"I've got some bad news, darling..." the man whispered, his deep voice piercing the silence between us. "You're not going anywhere."
I sucked in a gulp of air, glancing at the entrance of the ballroom. The warm lighting was so close, but it was just out of my reach. The man gripped my shoulders tight, circling his fingers over my shoulder blades. He smirked, but I could only see half of his mouth twitch into a grin; he wore a mask that covered the left side of his face. "Come with me. Alright?"
I nodded immediately, relieved. He finally let me get off of the wall, and I stood shakily, wobbling for a moment. The man caught me before I fell, and to my surprise, hoisted me into his arms.
He carried me to the roof of the building where the ball was being held. I grimaced when I remembered what the ball was for; Summer, the conceited woman who performed in the same opera house as me, had gotten the lead role in our next performance. The ball was in her honor. I had been having a rather bad time, staying in the corner of the large room. And before I knew what was happening, this mysterious man had whisked me outside.
He placed me on my feet once we reached the roof. I steadied myself and watched as the man strode to the edge of the roof. He tapped his foot as he gazed at the city lights.
"...What is your name?" Though I wasn't expecting a straight answer, I spoke.
His foot froze. "Barrett – Wade Barrett."
I nodded. "That's a nice name," I commented, taking a step closer to him. His foot tapping resumed, and he sighed deeply.
"In sleep you sang to me, in dreams you came..."
I started when Wade began to sing. It was soft, but it was beautiful, and it captivated me. It took me a moment to recognize the song.
"That's... That's the lullaby my father used to sing to me. How would you know that?" Wade's voice slowly faded, and he turned around to send me a knowing smirk.
Slowly I began to fit the puzzle pieces together. "Are you... Are you the Phantom?" I remembered my father telling me about the Phantom's accident; that his face was forever scarred and he never showed it. My father had told me that the Phantom would be there when I began my work at the opera house, that he would teach me how to sing like no one ever had...
Wade simply nodded, turning back to the moonlight. I took long, heavy strides towards him and spun him around.
"If you're the Phantom, then you've been sent here by my father."
Wade laughed. "No, love – I'm here on my own accord. And I'm not going to teach you to sing, no... You already have the loveliest voice in the world. I'm going to make sure your superiors recognize your talent." I felt my face grow warm when he gave me a cocky, crooked grin.
"Well, since we have all this sorted out, may I please return to the ball? My partner is waiting for me." I was sure that Damien, an old friend of mine, was quite worried for me.
Wade grimaced. "If you must. But trust me, dear – you will visit me again very, very soon, and if you don't, well..."
"If I don't what?" I demanded. I was beginning to grow annoyed.
Wade suddenly trapped my lips in a short, delicate kiss. He whispered against my lips, giving me a message that sent chills down my spine.
"Then I'm afraid I'll have some bad news."
A/N: After endless scrolling through my favorite BNB blog, I wrote this. I think it came out pretty nice. There are probably more chapters to come. Thanks for reading!