Ezekiel at least wanted to pay for the earrings.
Even if they were cheap and if they were already broken.
He still wanted to.
But he had nothing.
He couldn't access his bank account. The moment he tried, it would leave a trace. His former residence was no longer an option either. Returning there would be the same as announcing to the world that he was alive.
So he swallowed the shame that burned in his throat.
For now, he would accept it.
But one day, he would repay Viola. Not just for the earrings but for everything.
"So…" El said, glancing between them, clearly expecting payment.
Viola didn't waste time. Without hesitation, she tossed the bag she was carrying toward Cain.
Cain caught it clumsily, almost dropping it before securing it against his chest. He hesitated for a second, then slowly opened it. The moment he saw what was inside, his lips stretched into a satisfied grin.
"There's five thousand dollars in total," Viola said calmly. "I'll give you the rest once the other documents are done."
"Of course, valued customer," Cain replied smoothly, his earlier cautious tone replaced with professionalism.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Viola reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded bill.
"Here's the ten dollars for the earrings."
Cain blinked, surprised for a second, then accepted it with a small chuckle. "Pleasure doing business."
And with that, Ezekiel and Viola left.
---
Once they entered the car, the atmosphere shifted.
The tension from the shop faded slightly.
Viola handed him the small box containing the earrings.
"Here," she said. "You should check this out."
Ezekiel accepted the box carefully. He opened it and activated his appraisal skill.
A faint shimmer passed through his vision as information materialized in his mind.
Artifact Name: The Formwright (Broken)
Ability: Alters physical build
Problem: Absorbs mana rapidly due to missing paired half
His expression darkened slightly.
"This…"
"Hm?" Viola glanced at him while fastening her seatbelt. "What is it?"
"It's broken," he said quietly. "That's why it drains mana too quickly. Anyone who uses this without knowing would collapse from exhaustion."
Viola's brows furrowed. "So… was it still worth buying?"
He stared at the earrings again.
"I… I think I know how to fix it."
She turned to him sharply. "Eh?"
"You can?!"
Her sudden excitement made her lean closer to him. Too close.
Ezekiel stiffened slightly when he realized how near her face was to his. He could see the reflection of himself in her eyes. She quickly noticed the distance too and awkwardly leaned back.
"Yes," he continued, clearing his throat. "Artifacts that come in pairs usually stabilize each other's mana flow. One regulates the other. Since the second piece is missing, this one overcompensates. It absorbs too much mana just to maintain its function."
"So it's not completely useless?"
"No. It still works just inefficiently and dangerously."
He lifted the earrings carefully, studying their structure. The craftsmanship was delicate and ancient. The runes carved along the edges were incomplete, like half of a circle waiting to be finished.
Ezekiel touched his glasses.
A faint purple aura began to glow from his hand.
The energy was subtle at first, then slowly intensified. It wrapped around his fingers like smoke made of light. Viola watched in silence, her eyes fixed on him.
He removed his glasses briefly and channeled the same purple energy into the earrings.
The artifact trembled.
"All we have to do," he explained, "is connect it to another object and create a substitute pair. It doesn't need the original. It just needs a stabilizing anchor."
The aura flowed from his palm into the earrings, weaving through the broken rune patterns. For a few seconds, the inside of the car was illuminated with a soft violet glow.
Viola didn't blink.
She was witnessing something she had never seen before.
After a short while, the glow faded.
Ezekiel exhaled slowly.
"It should be temporarily stabilized now. But we need to test it properly."
"You're amazing…" Viola muttered unconsciously.
He pretended not to hear that.
"We'll test it at your house," he said instead.
Viola nodded and started the engine.
---
Before heading home, they stopped at a fast food drive-thru.
The ordinary routine of ordering burgers and drinks felt strangely peaceful compared to everything else they had been dealing with. For a few minutes, they were just two normal people getting lunch.
When they arrived at the house, they placed the food neatly on the table.
Ezekiel sat down.
Viola didn't.
"I'm going to get Elizabeth upstairs first," she said.
It had already been five days since Elizabeth started living there.
Viola's house had three rooms in total. One had originally been a storage room filled with old boxes and unused furniture. But she cleaned it, repainted parts of it, and arranged it into a proper bedroom so Elizabeth could have her own space.
The room was next to Viola's.
Partly for comfort.
Partly to prevent another disaster.
The last time Elizabeth had slept in Viola's room, she had somehow managed to scatter clothes, pillows, and random items everywhere by morning.
Earlier that day, Elizabeth hadn't woken up early, so she missed breakfast with them. Viola had left her food upstairs before they went out.
Ezekiel nodded when Viola said she would call Elizabeth first.
"Go ahead," he said quietly.
Viola gave him a small nod in return before walking upstairs toward Elizabeth's room.
The hallway was quiet. Only the faint hum of electricity and distant sounds from outside filled the space.
She stopped in front of Elizabeth's door and knocked gently.
"I'm coming in…"
She slowly turned the knob and opened the door.
Inside, Elizabeth was lying comfortably on her bed, completely absorbed in her iPad. The glow of the screen reflected in her eyes as she tapped enthusiastically.
On the bedside table were the dirty plates from earlier.
Viola's eye twitched slightly.
A few days ago, Elizabeth had been overly fascinated with the television. She had also noticed Viola using her phone and became extremely curious.
"What is that?" Elizabeth had asked back then, pointing at the device in Viola's hand.
So Viola explained what a phone was, how it worked, and what it could do.
Elizabeth loved the idea immediately and wanted to try it herself.
But her fingers were clumsy on the small screen. She struggled to press the tiny app icons. She kept misclicking, opening the wrong apps, and accidentally closing everything.
After a few failed attempts, she grew visibly frustrated.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, she burst into tears.
Like a child.
A very powerful, ancient dragon child.
Viola had stared at the crying "Great Ruler" in disbelief.
In the end, she couldn't bear it.
That same day, she ordered a brand-new iPad to be delivered to her house for Elizabeth.
When it arrived, Viola patiently taught her how to use it. And surprisingly, Elizabeth adapted quickly. Within hours, she was navigating apps smoothly, playing games, watching videos, and scrolling through pictures like she had been born in the modern era.
And now, here she was again.