Chapter I
D City
D City is one of the world's famous cities. It is the home of artists and painters worldwide. It is a land of opportunities. A world of creativity and passion of arts.
Standing on top of Diamond Bridge, one of the famous landmarks in the city, was a young man. He was wearing a t-shirt with slacks standing on the ledge bare footed. Just a few feet away on that same ledge was a letter and on top of it were white sneakers placed. He was around 5'9 with black hair as dark as the night sky and fair skin. The most striking feature was his brilliant rose gold eyes that shone like a fire. This was the situation that he had been trying to avoid for all of his life. This young man was none other than Asteri Leros, a well known artist. He was famous for his many paintings. He was also famous for being a part of the famed Leros family which produced successful artists each generation.
Asteri is the youngest child in the family with three siblings who have far more fame than him. He was considered to be the black sheep of the family. His parents turned a blind eye towards him, preferring to focus on his older brothers and sister. He knew that he was not good enough for them to put in all their care. The only one who was willing to care and encourage him was Alekos Leros - his mento, guide, and grandfather.
The man was willing to do everything for him and the only one who gave him the affection is desperately craved for. Unfortunately, he passed away when Asteri turned 10. That was when Asteri began to truly feel alone. The rest of his family focused on his two older brothers who were dancers and musician sister leaving him behind in the dust. He moved on trying to achieve what he wanted to do keeping in mind the last words his grandfather left for him before he passed.
"Asteri, always remember this. Art comes and goes but love and happiness only happens once. Cherish it forever. Hold on and don't let go at all for as long as possible."
Armed with those words, he went on to apply to one of the best art institutes in all of D City. He got in and strove to make his way into the world of painting. His works gained him many friends, rivals and admirers. He was mainly praised for his fantasy pieces which he depicted in the form of Eastern and Western Legends styles. The most famous of his works was "The Lonely Vampire King" which depicted a Vampire King sitting on a throne with a yearning and sadness in his eyes as he ruled his lands. The techniques, colors and style was his guarantee of the fact that he was a brilliant painter. What made this piece special was expression of emotion and the story behind it. This piece gained critical acclaim amongst art critics. This shot him to the road of fame. He began to gain the respect he deserved. That was the moment he met the love of his dreams, Damien Woods, an art critic who was well known for his scathing reviews. Damien had complimented him big time and gave him a glowing review that surprised everyone in the art world.
Damien was from an acclaimed family famous in journalism and TV. A review or comment from him was either a make or break.
Asteri while impressed was very cautious of his relationships, thus putting some distance between them. While they became friends, Damien began to pursue him but Asteri refused to give in until he realized that Damien was quite serious and then finally agreed. Damien was ecstatic and Asteri finally felt that he finally felt belonged somewhere. They began to date for a total of five years despite the busy schedules. Asteri finally decided to introduce Damien to his family. He made his way to Damien's flat to see Damien standing in front of the apartment with his back facing him. Just as he was about to go up to him, a woman walked up to Damien and wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him soundly.
Asteri stood in shock. What made it worse was the fact that Damien wrapped his arms around the woman tighter. Asteri hid and tried to figure out who was the woman. The minute Damien stepped aside, the woman's face was revealed. It was his sister, Iris Leros. A world class pianist and lyricist. Asteri felt his heart break. He couldn't help but be angry at the fact that his lover was seeing his sister behind his back. What made it worse was that Damien was aware of the fact that he was not great terms with his family. He clenched his fists tight in anger and squeezed his eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling. That is when he heard their voices.
"Damien, we should go. My family is waiting for us at home. I can't wait for them to accept you as my fiancé. This is the best day of my life." Iris exclaimed happily. Asteri's emotions cooled. He felt anger at the fact that Damien was using him in order to date Iris. He looked to see Damien smiling as well. "Of course, love. I can't wait to marry you." Those words made Asteri want to vomit. Damien had uttered the same to him. As he watched them walk away, his phone beeped. He opened it to see a message from his father. He had an inkling as to what the message said. He opened it and sure enough it was what he thought.
His father ordered him to stay away from the home as Iris was bringing her future husband and that they did not want him in sight. He took a deep breath and let the tears swell. He was tired of living. In that moment he made his decision. He went back to his apartment and pondered over his life. It was evening when he came to a decision. He got up and went to his desk. He picked up a sheet and wrote out a letter that was full of his feelings. After sealing it, he tucked it into his pocket and pulled out another sheet of paper and wrote his will out. He decided all of his paintings to be put into auction and the proceeds be sent to charity for abuse victims. He decided to bequeath all of his assets including his inheritance from his grandfather to Sante, his older brother. Sante may have not loved him but was at least respectful and occasionally enquired about him. With that, he made his way to his lawyer's office. With all the formalities done, he made his way to Diamond Bridge. He took a deep breath and let the tears falls. He cried about the things that he lost and gained over the years.
He took out the letter from his pocket and placed it on top of the ledge along with his shoes. He climbed on to the ledge and looked down at the water. He steeled his nerves. "Goodbye. I hope to find my happiness in my next life." he whispered aloud. He jumped.
As he fell, he reminisced his memories with his grandfather and crashed into the water. As he drowned, his last thought was that he wished for a life where he would belong and live to the fullest. Slowly, his eyes shut for the last time.
Asteri Leros was no more. The news came quickly as someone caught the man jumping into the river. The police were called and the case was classified as suicide. The Leros family were in shock as was Damien who hadn't expected it. Sante was upset and devastated. They quickly organised the funeral. Asteri's will was read out naming Sante as the inheritor which surprised the family but not Sante. Sante accepted and made his last wish. "Brother please be happy. I will look after your legacy and your wishes for ever."
However, this is not the end. God, upon hearing his last wish decided to use this as his way of granting him his happiness. He knew exactly what to do and decided to act upon it. Asteri's life has only just began.