I use AI to bring to the surface images I see inside my head. On this piece we're confronted by what appears to be an angel, even though the human features may deceive our senses. The gender is unbeknownst to us, so are the intentions. I wrote a short story about this portrait: * Hope is the flame keeping the world warm, and I had lost mine. No salvation, no Deus Ex, no plot twist to revert my demise, I sit there waiting in silence, lost in the dangerous realm of everything that could have been. That's when I heard: "You called, now I am here." I would have died, if I had the strength to, but instead I looked up to the curious figure on the corner of the yard, looking at me, waiting for a reply. "I don't know who you are and I haven't called you here." "The spoken word is the slowest way of asking for help. I heard you before the thought appeared in your mind." I will never be able to explain, and you won't believe me, but I knew exactly who was standing in front of me. Faith is natural to humans, second only to the most basic instinct keeping us alive: Fear. And on that moment, Instead of blood, I had fear running in my veins. "Ask and you shall receive." "I lost it all. Can you turn back time?" "I can." "What do you want? My soul?" "No, your soul is mine already. I am honoring my part of our deal." "What deal? I never saw you before. I haven't given you anything!" "Do you want me to turn back time?" "No! What deal? What are you talk/" Suddenly I was watching myself. Hopeless on that same yard. A figure appeared before me and the dialogue was exactly the same. I thought I was depleted of tears, but they ran from my eyes nevertheless. "I can do this forever, you know." "Why do I always end this way?" "Why do the rivers run to the ocean?" "I can't do this anymore." "Are you ready to come with me?" "Yes I am." "Good. Unfortunately, you are already in hell. Let's go for one more round. See you soon." * - AI Generator: Midjourney - Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - Edition: 1/1 - Year: 2023 - Photographer: Victor Ribeiro - Dimensions (in pixels): 2000 × 3000