Fate/Heaven's Fall

Summoning

There is a pleasant silence around me, the only sound there is to hear is the sound of gentle, quiet steps going back and forth between the large bookshelves surrounding me. There are books from floor to ceiling, with an endless knowledge of all sorts of things; old books, as well as new ones. There are books bound in paper, skins and even a few that are still tied into human skin, if I remember correctly.  

I try to stay in the trance as much as possible while I immerse myself in my otherwise rather thick book. I am studying to become an archaeologist at one of Japan's finest universities, for which I have been lucky enough to get a scholarship, as I would not possibly be able to pay for the education myself; You see, I have been an orphan throughout my life and have therefore always worked hard to survive. I'm studying at university, but at the same time I have a job on the side in a bar that a friend of mine owns.

My life is a bit strenuous, but not as hard as many others. Well, I don't get everything served on a silver platter; I have to work for my results. I don't do much more than study during the day and work in the evenings to afford to stay in my small two-bedroom apartment in one of Japan's many slums.

Somehow, though, I still wish something exciting happened in my life, just something.

"Hey, Rin!" I hear someone call for me and I immediately detach my gaze from the thick book that I hold in my hands. I see Mari, the girl from my archaeology class that I've never really liked. Yes, she's pretty, the guys swarm around her while she enjoys bathing in their admiration. She has long, beautiful, black hair, green eyes and flawless, tanned skin.

However, her school uniform lacks - as always - the jacket, and she is therefore just dressed in a dark blue skirt with a white shirt for - how she can be allowed that for the teachers is a mystery to me.

She is accompanied by two other girls from university whom I do not know the names of.

"Mmh?" I reply back, still not fully aware of where I really am - my mind is still in the world that the book so beautifully describes.

"Are you going out tonight? It's Friday," the girl asks again with a big smile, "There's a bunch of nice guys coming from Kasou University."

I immediately feel my cheeks turn slightly red, but I do my best to hide it, "I'm sorry, but I promised to help Kekirie study tonight," I explain with an apologetic look.

"Oh, too bad, you should really get yourself a girlfriend soon, Rin," Mari says, sighing deeply.

I have no idea if she's doing this to me to be cute, or to make a fool of me — I'm twenty-one but have no boyfriend. I haven't had a girlfriend in years, not even a crush. None of my relationships have lasted strangely long, mostly because I've never found any guy who's been able to stand me. No, I wasn't exactly an annoying girl - but I was very stubborn and strict, at least towards the people I knew well.

"I'm sorry, but thank you for the invitation," I say with a smile, then immediately turn to the bookshelf to find the next book on my long list.

"I said she didn't want to go, she's more interested in her books," giggled one of the two girls accompanying Mari, and I could hear their lead voices in the background noise of my pounding heart and pumping pulse.

"Which sane guy would be interested in her too?" the other friend continues, with an equally sly tone, just before they disappear from my earshot - the last thing I hear is all three of them giggling loudly.

I, on the other hand, have stalled in my position, with my hand on my chosen book on the shelf. My heart is pounding hard against the inside of my chest, out through my ribs which almost hurt all the way around my spine