Professor Layton and the Memories Of A Time Gone By

19. The End

"Oliver... I...' Katia stumbled back and ran to the Professor. It was such a change. Only the other day she would have run towards him as soon as she saw him. Now, she was terrified of the sight of him.

"Hello, my dear Katia. It is such a pleasure to see you. How is Anton doing? Oh wait..."

He started laughing and then something snapped in Katia. She wasn't going to cry. She released herself from Hershel and stormed towards him. He was still laughing until her fist found its way into his face.

"Katia!" Flora exclaimed. "That was... incredible!!"

"ENOUGH!" Oliver roared. He had stumbled, but quickly regained his composure. He checked his nose and it was bleeding. "How dare you!" He raised his fist when the Professor intervened. Immediately he was in between the two and a broom handle was in his hand, raised like a sword.

Oliver stared incredulously at him and then started to chuckle.

"Oh, how amusing! The great Professor Layton is going to defeat me... with a broomstick!"

"I merely wish to defend the lady!" He said seriously. "I do not intend to have to resort to violence.

"Quite so... After all, then what would happen to Claire?"

"What did you say?"

"You heard me clearly!" He smiled, devilishly.

"I do not know what game you are trying to play. I do not even know how you know Claire, but however you do, you should know that it is impossible for her to be alive!"

"Is it? And yet, I have a way to bring her back..."

Hershel pulled his hat down and then shook his head.

"I do not believe you..."

"Oh, but I do. All I need is those Azran devices in your hands and your dream can come true."

"How would these help? They merely provide illusions."

"You shall see when I bring these final two pieces along with me. I have quite the surprise in mind and I believe you should all have front seats."

Katia stepped forward, her tears that of anger.

"You are a fool if you ever think we will come with you, you... monster!" Katia cried.

"I love you too, dear. Do you know what? Do you remember those flowers I made for you? Well I burned them. I found it quite fascinating..."

"I hate you!"

"Such venom. Ah, well it is to be expected... Come, it is time we head off. This will only work tonight, while the full moon is upon us."

"What do you intend to do, Oliver?" Hershel said.

"I told you, you shall see when you come with me."

The Professor raised the broom handle and pointed it towards Oliver.

"Do you really believe I would come here without protection?"

Two guards appeared from the doorway behind him and stepped into the room. Although their size did not appear quite menacing, it was what was in their hands that caused Hershel to drop the broom. Guns.

"There, there. Now, we have no need of violence this way. Come, the night I have waited for for all these years is finally upon us!"

*****

As they left the castle in defeat, Hershel and the others just realised how grave a situation they were in. There were guards stretching back all the way to the forest. All of them carried guns and the group could see just how futile it would be to try and make a run. They would be shot down before they even left the pathway. It was truly the beginning of the end.

They weren't told exactly where they were going, so they assumed they would be heading to some cars. They crossed the lake on Oliver's speedboat and then stopped on the other side.

"Actually, I believe that we should take a step back further." Oliver mused.

They took a step or two backwards and then Oliver produced a remote from his pocket.

"This will be fun!" He exclaimed gleefully.

He pressed the button and then all sound seemed to be drained from their ears. Flora covered her ears in anticipation for something big and something big it was.

The sound returned to normal, if only for a second. A shockwave came tearing out from the bottom of the castle and it sped across the lake at an incredible speed. Hershel went to dive when Oliver raised his hand to signal him to stop.

The wave slowed as it reached the edge of the lake and then as it flew towards the small group, it sent hats flying and the trees behind shook violently, but the group remained standing. It felt only as if a strong blast of wind had hit them, but it did not cause harm. Hershel breathed a sigh of relief as he had kept his hand firmly on his hat. The horror seemed to be over, Katia thought gratefully. She was wrong.

The shockwave had gone, but in its place the whole ground started shaking. The others steadied themselves and then they almost couldn't believe what was happening in front of them. The castle was starting to shake. It moved left and right and Hershel feared it would tip towards them and not only flatten the entire group, but a large section of the town as well.

"What is this madness?!" He shouted to Oliver. "Do you intend to kill us?"

"Just watch, Professor. Enjoy the show! No harm will come to us."

Hershel wasn't quite sure, but he had to believe the man. Why would he bring them out here to kill them? He could have easily had them shot inside.

The castle continued to shake and then it slowly began to sink. As the enormous structure sank into the Earth below it, the top half of it still shook. It was halfway into the ground when the unthinkable happened.

The top half seemed to crack in half and slowly began to tip towards them. It seemed to hang on the edge as the bottom half still sank further and further, and then it fully separated itself from the bottom. It was cascading toward them, a gigantic mess of large stone slabs and wooden scaffolding. Dust flew everywhere and the others started to make a run for it as the falling castle, larger than even a mansion was making its way almost as if in slow motion, towards them.

"YOU SAID THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN!" Katia screamed as she ran alongside Hershel. Oliver remained exactly where he was, his face full of mad glee as he watched the castle tumbling toward him.

They had almost reached the tree line when a circle of guards emerged from the forests with guns in hand. They aimed it at the group and they stopped in their tracks.

"What do we do, dad?!" Flora cried, tears falling from her eyes.

Hershel gritted his teeth and turned to Katia. She too was crying and then Hershel turned his gaze to the hulking mass of the castle almost about to crush them at any moment.

"I love you, Flora."

He took hold of Flora and squeezed her tight as the end came swiftly.

                           TO BE CONTINUED IN: Professor Layton: Love In All Adversities