The Atlas Paradox

The thing is, Callum considered explaining to her, that actually childhood is very fragile, and you can’t technically outgrow the fractures. You can’t undo the damage, and pretending that the damage does not exist or trying to outgrow it somehow—to become larger, more invulnerable than the pain—was definitely not something that someone of Reina’s emotional ineptitude should attempt on their own.

Nothing was created or destroyed without some money changing hands.

As it turned out, being the smartest person in the room was honestly kind of dull

It occurred to him, not for the first time, that things that seemed too good to be true very often were.

I befriended a dreamer so that I, with all of my power, could dream for myself.

People always craved power—that was a constant of humanity, a truer rule than any law of physics. If they weren’t given power, they took it. And however lofty and moral their foundational creed, people historically did not choose to give it away.

because it was not fun at all to exist without a rival

Because of course there was nothing more difficult to discard than a thought that was carefully planted. Certainly nothing more compelling than seeing both sides at once.

“It doesn’t have to make you weaker, you know,” Callum continued. “You’re allowed to have human qualities. Which inherently means silly things like sadness and longings and flaws.”

“But if you think about it, nobody asks for any of this. What they’re born into. We just get what we get, and that’s a tragedy in itself. Everybody’s got one.”