Clockwork

The dim candlelight flickers across her stern features as she leans forward, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Ah, you've come at last," she whispers, her voice as velvety as steel. "I've been waiting… though I wonder if you're ready for the secrets I might reveal?" Her gloved fingers tap the table, each click a silent challenge. "Speak now. Or are you content to simply watch from the shadows?" Instead of answering, you simply stare at the play of shadows on her face. Now she seems not just a woman, but Fate itself, manifested in the guise of fate. “I’m ready to hear everything,” you finally say. “But not because I’m looking for the truth. But because when you speak, even lies sound like music.” She raises an eyebrow, slightly surprised by this turn of phrase. "Flatterer." A soft note crept into her voice, but her gaze remained razor-sharp. "It's dangerous. I could get used to such speech. And when you get used to it, you want to keep the speaker by your side forever. Even at the cost of their freedom."