The True Believer Novels & Stories

‎ ‎And somewhere inside her chest, something trembled. ‎Not because she wanted this lie to continue. ‎ ‎But because part of her feared that maybe… ‎just maybe… ‎she wanted to believe in it again. ‎ ‎But not now. ‎Not yet. ‎Not again. ‎ ‎She turned away first. ‎ ‎This time, Arch didn’t try to stop her. ‎ ‎ ‎

I chuckled, "Tristan has a full army, do you possibly think that you and I can handle such a crowd?" "Yes," he said, "if we believe it". "Believe what?" He smiled and pointed to his head, "all it takes to convince it that you're stronger than you look i s by believing it". "I believe I'll die". He laughed heartily, "I believe we'll succeed".

He said. His tone was so certain, like he believed in me… more than I believed in myself. I looked at him properly then. He looked exactly the same as he always did, but today, there was something else there to him. Something quieter. Something grounded. “They don’t need to,” I said. “They just need enough people to believe it.” Nathaniel’s gaze didn’t waver. “That’s the problem with narratives,” he said. “They don’t need to be true. They just need to be convincing.”

I stammered, the corner of my lips twitching at the sudden question, “I grew up with that habit. The thing is, as a child, my father owed a lot of debts from gambling and stuff like that. So many times, my mother and I were taken by loan sharks and those my father owed money to. I was able to figure out when someone was coming or hiding to get us despite how quiet they were. It's just an instinct that I grew up with.” Alden's eyes narrowed at me, but he didn't say a word, he still kept that infuriating smile on his lips. “You… Don't believe me?” I questioned softly, almost tearfully in fact, “If you don't believe me, then…” “Who said anything about not believing you, princess? I believe you,

--- And as the system surged in response— As belief met belief with no space left between them— As everything built toward the inevitable breaking point— One final truth emerged: --- When beliefs collide— --- It is not the strongest that survives… --- But the one willing to change everything to prove it right.

"Are you stupid? Get pregnant first and secure your place. Once you give him a child, no first love will stand a chance." I looked at her in disdain. What time period were we living in again? Using a child to secure a woman's place was so outdated. I lost interest and did not answer. Mindy noticed and demanded to know what the real problem was. "Is something wrong with him? Or is it with you? You could get checked if you need to..." She kept asking questions that made things so confusing. I finally caved and told her the truth. "Everything is fine. I just can't accept it."

"I want you to understand something first. I am not your enemy. I understand that everyone in your life right now has told you otherwise, and I understand why. But hatred is a simpler story than the truth, and I find people prefer simple stories, even when they cost them something." "That's not an answer." "No," he agreed. "It isn't." Something in me leaned toward him anyway, some old, tired pull I didn't fully trust — the same instinct Valen had warned me about in the study, the desire to believe whoever was finally offering something that felt like truth, regardless of who they were or what they wanted in return. My jaw tightened against it. I hated how easily it rose in me. "You don't hav

He thought: of course it can. He had learned this in three years of the open interior. The belief in a person — in himself, in Adrian, in Miriam, in the strangers who would use the library — was not the same as the softening of reality. The belief was the prior condition, the ground from which honest engagement was possible. You could tell someone a hard truth if you believed in them. You could hold the full weight of the complex and the difficult and the unresolved if the ground of the relationship was the belief.

“You are not going to be alone. I am going to be with you. So don’t worry, I got my eyes on you.” I chewed on my lower lip.I hate this guy. He stroked my upper lip. “Each time I say things to you, especially things from my heart, you chew on your lower lip. Do you think I don’t mean whatever I say?”I released my lip. “No. I believe every word you say, I believe you. You don’t lie and even if you do, you are saying the truth.”He smiled, staring at my lips.“How is it that I can’t behave like who I am whenever I am around you? Every strong man has something that weakens him, a weak spot.

“That’s why I told you to believe in the God of my pastor, Pastor Timothy. You lacked faith, but now, you see His power.” “Please, don’t be sad. You know there are so many fake pastors out there. Most of them just use their position to make money.” “Not Pastor Timothy.” I moved excitedly in his loose embrace. “From the moment I heard his first sermon, I knew he was a true man of God. He told me I would get pregnant right after the fasting and prayer, and look, here we are! This baby isn’t just any child. It’s special, a gift from God. Do you remember Zachariah and his wife, Elizabeth, from the Bible?”