#michaellangdon

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The church is quiet—so quiet that the slightest movement seems like a disturbance in the sacred space. I’m alone, or at least, I think I am. The faint flicker of candles casts long shadows across the stone floor, and the air is thick with the scent of incense and the weight of unanswered prayers.

I kneel at the altar, my hands clasped tightly, fingers entwined as if holding on to something—or someone. My whispered prayers are desperate, tinged with doubt and fear, and I can’t help but feel that my words are falling into the void, unheard.

And then, I hear it—a soft, almost mocking chuckle that sends a shiver down my spine. I don’t need to look to know who it is. The air around me seems to chill, the light from the candles dimming as if in response to his presence.

“Praying, are we?” Michael’s voice is smooth, a touch of amusement laced with something darker. “Do you really think your words will reach Him?”

I open my eyes but don’t turn around. “Why are you here, Michael? This place... it’s not for you.”

“Isn’t it?” I can almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Faith, temptation... they’re two sides of the same coin, aren’t they? Besides, I thought you might need some company. After all, it’s lonely praying to someone who’s not listening.”

I finally turn to face him. Michael leans casually against a pillar, his arms crossed, his gaze intense and unyielding. He looks so out of place here, yet somehow, it’s as if he belongs—reminding me that even in the holiest of places, sin lingers.

“My faith isn’t something you can manipulate,” I say, though the uncertainty in my voice betrays me. “I’m stronger than you think.”

His smile widens, but there’s no warmth in it. “Are you? You speak of strength, yet here you are, on your knees, begging for answers you’ll never get. Why do you cling to something that only causes you pain?”

“Because... because I believe in something greater than myself,” I whisper, more to myself than to him.

Michael steps closer, his presence almost overwhelming, his shadow threatening to swallow me whole. “And what if that something greater doesn’t believe in you? What if all your prayers, all your sacrifices, are for nothing?”

His words hit me like a blow, and for a moment, doubt creeps in. But I shake my head, trying to push it away. “I won’t let you twist my faith, Michael. I admit you tempt me, but you’ll never have my soul.”

He leans in, so close that I can feel his breath on my skin, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Oh, but I don’t need your soul... I just need you to doubt. Because doubt, my dear, is the first step to falling. And once you fall... well, you know how much I enjoy catching you.”

The intensity in his eyes is almost too much to bear, but I hold his gaze, refusing to back down. “You won’t win,” I say, though the tremor in my voice betrays my fear. “Not this time.”

Michael straightens, a look of something almost like respect in his eyes. “We’ll see,” he murmurs, turning away. But before he leaves, he glances back at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “Keep praying. You never know who might be listening.”

And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me alone in the silence once more. But the church feels different now, colder, darker. I try to resume my prayer, but the words won’t come. All I can think about is the doubt he planted, the seeds of uncertainty that now take root in my mind.