Today should have been a gorgeous morning. The beginning of a new era and an achievement that changed the Magi's understanding forever. At least, that was what Tokiomi Tohsaka had believed.

He was a plain man, perhaps a little taller than average. His red suit shimmered in the morning sun, and his brown hair fluttered through the tilted window. He was a magus, perhaps not one of the best in the Clock Tower, but still respected for his accomplishments.

"You will serve me well," he whispered, tapping a petrified wooden box. "Even a fool will recognize the face of your divinity among our stars."

It was a feeling he had never felt before, rewarding if he expressed it in one word. Now, only a little something was missing, and then he could finally activate the magic circle.

Lightheartedly, he stowed the box on a shelf and locked the secret room, hidden behind a shelf. Optimistically, he went up the stairs. A little girl stormed through the corridor with a red, deformed jewel in her hand. Her arms lifted the jewel into the air and sent it flying across the room. It glowed briefly before the crystal shattered.

"Rin," Tokiomi called out. "You're too nervous. Don't try to force deformation. Come here; I'll show you again."

He gathered the large shards and put them back together like plasticine, no matter how strange it seemed. The jewel in his hand shone again and slowly changed shape.

"It all depends on your imagination and discipline. If you keep practicing hard, you will soon be able to cast spells I could never dream of."

Two pointed wings grew out of the side, stretched out on poles, while the sides became as soft as fabric. The fuselage stretched long. A spinning propeller emerged at the tip until a small airplane sat in his hand.

"Ohh..."

"Here," he said, handing the crystal to Rin, who disappeared, roaring into the living room. With a worried smile, a woman looked out from the second floor. Her dull green hair lay on the railing, which her trembling hands gripped while her nails scratched at the paintwork.

"How far are you with the preparations?"

"Our bags are packed. The chauffeur will be here this afternoon."

Tokiomi nodded, straightened his tie, and wiped some red dust off his shoulder. Then Aoi coughed to get his attention.

"Today, the fog is very frosty. Are you sure everything will go according to plan?" she asked. Tokiomi realized how the worry made her voice tremble and put on a gentle smile.

"You don't have to worry," he replied calmly. "Risei, Kirei, and I have prepared everything. The church will announce the beginning of Heaven's Feel this afternoon."

He threw his jacket over his shoulder and grabbed the handle. Fresh wind rushed through his coat. Tokiomi was just about to leave when two hands pulled him back.

"Your tie isn't quite right, my dear."

Aoi's fingers ran carefully through the fabric and straightened the creases. He was a proud and elegant man; how could he have missed the crooked tie?

"You're not sleeping enough. Please take more care of yourself. I don't want Rin to grow up without you," she whispered.

"You don't need to worry; I'll see you later, promised."

Aoi nodded, and Tokiomi left the house. The wind was cold. His whiskers almost froze. The water rippled in the small garden pond, and the branches looked brown without a hint of glistening frost.

He couldn't suppress a yawn. 'Very strange indeed,' he thought and trotted off to his car.

***

As always, the doors of the church were open. Only the wind hissed over the mountain, hitting the bare trees. There was no piano, no bells, and no deep voice to welcome guests. Wasn't there supposed to be a service today as usual? He couldn't possibly have missed a cancellation.

Still, deep in thought, Tokiomi stepped onto the well-kept marble. 'They'll have their reasons,' he thought and accelerated.

"... Perhaps it would be better to inform the Holy Church," a rough voice murmured, and he paused when footsteps sounded on the marble.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Oh, what a surprise! You've arrived earlier than expected, Tokiomi."

"Not as much as I'm surprised to see your church empty," he replied. "Weren't you proud that your house was always visited every day, or did the early frost get to you?"

"I thought it best to close my house for the next few weeks. But perhaps it would have been better to give the citizens one last blessing today. Maybe I've grown more attached to this town than I thought. Always expecting the worst is truly a cruel gift God has given us," Risei replied, clearing his throat.

Tokiomi looked sharply at the old man. He was an old friend and had been given the honor of overlooking Heaven's Feel again. An important and respectable task.

"Still quite the old man. Don't worry without reason, Risei. Every magus knows the code of secrecy. Your city community will only complain about a few restless nights."

This time, Risei's wrinkles tightened, and Tokiomi could tell he should take the situation seriously. He had never seen the old man so restless and concerned.

"Unfounded? We can only hope so. I know half the town by now, and I don't want them to suffer... Did someone follow you?" whispered Risei.

"Not that I know of. The outside world only sees me as a representative of the Clock Tower. As a founding member, this will be my last visit for now, before the Grail War fully ignites."

Risei exhaled in relief but still took a quick look behind him. Only now did Tokiomi notice a figure in a cloak of smoke keeping the pillars company.

"No one followed you here." His voice scraped like bones rubbing together. Risei immediately relaxed. He seemed to have great confidence in the figure. Tokiomi shrugged and sat down on one of the benches, but he didn't become more careless. Too much was at stake in the coming week.

"This Grail War will be different, Tokiomi."

"I don't quite understand Risei..."

"More servants have appeared on my spirit board. Six in total. But they don't seem to have been summoned yet. I think it would be in everyone's best interest to notify the Holy Church or at least the Clock Tower," Risei said, biting his lip.

"Turning on the Clock Tower now will only bring further disapproval to Heaven's Feel. If it turns out that a magus can easily manipulate such a ritual from the outside, it will pose a gigantic security risk. Then not only the Clock Tower initiate a deeper investigation, but also the Holy Church."

"I don't know Tokiomi. We'll have a big problem if our plan comes out. If, in addition, it becomes known that we covered up a grail manipulation, of which effects we are still unsure... We would be executed. Not even the Clock Tower would save a gifted Magilike you."

Tokiomi nodded. He was aware of it. No one opposed the institution of Magi society. Not even the oldest houses in the world would dare. One misstep and the blood of open wounds would attract other houses like sharks.

'I would give other magi a reason to come after me,' he thought for a moment as the soft laughter of a little girl with brown hair rang out. 'I must keep her safe under any circumstances.'

Tokiomi shook his head. "I know how insane it sounds. However, I can't wait another 60 years for the next ritual and leave my daughter with the responsibility of completing it. What kind of father would I be if I couldn't even lighten my family's burden?"

"Tokiomi," Risei replied as he sat next to him and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. His age was beginning to show. This would be the last Grail War he would ever witness. "Don't act carelessly. Your shame will stay with your daughter in the clock tower for the rest of her life. You know Magecraft better than I do. You always praise her talent when we meet. Magus pass their heritage and skills on to the next generation for a reason. Even if we fail this time, she will have a far greater chance in the future. A technique perfected and passed down over millennia will always stand above natural talent."

Tokiomi smiled, and for the first time today, he looked happy.

"You're probably right. Still, we should give the whole thing a try. If the anomalies become a problem, get all the masters together to launch a counter-offensive and notify the clock tower."

"Mhhh," Risei mumbled, thinking. His face changed shape as his foot tapped restlessly on the ground. Visibly, he didn't completely agree with the whole situation.

"Alright, I trust your judgment. I know your wish, and I support it. However, I'm keeping a close eye on the city. If anything happens, I will intervene immediately. That is my duty as the leader of this church."

"Thank you very much," Tokiomi replied, standing up and turning around so that his coat flapped.

"You want to leave already?"

"I'm sorry, my friend. There hasn't been much time to talk lately. However, a couple of students from the Clock Tower are visiting me today of all days."

"What? Why are they still here?"

"I'm already taking care of it and will also notify the Clock Tower that you're doing a good job."

"Troubled times, my friend. May God watch over this city. Don't make me regret not giving the citizens a blessing for this frightening time," Risei replied, watching as the red mantle grew smaller and smaller and finally left the church via the open gate. "Tokiomi! With the rising of the moon, the Holy War for the Grail will begin. May you be blessed with success!"

Tokiomi bowed. The gravel crunched under his soles. The car jerked a little when he started it. He turned right onto the road and drove down towards the town when he felt that something was watching him from a distance. But he saw nothing in the game. His magic tools didn't detect any danger either.

His hair stood on end, and an uneasy feeling crept down his spine. The feeling was fast, almost fleeing; a normal person would hardly have noticed. Blood-red eyes buzzed in his mind. Had he just imagined it? Once again, he glanced in the rear-view mirror and looked at the bare trees on the mountain's edge.

"So much to do and yet so little sleep," he growled. But he knew that the next few days were not going to be any more pleasant.

With a gasp, he turned onto a small road and pushed the thought out of his mind. Risei had only frightened him. There were more important things for Tokiomi to take care of; the students of the clock tower must not find out that a recurring event was about to take place. Why are they even present now? Maybe he had to let the clock tower know that he was worried about the student's safety. At least that way, he would get them out of Fuyuki.

But there was something in the back of his mind, a feeling... Something was strange, even for a Magi like Tokiomi, who had been perfecting the art of Magecraft all his life.