The Man Clad in Black (Phantom of the Opera)

Revivals - Chapter 34

Upon first making your way inside, you could hardly tell that any damage had been done, the only visible casualties of the theater being the stage, ceiling, and chandelier. There were already workers beginning to move what was left of the chandelier, and while a few people stopped by to stare at what had happened, you were there to (at least, you assumed to) get back into the habit of things... you would probably be able to stay in the opera house for generally long enough.

"[Y/N]?" a voice asked. You jumped a little, but as you turned around, you let outa sigh of relief you saw Madame Giry. Goodness, people needed to learn to stop sneaking up on you.

"Yes?" you answered.

"Come with me," she said with a slight nod. "Meg has told me that you are going to become one of the performers now. Therefore, you must live like it, no?"

You weren't going to complain or anything of the such, as that lingering fear of Madame Giry whacking you with her cane kept you on edge, although you were still quite confused... you said you would think about the offer - not immediately take her up on it.

As she began to lead you away, however, you began to ache with curiosity and you immediately asked about it.

"Madame, I don't know if I'm performing yet..." you said softly, making sure that no one else was around to hear what you had said, although Madame Giry kept on walking as she continued to drag you along.

"Nonsense," she said, pausing to unlock a door.

Goodness... she was letting you sleep in the Prima Donna's room? Oh dear. The gravity of the situation finally seemed to hit you... hard. You could barely get yourself under control. God, what were they thinking? Were you replacing Christine?

"Madame, this is all too much," you said. Madame Giry ignored you as she pushed the door open... You thought your old room was beautiful? That was nothing compared to what this was... Pink flowers lined all of the walls, and there was an enormous mirror that hung in the center of the wall furthest away from you. All of your dresses, bags, and other belongings were neatly laid out, and it seemed that they had even moved your bed into the room.

Goodness, they were desperate.

"Madame Giry, I can't - "

She finally seemed to get fed up with all of your commentary. She sent you a stern look that made you melt inside - and not in a good way. You thought you were going to explode with how terrifying her look was... However, it softened after a moment or two, and she held both of your hands in hers.

"[Y/N], please... For all of our sakes," she said, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "The opera ghost and I spoke about this - he said he would be quite happy if you were to take this position, and he would be more than willing to teach you."

You opened your mouth to say something else, but she was quick to shake her head.

"I know you may need a lot of time to think," she said softly. "But you have good judgment - I trust that you will do the right thing."

She quickly began to head toward the door again, and while you would normally be alright with her leaving, you had one final quotation that seemed to burn you from the inside out.

"Madame?" you asked. She paused and glanced over her shoulder, clearly awaiting whatever else you had to say. "How did you find me?"

You noticed her smile a little to herself.

"I have my ways," she said with a smirk, although she chuckled a little before shaking her head. "I'm only kidding - Monsieur André received a telegram from his son that said you were with him, just in case any of us needs to contact you."

You gave a slight nod and smiled. That made so much more sense.

"Thank you," you replied with a smile...

And with that, she was gone all over again. You were left alone in your... Well, the prima donna's room. It was a little unusual. For such a lovely room, you couldn't have felt more lonely...

At least, for just a moment.

When you decided to make this place a little more comfortable - for your sake - you couldn't help but let out a gasp when you felt a pair of arms wrap around you from behind.

The touch told you enough.

Erik's hands were quick to rest on top of yours, and due to the fact that he had pulled you close enough to press against him, you already knew who it was. You simply stood in his embrace for a few moments. You relaxed with his touch. This was exactly what you had been longing for over the last several months - you were so hopelessly in love, and it felt so unbelievably wonderful for him to return your same feelings.

"I missed you," Erik whispered. His voice gave you goosebumps - probably just because he was so close to you at the moment - but you still couldn't help but give a slight chuckle.

"It hasn't even been an hour yet," you said softly with a small smile. "You're so impatient."

"You give me all the reason to be," he muttered. "With so many people around, it's hard to tell when we'll be alone again..."

Knock knock.

Speak of the devil...

"Miss [Y/N]?" a gentle voice called from behind the door. Erik's grip on you immediately tightened. "Someone sent you a letter!"

"Erik..." you muttered. "It'll be just a second."

There was a moment of hesitation, and reluctantly, Erik's arms unwrapped from around you...

"Thank you," you whispered. You quickly made your way over to the door, trusting that Erik would find a way to get out if necessary.

As you opened up a door, a little ballerina - probably not a day over thirteen - held out an envelope.

"This is for you," she squeaked. You smiled and gave her a kind 'thank you,' and immediately afterward, she scurried off again.

As you closed the door behind you, you stared at the envelope, then deciding to carefully open it up...

The letter inside was quite simple. It didn't seem to be too long, and it was written quite nearly - you didn't even have to read through its entirety to know that...

However, you immediately paused as you read the signature at the bottom.

Christine Daaé.

A/N: Dun dun dunnn! Haha, sorry for such a late update! I have summer classes still, and I have a huge project due for tomorrow (guess who procrastinated?)... Whoops! Anyway, should I make this a series? This book is getting a little long... Hmm. What do you think?