And Tomorrow Has Arrived.
After school, Art was invited by his Guru to go to an exhibition to help watch the store and paint.
Riding on the Guru's horse-drawn carriage, they traveled around the beautiful city of Venice. The scenery in the city was truly magnificent, especially the view of a waterfall in the city center.
Motor vehicles, cars, and trains were neatly arranged in their lanes. Soon, they arrived at an art shop located in the city center, known as the oldest art district in Venice.
"Stop here!" shouted the Guru to his horse, named Pegasus.
They immediately entered the store and began checking and organizing their goods for the exhibition later that evening.
"This is our shop, Art. Many paintings, sculptures, and musical instruments are sold here!" said the Guru.
Art was amazed by the Guru's artworks, which were truly eye-catching and fantastic.
"Wow! These are amazing and beautiful, Guru!" replied Art.
Curious, Art picked up a violin, then a guitar, and started playing them one by one.
He moved freely and said, "Hmm, this piano is beautiful."
"Tenng!" Art accidentally pressed one of the piano keys, and a melodious sound echoed.
The melody was enchanting. The Guru was startled and yelled, "Heeey!! Art, don't touch that piano!!"
Art was shocked, his eyes turning blank. "Hmm… why, Guru?" he asked.
The Guru warned, "That piano will make you laugh and dance non-stop!"
Art began to fall under the magical influence of the piano's sound, which seeped into his thoughts and imagination. He became hypnotized.
"Hahahaha!" Art laughed uncontrollably and began dancing endlessly.
The Guru grew annoyed. "I told you not to touch that piano!" he scolded.
The Guru explained, "This is a classic piano that I've kept for years.
I forgot to warn you about it. It has strong magical power and cannot be played by just anyone—only me!"
He then neutralized the piano's sound, and Art collapsed, dizzy.
The Guru picked him up, and after being unconscious for quite a while, Art finally regained his senses.
"Ughh… How can your musical instruments have such magic?" asked Art in confusion.
The Guru was forced to reveal an old secret.
"Okay, I'll tell you," said the Guru.
"Before you came here, there were two famous theater musicians in this city named Arzo and Angeluz.
They threw away these instruments in a dark warehouse after a concert, where fans got overly excited because of the powerful and soul-stirring music.
During that concert, 50,000 people were watching live. The crowd surged forward, trying to enter the music venue. Sadly, around 30 fans died due to lack of oxygen from overcrowding.
Although Arzo and Angeluz profited greatly, they also bore the guilt of those tragic deaths. Afterward, the instruments started playing on their own—piano, guitar, melody, drums. It was eerie.
They believed the spirits of their fans had entered the instruments. Fearing the consequences, they abandoned them.
I happened to pass by that warehouse, heard the instruments playing by themselves, and when I touched the piano, I started dancing uncontrollably until I fainted.
Later, a religious figure came, prayed, and exorcised the evil spirits, replacing them with music angels. He told me to keep these instruments and only use them during religious or grand ceremonial events because of their beautiful sound.
That's why I've kept them ever since," said the Guru seriously.
Art was stunned. "Oh… so that's the story, Guru?"
"Yes, that's how it is, my boy," the Guru replied.
The Guru then told Art, "Sit here and help me mix some basic paint colors for a new artwork. If it turns out well, we'll display it at the front!"
"Hmm… okay Guru," Art replied.
"And watch how I paint."
Skillfully, the Guru mixed various paint colors to create perfect tones. These paints were made from natural gemstone powders—ruby, sapphire, emerald, turquoise, and even gold. This produced high-quality, elite-level art colors.
The Guru asked Art, "Help me mix the base colors!"
"Okay, Guru!" replied Art.
The Guru patiently guided Art step by step.
"Mix blue and green to make turquoise,
Red and yellow for orange,
Brown and yellow for skin tone,
Purple and blue to make violet!" said the Guru.
"Hmm… so what are we painting, Guru?" asked Art, curious.
The Guru smiled calmly, "Just watch. Slowly, you'll see what I'm painting."
"Oh! It's becoming a beautiful landscape—a tree full of flower garlands, a flowing river, people bathing, and majestic mountains," guessed Art.
"Exactly. The title of this painting is 'A Beautiful Scenery'," said the Guru.
Not long after, the shop was filled with visitors.
"Excuse me, how much is that painting? It's beautiful," asked a man and his son, both amazed by the artwork.
Art asked his Guru, "He wants to buy the painting. How much is it, Guru?"
The Guru replied, "Hmm… that one is 1,000 dollars."
"Buy it, Dad! Let's hang it in the living room. It looks so real and alive!" said the son.
Without hesitation, the man bought it.
"Oh, and I also want to buy that carved statue!" said the man, pointing to an ancient sculpture.
"Alright!" said the Guru. "That one is 500 dollars. Art, please wrap the painting and the statue!" requested the Guru.
Art calculated, "Yes, Guru. That makes it 1,500 dollars total."
"Thank you!" said the man.
"You're welcome," said the Guru and Art together.
"Wow, we just painted it and someone already bought it!" said Art excitedly.
The Guru explained, "That's how my job goes every day, my boy—creating and serving customers."
"So, Art, do you now have a sense of what I've been teaching you?" asked the Guru.
"Yes, I'm going to try painting a landscape!" said Art confidently.
The Guru was pleased. "That's great, Art. Keep practicing and pour your imagination into it. I'll check it in a bit—I have to serve another customer first."
"Okay!" said Art.
Not long after, he wondered aloud, "Hmm… what should I paint?"