Chapter 231 — A Little Light
The scrape started over something stupid.
That was what Henry would remember later.
Not a prophecy.
Not Heaven.
Not Hell.
Not Brook.
Just a broken cart.
It happened near the northern market of Asteria shortly after noon.
Henry was carrying a crate of supplies with Charon floating lazily around his shoulders when the wheel of an old merchant cart snapped.
The cart tipped.
Boxes spilled across the street.
Henry immediately put his crate down.
"Hold on."
The merchant looked panicked.
"Please! Someone help!"
Henry ran over.
Charon's head appeared from his shoulder.
"Heavy."
"I know."
Henry grabbed the side of the cart.
"One, two—"
He pushed.
The cart moved an inch.
Henry grunted.
"Again."
Charon formed two large arms from Henry's back.
They wrapped around the cart.
"Push."
Together, they lifted it.
The merchant scrambled to pull the boxes free.
"Thank you!"
Henry smiled.
"No problem."
Then something growled.
Henry froze.
Charon's head snapped toward the alley.
"Not good."
Henry slowly turned.
Three creatures emerged from between the buildings.
They weren't large.
That was the problem.
They were small enough to move quickly.
Fast-biters.
One sniffed the air.
Another crouched.
The third looked toward the merchant.
Henry stepped in front of him.
"Get inside."
The merchant didn't argue.
He grabbed his boxes and ran.
Henry swallowed.
"Charon."
The black ectoplasm flowed across his shoulders.
"Here."
Henry raised his hands.
"I can handle three."
Charon looked at the creatures.
"Can?"
Henry hesitated.
"Probably."
"Bad answer."
The first fast-biter lunged.
Charon formed a shield.
The creature slammed into it.
The impact threw Henry backward.
He hit the side of the cart.
"Ow."
Charon's face appeared.
"Still alive."
"Thanks."
The second creature charged.
Henry threw out his hand.
"Barrier!"
A thin wall of light appeared.
It lasted less than a second.
The creature hit it.
The barrier shattered.
Henry stared.
"That was…"
Charon finished.
"Very small."
"I noticed."
The creature kept coming.
Charon formed a massive arm.
It punched the Abomination into a wall.
The creature dropped.
The third fast-biter came from behind.
Henry turned too late.
"Henry!"
Charon erupted from his back.
A black shield formed between Henry and the creature.
Claws slammed into it.
The shield cracked.
Henry pushed his hand against the creature.
"Light!"
A tiny flash appeared.
The creature recoiled.
Not because the spell was powerful.
Because it surprised it.
Henry stared.
"It worked."
Charon stared too.
"Little."
Henry smiled.
"Little still counts."
The creature lunged again.
Charon formed a blade.
The blade swept upward.
The fast-biter was thrown across the street.
It hit the ground and didn't move.
The first one recovered.
Henry raised his hand.
"Again."
Charon formed another arm.
The creature attacked.
Henry's barrier appeared again.
This time—
it lasted two seconds.
The Abomination struck it once.
Twice.
The barrier cracked.
Henry gritted his teeth.
"Come on…"
The light flickered.
The creature struck again.
The barrier broke.
Henry stumbled.
Charon immediately took over.
Three black arms erupted from Henry's back.
One caught the creature.
One struck its legs.
The third slammed it into the ground.
The fight ended.
Silence returned to the market.
Henry stood breathing heavily.
Charon slowly retracted.
Henry looked at his hands.
The faint glow was gone.
He flexed his fingers.
"That was terrible."
Charon formed a small face on his shoulder.
"Yes."
Henry frowned.
"You're supposed to encourage me."
"You did bad."
"Thanks."
"But…"
Charon's face smiled.
"You did."
Henry looked at him.
"Did what?"
"Magic."
Henry looked down at his hands again.
A tiny smile appeared.
"Yeah."
By the time Brook arrived, the fight was already over.
He walked into the market with Sera and found Henry sitting on the overturned cart.
Charon was draped over his shoulders like a strange black scarf.
Brook looked around.
"What happened?"
Henry shrugged.
"Three fast-biters."
Sera immediately looked at him.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Henry."
"I'm fine."
Sera inspected him anyway.
Brook looked at Charon.
"You did it?"
Charon's face appeared.
"Mostly."
Henry groaned.
"Hey."
Brook smiled.
"What did Henry do?"
Charon pointed a tiny ectoplasmic finger toward Henry.
"Little light."
Brook looked at Henry.
"You used magic?"
Henry nodded.
"Sort of."
Sera's expression changed.
"Show me."
Henry blinked.
"Now?"
"Yes."
Henry held out his hand.
He concentrated.
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
"Come on."
Nothing.
Sera waited.
Brook tried not to laugh.
Henry glared at him.
"Don't."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm absolutely not."
Henry concentrated harder.
A tiny spark appeared above his palm.
Everyone went quiet.
It flickered.
Then disappeared.
Henry stared at the empty space.
"See?"
Sera nodded.
"Again."
Henry tried.
Nothing.
He tried a third time.
A faint point of light appeared.
It lasted barely a second.
Then vanished.
Henry looked disappointed.
Sera didn't.
"That's enough."
Henry looked at her.
"That's enough?"
"For today."
He lowered his hand.
"I thought I'd be better."
Sera smiled slightly.
"You're learning."
Henry looked at Brook.
"How long did it take you?"
Brook immediately shook his head.
"Wrong person to ask."
"Why?"
"Because my experience is basically every rule getting broken."
Sera laughed.
"He's right."
Henry looked at his hand.
"So I'm just…"
"Starting," Sera said.
Charon nodded.
"Small magic."
Henry sighed.
"You really need to stop calling it that."
"No."
Brook laughed.
Later that afternoon, Henry returned to the training yard.
He stood alone.
Charon hovered beside him.
Henry raised his hand.
"Light."
Nothing.
He frowned.
"Light."
A spark appeared.
It lasted half a second.
Gone.
Henry sighed.
"Again."
Charon watched.
"Again."
Henry tried.
A small glow appeared.
This time it lasted two seconds.
Henry smiled.
Then it disappeared.
"Better."
Charon nodded.
"Better."
Henry looked at him.
"You know…"
Charon's face tilted.
"What?"
"I thought I'd hate this."
"Magic?"
"Being behind everyone."
Charon was quiet.
Henry looked toward the training yard.
"Brook is stronger."
Charon's head nodded.
"Sera knows more."
Another nod.
"Crowley…"
Henry laughed.
"Never mind."
Charon formed a tiny face that looked serious.
"Gabriel strong."
Henry sighed.
"Exactly."
He looked at his hand.
"But I don't want to be useless."
Charon immediately shook his head.
"Not useless."
Henry smiled.
"Thanks."
"You're royal."
Henry laughed.
"That's not what I meant."
"You're Henry."
The smile faded slightly.
Henry looked at him.
Charon continued.
"Enough."
Henry stared.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Henry raised his hand again.
"Light."
A tiny glow appeared.
Charon watched it.
Henry watched it.
The light flickered.
Shook.
Almost disappeared.
Henry held his breath.
It remained.
Three seconds.
Then four.
Then—
gone.
Henry lowered his hand.
"Four seconds."
Charon nodded.
"Four."
Henry smiled.
"Tomorrow, five."
Charon's face grinned.
"Maybe."
Henry looked offended.
"Maybe?"
"Maybe six."
"Better."
That evening, Henry joined the others for dinner.
Brook noticed the faint smile on his face.
"You're happy."
Henry shrugged.
"Maybe."
Sera looked at him.
"He made progress."
Henry pointed at her.
"Don't tell anyone."
Brook laughed.
"Too late."
Gabriel looked across the table.
"Congratulations."
Henry smiled.
"Thanks."
Gabriel didn't exaggerate it.
Didn't call him gifted.
Didn't tell him destiny awaited.
He simply said,
"Keep practicing."
Henry nodded.
"I will."
Charon emerged from behind Henry's shoulder.
"Four seconds."
Gabriel looked at him.
"Four?"
Henry sighed.
"He's been telling everyone."
Brook laughed.
Crowley shook his head.
"Four seconds of light and we're celebrating."
Henry looked at him.
"How long can you make light?"
Crowley paused.
"That's irrelevant."
Henry smiled.
"That's what I thought."
Everyone laughed.
Even Crowley.
For a few minutes, the world felt ordinary again.
Henry looked down at his hand.
No light.
No magic.
Just his fingers.
But he knew it was there now.
Small.
Unreliable.
Barely enough to matter in a real battle.
And that was fine.
Because Henry wasn't trying to become someone else.
He was just trying to become a little stronger than he had been yesterday.
And for now—
that was enough.
End of Chapter 231