Reira

"Why me?"

Grace stood at the opposite end of her bedroom, sulking and full of self-doubt again.

Zeno looked up curiously. "Why you what?" he asked, climbing into the bed.

Grace looked down and grabbed at the hem of her pajama shirt. The softness and coziness of the cotton wasn't enough to give her comfort. "Wh-Why me? Wh-wh-what do you even see in me?"

She released Elpis, as intended, though it wasn't the game-changing weapon everyone believed. That wasn't her fault. All she did was figure out the password, and the single greatest vaccine ever created was unleashed to the world. As far as she knew, the Connections was done with her.

And as far as she could tell, Zeno never lied to her.

Grace could feel him studying her critically, as he always did whenever she needed answers. It made her feel better and worse about her feelings. Better to be judged by the literal killing machine, and worse if he reassured her insecurities.

"Come here." Zeno patted the empty side of the bed meant for Grace.

Grace flinched, but crawled into bed nervously. Sharing a bed with Zeno wasn't the problem…not any more. He had a warm heart, but a stern mind; and it was his sternness that made her nervous.

"Do you know why I keep coming back here?" Zeno asked, settling himself under the covers.

"No."

Zeno wriggled himself close to Grace's neck. He ran cooler than a normal human, Grace knew that, but he always felt as welcoming as a gentle breeze during the harshness of summer. Zeno wrapped his arms around Grace's torso. "It's because I feel safe with you."

Grace stiffened. "M-Me!?"

"Yes, you." Zeno sighed sleepily, contently.

"B-But, Zeno! I'm not…" Grace wasn't sure which word to pick to end her sentence. She wasn't strong, like Zeno. She wasn't rich, like Zeno. She wasn't even close to Zeno's league. "I'm not special. I told you that. I'm nothing extraordinary…"

She finally said it, the thing that bothered her the most about their relationship. She was nothing compared to Zeno. He was strong and rich, and special. Meanwhile, Grace was just Grace.

Zeno opened his black and gold eyes, and looked up at Grace. He studied her critically again. Then, his eyes softened. He reached for the side of Grace's face and gently cupped her cheek. "You're plenty extraordinary to me."

"Why me?"

Grace stood at the opposite end of her bedroom, sulking and full of self-doubt again.

Zeno looked up curiously. "Why you what?" he asked, climbing into the bed.

Grace looked down and grabbed at the hem of her pajama shirt. The softness and coziness of the cotton wasn't enough to give her comfort. "Wh-Why me? Wh-wh-what do you even see in me?"

She released Elpis, as intended, though it wasn't the game-changing weapon everyone believed. That wasn't her fault. All she did was figure out the password, and the single greatest vaccine ever created was unleashed to the world. As far as she knew, the Connections was done with her.

And as far as she could tell, Zeno never lied to her.

Grace could feel him studying her critically, as he always did whenever she needed answers. It made her feel better and worse about her feelings. Better to be judged by the literal killing machine, and worse if he reassured her insecurities.

"Come here." Zeno patted the empty side of the bed meant for Grace.

Grace flinched, but crawled into bed nervously. Sharing a bed with Zeno wasn't the problem…not any more. He had a warm heart, but a stern mind; and it was his sternness that made her nervous.

"Do you know why I keep coming back here?" Zeno asked, settling himself under the covers.

"No."

Zeno wriggled himself close to Grace's neck. He ran cooler than a normal human, Grace knew that, but he always felt as welcoming as a gentle breeze during the harshness of summer. Zeno wrapped his arms around Grace's torso. "It's because I feel safe with you."

Grace stiffened. "M-Me!?"

"Yes, you." Zeno sighed sleepily, contently.

"B-But, Zeno! I'm not…" Grace wasn't sure which word to pick to end her sentence. She wasn't strong, like Zeno. She wasn't rich, like Zeno. She wasn't even close to Zeno's league. "I'm not special. I told you that. I'm nothing extraordinary…"

She finally said it, the thing that bothered her the most about their relationship. She was nothing compared to Zeno. He was strong and rich, and special. Meanwhile, Grace was just Grace.

Zeno opened his black and gold eyes, and looked up at Grace. He studied her critically again. Then, his eyes softened. He reached for the side of Grace's face and gently cupped her cheek. "You're plenty extraordinary to me."

Long ago there was a little boy with a strange scar on one side of his face. He had no parents and spent most of his life on the streets. Because of his appearance, he had to hide, because whenever he tried to approach someone, screams would erupt. He quickly became a local attraction at the local circus, where people would practically look away upon seeing him. He was a freak, especially when he stared into space with his blue eyes for so long. He was treated worse than an animal there. The circus owner himself, known for collecting people with strange ailments, mocked them. Everything changed that one day when, called a Phantom by everyone, he simply disappeared. It happened so quickly that no one could react… Since then, no one knows what happened to him. The End

The children gathered in the circle looked terrified as they heard Leon's story. They couldn't have expected this ending to a story Grace already knew. She'd never thought of this boy as someone to be feared…in fact, she felt sorry for him. Since her mother died, Leon, who had previously been just an uncle, had now become something of a father figure. He tried his best, even though sometimes he struggled with fatherhood.

The blonde looked at the children who were hugging each other, probably imagining what this terrifying person looked like.

“How many times have I told you not to tell them that?” She said with mock reproach to him, and he just laughed to himself.

“They asked me to tell them a scary story, so that’s what I did,” he explained, seemingly not realizing he had done something wrong.

She rolled her eyes and immediately crouched down to get closer to them.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine…it’s just a story to scare naughty children.” She wanted to calm them down and wrapped her arms around them.

“What if he actually shows up on the street someday?” one child asked with concern in his voice.

“Then Uncle Leon will surely save you, right?” She looked at him as if to reassure herself.

"Of course... now come on, I'll take you home," he said, feeling guilty for even telling them anything at all. The town they lived in was really small, and everyone knew each other. Consequently, neighbors often entrusted someone to look after their children, and that someone was usually Leon. He might not look like someone good with children, but when he started telling stories from his youth, they could sit and listen without moving. He was a retired soldier who had seen a lot firsthand. If it weren't for that one leg injury, he probably would have continued doing it. Grace watched him leave with the group of children for a moment, then went into the house. It was modest, but truly cozy. She remembered clearly the moment when her mother died just seven years ago. She had never met her father, so she was immediately placed under Leon's care. The beginning wasn't the best, as she was very reserved and withdrawn, and even for a long time, it was difficult to interest her in anything. Now that she was an adult, she could say she'd come to terms with her loss, but she still thought of her often. In her room, on one of the shelves, there was a an paiting of her mother wearing an elegant outfit .

For as long as she could remember, Grace had been involved with opera in some way, especially because her mother often attended performances. However, she was never the main prima donna, always on the sidelines. Her daughter wanted to change that because, following in her footsteps, she wanted to be the best. A mysterious angel, the musician, as he called himself, would help her with this. Lessons usually took place when the opera wasn't in use. Grace was then left alone and felt as if someone was answering her… She didn't think long about whether this was actually true or if she was just imagining things. The best part was that these lessons were truly helping her. She wasn't starting from scratch, but as the angel of music himself admitted, she could always become better at whatever he wanted to help her with. She was surprised how, after their first lesson, he didn't want any payment from her; he only wanted to hear her beautiful voice sing. She hadn't been able to see her teacher once, but she thought there was no point in pressing him. She'd gained trust in him because he'd mentioned her mother, whom he'd known back in her glory days here. She tried to distract herself for a moment from the fact that she soon had a major role in one of the plays. It wasn't a leading role, but even these smaller roles made her nervous.

Today started really early for Grace. It was a dress rehearsal at the opera, but something was off from the start. It was impossible not to notice that the leading lady was losing her voice more and more with each passing moment, even though she tried to convince everyone else otherwise.

"Maybe we should take a break? And give our vocal cords a rest," suggested one of the men organizing the rehearsal.

"Are you trying to tell me I'm not good enough? You'll see, it's just a temporary inconvenience." She replied confidently, coughing softly, but agreeing to the break. The blonde watched with uncertainty in her eyes, immediately wondering what would happen next if her voice wasn't perfect? After all, she was the best and certainly wouldn't agree to anyone replacing her. She'd been performing on stage for more years than Grace had at that point, so she concluded that she already had a high position here. She, on the other hand, was just taking her first steps... She'd always had a supporting role, even a minor one.

The angel of music made her believe she could have more... She couldn't count on one hand the number of times she'd heard him praise her singing. She'd never taken any lessons before and was self-taught. For a moment, she drifted off into her thoughts, but the sudden return of the prima donna sobered her. She smoothed down her modest dress and immediately found herself where she'd been before the break. And next to her was a whole row of young girls, meant to act as background vocals for the lead singer. When she began to sing, the screeching voice of a woman determined to prove she could sing at all costs filled the opera. Grace frowned and covered her ears slightly, unable to listen to the woman's singing, which sounded worse with each passing moment.

The man who was in charge of coordination looked displeased and was about to open his mouth to say something when she interrupted him.

“Don’t even say anything…it’s a complete disaster!” She started coughing again, as if she thought it would somehow help.

"I didn't want to say this... but we absolutely need a replacement, after all, we don't want your voice to get any worse, right?" He said to her calmly, because he knew how grumpy and moody she could be. Because of her position, she often took liberties.

She only huffed in response, walking off the stage completely humiliated, but then the girl who knew Grace privately said to the man.

"Maybe she should sing? I really don't know why she doesn't do it more often..." She smiled gently, but she realized he might disagree, though in the current situation, what choice did he have?

"So let's see what you can do...Grace." He said this, sending shivers down her spine. Usually, when she sang on stage, she sang as a backup singer, blending into the background with the other voices, but when she was supposed to be the lead, it was a different story. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, beginning to sing. It was a calm melody, one she already knew by heart from being in the chorus. Her soft voice echoed throughout the opera house, reaching the Phantom's ears. He smiled to himself, feeling proud that she had dared to sing for the first time and that this was a step towards positive change.

He had never hidden his dislike for the actual prima donna, whom he believed was past her prime and should give Grace a chance. During her short performance, there was complete silence, with everyone listening intently to the song, yet it was the man who was most shocked. He would never have considered her before, because she never wanted to be the center of attention, usually somewhere in the background, but now he felt like he'd found a true diamond in the rough. When she finished, she looked at him, waiting for what he would say, even though it was short. She felt her palms sweating.

“That was…wonderful.” He finally managed to stutter out to her, but then added, “So we already have the lead role cast…”

She stood there for a moment longer, not expecting what she had just heard, yet despite her apprehension, she was ready. So, as the opera house filled with people, she peeked a little behind the curtains, but immediately regretted it. Today was her big day, and in front of such an audience. She wore an embellished dress covered in crystals, and she was significantly different from the other girls. She felt simply beautiful. Seeing her expression after realizing how many people would be watching her, girl near tried to comfort her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey...everything's going to be okay, right? I know it's quite a lot of people, but remember, I'm right there." She smiled faintly at her.

“I hope so… I don’t want to disappoint anyone, after all, I’m replacing the most famous prima donna.” She tried to joke to loosen up a bit.

“And you won’t disappoint… I’ve heard you sing. Who taught you that?” She tilted her head slightly to the side with a curious expression.

“The Angel of Music.” She replied in all seriousness, knowing it sounded very mysterious, but she hadn’t yet learned his real name.

The girl across from her looked momentarily thrown off-kilter, but then she nodded. Finally, when they took the stage, Grace was the one trying to find Leon somewhere in the crowd. Since she had the lead role, she sang most of the time, especially the solo, where her voice was clearly audible. Now, in this whole setting, her voice sounded truly angelic. Despite her fear, her voice didn't waver for a moment. Finally, she was focused, looking at Leon, and he just smiled at her. She felt a sense of pride inside, knowing that someone had finally noticed her and given her the lead role instead of what had been the case before. Today, it wasn't just him watching the performance, but the Phantom was watching too.

He was in the center of the lodge, hidden in the shadows. He rarely left his comfort zone, but today he felt the need to see his student perform in person. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself be carried away by the words Grace sang, unaware she was being watched. He toyed with the knowledge that she had never seen him. Of course, there was one reason: he considered her a good person, but he still feared how she would react to him. He remembered vividly the moments when people had averted their gaze and fled in terror. He wouldn't want her to flee, so at first he'd tried to gain her trust through their singing lessons. It wasn't difficult, because she was truly naive and a little too gullible, especially since he'd mentioned he knew her mother personally. He'd never even spoken to her, but she'd believed him.

For a moment, Grace's eyes met his… She continued singing, unaware. But he felt his heart stop for a moment. He had already doubted he was even capable of feeling such emotions… but now, seeing her so beautiful in that pink dress, that changed. She was simply perfect. The thought of any man liking her made him clench his fists. No one else deserved her. When the performance ended, he reluctantly left, knowing someone might notice him. Loud applause erupted throughout the hall, and Grace, standing there, felt dazed.

She hadn't expected so many people to enjoy her singing, but the one applauding the loudest was Leon himself. He smiled wider at this, but when the curtain fell, she immediately headed for the dressing room. She was still so overcome with emotion that she shed a few tears. She found herself in front of an ornate dressing table, where she began to wipe her eyes with the corner of her hand. She heard the din of conversation and congratulations beyond the door. But Leon, determined to be the first to arrive, entered. He smiled broadly at her, clutching a bouquet of red roses.

“You were wonderful… How about going out for a nice dinner once you get ready?” He suggested, and she took the flowers from him, placing them in a nearby vase.

“That's a really good idea…give me fifteen minutes and wait and if you could get out because I'd like to change, you know.” She laughed lightly, and he immediately understood and left. She was left alone again. She stared at the roses as she removed the pearls from around her neck. Over the continuing noise, she didn't even hear the door being locked from the inside. Then a familiar voice spoke…but this time it seemed really close.

“You are definitely better than that whiny prima donna… I am proud of you.”

For a moment her hands froze in the air, not expecting to hear from him, but then she looked back.

“Angel of music…where are you?” However, where she looked, she couldn’t see him, but the voice was even more audible. She turned her gaze to the mirror, removing the gold star ornaments from her hair, and at first she didn’t notice him appear behind her. He looked as if he were in a fog, but he took a step forward as he spoke.

“If you don't mind, I'd like to show you something.” She only just noticed him and felt her heart skip a beat. She immediately stood up, staring at him. She had expected someone completely different…after all, the locals had described him as someone with a nasty face. But to Grace, that wasn't the case. She immediately noticed his eyes, a light blue, like a calm sea in the morning.

At first she couldn't believe what she saw as she took a step forward.

"What do you want to show me? I don't have much time..." she said, as if sad, yet unable to tear her gaze from his. And he didn't take this staring as a good sign... but rather, he was counting down in his head until she would scream out loud in fear.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." He replied to her in a whisper, and immediately a special mechanism activated, and a secret passage she hadn't known existed appeared in the wall. For a moment, she stood still, but then she felt his hand, wrapped in a leather glove, gently grasp hers. He pulled her inside, leading her through a narrow corridor. Grace felt her heart beat faster and faster. That strange excitement was the same as when she saw her teacher for the first time. But she decided to ask along the way.

“Angel of music…do you have a name?” Maybe it was risky, but she wanted to know it.

For a long moment, he didn't answer her, and she began to lose hope that she would know the answer to her question, but when he suddenly stopped, he answered.

“Zeno.” Where he stopped was the end of the road and a boat was ready to take them to the other end.

She looked at it, a little unsure if she should even be there, but he immediately helped her inside so she wouldn't fall into the water.

She sat down comfortably, and he began to row forward. All the while, the blonde couldn't believe that there were vaults beneath the opera house, and that someone like Zeno lived there.

“In sleep he sang to me in dreams he came.” She started singing, focused on him, but she didn’t expect him to join in at some point.

“Sing once again with me, our strange duet.” Their voices echoed perfectly through the empty basement. The blonde looked fascinated, yet terrified of where they were going. She thought she knew the Phantom…or rather, Zeno, but she had only heard his voice so far. They sang together until he stopped the boat at the shore, and he stepped off first, then offered her his hand. He helped her out, making sure she didn't get her dress wet, and led her forward. She noticed there was a bed and a few of his personal belongings by a small mirror.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said, sitting down on one of the chairs, and the girl couldn't stop looking around. She wondered how he had managed to survive here for so many years…all alone. Instantly, she felt sorry for him, because she couldn't even imagine what it would be like if Leon were no longer in her life.

“This is where you spend most of your time, right?” she asked timidly, taking a step toward him. Instead, he reached for a nearby sheet of music, which he was reading quite carefully. He didn't even glance at her as he answered.

“That’s right…people are afraid of me and point fingers at me, but here I’m safe.” He sighed quietly and reached for the writing pen, intending to write something more.

Everyone around her said he was so scary, but she didn't feel it... she even started to wonder what he looked like without the mask. Maybe she didn't think twice before, and while he was so busy, she reached out and dropped it to the floor in shock.

The reaction was almost immediate: he placed his hand there and stood up, looking in her direction.

“What have you done?!” It happened so quickly that she couldn’t even see the scar, and now she truly felt terrified. She’d heard his scream for the first time, and just before fainting, she’d seen him approaching her, angry. Her body slumped gently to the floor, seemingly overwhelmed by all the emotions. The moment it happened, all the anger seemed to vanish. He should have expected her to react this way to his appearance. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed. He lifted his mask, placed it over his face, and sat down in the chair again, keeping Grace in sight. Meanwhile, upstairs, Leon was starting to worry because she was supposed to arrive a few minutes ago, and she still hadn’t arrived. He walked confidently inside, easily finding the door behind which she should be. He pulled the handle, but immediately felt resistance. He frowned and tried the door again, then knocked, saying:

“Grace, are you okay?” He repeated the question a few more times, but silence answered him. He realized she must have left, so he started searching for her throughout the opera house, asking the friends she sang with if they had seen her. But none of them were able to help him. He left the building, resigned and worried. He feels like he's at a dead end, but he also don't want to be idle in all this. When he got home, somewhere deep inside he prayed that she would show up here tomorrow, safe and sound.

Grace woke up only a few hours later, more tired than before. She slowly opened her eyes, looking around the unfamiliar room. When her vision cleared a bit, she immediately remembered where she was. She quickly got out of the bed, which belonged to Zeno, but he wasn't there. She was surprised by his behavior yesterday he'd had such a temper tantrum, yet he'd been gentle with her, placing her on his bed. She was still wearing yesterday's dress, which meant he hadn't even touched her in any inappropriate way.

She pulled back the bed curtain a little and found him at the organ, apparently testing out the sound of a newly written melody.

"Angel of the Musi—I mean Zeno…Can I go back upstairs? I'm sure Leon is worried about me," she said calmly, using his name deliberately. Hearing this, he turned very slowly to face her.

She could see a momentary hesitation in his eyes… after all, no one had been here for years, and he might not have felt so alone for a few hours.

He understood, however, that he couldn't keep her here, because then she would completely lose her trust for him.

Without a word, he rose from his seat and, as before, led her by the hand to the boat. This time, they traveled the distance in silence. The blonde pondered for a long time, wondering if her curiosity had somehow damaged something between them…what if he didn't want to teach her now? She wanted to slap herself for getting carried away. Only then did she gather the courage to ask as they walked down the narrow corridor to the room.

“Sorry about yesterday…will you still give me singing lessons?” There was a long moment of silence, and she was beginning to doubt he would agree when he finally spoke.

“Don’t ever try something like that again… I couldn’t lose my most talented student .” A smile played on his lips for a split second. And she breathed a sigh of relief, because she truly admired him for seeing that she was becoming more successful since he was teaching her.

He stopped at the very entrance and simply said:

“See you later, Grace.” She watched him silently for a moment, unable to believe this wasn't a dream and that the Angel of Music was real. Now she had to cover up any trace of the secret passage ever existing here. She left the room quietly, seeing that it was still early for more people to arrive. One of the cleaning ladies was surprised to see her there, especially in the dress she'd worn yesterday.

“What are you doing here, miss?” she asked for a moment, setting the broom aside.

She had to think of an excuse quickly and this immediately came to mind.

"The door to my room slammed shut, and I had to stay the night... but I'm leaving now." She smiled faintly and quickly walked past her. She wouldn't want her to notice that her jaw was starting to tremble a little. After all, she didn't usually lie. Now her priority was getting home, where a worried Leon would surely be waiting for her. After a few minutes in the carriage, she finally reached the front door. She knocked timidly, sensing he might still be asleep, but he quickly opened the door and pulled her into a hug.

“I was so worried…where were you?” He let her inside, where breakfast was already ready on the table.

She knew that trying to lie in front of him would be risky, but she had to take the risk.

“When I tried to leave, the door slammed shut and I had to stay the night… I was so scared, you know!” She said it as if she had actually been left alone in the room all night. She had left that lavish gown there and was wearing the more modest one again. Hearing that, he stared into her eyes, but only for a moment, and then said.

“I guess…and now help yourself.” He gestured to the prepared food. Grace, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief that he had bought her explanation, and then began to eat.

The following days were as intense for her as the previous ones. Now that she knew his name and what he looked like, he didn't have to hide from her. Their encounters became more…intimate than before, when he was just a voice. She'd stay a little after hours, after everyone had left the opera, and then he'd emerge from the darkness. She'd immediately noticed his almost panicky fear of meeting anyone but her. She concluded that no one probably even knew the angel of music lived in the underworld. He'd gotten angry with her once, but then he'd revert to his gentle self.

They sat in the back seats and he kept a safe distance from her.

“I feel that thanks to you, this opera can truly come alive… what you sang was like a return to the days when your mother was famous,” he said, the corner of his mouth curling slightly upward.

“Wait, you knew my mother personally?” She completely ignored his compliment and added, “How old are you, exactly?” When she finished the sentence, she began to examine him closely, searching for wrinkles in his pale skin.

“Personally, no…but like you, she had a great talent for singing, and I only helped her develop it. As for the second question…” He sighed softly and looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied. “I didn’t count it…I stopped when I got out of the circus, and it was like that Zeno died.” He explained, and she frowned slightly. That didn’t answer her question.

“Circus?” She asked, because the scary story Leon was telling made her think he had made it up, but it was so similar.

“Exactly…I don’t remember much of what happened, but the way people looked at me is forever etched in my memory.” He reached for his mask, making sure it stayed in place. “I didn’t want you to see that…you would definitely have reacted like those people.”

She was the first to move a little closer to him and speak with calmness in her voice.

“I was never afraid of you…even though everyone around me describes you as a monster, you were never one to me.” She whispered to him, feeling her eyes water. Perhaps it was a flaw, but it didn’t take much to move her.

Hearing her words, he frowned and was the one who moved away a little.

“You would change your mind if I took off my mask.” He was stubborn about it, but she believed that no matter how it looked, it didn't change her mind about him.

She made no move towards him, just waited to see if he would dare come back.

"I wouldn't change it, and I'm sure of it," she said confidently. Ever since she saw him, she'd wondered what that scar might look like and, most importantly, how it came to be. No one cared; all that mattered was that he was repulsive. No one saw him as a child who tragically ended up as a circus attraction. No one blamed the man who ran him for exposing these people in it ridicule in the first place.

They stared at each other in silence. Grace knew she was treading on thin ice, because if anyone found out she was talking to the Phantom, gossip would immediately start. And worst of all, Leon would probably forbid her from seeing him. When she asked about the Phantom, he usually reacted quite nervously and told another story, suggesting that Zeno was supposedly a terror among young girls. Not just because of his face, but because he supposedly kidnapped them and held them against that girls will in the basement where she'd last been. Finally, he let it out. Who was right?

These daily meetings after rehearsals for the next play were routine. When it came to being unable to attend the opera at all, she felt… strangely incomplete, as if a crucial element were missing from her day. That's why she tried to miss these meetings as little as possible; simply being with him was somehow fascinating. This didn't go unnoticed by Leon, who noticed how Grace increasingly looked pensive, leaving the house, saying she was going to meet someone, only to return in the evening. At first, he thought she might have fallen in love with someone and wanted to hide the fact from him. But nothing could be hidden from him. One day, he decided to ask her directly.

"Grace, are you seeing someone? I feel like your mind is wandering off more and more often, disappearing so often..." He said, folding his arms, and she instantly felt embarrassed. She hadn't thought it was that obvious, but she honestly couldn't get the image of Zeno out of her head. She'd been appearing in his special place more and more often, and they could sit in complete silence. It was still a valuable time for her... because it was with him.

“You know how it is…” She laughed nervously, knowing he wouldn’t like who she was dating.

“So who is this?” He was determined to find out everything about him, including his shoe size. When she said this, she felt lost for words, having not anticipated this situation, so she quickly blurted out a boy’s name.

"Artur, the dark-haired one," she said, hoping he wouldn't press the matter further. He didn't say anything more, but he remembered the name exactly. She didn't yet know that this lie would be exposed.

Grace met the Phantom once again, but from the very beginning, something had changed. She saw the way he looked at her…as if at his personal muse. His reason to continue making music.

She also looked at him differently, no longer as a teacher… but as a man. The mask never bothered her; in fact, she thought it added to his charm. They hid in one of the rooms, just in case, because sometimes someone else came in. Once inside, he pulled a necklace with a gold pendant from his pocket.

“I want to give you something…Grace.” He confessed with a slight smile, giving her a moment to examine the trinket. It immediately caught her eye, but then realization struck.

“I can’t accept this…really.” She replied calmly, seeing his expression change…into disappointment?

"You're special to me... I'd like to give you a gift. Don't let me ask you any longer." He explained, and in a moment he was behind her. As if by chance, his hand touched the back of her neck. The moment it happened, she felt her heart skip a beat, and she watched him put on her jewelry in the mirror. Today she was wearing a slightly off-the-shoulder dress, and when he finished putting on her necklace, he placed one of his hands there.

“It suits you.” He smiled gently, and again his hands seemed to accidentally touch her hips. She hadn't expected it, but she didn't back down, staring at their reflection in the mirror.

Seeing her reaction, he placed his hands there a little more confidently, gently moving them upwards.

She turned to face him, confessing.

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to meet like this again…regularly,” she said with obvious sadness, knowing how much rehearsing for another play was draining her. So much so that she often just wanted to go to sleep. She didn’t have a specific role, but she still wanted to give it her all.

"You mean that old toad who can't sing? I'll take care of that," he said with seriousness in his voice.

“This is Madame Edith…don’t talk about her like that, and I hope you won’t do anything stupid, right?” she said, only now beginning to piece the sentence together. Yes, she was truly fed up with this woman at times, but at the end of the day, she wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

“Of course not, where did you even get the idea that I could do that?” He immediately replied in an incredibly composed voice that didn’t even shake the slightest during his lie.

He didn't understand why no one could see how talented Grace was...and she wasn't even fighting to play the lead role.

She looked into his eyes again, which, as always, were looking at her with extraordinary gentleness…even after that one incident. He couldn't stay angry with her for long; she was his little swan , after all . Their faces were practically centimeters apart when suddenly the door to the building burst open with a loud bang, and Leon's voice echoed throughout the building. Of course he was looking for her… To say he was angry was an understatement.

“He can’t see you… Please wait here, I’ll handle this.” Grace said, then left the room, immediately finding the other man.

“When were you going to tell me that Arthur was just a cover?” Despite the anger that was boiling inside him, he didn’t raise his voice at her…he was more disappointed that she had started lying in the first place.

“What, but how?” She adopted a technique to pretend she had no idea what he was talking about, but immediately he rolled eyes.

"I was worried about you because you left the house before noon, and it's already evening, and you're still no here, so I went to see him, and he said you don't even know each other." He explained, and Grace felt the color drain from her face. She hadn't even thought about it. His gaze immediately focused on the necklace that glittered delicately around the blonde's neck.

“And who is this from?” Instead, Zeno answered, speaking to Leon in the same way he once did to Grace from somewhere above.

“From me,” he said it fully, realizing the consequences.

“You…monster!” The brunette shouted at him, clenching his fists. “Leave her alone, she’s still so young… she has her whole life ahead of her!”

The blonde, however, stood somewhere in between, shifting her gaze from one to the other.

"How many more times am I going to hear that name? Come up with something more original...and Grace is an adult and can make her own decisions, and one of them is that she wants to spend time with me ." He laughed at the end, feeling like she was triumphing over him.

Her adoptive father stood in front of her as if he wanted to protect her with his body.

“For someone with such a sharp tongue, you're a coward not to talk to me face to face.” He noticed, but then added, “Try laying your hands on her again… and I promise you, next time I won't be so gentle.”

The blonde now felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place… after all, she cared about both men. Before he even heard her answer, Leon took her by the arm, leaving the building.

"Be careful who you talk to...grandpa, who left the army because of a knee injury." He responded as he left and laughed quite loudly. Grace, however, had a feeling she'd have a serious conversation when they got home. And that was exactly what happened, because as they walked, he didn't say a word to her. Only when they reached her room did he begin to speak.

"You can't date him...because there's a story that the Phantom manipulates young girls only to take them to the basement, and then they disappear under mysterious circumstances." Another story he'd probably tell the kids as a warning. It didn't particularly faze her; after all, she'd seen that gentleness in his eyes toward her so many times.

"Are you sure this is a true story and not just some gossip? Why would he need those girls anyway, huh?" she asked, perhaps naively.

“That's how this guy is…he'll make his victim fall in love with him first, and then he'll manipulate her.” He was still unconvinced. “When that play you're rehearsing for will take place you'll never be there again.” He folded his arms.

Her eyes immediately widened and she looked at him with outrage.

"Why are you treating me like a little girl? If I want to stay, I'll stay, and it's none of your business!" she said to him, flustered, starting to feel tears welling up in her eyes. Lately, she'd felt like Zeno was everything to her, and how could he take that away from her?

“Because I want to protect you, Grace!” He stepped closer, wanting to put his hands on her shoulders, but she took a step back.

"Leave me alone!" She sobbed in one direction and then fled to her room. Now she needed to be alone. Leon felt afterward that he might have overdone it a bit, but he wanted to give her a moment to herself. After all, she wouldn't want to see him now. She didn't leave the room until the morning, when another rehearsal was taking place. This time, the prima donna was in a rather good mood, and she allowed herself to joke with Grace, who, as usual, had a supporting role.

A stereotypically male one at that. There were some lines missing from the script, but everyone turned a blind eye, hearing the obviously older woman mocking the younger one. The blonde felt humiliated, but she was still afraid to speak her mind to the prima donna, because she was the one in charge. It didn't help that most people burst into laughter, seeing how awkward Grace looked like an effeminate man, who in the play was merely one of many admirers of the elegant, noblewoman from a good family, played by Edith. Suddenly, however, the laughter stopped because the voice of Zeno, who did not like what he saw, was heard.

“Why is this old woman playing the main role?” Sounds of outrage echoed across the stage, but it was she who was most outraged.

“Because I’ve been here longer than that mediocre singer…she’s only here because her mother was one of the better ones.” She laughed at the mockery in his voice, looking up at where the voice was coming from.

“I think Grace should replace you. You have to know when to leave the stage .” He said with finality in his voice, and his muse felt everyone staring at her. She felt her cheeks begin to turn red with embarrassment.

“Surely some voice from above won’t be telling me this.” Her voice radiated confidence.

Her opinion was shared by one of the organizers, who admitted.

"Thank you, sir...we know better who's right for the role." They weren't yet aware that with this they had just passed judgment on themselves. Zeno didn't say anything more, but he knew that today would be a truly interesting show.

The play began as usual, without any major hiccups. Everything was going perfectly, and the viewers seemed happy; after all, Edith was performing. Grace, on the other hand, gave it her all, even though she felt the pressure mounting as she neared the stage where she had to somehow interact with the prima donna. Somehow, her presence as a confident woman who knew what she wanted intimidated her.

“My sweet boy…what could such a simple boy want from me?” he asked, waving his fan, which partially covered her face.

“If I could ask, I would like to have one last dance with you before I leave.” She spoke her line with concentration, completely uncertain of her role. Somehow, when she could show off her singing skills, she liked it better.

"I don't know if I should...our relationship would be a scandal!" Suddenly, she leaned back a little, and in an instant, the crystal chandelier fell where she stood. Although Grace was in shock at what had happened, she managed to push the woman aside, and the only thing that was damaged was the stage. The audience watched with horror in their eyes, as no one expected a murder to occur. There was silence for a moment, until finally the sounds of an organ could be heard, and then Zeno's voice.

“Didn’t I say something about Grace having the lead role?” He seemed irritated, and his voice was heard again from somewhere above.

After something like that, a rustle in the audience became noticeable as everyone began whispering among themselves about what had happened. Of course, the prima donna, still in shock over what had happened, was immediately attended to. She didn't even thank Grace for actually being alive thanks to her. She looked up, where the voice had come from.

The owner of the opera rose from his seat and began to speak.

“Phantom…you don’t get to tell us what to do.” He straightened his elegant suit and moved closer to the stage.

"I think you should listen if you don't want more victims." Immediately after this sentence was uttered, the curtain closed. It was certain that the stage would be unusable until it was repaired, so people slowly began to leave. Such an event would undoubtedly remain in their memories, but mostly negatively.

Because of the incident with the chandelier, the Opera House was completely unusable, which meant Grace wouldn't be able to meet with Zeno. It could be risky, mainly because there would be more people than usual. Of course, Leon disagreed: it was a good thing it happened. He didn't notice, however, how she was almost dying with longing. She felt it might have been too soon… but she'd known him for a while, even though in her head he'd been an angel of music with only his voice. Truthfully, this situation wasn't good for her, because she couldn't find her place. There were days when she'd stare out the window with a pensive expression, as if she thought he'd just walk down the street. She knew how badly Leon wanted to separate her from the Phantom… but she kept pushing that thought away.

She tried to focus on something other than how much she missed him, but it always ended the same way… she'd return to thinking about him again. She felt like fate had willed it for them to meet… they complemented each other. And now, as the opera took on its former shape over the truly long weeks, she felt only emptiness. She hadn't wanted much, even just five minutes, to meet with him, and then… she would have listened to Leon. She felt the choice between them was inevitable, but she couldn't choose… One was like a father to her, while the other held a different place in her heart. She didn't even want to think about a situation where she would have to decide. Only after a while did Leon realize something was different about her behavior, because when he suggested they go to her favorite place, she flatly refused. This had never happened before, so it immediately aroused his suspicions.

“What happened, Grace?” He sat down next to her on the bed where she lay with her back to him.

“Nothing happened,” she replied casually, sighing loudly. She couldn't believe he truly didn't understand why she felt so awful.

“It’s obvious there’s something going on.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, stroking it a bit, but she pulled away even further.

“I don’t want to talk to you about this right now… please, can you leave me alone?” She didn’t even look at his face as she said this.

But he sensed that this was no joke. She was mortally offended by him, and most likely by his words to the monster who had so thoughtlessly seduced her.

He couldn't even fathom the possibility that no one had seduced anyone at all. He sighed loudly, rising from the bed, and said, moving closer to the door.

“If you want to talk, you know where to find me.” He closed the door behind him, and she was left alone in the room. Only now could she truly cry. What struck her most was that Leon wanted to pretend nothing had happened and live as before. But nothing would ever be the same.

But now, Grace's most prized possessions were a few letters he'd sent her during their separation. He'd written poems about her, which immediately brought a faint blush and a smile to her face. She was almost certain her adoptive father had no idea about them, because if he had, they would surely have been torn up long ago. She sat down on the bed and wiped her tear-stained eyes, rereading one of the poems over and over again. Zeno had a beautiful handwriting and a clear talent for such things. He wrote about her as if she were, at the very least, his goddess…his inspiration. No man had ever done anything like that for her before. She felt special, even though in his eyes she was the best and number one. She managed to send him one letter, secretly, of course.

She might not have had his talent for poetry, but she'd written him a few kind words to remind him of her. That was her greatest fear: that during their separation, some other woman would appear and he would look at them the way he looked at her. The opportunity to return to the opera arose just days after it was renovated. Officially, Grace no longer sang there, as her overprotective adoptive father had transferred her to another opera house, some distance away. A masked ball was to be held at the previous opera house, which she assumed would serve to erase the bad taste in mouth after the incident during which Madame Edith nearly died. If Leon had known she was planning to go, he would surely have given her another lecture on why she shouldn't appear. So she patiently waited until he fell asleep so she could disappear.

She pulled out her best dress, which, compared to what the women wore here, was truly modest. A white mask with delicate embellishments covered her face. Entering, she immediately felt a bit intimidated by the number of people and how the room was almost too bright from the numerous lights. Everyone was having a great time, as if a prima donna hadn't been planned to be murdered here a few weeks ago. Grace blended easily into the crowd and frantically looked around for Zeno. In the current situation, with everyone wearing a mask, that became difficult. A strange young man with a black-and-white mask appeared beside her and gently grabbed her hand, placing a small kiss there.

“Good evening… stranger, though I feel like I know you from somewhere.” He admitted with a slight smile, unable to look away from her. And she had been bored with him from the start; he wasn't her Phantom, after all. She had never been adept at throwing people away ,and she responded more out of politeness.

“Good evening, maybe because I’ve performed on stage here more than once?” This person already knew her identity, but looking in his direction, she also had a similar impression, as if she had seen him before.

“I didn’t realize I was talking to such a star, it’s truly an honor to meet you in person.” A smile appeared on his lips again, but he immediately extended his hand toward her. “Would you like to dance?”

Now it was going a bit too far, but she knew that if she refused, it would be unpleasant to the very end. She managed a weak smile, then reached for his hand, finding herself on the dance floor among the other couples. The music gently enveloped them, and their dance partner was truly talented. It felt as if the two weren't dancing, but rather floating gently above the surface. She tried to act happy, but even so, she kept looking around for Zeno. She didn't think he'd miss an opportunity like today.

After all, now that everyone was wearing a mask, it would be easier to hide. The dance with the mysterious stranger lasted far too long, but she still didn't manage a smile until she heard the sudden sound of the organ. Whenever the Phantom appeared, it played almost ominously. Immediately, the music stopped, as did the voices, and all eyes turned to Zeno as he descended the stairs. Today he was dressed differently than usual. Instead of heavy, dark black clothes, he had changed to a snow-white ensemble, and even his cape was at this color. As he descended, he spoke in a calm voice.

"Why did you all stop talking and having fun? You thought I was gone..." No one dared interrupt him, but as he got closer, he noticed Grace standing near the young boy. He instantly felt jealous... but he knew she wouldn't be capable of such a thing. The girl's heart pounded when she saw him, and she was about to break free from the stranger's grip and run toward him, when suddenly the door opened and Leon burst through.

“What’s going on here and where is Grace?” He looked worried and his hair was disheveled, suggesting he had suddenly woken up, sensing something was wrong.

“There is no place for you in the play I wrote.” The man in the mask said with a confident voice, standing even closer to Grace.

“I didn’t even want to play in it.” He said dryly and moved closer to Grace standing near monster.

“It’s not up to you to decide whether you want to or not.” He gave the girl that special look behind him that spoke volumes.

She understood his meaning almost immediately and reluctantly agreed to follow Leon out of the building. After all, when Zeno looked at her like that, it looked like he had a plan, but now she had to listen to the older man's lectures. She bravely endured it, even if she was truly fed up with being treated like a little girl.

Once again, he began to trust her less and less. He kept telling her what a bad influence he had on her, but she preferred not to hear it. Zeno explained his plan in a letter, and the first step would be to regain Leon's trust. So she pretended perfectly that nothing so serious had happened… there was still a separation between her and the Phantom, but now it wasn't so obvious. She fulfilled her duties meticulously and smiled, doing everything she could to lull Leon's guard. He had one trait: he couldn't stay angry at Grace for long, and sometimes he might forgive her too quickly. That was also the case here. That's why, one day, when she asked,

"Can I go to my mother's grave? It's very important to me... I'll arrange a carriage to make it faster." She and Zeno had planned exactly that, and now she needed to be away from Leon for a moment.

He eyed her a bit suspiciously, seeing how the previous times she'd gone out had ended, but why would he forbid her from going to the grave? This was something else entirely.

“Okay…just come back quickly, it’s really cold.” He didn’t know yet how much he would regret that one sentence. He stood up and put the large fur coat around her shoulders to make sure she wouldn’t get cold.

Grace, however, couldn't help but feel happy she was that he'd agreed so easily... Of course, she felt bad about lying, but he didn't give her a choice. She couldn't live like this any longer, being constantly controlled. As she'd said, she'd managed to catch that horse-drawn carriage that took her straight to the cemetery. She couldn't take too many things with her, only the most important things, because Leon would have become suspicious. The cemetery at this hour was so quiet, as if no one came here. This was especially evident by the lack of footprints in the snow. Grace pulled a red rose from her fur coat pocket and placed it on her mother's grave. For a long moment, she stared at the painting of her mother, where, despite being on a tombstone, she wore a smile just as she remembered. Zeno's voice behind her broke the silence.

“And yet you came…” He looked surprised, because he thought she would choose Leon, after all, she had known him longer.

“I couldn’t wait to see you again…” She turned to face him, stepping closer and looking into his eyes.

“You have no idea how happy I am that you came.” He placed his hands on her lower back, also looking into her eyes.

“Since we’re alone here…I have to tell you something.” She began shyly, feeling her cheeks flush, and it wasn’t from the cold.

He didn't interrupt her, just waited for what she would say with slight tension.

"I love you, Zeno...with or without a mask, perfect or imperfect. I simply love you for who you are," she said, moving her hand to his cheek, unmasked. At first, the touch felt like it was burning, and he wanted to pull away, but then he placed one of his hands on it.

“Grace…you are my muse, my inspiration, my everything.” He whispered almost in her ear. “Let’s run away together…where no one can separate us.” He offered her his hand, already ready to catch another carriage.

For a moment she seemed to hesitate, but then she gripped his hand tighter, heading towards the cemetery exit.

Leon, however, realized what was about to happen when he got home. He found the note she'd left him, because she couldn't leave him like that without an explanation. If he'd been a dozen or so years younger, he would have chosen a horse without hesitation and ridden as fast as he could… but since his knee injury, he'd had to use another means of transportation. He thought he might not make it in time, and he was essentially going there for nothing.

He arrived at the cemetery in the middle of the night just as he saw Grace get into one of those carriages with Zeno, then drive off in an unknown direction. He tried to chase them on foot, shouting her name, hoping she'd come to her senses… but he couldn't catch up. He stopped in his tracks, panting heavily, gasping for breath. He couldn't let this go, and he swore to himself that he would find her again, he just needed to prepare himself.

At that moment, inside the carriage, Grace hadn't heard the screams, so she was sweetly unaware of what had just happened. Now she was mostly focused on Zeno, who had allowed himself to remove his mask today. She silently observed the other half of his face. She gently placed her hand on the scarred part. He sat a little tense, as this was actually the first time he'd let anyone touch it.

"Doesn't it hurt when I touch you like that? I can finally see you tensing up a bit." She admitted with concern in her voice that as she tried to pull her hand away, he stopped her by holding her wrist.

"It's a little weird, that's all, because you're the first person to touch that scar." He admitted, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he pulled her to sit on his lap. She looked surprised, having never been this close before, but now, instead of a hand, her lips were there. She began to place small kisses there.

"You're still handsome, Zeno... I hope you remember that." She smiled back, but then she felt his lips brush hers gently, as if gauging her reaction. It would have been the last thing she expected, but she didn't mind. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and then the kiss became more sensual...more passionate. It lasted a moment, but for them, it felt much longer. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist, and then he asked.

“ Are you ready to write a new act in our play?”

“ If this play ends happily, I would be very happy to appear in it ,” she replied immediately, closing her eyes.