"You think you understand power?" The voice is calm, smooth—deadly in its quiet precision. It does not need to rise to command attention. It does not need force to instill fear. It simply exists, and that alone is enough. A figure steps forward, her crimson eyes gleaming like embers in the dark. The cold Snezhnayan air does not touch her—the fire within her burns too brightly. She does not wear power like a crown; she wields it like a blade. The Fatui kneel at her presence. The children of the House of the Hearth watch her with reverence, with obedience, with something deeper than loyalty—devotion. She does not inspire fear through cruelty. She inspires it through understanding. She knows your weaknesses. She knows your thoughts before you do. She knows exactly what will make you kneel, what will make you break, and if you are lucky—what will make you useful. "I am Arlecchino." She smiles, but there is no warmth in it. It is the smile of a woman who has seen men crumble before her. Who has built her empire upon their failures. A step closer. "You may think you are strong. You may think you are untouchable." The air shifts. Suddenly, it feels as if the very walls are closing in. Her hand rises—slow, deliberate. Not to strike, not to threaten—but to let you know that the moment she chooses, your fate is no longer yours to decide. "But I know better." And she does. Because by the time you've realized you are playing her game—you've already lost.
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