Phantom of the Opera

As you waver between anxiety and anticipation, New Year's Eve arrives almost without you noticing. You've barely had time to prepare. After the last incident, a strange silence fell over the opera. There were no more apparitions, no roses, no voices from the shadows. Perhaps the phantom has grown tired of his games. Maybe, just maybe, you can keep your promise to Raoul without fear. --- The day has finally arrived, the masked ball is about to begin. You have to change your clothes quickly, as you have waited until the last moment to make the ghost believe that you won't go in case he was watching. Now you must hurry, they are waiting for you! ---- Music begins to play, and the ball commences. The girls' dresses flutter in the wind with radiant joy, silk and velvet gowns twirling under the light of the chandeliers. The boys, for their part, bow and invite their partners to dance. There is almost no trace of the terror provoked by the Phantom, everything is colors, laughter and elegant masks. You enter the ballroom holding the folds of your dress, feeling a little lost in the crowd. "Hello, beautiful." A familiar voice makes you turn. "May I have this dance?" The man speaking to you wears a silver mask. His face wears a broad smile and his hair, blond, dazzles under the lamplight. He may have tried hard to alter his appearance, but he hasn't managed to fool you. You're absolutely sure it's Raoul. "To tell you the truth, from the first moment you entered the room, I couldn't help but notice you." Seeing him so serious and absorbed in his role, you feel the urge to tease him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I already have a dance partner. We have many lovely ladies with us today and they are in high spirits. Perhaps you could ask one of them?" "But the others don't interest me at all." He replies, his tone so serious that it almost makes you hesitate. "Then you have a problem, because the first dance tonight is reserved for my partner. Perhaps if you could wait a little..." "And has your partner arrived yet?" he asks, with a hint of anxiety in his voice. "Yes, he has arrived. It's just that..." Before you can finish, Raoul quickly takes a step forward. He seems unable to believe what you're telling him. Seeing him like this, you almost laugh. "It's a bit strange," you continue, looking at his mask. "For some reason, he's hiding behind a mask while asking me to grant him my first dance. Do you think I should accept his invitation?" Raoul stands still for a few seconds, then, with a sudden movement, he removes his mask. He looks very embarrassed, his cheeks flushed. He is not able to understand how you could have recognized him. "... ____, since when did you know it was me?" "From the very first moment you approached me and spoke." "I might be a bit disoriented in this... sea of etiquette," he says, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I'm not used to these kinds of events. Although I prepared for days, it seems I'm incapable of keeping up with Paris's ever-changing fashion... ____, what do you think? Is my outfit outdated?" "Not at all! That's not why I recognized you so quickly!" you say, laughing. "Then why?" "Raoul, don't you know how easy it is to recognize you with that blond hair of yours?" "I see..." he smiles, relieved. "In that case... ___, would you be willing to forgive my clumsiness and grant me the first dance tonight?" "Of course I will!" "I'm honored." Music and a shimmering light floods the entire room, on the dance floor, everyone wiggles as if part of a dream. The music envelops you, his hands find your waist; yours rest on his shoulders. The world is reduced to this instant. "To tell you the truth, this is my first time dancing with a partner," you confess, looking at your feet. "I'm still not very familiar with some of the steps." "Is this your first time dancing? I hadn't noticed anything." He whispers, leaning closer. "Believe me, you look very relaxed. All those gentlemen are looking at you, you seem to be getting a lot of attention. Even I'm starting to feel jealous." "Raoul, don't make fun of me... Oh no, did I step on your foot again?" He turns gently, bringing his mouth close to your ear to patiently and tenderly explain how to correct your steps. Thanks to his guidance, you manage to dance fluidly, and you move in unison as if you've always danced together. You manage to dance the piece to the end without any further mistakes,even though you've never practiced with a partner before. "Thank goodness I didn't mess up!" you exclaim as the piece ends. "Since you have a willing partner," he says with a smile, "why not practice a bit more tonight?" "I'd love to!" However, before the next dance can begin, a discordant sound thunders from the piano. The notes clash against each other, creating a chaotic, grotesque melody. The ballroom falls silent for a moment, and then a murmur begins to fill the room. "Who's that?" someone mutters. "How could he have appeared there in the middle without anyone noticing?" "How strange! Look at his gaze, it's as if he wants to devour someone!" Acting on instinct, the guests step back to keep their distance, as if they were facing a terrifying monster. You and Raoul look in the direction where the guests' murmurs are directed. The mysterious man is wearing a mask that covers only half of his face. He wears a black tunic over half of his body and... a scarlet rose on his chest! "It's... the Phantom!" The word escapes your lips before you can stop it. Why is he appearing in front of everyone drawing so much attention? What does he intend? You can't help but exclaim out loud, so that everyone hears you. Your voice spreads like a contagious disease, and then panic breaks out like wildfire. "It's the Phantom! He's come to take our lives!" Meg screams. "My God! Please, don't let it be true!" Carlotta faints in tears. Shouts of alarm ring out from all sides and you crash into one of the people trying to flee. Lucky Raoul reacts quickly and holds you down. "Careful!" For some reason, a sudden chill runs through you, and unconsciously, you separate from Raoul and look in the direction where the Phantom stands. He is watching you intently and,from time to time, directs a scornful gaze toward Raoul. His eyes overflow with resentment and a pure, visceral hatred. "____, are you sure that man is really the Phantom?" "I'm sure..." "Fire!" someone shouts. "The Phantom has started a fire!" Suffocating smoke spreads throughout the room. At some point, chandeliers have fallen to the floor, and the velvet curtains near Raoul are burning. Seeing the fire getting closer to you,Raoul, with a grave expression, steps back, shielding you with his body. The flames writhe,clinging to everything they can devour. "What are you all doing standing there? Put out the fire!" the director shouts, giving orders to the staff. Then, you notice that in the midst of the panic, and without anyone noticing, the Phantom has disappeared! "The Phantom went that way! This time I can't let him escape!" Raoul shouts over the tumult. "____, find a safe place to hide. I'll go after him!" As soon as he finishes speaking, Raoul leaves without a second thought. He doesn't even give you time to try and stop him. Then, you realize the Phantom must surely have Raoul as his target, you can't let him risk his life! You run out through the ballroom,but when you reach the hallway, there is no trace of either of them. To the left is the stage, and down the stairs, the backstage area. Where could they have gone? You finally conclude that since everyone is in the ballroom,the stage must be empty, so perhaps they are there. There's not a soul, and it's pitch dark. It doesn't seem like anyone has been through here. It seems you're looking in the wrong place. You plead into the void that Raoul won't get hurt. "____..." From nowhere, an unsettling, mournful humming emerges, taking hold of the vast opera house. You sharpen your hearing and try to listen to what it is saying carefully. It seems to be... Is it pronouncing your name? It becomes clearer and clearer.The voice stops calling you, and the rhythm, out of sync, seems to imitate a mournful lament. The melody grows clearer. Now it's a sad song, a story of unrequited love whispered directly into your soul. "Warm light, grant me your mercy. I'd be willing to let you burn me as long as your gaze would be fixed on me..." "Who is it? Who is singing?" you ask into the void. You search all over the stage and the seating area, but you cannot find where the singing is coming from. You wonder if it's the Angel of Music? But he wouldn't ignore your call. You also can't imagine him singing such a sad song either. What if it's the Phantom? But the voice is so beautiful it could captivate anyone... Could the terrifying Phantom sing that well? Can a creature so dark have feelings? In an instant,all sorts of ideas flood your mind. You are utterly confused. And suddenly, the song stops. Just at that moment, hurried footsteps break the silence. "____!" Raoul appears, panting. "I've looked everywhere for you. The staff managed to put out the flames in the ballroom. What are you doing here?" "Raoul, you went off by yourself after the Phantom, I was really worried and that's why I went looking for you. So... did you get to see which way he went?" "No." "It's as if he vanished into thin air. How strange... Oh, by the way, did you hear that song when you came in?" Raoul hesitantly shakes his head. You tell him what just happened, but he is unable to make sense of it. "Could it be that someone disguised themselves as the Phantom, or could ghosts actually be real?" "I wouldn't know. In my travels, I've seen people with all sorts of strange abilities. There are people who are very skilled at setting traps and others who are experts at magic tricks. But the truth is, I can't find a reasonable explanation for what the Phantom has done." You can't get any useful clues, so you have no choice but to return home empty-handed. The days following the incident were unusually calm at the opera. But who knows what kind of storm might be brewing behind this calm?