EPISODE 11 — THE FIRST MISSION

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 11 — THE FIRST MISSION

"Percy."

Percy sat up in his bed. The room was dark. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated a portion of the floor. No one was there. Yet he had heard the voice. He had definitely heard it.

"Who's there?"

No answer came. Percy climbed out of bed. He opened the door. He looked down the corridor.

"Grandpa?"

Silence. He closed the door. Just as he was about to return to his bed... The voice came again. This time, it was clearer. And Percy realized this wasn't a voice he was hearing with his ears.

"Today, you turned seven years old."

Percy froze. The woman's voice was soft. Strangely... It didn't frighten him.

"If you are hearing these words..."

"...it means the first lock I left behind has been opened."

Percy's eyes widened.

"Who are you?"

The voice didn't hear him. This was no conversation. It was a message... Left behind a long time ago.

"Percy."

"Right now, I am not going to tell you who you are."

"Nor where you came from."

"Nor why I left you."

The curiosity on Percy's face slowly shifted.

"Because you are seven years old."

"And you shouldn't have to carry any of these things."

A brief silence followed.

"For now, there are only three things I want you to know."

Percy held his breath.

"First..."

"You are not alone."

Percy's fingers curled slightly.

"Second..."

"The person who left you did not abandon you."

Percy's eyes widened.

"And third..."

The voice paused for a moment. It was as though even the woman who had spoken these words thousands of years ago found it difficult to continue.

"I love you."

Percy didn't move.

"Very much."

Silence.

"At seven years old, do not try to understand the world."

"Play."

"Laugh."

"Bicker."

"Make mistakes."

"Make friends."

Clara came to Percy's mind. Then, for some reason, Arthur did too. He grimaced.

"He doesn't count."

The voice continued:

"Do not sacrifice your childhood to become strong."

"Because power..."

"...will find you anyway."

Percy's brows knitted together.

"You will hear my next words at age fourteen."

The voice grew increasingly distant.

"Until then..."

"Live, Percy."

One final silence.

"And please..."

"Sometimes behave."

Percy's mouth fell open.

"What do you mean, *sometimes*—"

The voice vanished.

Percy sat on the edge of the bed for a long time. A woman. She loved him. She had left him. Yet she said she hadn't abandoned him. Who was she? His mother? Percy didn't know. But... The next message would come at age fourteen. Seven years. Percy lay back down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling.

"That's so long."

He thought for a while. Then he closed his eyes. Five seconds later, he snapped them open again.

"Besides, I already behave."

From the far end of the corridor, Holar's voice echoed out:

"NO YOU DON'T."

Percy sat up.

"GRANDPA, AREN'T YOU ASLEEP?"

"I WAS ASLEEP."

Percy lay back down.

"...I do behave."

"I HEARD THAT."

Percy pulled the blanket over his head. A few days later... Percy Grant stepped through the gates of the Mage Academy for the first time as a student.

The Academy... Was far larger than Percy had anticipated. The main structure alone resembled a small city. Six massive training grounds. Duel arenas. Orin study halls. Libraries. Gardens. Element training sectors. And what caught Percy's attention above all else... The cafeteria. Clara looked at him.

"Is that seriously the first thing you saw?"

"It's important."

"We're at the Academy."

"I might get hungry."

"You ate ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes is a long time."

Clara sighed. A girl passed by them. Percy paused for a moment. He recognized the girl. From the Orin measurement. Charlotte Ashford. Charlotte recognized them too.

"Percy, right?"

Percy nodded.

"Charlotte."

Charlotte was surprised.

"You remembered my name."

Percy shrugged.

"Sixty-nine percent."

Charlotte's mouth gaped open.

"You remembered my score, not my name!"

"Both."

Clara laughed. Charlotte looked at Percy for a few seconds. Then she laughed too.

"You really are weird."

Percy nodded.

"They say that a lot."

Clara added immediately:

"Because it's true."

The first few weeks... Passed unexpectedly normally. Percy learned history. And he didn't hate history. That surprised him. 2035. The first nuclear strikes. The war that followed. Collapsing nations. The virus. The first monsters. Humanity teetering on the brink of extinction. And... The First Awakened. Holar Jun. Percy sat at his desk listening to the teacher talk about his grandfather.

"Does anyone know who the First Awakened was?"

Nearly every hand in the classroom went up. Percy's hand did not. The teacher looked at him.

"Percy?"

Percy answered:

"Holar Jun."

"Correct. Now, do you know what Holar Jun—"

Percy accidentally blurted out:

"I know."

The class turned to look at him. Percy went quiet. The teacher raised an eyebrow.

"You've studied."

Percy nodded with total seriousness.

"A lot."

Clara was covering her mouth behind her desk. Percy gave her a nasty glare.

Classes progressed. Orin theory. Monster classification. World history. Basic spell control. Defense theory. Geography. For the first time, Percy was in the same place as hundreds of kids his age. He didn't get along with some. He talked with others. He became friends with a few. Charlotte was one of them. Another boy, a light-brown-haired kid named William Hart, quickly became friends with Percy after discovering Percy was just as serious about food as he was. During their first lunch break, the two argued for twelve minutes over which dessert was superior. Clara watched them.

"You're both stupid."

William looked at Percy.

"Is she always like this?"

Without hesitation, Percy replied:

"Yes."

Clara stomped right on Percy's foot.

"OW!"

William nodded.

"Got it."

Days passed. Word also spread around this time that Arthur had transferred from the Sovereign Noble Academy to the Mage Academy. Percy didn't ask why. Percy explored the academy. He got lost in the library. He walked into the wrong classroom twice. Once, he wandered into the Advanced Core students' hall and managed to go unnoticed for about three minutes. When caught, he was asked why he was there.

Percy said:

"I was curious."

That answer satisfied no one. One evening, when Percy returned home... Holar was waiting for him in the living room. Percy took off his shoes.

"Grandpa?"

Holar's face was more serious than usual. Percy noticed immediately.

"Did something happen?"

Holar stood up.

"You and I are going on a journey, Percy."

Eleanor's gaze shifted to Holar. Clara raised her head from the table as well.

"Where to?"

Percy asked. Holar didn't answer. Eleanor looked at him for a few seconds. Then... She understood.

"Holar."

Holar looked at Eleanor. The cheerfulness on Eleanor's face had completely vanished.

"There?"

"Yes."

Clara looked at her mother.

"Where?"

Eleanor didn't answer. Percy, meanwhile, was staring at Holar.

"When?"

"Now."

Holar placed his hand on Percy's shoulder. The world shifted. The ground beneath Percy's feet disappeared. A moment later... Cold. That was the first thing he felt. Then the wind. Then... Silence.

Percy opened his eyes. It looked like nowhere he had ever seen before. The sky was gray. Mountains rose on the horizon. Except one of the things he thought was a mountain... Moved. Percy's breath caught in his throat.

"Grandpa..."

Holar raised his hand. A transparent sphere formed around Percy. A shield. Layer upon layer of Orin enclosed Percy's surroundings. Percy reached out and touched the barrier.

"What is this?"

"As long as I don't want it to break, nothing here can break it."

Percy looked at Holar. There was no trace of humor on Holar's face. Percy turned serious as well. Far away... Something roared. The ground shook. Percy instinctively drew closer to Holar. Holar began to walk. Percy walked alongside him.

"You know about most of the monster territories."

Percy nodded.

"They showed us in class."

"What they showed you are the border regions."

Holar looked out toward the horizon.

"We are not at the border."

Percy's steps slowed.

"What is here?"

Holar answered:

"Kings."

They reached the top of a valley. Percy looked down. And was rendered speechless. Thousands of creatures. Some were the size of humans. Some were larger than buildings. Some flew. Some moved through the earth itself. In their midst... Existed three massive territories. Each was a land that even the other creatures dared not approach.

Holar spoke:

"Monster Kings."

Percy remained silent.

"And above them..."

Holar's gaze shifted to a dark region much further out.

"...are Emperors."

Percy looked. He couldn't see anything clearly. Yet... He felt what emanated from there. Pressure. As if the sky itself had grown heavy.

"How many?"

"Three Great Emperors."

Percy looked at Holar.

"Can you defeat them?"

Holar was quiet.

Then:

"Yes."

Just as Percy was about to feel relieved, Holar continued:

"But that is not the point."

Holar knelt down. Brought himself to eye level with Percy.

"Percy."

"I have always viewed you as a child."

Percy listened in silence.

"You were five months old."

"You learned to walk."

"You learned to talk."

"You learned to run."

"You tripped over a rock and decided the rock was evil."

Percy grimaced slightly.

"That rock really was evil."

The corner of Holar's mouth twitched. Yet his seriousness returned.

"I wanted you to be a child."

"I didn't want you to rush into learning magic."

"I didn't want you to rush for power."

"Because I knew that one day you would grow up."

Holar touched Percy's shoulder.

"And you are growing up."

Holar stood up. He looked down at the monsters below.

"However, while you grow..."

"Every single day, people are fighting here."

Percy looked down as well.

"Border units."

"Mages."

"Teachers."

"Healers."

"People whose names you will never hear."

Holar's voice grew heavy.

"Some return home."

"Some do not."

The childish curiosity on Percy's face vanished.

"We can live comfortably in Awakeners City..."

"...because they fight."

"And because..."

Holar looked into the distance.

"...even the strongest creatures of this world fear certain things."

Percy looked at him.

"Whom?"

Holar answered:

"Eleanor."

Percy's eyes widened slightly.

"Me."

Holar continued:

"And the power left behind by the other two founders from the first era."

Percy looked back out toward the dark horizon.

"The Monster Kings do not cross their borders."

"Because they know they will find us standing against them."

"Nor do the Three Great Emperors..."

Holar's eyes narrowed.

"...move for now."

"Why?"

"Because they do not know what will happen if I make a move."

Percy fell silent for a while.

Then he asked:

"Are you afraid of them?"

"No."

"Are they afraid of you?"

Holar pondered for a moment.

"Enough."

Percy looked down at the creatures below. These weren't drawings from a textbook. This was real. People were actually fighting these things. Every single day. Percy's mind flashed back to the laughter at the Academy. The cafeteria. Charlotte. William. Bickering with Clara. The birthday. The plate of fruit. The wand. Holar's house. All of it... Existed within the world that people were fighting for.

Holar walked back over to Percy's side.

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"Percy."

"Yes, Grandpa?"

"I am going to give you your first mission."

Percy looked at him. Holar's voice was calm. Yet Percy had never heard him sound quite like this before.

"Develop as fast as you can."

Percy's eyes widened slightly.

"Learn."

"Grow strong."

"But never forget why you are growing strong."

Holar pointed to the world below.

"One day..."

"...this world may need you."

Then he looked at Percy.

"And when that day comes..."

Holar placed his hand on Percy's head.

"...help me save this world."

Percy didn't answer. For a long time. Then he raised his small hand. He gripped Holar's wrist.

"Okay."

Holar looked at him.

Percy repeated:

"I'll help."

Holar smiled.

"Good."

Percy thought for a few seconds.

"Can Clara help too?"

Holar laughed.

"If she wants to."

"Arthur?"

Holar's eyebrow raised. Percy grimaced.

"...Never mind."

When they returned home, Eleanor was waiting for them. Percy didn't talk much. Clara noticed.

"What did you see?"

Percy took off his shoes.

"Monsters."

"What kind of monsters?"

Percy thought for a second.

"Too many."

Clara was about to ask something else. Eleanor shook her head subtly. Clara went quiet.

Percy went up to his room. Yet he couldn't sit still. His mother's words. Holar's words. What he had learned at the Academy. The mages who died at the border. The Kings. The Emperors. All of it swirled inside his head. Eventually, he went back downstairs. Without saying anything to anyone, he stepped outside.

He walked through the streets. He didn't know where he was going. He was simply walking. He was so lost in thought that he almost walked right past the person coming from the opposite direction. At the last moment, he noticed. Arthur. Arthur was alone as well. The two stopped. Normally... This moment would have unfolded differently. A glare. A taunt. A shove. Perhaps a fight. But Percy's mind was elsewhere. So the words came out of his mouth without a second thought:

"Hello, Arthur."

Arthur froze. Percy kept walking. Arthur looked back at him.

"What?"

Percy stopped.

"What do you mean, what?"

"Did you just say hello to me?"

Percy thought about it.

"Yes."

Arthur stared at him for a few seconds.

"Are you sick?"

Percy's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm not."

"You're weird."

Percy started walking again. For some reason, Arthur walked in the same direction alongside him.

"Why are you here?"

Percy asked. Arthur shrugged.

"I'm walking."

"Me too."

"Clearly."

The two walked in silence for a few minutes. It was strange. Very strange. Then... The bushes rustled.

Arthur stopped instantly. So did Percy. A creature emerged. It was roughly the size of a large dog. It had green skin. Four long legs. And two rows of small, sharp teeth inside its mouth. Percy recognized it.

"Level 1."

Arthur nodded.

"Easy."

The creature looked at Percy. Then it lunged. Percy's head was still processing the world he had seen just a few hours ago. His reaction was delayed. The creature leaped toward him.

"Percy!"

Arthur raised his hand. Orin flared. A transparent shield materialized in front of Percy.

BAM!

The creature slammed into the shield. Percy's eyes widened.

Arthur yelled:

"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!"

Percy blinked. He was right.

"Thanks."

Arthur froze once more.

"You really are sick today."

Percy gathered Orin. Just as he was about to attack... A second noise came. Except this time, not from the bushes. From above.

Arthur raised his head. So did Percy. A creature perched atop the wall. It looked closer to human. Long arms. Slender torso. Greenish-gray skin. And between its hands... Rested Orin. The expression on Arthur's face shifted.

"A Nevr."

Percy's heart rate spiked. He had seen it in class. Nevr. One of the lower-class monster species capable of shaping Orin. Yet for two seven-year-old kids... It was by no means lower-class.

The Nevr raised its hand. Orin condensed. Arthur was still dealing with the pressure of the first creature against his shield. Percy turned around.

"Arthur!"

Arthur looked up. Too late. The Nevr's spell fired. Percy didn't think. He didn't raise his hand. He didn't gather Orin. He didn't construct a technique. He simply... Said it.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**."

The magic vanished into nothingness. Arthur's eyes widened. So did Percy's. Silence. Percy looked at his hands.

"It worked."

Arthur looked at him.

"What?"

Percy's heart was beating like crazy.

"It worked."

"WHAT worked?"

"For years—"

Percy stopped. It hadn't been years. Yet it felt that way to him.

"I haven't been able to do it for a long time."

The Nevr shrieked again. Arthur snapped back to reality.

"THINK LATER!"

"Right!"

The two ran. Yet the first creature attacked again. Arthur repelled it. The Nevr fired its second spell. Percy dove aside. The blast shattered the ground. Shards of stone lodged into Percy's leg.

"AH!"

Percy fell. Arthur turned around.

"Percy!"

The Nevr's third attack flew directly at Arthur. Arthur erected a shield. The collision hurled him back several meters. His shoulder slammed into the wall. Percy tried to stand up. His leg refused to cooperate.

"Arthur!"

"I'm fine!"

"You're lying!"

"So are you!"

They couldn't escape. The first creature was closing in. The Nevr was gathering Orin once more. Percy gritted his teeth.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**."

Nothing happened. Percy's eyes widened.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**!"

Still nothing.

"Why?!"

Arthur yelled:

"DO WHATEVER YOU WERE DOING!"

"I CAN'T!"

The Nevr readied its attack. Then... Five spells descended from the sky.

**BOOM!**

The first creature was slammed into the earth. The Nevr leaped back. A group of mages descended into the street. A patrol unit.

"KIDS!"

One mage erected a massive barrier. Another attacked the Nevr. A third rushed over to Percy. Percy's vision was turning blurry. Arthur lay on the ground a few meters away. The two looked at each other. The last thing on Percy's mind... Was the shield Arthur had cast in front of him moments earlier.

When he opened his eyes... The ceiling was white.

"Hospital."

Percy muttered.

"Great."

"Great?!"

Percy flinched. Clara was beside the bed. Eleanor stood behind her. Holar was standing near the window. Percy's leg was bandaged up. And around the adjacent bed... Stood Richard Green. Oliver. Henry. Edward. And in the bed... Arthur. Arthur's shoulder was immobilized. Percy looked at him. Arthur looked at Percy too. Both said at the exact same time:

"You look terrible."

Silence. Percy's eyebrow raised. So did Arthur's.

"I look better than YOU."

"In your dreams."

"Your shoulder doesn't work."

"You can't walk."

"Temporary."

"Mine too!"

Richard closed his eyes. Holar looked out the window.

Eleanor whispered to Clara:

"They're healed."

Clara nodded.

"Definitely."

The patrol commander explained what had transpired. The Level 1 creature. Then the Nevr. Arthur's shield. Percy's injury. Arthur's shoulder. Then the commander paused.

"However..."

Holar looked at him.

"What?"

"We couldn't understand the spell one of the children used."

The room went silent. Percy raised his head. Arthur looked at him.

The commander continued:

"The Nevr's attack simply vanished into thin air."

Arthur pointed at Percy.

"He did it."

Everyone turned to look at Percy.

Percy's breathing quickened.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**."

Holar's face changed. Eleanor straightened up. Clara's eyes widened. Percy looked at his hands.

"It worked."

Holar stepped closer.

"Again?"

Percy nodded.

"Once."

"And then?"

"Then I tried."

Percy's face darkened.

"It didn't work."

The voices in the room began to fade into the background of Percy's mind. The first time... Against Arthur's attacks. **[Absolute Cancel]**. Then... Nothing. Again. Months of nothing. And today... It had worked again. Percy's eyes suddenly widened. He turned to the right. He glared furiously at the empty wall.

"Why?"

No one could answer. Percy clenched his fist.

"A spell I haven't been able to cast for years..."

Holar didn't correct him. For Percy, it really had felt like years.

"...why did it work again today?"

Holar fell silent. So did Eleanor. Because they didn't know either.

There was something Percy did not know. **[Absolute Cancel]** had not vanished. It was not broken. Nor was Percy performing it incorrectly. He simply... Was not yet in a state where he could use it at will. After its initial awakening, the technique required time before it could be used again. Fourteen months. As he developed and grew... This duration would decrease. But Percy didn't know that. Holar didn't know that. Eleanor didn't know that. For now... No one knew.

Arthur's voice snapped Percy out of his thoughts.

"By the way."

Percy looked at him.

"What?"

"I saved your life."

Percy's eyes narrowed.

"I saved yours too."

Arthur thought about it.

"I saved yours first."

"What difference does it make?"

"I did it first."

"Then I did it."

"If it weren't for me, you couldn't have done the second one."

Percy tried to sit up.

"IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, THE NEVR WOULD HAVE PAINTED THE WALL WITH YOU."

Arthur sat up as well.

"IF IT WEREN'T FOR MY SHIELD, THE FIRST MONSTER WOULD HAVE EATEN YOU."

"IT COULDN'T HAVE EATEN ME."

"WHY?"

Percy thought for a second.

"...It wouldn't like how I taste."

Arthur went quiet. Oliver laughed. So did Henry. Edward tried hard to contain himself. Even Arthur pressed his lips together for a second. Then he turned serious again.

"You still owe me."

Percy:

"You owe me."

"You owe me."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

Richard took a deep breath.

Holar:

"They'll keep going."

Eleanor:

"Definitely."

Clara hadn't left Percy's bedside the entire time. Percy finally noticed.

"Why are you still here?"

Clara looked at him.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Percy immediately:

"No."

Then he went quiet. Arthur looked at him. Percy looked at Arthur.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

"Don't look."

"I'm not looking."

"You're totally looking."

"You're looking at me too."

"Because you're looking at me."

"Will both of you shut up?"

Clara interjected. Both fell silent. A short while later, the doctor came to check Arthur's shoulder once more. Clara involuntarily looked over at the adjacent bed. Arthur winced in pain. Clara hesitated for a few seconds. Then... She spoke in a normal voice.

"Get well soon, Arthur."

Silence.

Percy's head... Slowly turned toward Clara. Clara didn't notice. Arthur, however, did. The expression on Percy's face didn't change. Yet his eyes... Narrowed slightly.

Arthur looked at Percy. Percy looked at Arthur. The corner of Arthur's mouth... Curved upward ever so slightly. Percy's eyebrow twitched.

Clara finally turned to Percy.

"What?"

Percy didn't answer. Arthur's subtle smirk broadened a bit more. Percy's other eyebrow twitched as well.

Clara looked between the two of them. Then back at Percy.

"Percy?"

Percy pulled the blanket up a bit. Without taking his eyes off Arthur, he spoke:

"...Nothing."

Arthur was now indisputably smirking. In Percy's mind... There was no Level 1 monster. There was no Nevr. There were no Monster Kings. There were no Three Great Emperors. There wasn't even **[Absolute Cancel]**. There were only three words. *Get well soon, Arthur.*

Percy's eyes narrowed a bit more. Arthur smiled quietly. And for some reason... Percy Grant decided right at that moment that he liked the Nevr slightly more than Arthur Green.