“Vesna Esta Holicia, until you shine again, into vision, into the real world. Though a child of man knows time, life itself is eternal.”

“As long as there is happiness, there will be sadness. As long as there is fortune, there will be misfortune.“…What’s real is something that not even the strength of the Goddess can change. The only one who can change it is me. If I don’t change my destiny, if I don’t cut through the obstacles in my path, then no matter where I go, I’ll always be standing in the same place, doing the same thing over and over again, for the rest of my life.”

“There's a point to all the mistakes, the comebacks, the rethinking, the living--the living for all you're worth. There's a point to finding our own path. Please, give the people of Vision a chance to find theirs.”

“Chikako could see Nobue's flowers reflected in Kaori's eyes. They looked like stars. Like love itself.”

“Only the very top of the arched ceiling remained in shadow, as though some dark creature lurked there, devouring all light that strayed too close.”

“But the boy protected Yorda from the shadows-that-walk-alone. He took her hand, defended her, swung his thin arm, and fought with his tiny frame, driving them back. If the shades dragged her into their realm, she would once again become a prisoner, and the boy would turn to stone, a sad adornment in the castle. Yorda knew this. But the boy did not--even as he did not know that Yorda was the property of the queen of the castle--and he protected her.”

“Ico made to charge her again. The queen raised a clawlike nail, but Yorda stepped between them. Without a word, Yorda stretched out her arms in front of Ico, holding him back. Ico looked into her eyes and she shook her head, pleading with him.”