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  As Ian stepped out, the cluttered bookstore settled bato its familiar quiet. The setting sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky ile hues e and red as the earth dohe night's splendid attire. Aurrindelwald flicked on the lights and resumed reading the notebook titled 'Runes Analysis and Research.'

  The interpy of light and shadow danced between the bookshelves, and the faint sound of pages turning occasionally echoed in the shop. Although the Germanic girl had mentiohat the bookstore owner, Kraft, would return soon, it wasn't until the stars dotted the night sky that he finally appeared.

  "Click~"

  With the arrival of night, Aurora had closed the bookstore's door. The old man pushed it opely removing his hat, its brim still dusted with the remnants of the outside world.

  "Miss, haven't you rested yet?" Kraft's tone was respectful, g the dession one might expect from an elder. His voice carried a hint of fatigue that was hard to mask.

  "It's still early." Aurora didn't look up, her focus still oebook spread across her knees. "Besides, I'm curious about the message grandfather sent you that made you rush out in such a fluster aurn only at midnight, looking pletely exhausted."

  Kraft merely pursed his lips and shook his head, not providing the answer she hoped for. "There are some things that you shouldn't care for, at least for now."

  This was the response Aurora had anticipated. Her expression remained unged as she tiudying the book on her knees.

  "Of course, I'm tired. The other Acolytes and I are all old now, no longer as full of life as we were in our youth... I wonder if we'll even live to see the day our ideals are realized." Kraft let out a heavy sigh, slowly removing his heavy robes and hanging them on the coat rack by the door. Even such a simple a left him breathing heavily.

  "My talent isn't as amazing as my grandfather's, nor do I have his grand ambitions. Pg your hopes on me will only lead trets and disappoi." Aurora looked up, her heteroatic eyes log onto Kraft's as she spoke.

  For a moment, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as if he had been transported back to a time filled with dreams and passion. But Aurora's words quickly pulled him back to reality.

  Everything had ged. The great leader had lost his freedom, and the once-glorious Acolytes had bee flickering dles in the wind.

  "No, it won't be like that." Kraft's tone was firm, devoid of annoyance. "Yrandfather believes you plete the work he left unfinished. You will surpass him. He has already paved the way for you. You will succeed under our prote."

  Kraft's voice brimmed with fervor.

  Aurora fell silent. She waue, but she also uood the weight of the expectations pced upon her. For the Acolytes, her grandfather was almost a figure of faith. Even the slightest disagreement would provoke resistance from them.

  "Isn't it too cruel to pce such a heavy burden on a child?" Aurora sighed softly, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes.

  "Being able to say such things proves you're no longer a child," Kraft replied, his voice low and humble. Yet this humility stemmed not from loyalty to Aurora, but from loyalty trandfather.

  "Bearing the Grindelwald name, from the moment you were born, you were destio shoulder araordinary mission." These words were heavy, but they were also an undeniable truth.

  Aurora uood this.

  "I don't think I lead you to rise again," She said early.

  Kraft chuckled lightly, unbothered. "Lrindelwald saw that future. For us Acolytes, that is already enough." His cloudy eyes shoh an unusual brightness— perhaps it was hope.

  "Perhaps the self-impriso he endures now, the yers of pain he has suffered in the past, were all paving the way for you. All for the greater good, to deceive Dumbledore!"

  This was the mi of a fanatic, always able to sole themselves with seemingly reasonable expnations for things they couldn't accept. Aurora knew she couldn't ge Kraft's thoughts, just as she hadn't been able to ge the other Acolytes who had "apanied" her growth over the past decade.

  Sometimes, Aurora truly admired her grandfather. She couldn't fathom what kind of personal charm could inspire suwavering loyalty from a group of people, even after so many years of his absehey still believed he possessed god-like power.

  "Let's talk about something else." Aurora didn't want to dwell on why her grandfather had been imprisoned. She had only met him three or four times in her life. Powerful, elegant, gehese were the deepest impressions she had of Gellert Grindelwald. As for family affe...

  "Has Dumbledore still not approved my admission application?" Aurora ged the subject.

  "Dumbledore is a despicable fellow. But since we're now on his turf, you should still maintain some superficial respect for your future headmaster," Kraft reminded her seriously. Then, with a fident tone, he added, "Don't worry. You don't o yourself with whether you'll be admitted to Hogwarts."

  "Although none of us believe this school is qualified to educate you, yrandfather wants you to study here. So, Dumbledore won't be an obstacle to your admission."

  "That damn fellow will eventually agree." Kraft gritted his teeth whenever he mentioned Dumbledore. Simir ses could be found among almost every Acolyte.

  Aurora was used to it.

  "That's good." She lowered her head and resumed reading the notebook.

  The bookstore returo its quiet ambiance.

  Kraft raised his wand to his coat, and as he prepared to head to the ba, he noticed the three rubooks still piled on the ter.

  "Has that little boy been here?" Kraft picked up the three books with i, notig they hadn't been flipped through much. It seemed they hadn't been read for long after being purchased.

  "He came to sell the books," Aurora replied suctly.

  "That's a ing little brat, much cleverer than his peers. You didn't let him trick you, did you?" Kraft tossed the three books toward the bookshelves.

  "Ctter~" Without magical guidance, Kraft's throw was quite off. All three books fell to the ground, and he didn't even bother to cast a spell to save them.

  Aurora looked up thoughtfully. "I gave him one golden galleon." Her voice remaieady—young, clear, aionally posed.

  "I didn't expect you to outwit that clever brat!" Kraft couldn't help but look at Aurora in surprise, then burst into ughter, giving her a thumbs-up with his withered arm.

  "I think he's not bad. He said he wao be my friend." Aurora's aloof expression showed ion. However, she, who usually liked to read with books on her knees, was now holding the eebook up to her face.

  "Hmm?" Kraft didn't notiything unusual; he was focused on something else.

  "Does that boy know your identity, miss?" Kraft's gaze shifted to Aurora's heteroatic eyes, whiow sparkled with fanaticism.

  "Yes." Aurora raised the notebook a bit higher. "We exged names. He's Ian Prince."

  Her tone was as calm as ever.

  "Hmph, it seems he's a muggle-born wizard." Kraft frowned slightly. He wasn't doubting Aurora's social skills; it was just that her grandfather had long made the name "Grindelwald" a revered and feared symbol among wizards.

  Grindelwald might not be as terrifying as Voldemort's name, but any wizard-born child would definitely know what the name behind it truly meant.

  "His parents are both wizards," Aurora corrected suddenly.

  Kraft was slightly stunned. "Is this something you saw?" His gaze shifted back to Aurora's heteroatic eyes, filled once again with fervor.

  "He knows what Grindelwald means, and..." Aurora recalled her earlier versation with Ian. She buried her head ba the notebook, her tone calm but dropping a bombshell.

  "He said he wants to be a Dark Lord."

  (End of Chapter)