The King of the Grail's Fate (Fate/Nasuverse)

Chapter LVIII: Inside

Harrison subconsciously knew that the challenges he would be facing in the very near future would push him further than even now, there was no saving his cards anymore, for the sake of his servants and those around him he had to control himself better. This line of thinking led to how Harrison spent his day off. Though he couldn't shake the feeling of Salter's discomfort as she seemed to be off still, there was almost a pull in his gut a tangible sensation. Sadly as much as it tore him apart he had to concentrate on his vision because even he had neglected the fact it was starting to fail him randomly, cutting out or colors fading out something clearly wasn't right.

These were the kind of thoughts that plagued Harrison's mind as he tried to meditate in the common area of his room. Jalter was presumably off in her room, and Salter was also secluded, so there wasn't really any noise. Yet Harrison still wasn't able to focus the thoughts and events of the present were too distracting to his brain. "Just focus on your circuits and see that world unseen again," Harrison cursed himself as he sat crossed-legged on the couch. Trying to take deep breaths to organize his thoughts Harrison did the opposite of concentrating. Instead of trying to real in his mind about what he thought he needed he let it flow for lack of a better term. His thoughts flowed like streams moving from one idea or image to the next in a stream of consciousness that couldn't be much further from dreaming itself, in fact, Harrison thought he was in a lucid dream of sorts.

He did arrive at the scene of his old family house, though it was a little different than how he remembered it, the colors being slightly off the proportions not being exactly right to Harrison. Though his legs moved regardless of his mind taking him to the door nonetheless. Harrison could feel his stomach churn with anxiety as in this dreamlike state he had gotten closer to his childhood home since he was pulled away from it. With a shaky breath, Harrison went to knock on the door, but when his hand impacted the door his body convulsed. Images flashed before his eyes of a burning hellscape the screams so real and powerful. He felt as if every cell in his body had turned to fight itself as his consciousness and subconscious fought to break away. "I- I can't," was all he could manage to say as his body seized on the ground shaking violently. He started to bleed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. It was as if the sights and sounds he witnessed weren't meant to be seen by the human mind and body. 

A soft hand caressed Harrison's face warmly. Immediately the pain stopped. Harrison's thoughts cleared and his vision stopped swimming. The face that smiled down on him, made his heart stop. It was his mother, Harrison couldn't begin to control the tears that welled in his face and fell down his cheeks. She was exactly as Harrison remembered, her long platinum blonde hair flowed effortlessly down her shoulder framing her face, and her piercing blue eyes were surprisingly comforting to Harrison. She pulled him into an embrace that only served to make the crying Harrison more of a mess as his mother held him for the first time in years. Harrison was too concerned with his mother to notice the glowing seal on his shoulder that illuminated the pathways of his circuits and indicated the broken or untapped ones as well.

Though this could not last, as just as quickly as she showed up his mother did start to pull away causing Harrison to choke up as she floated away. Just as the last time she left, she held his face in her hands and put their two foreheads together before offering a warm smile. Then she was gone, and Harrison felt a new pain, the pain of realizing a dream isn't real, that he didn't just see his mother. The pain of being left again. Harrison had been left by everyone he cared about and now he had to relive that pain all over again, with the next breath he pushed the pain to the back of his mind, and a new resolve was set in his soul. He would do anything to protect those around him, and if they left he would make sure to see them out properly. 

Harrison took another breath as he closed his eyes the scene of his childhood home fading from his mind. He was left in a hyper-aware state of his body and mind as if looking at himself from a third-person perspective. He saw the green seal on his right shoulder that all his circuits were connected to and the large command seals that had migrated to his back. However, what concerned him was the clear damage in his eyes. There were barely any circuits still functional as many of them were blown out it seemed. Harrison didn't know how to fix it but it did confirm everyone's worry for his eyes. What Harrison did realize was how to begin to access his circuits more readily taking the time in this space to practice activating a small set and moving the mana across his form lighting up different pathways. 

Harrison couldn't test the possible benefits of this but Harrison could guess it would allow him to use strengthening for longer without the huge stamina drawbacks. At this moment, Harrison realized something he had been neglecting. Just as his mother's embrace shielded him from the pain of that hellscape, his circuits could shield and affect the outside world. He just didn't know how to control it nearly as well as strengthen magecraft. So concentrating instead on the surface of his skin Harrison began to practice lifting his circuits if only a little at a time. Little by little Harrison felt it as each line of blueish-green energy flopped to the floor of this mind space it got a little harder to breathe, and the gravity seemed to intensify. It was as if he was activating some sort of bonded field or mystic code.

He did not have much longer in the mind's space however as he was trusted from it by the shaking arms of Jalter, who shock Harrison like a leaf. "Righter, look look!" she exclaimed as she pointed behind her panicked.