Mon Espion || Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 36 - Mirrors

It was not long before both Constance and Raoul felt themselves landing on the ground below them. The trap door now closed above, leaving little light to see their surroundings. Constance coughed from the feeling of her lungs being filled from dust as she slowly leaned her torso up, trying to feel for any injuries on her body. She then slowly swung her legs and realized she miraculously had no broken bones, perhaps bruising and bleeding but nothing broken. She continued to cough, feigning the pain that formed in her left arm as she squinted her eyes in the darkness. With the faint light she saw Raoul had landed perfectly on his feet and was looking around the room to which they had fallen into.

"Are you mad?" Constance asked once she was done coughing, standing up slowly in the foreign room, "Why did you drag me with you?"

Raoul's only reply was shushing her as he continued feeling his hands around the walls of the room. She grew impatient with his methods and carefully walked to the edge of the other side, feeling the walls to see if there was some way to venture to. Both of them were silent as they felt on the walls, which were smooth in comparison to the stone walls she was used to down here, not that she would tell Raoul she frequented the catacombs.

Suddenly more light emitted from within the room but not enough to fully understand their surroundings. Taunting laughter suddenly filled the room as it seemingly bounced off the smooth walls surrounding them. Raoul drew his sword out almost instantly, preparing to fight the owner of the haunting voice. She knew better however and continued to search for an exit. She bit her lip in anticipation, there had to be a way out. It was unlike Erik to not have a secret way out at the very least, he is a lover of trap doors after all. She then bent down and began feeling the dirt for some sort of lever or even a crack, any hint that would help them escape the room that was beginning to grow warm.

Raoul continued swinging his sword in the empty air before him, whether he hit or missed his target she was unsure. Suddenly she heard his sword collide with a foreign object that shattered around him. Constance paused in her search, noticing the sound was eerily similar to glass. The light now began to shine brighter, causing the heat of the room to rise as their surroundings now had become clear. They weren't surrounded by any normal wall, they were all mirrors reflecting the confused expression of the Vicomte and the now terrified ones of Constance. She heard of this room and thought it had only been legend; how wrong she had been. The tree in the middle of the room now came into view, holding nothing on it's vibrant leaves and branches apart from a single noose. There was no breeze in the room they stood and yet the noose swung before Raoul, seemingly taunting the man as Raoul swung his sword before the object. He missed, the sweat on his determined brow falling between his eyes as he tried once more and failed. The laugh grew louder around them, drowning them in torment as Constance's fears were confirmed; they had fallen into the Phantom's torture chamber.

She knew the Phantom had fallen into this room before them and was now out of the room himself. There had to be a way out of the room and it couldn't have been by the mirrors for it would reflect the heat that was now only growing hotter. Her red and gold dress was now clinging onto her petite frame as she continued searching the dirt below her, ignoring Raoul's cries of frustration and the Phantom's laugh. They both seemed to be ignoring Constance's actions as she frantically searched with her hands, her dress now covered in the dirt due to her efforts. Suddenly Red Death's mask was now on every mirror, taunting Raoul only further as he began swinging his sword in various directions. Constance did not allow herself to be fooled by his tricks however and concentrated on finding an escape. The room continued growing hotter, sweat now pouring from her face as she grew thirsty. She knew this was a bad sign and that they both could suffer from heat exhaustion or worse, whatever else the Phantom had planned. She continued crawling around on the floor, keeping her knees within the comfort of her dress, as the dirt she was searching was growing hotter. Her mind was racing with thoughts of escape or any clues that Erik could have given her as she frantically felt the floor.