Author's notes: THIS CHAPTER WAS SUCH A PAIN TO WRITE, OH MY GOD. I really struggled with conveying the kind of atmosphere I wanted to portray, for starters; then, once I had it more-or-less written, the V route dropped and added new information I had to include in the story! Still, I think it turned out alright, though I'm willing to accept constructive criticism.

Notes:

*In my first drafts, V's mom was actually his sister and their backstory would've included the both of them being neglected by their parents. However, I had to change it when V's route came out. HE INHERITED HIS ANGEL GENES FROM HIS MOTHER. D':

* V and his mom have a slightly different relationship here then they did in canon. Most notably, in this story, V's mom didn't lose her hearing until V was older, so she had a pretty good relationship with her son up until then (TBH, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the revelation that V was such a douche when he was younger. When Jumin Han tells you, "Hey, you're kinda being a jerk right now," you know you've done goofed).

* I have no idea when the next chapter will come out. I have some of it done, but I still need to write the ending.


Sing once again with me, our strange duet…

my power over you grows stronger yet.

And though you turn from me to glance behind,

The Phantom of the Opera is there

inside your mind…


"Mama! Mama! Tell me a story!"

With a laugh, Jihyun's mother sat next to her son's bed. "Ah, are you sure? You've been listening to me talk for the past hour… won't you get tired of my voice?"

"Nope!" Jihyun shook his head, a cheerful smile on his face. "Nuh-uh, because mama has the best voice in the world!"

"Haha… thank you, Jihyun. That's very sweet of you to say. Alright, I suppose I can do one more."

"Yay! And I get to pick the story, right?"

"Of course, my darling." His mother smiled, willing to do anything that would help entertain her eager son. "What story do you want to hear?"

"Hmmm…" Jihyun thought for a second, scrunching up his face before clapping his small hands with glee. "Tell me about the angel of music! Tell me about the angel of music!"

"Haha, again?"

"Yes, again! It's my favorite!"

"Alright, dear Jihyun. If you insist…"


When V entered the mirror, he was transported into a world of darkness.

Blinking in confusion, he glanced around, trying to discern his surroundings; however, the shadows around him were too thick for his vision to pierce through, coating the entire area like paint. He started to panic. Where was he? Why was he in this void? Where was his angel? Was she actually a demon sent to drag him to hell? Was he in hell already?

All of a sudden, there was a sound of a match being lit, and the resultant flame silenced his train of thought. He watched it bob in the air before it was used to light a candle, illuminating the face of his angel like a ray of sunshine. She smiled sweetly and took his hand as she began to walk, and feeling rather like a small child, V followed obediently.

"You are in the catacombs underneath the opera house, my sun," She said, her voice just as beautiful as it was in the mirror. "Don't worry—you shan't get lost. I'll be right here, my angel."
V nodded, relieved that he wasn't alone. He briefly wondered why the angel chose to dwell in the shadows, but he dared not question her.

He couldn't risk the angel's wrath again.

They walked for quite some time, the flickering flame from the candle serving as their only source of light. With it, V was just barely able to see the grey stones that created the floor and walls of the tunnel—not quite as dark as the shadows themselves, but close enough for them to blend together if V unfocused his vision. As they continued to trek deeper into the belly of the caves, the air steadily grew colder, heavy with a dampness one would experience on a rainy day, chilling V to the bone. Unconsciously, he pressed closer to the angel, shivering as she led him through the maze-like tunnels.

Their footsteps rang against the stone ground. The sound of dripping water met V's ears, but it was too late to warn him as he stepped into a puddle. V yelped and snatched his foot out of the freezing-cold water, his teeth chattering.

How did the angel live like this?

Still, V didn't say a word of complaint. The angel's grip on his hand remained strong as they continued to go down, down, down into the gaping maw of the catacombs.

Carefully, they made their way down a stone staircase, the angel doing her best to shine the candlelight on the steps. Halfway through the climb down, V noticed the two torches that stood at the foot of the staircase; when they drew closer, the dancing flames revealed that they were approaching yet another segment of the catacombs.

V's limbs ached when he and the angel finally reached the bottom step. He forced himself to stifle any noises of displeasure, which became much easier to do once he noticed where they were standing.

V blinked once, then twice.

A… lake?

Indeed, the angel had led him to an underground lake, though V was hesitant to say it was filled with water; despite the torches' valiant efforts to shed light through the darkness, the liquid still bore a resemblance to black ink. A small boat was tied to a metal fixture on the ground, bobbing up and down as it waited for its passengers.

The angel gracefully hopped inside the boat, much like how a fairy would. V followed her lead, his awkward and cautious movements making her giggle. Gingerly, he sat on one of the benches, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Should he offer to row the boat, or…?

He didn't have to wonder for much longer—the boat lurched forward on its own, gliding across the water effortlessly. V yelped in shock.

"M-magic…?" He whispered.

The angel laughed. "Yes, my angel! Powered by the strongest magic of all—the magic of music!"

V laughed quietly, but in truth, he couldn't help but feel a little out of his element-how does an ordinary man speak to such a divine creature?


"... and sometimes, if the angel of music takes a fancy to a person, she will follow them for life. She will teach them how to make the most beautiful music in the world: she'll teach singers to sing like a nightingale, she'll inspire pianists to play their music day and night, and she'll guide a violinist's bow over the strings sweetly."

"Ohh! Ohhhh!" Jihyun gasped, bouncing up and down on his bed. "Did the angel of music visit you, mama? Is that how you're so good at the violin?"

"Haha, no, darling." His mother ruffled his hair, her eyes glinting in amusement. "The angel of music only appears to a select few people; alas, I am not one of those fortunate few."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Jihyun's mint-green eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. "B-but you're so good at it, mama!"

"Oh, you charmer!" His mother laughed and shook her head. "Ah, but if you really must know… when I'm onstage, I often feel like there's someone watching me from the heavens…"


Neither of them spoke for the rest of the boat ride, so V spent most of the voyage surveying the darkness around him. He couldn't explain what, exactly, he was looking for; perhaps he wanted to see how the angel lived, as if seeing her lair would unravel all the mysteries surrounding her. It didn't work—no matter how diligently he searched, he saw nothing but the darkness and gloom above them, swallowing them whole.

Occasionally, he caught the angel staring at him. For whatever reason, her gaze made V feel uncomfortable—she looked at him like he was the divine creature, not her, something that V wasn't used to. Yes, he liked to believe he was a respected member of society, but nobody ever looked at him with such… devotion.

The closest he ever got to that was with Jumin and his mother…


"What does she look like, mama?"

"Hmmm… what do you think she looks like?"

"Hey, that's cheating! But… ummm… I think she'd be really, really pretty! Like the angels in the church Monsieur Han took me to that one time!"

"Oh? Well, if that's what you think… than she looks exactly like those angels!"

"What?! No way!"

"Yes! The angel can make herself look like whatever you want!"

"Oooooh! So can she have blue hair like we do?"

"Haha! If that's what you want, little Jihyun, then yes!"


Finally, after what felt like hours, the boat bumped against a dock. The angel pulled out a piece of rope from the bottom of the boat, which she used to attach the boat to one of the pillars. In a manner that suggested she did so many times before, she hoisted herself out of the boat and held her hand out to V.

V accepted her help and took her hand. The angel pulled him out with a surprising amount of ease, as if he was merely a bag of feathers and not a full-grown man. V's feet landed on the dock, the wood groaning in protest at the added weight.

The angel didn't release his hand; instead, she led him off the dock and into yet another cave, though this journey was thankfully shorter than the first one. In almost no time at all, they reached the iron-barred gates that guarded their destination.

The angel gave him a knowing smile as they stepped foot into her sanctuary, the gate creaking shut behind them.


Candelabras surrounded the angel's organ, their candles bringing V some much-needed relief. Nevertheless, he squeezed his eyes shut, still needing a brief moment of re-adjustment.

Once he opened his eyes, he glanced around the angel's sanctuary. The glow from the candlelight danced across the stone walls to reveal the tapestries adorning them, the white fabric depicting the sun over a field of flowers. His gaze scanned over the furniture—two armchairs and a couch—and saw that they, too, were also made with white fabric, as well as the rug on the ground. The rug, on the other hand, had a green eye embroidered in the middle, and V couldn't help but feel exposed under its gaze.

From behind him, there was a pleased hum. A pair of arms wound around his waist, hugging him tightly, and he yelped in surprise.

Giggling, the angel gave him one final squeeze before she released him. She moved towards the organ and sat down on the bench in front of the keys.

"Do you know why you're here, my angel?" Her tone was light, but the question itself certainly wasn't. V hesitated before shaking his head.

Fortunately, it seemed like the angel expected that response, as she merely gave him a bright smile.

"Since I first saw your face, I knew you were capable of creating the sweetest music the world has ever heard. Even before your mother sent me down from the heavens to tutor you…"

V flinched at the mention of his mother. The angel didn't seem to notice his reaction.

"... I knew that you possessed a bright soul—it's a beaming light that shines on whatever you create, something that leaves a residue on whoever you speak to. I may have said this once before, but I'll say it again—you are dazzling. Every time I hear you sing, I think there's no sweeter sound in the world."

The angel turned towards her organ and idly ran her fingers across the keyboard. After a moment, she began to press down on the ivory keys, the organ wailing in protest as she played a few notes.

"What do you think of my abode, Jihyun?" The angel's lips curled into a smirk, as if she thought of a funny joke only she was privy to. Sluggishly (since when did he become so tired?), V's brain searched for the response that would please his tutor the most.

"It's… dark." V managed to say, his voice quiet. He knew his answer wouldn't be enough to satisfy the angel, so he forced himself to continue, overexerting his already-exhausted brain. "It's as dark as… a night sky. As if all the stars in the sky chose to blink out all at once, leaving behind nothing but black velvet."

The angel snorted slightly, amused. "Ah… just as I thought." With the tip of her finger, she prodded one of the ivory keys in front of her. "The light doesn't yet understand the beauty of the darkness."

"... Angel?" V's head spun, the beginnings of a headache prickling his brain. The night had been long, much too long…when was the last time he had a proper night's sleep...?

The angel turned her head to face him. Her mask glinted dangerously in the candlelight, and V flinched back.

"My sweet Jihyun, I didn't expect you to understand yet," The angel said gently. "But to me… this darkness is home. It embraces me like how a mother ought to cradle her child… it is my lover, my child, my guardian. To me, the darkness protects me from the outside world—it muffles the holy music I create, makes it so filthy intruders can't sully my hard work." Her tone became more vicious as she spoke, nearly spitting out the final sentence.

V tried to respond, but he couldn't force the words out. The angel began to play a melancholy tune on the organ, the somber noise filling the lair like perfume.

"But no matter how loving and tender darkness is…" The angel murmured, almost as if she'd forgotten that V was there. "So, too, light must co-exist with it. The light shines on the darkness, revealing all the dirty secrets kept in this tomb… and the darkness fights back to preserve its dignity, keeping the light in balance. Never too dark, but never too light, either… a perfect balance…"

A tremor ran through her body, and she shuddered jerkily. Her dainty hands danced over the keys.

"Jihyun… my Jihyun…we'll make such beautiful music together..."

V's vision began to blur, and he collapsed as the world shifted around him. The organ's earth-shattering roars were the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.


"D'you think the angel of music will visit you, mama?"

His mother laughed as she tucked him into bed, drawing his quilt under his chin. "No, Jihyun, I think there's no need for the angel to visit me. If I've depended on my own musical capabilities for so long… than I don't believe I require divine intervention."

"Awww." Jihyun pouted slightly. "But I wanna see her…"

Chuckling, his mother ran her fingers through his bangs, combing his hair as deftly as she handled her violin. "Then how about I make a promise? I promise that if I ever see the angel of music, I shall send her to you. I have no doubt that she will look after you like you were her own child… if I can trust anyone with my sweet boy, it would be an angel such as her."

"Really, mama!?" Jihyun gasped eagerly. "Will you really?"

His mother smiled gently and bent forward, kissing his forehead. "Of course, my darling Jihyun. Anything for you."


AN: Hey, at least Rika didn't pull out a mirror groom.