Chapter VI: Into the Netherworld
The Enforcer looked at the mirror in front of him; he worked his hands across the top as if he was looking for something.
"What are you looking for?" Adam asked him confused by the Enforcer's actions, it seemed odd to him, but knew that the Enforcer had a reason for doing it.
"The mechanism that reveals the secret passage way into the cellars" he explained, just then he stopped "Aha, there it is," he said as walked back to watch the mirror move only to find it didn't move, the Phantom had cut the rope to the weight that made the mirror move.
"Now what do we do?" Adam asked as he looked at the Enforcer impatiently, he wanted to go to where the Phantom so they can save Teela.
"We must wait for my servant Bow to come, before we can continue." He said, "Do not fear, we will rescue her." He assured the Vicomte.
Deep below the Opera, the Phantom takes Teela back to his den, his mind filled with anger and despair.
"WHY YOU ASK ME, WHY WAS I FORCED TO LIVE HERE, BECAUSE OF MY ACCURSED FACE," he shouted at her as he grabbed her by the wrists and took her deeper into his lair.
"Everywhere I go I am hunted like an animal, everyone who sees me hates me, no one ever showed me one iota of kindness, no one ever felt one ounce of love towards me. Now you do this to me tell me why…TELL ME!" he yelled as he turned to face her, but before she could answer the Phantom continued to take her further into the lair.
Back in Teela's dressing room, Adam and the Enforcer were waiting, when they heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" The Enforcer asked suspiciously, he wanted to make sure it was the Phantom or one of his 'agents'
"It is I, master Zodak, Bow," the voice said as The Enforcer opened the door.
A tall man with brown hair and a mustache wearing gold armor and blue pants and a red cape entered with a small gold box.
"Did anyone see you come?" Zodak asked as he took the box from Bow, he opened it and took out two blasters
"No, master, I was unseen." Bow answered the question as he bowed to his master respectfully.
"Good, make sure it is the same with leaving, my friend," Zodak told as he took out the blasters and gave one to Adam as Bow left the room.
"These blasters will serve as well," he said as he aimed it at the mirror shattering it and revealing the passageway. He turned and looked at Adam, "we are about to enter his world, if there is one thing to remember, it is this: keep your hand at the level of your eyes" he said as walked through the mirror and into the cellars with Adam following close behind.
"How do you know the Phantom?" Adam asked the Enforcer, he was curious how this mysterious being knew so much about the Phantom and was willing to divulge it.
"I knew him a long time ago, this Phantom as you call him is a man, his name is Keldor, no doubt you have talked to Angella and she told you all she knew about him, but she does not know the true story" he said as they continued their journey.
The Enforcer told the Vicomte that Keldor was born on Eternia in the village of Zac. He was a genius with an angelic voice even at a young age, but his disfigurement caused him to be shunned by his family. Even his own mother hated him. She refused to kiss him and gave him his first mask as a gift.
When he grew up, he began to travel far and wide; it was during this time that he learned many of skills such as magic, architecture, ventriloquism, and learning to hone his already perfect voice.
During his travels, he went to Etheria where he studied under the great gurus of that planet. It was here that he first learned to kill people using the Etherian Lasso.
Traders from Infintia, who were on Etheria at the time heard of Keldor and his skills and brought word back to the king, He was so impressed that he sent the Cosmic Enforcer, Zodak to Etheria to the planet to interrogate Keldor and bring him to Infintia.
While on the planet, he became a court favorite and would constantly entertain the daughter of the king with his proficiency at killing people using the Etherian Lasso. He also earned the nickname 'Skeletor' meaning 'the cemetery lover'. The king would sometimes order Keldor to kill his enemies; the king knew Keldor would do it since he did have any qualms about killing. This time became known as the 'rosy hours of Infintium'
During his stay on the planet, he constructed a grand palace for the king; the greatest feature of the palace was its mirror maze, a concept that Keldor himself invented. It was so grand that king ordered Keldor's eyes to be blinded so he would not be able to make another palace, but he even blinded Keldor would still be able to make these marvels, so he ordered Keldor killed.
Pitying, the poor creature, Zodak snuck Keldor off the planet to avoid death. However, the king found out through his spies and ordered Zodak exiled. The Infintian banks paid Zodak a monthly salary since he was a government official and using that money Zodak went to go live on Eternia.
After leaving Infintia, Keldor went to live on Primus where worked for the Council of Primus and constructed, the dead ends, mazes, and marvels found in the great Chamber of Knowledge. He also constructed the robots that looked like the Leader of the Council and tricked the entire population of Galactic City. However the Council wanted to make sure that Keldor would not use his gifts for any other system and ordered him executed, forcing him to flee again.
This time he left for his home world of Eternia and the city of Eternos there, he worked as a contractor. He helped build the Hall of Wisdom for the Elders, but his greatest accomplishment was helping to build the Opera Eternia it was he who constructed the massive, labyrinthine cellars.
After working for six years as a contractor, he left Eternos and moved to a remote village on eastern hemisphere of Eternia. There he lived in peace for a number of years, for once he could finally live a normal life not have to worry about some seeing his face.
This peace would not last, a carnival owner visited the village while touring and saw Keldor's horrid visage while Keldor was buying provisions at a marketplace. The owner sent two of his workers and while Keldor slept, they kidnapped him and took him to the carnival owner.
The owner toured the planet with his latest attraction billing him as the offspring of Shokoti. People would laugh at him and call him names like 'freak' and 'weirdo'. The fair was so popular that they were invited to perform in Eternos.
It was that fair that one that Madame Angella saw and it was that fair the Keldor escaped from after he killed the owner. He knew that he had to hide and already had knowledge of such a hiding place; the cellars of the Opera Eternia, the same Opera House that he had helped build years earlier.
He remained there, living in the fifth cellar, using the beliefs of the superstitious employees as a cover; it was then that the legend of the Phantom of the Opera House was born.
Meanwhile, above in the Opera House, Comtesse Adora was worried for her brother and decided to go search for him, she knew that he had talked to Madame Angella and decided to ask her to help her.
She found the ballet director backstage making sure everyone was safe.
"Madame Angella, I need your help," she told her anxiously
"I know why you're here my lady and I cannot not help you, I am sorry" Angella said as she walked away, but Adora walked in front of her.
"Please Madame Angella, you know where my brother went to, I have to help him," she pleaded with Angella.
"Okay Comtesse, I will show the way, follow me" Angella said as she took Adora to the entrance of the Phantom's lair.
While Adora went searching for her brother, Adam and the Enforcer continued their journey.
When they entered the second cellar, they saw the bodies of Orko, the chief lighting controller and his assistants laying on the ground.
"What happened to them?" Adam asked his guide, they appeared dead to him, but he wasn't sure.
"No doubt Keldor's work" Zodak said as he checked their pulse not paying attention to Adam's question.
Finally Zodak answered question, "they're drugged, Keldor did it so no one could stop him as he took Teela, he had this planned from the beginning," he informed Adam as they left the Trollan and his assistants to recover.
Halfway through the cellar, Adam found something on the ground that frightened him, it was a noose, "He knows we're here!" he exclaimed worriedly.
The Enforcer examined the rope, it had already been used, "It is the Etherian Lasso, but is already been used on some poor victim, probably Ram-Man" he said easing the Vicomte's fears.
Finally, they reached the third cellar; Zodak went over to the area where the scenes are kept when they are not in use.
"Joseph Ram-Man found a passage in this cellar that leads to the Phantom's lair," Zodak explained to Adam as he began to search for it. Just then they saw a man dressed in a black robe with red lining and a red Bloodbat on the chest, a Shadow Priest, comes towards them, they also heard a sound that resembled nails on a black board.
"What's that sound?" Adam asked, but before Zodak could answer they were overwhelmed by a wave of rats, they had to abandon their previous just to ward off the rats. Just then, the Shadow Priest approached them.
"I am the Rat Catcher, please leave me alone with my rats!" it said as he and his Rats walked past the two men and vanished.
"Keldor told me of him, but I had never seen him," Zodak explained to Adam as he turned around only to find that Adam had not resumed the stance he had told him to take at the beginning of their journey. "Your hand at the level of your eyes! Always! It is a matter of life and death!" he told the Vicomte seizing his hand and putting in the correct stance.
Meanwhile, Adora had entered the cellars; she was worried for her brother and had decided to go help him, she had searched through the cellars until she had come to the lake, there was an extra boat, Adora climbed in and began rowing across the lake. Halfway there she heard a sound like someone singing, she looked out to see where it was coming from, just then a pair hands emerged from the water and tipped the boat over.
Adora tried to swim shore but an iron screen came down and prevented her from reaching the surface, she tried to find an opening but the screen covered the whole of the lake. She knew she couldn't hold her breath for ever, she tried one last time to find an opening but with no luck and within minutes she died.
Back in the third cellar, Adam and Zodak had found the secret entrance to the Phantom's lair.
"Here is where we shall enter the Phantom's domain, always remember your hand at the level of your eyes," the Enforcer said as he lifted the stone and entered the lair with Adam following close behind.
They walked for several miles until the suddenly fell through a trapdoor and ended up in a small room. It was hexagonal in shape decorated with a tree made of metal in the corner of the room with the Etherian Lasso placed below it. The most startling thing about this room was that all the walls were covered in mirrors.
Zodak knew what room this was; Keldor had constructed a similar room in Infintia for the king, during the 'rosy hours of Infintium'. "We have stumbled into the torture chamber," the Enforcer told Adam as they looked around.
Zodak knew that when Ram-Man found the passage and explored where it led, he had no doubt that Ram-Man fell into this room and having endured the tortures that surely await Adam and Zodak now, took his life using the Etherian Lasso and hung himself. Then the night of the Catra's "accident" Keldor used the body as a warning to those who would defy him.
On the other side, The Phantom had chained Teela to a wall, she had tried to kill herself as way of avoiding her fate while the Phantom had left to deal with the Comtesse Adora, but her attempt was unsuccessful and had her chained to prevent her from trying again and left the room.
On the other side of the wall, Adam was trying to call to his beloved, "Teela! Teela! Teela! Can you hear me!" he called to her.
"Adam is that you where are you?" Teela called out on the other side hoping to Adam could hear her.
"Teela, we're in the torture chamber, you need to help us, we need the keys, we need you to find the keys to get out of here," he told her
"I see the bag he keeps it in, but I'm chained, I don't think I can reach it," she told them woefully.
"Teela you have to try please" Zodak interjected as he began to search for the door on his side.
"All right, I'll try" she said as she strained her arm trying to reach the keys but it was just out of her reach, She tried again but stopped as she saw the Phantom come back.
"He's back," Teela warned Adam as she turned to face the Phantom.
Keldor noticed that Teela had strain marks on her arm, "you haven't been trying to reach the keys have you?" he asked coldly.
"No, Keldor, I haven't" she replied to the masked man who looked at her as if to discern if she was telling the truth.
"Is someone in the torture chamber?" he asked pointing to the door that led to that room.
"No, there is no one here but you and me" Teela informed him, hoping the monster would believe her.
"You lie!" the Phantom hissed at Teela angrily, he could tell that she was lying and knew and was determined to find out who was there
"I swear there is no one there!" Teela pleaded with him, she knew she had to buy Adam, more time so he could escape.
"Oh then you won't mind if do this" He said as pulled the lever that turned on the tortures in the chamber.
On the other side, Adam began to fell hot, as if he was in a tropical climate and was sweating profusely.
"What on Eternia is going on?" he asked as he turned to Zodak, hoping his mysterious companion knew what was going on.
"The tortures have begun" Zodak said as he looked around the room, the mirrors in room made the room appear larger and the few metal trees in the room a hug forest.
On the other side, Teela was being eaten from the inside out, she knew Adam was in danger but knew the Phantom would kill him if she said something, so she remained silent.
"Soon you will have to decide your fate, if you marry me or not, and if you refuse I will make everyone experience my loss" he said as he walked over to a small box sitting on the mantel. "If you choose the scorpion you would have said yes; choose the grasshopper and you have refused me and remember a grasshopper jumps, you have until eleven o clock tomorrow to decide" he said with an insane cackle.
In the Torture Chamber Zodak had heard everything, he knew he had to act. The tortures were starting to affect Adam and although Zodak knew the tricks the chamber used they were starting to take a toll on him as well. They heard rain but no rain fell, another trick of the Phantom Adam had removed his red vest while Zodak removed his chest armor and helmet because the heat was unbearable.
In addition, they heard what seemed to be wild animals in the distance; all this was starting to make Adam cracked who finally decided to 'escape' only to find the horizon was trick of the mirrors.
The two men were at the breaking point and were contemplating suicide, Adam put his Blaster to his head ready fire and the Etherian Lasso was starting to look appealing to Zodak.
Just then, the scene changed to a desert and Adam began to hallucinate that he was see an oasis, the heat was playing with his mind. Zodak tried to convince it was a mirage but Adam was convinced it was real, he had seen it, but Zodak knew it was a trick.
They did not know how long they were in chamber, but eventually Zodak found the secret exit and opened the door. They soon found themselves in what appeared to be a wine cellar.
"Finally something to drink!" Adam yelled as Zodak opened a barrel with a small knife he carried with him.
Adam held out his hands, but instead of water or even wine, a black powder came form the barrel, it was gunpowder.
"Keldor plans to blow up the Opera Eternia," Zodak said frightfully, he looked to his ally and asked, "What time is it?"
Adam broke the glass of his watchcase, since it was dark and he couldn't see and was fearful of lighting a match in this room, and felt the hands of his watch. "It's eleven o'clock" he replied to the Enforcer.
"But is it the eleven' clock?" Zodak asked worriedly.
Adam pressed his ear against the wall and called out, "Teela can you hear me?" hoping the soprano would hear him.
Minutes passed without an answer until a faint voice called out "Adam I can hear you!"
"Teela, I know it is eleven o'clock but it the eleven o'clock of life and death?" he asked dreading to hear the answer.
"It is he left for awhile to give me time to choose" she explained, just then she turned around and said, "he's back" and was silent after that.
"Well Teela what have you decided" Keldor said as he entered the room, waiting for her response.
Silence passed between them to which Keldor responded, "Your silence means you have chosen the Grasshopper and that means the Opera House goes out with a bang" he cackled.
"Wait!" Teela interrupted as she moved her hand towards the scorpion and turned it.
In the cellar, Adam and Zodak had little time to celebrate, for with the turning of the scorpion the cellar was filling with water.
"We have to get out of here" Adam said as the water began to rise, they knew that they had to act fast or they were goners.
Zodak climbed the steps that lead out of the cellar, but the water was rising too fast and soon Zodak was unable to get above it and soon lost consciousness within minutes.
Adam dragged Zodak to the surface for as long as he could and as he looked up, he could see the panel that lead out of the room and starting pounding on it.
In the lair, Keldor was begging the ceremony to marry him and Teela, when he heard something, "So there was someone in that chamber, you tricked me," he said as open the panel on the floor.
First, he removed Zodak who was unconscious and the lowered what appeared to be a rope for Adam, but the rope went around Adam's neck, it was the Etherian Lasso.
"Keep your hand at the level of your eyes, my dear Vicomte!" Keldor taunted him as he tightened the noose and pulled the rope bringing Adam to the surface.
He turned to Teela, "Since you were insincere about your choice before you must choose again. Accept my proposal and the Vicomte lives…," he said pointing towards the young man "reject me and he dies" he said pulling the rope preventing Adam from breathing.
Teela's pity for Keldor was turning into hatred, how could she have been so stupid as to be tricked by this 'demon.'
"How could you do this?" she hissed at him
"You are past the point of going back, my dear" he warned her sharply pulling the noose again.
He turned Teela's face towards him with one hand while holding the lasso in the other, "look at this face, if you want to save him you will have to see this for the rest of your life."
It was then that Teela realized what was truly warped about this 'angel', "it's not your face that is deformed, but your soul."
"I am getting impatient with your stalling my dear, what is your decision…," he said pulling the noose and getting ready to kill the poor nobleman,
"you poor child of the dark, what type of deprived life have you had, may the Unknowable One give me the strength to do this…" she said as went up to Keldor and kissed him passionately.
Adam watched with a look of horror, shock, bewilderment, and disgust.
If Keldor had eyes he would be crying, he took his sword, and cut the Etherian Lasso to free Adam.
Just then Keldor heard something, it was an angry mob, no doubt, they had found about Adora's death and have come to avenge it along with the deaths of Ram-Man and Man-E-Faces.
He turned to the lovers and said woefully, "take her and leave here, don't let the mob find you"
Teela looked at him beckoning him to come with them, but he replied "Go, leave me here, take the boat there and vow that you will never tell anyone about me the Angel in Despondos" he said and seeing she was still there "GO NOW LEAVE ME!" he yelled.
Before she left, he gave her the gold ring she had lost "Teela I love you," he said as she left the room.
Once they were gone, he looked at his mask mockingly, "A Masquerade, that is what my life has been" he said in a sad voice.
He then turned to the mirrors that were in his lair, he got up took his Havok Staff and began to smash them in a fit of despair and final reconciliation with himself.
Once that was done, he took the unconscious Enforcer and moved him over to throne and then Keldor sat down on the throne, he could hear the mob approaching, so he hid himself and Zodak in his cloak.
When the mob arrived, the first to enter the room was Glimmer, Mme. Angella's daughter. She went over to the throne and pulled away the cloak only to reveal nothing the Phantom and Zodak were gone, all that was left was a black mask. She picked it up and ran her fingers across it's surface, then with the mask in her hands she went back to show the crowd what she found.
A few weeks later Zodak awoke, he found himself in his hut in the Ice Mountains. He wondered how he got here form the phantom's liar, but before he could answer his servant bow knocked on the door.
"Come in" Zodak said as Bow opened the door and entered the room.
"I am sorry to bother to bother you master by there is a man here to see you he refuses to show his face and give his name, shall tell him to leave?" Bow asked his master as he bowed respectfully.
"Let him in Bow" Zodak said as he sat up in bed, to await his guest.
Bow left and a few minutes later the guest entered the room, it was Keldor. He had another black mask on his face, to avoid anyone form looking at his face.
"Murderer of Countess Adora!" Zodak accused his visitor harshly; he knew that somehow the Phantom was responsible for her death.
"Her death was an accident, she fell out of the boat, I did not kill her," Keldor informed the Enforcer.
"You lie, monster!" Zodak shouted, he knew that Keldor was lying and wanted to Keldor admit that he killed her.
"I didn't come here to discuss Comtesse Adora!" the Phantom snapped angrily.
"Then why?" Zodak asked puzzled, why did the Phantom come here if not to admit to the murder of the Comtesse.
The Phantom slowly removed his mask and turned to the window, "I'm dying, Zodak" he said "I am dying of love, when Teela kissed me it was the first time I was kissed by a woman, and now because of that kiss I am going to die," he said in a voice that suggested that he was ready to die.
Zodak turned to look at Keldor in the eyes, but the Phantom told him not to look at his face.
The Phantom took a stack of papers from his cloak and placed them at the foot of the Enforcer's bed.
"Here are the papers relating to Teela Daaé, they will aid you in writing my life's story," he said looking out the window thoughtfully.
"Where are the soprano and the Vicomte de Grayskull?" Zodak asked him, he wanted to make sure they were okay and the Phantom did not hurt them.
"They are safe; I told them to leave and to forget what they had seen." Keldor informed Zodak. He sighed and told Zodak, "When I am dead, I want an announcement written in the Eternian Journal of the Arts reading 'Keldor is dead.'"
"I will do that," Zodak told him.
"Teela was given the rest of the instructions and she knows what do when she reads the announcement." He said as he placed his mask on his face again and headed to the door, "Farewell, Zodak" Keldor said as he opened the door and left.
Zodak looked out the window as the Phantom got in a carriage and left, Zodak knew that Keldor was not lying about dying, though he was ready to die, he could still detect the fear in his voice.
A few days later, Zodak received a telegram from a "Monsieur O.G." it read:
M. Zodak
I am on my last breath, by the time you receive this I will be dead, please follow out the instructions that I told you earlier. Farewell, my old friend.
Your Obedient Friend,
O.G.
Zodak did as Keldor requested, as soon as it was published in the Journal Teela went back to bury Keldor in an undisclosed location, he was buried with the gold ring he gave Teela.