"Listen, we all have a past we're not proud of. Before Andy, I wasn't looking to settle down; being Ezio's right-hand man didn't leave much room for that. My work was everything. Before he met you, too, we used to go out a lot, and women flocked to us, so there was no real reason to stay serious, especially when there was no real connection. But the moment I locked eyes with Andy that night at Ezio's apartment after the opera shooting, something changed. I felt this electric shiver run down my spine. My heart raced, and my breath came in short gasps. I can't describe it any better, but it was as if everything else faded away—there was only her. After that, she haunted my thoughts, and the other women seemed dull in comparison. She was the one I wanted, and no one else. So yes, I messed around before Andy, but that's because none of them were the right one. The moment she entered my life, it was only her, and it will always be only her. I know she's the love of my life, and every day, my fear of losing her grows. So everything I do is to ensure her safety, because if I lose her, my world will lose its meaning."

I feel my heart warm with relief as I realize he truly cares for her and would do anything to protect her.

"And that's also why I support you, May. I admire you for getting back on your feet after the tragedy you've endured, for having this fierce will to live and fight. Not many people can reach that point; I know I wouldn't have been able to. You're genuinely strong, and I'm proud to be your right hand because I know you'll go far. Do you remember the day we all met at the restaurant, the four of us ? You and Andy went to the restroom, and Ezio and I started talking. We were confiding in each other about our enemies and greatest fears. The question of who we feared the most came up. Ezio cleared his throat and, with a nervous but sincere smile, said:

'Of all our enemies, Andrea, none come close to my wife. Her strength, her rage, and her perseverance make her incredibly formidable if she can control them. I pray I never have to face her because if she's trained, I wouldn't stand a chance against her. I married a lioness, not a cute little kitten, but a fearsome beast thirsty for blood. So of all the people I could fear, May is by far the one I dread the most.'

I stare at the ground as tears stream down my cheeks. The memory of that evening, which I didn't know would be my last happy one, cuts deep into the wounds of my heart. Despite the grief and emptiness seeping in, his words bring me comfort. They're like a lifeline pulling me out of my suffering.

I feel grateful to Ezio for always believing in me, and also to Andrea for repeating his words.

Moved, I step closer to him and embrace him with all the warmth I can muster.

"Thank you so much for everything."

I feel him tense up, but after a few seconds, he awkwardly returns my embrace. I end his discomfort and dry my tears, then, with a smile on my face, I ask:

"Shall we train ?"

He nods and heads towards his car. Puzzled, I ask where he's going.

"To get the gear. Come help me; there's a lot of it."

I follow him in a few quick strides. He hands me a couple of heavy sports bags, and I head back to the hangar. After two trips, we've retrieved all the equipment. Breathless, with my hands on my knees, I stammer:

"What did you pack in here ? It weighs a ton."

"Everything we need to turn you into a war machine."

"Then what are we waiting for ?" I grin, baring all my teeth.

"Patience. Before the practice, there's theory."

"Oh no, seriously ? If I wanted theory, I would've gone back to school," I reply, dismayed.

"To become formidable, you need to go through this. It's not just about bang bang all the time. You have to understand what you're doing, manage your emotions—basically, you need to be mentally trained before you're physically trained. The two go hand in hand, or you'll never reach your full potential."

Annoyed, I sigh and cross my arms, waiting for what comes next.

"Come on, follow me."

He leads me to a small door inside the hangar that I hadn't noticed before. We enter a small room with a table and a few chairs.

"Oh great, it really is like going back to school."

"Stop complaining and accept it. You don't have a choice. Either you complain the whole time, or you spare us your whining, and we can finally get to the serious stuff."

I sigh and raise my eyebrows, hating the fact that he's right. I sit down on a chair and glare at him, arms crossed.

"Thank you, May, for your cooperation," he says with an amused smile.

I give him an exaggerated smile, still annoyed and frustrated that I can't just go bang bang as he put it.

"Now, give me a couple of minutes. I need to set something up."

He leaves and returns with one of the bags, which he drops heavily on the table, which I suspect is close to collapsing. He pulls out a small projector and a laptop.

"You really think there's electricity in this dump ?" I ask calmly, skeptically, glancing around.

He takes the projector's power cord and plugs it into a socket by the door. While looking at me, he presses the button to start the projector, which turns on immediately.

"I checked everything before choosing this place," he declares with a satisfied smile.

I stay silent, beaten at my own game. I let him finish setting up, curious to see what comes next and to understand where he's going with this. After a few minutes, everything is ready, and before projecting anything, he begins his lesson.

Before he can start speaking, I raise my hand, a smile on my face.

"Sir, I forgot my notebook and pencil case at home. Is that a problem ?"

He sighs, both annoyed and amused.

"No, you don't need notes, but please focus, or I'll stop everything, and you're on your own."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop."

"Good. First and foremost, you need to learn to feel nothing in order to survive. You must detach yourself from your emotions, from your feelings—in short, from what makes you human. We saw it a few days ago: just hearing Ezio's voice destroyed you. You became so vulnerable that you would've been at the mercy of anyone if enemies were around. I also know that just hearing his name makes you falter. This will be the hardest thing to work on and will require a lot of effort and time. That's why we must start working on it right away and not stop until you've built an impenetrable shell. You may never feel nothing when Ezio is mentioned—that's normal—but you must train fiercely to wear a mask and convince your adversary that he's not your weakness and that they can't use him to hurt you."

I tense up, realizing that what comes next will be far from pleasant and will be very painful.

"To conquer your demons, May, you have to face them. As you might guess, this will be extremely unpleasant for you; you might even hate me for it, but this step is non-negotiable. If we don't do this groundwork now, your enemies will have the upper hand over you in seconds. You need to be immune to pain, emotions, and weakness. You need to have control and keep it. What comes next will be painful, but it's for your own good, whether you believe it or not. Brace yourself, here we go."

He starts the projector, and Ezio's image appears on the wall in front of me. The scene of the shooting floods back into my mind—the gunshots, the snow, the blood, his gaze. The pain makes me grip the edge of the table so tightly that my knuckles turn white. Despite my obvious struggle with myself, he continues to show more pictures, which I can no longer see through my tears. Gritting my teeth, I turn away and beg Andrea to stop, crying out.

He complies, then approaches me and kneels so his face is level with mine. He takes my hand and, in a calm and reassuring tone, says:

"You need to see Ezio from every angle so that no image can hurt you or reveal your weakness. You need to see the worst to be able to detach yourself from your emotions. We can't leave anything to chance, especially not letting anyone glimpse your vulnerability. You need to know who Ezio was, who he was with you, and who he is now. A simple ignorance can become a weapon used against you. You must become familiar with his memory, learn to coexist peacefully with it. His name should not strike you down, a picture of him should not knock you over, and the sound of his laugh should not destroy you. You need to make peace with his ghost—he is your shadow, and you must live in harmony with him because even in darkness, he doesn't leave you. Confront him so he becomes your strength, not your weakness. Let your love for him guide you, and accept that you will have to face him every day from now on. The more you resist, the harder it will be; let go. Cry if you need to, vomit, scream, hit, externalize everything you can because only this way will you find inner peace when Ezio's memory is brought up. It doesn't mean you'll have erased every feeling for him, only that you'll have accepted living hand in hand with his ghost and not with him anymore."

My body convulses with sobs. In the midst of despair and inner chaos, I ask Andrea to stop for today and resume tomorrow. My legs can no longer support me, my strength seems to have evaporated, and I collapse under my own weight. He comes to my aid and carries me to his car.

"We'll come back tomorrow. I know it's hard, but you can't give up. I'll drive us to our apartment—you'll spend the evening with us. For now, get some rest."

With those words, drained of all emotion and exhausted, I fall asleep, the last image in my mind being Ezio's smiling face on the wall of the hangar.