𝕸𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖐: 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕺𝖓𝖊

A Masquerade of Hearts I (ᴍᴀꜱQᴜᴇʀᴀᴅᴇ)

As the weeks passed, the excitement for the grand reopening of the Opera Populaire grew among the remaining performers and staff that started to arrive to the opera house as the break came to an end. Rumors of a masquerade ball filled the air, and everyone eagerly awaited their invitation. Océane, too, received a beautifully adorned letter, sealed with the official emblem of the Opera House. She couldn't contain her joy as she read the words written by the managers:

"𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔈𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔡 𝔓𝔢𝔯𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔢𝔯,

𝔚𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔦𝔫𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔒𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔞 𝔓𝔬𝔭𝔲𝔩𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔶 𝔱𝔬 𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔞 𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔵, 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔞 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔡𝔢 𝔟𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔳𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤. 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔡 𝔫𝔬𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔬𝔣 𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔴𝔢 𝔦𝔫𝔳𝔦𝔱𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔬 𝔧𝔬𝔦𝔫 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔟𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔬𝔣 𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔠𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢. 𝔈𝔞𝔠𝔥 𝔦𝔫𝔳𝔦𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔤𝔲𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔪𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔠𝔥𝔬𝔦𝔠𝔢, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔴𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔭𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢 𝔲𝔰 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢.  𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔦𝔯𝔢, 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔶 𝔞 𝔪𝔶𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔲𝔰 𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔨 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔲𝔢. 𝔚𝔢 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔣𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔡 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔲𝔯. 𝔚𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔟𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔫 𝔑𝔢𝔴 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯'𝔰 𝔈𝔳𝔢!

𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰 𝔖𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔶,

𝔐𝔬𝔫𝔰𝔦𝔢𝔲𝔯 𝔉𝔦𝔯𝔪𝔦𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔐𝔬𝔫𝔰𝔦𝔢𝔲𝔯 𝔄𝔫𝔡𝔯𝔢"

(Dear Esteemed Performer,

We are delighted to inform you that the Opera Populaire is ready to rise from its ashes like a phoenix, with a grand masquerade ball on the eve of its reopening. The esteemed nobility of Paris shall grace the event with their presence, and we invite you to join in this celebration of art and culture. Each invited guest is permitted to bring one companion of their choice, and we hope that you shall grace us with your presence.

The dress code for the event is formal attire, complemented by a mysterious mask that will grant you the allure of intrigue. We trust that you shall find the night filled with enchantment and grandeur. We will celebrate the reopening on New Year's Eve!

Yours Sincerely,

Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre)

Excitement and trepidation clashed within Océane as she held the invitation in her hands. A part of her desperately wanted to invite Erik as her companion for the masquerade, to show the world a different side of him, but another part of her hesitated, knowing how the legend of the Phantom loomed over him. Would it be wise to expose him to the judgmental eyes of society? Perhaps it would be better to spare him from further scrutiny.