EPISODE 9 — THE ORIN OUTSIDE

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 9 — THE ORIN OUTSIDE

Eleanor and Percy's training sessions continued. And quite unexpectedly... The two began getting along remarkably well. A little too well.

"Again."

Percy raised his hand. An Orin sphere formed.

"Slowly."

The sphere rose into the air.

"Right."

It moved to the right.

"Left."

To the left.

"Down."

Percy lowered the sphere.

Eleanor suddenly shouted:

"BEHIND YOU!"

Percy turned without thinking. The sphere moved right along with him. It intercepted the small Orin strike Eleanor had fired. Pop! The sphere dispersed. But it had successfully blocked the attack. Percy's eyes sparkled.

"It worked."

Eleanor smiled.

"It worked."

Percy thrust his fist into the air.

"BOOOOOOOOOWWW YEAAAAAAH!"

From the other side of the garden came Clara's voice:

"STILL SO CRINGE!"

Percy turned around.

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU!"

"I WAS FORCED TO HEAR IT!"

Eleanor laughed. Percy looked at her.

"You like it."

"A little."

Percy pointed at Clara.

"See?"

Clara looked away.

"You're both weird."

Eleanor leaned toward Percy.

"Ignore her."

Percy nodded.

"Ignoring."

Clara watched the two of them. That was how things had been for the past few days. Eleanor and Percy had somehow... Formed a team. And Clara hadn't quite decided yet whether she liked that or not.

The next afternoon, when Eleanor stepped out into the garden, Percy wasn't around yet. She sat at the table. She waited. One minute. Two. Then the door opened. Percy stepped out. In his hands, he carried a sizable plate. Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Percy placed the plate in front of her. Apples. Oranges. Pears. All sliced into neat little pieces. He had also set a cup of water beside it. Eleanor looked down at the plate. Then at Percy.

"What is this?"

"Fruit."

"I can see that."

Percy sat down. Eleanor was still staring at him.

"Why did you bring it?"

Percy went silent for a few seconds. Then he answered in a perfectly natural voice:

"I wanted to say thank you."

The expression on Eleanor's face shifted.

Percy continued:

"And I wanted you to know that I'm grateful for everything you've done."

Eleanor froze. Percy picked up an orange slice. Eleanor's cheeks flushed slightly red. Percy noticed.

"Are you okay?"

Eleanor leaned forward all of a sudden.

"Who are you?"

Percy paused.

"What?"

"What did you do with Percy?"

Percy's mouth fell open.

"AUNTEE!"

Eleanor gripped Percy's face with both hands.

"Are you possessed?"

"Let go of my face!"

"Where is the real Percy?"

"I AM PERCY!"

Eleanor looked at him suspiciously.

"You were never this polite."

Percy broke free of her grip.

"I am polite!"

"Since when?"

Percy got annoyed.

"My grandpa raised me!"

From inside came Holar's voice:

"I RAISED HIM!"

Eleanor looked toward the door.

"Then why is he so polite?"

The reply from inside wasn't delayed for even a second:

"I TAUGHT HIM THAT ONE MUST BE POLITE TO OLD LADIES!"

Silence. The orange slice in Percy's hand hung suspended in midair. Clara froze on the other side of the garden. The smile on Eleanor's face slowly vanished. Percy looked at the door. Clara did too.

Percy whispered:

"...Grandpa."

Clara crept closer to him.

"He's dead."

Percy stepped a bit closer to her.

"I think so too."

Eleanor stood up. She was very calm. Far too calm. She walked toward the door. Percy and Clara looked at each other. Eleanor went inside. The door shut. The two children waited for a few seconds.

Percy spoke softly:

"Should we get closer?"

Clara nodded. The two crept up to the door. They pressed their ears against it. From inside came Holar's voice:

"Eleanor, I was joking."

Silence.

"Eleanor."

Something overturned. Percy's eyes widened. So did Clara's.

Holar spoke again:

"Using wind is cheating!"

Eleanor's voice echoed out:

"OLD LADY?!"

"TECHNICALLY—"

A MASSIVE CRASH.

Percy looked at Clara. Clara looked at Percy.

Both whispered in unison:

"Cut the camera."

Then they backed away from the door.

A few minutes later, the door opened. Percy and Clara were sitting at the table, looking utterly innocent. Eleanor stepped out first. A small lock of hair was missing from one side of her head. Holar followed behind her. His hair was completely wild. His beard was twisted to one side. The collar of his clothes was torn. And there was a small bump on his forehead. Percy blinked. Clara covered her mouth. Holar looked at Percy. Percy instantly looked down at the table. Clara's shoulders were shaking. Eleanor took her seat. Percy looked at her. Then at the missing lock of hair. Then at Holar. Holar looked at Percy too. Percy nodded with total seriousness. Now both of them shared the exact same realization. Pulling out a woman's hair... Really could be the mistake of your life.

In the afternoon, training resumed. Nobody spoke of what had happened inside. Especially Holar. Percy went back to working on **[Absolute Cancel]**. Clara was refining her own Orin control a few meters away. Percy raised his hand.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**."

Nothing. Again.

"**[Absolute Cancel]**."

Still nothing. Percy lowered his hand. He thought for a while. Then he looked at Clara. In Clara's palm rested an Orin sphere. She sent the sphere forward. Stopped it. Called it back. Percy's brows knitted together slightly. An idea struck him.

"Clara."

"Hm?"

"I want to try something."

Clara lowered the sphere.

"What are you going to try?"

Percy looked at her.

"Can't you just come over without asking first?"

"No."

"Clara."

"What?"

"Come here."

Clara came over. Percy stood across from her.

"Throw your magic sphere at me."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"At you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm going to test something."

"Test what?"

Percy took a deep breath.

"When you throw it, do nothing other than empowering it."

Clara paid close attention.

"Okay."

"The instant it leaves your hand..."

Percy gestured along the path with his hand.

"...increase its speed."

Clara frowned.

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Percy."

"That's what we're testing."

Clara thought.

Percy continued:

"Send it normally for the first half."

He pointed with his finger to the midpoint between them.

"When it gets here, make it accelerate."

Clara looked at the sphere.

"Why?"

"Because I want to see something."

"See what?"

"Can you make it accelerate even more after it leaves your hand by using the Orin outside?"

At the edge of the garden, Holar whipped his head around. Eleanor looked at Percy as well. Both had overheard the conversation. Eleanor frowned.

"Percy."

Percy looked at her.

"What?"

"That won't work."

Holar stepped closer too.

"The control connection weakens the further out it goes."

Percy looked at the two of them.

"I didn't ask you guys."

Holar stopped. Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Percy turned back to Clara.

"I said I want to try it."

A faint smile formed on Clara's face.

"Okay."

Holar and Eleanor exchanged a glance. Both went quiet. Clara stood across from him. She gathered Orin in her palm. Percy crossed his arms behind his back.

"I'm ready."

Clara launched the sphere. Whoosh. Percy stepped aside.

"Didn't work."

Clara frowned.

"Again."

Second try. Didn't work. Third try. Didn't work. Fourth try. Still the exact same speed. Sweat began to form on Clara's forehead.

"Again."

Percy nodded. Fifth try. Sixth try. Seventh try. None of them changed. Clara lowered her hands.

"It doesn't work."

Percy looked at her.

"Again."

"Percy."

"Again."

Clara tried. Still didn't work.

Clara grumbled:

"It can't be done."

Percy thought for a few seconds. Then he shrugged.

"Alright then."

Clara felt relieved. Percy turned his back.

"So you admit you're bad at it."

Clara's eyes widened.

"...What?"

Percy continued without turning around:

"If you can't do it, you're bad."

Clara's face began to flush with red.

"Percy."

Percy smirked softly.

"What?"

"Get back in position."

Percy turned around. There was fire in Clara's eyes. Holar saw it.

"Ah."

Eleanor looked at him.

"What?"

Holar shook his head.

"He pressed the wrong button."

Clara pulled her foot back. She opened her palm. This time she didn't attack right away. She closed her eyes. She felt the Orin within her. From her chest to her arm. From her arm to her palm. The sphere formed. But she kept thinking about what Percy had said. The Orin outside. Orin wasn't just inside her. It was everywhere. What Eleanor had told Percy. Connect what's inside with what's outside. Clara took a breath. She launched the sphere. The first few meters... Normal. Percy watched intently. Then Clara's fingers twitched. The Orin outside. Around the sphere... Shifted for a split second.

FSSSHHH!

The sphere suddenly burst with incredible speed. Percy's eyes widened. He tried to dodge. Too late. The sphere grazed the side of his cheek.

**PAT!**

It slammed into the tree behind him. Silence. Percy didn't move for a few seconds. A fine line split open on his cheek. A single drop of blood trickled down. All of Clara's anger vanished in an instant.

"Percy?"

Eleanor stood up.

"CLARA!"

Clara flinched.

"I—"

"What do you think you are doing?!"

Holar had already rushed to Percy's side. He looked at the cheek. Superficial. But it was bleeding. Percy, however, wasn't concerned with the wound at all. He was staring at the tree. Then at Clara. Then at the line along which the magic had traveled. Holar noticed.

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"Percy."

Percy whispered:

"It worked."

Holar frowned.

"What?"

A stunned smile spread across Percy's face.

"It worked."

Eleanor had walked over to Clara.

"You didn't need to use that much power."

Clara's face was downcast.

"It was an accident."

Percy turned to them.

"No."

Everyone fell silent. Percy wiped the blood from his cheek. Then he looked at his finger.

"That was awesome."

Eleanor looked at him.

"Your cheek is bleeding."

"Doesn't matter."

Holar looked at the tree. Then at Percy.

"What was that?"

Percy thought for a few seconds. Then he opened his hands.

"There's energy outside."

Holar went quiet.

Percy continued:

"We empower magic with the Orin inside us."

He reached his hand out forward.

"Then we release it outside."

He took a step.

"The instant it leaves, we make our final movements."

Another step.

"We give it direction."

Percy pointed at the tree.

"We give it shape."

Then he looked at Clara.

"But Orin is everywhere."

The expression on Eleanor's face shifted.

Percy continued:

"Then why shouldn't we continue after the spell leaves our hand?"

Silence. Holar's eyes slowly widened. Percy gestured through the air with his hand.

"We cast the spell with the Orin inside us."

"And then, with the Orin outside..."

He thought for a moment.

"...we can alter its movement."

Eleanor looked at the spot where Clara's spell had just passed. If Richard were here, he probably would have gone silent in the exact same way. But Holar... Had been using magic for over two thousand years. And right now, he was breaking down what a six-year-old child had just said into pieces inside his mind.

"The control range..."

he muttered. Eleanor finished the thought:

"...could expand."

Holar looked at her. Eleanor's eyes widened.

"Not just speed."

Percy nodded.

"Maybe direction."

Holar went silent.

"Maybe shape."

Eleanor added:

"Maybe power."

Clara looked at her own hands. Just a moment ago... She had actually done it. Eleanor turned to Percy.

"How did you figure this out?"

Percy shrugged.

"Don't know."

"Percy."

"I really don't know."

Then he looked at Clara.

"It came to me while watching Clara."

Clara raised her head. Percy looked at her.

"I felt that she could do it."

Clara said nothing for a few seconds. Her fear from a moment ago... Gave way to something else entirely. Percy had believed she could do it. Even when she herself had given up. A small smile formed at the corners of Clara's lips.

"So..."

Percy waited.

"...you helped me become even stronger than you."

The soft expression on Percy's face vanished instantly.

"You couldn't be my rival otherwise."

Clara's smile froze.

Percy continued:

"You can't do it on your own."

Clara's eyebrow twitched.

"I thought I'd lend a hand."

Clara pounced right on him.

"PERCYYYY!"

Percy fell backward.

"GET OFF ME!"

"I CAN'T DO IT ON MY OWN?!"

"YOU COULDN'T DO IT!"

"I DID IT!"

"IT WAS MY IDEA!"

"I EXECUTED IT!"

"AND YOU CUT MY CHEEK!"

Clara stopped suddenly. So did Percy. Clara's eyes drifted to the line on his cheek. Blood was still trickling out lightly. Percy grimaced.

"You hurt my cheek, anyway."

Clara immediately climbed off him. Percy stood up.

"Get off me."

Clara didn't reply this time. Percy held his cheek.

"It hurts."

Then he started walking toward the house. Clara watched his back.

"Percy."

Percy didn't stop. He reached the door. Went inside. The door closed. Clara remained in the garden. All her joy from earlier had completely evaporated. Eleanor came to her daughter's side. Clara was staring at the door.

"Mom."

"Hm?"

Clara's voice was small.

"Did I really upset him?"

Eleanor looked at her for a few seconds.

"His cheek?"

Clara shook her head.

"No."

She paused for a second.

"Him."

Eleanor's face softened. Clara looked down at her hands.

"It was an accident."

"I know."

"Does Percy know too?"

"He knows."

Clara looked at the door.

"But he left."

Eleanor knelt down next to her daughter.

"He got hurt."

Clara's face fell even further.

"I did that."

"Yes."

Clara looked at her mother. Eleanor didn't sugarcoat it.

"But if someone you knew had no intention of hurting you accidentally caused you harm, what would you want?"

Clara thought about it.

"An apology."

Eleanor nodded. Clara stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then she stood up. She walked toward the door. Holar called out from behind her:

"Clara."

Clara turned around. Holar held out a small cloth bundle to her. He had placed a few pieces of fruit inside it. Clara looked at the cloth package. Then at Holar. A subtle smile touched Holar's face.

"I saw that it works."

Eleanor laughed. Clara took the package. Walked toward the door. Then she paused.

"Mom."

Eleanor looked over. Clara asked with utmost seriousness:

"Is apple better, or orange?"

Eleanor thought.

"Percy ate the apple faster."

Clara nodded.

"Okay."

She went inside. Percy was lying on the bed in his room. A small cloth rested on his cheek. He was staring at the ceiling. A knock came at the door. Percy didn't answer. Another knock. Tap. Tap. Percy closed his eyes.

"Who is it?"

Clara's voice came through:

"It's me."

Percy went quiet for a few seconds.

"What is it?"

"Open the door."

"It's open."

The door slowly pushed open. Clara poked her head in. Percy was on the bed. Clara stepped inside. She set the package on the table. Percy looked.

"What's that?"

"Fruit."

"Why?"

Clara went quiet. Percy looked at her. Clara was staring at her feet.

"Clara?"

"I'm sorry."

The expression on Percy's face changed.

Clara continued:

"I really didn't mean to hit you."

"I know."

"About your cheek."

Percy touched the cloth on his cheek.

"It'll heal."

Clara relaxed a little.

Then Percy added:

"It hurt a lot though."

Clara's face fell again. Percy saw it. He stared for a moment. Then he shifted over a bit on the edge of the bed. Clara didn't understand. Percy pointed to the empty space beside him.

"Sit."

Clara walked over. She sat on the edge of the bed. For a while, neither of them spoke. Percy opened the package. He took an apple. He handed one to Clara. Clara took it. Percy bit into the apple. So did Clara. Silence.

Then Clara whispered:

"I did it though."

Percy looked at her.

"Did what?"

"Your idea."

Percy narrowed his eyes.

"It was my idea."

"I executed it."

"I told you to."

"I succeeded."

"You couldn't have done it without me."

Clara turned to him.

"There you go again."

Percy smiled. Clara smiled involuntarily too. Percy bit into his apple again.

"For now, you're the better mage."

Clara's face lit up.

"For now?"

Percy nodded.

"For now."

Clara didn't get angry at that this time. Because now she understood what Percy meant. *I will surpass you.* *And you try to surpass me too.* Clara bit into her apple.

"I'm waiting."

Percy looked at her.

"I'll surpass you."

"You can try."

Both of them smiled. In the garden, Holar was still staring at the tree. Eleanor came up beside him.

"What are you thinking?"

Holar didn't answer. He picked up a small stone from the ground. He generated Orin in his palm. He threw the stone forward. Orin pushed it. The stone accelerated. Holar didn't lower his hand. When the stone was ten meters away... He tried to touch the Orin in the air. Nothing. The stone fell to the ground. Eleanor frowned.

"Didn't work."

"No."

"Again."

Holar tried. Still didn't work. This time Eleanor tried herself. She sent a wind sphere forward. It traveled away. Then she tried to reconnect with the Orin outside. The sphere trembled. But it didn't change. Eleanor lowered her hand. The two looked at each other.

Holar spoke softly:

"Clara did it."

"Yes."

"On her first try."

"The way Percy described."

Holar's gaze drifted up to the window on the second floor of the house.

"Percy didn't do it."

Eleanor looked up at the window too.

"He just thought it could be done."

Silence. Holar's face turned serious.

"And he knew Clara could do it."

Eleanor didn't reply this time. Because that was what truly unsettled her. Six-year-old Percy hadn't executed a new magic technique. He had done something far stranger. Something he didn't even know existed... He had envisioned inside someone else. Upstairs, Clara looked at Percy. Percy was eating his third slice of apple.

"Percy."

"Hm?"

"If you come up with an idea like that again..."

Percy looked at her. Clara thought for a second.

"...try it yourself first."

Percy answered instantly:

"No."

"Why?"

"You're the better mage."

Clara smiled with pride.

"Yes."

Percy continued:

"If something explodes, it happens to you first."

Clara's smile vanished. Percy leaped out of bed with a roar of laughter. It took Clara a second to catch on.

"PERCYYYY!"

Percy bolted for the door.

"BOOOOOOOOOWWW YEAAAAAAH!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

The door flew open. Percy dashed out into the corridor. Clara sprinted after him. Down in the garden, Holar and Eleanor heard the footsteps coming from above. Holar raised his head. Eleanor sighed. A second later, Percy's voice echoed throughout the entire house:

"YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!"

Clara's voice followed right behind:

"THIS TIME I'LL HIT YOUR OTHER CHEEK!"

Holar and Eleanor looked at each other.

Holar spoke calmly:

"They made up."

Eleanor nodded.

"Definitely."