Yelena took a slow breath and leaned back for a moment, letting her thoughts gather as she gazed at Charlotte, who was watching her with intense curiosity. Then, with a soft, proud chuckle, she said,
"You know...if it were anyone else, anyone else at all, who found out they had unlimited potential, but no way to ever unlock it...they would've fallen into despair."
"And not just a little sadness, Charlotte. I'm talking about the kind of despair that eats you alive from the inside. That leaves you feeling like you're nothing."
"...Like the world gave you a treasure chest and then melted the key in front of you."
She picked up her glass again, the remnants of the exotic bird broth still steaming gently, and took another sip before setting it back down carefully.
