CHAPTER 27 — EIGHTH LAP

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 27 — EIGHTH LAP

When the seventh lap ended, nobody celebrated. Nobody had any breath left to celebrate. Two hundred forty-five kilometers. Their feet were torn open once again. The effect of the potion had long since worn off. The stones on their shoulders felt even heavier. Yet something strange had changed. Nobody sat on the ground. Nobody said they wanted to quit.

Percy passed in front of the class. He continued onto his own lap. Clara looked after him.

"Which one?"

William answered.

"He finished his seventeenth."

Arthur raised his head.

"What?"

William recalculated.

"He started his eighteenth."

Charlotte looked at Percy.

"We just finished our seventh."

Nathaniel gathered his breath.

"He is not human."

Clara turned around instantly.

"He is Percy."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Meaning he's worse."

Clara didn't answer. Because her eyes were on Percy's feet. With every step, the sand turned red. Yet Percy was still running. On top of that, he was carrying thirty-nine kilograms.

Holar Jun was watching from above. Eleanor had her arms crossed. For the first time, Galahad looked uneasy. Elizabeth Olsen was silent.

Eleanor couldn't hold back.

"Are we not going to stop him?"

Holar didn't answer. Galahad watched Percy.

"Not yet."

Eleanor turned to him.

"Not yet?"

Galahad nodded.

"If he wants to quit, let him quit."

Eleanor's eyebrows furrowed.

"And if he doesn't want to?"

Galahad's answer was not delayed.

"Then why should we stop him?"

Holar smiled faintly.

"You are finally starting to understand him."

Galahad didn't take his eyes off Percy.

"No."

"I think he is starting to understand me."

Percy stopped as he went into his eighteenth lap. He looked at his class.

"Eighth lap!"

Nobody swore. This surprised Percy.

"Seriously?"

Arthur looked over.

"What?"

"Nobody cussed."

Ethan raised his head with great difficulty.

"We are saving our energy."

Percy nodded.

"Smart."

Then he pointed forward with his hand.

"Begin."

Fifteen children entered the sand. Percy was not beside them. He was running his own lap. Yet his eyes were still on them.

The first kilometer passed. Then the second. The third.

Arthur saw a scorpion coming from ahead. He shifted his foot to the side. Charlotte moved to the left at the exact same time. Their shoulders bumped into each other.

"Watch where you're going."

Arthur looked at her.

"You came into my path."

"This was my route."

"It was mine too."

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Idiot."

Arthur didn't answer. They ran together for a while.

Charlotte's steps grew heavy. Arthur noticed. Without saying a word, he drew closer. He took two stones from her bag. He put them into his own. Charlotte looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"You took my stones."

"Your eyes work."

"Give them back."

Arthur kept going.

"No."

"Arthur."

"You were slowing down."

"I was not slowing down."

Arthur looked at her.

"You were slowing down."

Charlotte went quiet for a few seconds.

Then:

"Thank you."

Arthur's stride faltered. Charlotte looked immediately.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Something did."

"Run."

Charlotte smiled faintly.

Roughly four kilometers later... Arthur's breathing began to grow heavy. Charlotte saw this. She moved beside him. She reached for Arthur's bag. Arthur pulled back immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Arthur looked at her. Charlotte pulled out two stones. She put them into her own bag.

Arthur:

"Those are mine."

Charlotte:

"Your eyes work."

Arthur fell silent. Charlotte smirked.

"Run."

Arthur laughed involuntarily.

Clara saw them from behind. Percy had seen them from the other side as well. The two of them locked eyes. Clara was smirking.

Percy mouthed the words:

"Don't you dare."

Clara smirked even more.

Right at that moment, Arthur leaped. Charlotte leaped too. They passed between two scorpions. However, upon landing, Charlotte stumbled. Arthur caught her hand. Charlotte didn't fall. Arthur was about to let go of her hand. Charlotte didn't let go. Arthur looked at her hand. Charlotte spoke in all seriousness.

"We jump better like this."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Absolutely."

"For balance."

"Absolutely."

"Not romantic."

"Definitely not."

Clara couldn't take it anymore.

"HEY!"

Arthur and Charlotte turned around. Clara shouted.

"DON'T STEAL OUR THING!"

Arthur:

"WHAT THING?"

Clara raised Percy's hand.

"THIS IS OURS!"

Percy:

"Why am I included in this?"

Clara held his hand tighter.

"Be quiet."

Charlotte:

"We jump better!"

Clara:

"US TOO!"

Arthur:

"COINCIDENCE!"

Percy:

"DEFINITELY NOT ROMANTIC!"

Charlotte:

"EXACTLY!"

The four of them looked at each other. William passed by them.

"Idiots."

They were approaching the end of the eighth lap. And William noticed something. There was a large scorpion ahead of them. Normally, it should have entered an attack stance. It didn't. William veered to the right. The scorpion... Pulled back to the left. William's steps slowed down. He looked at another one. That one also moved to the edge of the path. William almost came to a stop.

"Percy—"

Percy was dozens of meters ahead. But he had heard. He turned his head. He saw where William was looking. Percy's face didn't change. William pointed at the scorpion.

"They—"

Percy simply said:

"Keep your mouth shut."

William shut his mouth. Percy's eyes sharpened.

"And keep going."

William looked at him for a few seconds. Then he ran.

Holar hadn't noticed this. Eleanor hadn't noticed. Even Galahad was looking at another student. Olsen was controlling her aura. Only two people had seen it. Percy. And William. Neither of them spoke.

NINTH LAP

The eighth lap ended. Two hundred eighty kilometers. Feet were dragging now. Nathaniel collapsed to his knees. Percy came beside him. He extended his hand. Nathaniel looked up.

"I am resting."

Percy:

"On the ground?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

Nathaniel thought about it.

"The rest of my life."

Percy extended his hand a bit further. Nathaniel looked at it. Then he took it. Percy pulled him up.

"Ninth lap."

Nathaniel closed his eyes. But he did not object.

Percy looked at Olsen. Elizabeth Olsen was expecting this. Their eyes met. Percy nodded once. Olsen's expression changed. Eleanor saw this.

"What?"

Olsen didn't answer. Her aura expanded. First, the heat increased. Then the air grew heavy. Then... Pressure descended.

Clara's knees bent. Arthur involuntarily dropped to the ground. Charlotte lost her breath. William backed up two steps. Nathaniel's eyes snapped open. Sophia placed her hands on the ground. Daniel's shoulders fell. Marcus gritted his teeth. Theodore's bag slammed into the sand. Noah tried to take a breath. Adrian raised his head. Elias was genuinely struggling for the first time. Lucas's legs trembled. Ethan looked at Percy.

"What did you do?"

Percy didn't answer. Olsen's fire aura... Had risen from fifty percent... To one hundred percent.

Galahad immediately looked at Percy.

"Percy."

Percy:

"I know."

Holar's face hardened.

"Did you request this?"

Percy nodded.

"Yes."

Eleanor:

"Why?"

Percy looked at his class.

"Because their bodies have grown accustomed to it."

Then he looked at Olsen.

"So that their will does not grow accustomed."

Olsen's eyes widened slightly. Galahad went silent for a few seconds. Holar stared at Percy for a long time.

"When did you discuss this?"

Olsen answered.

"Before we began."

Eleanor turned to her.

"From the very beginning?"

Olsen nodded.

"Percy told me he would give me a signal."

"When?"

"When he thought they had gotten comfortable."

Eleanor looked down at the children below. They were not comfortable. None of them looked comfortable at all. Then she understood what Percy had meant. He wasn't talking about physical comfort. He was talking about becoming accustomed to the pain.

Galahad bowed his head slightly.

"Will develops only when there is resistance."

Percy looked at him.

"You taught me that, Bro."

Galahad's face softened.

"I didn't teach you this."

Percy:

"I extrapolated it."

Galahad smiled.

"I noticed."

Percy turned back to the class.

"GET UP!"

Nobody moved. Percy didn't shout. This time, his voice was calm.

"You can do this."

Clara raised her head. Percy looked at her.

"You can do it."

He looked at Arthur.

"You too."

Charlotte.

"You too."

William.

"Stop calculating why you can't."

Nathaniel.

"You're not dead."

Nathaniel:

"I'm not so sure."

Percy:

"You're talking."

Nathaniel nodded.

"Good point."

Percy looked at everyone.

"UP!"

Clara was the first to stand. Then Arthur. Charlotte. William. One by one... All of them stood up.

Percy stepped up to the line as well. Thirty-nine kilograms. Olsen's full aura. Sand. Scorpions. Bleeding feet.

"Ninth lap."

Nobody spoke.

"Begin."

They ran. It could no longer be called running. Every step was a battle. Clara's knee gave way. Arthur caught her. Arthur stumbled. Charlotte caught him. Charlotte's bag slipped. William adjusted it. William ran out of breath. Nathaniel adjusted his tempo. Nathaniel fell. Daniel lifted him up. Daniel slowed down. Marcus supported his shoulder. Marcus tripped. Theodore pulled his arm. Theodore grew tired. Noah took his stones. Noah's steps broke. Adrian ran beside him. Adrian's breath grew heavy. Elias set the rhythm. Elias fell. Lucas lifted him up. Lucas stopped. Sophia extended her hand. Sophia collapsed. Ethan lifted her up.

Percy was watching all of them. But he no longer needed to rush to every spot himself. Eleanor was the first to notice this.

"Percy isn't helping."

Holar looked. Then he smiled.

"He doesn't need to."

Eleanor's eyes swept across the group. Someone fell. Another lifted them. Someone grew tired. Another took their load. Someone didn't see a scorpion. The one beside them warned them.

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A different expression formed on Olsen's face.

"They see each other now."

Galahad nodded.

"Finally."

Percy was running behind them. For the first time... He had placed his entire class ahead of him.

Holar saw this.

"They say a leader walks in front."

Eleanor looked at him. Holar continued.

"Sometimes that is wrong."

Galahad smiled.

"Sometimes he stays behind."

Olsen completed the thought.

"To see that everyone is moving forward."

The final kilometers of the ninth lap arrived. Arthur and Charlotte were still holding hands. Clara saw them.

"STILL?!"

Charlotte:

"BALANCE!"

Arthur:

"EFFICIENCY!"

Clara grabbed Percy's hand.

"Us too."

Percy:

"Don't be childish."

Clara let go. Percy ran for two seconds. Then he extended his hand. Clara looked at it.

Percy:

"Balance."

Clara burst out laughing. She took his hand.

"Definitely."

William watched them from behind. Then he looked back at the scorpions. One of them cleared from their path. Another one did as well. William's face turned serious. Percy glanced out of the corner of his eye. William said nothing. Percy didn't say anything either.

The ninth lap was complete. Three hundred fifteen kilometers.

TENTH LAP

Nobody asked how many kilometers were left anymore. Even this had surprised the teachers. In the first laps, everyone was counting numbers. Now they only thought about the next step.

Percy returned from his own lap. He crossed the starting line. William counted immediately. Then he counted again. Clara looked at him.

"How many?"

William looked at Percy. He didn't answer for a long time.

Arthur:

"William?"

William spoke quietly.

"Nineteen."

Silence. Charlotte looked at Percy.

"He finished his nineteenth lap?"

William nodded. The expression on Arthur's face vanished. Nathaniel straightened up.

"Six hundred sixty-five kilometers."

Nobody mentioned Percy's age. There was no need to mention it.

Clara looked at him. Percy's legs were shaking. There was blood on his hands. His breathing was irregular. Thirty-nine kilograms were still on his shoulder. Yet Percy... Was looking at them. He wasn't checking himself. He was checking them.

Tears welled in Eleanor's eyes. She didn't turn away this time.

"Enough is enough."

Holar was silent. Eleanor said it again.

"Nineteen laps."

Galahad was staring at Percy too. Olsen's aura was still at one hundred percent.

Eleanor:

"A child shouldn't be doing this."

Holar finally spoke.

"Correct."

Eleanor turned to him. Holar looked at Percy.

"But reminding him that he is a child..."

"...is our duty."

Eleanor's expression changed. As Holar prepared to step down... Percy raised his head. He looked at his grandfather. Their eyes met. Percy said nothing. He simply shook his head. *No.*

Holar stopped.

Eleanor:

"Holar."

Holar's eyes were full of tears.

"I know."

Galahad looked down. He wasn't seeing his little brother anymore. Nor was he seeing just his student. Percy was growing up. And as beautiful as that was... It was equally frightening.

Olsen was about to reduce her aura for a moment. Percy immediately looked at her. Olsen stopped. Percy shook his head from side to side. Olsen frowned.

Percy:

"Keep going."

Olsen:

"Percy."

"Keep going."

"Your body—"

"I was the one who requested it."

Olsen was silent for a few seconds. Then she kept her aura steady.

Clara watched this. She came up to Percy.

"You're not running the twentieth."

Percy:

"I am."

"No."

"Yes."

"Percy."

"Clara."

"You are seven years old."

Percy looked at her.

"So are you."

Clara went quiet for a moment.

"What kind of answer is that, damn it?"

Percy smiled.

"I don't know."

Then Percy turned to the class.

"Tenth lap."

Nobody moved. Percy waited.

Arthur stepped forward.

"Hold on a minute."

Percy looked at him. Arthur pulled stones from his own bag. He didn't hand them to Percy. He gave them to Charlotte. Charlotte was surprised.

Arthur:

"You take a portion."

Charlotte took them. Then she gave a few of her own stones to William. William looked at Nathaniel. Nathaniel at Daniel. Daniel at Marcus. Marcus at Theodore. Within a few seconds... The load had been redistributed once more.

Percy watched them. He hadn't given a single order. Pride appeared on Galahad's face.

"That's it."

As Percy was about to speak, Arthur stopped him.

"President."

Percy:

"Yes?"

Arthur:

"We're taking from your load too."

Percy's face changed.

"No."

Arthur:

"Why?"

"It's my load."

Arthur smiled.

"You said it yourself."

Percy went quiet. Arthur continued.

"Being able to do it..."

Charlotte completed the thought.

"...doesn't mean having to do it alone."

Percy couldn't answer for a few seconds. Eleanor began to cry. Holar was smiling. Olsen's eyes softened. Galahad bowed his head.

Percy looked at his bag. Then at his class. For the first time since the first night... He pulled stones out from his own load. Arthur took one. Clara took one. William took one. Charlotte took one. Nathaniel took one. Percy's shoulders lightened. Yet the expression on his face grew weightier. Because he understood. While he was training them... They were training him as well.

Percy spoke quietly.

"Thank you."

Arthur:

"What did you say?"

Percy:

"I didn't say anything."

Clara:

"I heard it."

Charlotte:

"Me too."

William:

"Me too."

Nathaniel:

"We all heard it."

Percy:

"Run, damn it."

The tenth lap began. Olsen's aura pressed down upon them. The sand dragged at their feet. The scorpions moved. Yet the class... Was no longer sixteen separate children.

Arthur leaped. Charlotte held his hand. They landed together. Clara saw an opening. She pulled Percy. Percy shifted direction with her movement.

William looked at the approaching scorpions. This time he was certain. Some of them... Were pulling back before they even approached. William looked at Percy. Percy was already looking at him. William didn't open his mouth. Percy gave a small nod. *Keep going.* William kept going. But his mind was working. Why? What had changed? Why were the scorpions— Nathaniel shouted.

"WILLIAM!"

William leaped. He cleared a scorpion.

Nathaniel:

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

William:

"I am."

Nathaniel:

"IT SHOWS!"

William fell silent. Percy saw this. And for the first time, he smiled faintly.

Halfway through the tenth lap... Nobody was moving alone. If someone moved left, another filled the gap. If someone jumped, the one beside them supported them. If someone fell... They didn't reach the ground. Because someone inevitably caught them.

Olsen's gaze transformed.

"They couldn't do this in the first lap."

Galahad:

"No."

"They were bumping into each other."

"Yes."

"Now they don't even talk."

Galahad smiled.

"They don't need to talk."

Holar watched silently. Then he turned to Eleanor.

"Do you see?"

Eleanor nodded.

"I see."

Holar:

"Percy didn't teach them to run together."

Eleanor:

"No."

Olsen understood the rest.

"He taught them to think together."

Galahad corrected her this time.

"No."

The three of them looked at him. Galahad pointed to the class.

"Percy provided the start."

"They learned this themselves."

Holar's smile broadened.

"Even better."

The final kilometer of the tenth lap began. None of them could run properly anymore. Yet none of them were stopping. Percy was at the very back. He looked ahead at them all. Clara. Arthur. Charlotte. William. Nathaniel. Daniel. Marcus. Theodore. Elias. Lucas. Sophia. Noah. Adrian. Ethan. They were all still there. Not a single person had left. Percy's eyes filled with tears. But nobody saw it. Because at that moment, Arthur shouted.

"PERCY!"

Percy:

"WHAT?"

Arthur:

"YOU'RE SLOW!"

Percy's eyes widened. Clara shouted.

"YOU HEARD HIM!"

Charlotte:

"THE PRESIDENT FELL BEHIND!"

Even William smiled. Percy gritted his teeth. He accelerated. Clara extended her hand. Percy caught it. Arthur took Charlotte's hand. Four children came side-by-side.

Clara looked at Arthur. Arthur at Clara. Charlotte at Percy. Percy at Charlotte. Then four hands looked down.

Clara:

"You stole from us."

Charlotte:

"Coincidence."

Arthur:

"Balance."

Percy:

"Definitely not romantic."

Arthur and Charlotte at the exact same time:

"DEFINITELY."

And they ran. The others followed behind them. Nobody was alone. Nobody was left behind. Nobody stepped on a scorpion.

The finish line of the tenth lap appeared. Three hundred fifty kilometers. Percy didn't stop as he approached the line. He looked at his class. He waited until all of them had crossed. The last person was Ethan. Ethan crossed the line. Only then did Percy cross after him.

Olsen saw this. Her aura was still at one hundred percent. Yet for the first time, there was no teacher expression on her face. There was pride. Eleanor was crying quietly. Holar didn't look at her. Because he was no different. Galahad was watching Percy. Percy had run nineteen laps. The class, ten laps. Yet what caught Galahad's attention was not the number. On the first night... Percy was dragging everyone along. Now... He didn't need to drag anyone anymore.

Percy collapsed to his knees. Clara came beside him immediately. Arthur took a step forward. Charlotte did as well. William approached. Then Nathaniel. Then the rest.

Percy raised his head. He saw his class around him. He smiled.

"Two laps."

Everyone looked at him. Percy said it again.

"You have two laps left."

Then he looked out at the distant course. As for himself... He had one lap left.

William looked at the exact same spot. Then at the moving scorpions. One of them was in the middle of the path. As the class approached... It slowly pulled to the side. William's eyes narrowed. Percy saw this. This time, he said nothing. William didn't say anything either. The two of them simply looked at each other. And kept on running.

END OF EPISODE