Bryan's Arc

Chapter 1 of 21

Bryan posted the photo at eleven PM, after the fourth coat of highlights made the red armor finally look like something worth showing. He refreshed the page twice before bed, saw three likes, and told himself that was fine. When he checked again in the morning, someone had left a comment: the technique was promising, but the concept was too safe to win at Golden Demon. He stared at the screen for three full minutes. The words sat there like a diagnosis he couldn't argue with. His technique was good—he knew that much. But safe? He pulled up the reference image he'd been chasing, the one of Sanguinius striking down Horus with wings spread wide and a flaming sword cutting through the air. The original artwork burned with risk, with a moment so desperate it made his chest hurt. His miniature's red armor glowed, sure, but it didn't look like anything was at stake. He closed the photo and opened a fresh one of the Intercessor from a new angle. Then he reached for his palette knife and scraped the shoulder pad clean down to primer.