Ezio, alongside his family, led Cortana through the winding corridors beneath the villa, the weight of their footsteps echoing ominously in the dimly lit tunnels. The tension in the air was thick, almost tangible. Behind them, Alex Mercer stalked with a predatory grace, while Raul Menendez kept his SPAS-12 trained on their backs. The Elite warrior loomed menacingly, its Plasma Rifle ready, each guttural breath adding to the oppressive silence.

As they reached the entrance to the Sanctuary, Ezio paused, his gaze sweeping over the vast, ancient chamber. The space was illuminated by flickering torches, casting long shadows over statues of legendary Assassins—Altair, Amunet, and others—standing tall in their traditional hooded attire. The room exuded reverence, a solemn tribute to those who came before.

Cortana's voice, filled with admiration, cut through the silence. "So, this is the Sanctuary. A fitting place for such a relic. The legacy of your Brotherhood... all gathered in one place."

Mercer, far less impressed, strolled casually among the statues, his eyes narrowing as he examined the figures. "Look at them, Ezio," he mocked. "All these Assassins, hiding in the shadows, thinking they're so unique. Seems like you all took a page from my book—wearing hoods to hide your faces. But unlike them, I don't need to hide who I am."

Ezio gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger. He knew he needed to play along, for now. Cortana stepped forward, her voice sharp with purpose. "Enough reminiscing. The Apple, Ezio. Where is it?"

With a solemn nod, Ezio led them to the center of the Sanctuary, where a stone pedestal stood. Adorned with intricate carvings and ancient symbols, the pedestal was designed to cradle the Apple of Eden. As Ezio approached, he hesitated, feeling the weight of the moment. Carefully, he lifted the Apple from its resting place, its significance both heavy and symbolic.

He turned back to Cortana, holding the Apple out toward her. "You have what you came for," he said firmly. "Now, release my family and leave my city alone, as you promised."

Cortana studied the Apple, her fingers tracing its surface as if savoring the power within. But when she looked back at Ezio, her expression was cold and calculating. "Oh, Ezio," she said softly, almost mockingly. "You really believed we would just leave? That we would simply walk away after all this? You should know better."

She raised her hand, and in an instant, a rift opened in the center of the Sanctuary, crackling with energy. The portal tore at the fabric of reality itself, its swirling vortex filling the chamber with an ominous hum. Ezio's family gasped in fear, instinctively backing away from the rift.

"Take them to the portal," Cortana commanded coldly.

Menendez shoved Ezio's family forward, the barrel of his shotgun urging them toward the rift. The Elite stepped closer, its Plasma Rifle still trained on Ezio, forcing him aside. Alex Mercer, not one to miss an opportunity for cruelty, grabbed Claudia by the arm, dragging her toward the rift. He leaned in close to her, his voice a low, menacing whisper. "Don't bother screaming. No one's going to hear you on the other side."

Claudia's eyes widened in terror, her voice catching in her throat. Maria's desperate pleas filled the air as the rift loomed closer.

"Ezio, no! Don't let them take us!" Maria cried, her voice trembling with fear.

Claudia sobbed, her voice barely a whisper. "Please, Ezio, don't let this happen!"

Ezio's heart shattered at the sight of his family being torn away. He took a step forward, desperation and anger seeping into his voice. "What are you doing, Cortana? This wasn't the deal! You have what you wanted!"

Menendez quickly raised his shotgun, aiming directly at Ezio's chest. "One more step, Assassin, and you'll join them in pieces," he threatened, his voice dripping with malice.

Ezio froze, helpless as his family was pulled toward the rift. Cortana watched the scene unfold with a cold satisfaction. "You should have known, Ezio," she said softly. "Once we got what we wanted, your fate was sealed. Now, lead them through the portal. There's much more for them to see... on the other side."

Claudia's voice trembled with fear as she called out to her brother. "Ezio!"

"No!" Ezio shouted, his voice filled with anguish.

As his family disappeared into the rift, Ezio's world collapsed around him. The pain of betrayal and loss tore through him, but he knew he had to survive. The fight wasn't over—not yet.

Cortana, now holding the Apple of Eden, turned to Ezio with a look of triumph. The Apple reflected in her holographic form, giving her an ethereal presence. "Look at you, Ezio," she taunted. "The great Assassin, reduced to nothing more than a helpless bystander. Did you really think you could protect your precious city and your family? You're outnumbered, outmatched... and now, you've lost everything."

Ezio's mind raced, assessing his options. Menendez stood with his shotgun ready, the Elite loomed with its Plasma Rifle, and Alex Mercer, a force far beyond human, watched him with predatory intent. Ezio knew he was at a severe disadvantage, but he refused to yield. His hand slipped into his belt, fingers brushing against a smoke bomb.

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"You may have the Apple," Ezio said coldly, "but you'll never have me."

In one swift motion, Ezio threw the smoke bomb to the ground. It exploded with a loud crack, filling the Sanctuary with thick, choking smoke. The group stumbled back, momentarily blinded and disoriented.

Within the smoke, Alex Mercer's voice echoed menacingly. "You can hide, but you can't run," he taunted, his arm transforming into a blade, ready to hunt Ezio down.

Cortana senses the danger immediately. Acting quickly, she raises her hand and opens a rift to the city they've just taken over—a chaotic, war-torn place filled with Menendez's soldiers and Mercer's creatures. Her voice cuts through the tension, sharp and almost desperate.

"You five! Get in here!" Cortana (Rogue) yells into the rift.

Through the swirling portal, heavily armed soldiers loyal to Menendez pour into the Sanctuary. Their eyes dart around, weapons drawn, scanning the smoke-filled room for any sign of Ezio.

"Find him!" Menendez shouts through a coughing fit. "Don't let him escape!"

But Ezio is already in motion, his instincts as an Assassin fully engaged. Using the smoke as cover, he glides silently through the chaos. His eyes lock onto the first soldier, who squints into the haze, gun raised. In a flash, Ezio grabs the man from behind, covering his mouth and driving his hidden blade deep into the soldier's throat. The man crumples soundlessly to the floor, vanishing into the smoke before his comrades notice.

Ezio's gaze shifts. He spots two more soldiers cautiously advancing, unaware of the predator above them. Scaling a nearby wall, Ezio silently positions himself. As the soldiers pass beneath him, he drops, his blades flashing as he eliminates both with precision. Their bodies hit the ground without a sound, swallowed by the smoke.

Another soldier senses movement and turns, but he's too slow. Ezio disarms him with a fluid motion, driving his blade into the man's chest before pulling him into the shadows. The last soldier barely has time to react before Ezio's throwing knife pierces his throat, sending him crashing lifeless to the floor.

The smoke begins to clear, revealing the scene of silent carnage. All of Menendez's reinforcements lie defeated, and Ezio's eyes lock onto Cortana. This is his moment. He moves swiftly, his hidden blade gleaming in the dim light as he closes the distance.

Just as he's about to strike, Cortana's senses sharpen. Realizing the imminent danger, she reacts instantly. Raising her hand, she opens another rift in front of her, and before Ezio can land the killing blow, he is pulled through, vanishing from the Sanctuary.

The smoke dissipates fully, and Menendez looks around wildly, frustration and confusion on his face. "Where did he go?!" he yells.

Cortana lowers her hand as the rift closes, a cold satisfaction replacing her earlier desperation. "He left me no choice," she says, her voice tinged with regret. "I sent him away... to the world I created. The same place where I sent his family. He'll have to face whatever lies ahead... alone."

Menendez clenches his fists in frustration but knows they still hold the Apple. For now, that's all that matters.

Stepping out of the shadows, Alex Mercer chuckles, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Impressive," he says, amused. "That disappearing act of his... gotta admit, he's got style."

Cortana glances at Mercer briefly before her gaze falls on the Apple of Eden in her hands. The artifact gleams under the dim light, and her expression hardens as she contemplates the power it holds.

"With this Apple," Cortana begins, her voice filled with cold ambition, "I can control realities, bend entire worlds to my will. The multiverse is nothing but a playground, and now I hold the key to unlocking its true potential. I can rewrite history, reshape existence itself... And nothing, not even those who stand against me, will stop what I have planned."

She tightens her grip on the Apple, focusing her energy, ready to unleash its power. But as she does, nothing happens. The Apple remains cold and unresponsive in her hands.

Menendez frowns, impatience creeping into his voice. "Is it working?"

A flicker of confusion crosses Cortana's face as she examines the Apple. Her confidence wavers. "Why isn't it working?" she mutters to herself.

Mercer leans in, his mocking grin widening. "Maybe you need to shake it, like one of those 8-balls. Ask it nicely, 'Will I conquer the multiverse?'"

"Quiet, Mercer!" Cortana snaps, her irritation clear. She tries again, focusing harder, but still, the Apple remains inert.

One of the Elites standing nearby observes the situation with a critical eye. "It appears the relic is a fake," he growls in his guttural voice.

The realization hits Cortana hard, and her eyes flash with rage. In an instant, she materializes an energy sword in her hand and slashes the Elite through his armor. The Elite collapses to the ground, lifeless, as Cortana drops the fake Apple in disgust.

"A fake... He fooled us," Cortana seethes. "All this time, we were chasing a replica."

Mercer raises an eyebrow, his smirk still in place as he steps closer. "So what now? We go back to that world you created and hunt him down? Could be fun."

Cortana shakes her head, her frustration palpable but her voice calm and calculated. "No. It would be a waste of time. By now, he's probably dead, trapped in a world with no way out. We'll find another Apple in a different universe. One failure won't stop me."

She glares at the fallen Elite, her voice filled with venom. "But if I ever see another Ezio, I won't hesitate to kill him. He won't fool me twice."

Menendez and Mercer exchange glances, understanding that their focus must now shift to the next phase of their plan. With Cortana leading the way, they exit the Sanctuary, their sights set on new targets across the multiverse.

In a starkly different universe—a desolate wasteland, barren and windswept—Ezio Auditore emerges from a rift, landing in a crouch. His assassin's instincts still sharp, he draws his sword, surveying the strange, lifeless terrain. The contrast to his familiar home is disorienting, and Ezio's grip tightens on his blade.

"Where am I?" Ezio mutters to himself, his voice echoing in the emptiness. "This place is unlike any I have known."

His thoughts quickly turn to his family. Concern floods his expression as he realizes that they may have been sent here as well.

"Could they have brought my family here too?" he asks aloud, his voice filled with determination. "Madre... Claudia... I must find them."

Sheathing his sword, Ezio calls out into the vast emptiness, his voice cutting through the silence. "Hello! Is there anyone here?"

But the only response is the hollow echo of his own voice, carried back to him by the barren winds. Alone in this desolate world, Ezio sets off into the unknown, his steps filled with purpose as he navigates the strange landscape, determined to find answers—and his family—no matter the cost.