The Phantom Ascending |✔| [Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction]

Yesterday's Melodies

Upon waking up, the power of yesterday's memories slammed into me with full force.

I hurried to get ready for breakfast, eager to meet Erik,  because the only way to deal with this uncomfortable situation was to face it head on.

I behaved so wanton yesterday. It was clear in my mind now: as much as I might reason against it, I was madly drawn to him. His face and even his broken mind were irrelevant, when everything else about him was so magnetic and even beautiful in its vulnerability.

The memory still reverberated through me, and I shook it off to keep my composure before I reach the dining room. And then I realized: he wouldn't be there. I've been absent from home for so long that I forgot how things worked here. The housekeeper and the maids would be here now, cooking and cleaning and washing, and Erik would hide.

After I finished breakfast, my courage to face Erik faded, and I took the coward's way out, leaving for La Fenice while the servants were still present. As I expected, he didn't risk seeking me out.

It was nice, walking down Venice streets in the weather that hinted at early arrival of spring. And once I was at La Fenice, it warmed my heart to be there after weeks of absence.

"Christina! Welcome back," Enrico winked at me in his usual flamboyant manner.

I stopped to chat with him and several others who were happy to see that I got better. And finally, miss Lavizzi reached me too, all worried and thrilled.

"Miss Daae, you're back!" she embraced me. "I was so sorry to hear what happened. I guess it is the price of fame!"

"What is?"

"The mad admirers! They say one of them dragged you off the masquerade, posing as a servant, and then your lover got into a fight with him and you fell into a canal! Isn't it so? They say Signor Dessler was quite dashing in rescuing you," she added with a smile.

"People say the most extraordinary things," I murmured, and then forced a smile, "You should only believe a half of that story, but I'm not saying which half."

"You tease! Well go on then, I'm off to practice with Enrico. We're doing Mia Donna tomorrow!"

It was a small operetta of little renown, but with a witty, satirical libretto which made it popular. Mia Donna was a good fit for Miss Lavizzi, since it wasn't very demanding vocally. The tenor actually had a more challenging role. In any case, I hoped the operetta will keep the girl occupied enough to stop worrying about my affairs.

Soon I was sitting opposite Manelli, in his comfortable, chaotic office.

"Thank you for everything, my dear Cesare. Your wife practically nursed me back to health herself."

"Don't mention it, my dear. After all, she was just protecting my business interests," he joked.

I smiled.

"So, now what? I began reading the new score. When are you planning on starting with the rehearsals?"

"My dear miss Daae, we must speak of something else soon," he said with uncharacteristic seriousness.

"Yes?"

"I said nothing before, not to upset you while you were ill. A week ago, this was delivered to me," he pulled out a package and unwrapped the paper.

"The slightly scorched, but still readable and mostly preserved copy of the score to Don Juan Triumphant."

I paled and clutched the armrest.

"The package included a decent sum of money and a note that a lot more is to come if I set up a production of this."

"You can't. I mean, you can, but you can't make me sing in it," I whispered.