“Alchemists need to break themselves into pieces. They want to rebuild the world around them so desperately that they would give their blood, body, or soul. But people in power cannot fathom breaking a world that already bows to them.”

“Every truth has its time.”

“She dropped her gaze, shame and disgust flaring hot in her cheeks. Because she knew exactly what she was asking of him, and it still didn’t stop her.”

“Ashem was too naïve for this world if she thought people were only cruel when there was a point to it.”

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

“I don’t mind being pitied. As long as it gets me what I want, people can think whatever they want about me.”

“I can't fight stories," she whispered, and a few tears, dark as ink, ran down her face and tangled in her hair.

“Because when the legends get written, I didn’t want to be remembered for standing on the sidelines. I want my future offspring to know that I was there, and that I fought against her at the end, even if I couldn’t do anything useful.”