The painting in the front hall depicts a young man in his prime, and the painting here is a mixture of the same person, but at a very different stage of life.

In one painting, he is middle-aged, still physically strong and full of energy, but there is a little more resentment in his eyes. In the other painting, he is old and devastated by age, and Maula is not even sure if it is a living person. There is another painting in which he is at the end of a great battle with a bloody wound, with a large ivory-colored stone statue behind him.

"How could it be you?" She asked.

The answer floated down from the curtain of red light.

"My life is not the same as yours. The talent that flowed in the blood of my former master changed me forever. You probably already get it, right? ”

"I understand. I mean, I think I do. ”

"The paintings around you are different moments from many of my lives. It's not all great moments, I only came to realize later. Most of the people who captured these moments were skilled painters who had just become a teacher. In the early years of my existence, I was so arrogant that I thought that every deed of my deeds deserved such a commemoration, but now ......"

"What's going on now?" Marula asked as he stopped talking.

"It is only now that I have a major turning point in the world that I renew my life on the canvas. Come upstairs and you will see what I mean. ”

Marula found that the gallery of the circle sent her to the top of the stairs, as if every step under her feet was designed to get her standing here. Not just tonight, but every step from the first time she picked up a paintbrush and drew the animals on her mother's farm when she was in Crex.

"Why me?" She asked. "Why am I standing here? There are many artists in Noxus who are better than me. ”

A string of soft laughter floated around her

"How humble. Yes, it is true that there are artists who are more skilled than you," Vladimir said. "For example, your red-eyed colleague, Tavo, who always understands perspective better than you. The young Selyse excelled in her use of colour, and the exacting Zeka had an eye for detail, so his work is something to never tire of. Conrad, on the other hand, will never be above the amateur level, you know. ”

"You know my friends?" She said.

"Of course. Do you think I picked you out of order? ”

"I don't know. So how did you choose me? ”

"To capture such a moment of change, I needed someone who poured his heart and soul into his work, someone who truly deserved the name of an artist. That's why you're standing here, Maula Betzenia. Because for you, every stroke is an emotion. Every trace on the canvas, every color on the palette, makes sense to you. You can understand the heart of a painting, and you are willing to use your soul to capture the life it represents. ”

Maula had heard flattery from employers and empty praise from fellow painters, but Vladimir's words were sincere. Every word he said was sincere, and she rejoiced to hear such affirmations.

"Why now? What's so special about this moment that makes you want to paint a portrait of yourself? What did you just say...... Only at a turning point in the world pattern, right? ”

Vladimir's voice seemed to be hovering as he spoke.

"The time has come. I've lived here for a long time, Maura. Enough to drive the iron-armored wraith out of his immortal fortress; It is enough to watch generations of rulers follow in their footsteps, step on the corpses of their own siblings and climb to the throne of power, and then be dragged to the bottom by their own ambitions; Enough to know the lesion lurking in the heart of the Empire—a midnight flower rooted in decaying soil. We used to dance together, woo, she and I danced in blood for hundreds of years, but the tempo of the music has changed, and this dance is nearing its end. I'm on a make-up parade with idiots, and this time life ...... It's not for what is bound to come. ”

"I don't understand. What will come? ”

"If it were the same as before, I would be able to answer this question with confidence almost any time," Mr. Vladimir continued. "But ...... now? I do not know. I just knew that I had to make a change and face it. I've been in a passive situation for too long, and I'm even used to hearing the flattery of minions and doormen. But now I'm ready to take back what belongs to me, the one that has long rejected me—my own kingdom. This is eternal life, Maura. It's mine, and it's yours. ”

"Eternal ......?"

"Of course. Isn't it the warrior's martial arts and the artist's work that give them immortality? Their works have been passed down through the world and transcend the short lives of mortals. The Demacians commemorated the founders of the kingdom in the battle creed they had to uphold; Literary works written thousands of years ago are still performed today; Sculptures that were born out of marble before the Rune Wars are still admired today. ”

Maula was fully aware that climbing this staircase was tantamount to a point of no return, a dead end. How many artists have stood where she is now? How many of them lifted their feet and stepped onto the first steps?

How many go up and down?

How many immediately turned away?

Marula could walk away now, she was sure. Vladimir did not lie to her. If she chooses to leave, she will undoubtedly be able to return to the studio unscathed. But from now on until the wolf spirit or the sheep spirit finds her, how will she face a self who has not the courage to seize the only opportunity to create a masterpiece every day?

"Maula," Vladimir said, his voice right in front of her this time.

She looked up, and there he was.

His silhouette stood out in the red light above, and his figure was slender and messy. The white hair was all combed back to the back of his head, and a flock of scarlet-winged butterflies flew densely above.

His eyes, once painted in azure blue, were now the dark red of the embers of the furnace.

The fire in her eyes danced with her heartbeat.

He reached out to her, his slender fingers gracefully sharp, long nails like smooth and bright eagle talons.

"So, how about eternal life as our inheritance?" Vladimir said.

"So," she said. "Very good."

Maura took his hand, and together they walked up the final flight of steps into the scarlet veil.

The fire in her eyes danced with her heartbeat.

Let me lift the final curtain.