Arthur leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Your kindness, your naivety it’ll be your undoing. Do you know what your biggest flaw is, Mr. Kane?”
Lucian raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
“It’s your kindness,” Arthur said, his voice low but laced with a cutting edge. “Your ridiculous, overbearing kindness. You’re overly good, childishly so. And one day, mark my words you’ll regret it. You’ll look back and realize it was the very thing that destroyed you if not you are not currently.”
Lucian blinked at Arthur’s words, the faintest flicker of surprise passing across his face. He hadn’t expected this kind of comment from Arthur, but he allowed himself to think it over. For a moment, silence hung between them, heavy and contemplative.
Finally, Lucian spoke, his voice soft but steady. “Is it? I don’t know… maybe you’re right. Maybe kindness is a flaw in a world like this.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the response.
Lucian’s lips curved into a small, gentle smile. “But I don’t think so. In fact, I think kindness is one of the most important things in life.”
Arthur scoffed lightly, leaning back in his chair. “Kindness? Important? You’re deluded, Lucian. Kindness is a weakness a crack in the armor that lets people exploit you.”
Lucian chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, Arthur. I can see why you’d think that. You’ve probably only seen kindness used as a tool, a mask people wear to manipulate others. But real kindness? That’s something else entirely.”
Arthur’s smirk faltered slightly, his expression darkening. “Go on, then. Enlighten me.”
Lucian nodded, his tone thoughtful and reflective. “If you’re kind to someone, people might accuse you of having selfish motives. Be kind anyway. If you build something with great effort, someone might tear it down out of spite. Build it anyway. If you do good today, people might forget it tomorrow. Do good anyway.”
Arthur’s gaze sharpened, his skepticism evident, but he remained silent.
Lucian placed a hand on his heart, his smile softening. “In the end, none of us are constant. We’re all fleeting. So why waste our time being anything other than the best version of ourselves? If kindness is my flaw, I’ll carry it proudly. Because even if the world sees it as weakness, I know it’s what makes life worth living.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as if trying to find cracks in Lucian’s sincerity. “And what happens when your kindness fails you? When you’re betrayed, abandoned, and broken? What will you do then, Lucian?”
Lucian’s gaze softened further, his voice quieter now. “Even then, I’ll hold onto it. Because kindness isn’t about what others do it’s about who I choose to be. That’s the one thing no one can take away from me.”
Arthur leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “You say that now, but let me ask you this: Are these words just pretty philosophies? Or are you actually like this? Are you truly this selfless, this… naïve?”
Lucian chuckled, the sound light but genuine. “You don’t trust people, do you, Arthur?”
Arthur’s expression didn’t change, but the silence was enough of an answer.
Lucian sighed softly, his gaze turning distant. “I don’t blame you. Trust is dangerous in a world like this. But no, these aren’t just words to me. I’m not perfect, and I’ve made my mistakes. But I believe in these things because I’ve seen what happens when they’re missing.”
Arthur studied him for a long moment, his thoughts swirling. “Can someone really be this… genuine? This selfless?” he wondered. The idea unsettled him, conflicting with everything he believed about the world.
Lucian broke the silence, his voice firm but kind. “If I have one piece of advice for you, Arthur, it’s this: In all the chaos and cruelty of life, keep an honest and gentle heart. There will be times when you have to lie, cheat, or fight to survive. But even in those moments, if you can hold onto a part of yourself that’s true if you can keep your heart intact you’ll find a life worth living.”
Arthur leaned back, his smirk returning, though it lacked its usual sharpness. “Those are some amazing words, Lucian. But let me ask you this do you actually live by them? Or are you just saying what you think I want to hear?”
Lucian smiled faintly, his gaze unwavering. “I live by them. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”
Arthur’s smirk deepened, though his eyes flickered with uncertainty and curiousity. “You’re either the most genuine person I’ve ever met, or the best liar. I haven’t decided yet.”
Lucian calm and deliberate. “Maybe one day you’ll figure it out, Arthur. Until then… I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Arthur didn’t respond immediately. His sharp eyes locked onto Lucian’s face, searching for something anything that might betray the cracks beneath the surface. The sincerity in Lucian’s tone, the kindness in his expression it grated on him in ways he couldn’t fully understand.
Why does this annoy me so much? Arthur thought as an inexplicable irritation bubbled inside him.
He hated it. He hated this overly kind personality, this maddeningly calm demeanor. He hated how Lucian’s words seemed to come from some untouchable moral high ground that Arthur couldn’t reach. And more than anything, he hated the possibility that Lucian’s kindness might actually be real.
Is he for real? Is there really someone like him in this cruel, cutthroat world? Arthur’s mind churned with doubt, anger, and a strange, begrudging curiosity. He wanted to tear down that facade to see if this so-called “kindness” was genuine or just another mask.
His fingers tapped idly against the armrest of his chair, his piercing gaze never leaving Lucian. For a fleeting moment, the silence between them was suffocating, thick with unspoken tension.
Suddenly, the sharp buzz of Arthur’s phone shattered the quiet.
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Brrrr. Brrrr. Brrrr.
The table in front of him vibrated violently, the sound harsh and jarring against the stillness of the room. Zrrrr. Zrrrr. Zrrrr.
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