CHAPTER 50 — TEACHER PERCY

THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

CHAPTER 50 — TEACHER PERCY

Two days were left until the end of camp. Morning... Nobody woke up to shouting. Even this was suspicious by now.

When the students stepped outside... They saw him. He was sitting in the chair. Percy Grant. The bandages were still on him. But there were fewer of them. The color had returned to his face. As for his hair... It finally looked like a human's hair. It wasn't fully fixed. But at least now... It didn't look like an explosion had gone off.

Nathaniel saw him first. He stopped. His eyes widened.

"Chairman."

Arthur turned. Saw Percy. William looked too. Charlotte smiled. Clara's face lit up. Nathaniel opened both arms wide.

"THE CHAIRMAN IS BACK!"

Percy winced.

"Don't yell, man."

Nathaniel:

"I MISSED YOU."

Percy:

"I've been here for two days."

"Doesn't matter."

Arthur:

"Are you training us today?"

Percy nodded.

"Yes."

Collective relief.

"Phew."

"Finally."

"Human-like training."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Human-like?"

Nathaniel:

"Just don't beat us like your mom."

Percy:

"She's not my mom."

Clara instantly:

"She's my mom."

Percy:

"She's my aunt."

Clara:

"My mom."

Percy:

"My aunt."

Clara:

"Mine."

Percy:

"Mine too."

Clara:

"Mine more."

Percy:

"Did you measure?"

Clara:

"Yes."

Percy:

"With what?"

Clara:

"With my mom."

Percy went silent.

"...Cheater."

Clara smirked.

A voice came from behind.

"If both of you are done..."

"...sharing me?"

Both turned at the same time. Eleanor was there. Even Percy's posture changed. He straightened up a bit.

"Aunt Eleanor."

There was no trace of yesterday's playful kid. Even his voice was respectful. Eleanor noticed this. She smiled.

"Yes, Percy?"

"Thank you for yesterday."

Eleanor's smile softened. Percy continued.

"While I was unable to move..."

"You trained my class."

"And taught them so much."

He bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Eleanor looked at him for a few seconds. Then she walked over to him. She fixed Percy's hair.

"You're welcome."

Percy didn't object. Nathaniel's mouth hung open. Arthur saw it too. William watched silently. Yesterday... The woman who had buried them into the dirt. Was fixing Percy's hair. And Percy... Wasn't saying a single word.

Clara crossed her arms.

"You get mad when I touch it."

Percy:

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

Percy pointed to Eleanor.

"My aunt."

Clara:

"My mom."

Percy:

"Don't start again."

Eleanor laughed. Clara approached her mother. Linked arms with her. Percy looked. Then linked her other arm. Eleanor looked at the two of them.

"You're seven years old."

Percy:

"Her fault."

Clara:

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"He came first."

Percy:

"Liar."

Holar's voice came from behind.

"Starting early in the morning, are we?"

Clara turned immediately.

"Uncle Holar!"

Holar smiled.

"Good morning, Clara."

Percy:

"Grandpa."

Holar looked at him. Percy bowed his head slightly.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, son."

Galahad and Elizabeth also arrived. Percy smiled when he saw them.

"Alright."

Everyone looked at Percy. Percy clapped his hands together.

"Gather round."

Fifteen students lined up. Percy remained in his chair.

Nathaniel:

"The teacher is sitting."

Percy:

"The teacher can't walk."

Nathaniel:

"Fair point."

Percy:

"Thank you."

Nathaniel:

"You're welcome, Teacher."

Percy:

"If you call me Teacher one more time..."

Nathaniel:

"Chairman."

"Much better."

Percy looked at the class.

"Last two days."

Everyone went quiet.

"I taught you a lot."

"We learned a lot together."

"You pushed your willpower."

"You faced fear."

"You thought under pressure."

"You protected each other."

"You protected life."

"And..."

Percy smiled slightly.

"You beat me up."

Arthur:

"You asked for it."

Percy:

"I'm not complaining."

"It was quite good."

Galahad raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth looked at Percy. Percy corrected himself immediately.

"In terms of training."

Elizabeth:

"Mm-hmm."

Percy turned back to the class.

"But there's a problem."

William tuned in attentively.

Percy:

"You've grown very strong."

Nathaniel:

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because when people get strong..."

"They start thinking they are..."

"...better than they actually are."

Arthur's face grew serious.

Percy:

"And real war..."

"...doesn't forgive that."

Percy looked behind him.

"Brother Galahad."

Galahad:

"Yes?"

"Teacher Elizabeth."

Elizabeth:

"I'm listening."

Percy smiled.

"Would you step onto the field?"

The two looked at each other. Then at Percy. On Galahad's face... A smile slowly formed. Elizabeth understood as well. Nathaniel saw this.

"No."

Percy:

"What?"

Nathaniel:

"I don't like that smile."

Percy:

"I didn't smile."

William:

"This time Galahad smiled."

Nathaniel:

"EVEN WORSE."

Galahad and Elizabeth... Stepped across the field. Fifteen students watched.

Percy:

"Your training today..."

He paused for a second.

"...is to fight Galahad and Elizabeth."

Silence.

Arthur:

"Both of them at once?"

"Yes."

Charlotte:

"Fifteen of us?"

"Yes."

Nathaniel:

"How many are they?"

Percy:

"Nathaniel."

"Yes?"

"Two."

Nathaniel:

"Just wanted to be sure."

William thought about it.

"Our goal?"

Percy:

"To win."

William:

"Our realistic goal?"

Percy smiled.

"To survive."

Nathaniel:

"There it is."

Percy looked at Galahad. Then at Elizabeth. The smile on his face vanished.

"Bro."

Galahad also grew serious.

"Teacher."

Elizabeth raised her head. Percy's voice was calm.

"You can be ruthless."

The students' expressions changed. Clara looked at Percy. Arthur frowned.

Nathaniel:

"Chairman?"

Percy didn't look at them. He was looking at Galahad and Elizabeth.

"Show them..."

"...what their mistakes will result in."

Galahad's gaze shifted. The warmth on Elizabeth's face vanished. Now... Standing before them wasn't Percy's brother. Nor were they their teachers. There were two warriors.

Elizabeth:

"Are you sure?"

Percy:

"Yes, Teacher."

Galahad:

"They might get hurt."

"I know."

"It's going to hurt."

"I know."

"Someone might cry."

Percy looked at his class.

"I cried too."

Silence.

"Pain isn't shameful."

"Nor is fear."

"Nor is making mistakes."

Percy's voice hardened.

"Making the same mistake in battle..."

"...a second time is the problem."

Eleanor looked at Percy. Yesterday's joking child was gone. In his place... The class chairman had returned.

Holar smiled faintly.

"The chairman is back."

Eleanor:

"No."

Holar looked at her. Eleanor was watching Percy.

"The teacher is back."

Nathaniel raised his hand.

Percy:

"Yes?"

"I have a question."

"Ask."

Nathaniel pointed at Galahad.

"Yesterday he beat the crap out of us."

Then he pointed at Elizabeth.

"She helped too."

Percy:

"Yes."

"The day before as well."

"Yes."

Nathaniel paused for a few seconds.

"Do you hate us?"

Percy:

"I love you very much."

Nathaniel:

"EVEN WORSE."

Arthur stepped forward. Stretched his arms.

"Okay."

Everyone looked at him. Arthur looked at Galahad.

"Yesterday we learned."

Then at Elizabeth.

"Today we'll learn too."

Charlotte stepped beside him. William to his other side. Marcus got ready. Nathaniel sighed. Then he stepped up too. One by one... All fifteen lined up.

Clara was the last to walk past Percy. She stopped.

"You?"

Percy pointed to his bandages.

"Today I..."

"...will use a very powerful ability."

Clara:

"What's that?"

Percy pointed to his chair.

"Sitting."

Clara laughed.

"Is it hard?"

"Incredible."

Clara adjusted her hair.

Percy:

"Mother and daughter..."

"...you're obsessed with my hair."

Clara:

"Because it's bad."

Percy:

"Go fight."

Clara:

"Understood, Chairman."

Clara took her spot. Percy took a deep breath. Leaned forward slightly in his chair.

"The rules are simple."

"You can run."

"You can fight."

"You can protect each other."

"You can use anything."

William:

"Absolute abilities?"

Percy:

"I'm not fighting."

William:

"Them?"

Percy looked at Galahad. Galahad smiled.

"We won't need them."

The fifteen students' faces fell.

Nathaniel:

"I hate you."

Galahad:

"I love you too."

Percy raised his hand. But before dropping it... He spoke one last time.

"Friends."

They all looked at him. Percy smiled.

"Don't be afraid to lose."

"Today..."

"...is a perfect day to lose."

Arthur:

"Chairman."

"Yes?"

"What if we win?"

Percy's smile widened.

"Then..."

He looked at Galahad. Looked at Elizabeth.

"...I will get one of the finest..."

"...lessons of my life."

Galahad chuckled softly. Elizabeth assumed a battle stance. Percy dropped his hand.

"Begin."

Before William could even open his mouth.

"Forma—"

Galahad was right in the middle of them.

BOOM!

Four people were launched into the air at once.

Percy sat up straight in his chair.

"Ah."

Nathaniel yelled in mid-air.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'AH'?!"

Elizabeth's orb formed.

Charlotte:

"SCATTER!"

They were too late.

BOOOOM!

Percy narrowed his eyes.

"Charlotte."

Charlotte got up from the ground.

Percy:

"You waited for the command."

Charlotte understood. Her face fell.

Percy:

"Battle doesn't wait."

Arthur attacked Galahad. Galahad met it with one hand. Arthur lost his balance. Galahad didn't strike.

He just said:

"You're dead."

Then touched his chest. Arthur flew back twenty meters.

Percy:

"Arthur."

Arthur replied while on the ground.

"I get it."

"What?"

"I looked at the opponent."

Percy:

"You forgot the area."

Arthur stood up.

"Won't happen again."

Elizabeth formed three orbs. William saw it. Calculated two possibilities. Gave an order to the right. Elizabeth smiled. The orbs shifted direction. William's eyes widened. Three people were hit.

Percy:

"William."

William gritted his teeth.

"What the opponent knows..."

"...I didn't factor into the calculation."

Percy smiled.

"Factor it in now."

Eleanor was watching from afar. After a while... She came to Percy's side. Silently stood beside his chair. Percy looked up.

"Aunt Eleanor."

"Yes?"

Percy shifted to the side a bit. On the edge of the chair... About five centimeters of space opened up.

"Have a seat."

Eleanor looked down.

"There?"

Percy looked. It really was ridiculous.

"...I'll fetch a second chair."

Eleanor laughed.

Holar handed a chair over from behind.

Percy:

"Grandpa..."

Holar:

"In two thousand years..."

"...you learn to foresee certain things."

Percy:

"Monster."

Holar:

"Thank you."

Eleanor sat beside Percy. For a while, they watched the battle.

Percy:

"Auntie."

"Hm?"

"Yesterday..."

Eleanor looked at him. Percy didn't take his eyes off the field.

"I'm glad you were here."

Eleanor's face softened.

"I'm always here."

Percy nodded.

"I know."

He stayed quiet for a moment.

Then:

"Clara is very lucky."

Eleanor looked at Percy. Percy continued.

"Her mother is you."

Eleanor couldn't speak for a few seconds.

Clara yelled from a distance.

"I CAN HEAR YOU!"

Percy:

"FOCUS ON YOUR BATTLE!"

Clara:

"SHE'S MY MOM!"

Percy:

"SHE'S MY AUNT TOO!"

Clara:

"MOM!"

Eleanor:

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

Even Galahad paused. Nathaniel saw the opportunity. Attacked Galahad. Without turning his head... Galahad buried Nathaniel into the dirt.

Nathaniel:

"DAMN IT."

Percy burst out laughing. Eleanor looked at him.

"It's your fault."

Percy composed himself immediately.

"I'm sorry, Auntie."

Eleanor fixed Percy's hair. This time, Percy... Didn't object at all.

The battle raged on the field. But slowly... Something was changing. Before William gave commands... He was watching the others. Arthur wasn't attacking alone. Charlotte wasn't waiting for orders. Marcus was cutting off space. Even Nathaniel... Was shutting up at the right time.

Percy's smile grew. Eleanor saw this.

"You're happy."

Percy:

"Yes."

"Why?"

Percy looked at the fifteen students.

"Because they're making mistakes."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

Percy:

"And they're still alive."

Eleanor went silent.

Percy:

"Today..."

"All the mistakes they could possibly make..."

"...let them make them."

"So they don't make them tomorrow."

Galahad heard this from afar. Elizabeth too. The two looked at each other.

Elizabeth:

"You heard."

Galahad smiled.

"I heard."

Elizabeth:

"We ramp it up a bit."

Galahad:

"A bit?"

Elizabeth:

"A lot."

The smile on Percy's face vanished.

"Ah."

Nathaniel:

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Percy:

"Get well soon."

Nathaniel:

"PERCY!"

Percy leaned back in his chair.

"I'm the teacher."

"I'm neutral."

Nathaniel:

"YOU SON OF A BITCH."

DAYS UNTIL END OF CAMP:

2 DAYS