EPISODE 18 — MY NAME IS PERCY GRANT

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 18 — MY NAME IS PERCY GRANT

Five days later... Clara Leyvar returned to the academy. She gave no explanation to anyone. She didn't go to Arthur. Nor to Percy. She entered her classroom. Took her seat. Opened her notebook. And... Remained silent.

Percy saw her. Clara saw Percy too.

One second.

"Percy."

"Clara."

That was all. Percy sat next to Charlotte. William opened his book. Clara sat in her seat as well. That day... Nothing happened.

Nor the next day. The day after... It did. During lunch break, most of the classrooms had cleared out. Clara entered one of the training rooms to pick up her books.

Arthur was inside. Clara stopped. Arthur looked at her.

Silence.

Clara kept walking.

Arthur:

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Clara didn't stop.

"No."

Arthur's jaw clenched.

"You punch me and disappear for five days."

Clara:

"I was suspended."

"I know."

"Then why are you asking?"

Arthur stood up. Clara retrieved her books.

"Move."

Arthur didn't move.

Clara looked at him.

"Arthur."

Arthur's voice was harsh.

"You humiliated me in front of everyone."

Clara:

"And you cornered Percy four-on-one."

Arthur's face changed. Clara continued.

"And you made fun of his family."

Arthur:

"Percy again."

Clara knitted her brows.

"What?"

"Everything is Percy."

Clara shook her head.

"This isn't about Percy."

Arthur laughed.

"Sure."

Clara tried to pass by him. Arthur grabbed her arm.

"Take your hand off me."

Arthur didn't let go. Clara pulled her arm away. And...

**SLAP!**

Clara's head snapped to the side.

Silence.

For a moment, even Arthur looked as though he couldn't believe what his own hand had done. Clara stood completely still. A ringing filled one ear. Her books had slipped lower against her chest, but she hadn't noticed. She slowly touched her cheek.

Then she looked at Arthur.

Not angry yet.

Just shocked.

"You..."

That should have been the moment it stopped.

It wasn't.

Arthur's jaw tightened. The shame that had flashed across his face disappeared beneath the anger again.

**SLAP!**

The other side. Clara stumbled. This time the books fell from her arms and struck the floor. Arthur's breathing had quickened. His anger... Had spiraled out of control.

Clara's shock finally broke. Orin gathered instinctively around her fingers, thin and unsteady.

"Arthur, stop."

But Arthur was faster.

BAM!

Clara fell to the ground. The Orin in her hand vanished before it could take shape. She tried to lift her head. For a second she managed it. The room doubled in front of her. Arthur was still there, but his outline had begun to blur.

Clara tried to push herself up.

Her arm gave way.

The last thing she saw... Was Arthur's feet.

Then... Darkness.

In the corridor... Percy was walking alone.

He had books in his hands. He was looking for Galahad. Then... He heard a noise.

BAM!

Percy stopped. Another sound. The sound of something falling to the ground.

Percy looked at the door of the training room. He opened the door.

And... Stopped.

For the first second, he didn't understand the scene in front of him.

Arthur.

The books scattered across the floor.

And Clara.

She was lying on her side a few meters away, completely still. Blood had gathered at the corner of her lip. One cheek was already beginning to swell.

The books in Percy's hands suddenly felt very heavy.

His fingers loosened.

He didn't drop them. He lowered them carefully to the floor, one by one, without taking his eyes off Clara.

Something inside him had gone very quiet.

Not calm.

Quiet.

Arthur turned to him.

"Percy?"

Percy didn't answer.

He looked once at Clara's face. At the blood. At the hand lying motionless beside her.

Then... He slowly stood straight.

All expression on Percy's face... Vanished.

Arthur:

"Percy."

Percy walked inside. Closed the door behind him.

"Arthur."

Arthur went silent. Percy looked at Clara. Then at Arthur.

"Time and time again..."

One step.

"...time and time again..."

Another step.

"...we end up in this situation."

Orin began forming in Arthur's hands.

Percy stopped.

"And we keep going."

Arthur:

"Stay out of this."

Percy's brows knitted slightly.

"What happened to you?"

Arthur didn't answer.

Percy:

"What happened to the noble guy..."

"...who put up a shield for his enemy?"

Arthur's face changed. Percy remembered it. Nevr. Percy had charged in. A monster had attacked. Arthur... Without a second thought, had placed a shield in front of Percy.

Percy:

"You are not yourself."

Arthur:

"Shut up."

Percy shook his head.

"No."

Another step.

"Right now, you're not even my enemy."

Arthur looked at him. Percy's voice... Was ice cold.

"You're like a parasite."

Arthur's Orin surged.

Percy:

"And I need to bring you back to your senses."

In the corridor... Footsteps. The door opened. Adrian Wycliffe stepped inside.

One second... Clara. Blood. Arthur. Percy.

Wycliffe's face turned pale white.

"No."

He looked at the Orin of the two boys.

"No, no."

He pulled out a communication crystal.

"Notify the Founder."

A second.

"IMMEDIATELY."

Another crystal.

"Richard Green too."

Wycliffe looked at Percy and Arthur. Because... The two boys... Were about to be left alone. And the duel... That had been talked about at the academy for years... Was finally about to happen.

In another corridor... Charlotte was running. William beside her.

Charlotte:

"GALAHAD!"

Galahad turned around.

"What happened?"

"Percy."

The smile on Galahad's face vanished.

"With Arthur."

One second.

Galahad... Started running.

William:

"COULD HE ALWAYS RUN THIS FAST?!"

Charlotte:

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!"

Inside the training room... Arthur and Percy were glaring at each other. Wycliffe was preparing to step between them. Then... The door opened once again.

Eleanor. She walked in. Saw Clara. Stopped.

Her daughter was bleeding from her mouth. On the floor. Eleanor's face... Shifted. The air inside the room surged.

The windows rattled. Arthur involuntarily backed away.

Eleanor's eyes... Turned to Arthur.

"You..."

The door opened once more. Richard Green. Arthur's father. Director of the Sovereign Noble Academy.

Richard looked at his son. Then at Clara. The color drained from his face.

"Arthur..."

Arthur raised his hands. Gathered Orin. Percy turned too.

And... A voice.

"ENOUGH."

The entire room fell silent.

Holar Jun had stepped inside.

"I am here."

Arthur's Orin extinguished. So did Percy's.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Holar:

"Shut your mouths."

Eleanor looked at him. Holar's gaze flicked to Clara for a second. His face hardened. But...

"And sit down."

Nobody objected.

For several seconds, the room finally stopped moving.

Eleanor immediately went down beside Clara. Two fingers went to her pulse, then to the side of her face. Richard remained standing near Arthur, but his eyes kept returning to Clara as if he could not decide whether to look at his son or at what his son had done. Wycliffe still held the communication crystal in one hand.

Percy sat only because Holar had ordered him to.

His eyes never left Arthur.

Right at that moment... Galahad rushed inside. Behind him were Charlotte. And William.

All three stopped at the doorway.

Galahad first saw Percy.

Then Clara.

Then Arthur.

The change in his face was immediate. Charlotte covered her mouth. William, normally the first to analyze what he was seeing, said nothing at all.

Percy was still calm.

As for Arthur... He began laughing.

"Percy."

Percy looked at him.

"You're a 100%."

Silence.

"Special achievement."

"Core 5."

"You're this."

"You're that."

Arthur shook his head.

"But you're nothing."

Richard:

"Arthur."

Arthur didn't look at his father.

"You're just a loser..."

"...who gets beaten over and over."

Galahad's hand clenched into a fist.

As for Percy... He nodded.

"Yes."

Arthur went quiet.

Percy:

"Keep going, Arthur."

Arthur's face tensed.

"You stole the girl I love."

Percy instantly:

"No."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. Percy didn't lie. Arthur knew this.

"What?"

Percy:

"Charlotte is one of my closest friends."

Charlotte stopped at the doorway.

Percy continued.

"She talked to me about you many times."

Arthur looked at Charlotte.

Charlotte's eyes widened.

Percy:

"Even though I dislike you..."

"...she said she wouldn't say anything to you if it meant ruining her friendship with me."

Charlotte looked at Percy.

Percy:

"And I told her..."

"'I will not be the limitation on your love or your freedom.'"

The anger on Arthur's face... Faltered for a moment.

Percy continued.

"In the beginning..."

"When four people were cornering Clara in that alley..."

"I didn't blame you."

Arthur was surprised.

"Because you..."

"...said 'Enough.'"

In Percy's eyes was the old memory. Arthur. Shield. Nevr.

"But that was all you did."

"Something was missing."

Percy took a step closer.

"Then..."

"When I was in danger..."

"Even though I was your enemy..."

"I saw you place your shield in front of me."

Arthur fell silent.

Percy:

"That was when..."

"...I saw who you could be."

Arthur's eyes trembled.

Percy tilted his head slightly.

"The current Arthur..."

"...where is he compared to that boy?"

Silence.

Arthur's face flushed red.

"Is talking all you know how to do?"

Percy went quiet.

Arthur:

"Go talk about this with your family."

A second.

"Assuming you have one."

Holar's face... Changed.

"Arthur—"

Percy raised his hand.

"Director."

Holar fell silent.

Percy looked at him.

"It doesn't matter."

Then he turned to Arthur.

"Parasites can talk."

Arthur stood up. Percy did too. The two boys stood face to face.

Percy:

"I..."

"...Percy Grant."

Everyone in the room fell silent.

"Before Richard Green, Director of the Sovereign Noble Academy..."

Richard's face changed.

"You..."

"...Arthur Green."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"I challenge you."

Silence.

Charlotte held her breath. William didn't move. Galahad... Understood that the moment he had been waiting for years had arrived. Holar looked at Percy. Even Eleanor raised her head beside Clara. And... Movement on the floor.

Clara's hand twitched.

Eleanor immediately turned.

"Clara?"

Clara opened her eyes. Blurry. Voices.

Percy. Arthur. Clara tried to lift her head. Percy saw this.

For a second... He completely forgot about Arthur.

He crossed the room before he seemed to realize he had moved. He stopped beside Clara and kneeled down.

Up close, the marks on her face looked worse.

Percy's hand lifted slightly.

Then stopped.

For months, touching Clara had been effortless. Pulling her away from a line. Grabbing her hand while running. Fighting over a wand. Tugging at her hair and immediately regretting it.

Now he didn't know if he was allowed to touch her at all.

So he lowered his hand.

"Are you okay?"

Clara's vision began to clear.

Percy.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

"Of course."

Percy looked at her face. Her swollen cheek. Her bloody lip.

"No you're not."

Clara:

"Yes, I'm fine."

Percy:

"No you're not."

"Percy."

"Clara."

"I'm fine."

"You're not."

"I'M FINE."

"YOU'RE SPITTING BLOOD."

Clara was quiet for a second.

"...A little."

Percy looked at her.

Clara:

"I'm really fine."

On Percy's face... For a second, that old expression appeared. As if... He was about to say "You're lying." But he didn't.

He stood up. Looked at Eleanor. Eleanor nodded. I'm here.

Percy turned back to Arthur.

Arthur:

"I accept."

Richard's eyes widened.

Arthur:

"I..."

"...Arthur Green."

He looked at Percy.

"I accept your challenge."

Then...

"Percy..."

"...the family-less Grant."

Galahad's face instantly shifted.

"I'll—"

Percy looked at him. Just looked. Galahad went quiet.

Because... Percy was calm. Truly calm.

Wycliffe stepped forward.

"Enough."

He stepped between the two boys.

"If this duel is going to happen..."

Percy closed his eyes. Wycliffe went quiet. Percy took a breath.

Once.

Two.

Then... He began speaking out loud.

"Your words..."

"...will not break me."

Arthur looked at him.

"My anger..."

"...will not control me."

Holar's eyes stayed fixed on Percy.

"My hatred..."

"...will not stain me."

Galahad's fist slowly opened.

Percy exhaled.

"I..."

"...am not what someone else calls me."

He opened his eyes. Looked at Arthur.

Calm. Clear. Resolute.

"My name is..."

"Percy Grant."

A second of silence. The corner of Percy's mouth... Rose slightly.

"And..."

Wycliffe's eyes narrowed. Galahad's face changed. Holar raised an eyebrow. Eleanor looked at Percy. Charlotte... Understood what was coming. William closed his eyes.

Percy:

"I'm coming to fuck your mother, Arthur."

Silence.

William didn't open his eyes.

"It was so good up until that point."

END OF EPISODE