Author's Note: Hi there! Certainly, I quite remember saying this was meant to be a one-shot story but it turns out Jhin's character is getting me all inspired and fired up about this story, so I felt like I should continue this. I don't know if it will end up being as long as "The Silver Crossbow" was but I will make sure it will be as interesing, and maybe even better! Back to the story, this chapter is an introduction to the upcoming adventure involving the main duo. I also feel the need to apologise in advance if Jhin seems out of character sometimes. I get quite passionate when I talk about art, maybe more than necessary and I tend to insert my feelings into my character's words from time to time. I guess that is all I had to say. I hope you enjoy the story!

Art. This particular word had been equivalent to the meaning of her life since the time she took her first steps into this world. Everything around her was interpreted as art inside her mind. For her, art used to be something immaculate and untainted. Something that delivered life in its every form. But was she right to believe that? Was art truly so one-sided?

It apparently wasn't, as she came to learn. She wouldn't dare to admit this to herself but deep down she was grateful. If it wasn't for him, she would never be able to think outside of the box and broaden her horizons to new depths and aspects of art. She wouldn't be able to fully embrace the one thing she adored the most. She wouldn't feel so...complete. To her he was doubtlessly a work of art. A masterpiece which, in the brief encounters she had with him, she was able to study and understand. Even if it was just a bit. Meeting him made her realise how much she truly didn't know about the world of art. Like the world she was living in, the world of art was too immense and chaotic for her to explore it all. But somehow he made that possible for her. Somehow, he was able to give her wings to fly away from her cage. He was able to set her free.

Staring at the broad palette with lots of individual colours inside, she smiled placing her paintbrush on her favourite crimson red colour before filling the blank canvas in front of her with it. She didn't have anything particular in mind but she knew that the result would be something satisfying. Even her business has been affected by him since the day she met him. Her works have been attracting even more people as the months passed. There were a few that actually appreciated her work but most of them visited the gallery as a result of hearing rumors about a "corrupted" artist that resided on the outskirts of the capital. She had people from every side of Ionia come and either admire or criticise her controversial work while spreading the word even outside of the island. Many would even call her distraught or mentally unstable for considering her atrocious works to be art but she didn't mind. They would appreciate it, eventually.

She suddenly paused her thoughts silently laughing at how weird she sounded. She almost sounded like him. The impact he had on her was fairly undeniable and she could feel it infiltrating her mind and soul more and more each day passing. Truth is he was like a drug to her. Not only he was able to control her even when he was absent, but he was also able to inconspicuously lead her back to him with every step she tried to take. No matter how badly she tried to stay where she belonged, he was pushing her to take a step forward. A step towards her true self. She sighed pushing those thoughts aside and letting the paintbrush leave her hand as she stood up and made her way towards the exit.

"Ladies, please take care of the building while I am absent. I wish to go for a long walk."

The secretary and the receptionist on the entrance nodded bowing their heads before escorting her outside. As soon as she was far enough from the gallery, she silently exhaled making her way towards the capital. She hasn't been in the town for a long time and she couldn't help but wonder if the rhythm in which the city was moving was still the same as it was before she left it. Passing through the main gates she concluded that the town had changed after all. It seemed way more lively and active at the moment with festivals and other kinds of feasts taking place in almost every corner of it. Despite the festivities happening around her though, she could certainly sense a much more sinister atmosphere around the capital. Even though the people of the city were continuing their daily activities without any distraction on the way, the aura surrounding them was an ominous one. But even further behind this veil of gloom they've set to protect themselves there was something only she could see. Fear.

Examining the area around her she sighed finally connecting all of the dots together after setting her sights on a rather large poster on the wall. It appeared to be half torn and dirtied with blood, with a knife stuck in the middle of it. Despite its condition she was able to clearly recognise the person pictured on it. She scowled as she read the word 'murderer' written with blood below his name and removed his poster from the wall, keeping it inside her bag. Walking further into the town, she noticed the security tighten significantly, while several armed men who seemed to belong to another nation were leading a royal tent towards the Palacidium. She figured someone important from another district had visited the capital. Judging by the security and the amount of escorts the man had, he must be quite important, Arwen thought. Something was quite off though. Why would someone so important visit Ionia in such a short notice? He seemed to have come unannounced since everything around her was disorganised and the security was just too light for someone of such high significance. Lost in thought, she suddenly felt light-headed and soon realised the atmosphere around her was different. Pink smoke was now visibly surrounding her before instantly disappearing making her eyes follow the trail of it which led her to the tall building above her. Pink smoke, she thought. This was rather unusual. She sat there deep in thought before her eyes widened in realisation. Memories of the night she was attacked started flooding inside her mind as she took a closer look on the small window on the top floor of the building to notice a person who was barely visible, holding what it seemed like a gun and loading it. There was no doubt about it, she had found him at last.

Jhin.

His finger was now on the trigger about to fire the first shot. She inhaled a sharp breath as she noticed the stance he had taken. It was this move. The four deadly explosive bullets. Without thinking about it twice, she run through the crowd towards the main corridor where the foreign nobleman was currently walking screaming from the top of her lungs.

"Watch out!"

The nobleman immediately got alerted and was just able to dodge the first bullet which landed a few meters away causing a small explosion. Meanwhile, the crowd started to panic running in several directions as the guards tried to protect the nobleman by ushering him away from the scene. The second bullet immediately fired turning a dozen of guards immediately to fully bloomed roses and golden ashes. Pushing her hesitation aside, she ran towards the building where she spotted him. She had to stop him from firing the fourth bullet. She was well aware of the damage it could inflict given it was much stronger than the other three and cold sweat dropped from her forehead knowing how things would possibly end up if she didn't stop him on time.

After quickly climbing up the stairs, she rushed to the lone door in front of her pushing it open and rushing inside the room. As soon as she spotted him, she ran towards him grasping his shoulder with all the power she possesed at the moment, managing to make him loosen the grip on his gun.

"Miss Arwen. What is the meaning of this?" he adressed her curtly while holding his sharp gaze to hers.

She made an effort to not be overwhelmed by the eerie and intimidating aura he was emmiting at the moment and instantly spoke up.

"I should be the one asking this question. If you fire that fourth bullet, the whole Palacidium will be destroyed. Like I have declared before, I am not opposed to the way you create art anymore. But the Palacidium is a sacred place and I will not tolerate such an act of sacrilege from a fellow artist I have learned so much from the past months. So please, retreat and follow me back to the gallery for now. The authorities will not find you there."

The man glanced back at her with the same sharp gaze he possessed before but eventually drew his gun back.

"Very well. I shall retreat for the time being, given the fact that you spontaneously ruined my performance during the first shot. But remember this, Miss Arwen; do not interfere with my work. Ever again. You are the audience, therefore you are restricted from interfering with the show. If your actions prove the opposite, I will thereby grand you a slow yet beautiful death. Am I perfectly clear?"

She only nodded in response making her way outside of the room and hoping he didn't notice the single shiver going up her spine during their previous conversation. He followed shortly after letting her lead the way towards the dense forest ahead of them. It hadn't occurred to him before but he found himself being intrigued by the woman's choice of residence. The thought made him wonder about the reasons of her isolation and distance kept from the rest of the world. Though, he wasn't in the mood of asking her the particular moment, him still being irritated due to her actions earlier.

His thoughts paused as he noticed the familiar enormous building that hosted the woman's art exhibition appearing before his eyes.

"I am able to keep you here for as long as you wish, Jhin. People only visit on weekends when the gallery is open and my employees will not notice you if you are careful enough."

He turned to look at her as long as she started speaking, a fascinating idea on his mind.

"Although the offer sounds tempting, I shall only stay for this one night. I have a large tour around Valoran planned starting tomorrow and it is urgent for me to leave early in the morning. You are free to join as well, Miss Arwen. I would strongly recommend you do so, given this could be a rather educational trip for yourself."

Arwen only blinked in response trying to figure out the reasons behind his proposal. She did not believe he was inviting her without a purpose in mind but she found herself agreeing either way.

" I guess that is the least I can do for you since I ruined your performance earlier. Besides, I believe you are going to need your audience anyway."

He nodded walking ahead of her towards the building before turning back to look at her.

"Let us head inside. Rumors have been circulating around the capital about your newest piece of art and the words 'mysterious' and 'gruesome' happened to be the ones that intrigued me the most. Would you show me?"

She smiled and gestured him to follow her further inside. The said painting was the one she was proud of the most among her works. It only took her a week to finish it, which was rather unusual for her but she still admired it for all the effort she put to make it. Truth was, she was more than eager to hear his opinion on this work. She didn't understand why, but ever since she met him his opinion on her works mattered a lot to her and she'd always take into account the feedback he rarely gave her. Arriving in front of the large painting she made a stop staring at it in awe while certain memories rushed through her mind.

"Interesting. 'Garden of Carnage', hm? I must admit your work has improved but I have to ask. Was it myself who inspired you to draw something like this?"

She nodded hesitantly not knowing if this was considered as something good or something bad. Her eyes immediately met his scanning him in search of any reaction but she was able to find none since everything was hidden behind the ivory mask.

"Some moons ago, when you took me to the opera you told me something that happened to have a huge impact on me. 'It is in carnage that we bloom, like a flower in the dawn.', if my memory serves me well. After this, we went into the opera hall where you performed a show that matched the conversation we had beforehand. And this is what led me to draw the scene from the opera that night and name it 'Garden of Carnage'. This painting is a solid proof as to how enthralled I was by your performance. And I also wish to believe it serves as some kind of apology due to everything that happened today. As a fellow artist, I truly understand how it feels like when people or other circumstances get in the way of you and your art. I apologise for ruining your momentum."

He remained silent for a while staring at the painting while she glanced at him expectantly for an answer. After a few minutes he turned to look at her, his eyes cold as ice but his voice passionate as ever.

"You will learn how to fully appreciate art in every shape or form on this trip. One thing I can promise you, Miss Arwen, is that this will be a journey you will never forget."

Author's Note (2): Well, Jhin and Arwen are touring Valoran! Could that journey actually be educational fo Arwen or does Jhin have something else in mind? We'll get a better glimpse at the purpose of the trip on future chapters which I haven't written yet. Therefore, unfortunately I can't stick to my previous programme where I was able to update two times a week. That's because, unlike "The Silver Crossbow", this story is not pre-written. I actually write the chapters little by little due to lack of time so I will start with no schedule till I manage to balance things in real life and organise my writing hours as well. So, until next time xoxoxox