Sharp was speechless. For a number of reasons.

He could see that something was... off... about all this, but he was more stunned by seeing the woman before him.

"....Hailie?" he asked again.

"Is... that really you?" he asked her.

"Christ, it's been... I can't even count how long it's been since we've seen each other." he commented, before shaking his head slightly.

"What are you doing here, suddenly?" he asked.

"......" again, Sharp was silent, before snapping his fingers.

"That's right!" he said.

"Djinn magic is cumulative." he told Syraene.

"Which is to say, the more of it you have, the more is possible." he went on.

"But... well... djinn usually don't play nice with each other, so that never ends up happening." he then said.

"Until now, anyway."

Hal didn't even have to think for a moment, before he pressed a button on the comm speaker that was on his desk.

"Attention." he said over the P.A. system.

"If Agent Rivera is in the building, could she please report to Agent Sharp's office, ASAP." he said further, before taking his finger off the button.

"To answer your question, yes." he told Hailie.

"Now... you answer some of MY questions." he then said.

"How... are you even here right now?" he asked. "How did you know to come here? Or... even better, how did your trinket get into Kiah's hands, to have her bring it here?"

"............" Hal was silent as he heard the answer.

"....I see." he said.

"So whomever you're here on the behest of... I assume they also wish to remain anonymous." he commented.

Hailie just nodded.

"Hmph." he muttered.

"I don't like that you're still under someone's thumb, so to speak." he commented.

"Ah, Peyton." Sharp greeted her.

"Come in, come in." he said.

When she did so, and shut the door behind her, he sighed.

"Peyton, a way to fix the situation with dreams and corruption has come up." he told her. "And it is a deceptively simple solution." he went on.

"But we need your help."

"Simple." Sharp responded.

"We need someone pure of heart to make a wish of this scale, if we don't want to have any unintended consequences or underlying negative outcomes." he told her.

"A large part in a djinn granting a wish is the person making said wish." he continued.

"Which is to say, the more innocent they are, the purer the wish will be when granted. Yes, intent is a very big factor as well, but I'd rather not get into the logistics of it." he then admitted.

"The point is, if you make this wish, then this problem will go away, without any repercussions."

"...." Sharp was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"I think that works." he said.

"What about you?" he asked Hailie.

"Does that work for you?" he asked her.

"If so, I think we're ready to grant this."

"......" Sharp was silent as he beheld the orb, and sighed.

'Accursed 'ownership'...' he thought.

He then placed his hands over the orb, and funnelled his own mana into it. As he did, everyone in the room could feel the strength that it was gaining... rapidly.

Just when it felt like it would overwhelm everyone, he stopped, and looked at Hailie.

They nodded to each other, before they both grabbed the orb and sent it flying upwards, a monstrously large... but at the same time, subtle... pulse of mana erupting from it, causing the orb to dissipate.

"Your wish is granted." Sharp said to Peyton.

"Hailie!" Hal called out to her, but it was too late.

She was gone.

"..." he was silent, and looked defeated, as well as dejected.

"....Hailie..." he said quietly.

"Oh, right." he then muttered, shaking his head.

"Syraene?" he said, addressing the dark elf.

"Do you think it worked?" he asked her.

Hal just looked at Kiah, and sighed as well.

"Kiah." he said.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Seriously. And honestly." he went on.

"And is there anything we at the Unit can do to help you?" he asked further.