The fall

Chapter 36

Penelope

Eleven years ago.

The garden was peaceful, the sun casting a soft golden light over everything, making the flowers bloom in vibrant bursts of color. The air smelled sweet, a mix of fresh grass and blooming jasmine. Blake and I were playing together, while he raised his hands, and with a flick of his evol, a delicate fish made of water appeared, shimmering in the air like translucent creatures.

They swirled around us, their fins fluttering as sparkling as If they were real. Blake moved his hands again, creating more, each one different from the last—some were large, some small, some long and sinuous, others round and playful.

I giggled, reaching to boop one of them as they swam past me. It felt so real, like I could actually touch it. But when I poked it with my finger, it just rippled, and the fish exploded into a small spray of water droplets that fell softly to the ground.

Blake rolled his eyes, crossing his arms with that usual, slightly bored expression. "It's childish to get excited about a few fish," he said, his voice more amused than annoyed. "You're just booping fish made of water. It's not even real."

I grinned, not all bothered by his dismissal. "It's not childish," I replied, booping another fish out of the air "It's cool. You can make them! You can do anything with water. Like, you could make a whole ocean if you wanted to. Why wouldn't I be impressed?"

Blake sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he created another batch of fish. The shapes were fluid, graceful, darting around in a ballet of watery brilliance. I couldn't help but laugh as one swam directly into my face, and I gently booped it again, causing it to vanish into a fine mist.

"You know," I said, "you could even make them in different colors. Like, imagine blue ones, and red ones, or even ones that glow in the dark!"

Blake didn't respond right away. Instead, he just stared at me, his expression softening for a moment. I don't think he realized how much I truly admired his abilities. To me, it was magic, pure and simple. He could shape water into anything his mind could imagine, and It was amazing. It was more than just magic—it was artistry.

Blake sighed again, but this time it wasn't out of annoyance. It was like he was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to stop gushing over something that seemed trivial to him.

"You're impossible," he muttered, creating yet another fish, this one much larger than the others, its fin trailing behind it in a trail of sparkling water. He made it circle around me, just out of my reach.

I laughed and jumped to try and catch it, but the fish darted out of my grasp, swimming beyond my fingers. "You're lucky I can't do it," I said, panting a little from the chase. "Or I'd show you how cool I could be."

Blake just gave me a mock-glare, but I could see the small, hidden smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He always tried to act mature for this kind of thing, but deep down, I knew he was enjoying himself aswell.

Our moment was then interrupted by the unmistakable voice of Mr. Laurens.

"Blake," he called out to him with a deep and commanding tone, cutting through the soft hum of the garden. Before he waves at me with a gentle smile. "We need to go."

Blake's gaze hardened as he tensed, the lightness in his eyes he just had dimming slightly. I boop another fish as I glance at them, I guess he doesn't want to leave yet.

"Come on, Blake," Mr. Laurens called again, his voice louder now, more insistent. "Training. Let's go."

I notice Blake's fingers twitch slightly, he didn't move right away—his eyes flicked to me for a split second, as If searching for some kind of escape. But he just walked towards Mr. Laurens—and I turned towards them, waving with a bright smile "See you later!" I called, genuinely happy for him. "We should play with the fish again later!"

Blake's shoulder tensed again at the sound of my voice, but he didn't look back. He just nodded stiffly with his father's presence like a shadow at his side.
I watched them go, not realizing that Blake was walking into the very thing he feared—the thing that had always haunted him.

In that moment, I had no idea how much he feared his father. How much he wanted to be free of the pressure, the expectations, the constant shadow of Mr. Laurens looming over him.

I was just happy, in my childlike innocence, playing in the garden with my best friend, unaware of the weight he carried.
And Blake? He was simply walking with his father towards the training grounds, his composure carefully intact, even as his heart beat faster with every step.

It was just another day when we were kids. We both never knew how much would change in the future. How much we'd come to have a love and hate relationship.