CHAPTER 61 — RETURN TO THE ACADEMY: HAND IN HAND

THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON II

CHAPTER 61 — RETURN TO THE ACADEMY: HAND IN HAND

Clara had finally opened her eyes completely. The weight of the Advanced Core was still upon her. But her breathing was now completely calm. Percy was sitting quietly opposite her. Blaze was in his pocket as usual. Clara looked carefully at his face. Percy looked more serious than normal.

"What are you thinking?"

Percy paused for a few seconds. Then looked directly into Clara's eyes.

"Do you remember, Clara?"

Clara tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Remember what?"

"The day my Orin affinity came out as one hundred percent."

Clara's expression immediately changed.

"I remember."

Percy slowly nodded.

"That day, a light enveloped me."

"And you told me it felt familiar to you."

"Yes."

Percy's look grew even more serious.

"I felt the exact same thing while your Light element was forming."

Clara frowned slightly.

"The same thing?"

"The exact same thing."

"It felt familiar again."

Clara didn't speak for a few seconds.

"But what does it mean?"

Percy let out a slow breath.

"I don't know."

Then he looked at Clara seriously.

"But some coincidences aren't coincidences anymore."

The expression on Clara's face shifted. She didn't know where Percy was going with this. But she understood it was nothing ordinary. Percy rested his hands on his knees.

"I need to tell you about my past."

Clara silently nodded. Percy looked briefly toward Holar. Then turned back to Clara.

"My grandfather isn't my biological grandfather."

Clara's eyes widened instantly.

"What?"

"He found me when I was five months old."

Clara fell completely silent.

"A light fell from the sky."

"My grandfather went to where the light had fallen."

"And he found me there."

"I was five months old."

"There was only a necklace beside me."

"My name was written on it."

"Percy Grant."

Clara slowed her breath to a standstill. Percy continued.

"He didn't leave me there."

"He took me home."

"Raised me."

"Became my Grandfather."

"And I became his grandson."

Clara instinctively looked toward Holar. Then turned back to Percy. She had never known this before. Percy's voice remained calm.

"I received a message when I turned seven."

Clara's gaze sharpened again.

"From whom?"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"From my biological mother."

Clara froze for a moment. Percy kept speaking.

"I learned she was alive."

"And that she hadn't abandoned me."

"She said she loved me."

"There was a reason I was sent here."

"She wanted me to live out my childhood."

"She said power would find me when the time was right."

"The next message will come when I turn fourteen."

Clara looked at Percy for a long time. Her surprise slowly transformed into something else. Into a guess. Into a connection. She had never asked before. And Percy had never told her. But now, some pieces were coming together. Percy realized this from her face. Still, he didn't interrupt her. Old moments came alive in Clara's mind. Percy's light from all those years ago. Now her own Light Element. And that message she had heard at age seven. Percy hadn't asked her anything. Now she was beginning to guess why. Clara's eyes slowly widened. She now understood what Percy was thinking. She didn't know the exact answer. But she saw Percy's suspicion. Clara suddenly looked at him.

"So that's why..."

Percy waited silently.

"After you blocked big brother Galahad's attack..."

"...you lied."

Percy thought for a few seconds.

"Both yes and no."

Clara frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Percy gave a slight shrug.

"You didn't want to talk about it."

"So I didn't want them asking you either."

Clara remained quiet.

"If what I'm thinking is right..."

"...there isn't much to explain anyway."

Percy paused briefly.

"It might be the same for you."

Clara watched him carefully.

"The light enveloping me felt familiar."

"Now when your element formed, it was the same."

"And you felt my connection to Blaze, too."

Percy nodded slightly.

"I can't ignore all of this anymore."

Then his voice softened.

"If you still don't want to talk about it, it's fine."

Clara snapped her head up right away.

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it."

She paused for a moment.

"I just don't want my mother to be sad."

Percy said nothing. Clara clasped her hands together.

"She sees me as her daughter."

"And I see her as my mother."

Percy nodded silently. Clara took a deep breath.

"I received a message when I turned seven too."

Percy's eyes widened slightly. Clara continued.

"It was from my biological mother."

"She said she and my father were in the middle of a great war."

"They were starting to lose faith that they could keep me safe."

"Then they remembered an ancient galaxy."

"Named GN-z11."

"They had seen years ago that it was untouched by war."

"They decided to send me there."

Clara briefly closed her eyes.

"To an orange, white, and red planet."

Percy didn't utter a single word. Clara went on.

"They said they never abandoned me."

"And that they never would."

"They would watch over me, even from afar."

"So that I could return to them when necessary..."

"...they prepared the relevant information."

"For my twenty-fifth birthday."

A small smile formed on Clara's lips.

"At the end of the message, my mother wrote..."

Percy waited.

"'Your mother who loves you very much...'"

"'And your father who loves you a little less very much.'"

Percy's eyebrow raised slightly.

"They definitely fought."

Clara let out a small laugh.

"I think so too."

But her smile was short-lived.

"Percy."

"Hmm?"

"Even though I see her as my mother..."

Clara's voice slowly grew small.

"When I heard that voice, I felt pain."

"And a tremendous yearning."

Percy's face softened.

"At the same time, I look at my mother."

"At Eleanor."

"And then I feel terrible."

Percy listened quietly.

"As if I'm betraying her."

Percy thought for a few seconds. Then moved a little closer to Clara.

"Clara."

Clara raised her head.

"Both can be true at the same time."

Clara's look changed slightly.

"We might have been left behind out of necessity."

"We might miss our families."

"We might even be together with them in the future."

Percy paused briefly.

"But that doesn't erase the present."

Clara watched him silently.

"She is your mother."

Percy smiled softly.

"And she is your mother, too."

Clara's eyes widened slightly. Percy shrugged.

"Can't you accept it like that?"

Clara didn't answer for a long time. Then the tension in her shoulders faded. She smiled faintly.

"It's easier that way."

"You're right, Percy."

"Thank you."

Percy answered without hesitation.

"Whenever you want."

He paused for a second.

"Even if you don't want to, I'm right there."

Clara looked at him for a long time. Then smiled a bit more.

"You didn't ask that day either."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"And you thought about it all this time."

"Yet you never asked me once."

Percy watched her silently. Clara's smile grew a little bigger.

"You're kind."

Right at that moment, a voice came from behind.

"He really is, Percy."

Percy and Clara turned together. Eleanor was standing there. Holar was beside her. Both of them had heard everything. Clara's face instantly flushed red. Eleanor only smiled at her. Holar looked at Clara.

"Do you feel a bit relieved, Clara?"

Clara first looked at Eleanor. Then turned to Holar.

"Yes, Grandpa."

Percy's head snapped around instantly.

"WHAT?"

Clara looked at him innocently. Percy pointed at Eleanor.

"Eleanor might be your mother."

Then pointed at Holar.

"But don't call my Grandpa 'Grandpa'!"

Clara's lips curved.

"I will."

"You can't."

"I will."

"You can't!"

Clara shrugged.

"I will, I don't care."

Percy instantly turned to Holar.

"GRANDPAAAAA!"

Holar burst into laughter. Eleanor started laughing too. Clara couldn't hold it back at all. Percy looked as if he had been betrayed. The house was quickly filled with laughter. And so, the break came to an end. And they returned to the academy. The first day passed quickly. The next morning, Percy was waiting at the door. He was wearing his academy uniform. Blaze was in his pocket as usual. The door opened. Clara stepped out. Her hands were completely full. As she prepared to put on her shoes, she stopped. She realized her hands were full. Without a word, Percy bent down. Clara's face flushed slightly.

"Percy?"

Percy unloosened the shoe laces. Clara looked at him for a few seconds. Then quietly extended her foot. Percy carefully put the shoe on her foot. Slowly tied the laces. Then moved to the other foot. Clara watched him in silence. Percy tied the final knot. As he stood up, he looked at Clara.

"Not too tight, right?"

Clara smiled softly.

"Never."

Percy smiled too. Then extended his hand to Clara. Clara didn't hesitate for a moment. She placed her hand in Percy's. Percy gently closed his fingers. Looked toward the academy.

"Come on, let's choose our future!"

Clara looked at Percy. Her smile slowly grew larger.

"I already chose."

Percy stopped dead in his tracks.

"What did you say?"

Clara kept walking. Lightly pulling Percy's hand.

"I said yes!"

Percy's eyes widened. Clara walked without looking back. Percy moved along with her. Toward the academy. Hand in hand.

END OF CHAPTER