"Christopher, there's something in the mail for you," Rachel Daaé said as she handed her husband a letter. He was sitting on his sofa, reviewing some sheet music for a show he was going to perform in three month's time. It was just a simple song, nothing more than that. He hasn't performed an actual opera for years, especially since his most notable performance was Don Juan Triumphant and we all know how that went down.

He put down the sheet music and turned to his beautiful wife. She was cheery with her very elegant black and white dress, especially since it was his favorite dress on her. He smiled and asked, "From whom?"

"I don't know. There is no return address, but the postage stamps are from America. I wonder how they got your address."

"I'm a famous person, my dear. Someone must have found out, even at such a faraway distance," he said as he grabbed the letter. Just as she said, there was no return address, but could see multiple postal stamps, one being from a state called New York. He opened the letter and the first thing he noticed was the greeting: Dear Monsieur Daaé and family. He sighed.

"What's wrong," she asked with concern. She peaked at the letter in his hand and saw the greeting, but she was filled with bitter feelings. "I guess they haven't heard about my inability to . . . ," she said as she fought back tears. He put down the letter and hugged his dear wife. The last few years weren't as happy as he hoped. First, her brother died at the hands of a madman at the Opera Populaire, but his cousin Christine said it was all a big misunderstanding. Second, the Opera Populaire, which was supposed to be the better version of the Palais Garnier, suffered the same fate as its predecessor. It too burned down to the ground about seven years ago and it led everyone to believe that France was filled with phantoms. It caused a huge hysteria, but it has finally died down when there was no more strange occurrences. Third, they had to learn the sad fact that Rachel could not procreate. She was barren and couldn't give birth to any children. It was a difficult for her to accept it, but she finally did. The planned to adopt soon, but they haven't looked too much into it since he was always so busy with his performances. This was the first time in a long time that he had a break.

"It's all right, Rachel. Go ahead and make some tea for yourself. I'm sure you'll need something to calm your nerves," he said lovingly. She smiled and walked away to the kitchen. He continued reading the letter. "Fantôme? What an unusual name, even if it is a pseudonym. Coney Island? What an unusual place. I've only heard rumors of the oddities they have there." As he continued reading, he froze as he read, "I read that you were inspired by an angel". How did this Fantôme person know about his Angel of Music? Was that just a wild guess or did this person truly know? No, it couldn't have been a coincidence! This person must have known or at least seen . . .

"I made some jasmine tea. Would you like some," Rachel said as she carried a tray of tea cups and a pot to the table in front of Christopher.

"S-Sure," he said hesitantly.

She noticed his uneasiness and asked, "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing's the matter," he said as he poured himself some tea and drank it. "How would you feel about traveling to America?"

Her eyes widened at his question. "I wouldn't mind at all, but why do you ask?"

"This letter says a person by the name of Fantôme wants to hire me to perform something for his or her theater."

"Oh, that's great, my darling! How much are they going to pay you?"

"I don't know. It didn't say."

"Well, I hope it's a lot. We've got to keep bread on the table somehow," she said with a small smile. "When should we leave?"

"So, you're willing to go?"

"Of course! I would go anywhere for my dear husband. Besides, maybe you can convince that manager to let you perform an actual opera! That way, he or she has to pay you more money. We can pack our things tonight and leave first thing in the morning. Oh, this will be exciting," she said as she quickly left his side and headed for their bedroom to pack her things. He smiled, but returned back to the letter. Eventually, he was done reading it and sighed.

"I hope this is a clue and you'll be there, Erika."

The morning after the visit to Phantasma was filled with whispers from cast members and prop managers. Whenever Fantôme went on a date with Nadir, they always tried to figure out what happened. For ten years, he has courted her. Ten years! At this point, they could have married and had three kids. "I don't see why she doesn't allow herself to love him," an Italian man named a Monte said.

"Maybe he is not courting her the right way," a Spanish woman named Bianca said.

"How bad does he have to be for her not to fall in love with him?"

"Pretty bad, apparently."

"Don't y'all remember that she's married? She has a weddin' ring on her finger," a westerner named Jackson said.

"Then where is her husband," Monte asked.

"Who knows?"

"Do you think his last date went well," Bianca asked.

"I doubt it. I heard the two of them argue outside the theater," a French woman named Samara said. Yes, this was the same Samara that Erika had to replace during Don Juan Triumphant, but Erika saw that she had potential and offered her job at the Fantôme Theater. Lucky for her, Samara never saw her face or heard her voice, so she wouldn't know that Erika was the Phantom of the Opera.

"How did ya hear," Jackson said.

"I was the last one to leave, but I was close enough to hear them talk. I decided to eavesdrop and from what I heard, it didn't go well at all."

"Well, let's hope the next one will finally get her to love him," a cockney woman named Wendy said.

"What are you five talking about," a voice said. They all turned in fear and saw Fantôme looking right at them.

"We weren't talking about anything important," Monte lied.

"Are you sure? It seems you five are way too interested in my love life, or lack thereof."

"Is it wrong to be curious," Wendy asked, fearing her reaction.

She laughed. "I suppose not as long as it doesn't interfere with work. I want Jackson, Bianca, and Samara on stage in ten minutes and Wendy; I want you to make sure there aren't any props missing."

"Yes, Fantôme," the four of them said as they scurried off.

"Monte, how were ticket sales last week. I forgot to check on that," she said as she walked to him.

"Everything's fine. We've actually made more money than the week before. Though, it hasn't been our best month, I'm sure the tickets will sell out at next month's debut show."

"Thank you, Monte. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business I need to attend to in my office," she said as she walked away.

After a while of filling out papers and dealing with bills, Erika could hear the cast rehearse a new production written by Fantôme herself. It was to debut in about two weeks and a lot of preparations had to be made before then. The costumes were almost finished and there were one or two sceneries still being painted. The lines and musical numbers were rehearsed many times already that the musical, or that's what people called her non-operatic shows, was memorized like the back of every staff's hands.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, but she didn't respond since she knew who was behind the door. "Fantôme, can I come in?"

"I'm a little busy right now. Could you please come at another time," she said. However, she heard the doorknob move and somehow, the locked door opened and Nadir walked in. "What the hell? I thought I locked it!"

"I might have stolen a key from Madame Giry, but I have some news for you," Nadir said as he showed her a newspaper.

She took the paper out of his hand and asked, "What did you want to show me?"

"It's on page 3," he instructed. She turned the page and looked carefully at the page. It took a while for her to find the article he was talking about, but when she found it, she covered her mouth in shock.

A tragedy hits the European and Asian continents alike as one of their finest circus, Freaks of Nature, has burned to the ground on January 21 of this year. According to witnesses and performers of the circus, their last show was "one to remember", but not for the right reason as the Ring of Fire accidentally fell, causing it to fall toward the audience and quickly spreading the fire within the tent-covered attraction. However, firefighters could not extinguish the flames in time as the rest of the circus soon caught fire as well. While the audience left either unscathed or with minor injuries, some performers, including the ringleader who goes by the name of the Shah, were trapped within the flames, unable to escape. When interviewed, a few of the surviving performers claimed that this fire was no accident since there was resentment within the circus, especially toward the Shah. Further investigation will take place, but it is more likely to be caused by a simple accident and nothing more.

"I . . . I don't believe this," she finally said. Tears were forming in her eyes as the nightmare that tormented her all those years ago has finally ended and in the way she would have preferred. True, she never believed that violence was the answer, but what those bastards did to her was more than deserving of such a punishment and how fitting that flames were the ones to take away their pathetic lives. Plus, she always feared that the Shah would come after her since his assassin, who knew everything about him and even his weaknesses, was no longer under his control. That's one of the reasons why she hid in the shadows, but she no longer had to hide anymore, well, other than the obvious.

"I read it this morning and I had to show it to you," Nadir said with a smile. He knew all too well of the torment of the circus and thought that this good news would definitely free her from her nightmares.

"Thank you, Nadir," she said as she gave him a tight hug. This was the happiest she has been in a very long time. For Nadir, this hug was the closest he has ever gotten to being with the woman he loved.

"You're welcome." They hugged for a while, but she quickly pushed him off. "What's wrong?"

"I've been thinking about what you've said last night. I started to doubt if Christopher would come to me if he ever knew if I was here," she started to say, but he had the biggest smile on his face.

"Does that mean you will finally open your heart to me," he said as he puckered his lips and came in close, but he was blocked by forceful hands pushing him away.

"You didn't let me finish. I have thought about it, but he and I are still, well, married, I guess, and I made a promise to him that my heart would only belong to him-,"

"You two are not married," he said as he forcefully grabbed her arms, hurting her in the process.

"Stop it, Nadir! You're scaring me," Erika said with fear in her voice.

"I have been with you for the last ten years and this is the thanks I get," he yelled with his grip getting stronger.

"Nadir, let me go," she said as she pushed him off, but she pushed him so hard that he hit the wall with a mighty force. "Oh dear. Are you all right," she said with guilt.

"I'm fine," he sharply said to her as he slowly, but surely. Without another word, he left her side and slammed the door. Erika was left in shock by what just happened.

"What is wrong with him? He's never reacted this cruelly to me," she said with a sullen face. She sighed and looked toward a large object covered by a black cloth. She walked to it and stared at it for a bit before removing the cloth, revealing a large seven-foot mirror. She smiled when she saw her reflection in the mirror. It looked like a regular mirror, but behind it was a secret world where she and her daughter loved while the others were gone. "Just like old times."

A couple of weeks after they sent the letter, Nadir and Darius were walking around town, discussing various matters, but they noticed that the harbor was exceptionally crowded today. This was usually the case when a celebrity was arriving, but it seemed that there were even more people there than usual. Nadir walked up to a reporter and asked, "Excuse me, sir, but who are you waiting for?"

"Oh, don't you know? The Daaés are coming to Coney Island! Isn't that exciting," a reporter responded with a smile on his face. However, Nadir was in utter shock. That bastard actually came! He never thought that he would show up, but he has and in a quick time too. He and Darius stayed within the crowd to see the man Erika claimed to be in love with, but it took some time. Apparently, there were more celebrities on board and each one took their time getting off the ship.

After a while of waiting, Darius suggested, "He is going to be around town for a while, so why don't we just go to the shop and wait for him to show his face?"

"This is the man she claims to be in love with. I want to see his face and see exactly what he looks like. That way, it makes it easier for me to get him to get a shave from Annabel," Nadir explained.

"I get that he is your rival and all, but is it really warranting of his death? You don't even know him and he might be a nice guy." Nadir looked at him with a cold stare and Darius had to look away to avoid his gaze.

Finally, the moment they waited arrived. The paparazzi went crazy as a couple disembarked the ship. "Christopher and Rachel Daaé, what made you two come to Coney Island? Are you going to sing for us during your stay?"

"Hopefully he will," Rachel said with a smile as she held on to his arm tighter. He smiled as well, but one question caused his smile to fade.

"So, will you keep your wife in check? I mean, you won't let her go drinking, gambling, or shopping without your permission," a young man said.

"Stop insulting my wife. She is a human being, just like anyone else! She can fall into temptation once in a while, but that doesn't mean she is a bad person," Christopher said as he hugged her for her protection. Despite his answer to that hurtful question, she still hung her head in shame.

"How can you say that after she has brought shame on your name and has brought your fortune down? Those temptations don't just happen once in a while for her. They happen all the time!"

"Excuse me, sir, but I think that is a biased statement you just made. Aren't reporters suppose to be unbiased and only report the truth," Nadir asked.

The reporter looked down and scratched his head, but eventually, he stepped back toward the back of the crowd. After some time, Christopher and Rachel couldn't handle the paparazzi any longer and started running. The crowd followed them as they ran as fast as the couple could away from them. Eventually, they managed to find Penny Street where one door was open. They ran inside and Rachel quickly locked the door. Christopher closed the curtains and they could hear the crowd running past the building they were in. They both took deep breaths since they knew they were safe. The paparazzi were always annoying to deal with, but recently, they have been more persistent than ever. Ever since word let out that the Daaés were not as rich as they were in the past, they have wondered why and whenever they could, they would ask them. It didn't help that ever since her brother died and when Rachel learned the news of her barrenness, she had fallen into alcoholism, gambling addictions, and shopping binges, but no matter how much money she spent, she was never truly happy. Although she had Christopher for support, he only managed to bring back small smiles.

"Are you here for a shave," a British woman said from upstairs. They looked toward the stairs and saw a brunette woman with green eyes in a red dress. In her hand, she was holding a shiny silver razor.

"Sorry, mademoiselle, but we had to take refuge from the crowd outside," Christopher said with a smile. The woman only pouted as she came downstairs. "So this is a barbershop, I presume?"

"Yes, but it's also my home, so unless you want a shave, I suggest you leave now. My name is Annabel Lee, by the way," she said as she shook hands with the couple. "Those stupid people won't be coming back unless they know a good story is here. Besides, they'll give up and go right back to the harbor for a desperate attempt for a story."

"Oh, well, we'll be on our way then, but can you tell us where the Fantôme Theater is," Rachel asked.

Annabel's eyes lit up. "Fantôme Theater? There isn't a show playing for a few hours. You're a bit early to try and save a seat."

"Oh, we have a request from the manager to at least watch a show. If we're lucky, we can even get my husband a job."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Fantôme asked to see your husband? That must mean that you are Christopher Daaé, the great tenor singer!"

"Um, yes I am. I'm surprised you have heard about me," Christopher said as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"A friend of mine wrote, I mean, knows her personally. Maybe we can all get to know each other better after the show. I am dying to meet the man that owns that incredible voice. We can meet at a restaurant close to the theater. My dear friend, Nadir, can take you there after the show," she said with a smile. Fantôme is a woman, they asked in their heads.

"Oh, why don't you join us? I bet the show will be lovely if she has invited us to see it," Rachel said.

"I'm afraid that Fantôme doesn't like me very much. You see, about a year ago or so, I made her very upset and we haven't been able to get along since. It's a shame, really, since Nadir loves her, but she has never loved him back," Annabel said with a somber tone.

"Oh, that's tragic," he said. Those words seemed all too familiar to him. He couldn't imagine the pain Erika had felt when he saw the two of them kiss on that balcony all those years ago. Now, a similar fate has fallen onto another, but it couldn't be as unusual as their circumstances.

"Indeed. The poor chap has tried to win her heart for ten years, but Fantôme says her heart will always belong to another, despite he has married another." Christopher looked at her with curiously. Her heart belonged to another? Ten years ago?

"Well, I know my dear Christopher and I would be very happy to meet you at the restaurant later tonight," Rachel said as she grabbed Christopher's arm and suddenly pulled it close to her, almost making him fall.

"I'll look forward to it and if you ever want a shave, you can always stop by. My shop is always open, even in the late hours," Annabel advertised with a wicked grin.

Hours passed and it was finally time to see the show. Christopher and Rachel dressed formally and were on their way to the Fantôme Theater, but they were met by a Persian man and his servant at the front door of the theater. "Oh, you two must be Christopher and Rachel Daaé. I am Nadir and this is my servant, Darius. I believe you have met my dear friend, Annabel Lee, in her barbershop."

"Well, Nadir, nice to meet you," Christopher said as he shook the man's hand. "I'm sad to see that Annabel couldn't join us."

"Well, if she were to join us, I'm afraid her personality would cause Fantôme to ask us to leave. We'll just meet her after the show," Nadir said with a smile as he handed the couple their tickets. "Don't worry about paying me back. It's an honor just to be sitting next to the Daaés."

"Let's find our seats. We have the best seats in the house," Darius said as he opened the doors to let the three of them in. Once they found their seats on the mezzanine floor, Rachel chatted with Darius and Nadir about their trip to America from the delicious food to the many activities. However, Christopher didn't talk much. He was suspicious of Nadir, but he couldn't figure out why. He seemed to be trustworthy, but something about his eager decision to accompany them rubbed him the wrong way. The same could go for Annabel Lee. What could she have possibly done for Fantôme to hate her?

Christopher looked around a bit and enjoyed the decor inside. It was a dark building with gold trim, but candles lit the room perfectly, not too bright and not too dark. There were many paintings of famous performers ranging from musicians to singers, but what caught his eye were two paintings close to the stage. They were larger than the rest of the paintings and they had their own gold frames, indicating that these two musicians were very influential. The two men portrayed were two violinists, but the names were too familiar. The one on the right was Gustave Daaé, his father, but the one on the left was someone he wouldn't have heard of if he never found Erika at the cemetery: Giovanni Destler. He looked around a bit more and noticed that they were close to a box, but it was further out then the mezzanine floor. In fact, unless you really tried to look, it was impossible to see inside.

"That's Box 5, Fantôme's personal box. She doesn't allow anyone to sit in there except a select few," Nadir said.

Both Rachel and Christopher's eyes widened at the sound of the number. "Box 5, you say," she asked.

"I'll admit it's an odd number. It's the only box in the entire theater, but it's still number 5." She looked at her husband and he could tell what she was thinking.

He pulled her close to him and whispered, "It couldn't possibly be her. She wouldn't try to lure me here since she wanted me to be with you."

Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched voice in Box 5, saying "When will the show start?"

"Be patient, darling. It won't be long," a familiar voice said, but it wasn't heard because Nadir interrupted them. He knew if he heard her voice, he would try to see her and his plan would fall apart.

"That must be Diana," he said simultaneously to the other voice, but a lot louder.

"Who's Diana," Rachel asked.

"She is a little girl that belongs to one of the cast members. I don't remember who she belongs to, exactly," he lied.

"Why is she in Box 5 then?"

"Fantôme wants to give her a good seat to watch her mother perform," he lied. Christopher didn't fully believe that lie. He thought he was hiding something, but didn't want to interrogate him.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the show was about to start. The music started to play and the show was about a young married man and his lovely wife, but a devil lusts for the wife to the point he offers him a deal that he can give the man anything he wanted only if he could have his wife, but the man says no. In anger, the devil makes his life a living hell. He loses his job, catches a very painful disease, and soon, he and the wife must survive on the streets, but despite all this, his wife never leaves him. Normally, these circumstances would cause any other woman to leave, but she truly loves her husband. Filled with rage, the devil kidnaps the wife and takes her to hell, forcing the man to journey there to save his wife. When he does eventually meet face to face with the devil, he challenges him to a duel. If the man wins, he can have his wife and the devil must leave them alone. If the devil wins, not only will he have the wife, but he will have his soul as well. It is an old fashion sword duel and even though it seems like an unfair fight, the man wins. The devil is upset by the results, but abides by the rules of the game and accepts defeat. The wife feels bad and gives the devil a kiss on the cheek, which causes the devil to be so moved that not only does he let him go, but he lifts the curse on his life, letting them all live happily ever after.

The show itself was intriguing. There were many musical and dance numbers, but in between, there was dialogue, which differed greatly from a regular opera. Usually, it was all sung without dialogue, but this show was different. Maybe that's why so many come to see the show. It certainly caught Christopher's attention. He has seen this once before with Don Juan Triumphant.

After the show finished, everyone stood in a standing ovation. There were whistles and cheers all around. Even the little girl in Box 5 was clapping loudly and cheering for the performers on stage. He examined her cheers carefully to see who the mother of this child was, thinking she'll cheer louder for her mother, but her cheers all sounded the same. Once the cheers finally died down, Christopher said, "I'll catch up to you three in a bit. I want to speak with Fantôme."

"I wouldn't advise that. She is a very busy woman that has a lot of work to do," Nadir said.

"She sent me the letter saying that she wanted to see me. Maybe she can make some time for me," he said as he left them and into the crowd leaving the building, but he was going toward the stage.

"I hope he can convince her to let him perform here. We need the money," Rachel said with a slightly sad tone.

"Well, would the lady like something from the bar," Darius asked.

"Oh yes please. Choose whatever you think would please me. I'm not picky with my liquor."

"Understood," Darius said, but was stopped by Nadir.

"Make sure he doesn't find her," he whispered in his ear. "We both know what happens if he does."

"Yes sir," he said as he left their side to the "bar".

Once he was gone, Nadir held out his hand and said, "I don't think you would like to stay out here. I requested my servant to find Christopher and tell him well be waiting for him at the bar. Darius will meet us there."