Nova Luna

Eighteen - Patroclus

Sunday.

I was in the art gallery, roaming around the halls. They'd rearranged some art pieces, and relocated most of the hyper-realistic ones in the new sculpture section. Of course, all my works wouldn't make it in that section. But I was planning to sell some of them, and I even had a new one with me.

I was looking for Mr. Thomas or Damian to help me set up my new piece. But I stumbled into Lethe, looking at the goddess of dawn—my latest work, until now.

"This is beautiful, Elios," she said, smitten with amazement.

"Thank you, your paintings are just as pretty, Lethe," I returned the compliment. I wasn't just being nice; she really is better than me.

"It's like the painting is alive. Like she's talking to me," she told me.

I remembered when I was in her place. I had the exact same feeling when I first saw Mr. Thomas's "A Peace of Dusk". I couldn't help but smile; it was like we had come full circle.

Of course, I wasn't a veteran painter like Mr. Thomas, and I couldn't teach Lethe how to paint. She was my painting classmate after all, and even though I was about a couple years older than her, she started painting when she was a child. She had far more experience in painting than I.

Still, I was really flattered when the goddess of dawn gave her the exact same feeling I had when I first saw "A Peace of Dusk" for the first time. The old man was right; it does feel good, so out of nowhere, I told her:

"Take her home then." I chuckled. I do sound like the old man now.

"Is she for sale?" She asked.

"No, consider it as a gift." I smiled.

Then it occurred to me. That Artemis had an anxiety attack when she saw Lethe, when she said she felt like she knew her. Maybe I could ask Lethe a few questions about her. But I didn't know where to start. 

I didn't know what her name was when she knew Lethe, so maybe Lethe wouldn't know who I was talking about. She may have met her only once at some point, I didn't know.

Just like the old man did for me, I asked for the staff to pack up the goddess of dawn. I could see myself in Lethe; she couldn't stop thanking me. While the gallery staff was taking care of the painting, I told her everything, about how I painted it into life. How it felt like it was a complete circle, from dusk until dawn.

"Art is mysteriously beautiful, isn't it?" She asked me.

Art. Artemis. 

I wonder what you were painting on that day I saw you in my first day at Mr. Thomas's painting classes. You're so mysterious obtaining all these talents in a single night, changing names, but you would forget everything for the sake of making art. May it be painting, songwriting, or playing music.

"Yes, she is," I replied.

Lethe smiled back at me.

Mr. Thomas was approaching us with a bigger smile. He approached us with someone who appeared to be the floor manager of the gallery.

"Elios, Lethe, my students. You two are learning so fast. Especially you, Elios," he praised us. I had no problem accepting compliments from other people—Damian, Lethe, Helen, and other random gallery viewers. But it really felt awkward; I got so shy when Mr. Thomas did it. He was a master painter, after all. And it was like receiving a compliment from a proud father.

"Now, I can't help but notice that you have something new with you." Mr. Thomas noticed the black case I had with me. It was indeed a new painting I had been making over the past few days when I was trying to distract myself.

I missed Selene, Artemis, or Neoma, I missed her so much that I wanted to go back to that place where I first saw her. And because of that, I painted.

Indefinite, and continuous.
The event's progress, and their infinite use.

When words are sharp,
You'll wish you could just warp
All her numbers, and her existence.
Her ticking sound, for your persistence.

So don't sleep, young child.
And even if you cried,
Or so hard, you tried,
You'll still get there, singing
"I died inside."

"Time," I whispered, as I watched the painting of the wall clock hanging on my bedroom wall get hung on the gallery walls.

"Nice warped clock, Elios," Lethe commented.

I didn't intend it to be, and it didn't seem like it to me. But as usual, I let my hand paint everything. Maybe I unknowingly made it warped, wishing that I could just "warp" time and bring me back to Neoma again.

After all, I had the idea when I was at the cafe with Selene, in front of Neoma's apartment building.

"Lessons are about to start, why don't we let these gentlemen handle the rest?" Mr. Thomas interjected. Both Lethe and I nodded in agreement.

 
Lethe and I sat together, and I felt like a teacher and a student at the same time. While Mr. Thomas was teaching at the front stage, we would occasionally whisper to each other, giving tips on how to improve our work. I just started painting, but giving her tips, like how I hold my paint brush lightly, made me feel like the old man, teaching this young girl about how I put my work into life.

"It was an accident, really." I chuckled.

"So, you were so nervous that you had this idea of wetting your canvas in white before painting it with a pretty image?" She laughed.

"Yeah, and I hate to admit it, but my sweaty palms helped a bit." I smiled.

I could see Mr. Thomas smiling, like a proud father, looking at the both of us, helping each other to better our art. 

And since then, Lethe and I agreed to paint together for future lessons. We never had any "rookie rivalry" as I had held with others before. 

Astrophysics always made me feel that I should always be competitive, but with Lethe I felt like I could be two people at the same time: a teacher and a student. Being her friend made me feel and appreciate art more and more each day.