping motion. "Does it work?"

Leonardo, caught off guard, blinked in surprise. "What? What are you asking?" He looked between Ezio and Amelia, as if searching for an answer in their faces.

Ezio's impatience showed in the set of his shoulders as he repeated, slower this time, "Does—it—work, Leonardo? Can it really fly?"

Leonardo ran a hand through his disheveled hair, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I don't know... It's only a prototype. An idea. It's not ready yet." His uncertainty lingered in the air, clashing with the weight of the task ahead of them.

Amelia pushed off from the workbench, stepping closer. She cocked an eyebrow at Leonardo, her expression somewhere between teasing and serious. "You've got to have some idea if it'll get him off the ground, Leonardo. You don't just build a giant bat without some kind of plan." Despite the playful tone, her concern was evident. The thought of Ezio leaping into the unknown made her stomach tighten with unease.

Leonardo shook his head, his expression torn between pride in his creation and genuine worry. "No! It's too dangerous. To test it, you'd have to leap off a tower! Who would be mad enough to do a thing like that?"

Ezio turned to face him fully, a familiar, almost reckless gleam in his eye. "Leonardo... I think you just found your madman."

Amelia groaned softly, rolling her eyes. "Of course, you'd volunteer for this! Do you ever think about your own safety, Ezio?" She tried to keep her voice light, but the anxiety she felt was hard to mask. It seemed like every time they turned around, he was throwing himself into another perilous situation.

Ezio shot her a crooked grin, the kind that made her heart skip a beat despite herself. "You know me, Amelia. Why start now?"

She shook her head, biting back a smile. There was no point in trying to change him—Ezio would always be the one to dive headfirst into danger, and she'd always be the one watching with bated breath, hoping he'd make it through unscathed. "Just try not to die, idiota," she muttered, her tone softened by the worry she couldn't quite hide.

Soon, they found themselves atop a tall building overlooking Venice, the sun casting a warm glow over the city's canals. The wind tugged at their clothes, and the salty scent of the sea filled the air. Leonardo adjusted the glider's wings one last time, his hands trembling with both excitement and nerves. Amelia kept her distance, standing with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She watched Ezio with a mix of pride and dread as he prepared for what came next. The thought of him plummeting from such a height made her chest tighten, and she forced herself to keep her breathing steady.

"So, how does she work?" Ezio asked, keeping his voice light despite the seriousness of the situation.

Leonardo glanced up at him, his expression caught between hope and fear. "Have you ever watched a bird in flight? It's not about being lighter than air... It's about grace and balance! You must use your body's own weight to control your elevation and direction." He paused, taking a deep breath as he met Ezio's gaze. "Good luck, Ezio."

Amelia bit her lip as Ezio stepped to the edge, gripping the glider's handles with white-knuckled determination. Their eyes met, and for a moment, she saw the same unspoken plea reflected in his expression—a promise to be careful, to come back to her in one piece. She managed a faint smile, nodding in encouragement, though her heart felt like it was lodged in her throat.

Ezio nodded back, and without another word, he launched himself from the ledge, the glider catching the wind beneath its wings. For a few seconds, it was breathtaking—he soared over the rooftops, gliding like one of the birds Leonardo admired so much. Amelia couldn't help but feel a rush of awe, her breath catching at the sight of him flying over the city.

But then, things went wrong. The glider shuddered, dipping and swaying as Ezio struggled to maintain control. Panic flashed across his features, and the contraption lurched dangerously to one side.

"Leonardo, he's—!" Amelia's voice broke as she leaned forward, hands clenching the railing in front of her. She could hardly breathe as she watched the glider veer off course, her mind racing with the worst possibilities.

Leonardo gasped beside her, his own hands clutching the edge. "He's losing altitude!"

The glider tilted sharply, crashing onto a rooftop below. Amelia's heart plummeted with it, but she forced herself to keep watching, desperate for any sign that he was all right. When she saw Ezio moving amidst the wreckage, she let out a shaky breath and cast an exasperated look toward Leonardo, who raised his hands defensively, his expression sheepish.

Ezio returned to the workshop not long after, brushing soot and dust from his clothing, his expression a blend of frustration and bemusement. Amelia, who had been pacing the edge of the room, took in his disheveled appearance with a smirk—bruised, scuffed, but very much alive.

"Are you alright?" she called out, her tone half-teasing, half-genuine concern.

He looked up toward them, raising a hand in a sheepish wave. "I'm all right!" he called, his voice carrying up to them. "Just... maybe a little bruised."

Amelia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, a relieved smile breaking through her worry. "You lunatic," she muttered under her breath, though the warmth in her eyes belied the harshness of her words. "I swear, you'll be the death of me one day."

Leonardo, though still pale with worry, managed a small, unsteady laugh. "That's Ezio for you... Always pushing the limits of what's possible." He tried to hide the anxiety that still lingered in his features, but his relief was palpable.

Amelia shook her head, but she couldn't help the admiration that flickered in her chest. He had this way of leaping into the impossible and somehow, always managing to land on his feet—no matter how dangerous the fall. It was maddening, but it was also part of what made him who he was.

As Ezio made his way back up to them, she crossed her arms again, feigning a stern expression. "Next time you decide to leap off a building with nothing but a pair of wings, you're taking me with you. I'd like to see what all the fuss is about."

Ezio grinned at her, brushing a few errant feathers from his tunic. "You've got yourself a deal, Amelia. But for now, I think we've all had enough excitement for one day."

Leonardo, oblivious to Ezio's irritation, rushed forward, his excitement bubbling over. "I can't believe it! It worked! It really worked! You flew, Ezio! You flew!"

Ezio sighed, rubbing at a sore spot on his shoulder. "Sì... but not very far." His voice was dry, and Amelia couldn't resist a quiet chuckle. It was rare to see Ezio truly out of his depth, but she couldn't deny it was amusing.

Leonardo, however, was undeterred. "Well, what were you expecting? The machine wasn't designed for distance." He turned back to his workbench, rifling through scattered papers. "Alright, look, let me go over my plans here. Maybe I can find some way to extend the duration of the flight."

Amelia arched an eyebrow, leaning closer to Ezio as he joined her by the side of the room. "Flying not quite as easy as it looks, is it, Ezio?" she teased, keeping her tone light.

Ezio shot her a sidelong glance, though there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "I'd like to see you give it a try, bella mia," he countered, the endearment slipping out almost casually. The familiarity of it sent a warmth through her, and she brushed it off with a smirk, a twinge of something unspoken lingering between them.

Before she could reply, Antonio burst into the room, urgency in his stride. "Ezio! My men tell me Carlo has the poison. We must hurry."

Ezio straightened, the playful moment slipping away as seriousness returned to his expression. He gestured toward Leonardo with a tilt of his head. "Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor... who built this... this..." He dropped his voice to a near whisper, his annoyance clear as he muttered, "pezzo di merda!"

Amelia couldn't hold back a snort, covering her mouth to hide her grin. The two men were always at odds, but she knew Ezio respected Leonardo deeply—even if he wouldn't admit it right now.

Leonardo spun around, his expression hurt. "Hey! It's not the machine's fault... It's mine." He gestured to the blueprints scattered across his workbench, frustration clear in his voice. "I've checked and rechecked my designs. It's just impossible! I don't know how to extend the flight... Ah, che idea del cazzo!" He cursed, exasperation spilling over as he grabbed a handful of his notes and threw them into the fireplace.

As the papers ignited, a charred sheet fluttered up from the flames, catching an updraft of heat. Leonardo's eyes widened in sudden realization, and he leapt back to the workbench with renewed energy. "EUREKA! Of course! Genio!"

Antonio, looking from Leonardo to Ezio with a bemused expression, shook his head. "What is he doing now?"

Amelia stepped closer to the fire, her curiosity piqued as she watched Leonardo scribbling furiously. "Looks like inspiration has struck," she remarked, glancing at Ezio. "Let's hope it's not another plan that involves jumping off rooftops."

Leonardo spun around, his expression alight with enthusiasm. "Heat rises. It needs fire! Heated air under its wings will lift the machine... That's how we'll do it!"

Ezio crossed his arms, still skeptical. "Leonardo... What good is one fire going to do?"

Leonardo waved his hands, gesturing broadly around the room. "Not one fire, Ezio. A dozen! Built all across the city! Enough to carry you from here all the way to the Palazzo Ducale."

Antonio, catching on, nodded thoughtfully. "How...? Oh, capisco! My men could do that... But you're forgetting about the guards."

Amelia interjected, her gaze shifting between Antonio and Ezio. "And that's where we come in, right? Clear out the guards, make way for the fires."

Ezio nodded, determination settling back into his features. "Don't worry. I will take care of them." He turned to Amelia, a hint of concern slipping through his usual confidence. "Think you're up for a few more skirmishes, amica mia?"

Amelia gave him a reassuring smile, the weight of their mission pressing heavily on her, but she nodded firmly. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Ezio."

Antonio clapped a hand on Ezio's shoulder, a wry smile playing on his lips. "I'll give the order to have my men move in behind you, and hold the locations. They'll light them all up the second the sun goes down over San Marco…"

Amelia felt a jolt of anticipation run through her. They were one step closer to stopping the Templars' plot, and she could feel the tension in the air thickening. As they set off to clear the path, she exchanged a look with Ezio—a silent promise that they'd see this through together.