Chapter 10

Steele seemed anxious as the time passed very slowly on an oddly dreary Saturday on the 26th of September. It was apparent to Philippe that something was troubling his brother, but he didn't want to get involved. Steele merely kept it to himself, even when 6:00 finally came by. He snuck out of the estate, hired a carriage, and drove immediately to the Canine.

It's real quiet today, Steele thought as he sat inside the carriage. He noticed that there seemed to be a lack of the regular noise of pedestrians and shopkeepers and high-class dogs in the streets and the pups that were usually at play, racing on the sidewalks. There really wasn't much of that during this time, even though it usually was. Something strange was going on, almost like the mood of the day had completely changed, the clouds above the city slowly turning from a dark orange to a deep purple and blue, the night soon approaching.

Steele's carriage made it to the Canine, and surprisingly, all of the lights were on. He walked up the entrance of the façade and slowly opened the front door. There was almost a strange feeling as soon as he entered the House, almost like an ominous presence was about the place. The once pristine golden interior seemed to have taken a darker tone, going from a bright yellow, to a dark gold. This was obvious due to the lights and lamps, a few of the them flickering on and off. Steele could feel the presence of something, or someone watching him, as he placed himself at the foot of the Grand Staircase.

The hell's going on today? He thought, putting his head in his paws on the marble floor. Why did Jenna want to meet here? Why couldn't we just meet at my place? Or her apartment? Or somewhere else? He had to wait for Jenna to arrive, and doing so in what looked like a creepily and unusually uninhabited Opera House wasn't one of them.

About 30 minutes passed, and Steele was getting ready to leave. He, like his brother, could not take being patient, and heavily sighed, rolling on his back, staring at the skylight above the Staircase. Whilst he waited, he contemplated with what Jenna was going to talk to him about. Did it have something to do with their relationship? Maybe she wanted to patch things up?

I doubt it, but it's not like I won't say no. Still, why does it have to be here in this-

Psst!

Steele thought he heard the sound of someone above the stairs, and he soon saw the red husky descend the gilded stairwell.

"Jen-," Steele began, but Jenna immediately hushed him, placing a paw on his snout.

"Please, follow me, we can't stay here." She said. Steele noticed that the husky seemed rather anxious, almost like she was being stalked. He hadn't seen her this way before, and he immediately knew something wasn't right. Either way, Steele gladly followed the husky up the stairs and towards wherever she might take him.

Jenna lead the malamute up the staircase and towards on the hall that was next to the Grand Foyer, and they took a left to a small circle of statues and windows. Steele really couldn't help himself, and stopped himself.

"Jenna, what's going on? What did you want to talk about?" He asked.

"Steele, please, I'll tell you, but not here, we have to get away, he could be behind us." Jenna replied, as she looked behind her shoulder, "This way!" Jenna then lead the malamute down another hall, past the Grand Foyer hall to another section that lead to more hallways, with busts of different dogs along the walls. Steele still wanted to know what Jenna was wanting to say, and even though this strange behavior was making him a bit frustrated, he kept his mouth shut, and continued to follow the red husky.

As they ascended the floors of the Canine, it seemed to get darker and darker, the lights flickering about, almost like the entire House was having some kind of electrical problem. Occasionally, Jenna would look over her shoulder, almost like something, or someone was following them. Steele thought it was trick of the light, but he too thought he saw what looked like a black shadow along the walls was close behind them. This was all too confusing, but he still followed the husky in hopes of understanding what this was all about.

They made it to the 7th floor, and Jenna wasn't sure where to go to next. In her current state, she was somewhat discombobulated.

"Jenna pant* slow down a bit pant*," Steele panted, having never ran that much in a while. He felt like he was running laps. "Where are you going?"

Jenna really wasn't sure, and she was running out of options. They were at the last level of the Opera House, and there wasn't anywhere left to go…expect up! She then remembered that the rooftop was still accessible to the public, and that was the only place she knew well in the Canine. She would usually go up there when the sun was bright and the breeze was just right, and sit next to one of the golden angel statues above the façade, looking over the beautiful city and its residents below her. It was a place where she could think and be alone, and safe, which was what she really needed at the moment.

"Steele, we're almost there, we have to get to the roof," She said, and they soon managed to find a small flight of stairs that lead to the very top of the Opera House, the second level of the roof, which was only used for construction workers. As she opened the door, they were soon hit with a blast of the cool air, and they were outside.

Steele was surprised to see that the roof was in the shape of a pyramid, with the sides of the shape having small steps that lead to the middle of the pyramid which housed a few platforms. The pair ascended the steps, and as they grew higher, they neared the statue of Apollo's Lyre, his arms outstretched heaven-ward, his golden lyre shining brightly in the fading sunlight. He felt the cool air brush his fur, and he soon caught up with the red husky, making it to the horizontal platform. There was nothing after this. This was the final point of the Opera Canine, this long parapet of stone and brick. They placed themselves underneath the statue, Apollo and his companion's backs turned to theirs, its dark shadow cast over them.

Jenna hoped this would be enough safety for them. Now it was time to come clean.

"Jen, why did we have to come here?" Steele complained, shuddering in his black coat, "It's freezing up here!"

"Steele," Jenna began, "I apologize for all of this, but this was the only way. He probably won't get us here."

"Who's this he?" Steele asked, "Is someone following you?"

"Well, sort of, he never used to, but now he is. I can't really explain it."

"Jenna, I'm being serious, if this he or whatever is trying to chase you or hurt you, I'll take him down. You can count on me." He grinned, clearly glad that this might be an opportunity to protect Jenna, but the husky seemed rather reluctant.

"Why do you care?" She said, turning her head away, "I don't think you'll understand."

"Is this about what I said in your dressing room? Look, Jen, I was…"

"Jealous?" The husky interjected, "Yeah, I know. Maybe this was a bad idea-," The malamute was seriously getting frustrated with this, and he knew that this might be his last chance at getting Jenna back with him. He knew he wasn't one to comfort others, and even though showing his "soft side" was probably going to embarrass him, he just had to know what Jenna wanted to tell him. So, he had to suck in his gut, and give it a try. It might make her trust him more.

He suddenly took the red husky's paw in his, and looked into his eyes. "Jenna," Steele began, "I know we haven't been able to have a normal conversation, and I know we haven't exactly been the friends we used to be when we were pups, but I just want you to know, I've…um…" He rubbed the back of his head, "I guess I've had a change of heart."

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

"What I mean is, I…well…" Just say the words! The three magic words! That's all it takes! "Just trust me on this, I'll understand whatever you tell me. I promise I'll understand you."

"But, how can you?" She replied, "I don't even know if I can trust you anymore."

"Just trust me," Steele then pulled her close to her, "I promise you I'll believe you, whatever it is you say, I'll understand you. Now, please tell what's going on, it's killing me!"

"Well…" Jenna looked around the rooftop, and after making sure the coast was clear, she then pulled the malamute over right next to the statue's base, and sighed, "OK, I will, but please, Steele, you have to understand that everything I'm about to tell you is true. It's been one of the strangest and possibly scariest experiences of my life. Don't repeat this to anyone."

Steele nodded, "OK, I promise," With this, Jenna began. However, in order for us to truly understand out heroines' predicament, let's go back to her first day in the Opera Canine.

Several months ago…

Ever since she was a pup, Jennifer Daae had been told that an Angel would be sent to her from her Father in heaven. However, this didn't happen, and upon finding this out, she seemed to lose faith in what her Father had told her, and promised her. This didn't really help with the fact that things were looking so well for the now 20-year-old ruby colored husky. Despite having a small apartment, with a few furniture from her Father's old house in Perros, a small handbag, a few francs, and a bit of money that was left to her by Madame Valerius, she hadn't had much luck in the ways of work. There wasn't that much in terms of work, and even though she would pretty much accept anything that was thrown at her, she was still unable to find a decent job that would suit her.

This all changed when she had found a small ad in the papers, detailing auditions at the Palais de Canine. She felt something in the back of her head saying "Go try out!", despite having never had a singing lesson in a while, and she really didn't want anything to do with music. After her father had died, she hadn't been able to find the courage or will to sing again. So, auditions were out of the question.

Despite this, she was somehow drawn to the Opera Canine, with it's beautiful façade and glamorous statues and incredible interior somehow bringing her towards the front doors. And, without even noticing it, she soon found herself asking the now retired Manager Levefre for a job. The old grey husky asked her if she wanted to audition, since there were openings for the chorus, she still couldn't bring herself to sing (she knew since she had actually tried to sing a few notes, and noticed that her under practiced voice was completely off key). She felt embarrassed, and was glad that Levefre understood her situation. She soon asked him if there was anything else that was available, and he soon brought up the idea of being a costume dog (one that Monsieur Belmont desperately needed at the moment), a job that would require her to make all of the costumes for actors. She agreed, and with a shake of her paw, she was made the costume dog of the Canine.

She knew this job was for her, for many reasons. For instance, the costume room was in the very back of the Grand Theater's stage, so it was far away from the music that she had left behind. Another great thing about this was that she was mostly by herself, so she was rarely bothered by anyone. Even when her newly acquired friends Dixie and Slyvie would stop by to chat, she would mostly be either very busy, or would want to be by herself. The designer dogs didn't really understand their husky friend, but they respected her privacy nonetheless.

After about a week after becoming the Canine's newest costume dog, everyone in the Opera House was talking about their newest member. A few of the staff members would say she was nice, whilst some of the dogs up in the rafters, including Joseph Buquet, would try to catch a glimpse of her slick but furry form. The male actors thought she was quite beautiful, whilst Madame Aurelia thought she was a rather odd sort of character. Overall, Jennifer Daae seemed out of the ordinary, but someone that seemed normal enough to fit right in with the rest of the staff.

The female ballet dancers and chorus members, however, didn't exactly feel the same way. They didn't like that fact that she was so pretty (funnily enough, Jenna was in fact much more beautiful than most of them) and they wondered as to why she didn't audition. It was soon found out that she was related to the famous violist Gustave Daae, and they soon became confused as to why Jenna hadn't thought of being in the chorus or becoming a singer or actress.

"Maybe she thinks she's better than us?" One female opera singer said to her friends at a dinner party, "I bet she thinks she's too skilled to be a part of the chorus!"

This somewhat made sense to them. They believed that Jenna had numerous amounts of training, both from her Father and from the Paris Conservatorium.

"I've heard she doesn't want to be anywhere near the stage!" Another singer had said to her friends, "What kind of dog doesn't want to be in an Opera House, but still joins one anyway?"

These rumors made the rust-colored husky a regular thing to talk about in the regular line of gossip at the Canine. The employees would usually whisper to themselves, sometimes the ballet girls would giggle or laugh behind her back, or Buquet at his bunch would try and flirt with her. This was all somewhat embarrassing to say the least. It was like being to new kid at school, and she didn't like the way people talked about her. So, she slowly began to isolate herself, as she refused to spend time with anyone. She didn't go to the various different events in the Canine, she sat at the very back of the theater during a staff meeting. She ate lunch alone, and didn't really speak to anyone, besides the actors coming for their costumes. She spent all her time alone, and she soon began to accept it.

After only a month since she joined the Opera House, Jenna wasn't exactly as enthusiastic as she originally was when she asked to become a costume dog. True, the work wasn't hard, and the pay was reasonable, but she couldn't stand being talked about behind her back. Sometimes she would stop her sewing machine and just cry softly with her head on her desk, almost feeling like she didn't belong in the Canine.

I don't deserve to be here, she thought sadly, trying to hide her tears, I don't belong amongst these dogs and their beautiful voices and tremendous wealth and acting skills. I don't want to be here anymore…

Her hopes were almost gone, until one day. She was busy working on a nobleman's suit for the upcoming performance of Don Giovanni. The costume room was a bit stuffy, so she had taken off her bandanna. She was working rather diligently, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Jenna… The husky's ears perked up as she thought they had picked up someone's voice in distance. She stopped her sewing, but when she didn't hear anything but silence, she returned to her work.

Jenna… The voice returned, this time it was a bit clearer. Jenna got up from her seat and walked over to the door. Upon opening it, she looked around the place, but she noticed that she was alone. She wasn't sure who was calling her, but she decided to ignore it and went back to her sewing.

It wasn't until a few minutes later she heard the voice again.

Jenna…Jennifer Daae… The husky was now getting irritated. She then called out, "Hello, who's there?"

Jenna…Listen to me…I have come for you… Jenna wasn't sure where this voice was coming from, and from the looks of things, she didn't like the idea of being picked on. Was someone pulling a prank on her?

"Who's there? If this is a prank, I'm not falling for it."

"Do not be alarmed…I have watched you from afar…and I have come for you…you see…I am you Angel of Music…"

Jenna was completely taken aback by this statement. Sure, she thought the voice was probably some dog playing a trick on her, but now, that idea was thrown straight out the window. The voice had said it was the Angel of Music. The Angel of Music? The one that her Father spoke of in his stories? It was said that the Angel of Music would come to those that were in dire need of help, when all of their hopes and dreams were dashed away, the Angel would descend from Heaven and come to their aid, blessing them with the gift that only an Angel could give.

And he was here in the Opera Canine, and Jenna had heard him. However, she was still skeptical, "Are you really the Angel of Music?" Jenna asked, "Prove to me that you're my Angel." After she asked this question, she suddenly heard what sounded like music from an orchestra start to play. It sounded near to her, almost like it was disembodied and omnipresent. As the music built itself up, the voice began to sing what sounded like the last notes from Puccini's spellbinding opera Turandot

"Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle! Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerro…vincerrro…vincerro!" The voice suddenly boomed with a fiery passion, almost like an Angel's voice had suddenly penetrated the very earth itself. Jenna was frozen in her spot, as the heavenly voice surrounded her with a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before. The voice had proven it to her, and he was right. He really was the Angel of Music.

Jenna's eyes lit up, as she nearly cried as the voice sang to her, "I don't believe it," She began, putting her paw on her mouth in disbelief, "I thought my Father was wrong, but he was right. He sent you to me!"

"Yes, he has, and I have come to give you a gift…a gift unlike anything you've ever seen before. I have watched you for many days, and I understand that you are very sad, and unhappy. Those fools in this place don't understand you, but I do, I truly do, and I am here to help you. I will give you your voice back, and you will become just like…no, you will be better than any opera singer imaginable!"

Jenna's ears drooped, "No, I don't think so," She replied sadly, "My voice sounds terrible."

"Do not fret, my dear. Why do you think I'm here? I will show you the way to greatness, I assure you. I promise you this, with my spirit, and your voice, in one combined, I will give you the gift of music!"

"Do you mean, like, lessons?" She asked.

"Yes, I will give you lessons. It is my duty to serve you, my dear. I will be your private instructor, a teacher of sorts."

"OK, um, I think we should meet here. I have some free time for about an hour at 2:00 PM. Is that an ok time for you to teach me?"

"Yes, I like that. I will meet you here, every day, for an hour of singing lessons. Do not forget, and never be late." Jenna thought she felt something move past her, like some kind of presence fade away, and she knew that the voice had vanished.

Jenna received her promised music lessons each and every day after that, at the exact time of 2:00. Despite Jenna's lack of training, the "Angel" was patient, and didn't mind if Jenna wasn't up to par with his level. He had somehow managed to remember where Jenna's Father had left off in his lessons, and immediately picked it up from there. Soon, Jenna became better and better, each day she would practice and practice, humming underneath her breath whilst she worked, or sometime she would go up to the roof and sing, where no one would be able to hear her (she was still somewhat shy).

Jenna felt happy, more so than she did in a long time. When her Father had passed, she was seized by a terrible depression, but now, it was like that curse was lifted from the husky, and she now felt stronger each day she sang with the voice in the costume room. Weeks turned into months, and she was soon praised by the voice, as she had managed to get up to his level.

"I'm proud of you, Jenna," The Angel said, "You are finally at my level of power and skill. And to think, you never wanted to sing again? I beg to differ." The voice chuckled.

The husky blushed, "Thank you, I wouldn't have done it without you."

"Well, now that you've shown and proven yourself, it is now time to put those skills to the test."

"What do you mean?" She replied, confused by what the voice had said. This was also around the time of the Gala de'l Opera and Monsieur Levefre's retirement party. She wasn't planning on attending the Gala, nor was going to attend the party, but it was a surprise to her when Monsieur Belmont come into her workplace, telling her that she was to take Carlotta's place in the Gala. She wasn't sure if this was fate, or the Angel had been right, she wasn't sure, but she gladly accepted the role.

Jenna's performance was a resounding success, as the audience cheered for the young husky. She couldn't believe it when she actually sang on the stage. She had heard her own voice before, but she had never noticed that it was this good. The voice didn't sound like hers, and she, along with the audience, were completely shocked that this unknown husky had blown them away. She was so overwhelmed with happiness that she fainted on the spot.

After this, Jenna was awoken in her workplace by her friends, and this was also where she met Steele again. It wasn't until their first date that she had remembered who he was before, but, this was where she had to hide her knowledge of the Angel. She hadn't wanted to harm the malamute, nor did she want to break apart their relationship (well, Steele took care of that) so, she had no choice but to keep herself composed and secretive, her behavior obviously confusing and irritating Steele. This, however, could be backed up with Jenna not exactly having ever been on a date with a male before, as she never had any real friends, let alone a boyfriend. So, this, combined with her secret of the Angel, and overall awkwardness, almost made Steele and Jenna no longer be friends again.

However, Jenna had tried to get Steele to understand her secret, and at least respect it, and after Steele had laughed at the idea of her taking lessons from the Angel of Music, she too began to question her Angel. Was she really going crazy? Was she hearing voices? No, the voice was real, and Steele had heard it from behind her dressing room door. However, her heart had taken a hold of her mind, and she truly believed that the Angel was real. It seemed like her Father's stories had gone to her head, but what would happen if this turned out to be far more real than before?

She found this out after her last encounter with Steele.

"I am your Angel...come to me...come to me..." The voice had commanded her, as it drew her closer to the large mirror that was literally leaking out smoke, with a large pair of yellow eyes hypnotizing the husky, beckoning her forward. She was so mesmerized that she had forgotten her bandanna.

Jenna had passed through the mirror like a stain of breath upon a window, and she closed her eyes when a large blast of wind hit her like a blizzard, and as soon as it was over, she opened her eyes.

Everything was dark around her, and even when she turned around, she still was unable to see where she was, the mirror from her room was now a blocked wall, as she couldn't move it.

Where am I? She thought, a small twinge of fear coming over her, why did the voice lead me here? She could remember that there was a large blast of wind, and without even noticing it, she appeared here. Unable to do anything else she turned back to the passage, and decided it would be best to see where it would lead.

As she slowly moved down the hall, she touched the walls around her as she tried to make her way down the dark passage. She could tell the corridor wasn't narrow, as it was easy for her to move about it, but she was unsure as to where she was going.

It was an eerie place, and the only thing she could hear was her own nervous breathing and the faint sound of water dripping, and she jumped when she thought she felt something fuzzy touch her paw, and gasped when she the squeak of a rat could be heard near her. She pushed the creature out of the way, and regained her composure, and continued to walk down this seemingly endless hall.

I don't like this, she thought, where is the voice of the Angel? Why did it bring me here? She was getting scared at the thought of being lost in this place, but once light finally came into view, she started to run towards it. However, once she got to it, she jumped when something cold touched her chest.

Jenna found herself at the top of what looked like a long, spiral staircase, which seemed to descend into some black pit below. She tried to contemplate what she was to do next, as this entire place was completely unnerving.

However, before she could move, felt something cold touch her shoulder. She gasped and turned, as a dark figure dressed in black (which seemed to have come out of nowhere) came near her.

"Wh-who are you?" She asked the figure, who seemed to be drawing near her. She soon recognized the figure when it's yellow, glowing eyes pierced the darkness around them both.

"Are you the...Opera Ghost?" She asked, terrified to think that the infamous ghost that haunted the Canine had brought her here. She had heard of the ghost, but she thought nothing of the endless rumors and sightings, but she knew that the ghost had yellow eyes and wore all black, much like the figure before her. Were the rumors true? Was this the Opera Ghost that stole from the House, that terrorized it, and killed Joseph Buquet?

The figure nodded, and proceeded to walk towards the frightened husky.

"Keep away from me!" She cried, "Why did you bring me here?"

The ghost's eyes soon looked at the husky with adoration, and finally, he spoke. "I did this...for you..."

Jenna gasped, as the ghost's soft tone of voice did not sound like a monster, but it sounded...normal. She had known that no one had ever heard the ghost's voice. Almost like this was a real dog. But as the figure's voice lodged itself in her brain, she made a startling conclusion.

"That voice...you...you're my...Angel," Jenna said, realizing that this figure, this ghost, was the alluring, beautiful voice behind her wall, the one that taught her, the one that showed her what was really inside of her, was a real dog!

Jenna soon became angry, as this dog has not only lured her here to this place, but he had also lied to her about being her Angel.

"You lied to me!" She exclaimed, "I thought you were my Angel, but you're just a...a... a regular dog!"

"No, I am no Angel, Jenna." The ghost replied, somewhat sadly, "I am not a ghost either, or a phantom. I am neither wolf, nor dog. You may call me...Balto."

The dog, now known as Balto, slowly lifted one of his large paws, and held it out to the husky, who slowly backed away.

"Don't be afraid, Jenna." He said, "Please, I did not mean to lie to you. It was the only way to get you down here. Please forgive me."

Jenna wasn't sure if she was able to trust this dog. Not only had he lied to her, but this dog was also the opera ghost. How on earth would she go with a thief and a murderer?

But, she remembered that this was the and dog that had given her the chance to sing again, to show all of Paris her incredible voice, and gave her back the happiness that her Father once gave her. She owed a lot to this dog, and she knew it too.

"OK," She replied, "I'll go with you." She accepted his offer, seeing as to how there was no way out of here, and besides, there would probably be no way to get back to her dressing room without Balto, who probably knew the entire Opera House's layout and all of its secret passages.

The dog seemed to smile, as he walked to the edge of the spiral stairwell, and lifted his paws, gesturing the husky to take his paw.

Jenna slowly gave the dog her paw, but recoiled when the pads felt unnaturally cold to the touch.

"Sorry about that," Balto replied, "It's natural for the them to be cold." Upon taking her paw again, which felt cold still, but gentle, the dog led Jenna down into the black abyss beneath them. "Watch your step." He commented.

Jenna obeyed, as she carefully stepped down the steep steps of the staircase, and noticed that whilst Balto walked, his paws did not make a sound against the damp stone steps.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever, the two finally reached the bottom, in which they were now amongst a much different part of the sewers, one that was unseen by canine eyes. The water still had that dull green color, but the strange thing about it were the structures of the pillars around them, as they curved in tall arches, and they seemed to ascend into the nothingness above their heads.

It was so surreal, almost like it was out a painting. Jenna then noticed Balto hop into what appeared to be a gondola (which was strange since Jenna had never seen one) with an eerie lamp at the end of the boat, which illuminated a few spots of the murky sewer water. Balto had to stand on his hind legs to balance himself, as he took up a long pole from the side of the boat, and he soon alleviated the gondola, making it not move.

"Come," He said, holding out his paw once again, "There is so much I want to show you," Jenna reached for his paw again, and he soon helped her into the boat, and once she had placed herself in front of him, he slowly moved the staff back and forth, once on each side, to make the boat move ever so slowly down the murky path.

The boat moved smoothly across the water, with Balto gliding his paws over the staff, being as careful as possible. Jenna meanwhile wasn't sure what to think, as there had been some doubt when this dog had promised that she would not be harmed, and considering how gentle he was with her, it showed he had some kind of respect for her well-being. Jenna was reassured by this, but kept her doubts to herself.

The gondola carried itself through the murky sewer water slowly, and as Balto made a swift turn, they turned a corner to find taller arches, which led to yet another pathway that seemed endless. However, this wasn't true, as there seemed to be some sort of blue light illuminating from beneath the waves.

Jenna gasped with awe as the gondola turned into a much larger section of this underground river, which turned out to be a massive lake, whose width was nearly as long as the Opera House above. Jenna saw a misty fog engulf their surroundings, including the faint glimmer of what looked like candles underneath the water, which glowed with a bluish hue. It was like it was something out of a dream, a strange, surreal dream.

"We're almost there," Balto said, as he continued his way down the massive lake, steering clear of the candles that rose from the depths of the water. They soon came upon a large stone staircase at the end of this cavern, it soon led to a large area that was occupied by a large house, at least, that's what it looked like. It seemed like a building, despite there being only a front entrance door.

The boat came to a stop at the foot of the staircase, and Balto placed the rowing stick on the ground. He then stepped out of the boat, and gave Jenna his paw. "This is my home. Watch your step," He said, and he carefully lifted Jenna out of the boat. The two then ascended the stairwell, and they came up to the door in the cavern. and using a claw, Balto slowly carved it into the side of the door, unlocking the hinges.

That's a strange way to open a door, Jenna thought. Balto then opened the door, and kept it open for the husky to go in first.

"Welcome Jenna," Balto smiled, and as Jenna entered the place, she gasped, for this "home" was quite incredible. There was a small parlor in one corner of the room, there were two doors that probably led to other rooms. There was no carpet, but stone, whose rocky hardness that had been carved into a smooth texture. There was a large medieval gate at one end of the lair, and next to it, was a massive organ, that almost took up one part of the wall. A smaller piano was also next to the organ, and next to that, here was a desk and table, with various papers strewn about it, a small ink bottle and quill. Several furniture was around the place, and whilst it was more like a cave than a house, it had a "homey" sort of feel to it. There was hardly any lighting, as the only ray of light illuminated from numerous candles, decorated all around.

"Do you like it?" Jenna turned to face Balto, and noticed something odd about him. Before in the darkness she could not make out what he was wearing, but now that her eyes had adjusted, he could see his form much more clearly. Much like other dogs she had seen, he wore a gentle-dogs outfit with a black dinner jacket and white suit and collar, however, the striking thing about this wolf...dog was his face, as it was covered mostly by a large, black, ebony mask, that covered the top part of his face, and a bit behind his ears, which were poking out through holes in the top, his entire nose, and it ended at his mouth, as it didn't cover the bottom half of his snout. It was strange, as it seemed to stick out from the rest of his form. Was he hiding something? Like an injury perhaps? Or was he just doing it for fun, almost like he was trying to be dark and mysterious?

"It's...it's nice. Strange, but overall nice," Jenna replied, looking about the room, "I like it, it's just...well..."

"Oh, I see..." Balto looked down at his paws, "it's because of...my mask, right?" He placed a paw on his black mask, almost ashamed of having to wear it.

"Why are you wearing a mask? Are you hiding something?"

Balto seemed to glance about the room, "Uh, it's best I don't tell you," he said rather quickly, "Shall I give you the grand tour?" He gave a grin, in which his teeth shown in a flash of the candlelight. They seemed much sharper than any other dog Jenna knew. However, despite this overall oddness that Balto was giving off, he seemed harmless enough, despite being the Opera Ghost.

Balto led Jenna around his "lair" and showed her most of the main place. He said the organ, piano and desk was where he wrote music, as he was no Angel, but a composer. He said that he excelled in the art of music, and he was inspired by the greats of the old age of music.

Jenna asked where the two doors on the wall led to, and Balto showed her the first one. Inside was a room that held a large coffin, with white and red roses around it, as well as skulls.

"What's this for?" Jenna asked.

"This is where I sleep." Balto answered.

Jenna seemed confused, "What, in a coffin?"

Balto chuckled, "No, I sleep there," He motioned his paw over to one side of the room, which had a small blue blanket placed on the ground.

"Then, what's the coffin for?"

"It's for..." Balto paused, "Well, I don't really know why I put it there. I don't really know why I have it to begin with, but I have it for…reasons. I had to put it somewhere." Balto then walked over to the other door.

Jenna blinked, as this was somewhat absurd, seeing a coffin ready to use in the middle of a room was kind of random, she assumed it was for someone's funeral, or perhaps it was for scenery purposes. She wasn't sure, and she closed the door, and walked over to the other room.

"What's in here?" Jenna asked.

"A guest room... you know, for visitors..." He said this quickly, and looked away from the husky. Jenna noticed this, and wondered why he was acting so mysteriously. She gazed into the guest room, and it looked rather stunning. The walls were covered with dark red curtains, the satin bed equal in color. There was a small desk in the corner, a large drawer closet, and another vanity mirror, much similar to the one in her dressing room.

"Well, that's pretty much it for my home," He said, "And now, Jenna, I suppose you have questions, a lot of them as a matter of fact. So, go ahead and ask away."

"Oh, ok." Jenna began, "Are you...really the Opera Ghost?"

"I am, Jenna." Balto chuckled, "I suppose you've heard the rumors."

"They say you're a thief, and a murderer, and a monster."

"They always have..." Balto whispered, but Jenna didn't hear it.

"Are you?" Jenna asked. This was probably the question that she had been wanting to ask. It didn't really matter if this dog was the Angel of Music; she was just hoping he wasn't a criminal hiding inside the Opera Canine.

"I know what they have said, and yes, I have stolen...things, but I can assure you, it's all in good fun."

"But what about one of the workers falling from the rafters?"

"That was an accident, just an accident. I was merely going on my way, but he just happened to see me, and he fell out of shock." Jenna believed him, but she was still unsure.

"Ok, but why do you wear a skull mask?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Balto ran over to one of the doors and went inside. He came back out with the skull mask that everyone in the Canine had seen.

"It looks rather...creepy." Jenna said, "Is it a real skull?"

"Not really, it just looks real. Made it myself, fashioned it from my own head. It was pretty easy..."

Jenna didn't exactly like the way Balto would make his voice trail off, and she decided to ask him what she had wanted to ask him after all this time.

"Balto, why did you bring me here?" Jenna asked.

Balto sighed, "Jenna, I know I sort of had to lie to you to bring you here, but the truth is, I've always wanted to bring you here. You see, I've made you my student because I wanted to show you my genius, in hopes that well...well..." He shuffled his grey paws, "I've been in need of a friend, and since I've gained your trust, I was wondering if you would, you know, want to be my companion, one that I can rely on, and one I can trust, like a friend?"

Jenna seemed a bit touched, but even though Balto was harmless for the most part, she still wasn't too convinced. He might be her teacher, and probably the nicest and kindest creature in the world, but he was the Opera Ghost, a criminal hiding within the Opera House. She definitely needed to be more convinced.

"Can I just be your student?" She replied, "We can meet down here instead of behind the walls in my workplace or in my dressing room, like face-to-face?"

Balto's black face lit up, "Sounds great my dear," He then took Jenna's paw in his, "Together, we will take Paris by storm!" Balto raised a paw to the sky, as Jenna felt somewhat surprised by this sudden outburst.

"Oh, sorry about that," He blushed, "Sort of overreacted." He chuckled, and walked over to his piano, "Shall I play something for you?"

"Ok," Jenna responded, "What are you going to play?"

"Why, it's a song of my own," Balto then opened a thin black folder with the words Music of the Night on the front in gold font, "Made specifically for you." Jenna simply blushed a bit, as she never had a song written for her before.

He continued, "You see, Jenna, now that we have met, I am now able to show you something far more than singing lessons could ever give you. Music is more than just a gift, it is a God sent, something only the greatest of dogs could be born with. I have only given you a fraction of the power and glory that I have achieved over the years." He then scarcely caressed his paws over the keys on the piano, "Now, listen, as I, your Angel of Music, send you into a world of majesty and enlightenment."

The wolf-dog slowly placed his paws on his piano, and like some kind of magician, slowly lifted them up, as he commanded a disembodied orchestra to start playing. Where it was coming from Jenna did not know, but it played almost hypnotically, and it was clear to her that Balto was about to sing, and as the rising symphony began to play, the entire world seemed to freeze in time, as Balto began to sing, slowly and softly, "Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation, darkness stirs and wakes imagination…"

Jenna nearly gasped, as the sound of the wolf hybrid's voice was absolutely alluring, even in these first few notes. It didn't just sound like a regular opera voice, it sounded like a ghost had passed through his throat, as his voice echoed within the hollow walls of the lair. It was unlike anything she had heard before. True, she had heard his voice from behind the walls of the Canine sing those beautiful notes, but to see, to hear those notes come out of an ordinary being was almost astounding, unnatural.

"Silently the senses abandon their defenses…" He then slowly lifted himself up on his hind legs, and gracefully passed the piano, and walked towards his slowly,

"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor," The way he moved! His entire being was like a spirit within him had possessed him, his body moved in such a way that allured the husky, almost like he and the music that played within the lair had become…one. He swayed his arms about, his footsteps silent as he 'glided' across the stone floor, "grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender."

As he neared Jenna, he dared not touch her, his paws gracefully passing over her fur, his pads barely feeling the white and ruby red hairs. This entire experience was strange, almost like she was being taken under a mesmerizing spell, his yellow eyes staring out of his phantom like form. It was almost like he was no longer the Opera Ghost she had seen, or the Angel that he claimed to be. He was truly a spirit of music, and she was his servant, as the world around her was no more, and it was taken over by the hybrid's dark, lustrous realm.

He then lifted a paw, and caressed the husky's cheek, "Turn your face away, from the garish light of day," She felt herself turn her head, almost like the hybrid had commanded it, like she was under his control. He then moved his paw under her chin, carefully lifting it and drawing it towards him, as the two gazed into each other's eyes.

"Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to, the music of the night." Balto gave a small smile, and used the other paw to move itself over the husky's eyes.

"Close your eyes, and surrender to your darkest dreams," Jenna did so, and the voice of Balto seemed to become even greater when she could not see him, almost like some kind of disembodied angel was singing to her. It was clear to Jenna that this song was more than just entrancing. She seemed to be attracted to the hybrid in some way, his overall mysteriousness and voice had won her over, and she was helpless to resist his urges. "Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before," He slowly draped his arm over the husky's shoulders, drawing her closer to him, but they still were not touching. "Close your eyes, let your spirit start to sour…"

Jenna's eyes were still closed, but like a marionette, as Balto lifted his paw above their heads, Jenna lifted her head up just as the paw did, almost like he was lifting her into the air. She then opened her eyes to gaze at the hybrid next to her. "And you'll live, as you've never lived, before…"

Balto then backed away from Jenna, and lifted his paws again, and continued his song, "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you, hear it, feel it, secretly possess you…" Jenna was even more mesmerized by the hybrid, as he stepped back, caressing himself, his paws moving over his suit and chest and sides, using another paw to lead Jenna along with him.

"Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind," As he got to the large medieval gate, he turned around, and raised his arms to ceiling again. He seemed to sprawl against the portcullis, his claws grasping against the black bars, and he turned again, his back to the gate, his body in some kind of seductive pose. "In this darkness which you know you cannot fight, the darkness of the music of the night…"

Jenna then went over to the hybrid whose arms were stretched against the gate, and was about to touch him, but the hybrid flinched, making Jenna walk away from him, and he let go of the gate, and walked towards her again, his voice rising itself from its soft key to a more booming tone, as the music itself grew itself to a large crescendo. "Close your eyes, start a journey through a strange, new world, leave all thoughts of the world you knew before, close your eyes and let music set you free!" His voice grew to immense proportions, almost like a thunder clap of power and control. He had such control over his voice it was phenomenal. As he hit the last note, like a composer at the end of piece, as he raised up his arms like his voice, and waved his paws over his head, silencing the music for a brief moment. He then gave Jenna his paw, to which she took, and he gently, ever so gently drew his arm over her neck, her back to his chest, and she felt herself lie her head against Balto's arm.

"Only then can you belong to me," The two dogs then rocked back and forth, almost like a rocking chair in tune with the music, which seemed to slow itself down into a soft, melodic tone, almost like a lullaby,

"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication," Jenna then felt the urge to touch the hybrid that was holding her, and she almost touched the black mask covering his face, and Balto caught it in a swift motion, and caressed her being, this time scarcely feeling her soft fur. He seemed to tremble, as this was the first time that he had actually felt her like this, and it made him feel sensations he had never felt before. "Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation…"

He then held her paws, and lifted her up on her hind legs as him, as they slowly moved around the lair, "Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in, to the power of the music that I write…the power of the music of the night…"

Jenna, completely entranced in this song, felt herself slowly come close to the hybrid's chest, their paws still touching, and the incredible experience was more than she could bear, and she collapsed into Balto's arms, half-awake and half-asleep.

The hybrid gasped, as he wasn't expecting this to happen. He lifted the husky in his arms, and quickly walked over to the spare room with the red satin bed. As he laid her on the pillows of the bed, he looked over husky. She seemed even more beautiful in the dim candle light. He couldn't take his glowing, yellow eyes off of her, her attractiveness almost as alluring as his voice.

"You alone can make my song take flight…" He sang softly, as Balto's song came to a close. Jenna slowly opened her eyes to see the hybrid standing over her, but Balto moved his paw over her face against, telling her to rest, and as she slowly drifted off into a deep slumber, the last thing she heard was hybrid's last few notes in his song.

"Help me make the music of the night…" The hybrid slowly lifted a paw up the sky, his voice somewhere off in the distance, and it faded away, much like the music that had encompassed them both.