Chapter 1: Painting One: Mona Lisa

Art is the expression of creativity and imagination. As long as one creates something with the intention to express an idea or view, it could be deemed a piece of art.

I could still remember the first time I ever came across an art piece that truly spoke to me. It was at a run down bar in the backstreets of Tokyo, quite an odd place to discover such a masterpiece. Vibrant crimson clothes, soft pale skin, and a subtle mix of colors between the subject and the background. It was a time of peace, where the only thing people would associate with paintings was the contents of the canvas. A time that has long since passed.

"Tobio, how are you feeling?" I blinked, quickly snapping out of my daze as my vision settled on the well-dressed man sitting across from me. Ryuu Yoshikawa, my senior and supervisor. He towered over the average person and preferred to spend most of his time at the gym, which in turn made him a walking intimidating factor, even if that wasn't his intention. That's how I first saw him when I began my career as a cleanser, though it quickly became obvious that he was just a big softie deep down.

"I'm doing alright, I just lost my train of thought for a moment there." Calm breaths. Relax your shoulders. Speak reassuringly. While these tactics certainly helped back at home, it certainly was less effective when I was in a completely new environment. The plate of pastries and cup of coffee before me remained untouched, quickly losing its warmth to the chilly fall air.

"You're still relatively new to this cleansing stuff, are you not? Jeez, what the hell is management doing? A newbie like you shouldn't be on a mission like this." While Ryuu grumbled, I could only manage a small smile in response.

It was around a decade ago when the first wave of attacks occurred. Otherworldly creatures seemed to materialize out of nowhere, leaving death and destruction in their path as they went on a seemingly never ending rampage. It was discovered that these demons had all come from various museums around the world, specifically from paintings. A story concept that could create quite the bestseller, yet in our world it was reality.

"I should be fine, as we're only asked to do a quick night patrol. Besides, I have all my equipment." I did my best to sound reassuring, holding up my satchel which contained a few scrolls and cartridges of ink. To many, it was nothing more than equipment to practice scroll calligraphy. However, it was my only weapon against these monsters. There were two ways demons could be defeated. One, was through the use of seals. By creating a seal and placing it on a demon's portrait, it temporarily subdues the demon and allows a cleanser to secure it properly. The second method is both inconsistent and relatively unknown. Certain cleansers have formed contracts with demons themselves, in exchange for a price they were to never disclose to anyone else. It was a rare occurrence, but a strong power.

"Is that right? You remember how to paint the sealing spells, right?" Ryuu asked, before reaching down to snatch one of my pastries. I pretended to ignore it, considering I wasn't planning on eating it in the first place.

"I've been studying the entire plane ride, and I have a few I prepared in advance. I should be alright-"

"It's not time to let your guard down, Tobio. Most of us cleansers die not because we're weaker than these demons, but because we let our guard down." Ryuu's tone had shifted entirely, the man setting his pastry down before crossing his arms. "On top of that, the painting we're watching over is no joke either. You understand that, right?"

"Y-Yes. Sorry, Mr. Yoshikawa." While I didn't mean to come off as cocky, I assume it certainly looked that way. While all I wanted to do was lessen his worries, it only seemed to increase them. My thoughts were once again interrupted as a large hand came down before ruffling my hair, prompting me to look up at Ryuu's large smile.

"Hey, don't take it too deeply. I'm just trying to look out for you, that's all. I know you've put a lot of work into becoming a cleanser." Ah, jeez. In the end, he was the one that ended up making me feel better. Before I could respond, I heard a phone ring, prompting Ryuu to reach into his jacket pocket and take out the device. After reading the contents of the message, he gave me a nod before standing up.

"Looks like our shift is starting now."

╔═══ 真紅のキャンバス═══╗

Thank you both for coming in today." I loosely trailed behind Ryuu as we followed the guide around the large and extravagant museum. When I was younger, I always dreamed of visiting various locations around the world, the Louvre Museum being one of them. Of course, I had hoped that it would have been under different circumstances. With the large expanse of space being empty and quiet rather than filled to the brim with admirers, it left quite an eerie feeling in the atmosphere.

"From what I understand, there have been recent reports of possible disturbances around the museum?" Ryuu asked, the low rumble of his voice echoing off the distant walls.

"Correct. However, we've done routine checks and all of the seals are in place. In our opinion, we believe it to be nothing more than shared paranoia, hence why we humbly request you to double check." I glanced around the museum as we continued walking, my eyes settling on every painting that we passed. After the first wave of attacks, all paintings were placed under reinforced glass seals created by cleansers. This in itself would ideally prevent any demon housing inside a painting to escape its frame.

"Here we are. Welcome to the Salle des États." As we stepped into the largest room so far, my gaze immediately locked on to the painting residing in the center, residing above a counter and surrounded by a circular railing.

"The Mona Lisa," I murmured, unable to hide my own admiration. While I had seen several pictures online before, it certainly was a unique view in person. The guide seemed to nod to himself, silently pleased by the acknowledgement.

"This is where I will leave you two gentlemen for the night. The facility will be cleared of any other employees to not intrude on your work, however we will have a few on standby to lock up the museum once you are finished." The guide delivered a bow before promptly leaving, Ryuu already walking over to where the Mona Lisa was resting.

"Alright, Tobio. If you find any painting that doesn't have its seal, call me immediately. Also, make sure you keep your eyes on the painting. Use your seals if necessary, I'm sure the staff will understand if we get the place a little dirty." I gave a firm nod, a hand gripping on to my satchel.

"Alright, I'll be on my way... now..." By the time I responded, Ryuu had already disappeared, his heavy footsteps barely audible in the distance. I managed a small sigh before heading off in the opposite direction, one hand on my bag while the other gripped the phone in my pocket. After the pep talk Ryuu had given me earlier today, I wanted to make sure I was prepared for any circumstance, even if nothing happened whatsoever.

Room by room, painting by painting, I walked past each one to ensure the glass panel was placed above the painting. The clear but reinforced material was strong enough to withstand heavy impact, though there was always a small chance for some error to be present. As I reached the end of the hallway, I turned around to walk along the other row, only to catch movement out of the corner of my eye. It was probably just my own growing paranoia, that was all.

Calm breaths. Relax your shoulders. Speak reassuringly. While the last bit couldn't really apply in this situation, I recited the three steps in my head as I headed back towards the entrance of the room, eyes scanning every glass frame that was sealed onto the portraits. There was no reason to feel unsettled, yet that's the only feeling I could recognize as my echoing steps continued to grow louder in my head. One step after another, the silence began to grow deafening. It was growing harder to regulate my breathing, and I could feel prickling along every exposed inch of my skin.

Nothing. Nothing had happened. Standing back at the entrance of the room, I couldn't help but laugh at myself for being so silly. There was no reason to get so worked up when nothing happened, after all. Making my way to the next room, I continued checking the portraits lining the walls, all having little to no issue. Most likely than not, the suspicions of a loose demon was probably nothing more than paranoia, something I myself had briefly fallen victim to. As I headed back to the Salle des États, I figured I could probably call Ryuu and inform him that I was done with my rounds. It was then that my eyes settled on the frame of the Mona Lisa, or at least where it should have been. Yet instead, it was an empty frame. No seal, and no subject.

The glass shield... it's gone!

"Shit, shit, shit." Fumbling for my phone, I quickly looked down at my phone as I found Ryuu's number before calling him. Holding the phone up to my ear with shaking hands, I felt my heart drop each time the ringtone went for another cycle. "Come on... pick it up!!!"

"What happened?" Ryuu's voice sent relief through my body, though it didn't last for long, considering the situation.

"Mona Lisa's painting seal is gone! We need to find the demon as soon as possi... ble..." It was then that I realized the fatal mistake I had made.

'Keep your eyes on the painting.'

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"What's wrong? Hey!" I could barely hear Ryuu's distraught voice as I could sense the otherworldly presence behind me. Despite no movements being made and no words being said, I knew it was there. Every inch of my body screamed to run, yet I found myself unable to do so. It was as if the demon's very presence was commanding me to remain where I was, and my body was unable to do anything but obey. Slowly turning around, I was greeted with a sight I wish I never had to see. A melancholy but warm smile, though the light didn't reach its eyes in the slightest.

"She's out," I whispered quietly.

"Tobio, get out of the-" A sudden blow to my side knocked all the air out of my lungs, my body being flung as if I were nothing but a toy. Crashing into the wall, I immediately saw stars as I landed on the ground, the contents of my satchel and my smashed phone surrounding me. Slowly looking up, my stomach dropped as the demon's face lingered inches from mine, unmoving.

It was fast. Too fast.

While maintaining eye contact, I silently inched my finger towards one of the ink vials. All I needed to do was place this over the portrait, and it would keep the demon trapped long enough for Ryuu to get over here. I had prepared a seal in advance for this circumstance, the only problem was if I could make it there in time. If I could make it there at all.

It was a sudden burst of confidence and foolishness, but there was nothing else I could have done. Securing a grip on a vial of ink, I popped the tab before throwing it at the demon. My hope was that it'd maybe serve as a distraction, using that time window to grab a scroll and sprint towards the portrait. I was barely able to manage a few steps before the same force from before had hit me in the back, the corners of my vision growing fuzzy as I crashed into the railing before the portrait, feeling several sharp cracks in my side. Slumping onto the ground, I watched the floor become littered with crimson drops as I coughed weakly. Everything hurt so much. Even though I had prepared for such a scenario to happen, I was barely able to do anything.

Was I... going to die?

"Tobio!" I could hear distant voices, the faint vibrations of heavy footsteps below my skin. Through blurry eyes, I weakly watched as the figure before me suddenly disappeared, though it wasn't long before I could see a pool of blood begin to peek out from behind the wall. My eyes widened, though my vision only continued to grow darker.

"Ryuu...."

╔═══ 真紅のキャンバス═══╗

"Wake up." The calm yet commanding voice caused my eyes to slowly open, where I was immediately met with sharp pains across my entire body. Recoiling as I did my best to steady my breathing, it was then that I was finally able to take in my surroundings. I was laying on a bed in a dark, windowless room. There was nothing else besides a man in a suit sitting across from me, arms crossed and one leg over the other. Unnaturally yellow irises stared right through me, as if he already knew everything about me without me saying a word.

"Can you speak?"

"Y....yes." It hurts to even breathe. Each one I took felt as though several knives were stabbing into my side. The man seemed to notice my pain, though it wasn't as though I was trying to hide it.

"You've got four fractured ribs. I suggest not moving around too much unless you want the condition to get worse." I wasn't planning on moving, though it wasn't like I had much of a choice anyways.

"What happened?"

"French authorities received a distress call after one of the guards outside the Louvre Museum heard commotion coming from within. They arrived to find one dead cleanser, one barely alive, and an empty portrait belonging to the Mona Lisa." One.. dead? Images of Ryuu's face immediately flashed into my mind as I attempted to speak up, only to burst into a fit of coughs.

"Mr. Yoshikawa... he's dead?" I asked weakly, watching the man's eyebrows twitch slightly.

"Gutted like a wild animal." The pool of blood. Distant screams. I felt a sick feeling form in my stomach as my hands balled up into fists. That was a death he didn't deserve. How come I was still alive? That was another question added to a growing list, which I was quickly becoming unable to keep track of.

"Where am I?"

"French Cleanser Assosiation's isolation facility. You're on maximum lockdown for the foreseeable future."

"Wait, why? What happened?" An exasperated sigh left the man as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He muttered something under his breath, none of which I caught, though I could only assume wasn't good.

"You know as well as I do, while a demon can escape its portrait, it is still bound to the canvas. Place a seal on it, and the demon is trapped over again. However, the Mona Lisa has been sealed, but it's still missing. You see what I'm getting at?"

"You think the Mona Lisa attached itself to me." I couldn't even believe the words coming out of my mouth, yet the serious expression on his face made it clear that this was no joke. The overload of information was causing quite a headache, though I still had too many questions to be able to sort my thoughts.

"You'll be staying here until you recover and we can assess our options. Until we either separate you from the demon or can confirm you won't be a threat, you won't be heading outside. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but there's little we can do about it now."

His words lingered in my head as I remained in the dark room. With my body and mind exhausted, I eventually reached a point where I became so tired that I was able to fall asleep despite the sharp pains in my body. While I had hoped for a peaceful rest, I instead found myself standing back in the museum. To my right was myself, lying unconscious below the empty portrait. Towards the left, I could hear distant shouts growing closer. As I moved out of the room and into the hallway, I suddenly realized what was happening, though it was already too late.

Ryuu's screams filled my ears as I could only watch as his body was torn apart at a blinding speed. The mangled corpse fell to the ground as a pool of blood formed around it. This was that demon's doing. Mona Lisa was the one who killed him. So, why could I feel its emotions?

Why do I feel so happy?

"Get out of my head," I managed to weakly state. As the scenery around me devolved into darkness, I found myself staring into the familiar face. A sight I wish I never had to see. A melancholy but warm smile, though the light didn't reach its eyes in the slightest. An expressionless gaze, staring into everything yet nothing. A face that said it all, without a single word being uttered.

I was now the canvas of this monstrous being. 

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