Chapter 100: Painting (2)

Chapter 100: 100: Painting (2)

Nova’s canvas was a breathtaking masterclass in chiaroscuro—a flawless manipulation of light and shadow. She had painted an ancient, towering forest under the oppressive brilliance of a massive, luminous full moon.

A vein of shimmering, silver water bisected the dark woods. High above, the delicate silhouettes of tiny birds scattered toward their roosts, fleeing the night’s cold embrace. At the riverbank, a fragile deer bowed its head to drink, the water rippling realistically around its muzzle.

But the true genius of the piece lay in the shadows. High upon a jagged mountain crag, half-concealed by the dark, an enormous tigress crouched. Her eyes were fixed on a lone deer in the valley below—predatory, calculating, and dripping with silent, impending violence.

It was a perfect juxtaposition of fragile tranquility and imminent slaughter. The painting didn’t just look alive; it seemed to breathe. It radiated a suffocating, atmospheric pressure, pulling anyone who stared at it into its dark, dangerous world.

"This... this is an absolute masterpiece!" the female judge gasped, her hand trembling as she traced the air just inches from the canvas.

"I have never seen such raw, visceral realism in my entire career. This is extraordinary!" the male judge breathed, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Nova smirked darkly, observing their awestruck expressions. "Too bad," she thought, shaking her head in silent disappointment. "They only admire the surface beauty. They completely miss the slaughter waiting in the shadows."

"Full points!"

"Full points!"

All four judges awarded Nova perfect scores, their eyes still entirely glued to her canvas.

Across the room, Piper gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. Tears of hot, stinging frustration welled in her eyes. "How could she?! How could that nobody get a perfect score? What is so spectacular about a stupid forest?!" she thought, her fingernails digging painfully into her palms.

"Young lady," the male judge began, looking at Nova with desperate hope. "Will you sell this to me? Name your highest price."

Nova slowly shook her head. "You do not understand the true meaning behind this piece. Admiring beauty alone is worthless," she replied, her voice dropping to a freezing, absolute zero.

A heavy silence blanketed the studio. The judges cast another, more hesitant glance at the painting. Suddenly, the artwork felt less like a beautiful landscape and more like a terrifying, unsolved mystery—a warning painted in oils.

"What... what is it supposed to mean, then?" the female judge asked softly.

Nova lowered her head slightly. A dark, wicked smile stretched across her lips as she shot a sidelong glare at Piper. In that fleeting second, bathed in the harsh studio lights, Nova looked less like a beautiful student and more like a calculating psychopath.

Then, just as quickly, the darkness vanished. She turned her head back to the judges, smiling with absolute, angelic innocence, completely ignoring the question. "When does the second round begin?"

The judges sighed in unison, realizing she had no intention of explaining herself.

"It will commence shortly," the female judge conceded.

"Since you refuse to sell it, we will not force you," the male judge added. "But if we wish to study it later, may we come to view it?"

"Anytime. Any day," Nova replied nonchalantly. She picked up her masterpiece by the corner, walked back to her seat, and casually tossed it onto her table as if it were a piece of scrap paper.

"The first round concludes! The Royal Academy takes the lead. Let the second round begin!" the female judge announced.

Assistants quickly flooded the floor, distributing fresh canvases and a new set of vibrant pigments to the competitors.

"For the second round, your subject is architecture. You are to paint a house," the lead judge instructed. "We are looking for uniqueness, structural creativity, and a masterful mixture of colors. You have one hour. Begin!"

The room dissolved into a flurry of frantic brushstrokes. However, the judges’ attention was now entirely anchored to Nova. She painted with a blank, almost bored expression, her movements fluid and entirely unhurried, yet mathematically precise.

When the hour concluded, the students presented their work. Piper’s elaborate mansion earned her three points from each judge. Rika’s charming cottage secured her solid fours. But when it was Nova’s turn, she unveiled another flawless marvel, instantly paralyzing the panel once again.

Perfect scores across the board.

This time, Nova didn’t even bother taking the painting back to her seat, leaving it carelessly propped against the judges’ desk.

"The winner of the second round is the Royal Academy!"

Piper glared at Nova, her eyes burning with pure hatred. "They are sweeping the floor with us. There is no way to turn the score around now," she panicked.

"For the third and final round, each academy must select one representative for a sudden-death exhibition," the judge announced.

Refusing to consult her peers, Piper immediately stepped forward. She shot Nova a venomous glare before turning to the panel. "I will represent my academy."

"Nova will represent us!" Rika shouted immediately, and the rest of the Royal Academy students swarmed around Nova.

"Please, Nova! You have to represent us!" they begged in a desperate chorus.

"Stay away from me," Nova commanded. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it possessed a terrifying, chilling authority that made the students instantly recoil. Despite their fear, their eyes remained locked on her in silent pleading.

Nova casually brushed a speck of dust from her pristine white sleeve and glanced at the judges. "I will be my academy’s representative."

"Excellent," the male judge nodded. "Clear the floor, please."

The students scrambled to push the desks and chairs to the perimeter, leaving a vast, open space in the center of the studio. Two assistants hauled in two massive, oversized easels, placing them face-to-face in the center of the room for Nova and Piper.

"For this final round, there is no theme. It is a freestyle exhibition. Paint whatever you are absolute best at. Let us begin."

Piper’s brow knotted in deep, panicked lines. "Even if I paint the greatest piece of my life, she already secured two perfect scores. Winning this round is entirely meaningless. I’ll still lose the bet!" she realized, her grip on her brush trembling. "What do I do?!"

Noticing Piper’s unraveling composure, her friend Kika crept up behind her and leaned in, whispering a few rapid, hushed words into her ear.

Piper’s panicked expression instantly smoothed into a look of sinister relief. "Very good," she murmured back. "You truly are my best friend, Kika."

Kika flashed a cunning, secretive smile and abruptly stepped out of the studio, loudly excusing herself to use the restroom.

From across the easels, Nova hadn’t missed a single detail. She saw the malicious glint in their eyes, the hushed whisper, and the sudden departure. A soft, dark chuckle escaped Nova’s lips. "Finally. They are making a proper move," she thought, welcoming the impending trap. Without another word, she touched her brush to the canvas.

Piper stared fiercely at Nova. "You won’t escape this time, you bitch," she thought, launching into her own painting with newfound, manic energy.

Two hours vanished in a blink.

"Brushes down," the judge called out.

The panel rose from their seats and approached the center of the room, turning first to Piper’s massive canvas.

It was genuinely breathtaking. Piper had painted a crystalline sunrise shattering through an ocean of violent, violet storm clouds. The ethereal blend of pastel pinks, golds, and deep storm-blues showcased incredible technical skill and an airy, majestic lightness.

"Superb technique," the judges nodded in unified approval, awarding her four points each.

Then, they turned to Nova’s canvas.

The judges stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes widened, not in awe this time, but in profound, dizzying confusion. They leaned in, then took a step back, their minds struggling to process the optical illusion before them.

"Good heavens, student... what exactly have you painted?" the female judge asked, her voice laced with bewilderment.

Nova stood beside her canvas, her hands resting casually in her pockets. She shrugged lightly.

"I painted a portrait of myself, painting a portrait of myself. And within that portrait of myself painting a portrait of myself, I am painting a portrait of myself, painting a portrait of myself."