Lucienne

“She began to burn herself again. She found release in the pain; it was comforting, familiar. It was a trade-off she was well used to. Success required sacrifice. Sacrifice meant pain. Pain meant success.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“She was all of herself. She was whole, intact.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“She wanted to forget everything, to forget the war, to forget her gods. It was enough to simply be, to know that her friends were alive and that the entire world was not so dark after all.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“This is what you have to tell yourself," Qara said fiercely. "You have to believe that it was necessary. That it stopped something worse. And even if it wasn't, it's the lie we'll tell ourselves, starting today and every day afterward. You made your choice. There's nothing you can do about it now. It's over.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War