Suddenly, I feel Andy's delicate hands gently press on mine, urging me to lower my weapon.

"May, what are you doing ?!" she asks, her voice measured but panicked.

"I can't take it anymore, Andy. I don't deserve to be alive when these three people died for me. Paola followed me into a revenge she had nothing to do with, and it cost her her life. Nonna died because she wanted to protect me, and Ezio is probably dead because of our marriage, whether it was his fans or his enemies," I say, breaking into tears, the gun still pressed against my temple.

"None of this is your fault. Their fate was guided by their own choices, not yours. If they died, it was because they believed in you. They knew you were capable of great things. Killing yourself now would only make their deaths meaningless. They trusted you to avenge them, knowing that despite their deaths, you would be strong enough to accomplish what you need to. Don't abandon them—bring them with you to victory. Do you feel indebted to them? Guilty for their deaths? Then redeem yourself by keeping them alive through you, by defeating those who truly killed them. Soothe their memories and honor them with your vengeance. This is hard, but you have the strength to do it, and do you know why? Because in dying, Paola, Nonna, and Ezio added their strength to yours, making it even more unshakable. If you survived, it's for a reason, and it's certainly not to put a bullet in your head and die like a worthless fool in the dirt. Your death will be far more epic and many years from now. The bell hasn't tolled for you yet. Stand up and fight for those who believe in you, and for yourself as well. Transform into that phoenix Ezio saw in you, make him live, and make him feared by all !"

Andy's words intensify my tears, and slowly, I lower the gun, feeling pathetic and miserable. She takes it from my hand and passes it to Andrea before wrapping me in her arms. She waits a few minutes until I calm down, then whispers in my ear:

"Now you're going to silence your emotions, bury them so deep that people will wonder if you're nothing more than a cold stone. You won't let anything reach you because you know that only you can destroy yourself. Only you hold that power—no one else. From this moment on, they can no longer harm you. You are your own match; others may try to set you ablaze, but unless you decide to ignite, they will never reach you. I know you have the strength to resist. With Andrea's training, you'll find the tools to build your armor and become invincible. Don't underestimate yourself, May."

I pull away from her, my eyes shining with a rekindled spark, revived by her comfort. She smiles back at me, pleased to have brought me back to life. She places her hands on either side of my body and gently turns me to face the mannequins. Standing behind me, she places one hand on my shoulder and opens the other in front of me, offering the gun.

"You can't hurt them anymore—they're already dead. The only harm you're doing is to yourself by letting these memories dominate you. They're just memories; they must not become a weapon against your own head. Keep control. Breathe, focus, don't even give them a chance to reach you, and then shoot. Imagine them taking form in front of you, like human figures trying to seize you. Render them powerless before they can succeed. If they remain outside your mind, they can no longer control your body. Silence them once and for all."

I take the gun from her palm, feeling the cold left behind on my shoulder by Andy's hand. I inhale and focus.

I feel all the memories related to Paola flood in. I shape, in my mind, a figure that matches Paola's mannequin, as if it were a shadow standing before it. Formed from all our memories, the shadow leaves my mind calm and focused. My enemy is no longer the mannequin but this shadow. I inhale, exhale, and shoot the mannequin without difficulty. Along its path, the bullet shatters the silhouette of memories like a mirror, leaving behind a sense of peace.

Relieved, I do the same with Nonna, recalling Andy's words:

"You can't hurt them anymore—they're already dead."

I reshape this silhouette of memories, though with a knot in my stomach and eyes blurred by tears. The exercise is far from easy, but I refocus, close my eyes as I inhale, then open them again, holding my breath.

The shadow stands before Nonna's mannequin. I disregard who this mannequin represents and fire, once again shattering my real enemy. When I find myself standing in front of Nonna's mannequin with no shadow and a bullet lodged in its head, my heart tightens, and I suddenly feel breathless.

I close my eyes to escape the vision of Nonna with a bullet in her head and recall our happy moments. Like a gentle embrace, they soothe me immediately. Smiling through my tears, I reopen my eyes, heavy with sorrow.

I'm so sorry, Nonna.

I fill my lungs with air, then exhale softly before fixing my gaze on my last target.

Facing me, Ezio's ocean-blue eyes pierce through me. Whether they are real or printed on paper, their intensity still makes me falter and intimidates me. My heart races, and my cheeks flush as my mind replays scenes from our first meeting and our reunions. I feel the warmth of his smile and shiver at the sound of his voice and laughter that still resonate in my heart. Our happy moments resurface, and despite my efforts, I can't let them slip away. I cling to them, unwilling to let them fade, leaving me with emptiness. After reliving our life together for a while, a thought suddenly sweeps through my imaginary world.

It's just an illusion—leave it all behind, aim, shoot, and destroy this deception before it destroys you.

Reluctantly, I gather all my strength to shape this silhouette of our happy life, Ezio's eyes piercing through the shadow.

I lift my weapon with a trembling hand, holding back my tears, but they fall anyway. I aim but can't steady my shaking. I lower the gun and drop my head, defeated but not broken.

I take a deep breath, focus, raise the gun again, and fire. As the shot rings out, I scream in pain and collapse to my knees, the weapon clutched in my hands.

I feel Andy's embrace around me as she softly says:

"You missed, but we can stop here and try again when you're truly ready. There's no rush."

I shake my head before responding.

"No. I have to do this. You said it yourself—he's already dead anyway. It won't be my bullet that kills him. It's just an illusion. I have to contain myself and get it right."

I rise with determination, wipe away my tears, and clench my jaw. I focus, and in the tense silence, I raise my weapon, aim, and this time, fire without looking away. Despite the effort it takes, I watch the bullet as it hits its mark, right in the heart.

Far from feeling at peace, I feel the pain of the impact as if the bullet had been meant for me. I feel emptier than ever, as if all humanity has left me. I turn, pressing the weapon against Andy's chest, then walk out of the hangar without a word, leaving the sound of the shot echoing against the walls, just as it echoes in my mind, reminding me of the gunshots that ended my idyll with Ezio.

Haunted by yesterday's events, I feel the need to be alone, to reflect on my healing process and emotions, so I ride my motorcycle.

The intensity of the training has brought so much back to the surface, so much pain that it feels like no time at all has passed between now and the shooting. As if everything I've lived through was just yesterday, and time has done nothing to heal my wounds.

In my desire to escape, the motorcycle helps fulfill that need perfectly. It allows me to reconnect with myself and realize what I truly want: to move forward.

I'm exhausted from feeling the same emotions over and over. I need to let Andrea exorcise my demons and help me defend myself against my own feelings. I know I'm on the right path, and I must hold on to reach our goal.

Shooting Ezio's mannequin yesterday was a turning point. I can't let my love for him destroy me. More than just a bullet aimed at a mannequin, it was my old life that was the true target. The pain I felt at the moment of impact reflected the beginnings of my transformation. I'm still far from feeling nothing, but I already feel less vulnerable at the thought of Ezio. There is still a long way to go.

However, for the first time, I know that it will be possible to live hand in hand with his ghost. I know that life after him is possible, and it will be rich with vengeance. I'm slowly learning to live with my demons.

My guilt over Paola will always be there, but I am the only one who can use it against myself. I know that no matter what happens, I move forward for them and with them. Tormenting myself with my own emotions as a form of punishment is pointless. I'm already punished enough by not having them in my life and having to continue without them. I need to be kinder to myself and let go of my regrets. Healing is far from a steady process, but the key is to keep moving forward, and even if I fall, I must get back up. It will take as long as it takes, but I am determined to say goodbye to my old life and embrace the new one.

With healing as my destination, I don't notice how dangerously my speed has increased. It's only when a flashing blue light appears in my rearview mirror that I realize my mistake.

Damn it !

I let the well-behaved girl my parents worked so hard to mold take over, reducing my speed and pulling over to the side of the road. I barely have time to remove my helmet before the police officer is already standing beside me, wearing a stern and arrogant expression.

"Do you have any idea how fast you were going ?"

"Too fast if you're here," I reply with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Your papers, please," he says in a neutral tone.

Without a word, I comply and unzip my jacket to hand him my documents. Instead of his outstretched hand, I'm met with his gun pointed at me.

"Step off the motorcycle immediately !"

"Wha... What did I do ?" I ask, panic edging my voice as I obey.

Without understanding what's happening, he reaches for the weapon hidden inside my jacket. I suddenly realize my mistake.

"This was sticking out of your jacket. I'm going to have to take you in. Call someone to come pick up your motorcycle."

I comply, sending a message to Andrea.

Paralyzed by panic, I let him cuff me without saying a word.