EPISODE 14 — EVERY POSSIBILITY

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 14 — EVERY POSSIBLITY

William Hart. Percy no longer forgot his name. Because over the last eight days... William had beaten him eleven times.

"Again."

Percy got up from the ground. He dusted himself off. William was standing opposite him.

"Percy."

"Again."

"That's eleven."

"I know."

"Maybe you should rest a bit."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you tired?"

William looked at him for a few seconds.

"Fine."

The twelfth match began. Percy attacked. William dodged to the left. Percy had anticipated this. He sent the second orb to the left. William stopped. Percy's eyes widened. William stepped to the right. The orb passed through empty space.

"AH!"

William's small attack struck Percy's chest.

BAM!

Percy fell to the ground again. Charlotte was sitting off to the side. Holding an apple in her hand.

"Twelve."

Percy from the ground:

"Stop counting."

Charlotte took a bite of her apple.

"William twelve."

Percy sat up.

"Me how many?"

Charlotte thought for a moment.

"Zero."

Percy's face fell.

William:

"You didn't have to say that."

Charlotte:

"He asked."

"TELLING THE TRUTH ISN'T ALWAYS NECESSARY, IT SEEMS."

Charlotte burst into laughter. Percy stood up once more. But this time, he didn't attack. William noticed this. Percy watched him for a few seconds.

"How do you know what I'm going to do?"

William:

"I don't."

Percy's brows knitted.

"Liar."

"I don't."

"But you dodge every time."

"Because I think about what you could do."

Percy fell silent. William continued.

"I did it when fighting Clara, too."

Percy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Her foot."

William nodded.

"Her left foot."

Percy remembered it. When Clara prepared to attack... She dropped her right shoulder a little. Percy had known this for years. When she pulled her left foot back... He usually expected a spell coming from the right. When she built a shield... She spread her fingers a bit too wide. When she got angry... She attacked harder. But she thought less...

Percy's eyes widened. William smiled.

"You noticed."

Percy started running without saying another word. Charlotte yelled after him.

"Where are you going?!"

"TO PRACTICE!"

William:

"We were already practicing."

Percy from far away:

"A DIFFERENT WAY!"

That night, Percy wasn't in his room. He was in the garden. He created an Orin orb. Moved it. Stopped it. Again. But he was no longer just looking at his magic. He was looking at his own feet. When attacking, he placed his right foot forward. Why? Habit.

He changed it. Left. It felt bad. Again. He constructed a shield. He noticed that every single time, he slightly raised his shoulder.

"This gives it away."

Again. His shoulder didn't move. The shield appeared. Eleanor was watching him from the window. Holar came up beside her.

"What is he doing?"

Eleanor watched for a while.

"He's watching himself."

Holar's eyebrow raised slightly. Percy attacked. Stopped. Did the same attack with a different movement. Again. Again. Again. The night wore on. Holar stepped outside.

"Percy."

Percy turned.

"Yes, Grandfather?"

"Sleep."

"A little more."

"No."

"Ten minutes."

"No."

"Five."

"Percy."

"...Two?"

Holar grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Bed."

Percy sighed.

"This is William's fault."

Holar:

"I'll thank William."

Percy looked at him in horror.

"Don't you dare."

The next day at the academy... After classes ended, Percy went to the training grounds. One hour. Two hours. Three. Orin orb. Shield. Slash. Reverse. Movement. Feet. Shoulders. Gaze.

Then...

"You're making it way too obvious."

Percy stopped. He turned around. A boy was leaning against the wall. Older than Percy. Black hair. Tall. Wearing the uniform of fourth-year students. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

The boy pointed at Percy's hand.

"Your fingers before you attack."

Percy looked at his hand.

"What am I doing?"

"Slightly closing them."

Percy looked again.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

The boy laughed.

"Do it again."

Percy gathered Orin. Right as he was about to attack...

"Now."

Percy froze. He looked at his fingers. Really... They had closed.

"Ugh."

The boy laughed. Percy looked at him.

"Who are you?"

The boy held out a hand.

"Galahad."

Percy shook his hand.

"Percy."

Galahad:

"I know."

Percy:

"Of course."

"The 100% kid."

Percy's face fell.

"I hate that name."

Galahad laughed.

"I would too if I were you."

Percy looked at his uniform.

"Fourth year?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven."

"Your Orin Compatibility?"

Galahad's eyebrow went up.

"Did we jump straight to that?"

"I was curious."

"93%."

Percy's eyes widened.

"Woooooah."

Galahad smiled.

"You're a hundred."

"You're four years ahead of me."

Galahad's smile shifted slightly. He hadn't expected that answer.

Percy asked:

"Will you teach me something?"

Galahad:

"What?"

"What you just saw."

"My fingers?"

"No."

Percy shook his head.

"How you saw it."

Galahad looked at Percy for a few seconds. Then he pushed off the wall.

"Alright."

That's how it began. In the following weeks, Percy frequently sought out Galahad. Sometimes in the training area. Sometimes in the library. Sometimes in the upper tiers of the arena. Rather than teaching him spells... Galahad was teaching him how to observe. One day, Percy was standing opposite him.

Galahad:

"Attack me."

Percy attacked. Galahad dodged.

"Again."

Percy attacked. Dodged.

"Again."

Third time. Fourth time. Fifth time. Percy grew frustrated.

"How do you know?!"

Galahad smiled.

"I don't."

Percy stopped. William had said the exact same thing. Galahad placed four small stones on the ground.

"Walk from here to there."

Percy walked.

"How many ways could you have walked?"

Percy:

"A lot."

"How many?"

Percy thought.

"From the right."

"What else?"

"From the left."

"What else?"

"Through the middle."

"What else?"

"Over the stones."

"What else?"

Percy knitted his brows.

"I could have jumped."

"What else?"

"I could have run."

"What else?"

Percy's face fell.

"I could have walked backwards."

Galahad smiled.

"What else?"

Percy:

"Alright, that's enough, man."

Galahad burst out laughing.

Then he grew serious.

"Every movement has multiple possibilities."

Percy listened.

"Your opponent can go right."

"They can go left."

"They can stop."

"They can step back."

"They can attack."

"They can build a shield."

"They can do nothing at all."

Galahad tapped Percy's forehead lightly.

"You are trying to guess just one."

"I consider all of them."

Percy's eyes widened slightly.

"That's impossible."

"For now."

Percy fell silent. Galahad was smirking.

Percy:

"You stole my line."

"It's mine now."

Galahad started walking. Percy moved alongside him. Galahad spoke.

"Deciding once your opponent moves might be too late."

"Don't make the decision in advance."

"Know your options in advance."

Percy thought about it.

"So I don't guess what they'll do."

"No."

"I think about what they could do."

"Correct."

"Then when I see what they actually do..."

"...you throw out the other possibilities."

Percy stopped. So did Galahad. A slow smile formed on Percy's face.

"This is amazing."

Galahad laughed.

"I know."

Class arena matches continued. Percy lost his first match. Won his second. Lost his third. Won his fourth. Galahad was watching from the stands. Percy was no longer attacking directly like before. He was waiting. He was looking at his opponent's shoulder. Their foot. Their hand. Where the Orin gathered.

Fifth match. Percy feigned an attack. His opponent built a shield. Percy didn't attack. The opponent was startled. Percy shifted right. The opponent turned. Percy had already pivoted left.

BAM!

Match over.

Galahad smiled slightly.

"That's it."

Percy fought William again. Lost.

"Again."

William:

"Percy..."

"Again."

Lost again. The next day... Again. This time, for the first time, he completely read William's attack. Dodged it. William's eyes widened. Percy smiled. Then William brought him down on the second move.

While lying on the ground, Percy burst out laughing. William was surprised.

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"Why are you laughing?"

"I saw the first one."

William smiled too.

"Yes."

Percy stood up.

"Again."

Galahad was watching them from afar. And he nodded. He had started thinking that Percy's best quality wasn't 100% Orin Compatibility. The kid... Wasn't afraid of losing. He was afraid of not using what he learned from losing. Weeks passed.

The trio of Percy, Charlotte, and William were now constantly together at the academy. Charlotte tutored them in history. William pointed out everyone's mistakes. Percy was constantly convincing the two to try something new.

"This might explode."

William said.

Percy:

"It could."

Charlotte:

"How much?"

Percy:

"A little."

William:

"Percentage?"

Percy:

"...Twenty."

Charlotte:

"No."

Percy:

"Fifteen."

William:

"It was twenty a second ago."

"I changed my mind."

On the other side... Clara was now spending much more time with Arthur. Oliver. Henry. Edward. They studied together. Ate together. Sometimes trained together. Arthur wasn't mean to Clara. In fact... He was unexpectedly nice. Percy didn't like this. But Percy... Said nothing at all.

Clara noticed this. And Percy saying nothing... For some reason irritated her even more than if he had said something. One afternoon... Percy, Charlotte, and William were in the academy gardens. Galahad was reading a book under a tree a bit further away. Percy was telling Charlotte something.

"No, really. William might be thinking even when he's asleep."

William:

"I wasn't asleep."

Percy:

"Your eyes were closed."

"I was resting."

Charlotte laughed.

"Percy might be right."

William:

"Whose side are you on?"

Charlotte:

"The winner's."

Percy raised a hand.

"BOOOO—"

Charlotte:

"No."

Percy:

"One day you'll let me finish."

"No."

Galahad looked at them over his book. He smiled. Right at that moment... Arthur and Clara entered the garden. Oliver, Henry, and Edward were a bit behind them. Arthur saw Percy. Then Charlotte. Percy and Charlotte were laughing. The expression on Arthur's face shifted. Clara saw it.

"Where are you going?"

Arthur didn't answer. He started walking past Percy. Galahad raised his head from his book. Arthur's right foot... Slightly shifted direction.

Percy saw it. The angle of the foot. The knee movement. The transfer of Arthur's weight to his left leg. The distance. The speed. Possibilities. Arthur could walk. He could stop. He could shoulder-barge. He could talk. He could extend his foot to trip him. Percy's eyes narrowed slightly.

Arthur extended his foot. But Percy's foot... Was no longer there. Percy stepped half a step to the side. Arthur's foot caught only empty air. Arthur's eyes widened.

Percy didn't even stop walking. Charlotte saw everything. Percy looked at her. Their eyes met.

Percy sighed.

"Childish things never end, do they..."

He paused for a second.

Then:

"...babe?"

The world stopped. Charlotte's eyes widened. Just for half a second. Then... She understood. She saw Arthur's face. She saw Clara's face. She saw that tiny smirk on Percy's face.

Charlotte played along. She lightly touched Percy's arm.

"No..."

She smiled.

"...babe."

"Things like this never end."

Silence.

William raised his head. Arthur was frozen. So was Clara. Oliver's mouth fell open. Henry looked at Edward.

Edward:

"No."

Oliver:

"No what?"

"Don't get involved."

Arthur's eyes were fixed on Percy.

"Babe?"

Percy, completely innocent:

"Hm?"

Arthur's jaw clenched. As for Clara... She was staring at Charlotte's hand on Percy's arm. Something... Sank inside her. Hard.

Percy looked at Clara. Their eyes locked. Clara could have realized he was joking. She had known him for years. Perhaps better than anyone. But... There was no apology in Percy's eyes. No stepping back. No intention to say "It was a joke."

Clara's face hardened. She stepped a little closer to Arthur. Percy saw this. And... Did nothing.

Arthur looked at Percy.

"You think you're funny?"

Percy:

"A little."

"You're so childish."

Percy's eyebrow raised. Then he looked at Arthur's foot. Arthur looked too.

Percy:

"Me?"

Charlotte couldn't hold back her laugh. William hid his face behind his book. Arthur took a step closer to Percy. Clara grabbed his arm.

"Forget it."

Percy's eyes flicked to Clara's hand. It was on Arthur's arm. For a second.

Then Percy turned to Charlotte.

"Let's get back to studying."

Charlotte looked at Percy. For a moment, she tried to discern if he was truly alright. Then she nodded.

"Okay."

Clara saw it. Percy not stopping her. Not saying a word about her leaving with Arthur. Turning back to Charlotte. That thing inside Clara... Grew a little heavier. Arthur and Clara walked away.

Galahad closed his book. He looked at Percy.

"Percy."

Percy turned.

"Bro?"

Galahad paused for a moment. Percy had called him that for the first time. He couldn't hide his smile.

"What did you just do?"

Percy looked at Arthur's retreating back.

"Annoyed him a bit."

Galahad laughed.

"Not that."

Percy looked at him. Galahad pointed at his foot.

"The trip."

Percy fell silent.

Then:

"His right foot shifted."

Galahad's eyes sparkled.

"Go on."

"He put his weight on his left."

"Go on."

"He was going to pass in front of me."

Percy thought.

"He could have spoken."

"He could have stopped."

"He could have shoulder-barged."

"Or..."

He demonstrated Arthur's movement with his foot.

"...he could have tripped me."

Galahad smiled.

"Which one did you pick?"

"None of them."

Galahad's smile grew. Percy continued.

"I waited."

"When the movement started, I threw out the rest."

Galahad stood up. He ruffled Percy's hair.

"That's it."

Percy tried to fix his hair.

"Bro."

"What?"

"Don't mess up my hair."

"Childish things never end, do they, babe?"

Charlotte slumped to the ground. She couldn't breathe from laughing so hard. William closed his book completely. Percy looked at Galahad in terror.

"DON'T SAY THAT."

Galahad started running.

Percy chased after him:

"COME BACK HERE!"

Galahad ran off laughing. But inside... He was truly proud. Percy hadn't guessed a move for the first time. He had seen the possibilities... And waited to decide. A few days later... The arena. Percy faced one of the best students in his class. Marcus Hale. Wycliffe lowered his hand.

"Begin."

Marcus attacked instantly. Percy didn't move. Right. Left. Back. Shield. Counter-attack. Five possibilities. Marcus's shoulder turned. Three gone. His foot stepped forward. One more gone.

Percy shifted to the side. The attack passed through empty space. Marcus's eyes widened. Percy was already behind him. An Orin orb touched his back.

"Match over."

Applause came from the stands. Percy took a breath.

Wycliffe:

"Winner, Percy Grant."

Percy looked at the stands. Galahad was there. He gave a single nod. Percy smiled. He raised his fist. Galahad immediately covered both his ears.

"No."

Percy took a deep breath.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

On the other side of the academy, Arthur raised his head.

"...Again."

Clara was walking beside him. She had heard the sound too. In the past... When she heard that sound, she would roll her eyes.

Then say to Percy:

"So awful."

Percy would say:

"It's my victory screech."

Now... Clara said nothing.

Arthur looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

Clara immediately:

"Yes."

She kept walking. That evening, Percy was once again opposite William.

William:

"How many is it now?"

Percy:

"I'm not counting."

Charlotte:

"Seventeen losses."

Percy looked at her.

"WHY ARE YOU COUNTING?!"

Charlotte:

"It's fun."

William attacked. Percy dodged. Second attack. Percy built a shield. William moved to the left. Percy didn't follow him. He waited. William stopped. Percy's eyes... Flicked to William's foot.

William smiled. So did Percy. The two moved at the exact same time. The eighteenth match... Lasted seventeen seconds longer.

Percy lost again. Lying on the ground... He was laughing. William held out a hand. Percy took it. He stood up.

"Again."

William sighed. But he smiled.

"Again."

Percy Grant was still losing. Clara was still a better mage than him. William could still beat him in the arena. He didn't know even a fraction of what Galahad knew. **[Absolute Cancel]** still didn't come when he wanted it to. But... Percy no longer emerged from every lost fight as the same kid.

And on another side of the academy... Clara Leyvar was slowly starting to realize this. Because Percy used to watch her. Now... Clara was watching Percy.