Won't you let me adopt you?

The bathroom door creaked open, and Elaine poked her head outside. There, she found a pile of folded clothes and a hairbrush, stacked neatly outside of the bathroom.

"How do they have clothes for a girl like me?" Elaine wondered aloud to herself as she picked up the pile and then shut the bathroom door behind herself. She quickly pulled on the clothes, which were a white sweater and a blue skirt that reached her thighs.

As she felt the fabric, she realized just how poor the quality of her old baggy and tattered clothes had been. Compared to the shirt and skirt she now wore, her old outfit felt like sandpaper.

"Really… I am going to have to repay them for this…" Elaine muttered to herself. She quickly ran the brush through her hair, removing any knots before stepping outside.

In the hallway, there was nobody around. Elliot and Grandpa Loran were nowhere to be seen, so Elaine decided to return to the destroyed room, thinking that she would be able to find them there, trying to come up with a way to repair the damage. She still did not believe that the room could have been repaired in the short time she spent in the bathroom.

However, when she finally reached the door, she opened it to find a shocking sight. The room, which had originally been reduced to splinters and ash, was now completely returned to its original appearance. If it weren't for the fact that quite literally everything in the room looked the exact same, Elaine would have assumed she had backtracked to the wrong doorway.

"See, I told you he would have it fixed up in no time." Suddenly, from behind her, Elliot's voice caused her to jump in surprise. "Haha, sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you."

Elliot laughed out loud as he saw Elaine's frightened jump. It reminded him of sneaking up on a little rabbit.

"I hope you like the clothes, they were something I found while I was short on time," Elliot said after he finished chuckling.

"Mm! Yes! They are nice! In fact… I think they are the best I've ever owned!" Elaine, still slightly embarrassed by Elliot's teasing laughter, quickly responded, a bright smile warming her face.

"That's… Well, it's no big deal. Come on, Grandpa Loran is waiting for you in his study. We should go." Elliot had a glint flash through his eyes that Elaine failed to notice, and he turned around to lead Elaine from the room, taking her up another set of stairs that led to a third floor.

"Grandfather, she is all cleaned up." On the third floor, there were only 3 rooms and a small common area. Elliot led Elaine to one of the rooms and opened the door.

Inside, Elaine saw Grandpa Loran sitting at a large mahogany desk, reviewing a stack of documents. A pair of half-moon spectacles rested on his nose, giving him a stern and wisened appearance. "Ah, Elaine! Good, sit down. I'm sure that you and I have much to discuss." With a warm smile, Grandpa Loran removed the half-moon spectacles and folded his hands across the desk.

Elaine and Elliot sat across from him, in two large and plush armchairs that were positioned on the other side of the desk.

"Now then, Elaine. Could you tell me a bit about your parents? Do you have any recollection of them?" Grandpa Loran's voice was calming, but his question was direct.

At the mention of her parents, Elaine's eyes drifted to the floor. "My parents died when I was 6. It was in a car crash, I had been sick with an intense fever and they were rushing to the hospital… to find treatment for me."

Elaine didn't look up, but she heard a long sigh escape Grandpa Loran. At her side, Elliot placed a hand on her shoulder but didn't speak. Elaine found this to be comforting. She remembered the way the doctors in the hospital had looked at her, and spoken to her. Their voices were filled with pity, but they also felt detached. Elliot's gesture gave Elaine a warm feeling, almost like he connected with her emotions.

"...I am sorry for your loss, child." Grandpa Loran's words were slow and careful as he continued. "How much of that day do you remember? What were some of the things your parents were saying? Is there anything they may have taught you that sticks with you now?"

Elaine swallowed the bitter feeling in her heart as she thought about the memories of her parents that had been suppressed in her mind for so long. However, there was nothing that came to mind.

"I don't know. I barely remember the place we lived. It was a small home, above a restaurant. They would take me there to eat sometimes." Elaine looked back up briefly to see Grandpa Loran looking at her in deep contemplation. His eyes seemed to be distant, as though he weren't focused on her, but on the thoughts running through his mind.

"I see. Thank you, Elaine. However, there is likely something that your parents hid from you. Could you tell me about that mark on your hand?" Grandpa Loran changed the subject of discussion, and Elaine lifted her hand to see the dragon claw-shaped burn.

"It appeared after the crash. I had always thought it was from the flames, that I was burned and it was a scar." Elaine said, gently rubbing the mark.

"Elaine, that mark is not a burn." This time, Elliot spoke up, and Elaine lifted her head again to look at him. He wore a placid expression as he explained. "That is a spirit mark. Do you know about it?"

Elaine shook her head. She had never heard of that term, even in the book she read.

"If you don't know about the spirit mark, how did you begin your arcane breathing?" Elliot looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"This is how she managed it, Elliot. You did leave a little girl alone in your room for a few hours when you came to talk to me." Before Elaine could even say anything about the book, Grandpa Loran produced the exact book she had pulled from Elliot's shelf, 'The Magical Arts, an Introduction,' setting it on the desk.

"Elaine, did you manage to learn how to absorb Arcane Essence by reading this?" He looked at Elaine, this time, his eyes focused on her as a sharp glint flashed through them.

Unsure of what to say, Elaine just nodded her head. After all, it was true, she had just followed the book's instructions. After that, she found herself inside that black mystical space before encountering the silver dragon.

"Really… you have never encountered this book before? You have never attempted Arcane Breathing before this?" Grandpa Loran seemed to lean forward into his desk as he asked this. Elaine only nodded again, a confused expression on her face.

Seeing her response, Grandpa Loran sat back into his chair, tilting his face towards the ceiling. "Truly… this really is shocking."

"G-Grandpa Loran, is there something wrong? Did I make a mistake?" Elaine felt slightly abashed, looking at Grandpa Loran's state. He had always seemed to be an incredibly wise and knowledgable person, but now it appeared as though he had become speechless from shock.

"Haha! Mistake? No, dear child. You have not made any kind of mistake! I'm sorry, but really this situation is just a bit surprising for me." Grandpa Loran laughed away his shocked expression and looked back at Elaine. His warm and inviting smile had returned, and the next words that left his mouth left both Elaine and Elliot's eyes wide in shock.

"Elaine, won't you let me adopt you as my granddaughter?"