Eurydice Rous Remis stood as the country's youngest famous artist, a master in the fields of art. Reaching the world's new record of the most published arts that made it into the world's most famous Galleria. At a young age, her skills have always been acknowledged by both young and old, amateurs and masters, adored and envied. This made her the subject of people's talk, never resting and never-ending. It wasn't until at the age of 14 when Eurydice Remis had not made 6 but a total of 1270 finished works in a span of an entire year that the media had started flooding news about this young prodigy. Her pictures scattered left and right in billboards, screens, and papers- how could such a young person dedicate day and night in front of the canvas? Jealous and curious people could not believe that were ever possible. So there was only one reason behind this. That very week, a scandal broke out in the News of how this young prodigy had come to be a narcissistic liar, faking paintings and paying other artists in secret to achieve such a demanding dream. In such a short amount of time, people had come to believe it so. That was the only explanation for the 1270 paintings. That very week, almost every screen and media in the country broke in red letters, all screaming: Fake Artist NAC Winner, Eurydice Rous Remis- in bold letters. Some people even stepped forward to claim that they had been paid by her a high commission fee and for their silence, a total of at least 10 people had also jumped at the opportunity to speak out. Needless to say, a number of angry and disappointed netizens were not happy with this disturbing reveal, as if they had been betrayed by a trusted person. In a span of three weeks, the fame and adoration she once had had vanished into air, leaving only the sickening label of a Fake. Like a coin tossed into the ocean, it had only sunk so deep, forever lost out in the water left for it to rust. Much to her mother's worst fear, the backlash had not ended there, as if the rust had scattered all over the silver coin, the hostility had also followed Eurydice's personal life. It had gotten worse to the point where people would spend every wake of their lives sending out hate messages and death threats towards the young teenager. Every second, the phone left untouched with bits of splattered paint on the phone case would buzz as the screen flashed of a new creative threat. Eurydice couldn't help but almost feel impressed with what these people could come up with. Her mother felt otherwise and so she snatched the device, shut it off and disposed of it at the top shelf of the cabinet, hidden away for god knows how long until Eurydice would snatch it again. In the midst of this disturbance, Eurydice had only trapped herself within her room, not having a care for the world and their forensics. A number of canvases spread through out every corner of her bed, floors, walls and even the window sill had held an at least almost finished product of her work. For her, even this number wasn't enough at all. Within that year, and the year before, this young girl who had been accused of a tragic scandal and forced to submit towards being the subject of hate had only continued to spare every second of the day to paint, eating once a day, sleeping for only an hour. Not even the blood stopped her from gripping the worn out brush she held in her wounded hands. Desperately clinging onto the canvas as if she were to stop could immediately end her life. That very night, Eurydice had passed out in exhaustion as blood trickled down her nose and suffered a sever health ailment for the next week, surrounded by the works done by worn-out hands and the blank face of a man she had never met. Like moth to flame, the news spread like wildfire about this situation. An ambulance had been called in a frenzy as soon as Eurydice's mother found her passed out in her room and she was immediately brought to the hospital. But what disturbed the medics as they barged into the room was not the sick child on the ground but the eerie number of paintings of a singular unknown man, even the beauty of the works could not erase the sickening clench in their stomach as one in the same thought came into their head- Her entire scandal had been false.
The media did not rest again that following week during her bed rest.
"Falsely Accused Artist: Proven Innocent!"
"Famous Fake Artist turns out to be the Real Deal!"
"Country's Young Prodigy falls sick"
Headlines after headlines after headlines. All in the same bold letters as the previous weeks had now taken a turn in this fake prodigy's odds. Pictures of her room and paintings submitted by Eurydice's mother for the media to feed on had been published publicly, the number of undeniable proof of Eurydice's innocence. The sick kid on the hospital bed, the one similar art strokes used in all her paintings, the number of undeniable paintings, and the scraped bloody fingers on frail hands had been enough for the Fake Artist scandal to be buried down the dirt. Soon enough, those who had come forward to claim that they had been paid by her had denied ever claiming such foolish things, some went to hiding, and some had come clean of having lied. Now all everyone has ever uttered out were words of sympathy and adoration for such a dedicated and innocent child having faced such harsh backlash from the world. The day Eurydice had woken up from her sick state, she was met with the News on TV of her situation. A news reporter had been out in the public square, interviewing random strangers about herself.
"Now that the scandal has been proven wrong, Can I ask of what you think of this country's phenomenal rising star- Eurydice Remis?" The news reporter asked, pointing the mic towards the woman next to him. She smiled gleefully at the camera, subtly fixing her hair to look good on TV, fair enough, she looked more than decent in Eurydice's opinion.
The woman tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I had always been a fan of our Young Prodigy, not even when the whole world was against her did I ever falter with my favour for her and works. Err...Erica was it? Her name...yes, I had not once stopped being her number one fan!" She clasped her hands together in satisfaction.
"Uh... It's Eurydice," The news reported corrected, awkwardly.
"Yes her!" The woman agreed, "That's what I said."
"That's not my name." Had been the very first words Eurydice uttered since waking up from her unconscious state. She peeled an orange as she lay on her hospital bed. That very moment, Eurydice decided she couldn't carry her name anymore with her works. People had already tainted it enough. If she were to associate the name dragged in filth to her muse...wouldn't that mean dirtying the very subject of her art as well? The hands that carefully picked as the orange feel faltered. Her name would stain her art...
The very thought of it left a bitter taste underneath her tongue, an emotion she couldn't quite place. Her pale and frail hands gripped the thin white hospital sheets until it popped a vein, the orange long discarded on the floor never to be eaten. Her hands gripped too hard but matter how hard she dug her nails into her palms, it felt nothing compared to the very thought of sullying her works. A mixture of uncertain emotions blurred her vision, the sounds from the TV could no longer be heard in the deafening ring echoing in Eurydice's ears. It was already too late when she realized this, and now people had stained her name, stained her works, her beloved creations. The bitter feeling in her tongue was now replaced with something metallic until she realized she had bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
'Will all my work become filthy now?' She wiped the blood from her mouth with her hand. Those dark eyes staring deep into the red of her palms before an idea struck within her. What if she used an alias. Only the name Eurydice Rous Remis had been tainted but if she were to place her works in another name, then technically... wouldn't that mean they could be saved?
They could still be saved! This made her unbearably happy. From then on, her works would no longer be under Eurydice Rous Remis but by...
By....
Her clean hand wondered for a moment, holding on to her face in thought. The tv continued to blare in front of her, showing a commercial ad of a cereal. Then the idea struck her-
Her works will no longer be under Eurydice Rous Remis but will now be under the pen-name Lady Demeter.
It didn't take long for her to get discharged and sent home. As soon as the papers were settled and they were set to leave, the media had all been waiting outside the hospital, wanting to get an interview out of her as soon as she step foot out of the hospital. Eyeing all these cameras and mics aimed towards the child beside her, Eurydice's mother erupted into a retrained joy as she fell into a cry. Projected tears falling from her eyes as cameras flashed into never-ending blinks. She clutched onto her child, digging sharp nails into Eurydice's shoulder as she bawled.
"My poor, sickly daughter was falsely accused of being a fake. As a mother, you have no idea how much it pained me when my daughter had to face all those horrible things said to her," With her free hand, she wiped away her tears before holding both of Eurydice's shoulders, staring deeply into those blank purple eyes, "But you won't ever be alone because mommy will always be here for you."
Not even a week since she was discharged from the hospital was she forced by her mother to participate in interviews about her work in televisions. And once again for the fourth time of that year she had become the subject of everyone's attention.
"The car will be here soon to pick you up, Miss Remis. Your mother has planned out the entire day for you, shall I read your schedule for today?" A woman in her early thirties warily emerged from behind heavy wooden doors of a small temple. Loula Burners, only being a head taller than Eurydice herself, adorning short brown hair and a semi-casual outfit, and an ID hung from her neck. Carefully picked by Eurydice's mother, this girl had become akin to a secretary, just not for Eurydice herself. She had knocked three times before entering, and then another three for good measure in case the lady inside had not heard. When she heard no answer from within even after calling out her name a number of times, she took a deep breath, her heart hammering within her chest which screamed for her to run away.
'Why did I have to agree to take this job?!' She silently grieved her past decisions. It wasn't that the pay wasn't good- in fact, it was more than what any high demand jobs could offer. The benefits were literally sent from god at this point! When Loula first read the job description, requirements and offers of what this job could give, she felt like it was too good to be true! The night her application for accepted, she cried happy tears and drank until she passed out. Loula thought that god had finally answered her prayers at long last. She didn't understand how anyone could run away from such a wonderful opportunity! She could work under the country's greatest Arts Master!
In her passed out little dream, Loula could not have predicted what atrocities she was about to face. Soon, she would understand why so many people had run away from the job.
From where Loula stood in front of the doors, a few paces on the other side of the temple, one could faintly see a bundle of white sheets hunched over the feet of the human sized statue. It wasn't only that, in every corner of the room stood different statues of the same infamous muse of Lady Demeter. Loula couldn't help but adore those fine works, her eyes glossed over every single detail. She leaned closer to one of the statues. How amazing! Lady Demeter really is the real deal in this generation! The details were immaculate, despite the material being marble the statue held refined features that made it look almost plump and soft to touch. It looks so real. Only when Loula had snapped put of her trance did she remember what Ms. Remis sent her here for. Find Eurydice and take her to the studio. If she didn't find Eurydice then Ms. Remis would blame her, and if she offended Eurydice by just breathing into her space, she'd get fired! Loula could almost cry. What a scary mother and daughter indeed. Like a pair of demons.
Loula strode further inside the temple and carefully made her way up front. Just then, her eyes lingered towards the curious silky sheets on the statues lap. The statue in front of her differed from the rest in position. If all the other statues were made standing, then this statues was sitting on a throne, the silk sheets draped carefully over his lap as he gazed wistfully below.
The first thought that arrived in Loula's mind was- Miss Eurydice cares a lot about her works. Loula remembers the very first day she was assigned to follow Eurydice around like a lost pup, people had gathered in the Galleria that day, bidding cupious amounts of money on one of Lady Demeter's works but none had come close to convincing Lady Demeter to name a price. After all, that work had been one dedicated to her muse. If anyone knew Eurydice more than anything, it was that finding her selling her dedicated works would be akin to swallowing a chunk of Jupiter. It just wasn't allowed! People would find they'd discover morals faster than Lady Demeter handing over her dedicated work. It would be easier to just pour your love and attention to all her other works. Still, her dedicated arts being off-limits was what made them all the more special. The glorious worshipped unknown man behind her Magnum Opus.
Loula approached the stone figure, slowly, her heels clacking against the marble floor. Upon closer speculation did only she noticed that the bundle of sheets on the floor were not just sheets. Disrupted from her slumber, a beautiful maiden emerged underneath the covers, her head delicately rising from her curled hands where she rested on the statues lap. White-ish cream hair carelessly framed over her frame as drowsy dark eyes blinked frog-like into space. Lady Demeter- or else known as the aloof Eurydice Rous Remis, daughter of Martha Remis, Master of Arts, and World Star Prodigy. A bubble of a breath hitched itself within the back of Loula's throat. Eurydice's beauty is simply phenomenal. As others would say, the art reflects it's creator, and along side the beauty of Lady Demeter's arts, Eurydice also held this underlying intimidating aura beneath. Perhaps it's simply her presence and role she took in this world but something made it difficult to look her directly in the eyes.
Loula coughed up the bubble from her throat in a pathetic attempt to catch Eurydice's attention, the sound echoing in the temple made it all the more awkward. "Miss Eurydice, Ms. Remis asked me to come fetch you and bring you to Charles Studio." Loula said, an awkward silence stretched right after. The poor secretary couldn't help but internally cry when she heard no response. God, why must this job be so nerve-wracking. Loula spoke out once again, this time only a sound came out in a weak attempt to repeat her words. Dejected after such an embarrassing sound, she hoped on of these statues would casually drop on her to get her out of this situation. At the same time as these desperate prayers came to mind, Eurydice stood up as a bundle of white clothes and sheets, "Is it that time already?" She yawned. In a silent acknowledgment towards Loula, she nodded her head in her direction leaving poor Loula speechless, not knowing how to react. Loula hesitantly copied her actions. Bending down on the floor beside the statues feet, Eurydice picked up her ribbon and nealty wrapped it over her head, her long cream colored hair cascading like vanilla.
"Let's get going now." Eurydice said.
It didn't take long for the limousine to pull up in front of the manor where the two ladies stood in waiting and soon they were heading towards Charles Studio. As they sat in silence, Loula breathed out a sigh of relief, being in a car ride meant focusing on work, and focusing on work meant dealing with leftover paperwork by Ms. Remis, and that meant she didn't need to focus on Eurydice's cold presence. She could simply act busy and there would be no need for awkward conversation attempts. Just then a notification popped up on the corner of the screen. Nothing short of important. Then her eyes lingered on today's date- ah. It was the last day of the week, Loula didn't realize time flew by so fast, soon she would be receiving her paycheck. Excitement bubbled within her throat. Once she grabs hold of that pristine envelope she's definitely going to reward herself with something delicious. Just thinking about it made her mouth water already.
Eurydice stared at Loula's poor attempt to keep her glee on the low. Loula sure talks a lot in her mind. Throughout the whole time Loula had stuck by Eurydice's side, Eurydice discovered soon enough that Loula was exceptionally bad at hiding her thoughts. Every expression on her face when she thinks no one was watching betrayed her thoughts. However, Loula wasn't aware of this behavior of hers. And Eurydice had no plans of ever telling her. Having known Loula would freak out at every word she uttered at the secretary, Eurydice switched back her attention out the window behind the older woman. In an instant, her expression hardened as she turned towards the other woman.
"Loula!" She exclaimed. Loula had barely time to react when Eurydice tackled her down the floor before another collided into their own. Both cars screeched loudly, tumbling down the road. It felt like eternity had passed before the limousine had tumbled into a stop, but there was nothing left but crushed pieces of both vehicles after the impact. Loula had barely registered anything that happened. She couldn't move her entire body which was crushed by the vehicle, the world split into two in her eyes, red lights flashing everywhere her eyes landed. When she finally pulled herself together, she found those lights were not lights but splatter blood on the floor and in her eyes. But what shocked her the most was it was in fact not a car that crushed her but as she looked up, Eurydice had wrapped her in an embrace. Her eyes widened, shock, fear, panic and sadness all flashed in those eyes in a second. No wonder she hadn't suffered as severely as she thought. Eurydice had most likely taken all the hits during the crash when she tackled Loula. Tears pricked and blurred Loula's already blurry vision.
"T-thats right...I have to ask for help," Hopelessly, she pushed away Eurydice's limp body as she scanned her surroundings. A few feet away, Loula could see their driver limp of the side of the road, and the other car owner half crushed by his own car. Around them, people gathered and held their phones. Screaming, panicking, distraught- all clammered into one frenzy mess into Loula's ringing ears.
"H-help..." She croaked out, the back of her throat burned "Someone please help us!"
But people only watched. Others screaming others to go help, some loudly stated their sympathy and condolences.
"Oh my gosh, poor girl..."
"Someone should go help them!"
"I pray for their safety."
"No! I don't need your sympathy!" Loula screamed, desperately. "Someone please just come help us! Call an ambulance!" It was only after she uttered the last part did one of the bystanders pulled out their phone and speed dialed an ambulance. Loula sobbed. Unstoppable tears falling from her eyes as she burst into an ugly cry. With injured, bloody hands, she crawled back by Eurydice's side, pulling her body into her own "Lady...stay with me. The ambulance will be on their way...please stay awake."
Loula desperately prayed, cried, and begged. Eurydice couldn't die...not like this at least. Definitely not after trying to save her. Loula gently shook Eurydice's limp body in her hands, hoping for a response, begging for her worse assumptions to be wrong. But when has Loula ever been wrong? She could beg whatever god to give her a sign that Eurydice was still alive in her arms, and they would remain silent. Deep down Loula already knew Eurydice was as good as dead from that car crash.