The Phantom of the Opera (Cherik X Reader)

Chapter One: Introductions

1870
Narrator's POV:

Outside the grand Opera Populair, a young girl with a bag, covered in dirt walked taking in the beauty of the theatre. Her name is (Y/N) (L/N). She was sent there by the Comte de Chagny, the theatres' patron, to have singing lessons. (Y/N) gladly took up the offer unaware as to what was happening inside. Inside a Spanish gentleman named Choleti just bought the theatre off of the recent manager, Gerard Carriere. Now that Gerard was no longer running the place, Choleti would now replace the current stars with his wife, Carlotta. A horrible singer and the biggest diva you'll ever meet. Like Gerard, everyone was upset about all this but there was nothing they could do about it. Back outside, (Y/N) found someone working at the theatre and approached him.

"Pardon me, Monsieur. Um... I'm supposed to see Monsieur Gerard Carriere. I believe he's the manager here. The Comte de Chagny who sent me said Monsieur Carriere could arrange for me to have singing lessons."

"Monsieur Carriere has just been dismissed," the man told her before walking away leaving a sad and confused (Y/N).

Unsure of what to do, (Y/N) sat down and rested after her long walk to the theatre. A few women approached her.

"Dear, we're curious, where did the Comte de Chagny find you?" One of the women asked.

"Um, at a country fair," (Y/N) replied.

"He's branching out," one of them said, giggling.

"I think he was on his way to his chateau," (Y/N) told them.

"And thought you had nice legs?" Another asked.

"No, he heard me singing a folk song."

"Oh, and thought you had a nice voice?"

"Yes."

"And asked if you'd like lessons?"

"Are all of you his friends?" (Y/N) asked changing the subject.

They all giggled and opened up lockets showing the Comte de Chagny. (Y/N) definitely wasn't the first person to know him.

"Was that the first time you met the Comte?" The first woman asked breaking (Y/N) from her trance.

"No. I mean, yes!" (Y/N) corrected, "yes, it was the first time."

The women looked at her curiously. (Y/N) had met the Comte before But that was a long time ago. Back in the theatre, Carlotta's costume man was hesitating. Carlotta ordered him to go down below to find costumes and sets but he was told by a stagehand not to go down there. Carlotta being Carlotta didn't care and forced him down anyway. Joseph Bouquet was very scared as he travelled down. Back outside, (Y/N) walked around disappointed that she couldn't get singing lessons as promised when the worker from earlier knocked on the glass if his workspace gaining the young girls' attention.

"Maybe the new manager will help you but I can't promise you anything."

Back with Joseph, he wandered around seeing no costumes or sets just darkness with little hints of light shining through cracks of the wooden floorboards. As he wandered, wooden cogs moved on their own scaring Joseph slightly. Above he saw a figure moving in a cape. It turned around revealing itself to be a skeleton of sorts scaring Joseph who fell down a trap door never to be seen again.

On stage stood Choleti, Carlotta and Gerard as everyone, including (Y/N) and the worker, sat in the audience. Gerard announced that he was retiring and he was handing the opera to Choleti and Carlotta who would be the new star. Everyone was hesitant to clap for them but Gerard encouraged it so they did. Above the stage, a masked man in a cape watched over all of them before dropping a note as Choleti began his speech. Gerard caught the note and read it as everyone mumbled about a phantom.