With a slight nervous sigh Professor Morrison knocked on the door. He heard a gentle and soft "come in" from the other end and reached out for the doorknob.
His world had turned upside down in the span of a few days. It had turned from an unrelenting downslide towards a new light of hope in an instant. Madame Edelfelt had told him about magic, had shown him the possibilities. Everything he had researched, thought about, was ridiculed for…it had all been true.
And Katalina had now offered him the impossible. At least what he was thought was impossible beforehand. But now that magic was real, the impossible didn't seem all that impossible anymore.
With a heavy heart he opened the door and stepped inside the room. Katalina Edelfelt sat at her desk and flashed him a beaming smile while Gil stood arms crossed against a dresser on the right side of the room, his head down and his eyes not meeting the professor's gaze and looking rather dejected.
"Ah Professor Morrison so glad you could make it. Hopefully you have recovered from the shock of all I told you?" Katalina asked him.
Professor Morrison stepped forward as he spoke "well as much as you can recover from learning that something that has been mythologized for as long as human history exists actually exists…yeah it took me for quite a spin madam."
Katalina smiled warmly "understandable professor. Though I will need to remind you that mage craft is a very secretive practice that the outside world should not know about. So please do not forget to keep it to yourself."
Morrison nodded "I understand madam. But…with what you promised me. If it's even possible how can I hide that from the world…how do I…"
With a hand gesture Katalina silenced the good professor and stood up from her chair "you do not need to worry about that professor. For what is about to happen if you manage to acquire the other two artifacts will break down the barriers between magi and men. After all this is about something bigger then magi."
She walked around her desk and stood right in front of the man, who was still quite a bit taller than her.
"You're retrieval of the Lunar Obelisk is something extraordinary professor Morrison. You see, for generations magi have been unable to locate it despite many efforts. It was hidden away and yet you, a non-magus managed to locate it. It is almost like fate has chosen you for this. You should be honored professor."
Morrison smiled softly. He wasn't sure if he should feel honored or receive praise. He just had an instinct for old tombs and ruins. His wife and him always used to travel to exotic locations to track down and explore the ancient sights often lost to history.
"If you don't mind me asking madam Edelfelt. Why exactly are you looking for these artifacts?"
In response Katalina seemed to tense up a little bit. Almost as if she was pondering how to respond. Her hand moved towards the necklace she was wearing, it was a golden heart-shaped necklace.
"I seek them to fulfill the promise I made to my late husband. To fulfill the oath we both swore too."
She opened the heart-shaped necklace. Inside was a photo. Morrison looked at it closely, in the picture it showed a young Katalina alongside a handsome looking man with striking blonde hair and a mustache, dressed like a prim and proper gentleman.
"You see professor. My husband and I were part of an order. As magus we have a deep connection to nature. But we have noticed in the last few generations that we only take more and more from it, even though it has blessed us with life and gifts that one can only dream off. The balance of nature is being disrupted. And we planned to fix it, all of it."
Katalina clutched the necklace determinedly, her eyes slightly tearing up and a somber expression filled her face.
"So that is why I must succeed professor. I promised Richard that I would see our dream through, no matter what it cost, and no matter what it takes."
She turned around and returned to her desk, her hand resting on the right drawer. She glanced at the professor.
"In twelve days there will be an eclipse. Before that I need you to find the two remaining artifacts. You must succeed before that. And in return I will reward you with this…"
Katalina opened the drawer and from it produced an odd looking artifact. Morrison eyed with curiosity. It looked like an old middle eastern oil lamp. Like the ones he saw in those old drawings or read about in Arabian folktales.
It then clicked in his head.
"Madam Edelfelt…is that a…"
"Yes professor. This is a genie's lamp," Katalina spoke proudly holding the artifact up for him to see "quite a rare artifact to find and the legends are very accurate about it, though the stories around it are a bit…mismanaged…"
Morrison didn't respond and instead just stared at the lamp. It was like it came right out of a movie with how accurate it looked. Of course he had researched this as a fun side exploration from time to time, believing the stories of genies to just be that, a story. But now with what he knew now about magic. Seeing such a thing in the flesh it made him wonder.
"Is it…does it work…?"
"Oh yes professor it absolutely does, I can attest to that. Though the rules of a genie aren't what you are told. While it is true that there are three wishes. It is not three wishes per person, no it is three wishes per lamp."
She walked back around the desk and again towards Morrison.
"And this is what I will offer you if you succeed professor. There is one wish remaining, one wish for you if you help me find the other two artifacts. What do you say?"
Morrison was completely at a loss for words. A wish? Could it be true?
"Can it…can it really bring her back?" he asked uncertainly.
"A lot of things are possible when it comes to a wish professor. Though I have to be honest I do not know for absolute certain it is possible since bringing back the dead is something mages often don't dabble in. But just because it's never done, doesn't mean it's impossible."
A sudden loud thump could be heard in the room. Both Morrison and Katalina turned and saw Gil with his metal hand in the shape of a fist, having made a noticeable dent into the dresser he had been leaning against.
"You alright Mr. Gil?" Katalina asked, raising an eyebrow.
Gil didn't meet her gaze and instead crossed his arms and mumbled a soft yet passive aggressive "absolutely boss…"
Morrison wanted to say something but instead he kept on looking at the golden coated lamp in Katalina's hands.
"So what do you say professor? Find me the remaining artifacts before the eclipse, and this wish is all yours. You can have her back, happy and healthy."
"Yes," Morrison said without a second thought "I will do it."
Katalina smiled at him "wonderful," she said before returning back to behind her desk and sat herself down and grabbing some papers in front of her "the second artifact is supposedly located in Kensington Gardens. Here are some pointers, see if you can make work out of it."
Morrison excitedly grabbed the papers from her hand "I will get right on it madam Edelfelt. I won't let you down."
"I'm sure you won't professor. Once you know more, contact miss Foucault and she will organize the search. Best of luck to you."
Morrison nodded in appreciation and turned around to leave, waving at a still quiet and sulking Gil before he stepped out of the room and breathed out a loud sigh.
"Mavika…" he said with a warm tone "could it be…could you come back to me…" before he trailed off out of the building.
Back inside Katalina's office as soon as Morrison had left, the woman watched as a clearly angry Gil walked over to her desk and placed his hands on front of the desk before looking at her and angrily yelling.
"THIS ISN'T FAIR! YOU PROMISED THAT WISH TO ME!"
Despite his loud tone and angry outburst, Katalina seemed neither intimidated nor surprised by any of it. Instead she simply replied with a soft yet stern voice.
"Watch your tone with me Mr. Gil."
Gil gritted his teeth and pointing his metal hand at her "you promised me that wish would be mine! I have been doing everything you asked for the past three years! And now you just go and instantly offer it to that despondent mongrel!"
"I said I would give you the chance to prove yourself worthy to earn it. Which considering your latest stunt at the gala, has proven to me that you aren't yet worthy. Besides…" she said as she stood up.
"May I need to remind you that I owe you nothing Nathaniel…you on the other hand," she reached up for Gil's shirt, fumbling her hand in and grabbing hold of the necklace he was wearing around his neck "owe me your life. Or did you forget the night I found you in that forest. Broken spine, blood loss from having your arm severed. Manadek really did a number on you didn't he?"
Gil gritted his teeth even more but didn't respond as Katalina held the necklace in her hand. It was a ruby triangle shaped pendant brimming with energy.
"You were basically all but dead when I found you. But I managed to bring you back from the brink and finally allow you to strengthen your own magical circuits. Without me, you would be dead. So I would reconsider the tone you use to speak to me. Is that clear?"
Through gnashing teeth Gil mumbled an angry but defeated "loud and clear boss."
Katalina's face turned into a twisted smile as she let go of the necklace and sat back down in her chair "very good Mr. Gil. And remember keep that pendant safe. It's a very rare artifact that belonged to your father. So watch over it."
Katalina opened up the left drawer, quickly grabbing something out of it before stuffing it into her handbag, Gil was too lost in thought to notice what it was.
"Now if you'll excuse me. I have to deliver something to miss Tohsaka."
Gil grunted in response to hearing that name "why do you insist on seeing her so often. What makes her so special?"
Katalina walked over to Gil and gave him a quizzical look "the same thing that makes you so special Mr. Gil. You know you and her have a lot in common, more than you think."
Gil scoffed at that idea and made it clear with his body language "what do you even need to give her?"
Katalina giggled almost manically "oh something I think she may need. If my assumption about her is correct then I have exactly what she needs."
Fuyuki:
Out of breath and full of adrenaline Shirou stormed back into the Matou manor. "Sakura! Illya!" he yelled out desperately. Hoping and praying he wasn't too late.
"Big brother!" he heard and he breathed a sigh of relief as Illyasviel came running towards him and hugged him. He returned the embrace tightly, thanking whatever force was out there that she was unharmed.
"Are you okay? He didn't come back? Where is Sakura!" Shirou asked hurriedly.
Illya looked at him as she let go of him "no we are fine. Sakura is bandaging miss Fallow up."
She took hold of his hand and began walking him towards the back of the house where the living room was. There he saw Sakura tending to an injured Fallow, her should bandaged up, the woman looked like she was trying very hard to suppress the pain as Sakura treated her.
"Shirou you're back! Are you alright? What happened? Sakura asked when she saw him.
But Shirou didn't respond to her. Instead he walked over towards them and looked straight at Fallow, who met his gaze with understanding yet remorseful eyes.
"Did you know? Did you know it was Kerrion Manadek?" he asked her.
Fallow could only solemnly nod.
"No more hiding, no more lies Fallow. You have to tell us right here and now. You have to tell us everything!" Shirou told her, clutching his fist. His voice calm but his body language looked like he was ready to burst out in anger at any second.
Fallow looked over at Sakura with a worried expression. Sakura reached out and held Fallow's hand, giving her a reassuring smile. With that the older women turned to Shirou and breathed out a sigh of worry.
"Very well then…" she took in a deep breath before she began to tell them.
"On that fateful day before Argus went to acquire the sword, he made me promise to look after Elena and Kerrion no matter what happened to him. I feel I owed him at least that. And so I did. Though I haven't seen hide nor hair of Elena since that day. I did find Kerrion, unconscious on the lake side with a scar on his face. So I took him here, to Zouken to heal him."
"When he came too a few days later he was angry and blamed you for Argus' death. He wanted blood. I tried to talk him out of it, telling him his father wouldn't have wanted this. But it was no use. It wasn't helped by Zouken urging him to seek an even crueler form of revenge by targeting those you loved."
Shirou listened attentively and didn't interrupt. Illya stood beside him and grabbed his hand, clutching it tightly.
"Then one day about a month later he left. I don't know where or why. He told me that a voice in his head told him to seek out a certain someone."
"Who?" Shirou asked.
Fallow shook her head "I have no idea. I thought he was going mad. But I was powerless to do anything about it. And to be honest I figured all he was saying was just hot air and I didn't think he would actually go through with this all…that was…until today…"
Fallow lowered her head in shame. Shirou could see her eyes tearing up slightly.
"Don't hate him Shirou please…he is a good boy…he is just lost…"
"Lost…" Shirou mumbled angrily as his fist clenched up and his eye twitched "he killed Issei….HE KILLED FUJI-NEE!"
He shouted as loud as he could right at Fallow, who flinched without looking at him.
"How can you even dare to say that kind of bullshit! Lost my ass! He killed two innocent people just to hurt me. He's no different then his father! Just another maniac!"
Sakura placed a hand on Fallow's uninjured shoulder and tried to comfort the woman. Who was now weeping.
"Shirou please believe me…Argus would've never wanted Kerrion to turn out like him…"
But Shirou paid her no mind and instead he fished his phone out of his hand and flipped it open. Sakura saw and asked "what are you doing?"
"Calling someone. I need to immediately return to London. He's going after those I love. So I need to guarantee the safety of her and all of you."
A/N: Quite a big chapter. Apologies for the slow updates I have decided to make a lot of changes to the story mid-writing, which happens often but with the two big character deaths I've already done it leads me to try and fix a lot of things. I still think everything will work just fine. Regardless something interesting will come up soon. Hope you're ready for it.