Dreamy Artist

"Hello, good morning, good afternoon, good evening to all the esteemed viewers watching Andicas Mocovan's daily one-person painting program. You will see what the definition of artistic genius is."

In a small wooden room at the top of the attic, a 17-year-old boy is diligently preparing the items he can't live without, from the necessities for an artist or a painting enthusiast like paintbrushes,paint mixing tray and ink bottle, neatly arranged on the table, to larger items like easels and drawing paper placed right in front of him. Everything is arranged neatly, in the right place, nothing out of place, nothing missing.

In front of him is an old camera placed right next to record this meticulous process. The camera is fixed securely, just like the passionate young man trying to capture every moment of himself painting, or in short, fulfilling his dream." Switching on the old light bulb in the corner of the room revealed a collection of old models—some resembling humanoid dinosaurs, others a robotic knight—all neatly arranged as if a group of VIPs were waiting to enjoy an art performance, even though in reality no one knew about it, and it wasn't publicly announced or shown on television.

"Excellent, now for the best part. Thank you and apologies to our dear audience for your patience. Now for the main part of my show,"- Mocovan said, as if it were a real show, even though no one responded.

He gently opened each ink bottle, every red, yellow, and green was opened completely, not missing a single one. Then he picked up his paintbrush and dipped it into each bottle, applying the colors to the empty spaces of the paint mixing tray. He then blended each color to create the necessary shades like black, dark blue, and other colors for his art project. And then, each ink mark touched the blank sheet of paper before him, each line drawn by the hand of a young man inexperienced in life. In an instant, a dark space was created, like the ink of the universe dyeing itself into the night, once and for all, a universe that everyone longs to touch once in their lifetime. And then, each star, each constellation, from Leo and Eagle to Orion, was drawn majestically and powerfully in its own way, connecting one constellation to another, nothing superfluous.

"Hmm, maybe I've missed something. I should probably add more here.It would be better if it were painted, or maybe not painted at all, right? No, I have to examine it carefully; I can't let my artwork have any unnecessary flaws."

As he spoke, he diligently painted, repainting, and repainting until he felt his painting was complete. He kept painting and painting until the sky outside gradually darkened, the scorching sun sinking into the cold sea, returning the eternal night to lull humanity to sleep, and giving way to the moon shining brightly in the high heavens, illuminating the busy people on night watch.

Meanwhile, our Andicas Mocovan had fallen asleep sometime ago, his sleep peaceful and quiet, like that of a young boy dreaming of becoming an artist. His belongings remained undisturbed, the surrounding space surprisingly silent, as if no sound could disturb the tranquility. It was there, already.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from downstairs.

"Mocovan, come down for dinner, son!" - his father's voice rang out.

"Oh my god, this boy, he went out for breakfast and now he's still home in the dark. Young people don't know how to worry about anything!" - his mother complained.

Startled awake by the voices, he accidentally dropped his painting to the floor. He frantically picked it up and replied,

"Yes, I'm coming right down."

He gently placed it back on the stand and silently gazed out the window, deep in thought, a pensive expression quite different from the usual demeanor of most teenagers.

Outside, the sky was a deep black, as if stained by the ink of the infinite universe. Everywhere in the sky, bright stars gradually appeared, stars so dazzling that the naked eye couldn't fully perceive them, and the entire scene was reflected in his eyes. Mocovan's eyes shone with innocence, and then he stretched out his right arm as if to capture the entire fleeting, sacred scene before him.

"Will, one day, we—no, humanity—conquer the universe? Will humankind then be able to break through the barriers and boundaries to reach that fantastical dream?"

A question uttered from the boy's mouth, brief but leaving behind something indescribable.