Aftermath || Sequel to The World Without Them [HIATUS]

04 | Daybreak

 Frost stood in front of a mirror, staring at his reflection. The room he found himself in was dark, with only the faint rays of the sun peeking in through the thin curtains to provide light. It was musty as well -- dust collected on every surface, and the air was thick with the smell of old wood polisher and book pages, making it obvious that no one had used the space for quite some time. But despite the unsettling darkness and it being rather hard to breathe, Frost took solace in what he knew was very temporary alone time.

 After nearly two weeks of preparation and contacting not only television stations in Inridia but the offices of the six representatives as well, the day had finally arrived for Frost to address the public. Ever since he had given Acacia the job of setting everything up, his thoughts had only revolved around his speech. Every time the idea came to mind, the boy tried desperately to push it away. 

 However, it turned out that he couldn't do that forever.

 Frost stole a glance at the small folder containing his address that sat on the desk beside him before returning his eyes to the mirror. He studied his appearance for the umpteenth time. He was dressed in a black suit, and his hair was neatly combed and parted. The adolescent couldn't help but think of the irony of his attire. His parents had always forced him to look nice for formal government events, but yet now he had chosen to do so himself, and his parents were gone.

 I wonder if Mom will be able to watch me, he wondered somewhat solemnly. She probably wouldn't want to even if she could.

 Frost stuck his hands in his pockets just as the door to the room opened. He turned his head to see that it was just Sage. Acacia and Mana were nowhere to be found, making him assume that they were waiting in one of the standby areas in the lobby.

 The greenette shut the door behind her and walked towards him. Frost watched her approach for a couple moments before turning back to the mirror. In the reflection he saw her come to a stop next to him.

 The pair didn't speak for awhile. There were no words to convey the gravity of the situation or how important it was and, if there were, they already knew about it. No one had to remind them that all of their hard work and sacrifice had boiled down to that exact moment where they would reveal to the nation the sins that had been committed behind closed doors. The opportunity before them meant everything.

 "There's only fifteen minutes left," Sage finally said, looking up at him then at the room. "I didn't expect to find you here. How are you feeling?"

 The Silverkeep native shrugged. "As good as I can be before I make a speech to hundreds of thousands of people."

 She nodded and they fell silent again. After a few minutes, the girl stepped in front of him so he couldn't see the mirror and began straightening his suit. Frost peered down at her curiously, and it was only then that he noticed her hands were trembling. She didn't let any sign of anxiety onto her expression though, and simply focused on tugging the fabric into place.

 When she stopped, Frost brought his hands up to envelope hers. Sage avoided eye contact, keeping her gaze firmly on his chest. That in and of itself told the boy how nervous she really was.

 "Hey, I'm the only one that's allowed to be scared," he teased gently. When she didn't move, he released one of her hands so he could cup her cheek and tilt her head back. Their eyes met and, for a brief moment, Frost found himself lost in the emerald green color of her irises. The depth and thoughtfulness in them betrayed the emotions she didn't allow on her face.

 It always amazed him how Sage could appear so calm and collected when internally she was panicking.

 "You're definitely not the only one allowed to be scared," she muttered. "There's too many things going on right now that it would be stupid not to be."