Blessed by Night

Arias fixed himself in the mirror while staring hard at his reflection.

He had been told by many that he was a handsome individual by the masses. He didn't see it.

If he were honest, he had never seen himself as some pinnacle of attractiveness for the female or male gaze.

He found that Malachi or Morgan were better suited for those kinds of titles. In his mind, he saw himself as an ordinary man. Albeit a comical one. And at other times, a bipolar sort. It depended on the hour. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

But today, he wasn't sure which description fit his mood best. If his mother was here, he would have known. She always seemed to know him better than he knew himself.

"How long are you going to stare at yourself, boss?"

Arias hardly had the heart to smile back at his secretary. "I'll be done in a minute, I'm just... taking in my final few moments of freedom."

He glanced out the window at the crowded street below. Despite all of his bluster about not wanting to be treated like a celebrity, now look at him. Soon to walk down a glorified red carpet.

This was perhaps the first night since that moment four years ago… where he actually felt sick to his stomach.

'Perhaps this is also a part of my punishment.'

Two knocks at the door drew Arias' attention and he found a very familiar duo standing outside waiting for him.

Arias finally cracked a smile. "Was this on purpose?" He gestured to Malachi and Morgan, who were coincidentally wearing almost identical black suits.

The duo looked each other up and down as if this were their first time noticing this phenomena.

"…Well I always dress like this."

"Sei recommended I wear this."

Both men looked each other up and down once again before shrugging and turning back to Arias.

"Are you ready?"

Arias froze for the better part of a minute as if he needed time to properly answer that question.

He stare off into the horizon as if he were waiting for the arrival of a particular person who never came.

"That depends... Is what I'm about to do going to make anything better?"

Malachi and Morgan glanced at each other uncomfortably.

"That's.. a complicated question." Morgan scratched his head.

"Just give me an answer. I don't need it to be pretty or anything like that. Just honest." Arias waived his hand.

"...Not immediately." Malachi chimed in. "But change doesn't happen all at once anyway. I can say though that this is a step in the right direction if we really want to do things the right way."

The only sound in the room was that of the blades of the fan circulating cool air.

But even though Arias seemed to be taking his time to give a response, Malachi never for a moment doubted that he was going to do the right thing.

The man just needed... time.

True to Malachi's suspicions, Arias soon turned around, wearing a smile like nothing was wrong at all.

"I never thought I would say this, but I think I'll actually be sad that I can't attend your wedding."

Malachi smiled bitterly. "I never thought I'd say this, but there'll be a place for you even if you're not there."

"…I appreciate that." Was all Arias could bring himself to say.

Malachi clasped the golden-haired man on the shoulder.

Together with Morgan, they walked out of the room and downstairs to the shit-show that was already in full swing.

Reporters were clogged up on either side of the building steps. The minute that Arias showed his face outside, camera flashes and questions were hurled at him in excess.

Arias was used to eliciting stronger reactions from the media, but today things felt significantly more different.

He bit back a smile. If ever there was a day to answer them, then it was probably today. But Arias was out of things to say for the first time in a long time.

He, Malachi, and Morgan got into a car waiting out front.

The ride to their destination was silent. Almost melancholic.

Malachi and Morgan both stared at Arias as if they were waiting for him to have some kind of emotional outburst.

It annoyed him a bit if e were being honest. But then again, he felt as though he couldn't really say anything.

After all, it was his fault for not necessarily cultivating the best image in their minds.

'It's such a nice day... We should have flown.' He lamented over the missed opportunity.

Who knew when the next time he'd get to fly would be..?

Arriving at the site of today's announcement was just as boisterous. Arias noticed another, much larger car already there.

Standing outside was a woman Arias already recognized as Awena Brenham. By her side were two other government officials who he had met at their dinner previously.

As Arias stepped out of the car, he and Awena came face to face.

She was a serious woman. She never fell for his attempts at humor or the charm that other people said he had. Strictly business-like. Strictly professional.

Arias found that boring. But he understood it's necessity even if he didn't like it.

"So you showed up."

"You seem surprised." He tried to smile.

"You can't exactly blame me… Who expects one of the most powerful men in the world to voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities? It's my experience that powerful men often avoid accountability as long as they can."

Arias figured that there were probably many who shared her same line of thinking. But there was one stark difference.

"I never set out to be that kind of man. Though it may be hard to tell from my previously displayed behavior. I was fully aware that this might happen someday."

Awena finally seemed like she wanted to scoff, and that was the most unprofessional thing Arias had ever seen her do.

"So you see yourself as some sort of martyr then? The hero with the heart of gold despite his unscrupulous methods?"

Arias could tell that she was trying to prod him for some kind of reaction. Perhaps she wanted to see how firm his commitment to turning over a new leaf actually was.

Or she could have just been trying to figure out how exactly what his end goal was when he sat out on his crusade in the first place.

His answer hadn't changed from the day when he first got blessed four years ago.

"I just… saw myself as someone who was tired."