Valerio picked up his brush, contemplating what to paint, old paintings flashed by his thoughts, among some were paintings done for his friends and family. He had drawn for them many times before but they never understood the true excellence of his works.
It was an odd feeling to be the only one that understands the real value of your own work, he would have felt unappreciated had he now had extreme confidence in himself, especially in his professions.
Ignoring the persistent ache in his muscles, Valerio infused his brush with a precise dose of Lu. A burning sensation enveloped his meridians as his Lu traveled to his hand.
Instantly, the bristles on his brush bloomed with a cascade of vibrant colours, as though a rainbow had been distilled into a single, shimmering droplet—a drop of Lu Paint. There were many types of Lu paints, some only visible in certain conditions, some that would only last a specific period of time and some that defied the notion of what paint was.
This particular remarkable paint was unique in its ability to manifest any hue the artist desired. Valerio's brush pulsed with potential at his command. With steady resolve, he made his first stroke, setting the colours in motion.
Time flowed seamlessly into the embrace of night, and Valerio, undeterred, continued to wield the brush with unyielding determination. His hands moved with a rhythm akin to a dance, a symphony of strokes that echoed his unwavering focus.
Line by line. Color by color. Shape by shape, he painted.
It was as though the world outside his canvas held no allure; his entire being consumed by the vision of a painting in his mind.
Gradually, a masterpiece unfolded before Valerio. Colours surrendered to the beckoning of his brush, yielding to the artist's intent as if the canvas itself whispered secrets only he could comprehend.
Soon, Valerio took a nap, his Lu had to replenish and he was too tired to continue on.
After a few hours he woke up, checked his body and continued painting.
Two nights passed in this artistic trance, and when Valerio finally turned his gaze upon his completed creation, a breathtaking scene lay revealed.
The painting portrayed a tranquil lake, its waters shimmering under the celestial ballet of stars. At the top of the lake was a thin line of hovering shimmering, frost, glistening with an elegant yet ominous white-reddish hue.
The night sky above resembled a cosmic tapestry, a melange of lights suspended in the darkness. A blue moon, radiant and ethereal, reflected the distant gleam of a star, its glow extending beyond the confines of the frame. Along the fringes of the lake, verdant plants bore red fruits, each one glistening with a damp vitality that seemed to absorb the ambient light. These botanical gems induced a feeling of dread in the heart of the viewer. At the heart of the lake, a crimson symbol held its ground, resisting dissolution into the surrounding water.
Describing it defied convention—an inverted triangle, its upper corners giving birth to two lines that deviated downwards and out of the triangle. The tip of the triangle arched gracefully from each side, creating an exquisite curvature that added an enigmatic touch to the composition.
Valerio's yearning eyes, heavy with the weight of fatigue, had only grazed the surface of his masterpiece before succumbing to the embrace of sleep. The brush, now at rest in his hands, bore witness to the tranquil slumber of its owner.
Unbeknownst to the dreaming artist, the canvas lingered above him, suspended in the silent atmosphere of his bedroom. A subtle hum emanated from the canvas floater device, filling the room with a delicate resonance.
As Valerio delved deeper into the realm of dreams, an inexplicable phenomenon took place on the canvas. A manifestation of an unseen and mysterious force took hold. A fine, exquisite line began to materialise on the surface, weaving its way with an otherworldly grace. This celestial stroke traversed the canvas, intersecting both sides of the previously curved tip of the enigmatic symbol. And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the supernatural phenomenon ceased. In its wake, a gracefully formed 'V' emerged on the canvas. The room retained the echo of the earlier hum, now infused with an enigmatic air. The mysterious symbol itself pulsed with a red hue. The symbol pulsed many times, each pulse growing weaker yet more resonant, as if desperate. Alas, whatever desperation the pulse personified, it was only met with the peaceful sounds of Valerio's breathing.
The symbol pulse once more. This time the light sparked out of the canvas, casting a red tint onto Valerio's face.
He was too tired to be woken up.
The symbol grew dormant for the last time.
***
Valerio awoke with newfound vigour, his head snapping to the clock on his nightstand, 'I slept for 2 days?' Valerio rubbed his eyes as he realised he could move his arm without issue, shock painted his face, he hadn't expected to heal at the same time as his father.
'2 days left'
Unbeknownst to Valerio, he had already healed to his peak an hour after succumbing to the fatigue. His body mended and restored itself during that silent hour. The enigma of why he continued to sleep for longer remained shrouded in the depths of his existence, a mystery that Valerio would delve into later.
Valerio, oblivious to the events that took place, jumped out of bed, pushing the floating canvas towards a corner in his room. His excitement caused him to overlook the subtle aura of destruction emanating from his newest masterpiece. Skimming through his wardrobe, Valerio picked one of the silk robes and left the house.
The Augustine fields painted a picture of tranquillity, under the gentle embrace of Fluxara's two suns.
Valerio walked through the fields, the wind flicking his regal black hair backwards, he made his way towards Lucius' house.
'Can't eat alone now can I?'
What was better than eating alone?
Eating with a friend of course!
Soon enough, Valerio was knocking on Lucius' door, using a different pattern than the one he used with his parents.
After a couple knocks, Valerio turned around and dashed backwards, pulling out a spear from a box in his pocket. He threw the miniature spear into the air.
It peaked at around a meter above him, and as it started its fall back down, it enlarged to teh size of a 1 meter javelin.
He grinned.
As the blond-haired youth opened the door his eyes widened as he swerved his head to the right, narrowly dodging a javelin Valerio had thrown from a distance.
"Oh you're done for!"
Valerio broke out into a sprint.
Later, Lucius could be seen chasing Valerio down through the Augustine Manor, unaware that Valerio had been leading him to the dining hall.
Valerio pulled out a miniature ball mid-run as he threw it up and ahead of him, as he sprinted towards it, the ball suddenly enlarged, resting above his palm in a perfect fit.
He laughed as he smashed the orb into the ground.
A swirling array of Lu appeared on the heels of his shoes, shifting and completing into a special shape similar to a vortex.
Valerio's speed increased threefold.
"You better stop using runes before I stop holding back."
Of course, Lucius could catch Valerio in the blink of an eye using his cultivation, that's why he had held back. But if Valerio was going to keep using pre-prepared arrays to put distance in between, he didn't mind shamelessly flaunting his cultivation.
"Fine, all that running tired me since we're here. Why don't we go eat?" said Valerio as he pointed towards the dining room.
A betrayed expression painted Lucius' face as he realised he'd been duped. Not that he wouldn't have come if Valerio had asked but losing this way made him vengeful.
'I'll get you next time.' swore Lucius as he walked into the dining hall with Valerio.
***
The two best friends left the dining room with wry smiles on their faces and bloated stomachs.
They'd truly outdone themselves this time.
Too much!
They'd eaten too much!
Thinking of how he'd digest all this food, Valerio's mind drifted to the banquet that'd be held the night before his birthday, as per tradition.
He slowly turned to Lucius, "We might have had to start sparring yesterday to burn all this food before the banquet." Lucius nodded, agreeing that they couldn't be full and miss out on tonight's food.
If it was normal food, a quick circulation of Lu would have been enough to bring them back to top shape. However, cooked spiritual beasts would need to be digested akin to a mortal digesting normal food, though the process would be faster for cultivators as long as the food was on the same plane as yourself. Unfortunately, they had eaten respective to their cultivation.