About a month later, the opera house has been fixed up and the cast for the new opera: Madam Butterfly, has arrived. The Phantom is on the look out, hoping to soon be rid of his curse.
"Yes, hello everyone one thank you for all coming here today." The new owner of the Opera Populaire begins. His name is Devon and was born into a wealthy family from the United States. And The Phantom was right, he was used to having everything he wanted. "I'm glad that everyone made it and I hope your flights were enjoyable. I know that I told you all that you did not need to worry about accommodations during this production." A murmur of questioning confusion from the cast. "Don't worry, there are boarding rooms backstage here at the Opera House. I felt that we could all grow closer so that this production is more of a 'family' show. Now, I would like to introduce you to your leading soprano, Miss Jeslyn Sydell." The Phantom has a sudden sharp intake of breath as the girl stands up. She immediately fills the room with her presence as everyone goes silent, until a beautiful smile lights up her face. Everyone begins to clap and Erik quietly claps along. Jeslyn is even more beautiful than Christine. She has long blonde hair with dyed streaks of black piled in a messy bun on the back of her head. She has bright green eyes that sparkle like emeralds. She is average height, built very petitly but athletic none the less. Somehow though, Erik is reminded of Christine, in the way that she smiles. Once the meeting is adjourned, Devon takes her to her room where she is too stay. Erik follows in the shadows and too his distaste, Devon puts his arm around Jeslyn's shoulders. "Your room is rumored to be the same dressing room of the infamous Christine Daae, of course we don't know if that's true, but it does have a giant mirror. So make sure that no Phantoms are watching you while you change!" Devon jokingly teases Jeslyn. But Jeslyn isn't laughing.
"Whoever said that the tragedy of The Phantom of the Opera isn't true? I have heard that the chandelier from the disaster is still backstage. So I would watch what you say." The smile slides off of Devon's face as she gives him a cold stare. Erik suppresses a laugh, something he hasn't done in over 200 years.
"I must meet Jeslyn and talk to her in person." He mutters to himself, and disappears with a twirl of his cloak.
"What was that?" Devon asked, nervousness written all over his words.
"Now look what at you've done. You offended a spirit, you better watch yourself," is Jeslyn's cool response as she slams the door in Devon's face. "God, why do I always seem to attract the losers who are full of themselves," Jeslyn says to herself, "I wish that just for once I could meet a guy who would treat me with respect and love me for who I am and not how I look." Jeslyn wanders over to the vanity and suddenly stops. Sitting on the vanity is a single red rose with a black ribbon tied around it. "It can't be, he can't still be alive after all these years." Erik stares out of the two way mirror and listens to her one sided conversation.
"This isn't going to be as easy as I thought, she knows all about me." He turns around and heads back to his lair to think things over. He has to be much more careful of where he goes, now that there are once again people in the Opera House.