Necromance

[Xaious, Master of Time]

"How many times have I been here before..." Fingers cradling his chin, he pondered lightly aloud.

It was dark, indeed. Only four faint lights burned low near his subject, the room mirrored his soul, his mood. Gently he passed his hands over the smooth skin of his work.

 

"So vivid, such....such lively color...." A sense of longing came over him, he smiled briefly.

The creator lorded over his new piece, a beauty laid gently and masterfully upon a carefully smoothed canvas, painted now vibrant red and pale white. Wet, cold, dripping.

 

"Perhaps...perhaps you will be the one to...You will be the one to....to... Perhaps, you will be my success." Eying the curves of the piece, his heart tinged with pride.

Turning sharply from the canvas and his work, he strode purposefully across the floor, to his last work. With intent of decay towards the failure, streaked fresh crimson across the middle of the older work and tore at it.

 

"FAILURE!" He shouts, "A bloody failure, I will not have it!" With vigor again, striding across the room, flipping switches.

Lights buzzed to life, and suddenly the room was well lit. The new subjected canvas yet crimson and pale white, and yet most well lighted thing in all the studio.

 

"Tonight....I finish.." A smile on his face. "Tonight, I do it, at long last. I succeed! Tomorrow... tomorrow I shall gain my fame!"

Flipping one last switch, the buzzing of the lights and wires came to be a loud droning, and then just as quickly, the room went silent. The lights, dead. Only three candles remained lit from before.

 

"....No?..." His eyes widened. "But....but...NO!? NO?!" Yelled in frustration, he ran to the new work, and collapsed on it.

Three candles went out, room bathed in the black silence of death and despair.

 

Arms of a pale death wrapped around him, a chilling embrace of love. His eyes opened.

"...my..." His eyes widened, his heart leaping. "My...god...."

Strength returning, he stood again, gently running his hands along his newest work. His first real success.

 

She smiled back.