Two men walked the dimly-lit and narrow pathways of the catacombs under the city of Florence. The floor was uneven, the stone walls were damp and dripped with water at some portions. Everything looked almost exactly identical, the two had no guidance other than the sparingly placed torches in corners to keep the darkness from consuming everything.
The silence was eerie and discomforting. One of the men wanted to break it and so, he spoke up, his voice acquiring a curious undertone in the environment:
“What the Master said...” His voice was faint, almost hushed. He adjusted his brown leather cloak before continuing, pulling it closer over his shoulder. “Is it true?”
“What do you mean?” the other grunted back, irritated by the small question. He had neither the time, nor the patience for anything trivial as he led the way for them both with torch in hand.
“The artefact...this Apple we're seeking... Can it really control the hearts and minds of people?”
“You will see for yourself, Emerico. And you will believe.”
Emerico knew there was no point in pursuing. He was but a novice next to his companion, the eminent Templar Luciano de Vicari. He was the one the Grand Master personally spoke to, he was the one responsible for this mission, for the safe retrieval of the artefact. Emerico was merely there to gain experience working alongside those who have already proved their worth.

The two eventually arrived to a gate of sorts. A guard stood at it clad in metal armour, holding his halberd with one hand.
“Halt,” he said upon seeing the approachers. His breath was subtly visible in the chilly air.
Luciano signalled Emerico to stay back as he strode forward to face the guard.
“We are here to claim the Apple,” he announced.
“The password.” The guard tilted the halberd slightly forward, its sharp edges glinting in the light of Luciano's torch.
“May the Father of Understanding guide us.”
“Welcome, brother. Follow me.”

Luciano and Emerico went after the guard who led them into a large open area, a great and much desired change of landscape from the narrow tunnels. The water that flowed down from the surface to these caves and catacombs culminated here in a small lake at the far end. Peculiarly shaped rock formations were scattered across the still solid ground, becoming more frequent as the three went on and not conforming to neither the ideals of man-made structures, nor the rough and unrefined beauty of Mother Nature's creations.

“I must say...this is quite a sight,” Emerico said as he marvelled at the almost sky-high ceiling and the monolithic formations.
“It is unlike anything this world has to offer, is it not?” Luciano added mysteriously. He believed the Templar teachings which spoke about entities and forces greater than any of them, long gone but still existing in the form of the powerful artefacts the Order so zealously hunted.
He knew that Templar workers spent weeks boring through the thick rock wall that separated the centuries-old catacombs from the then-unexplored area. It was fruitful in the end however—for the long-sought artefact was finally uncovered.

There it was, a small pedestal right at the edge of the ground before the lake, shaped similarly to the rocks but from different material. Two other guards stood in front of it, parting only when Luciano approached. As he moved closer, a wave of energy rushed through his entire body. He felt that everything he had ever desired in life was suddenly right in front of him. Power, fortune, truth, all taking shape in the blindingly incandescent golden sphere. All of it just waiting to be grasped...
“The Apple of Eden...” he muttered and almost without willing, extended a hand towards it.