November 23rd.

  -Look, we had an adventure and we had fun, but I'm someone who likes to live in the moment. It was nice, but now I'm in a different try. I uand that it might not seem true to you, but I want you to respect my opinion, - Cudia said over the phone.

  -That's a lie, it's quite the opposite. You overthink everything you do at least twice, you don't like surprises much because they give you ay, and you're a terrible liar, - Billy excimed oher end of the phone, his voice sounding a bit agitated and distant.

  -Of course! Mr. Know-it-all has a lot to say about everything now. Go have fun with the cheerleading team. Do you think I wouldn't notice? You started jumping all over Alice the moment I left. She might be prettier than me, but at least you could pretend not to be so eager to deceive me with one of my best friends! - Cudia yelled into the phone.

  -Those are baseless lies. Alily shares csses with me, - Billy said.

  -Well, now you're being ical too. Screw you, Billy! I don't have to put up with your tantrums. Go be with whoever you want, just leave me alone, - Cudia shouted.

  The phone line disected, and the repetitive beep sound echoed for almost ten minutes. He officially had a broke. The dark room settled into silence. He never does anything right; all his retionships end in bitter breakups...

  -I think it's better to be pletely alone, - Billy thought. Women only disappoint him.

  He's tried calling whenever he gets a ce. What else a guy do when he has to focus on w at a pany, receivis from two other panies, doing his job as an artist, editor, writer, printer, and all the other nonse takes to make a i top of that, dealing with school and the multiple assigs he's buried under.

  Then there are the ag, dance, and theater csses. He's about to explode. He just wants someone who uand him. He thought Cudia did, but now he's misuood everything. Love is so votile at this age. Now he'll just focus on his work... Oh, work is such a nuisance.

  Billy went downstairs to grab something to eat. His father hadn't arrived yet. He's also suffering the sequences of having a packed schedule with no breaks. Even food is causing him disfort in this situation.

  He saw some precooked pasta, with five minutes of hot water he could have a good meal. He chopped up some peppers and fried two eggs; he o nourish himself properly. His mind was a bit jumbled.

  Billy dedicated himself to drawing tirelessly, burying his s in a long night of sketches. He would only plete Evangelion for now. He infused a bit more sadness into the recreation of the characters, capturing the emptiness of Shinji Ikari/Khan Mito.

  What are the characters' fears, especially the protagonists? It's a fear stemming from the void left by an absent father and a deceased mother. He's felt misuood since childhood. The despair of living in oblivion, loneliness, and sadhese feelings highlighted the seven hours of hopelessness he felt after his disappoi. He ehe character with ambivalence, framing the cept of suffering in silence as best he could, for Shinji is more resilient than in the inal version; the unfounded fear is now developed in other ways.

  He tinued like this all night, detailing the characters on multiple occasions, and making lists of behavioral patterns.

  He saw the m light through the window. He had to go to school, but he didn't feel like it. He would just sleep today. So, he decided to sleep like a child, sprawled across the bed, without w about panies, studies, or anything he had to present. Let the warm rays of the sun wake him up iernoon, almost around noon. He woke up tired, took a shower, and saw it was 3:00 p.m. on the clock.

  He headed to catch transportation to the pany, grabbing his backpack with all his sheets. He would o prepare everything for printing the four volumes he drew yesterday.

  As he left his apartment, he remembered the essay he had to submit to his philosophy teacher. He would figure out what to do about that tomorrow.

  Lux ics had undergone a progressive renovation that left him satisfied with the results. The building had an impressive fa?ade spanning aire street, a four-story stru. The former two-story factory located in the front had been adapted to house the entire idustry. The sed floor housed numerous offices in an open space, enclosed by some gss-walled offices. Initially, there were many vat rooms, but with the renovations, gradually all these rooms began to be used.

  The supervisory sector is posed of two individuals: Dave, the ieneral, and Raimon, a maery expert who oversees mae stability. They duct quality trol of the maes, ensure proper usage and printing quality, and maintain factory orders acc to safety protocols.

  The sed group sists of the information analysts: Mr. Cloud, an information analyst; Lucas, formerly an assistant and intern at the pany, now a full-time worker; and Austin, the new intern. They are responsible for reviewing all pany information and assisting Anne in optimizing processes, reviewing expenses, and promoting projects.

  Sarah Robles is the publicist who hahe pany's advertising. She creates posters, flyers, and brochures, and colborates with anyone willing to work with the pany. She works in jun with the chief administrators: Jaan, Mr. Murphy, and Anne.

  The pany premises include rest areas, the main boardroom, the corporate boardroom, and Billy's drawing room. There is also a game room on the sed floor equipped with arcade maes that were either purchased or donated.

  On the first floor, there's a small café, a dining area, and an initiative to start a garden as a rexation zone. Billy ehrough the main door and climbed the stairs, visibly tired.

  His drawing room is undoubtedly a refle of the young man's mind—a rge library filled with id manga. Papers are stuck to the walls, and a big table is occupied with scattered sheets. Every month, Anne forces him to it up. Numerous pencils, markers, inks, paints, highlighters, and everything an artist needs and more clutter the space.

  The pany's success lies in catering to the whims of the young man

  Billy is an all-iist—writer and scriptwriter, draftsman, illustrator, inker, colorist, letterer, aor. No one has pleted drawings as quickly as this young man has.

  Anne appeared flustered.

  -Your father is in the office, - Anne said.

  Billy could only catch his breath aer the room.

  -Good afternoon, Father, - Billy said.

  Thomas Carson was reading Billy's drawings, his coat spread out oable.

  -I wasn't expeg to see you so early. The new ic is undoubtedly iing, - Thomas Carson said.

  -Is something wrong? - Billy asked.

  -That's right, Billy. Mike Richardson called on the pho long ago and said he won't be renewing our distribution tract for the ing years. We had agreed on a four-year term, which means until 1992. Our pany will be left without a distributor, - Thomas expined.

  -Rejected us? There's no reason, we have a good retionship!- Billy excimed, somewhat surprised.

  -That's what he said, young man. He mentio's due to business reasons. He fears our pany might take over Dark Horse id believes our series could flict with his is, - Thomas said.

  -That's ridiculous. Did you mao iate in any way? - Billy inquired.

  -I did, but it wasn't very satisfactory. Mike demanded 55% of the profits, -- Thomas Carson said, his tone serious. -- Caught between a rod a hard pce, we start selling, but after dedug 25% of the ic's costs, it's not enough to sustain us. -

  The shadow under Dark Horse ics is over. There are some good distribution pahat we initially didn't sider due to our limited reition. But now, there are a few bels that might be ied in publishing our pany, - Mr. Carson tinued, sounding somewhat burdened.

  -What will happen to the proposal of expanding alongside Dark Horse i ada and the UK? - Billy asked.

  -pletely celed, - Thomas replied.

  -What could we do? - Billy wondered.

  -Well, for now, let's assume that we'll have to do it all on our own. We send periodic shipments to Irend and distribute from there. Additionally, there's Luxemb, Malta, and Belgium. We test in each try to see the advantages and whie is more beneficial for us, - Thomas said.

  -Do we have to do this, Father? I think it's better to focus our efforts in other areas, - Billy suggested.

  -Why? - Thomas asked.

  -Father, let another pany hahe distribution. It's a risky and costly endeavor to start. However, en a bran Irend for Lux Animation, - Billy expined.

  Thomas Carsoated. He sehat something was missing, something his son wasn't telling him.

  -What's going on, son? There's something you're not telling me, - Thomas said.

  -Father, it's the i. Iure, we'll dedicate ourselves to uploading our ics digitally. Iing in factories will only lead to losses. en a branch for Lux Animation just to gain some visibility, - Billy said, somewhat naively.

  -The i? -- Thomas questioned, clearly fused. -- What the hell are you talking about, son? -

  -Ah, Father, it's that thing that would allow people to read ics digitally. Have you heard of Microsoft 3.0? It's got some useful features. puters will take off in about two years, and web pages will beore popur. That's why I'm betting on those panies so much, - Billy expined.

  -It's not logical, Billy. Let's create the factories, distribute as best we , and make money. Waiting for these maes to develop doesn't seem like a good idea, son, - Mr. Carson said.

  -Don't worry, Father. We just need a distributor. Finding a distributor in Europe is the key, - Billy said, sounding quite disappointed. Mike's reje perplexes him; they've been selling in rge quantities, the pany is doing well, and he's even mao publish his drawings. He doesn't uand this behavior.

  -Mike closed the door on us, so we'd better find another ohat would help. We'll have to tinue looking for opportunities, - Billy said. - What do you say, Father? Want to make another bet? -

  -Make a bet? I have reservations about your pns again, - Thomas questioned.

  -Turns out, I have a direct lio the o that bets on spames. We'll bet on the Red Bulls championship. I'm certain they'll win this year, just like Michael Jordan was the best pyer iour, - Billy expined.

  -We'll do it, but you should know that if you lose, your itment to pleting your business degree will be entirely on your shoulders, - Thomas stated.

  -We'll do it. A 100,000 bet on the Red Bulls' victory is something that's going to happen, - Billy said.

  -I'll make the arras and pce the bet in Las Vegas, - Thomas replied.

  -As for distribution, Father, we just o tih our work, - Billy assured.

  -That doesn't justify the risk. I'll try to secure the tract for 1992 as soon as possible. It's better to be prepared, --Thomas said. -- Oh, by the way, Billy, I received a call from your school. You missed csses. -

  -Yes, Father, I'm sorry. I wasn't feelihis m, and the day got away from me, - Billy expined with evident remorse.

  -Don't break my trust, son. I hope this won't happen again, - Thomas warned.

  -It won't, Father. Tomorrow will go on like any other day, - Billy promised.

  The secret war between Disney and Warner has officially begun, with them cutting off development lines of Dark Horse ics, along with Lux ics.

  ...

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