Phantom of the Opera

The next day, with the first rays of light, Raoul and you settle into the train heading for Perros-Guirec. The rattling of the wheels on the rails reminds you of the days when your father and you wandered from one place to another, which makes you feel sorrowful. In contrast, Raoul remains as adventurous as usual. He spends the entire journey looking at the landscape with his monocular, and furthermore, his enthusiasm is contagious when he talks to you again about the golden beaches of the village. "____, look how beautiful the sun is right now!" he exclaims, leaning against the window. "Before we got on the train, it was still hidden behind the clouds, reluctant to show itself." ----- As you enter the silent cemetery, the sun casts its rays of light on the stairs covered by the first snowfall of winter. "My father once told me that as long as I was by his side, the weather would always be perfect," you say quietly, feeling a familiar warmth in your chest. "It seems your father already knew you would come to visit him," Raoul replies with an understanding smile. "Yes, I'm sure he did." You walk together to the gravestone. As you lay down the bouquet of flowers you carefully prepared, one of his favorite phrases echoes in your mind as if he were whispering it in your ear: "Never complain about the difficulties in your environment, for they can only make you stronger." You close your eyes for a moment, and it's as if you can see your father's kind face in front of you, caressing you with his hand. "Dad..." Your voice breaks despite your efforts to keep it steady. "I've been very busy lately, which is why I haven't come to see you in a long time. But I have some good news. I've been named prima donna of the opera. Soon, I'll be singing on stage at the Paris Opera. I imagine you're very happy for me, right?" Tears come to your eyes without permission. If only you could hear your father's praises again... But you know that's impossible. "Don't be sad, ____. Your father will always be very proud of you. You have fulfilled all his expectations." Raoul is half-crouched to one side of the headstone. You see he has a clump of grass in his hand that he just pulled out. Lifting his gaze, he gives you a smile so warm it almost manages to dispel your sorrow. He moves to the other end of the headstone to continue cleaning all the weeds that have accumulated on the sides with a care that moves you deeply. It's amazing how much his mere presence comforts you... But then you remember the anguished words of the Angel of Music, and a feeling of guilt makes you put up an invisible barrier between you. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to notice. "Thank you for accompanying me, Raoul." "____, don't be silly," he replies, brushing the dirt off his hands. "This is also the place where I grew up. I'm sure your father remembers me too. There's no one better than me to accompany you back to Perros-Guirec!" Just as you open your mouth to respond, a sinister crunch breaks the silence. A bush behind you shakes violently. As you turn around, a dark shadow slips quickly between the trees. "Who's there?" you ask, holding your breath. "Don't be afraid," Raoul immediately steps in front of you, with his fists clenched, "hide behind me." "The way that dark shadow moves seems very familiar to me. Could it be... the Phantom?" "What?" His brow furrows. "Why would the Phantom follow us to Perros-Guirec?" Raoul moves very slowly to the place where you heard the noise and pushes aside the branches that are blocking his view. "____, there's nothing here," he declares after a moment of tense inspection. "It must have been a wild cat, a squirrel, or some other animal." "Are you sure it was an animal?" you insist, a growing unease knotting your stomach. "I have a strange feeling..." "I don't think the Phantom would dare follow us in broad daylight," he assures you, returning to your side. "You should relax, don't worry about it. ____, I imagine we'll be staying here tomorrow too, right? We can visit Mrs. Valery or take a walk on the beach. We can also sit on the beach until sunset. I'm sure tomorrow's sun will be as beautiful as today's!" You can hear in his voice how much he misses the town and how excited he is to be back, but... "I'm sorry, Raoul," you interrupt gently. "But if I have time, I'd like to go pray for my father at the church. If you think that sounds boring, you don't have to come with me the whole time." "No. Of course I must accompany you!" he protests, gently taking you by the wrist. "If I'm not going to be by your side, there's no point in me having come with you. ____, when I saw you at the opera I thought you were putting too much pressure on yourself. If I asked you to let me come with you to the village, it's partly because I wanted to protect you, but also to be able to create a beautiful memory by your side..." The warmth of his hand spreads through your arm like a comforting current. His eyes, fixed on yours, reflect a sincerity that makes you shiver. Just then, you hear some sounds that are difficult to identify right behind you. "____, watch out!" A sudden and violent blizzard breaks out, lashing you with sharp branches and stones. The wind howls with a voice grotesquely reminiscent of human crying. Raoul wraps his arms around you, protecting you with his body until the mysterious gust subsides as abruptly as it began. "What's with that sudden gust of wind in the cemetery? There's no doubt it's..." "Phantom!" Raoul roars, releasing you and confronting the nothingness. "You are a coward! You only know how to hide in the shadows to scare us with your tricks! I don't care if it's you or not. But if you hurt ____, I'll finish you off!" His angry shouts echo among the gravestones, returning the cemetery to an even heavier silence. Finally, he turns to you, his expression full of concern. "____, it's not safe to be here. How about we go back to the hotel?" "Okay, okay," you agree, still trembling, "I'm going to gather my things a bit..." "Are you okay? Did that scare you? Damn it, I should have been alert when we heard the first noises in the trees." "No, Raoul, I'm fine. I just don't understand why he won't leave me alone..." Internally, you wonder if the cemetery will be safe at night, since it seems the Phantom has followed you here... Tonight, the Angel of Music is supposed to perform for you and your father. Will the Phantom be there too...? "____, what are you thinking about?" he asks, interrupting your spiral of worry. "Can I help you with anything?" "Raoul, I... I was thinking... what if we come back tomorrow morning? Your suggestions sound great, but..." "Of course, I understand your concern," he nods, his voice softening. "I'm not afraid of the Ghost, but I am afraid he might hurt you. Leave everything to me. As soon as I get back to the hotel, I'll arrange the return trip. But..." a shy smile appears on his lips, "if we have time tonight, would you like to take a little walk through the village with me? The church will be closed by then anyway." Raoul smiles warmly again. You can see that he is very serious about creating a beautiful memory with you. But you made a promise to the Angel of Music... "I'm sorry, Raoul," you whisper, avoiding his gaze, "I'd like to be alone tonight." He is so close to you that you can clearly see the smile fading from his eyes. So you quickly add: "But just tonight! Next time we come back, I'll go with you wherever you want to go!" "Really?" he asks, a glimmer of hope returning to his face. "Will you ask me to accompany you the next time you come? ____, if you lie to me, I'll be very sad." "Of course it's true! But promise me you won't come looking for me tonight, okay?" "All right", he concedes with a resigned sigh. "If you change your mind, don't hesitate to tell me.' "Okay, it's a deal!" ---- Midnight finds the sky studded with stars. A cold breeze caresses the clear night, and the cemetery, plunged into deep darkness, is much colder than during the day, so you have to put on something warmer. In the dead of night, you tiptoe into the cemetery, trying not to make any noise and praying that the Ghost isn't lurking. "Angel of Music..." You whisper his name as you kneel in front of your father's gravestone. But all you get in response is the wind. Could it be that you've come too early? You look around and, when you confirm that there is no danger nearby, you spread a blanket on the ground and sit down in front of your father's gravestone. "Dad", you begin in a low voice, "since Raoul came with me earlier, I couldn't tell you something. It's just that... The Angel of Music is with me. He doesn't appear every day, but when he comes, he teaches me new singing techniques. He has promised to perform for us tonight, and I can't wait. The only thing I don't know is when he will come..." Although you know that your father is watching over you from wherever he is, the loneliness and darkness of the cemetery fuel your fear. It seems that the gods have heard your concern, because the wind suddenly stops, plunging everything into an even deeper silence. And then, an elegant and melancholic sound breaks the stillness: a violin. The Angel of Music has kept his word. You remain motionless, absorbed in the beauty of the melody. The rhythm is intimately familiar to you, like a key that unlocks the door to a distant past. It is one of the pieces your father composed when he was still alive. The Angel knows everything about you. A wave of happy memories floods over you, and for a moment, you close your eyes and let yourself drift away, swimming in nostalgia. Among the notes of the violin, you think you hear a sigh... And just when you are most immersed in the music, an angry voice destroys the beautiful moment you were enjoying. "_____!" Raoul emerges from the shadows, and if it weren't for the moonlight illuminating his angry face, you would have run away in fright. "Raoul, is that you? What are you doing here?" "You ask me what I'm doing here?" His laugh is bitter. "The truth is, I shouldn't be following you around secretly because I'm worried about you, just as I shouldn't be stopping you from looking for love." Raoul looks down. He seems very sad, but his words seem laden with irony. "What are you saying? Do you think I went out alone to have a date with someone?" "Isn't that right?" he bursts out, clenching his fists. "You told me you wanted to be alone. You even made me that ridiculous promise. In reality, it was nothing more than an excuse. What you wanted was to get me away from you! How foolish and naive I am! I offered to come with you with the best of intentions to visit your father, but I didn't know I wasn't the companion you wanted to have." You don't understand Raoul's reproach, and you're also angry because he hasn't kept your promise. "Raoul, you're crossing the line! You're the one who broke our promise! You were chasing me like I was a thief, I don't think you have the right to reproach me for anything!" "If I hadn't chased you, how would I have found out about this? How long did you plan to lie to me? But anyway, none of that matters, ____. Where is your lover? Why isn't he coming out?" "I told you I don't have a lover!" "Stop lying to me, ____!" he shouts, desperate. "You looked so happy listening to him play the violin. But you just want to push me away. Why doesn't he come out? Does he have something to hide? Coward!" He starts searching the cemetery like a madman, pushing aside bushes and looking behind gravestones. It is, of course, a futile search. "There's no one here, stop this nonsense!" "Impossible. I heard the sound of a violin perfectly clearly. What's more, I also heard you call him before he started playing. What a sweet voice you used to call him..." His expression twists in pain. "My God, is he a coward?! Why doesn't he show himself? ____, you can use implausible excuses for him, but he doesn't even dare to come out so I can see him!" "Raoul, you're not going to believe me no matter what I say, are you? I haven't met up with any lover, why don't you trust me?" You get the feeling that Raoul could lose control at any moment. You can't explain everything that happened, but you feel very sorry that the Angel of Music is being insulted so much for no reason. "Raoul, I have my own secrets, you can't force me to tell you everything!" "I understand! I understand!" His voice is a heart-rending cry. "You prefer someone who can be with you on stage to me. He's very different from me. He plays the violin very well, so he's the perfect accompanist for you to sing. On the other hand, I can only serve as your audience. You don't need me anymore. Or maybe you never needed me. I'm nobody to ask you for anything. Goodbye, ____. Don't come back too late. I won't bother you anymore." "Raoul!" Raoul ignores you calling him, turns around, and walks away angrily. He has single-handedly ended the first argument you've had since you met. You try to calm down, but you can't stop your eyes from filling with tears. "Angel of Music, are you still there?" Silence has fallen over the place. You shake your head sadly, thinking that the Angel of Music must have left as soon as Raoul appeared. After all, he had asked you to come here alone. When you return to the opera, you will explain everything that happened tonight... As you sink into anguish over what has happened, a terrifying thought flashes through your mind: Raoul also heard the Angel of Music! If it is an angel that belongs only to you, Raoul should not be able to hear it. On the other hand, the Angel of Music only appears when you are alone... could it be that...? You shake your head violently, trying to dispel the horrible suspicion that has just sprouted inside you. The Angel of Music... your Angel, the one who guides you with infinite patience... how can you even think of connecting him with the sinister Phantom?