Handing over all four paintings to the man, Leon left the bank building with a smile on his face.
If he was to guess, then he was sure that the man would soon call an art appraiser to appraise the paintings, and though he could easily tell for a fact that the paintings had no value now, if they wanted to monetize them, they needed to be displayed first to gain proper attention. With their effects, Leon believed that in just a few months, they would be a worldwide sensation.
If that was to happen, Leon was sure that they would sell the paintings for over a hundred million. As for the true price, he had no idea.
Deciding to put it all behind him until that time came, Leon got into the bus with the last painting in hand.
He had a feeling that the painting in his hand might also end up making him some money.
However, if it ever got popular enough to sell, then it would mean that his identity was exposed, and from what Grace had told him, he didn't want that to happen anytime soon.
Due to their identity as mutants, fame wasn't exactly a good thing. It could offer you a weird protection since you were in the public eye, but then it also made you the forefront of all mutant hate.
Leon had barely figured out his abilities—he didn't want to be the one being the face of a whole sub-race of humanity.
About 30 minutes later, Leon was sitting inside Edward's office as he admired the painting before him.
"It's weird that despite how the painting is, I somehow still believe that you painted it," Edward said as though he was questioning his sanity.
Leon couldn't blame him, though. Even he, who had painted it, had at times wondered if it truly was a painting or if his hands had some weird printing ability.
"Also, do you get this feeling when you look at the painting? It's almost as though I get pulled through the cosmos as I stare at the painting. You really chose a good image to make a buzz," Edward said.
"Well, sir, I did my best, though I can't lie—I was lacking in inspiration. But then NASA released the image of the observable universe, and I thought, What is the best thing to show people just how grand the cosmos is and how small their problems are?" Leon admitted.
Yes, the painting he had chosen was that of the observable universe, and it was so powerful that he fainted after he was done.
The effect generated was also more powerful than anything he had ever drawn or painted.
If one stared at the painting, they would feel as though their psyche was taken away from their body and pulled through the grand cosmos… You see stars and planets form, gas giants explode as new stars take their place, the grand hole in the center of the universe, and many more things that Leon had no idea how to explain.
This painting had Leon thinking a lot of what ifs. Its effects were powerful and unprecedented, though as usual, people might dismiss them as just their imagination. But somehow, Leon had a feeling that this would create way more trouble than it should.
"So, this is what you want to display?"
"Well, yes, but I have a feeling that this painting would go absolutely viral if you advertise it, and it may cause trouble later on."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked.
"I don't know, but for both our safety, I have handed ownership to my trust fund. If you are asked, you don't know the painter—you were just given a painting to display."
"Wow, a trust fund. So young, and you're already looking to waive some of the taxes… I like that. I'll do as you say."
"Thank you… Oh, and should there be any influx of buyers—let's say their total number exceeds twenty—please call me. Let's arrange for an auction. Somehow, despite how common of an image that thing is, I feel as though it would fetch a very high price," Leon said, voicing what was on his mind.
The painting bothered him more than it should. The fourfold painting that calmed the mind had absurd effects that lingered for days, and if the display went well, Leon was sure that many religious bodies and other Zen-seeking billionaires would seek out the paintings.
Meaning, if auctioned, it would likely fetch somewhere in the hundreds of millions—or even a billion if possible. But this one… Each time he stared at it, he felt as though he had created something that he shouldn't have.