Beneath The Mask Of Music

Prologue: 15 Years Earlier

1866
In the early hours of morning, a young man of 22 steps off a boat from Brighton. Originally, he was from London, travelling down to Paris to start his own life, away from his condescending mother and sisters. London traded him roughly, never allowing job opportunities or a way to live on his own. The man was worried he would never get anywhere in life, until he earned a one-way ticket on the Claudette in a poker game with a very lucky hand. As the ship traveled through the Seine towards Paris, he wondered what his new life would be like. He had very little money, hardly enough to live past a month in Paris, but he was confident that he could turn his life to success and earn his keep in Paris. Granted, he knew that his life would be hard before he even got into his career choice, being that music was not a high paying job, unless you were one of the greats who could make masterpieces without even trying. But he took his job on with a passion found only in people who truly love what they do.

When the ship docked in Paris, he stepped off the boat, excited and ready to being his new adventure. He took what very little belongings he had in his bag, and went on his merry way. There was nothing that could take the smile off his face that day, not even when the first three inns he went to had no room for him. He simply smiled, thanked them, and went towards the next one. When he finally found a suitable inn, he was just streets away from his dream job, a composer at the Opera Populaire. The young man knew it would take a lot to get there, even if he just had to play in the orchestra and not be recognized for his own talents. But that didnt stop him from admiring the view from his window that night, of all the smiling faces leaving the opera house, raving about the beautiful music and actors the show had to offer.

As the excitement from the opera house died down, so did the man's energy. He was extremely exhausted from the weeks of traveling, and his adrenaline from the excitement of Paris was finally running out. He finished unpacking his belongings, removed his suspender straps from his shoulders, and laid down to rest his weary head for the night.

Unbeknown to the young traveller, a woman had been watching him from the moment he stepped foot on the docks of Paris. She could see his determination to give his music to the world, and with her help, he would get it, no matter the circumstances, she would make sure of that.

*****

As silent as the woman could, she snuck into the inn, and past the innkeeper who made it a habit to keep the trickster of a woman out of his establishment. She made her way up to the young man's door, and knocked loud enough to wake only the traveller. He was startled by the knock on his door, and wondered who could be coming to his room at this time of night. He slowly rose from the bad, looked at the clock, and saw that it was exactly 3 in the morning, down to the second. The witching hour. The man had never been superstitious, but he did know of the horrors that the witching hour could bring. And as it seemed, there was one right outside his door.

The exhausted adventurer opened the door, still half-asleep, and ready to get his well-needed rest, but stopped suddenly with his hand on the doorknob of the open door, and felt captivated by the woman before him.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but see you rent out this room earlier. I was just wondering if you needed anything, or a nice visit from a woman on this cold night."

The man, seemingly escaping her trance like hold on him, shook his head to answer. He figured she was a woman of the night, and his deduction wasn't exactly far off, considering she had asked if he wanted the attention of a woman.

"No, thank you. I'm extremely tired, and I have a long day of looking for a job tomorrow. " The man started to close the door on her, ready to bundle and burrow his way back into bed.

"Oh but I could help with that... Thomas."

The second she said his name, his whole body froze. "How do you know my name?" He asked, frightened by the woman's knowledge of him.

"That doesn't matter," she started, "What matters is that I can help you get your dream job as a composer, a man who can create music to enchant and enthrall a crowd, practically with just the tip of a hat. I know you want this, Thomas. I've seen it in your soul. Open up to me, and accept my offer. A night with me, a deal made, and a promise from you, and you'll have your job set in stone. What do you say, will you accept, monsieur?"

This intrigued Thomas... Just spend a night with her, and he gets his dream? It all seemed to good to be true. "Really? Just tonight? What's your catch?"

The woman smirked and headed through his door, and straight for the window. She smirked down at the street, knowing he was in her trap, especially since he skipped over the deal she requested, as he seemed only focused on a night with her.

"No catch, Thomas. Just a night with a lonely enchantress, someone so much more than a woman of the night. Someone who can give you all your hearts desires."

Thomas was excited. He could get his life changed to perfection, and all he needed was a night with this seemingly perfect woman. "I accept. I'll spend a night with you, and get my dream." He put his hand out, ready for her to shake hands."Oh, come now Thomas, I need more than that to complete my offer. We start our night now." And with that she rushed towards him, grabbed him by the belt loops in the pants, and kissed his eith a ferocity that Thomas had never felt before. She put her hand on his right cheek, and brought him deeper to her.

Thomas felt her hands on him, one still on his pants and one on his cheek. He felt a burning sensation on his skin, almost like a scratch that had alcohol poured on it. He guessed that she had accidentally scraped his face with her nails, but didn't care to think to much of it in the moment. He grabbed both her hands, and led her towards the bed, never removing his lips from hers. The witch fell backwards onto his bed, pulling him down with her, and she smirked evilly as she opened her eyes and looked at his face. When their lips finally parted, Thomas looked at her with lust and desire in his eyes, breathing heavily. The witch flipped them over, so she was straddling him and said, "Before we continue Thomas, our bond is set. If you ever wish to break yourself from this curse, you must find true love. A person who will love you for you, not for your music. Until you find that person, you will stay like this forever, and stop aging to stay immortal. You cannot die at your own hand, and cannot ask for someone to kill you purposefully," and with those words he finally looked up at her confusion in his eyes, along with fead of what she meant, "But fear not, Thomas, because while you are cursed and have fallen into my trap, you will still be rewarded. Your music is now going to be good enough for that opera house. Write your heart and soul out Thomas, for having your heart out on your sleeves will make it easier to find love." And with that, she kissed him hard, bit his lip to draw blood, and drew back up, looking at him. "Goodbye, Thomas William Hiddleston. Until we meet again." And then she was gone. No trace of her ever existing. Thomas sat up from the bed in confusion and fear, looking around for the woman who disappeared from his room. He looked at the clock, seeing that throughout his whole endeavor with her, it was still exactly 3 in the morning. With the pain in his face growing sharper, he passed out, not knowing what awaited him the next day.