My mother must have heard me come in but noticed that I hadn't gone to my room and quietly came downstairs. Seeing me collapsed on the sofa, she looked pained.
I quickly sat up as she came over and sat beside me. "Grace, are you too tired?" she asked.
I gave a wry smile, nodded vaguely, then shifted to lay my head on her lap. "Yeah, tired!"
"..."
"Mom, why do we have to grow up?" I said softly.
Her hand gently stroked my hair. "Don't pull the bow too tight; even the string will break."
"Elevate is my blood, sweat, and dreams. Despite it undergoing massive changes, there are always those who want to use it to crush me. I won't let them succeed, nor will I allow Elevate, which I built from scratch, to collapse in my hands! I won't attack unless attacked, but since he doesn't want to take the high road, there's no need for mercy," I said somberly. "I didn't want to be ruthless, but they are pushing me too far!"