Surrounded by a flock of snowy owls, Sulond, the giant eagle, gently landed on the castle's lawn. Luke dismounted, his eyes bright with a gentle smile as he saw Arwen, who had been waiting for him.
"I'm back!" he said, his voice filled with warmth.
Arwen's eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips curved upwards in a radiant smile. "Welcome back!"
Few words were needed between them; their understanding ran deeper. They simply gazed at each other, their eyes tracing familiar outlines, before smiling and walking hand-in-hand towards the castle.
At dinner, Luke savored Arwen's delicious cooking, talking animatedly about his adventures. Arwen sat quietly beside him, listening intently to every word.
"Oh, Arwen," Luke exclaimed, eager to show off, "I learned painting from a Sindarin artist! How about I draw your portrait later?"
Arwen smiled softly and nodded. "Alright."
After dinner, Luke eagerly led Arwen to the garden. He had her sit on a wicker chair surrounded by vibrant flowers, with the majestic Holy White Tree and the shimmering Maelstrom Tree as a backdrop. Arwen gently allowed Luke to arrange her, a fond smile in her eyes. Luke then retrieved his prepared painting tools from his spatial bag. He set up the easel, spread the canvas, and with focused eyes, began to sketch Arwen, then applied his brush to the canvas.
The garden atmosphere was peaceful and warm. The leaves of the towering White and Maelstrom trees rustled softly, their golden and silver foliage drifting in the wind, carpeting the grass in a shimmering blanket. Arwen reclined gracefully on the wicker chair, a purple bouquet draped above her.
At her feet were the white blossoms of the King's Weed, flanked by the ever-blooming Alfrin and Elanor, and surrounded by colorful Enthepo flowers and other species. She sat among the blooms, her eyes gentle and smiling, quietly watching the man who concentrated on painting her, like a flower goddess observing her devoted lover.
As time passed, Arwen remained perfectly still, her posture graceful, without a trace of fatigue or impatience. Her smile remained, as if she could sit there forever.
"Alright!" Luke finally announced, stopping his brushstrokes.
"Is it finished?" Arwen asked softly.
"It is! Arwen, come take a look. Are you satisfied?" Luke beckoned.
Arwen rose and walked over, filled with curiosity. On the canvas, Arwen's portrait was remarkably lifelike; even the gentle smile in her eyes had been captured. Behind her, a corner of the garden, including the the two trees, were also depicted. A hint of surprise flashed across Arwen's face as she saw her own portrait. Despite Luke's obvious inexperience in painting, her likeness in the artwork was vibrant, and the tenderness and love in her eyes seemed ready to spill forth.
Is this how Luke sees me? Arwen felt an immense sweetness well up in her heart.
"What do you think? Are you happy with it?" Luke asked expectantly. "If not, I'll paint a few more. I've already memorized your face, so you won't have to sit for long."
Arwen smiled sweetly. "This is already very good! There's no need for more. I love this painting very much. Can I have it?"
Luke shook his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Not yet. This painting isn't truly finished. It needs one more step." Arwen looked confused. Without further explanation, Luke led her and the portrait back to the castle.
Luke then went to the potion room, set up a silver crucible, gathered his prepared potion ingredients, and began brewing. Arwen didn't disturb him, sitting quietly and watching Luke's smooth movements with admiration.
When the potion in the crucible turned lavender, Luke suddenly looked up. "Arwen, could you give me a strand of your hair?"
Arwen was puzzled but promptly cut off a strand. "Is one enough? If not, I'll get more." Luke quickly stopped her. "That's enough, one will do." While Arwen was willing to give more, Luke knew one was sufficient. He took the strand of Arwen's hair and dropped it into the crucible. The potion instantly turned light blue, emanating a scent reminiscent of rain.
He turned off the heat, removed the cauldron, and let the potion cool completely. Then, to Arwen's astonishment, Luke used a dropper to apply the potion onto the portrait, which magically absorbed it. The previously still portrait gradually came alive; the painted flowers, plants, and trees swayed in an unseen breeze as if alive. The Arwen in the painting also came to life, her hair subtly shifting, just like a living person. The only drawback was that the eyes of the painted Arwen were empty and blank, as if she had no soul, no reaction whatsoever.
Arwen was amazed. "Luke, what's happening?"
Luke explained with a smile, "This is a magical portrait. Unlike a still painting, it moves and speaks."
"Then why does my portrait seem unresponsive?"
"Because she hasn't been imbued with memories yet. She's like a newborn baby, with a blank mind and consciousness," Luke replied. He then taught Arwen the magic of extracting memories. Arwen followed Luke's method, pressing her wand to her temple, drawing out her memories, and then injecting them into her own portrait. As the memory was absorbed, the painted Arwen's empty eyes gradually brightened. Then, as if a soul had been breathed into her, her intelligent and gentle eyes gazed out from the canvas at Luke and Arwen.
"Hello, Luke, and my other self," the portrait spoke.
Luke looked at the painted Arwen and asked curiously, "Arwen, what does the painting look like from your side? Can you tell me about it?"
The painted Arwen looked at Luke with tenderness in her eyes. She glanced around the canvas. "This place is no different from the real world. I am now in the garden, I can smell the fragrance of flowers and plants, and there is wind blowing. I can also see the Black Lake and Hogsmeade Village below the mountain, and even further. The only difference is that there is only me here. No you, no Sulond, no Smaug, and no residents of Hogsmeade down the mountain."
Luke was astonished by the painted Arwen's answer. He had thought the world within the painting would be dark or blank beyond what he had drawn, but he hadn't expected it to be a complete, realistic world. If Arwen were to leave Weathertop within the painting, she might be able to go to Rivendell, Lothlórien, or even the Mordor region controlled by Sauron, or even the holy land of Valinor in the west. How could this be called a magical portrait? It was simply a "mirrorverse"!
When Arwen heard her painted self say she was alone, she seemed to empathize, a trace of heartache flickering in her eyes. She turned to Luke. "Luke, please include you in the painting too? Otherwise, she will be very lonely!"
Luke patted her hand soothingly, nodding with a smile. "Of course, that's no problem. Not only me, but also Sulond, Smaug, the Kraken, and the residents of Hogsmeade down the mountain—I will draw them all in. I promise that the world inside the painting will be no less beautiful than the world outside!"
"But I think it would be best if you could draw my portrait for me. What do you think?"
Arwen smiled brightly and nodded. "Don't worry, I will draw you very handsomely!"
The next day, Luke and Arwen returned to the garden. This time, Arwen was the artist, and Luke sat in Arwen's previous spot. Arwen didn't make Luke sit for long. With her incredible memory, she quickly memorized Luke's image, allowing him to relax his posture.
Luke came over curiously, wanting to see how Arwen had painted him. When he saw the result, he was immediately amazed. In Arwen's painting, he was tall and upright, with a gentle look on his stern face. Looking at him through the picture, he seemed to be surrounded by a halo, so perfect he barely looked human.
Is this how Arwen sees me? Luke felt a mix of happiness and tenderness. He hadn't expected Arwen's painting skills to be so extraordinary. Not only was his own likeness lifelike, but every blade of grass and tree was incredibly realistic and vibrant.
She had even painted the entire castle. In comparison, Luke felt his own drawing of Arwen was like the difference between a primary school student and a master. Fortunately, Arwen didn't scorn it and treated it like a treasure, intending to keep it.
When Arwen finished, Luke looked at himself in the painting and teasingly remarked, "Arwen, you painted me so perfectly I almost don't dare admit it's me!" Then he took out the potion he had prepared earlier and poured it onto the painting, allowing it to fully absorb.
Everything in the painting came alive, incredibly realistic, as if reflected in a mirror—even more beautiful than reality, like a fairyland. His eyes in the painting were empty, but every hair was clearly visible, and his skin had a healthy complexion, just like a real person. Luke pressed his wand against his temple, slowly drawing out his memories, then pressed it against his own portrait, injecting them into it.
The empty eyes of the painted Luke became clear, then the corners of his mouth turned up, and he looked directly into Luke's eyes. "Hey, hello, OG!"
After greeting them, he looked around the painting with curiosity and exclaimed, "It's exactly as Arwen said! If I hadn't known this was in a painting, I would have thought this was really Middle-earth!" He continued, "Hey, Master, remember to draw me a flying broom next time. Also, don't forget Smaug and Sulond. I need to go somewhere else when I have time to see if the world in this painting really has no boundaries."
Then his gaze shifted to Arwen, who was standing beside Luke. He smiled and waved with a look of mock regret, saying, "Hello, Arwen. It's a pity it's not me standing next to you now. Although we are one, I am still very jealous of my other self!" He suddenly turned his head, spotting something. His eyes lit up, and he waved his hand. "Ah, I saw Arwen! I have to go find her. Goodbye, both of you!" Without waiting for the two to say anything, he quickly left the painted area and disappeared.
Looking at the empty scene in the painting, Arwen chuckled softly and looked at Luke with amusement. "I didn't expect you to have such a personality, Luke?"
Luke couldn't help but cover his head, his expression indescribable. The "self" in the painting was currently just a personality formed by a memory. To truly flesh out their personality, they needed to continuously inject memories, allowing their character and thinking to gradually become more like their own. This process would need to continue until the person died.
By then, the portrait would truly embody the deceased, possessing all their emotions and memories, making it, in essence, the real person. Of course, Luke would certainly not wait until that day. However, if he didn't want himself to appear so foolish in the portrait, he still needed to discipline his painted self for a while to avoid future embarrassment.