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Nightime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
The Bow Feather School of Music is the oldest yet the most prestigious music school in Japan; that's why when her professor offered a student exchange program to her, Evgenia didn't think twice and packed her bags, leaving Russia for a couple of months to Japan. This was what she always dreamed of - to be given a chance to do something that she loves. Music was her passion, and she'd do everything to have music in her life.
Once she arrived at the school, she noticed the old walls that signified its glorious past. It looked very lively at daytime because of the bustling noise from students but would start to look gloomy as the sun set. Too bad, she had to stay alone at the school's dorm as the only exchange student this semester. As she walked through the ancient school's halls, she buried her fears. This was her dream. No one could take it away from her. Not even her fears.
Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor
Grasp it, sense it tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light, and listen to the music of the night
For the third straight night, she heard the piano from the practice room play a gracious melody. It's Frederic Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor. Last night, the mystery pianist played Nino Rota’s Romeo and Juliet; the other night, Joe Hisaishi’s Asian Dream Song. And the pianist was really good - no missed notes, no pauses, always perfect. Evgenia wondered who might the pianist be and why he/she was staying to practice until the wee hours of the night. This might be the secret to be a brilliant music student, practicing until you perfected everything. This fact only heightened her desire to meet the pianist behind the flawless notes flitting at night. She slowly traversed the trail to the practice room. Just as she's outside the doors of the practice room, the soothing melody of the Ballade changed to something spooky, a tune that made her hair stood. Then, a rich baritone voice sang along the piano’s eerie sound.
I am your Angel of Music
Come to me, Angel of Music
She never ran away from anything as fast as she did that moment.
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live, as you've never lived before
She walked as fast as she can while passing the practice room. The restrooms were located to the other side of the hallway, and the only way for her to get there was to cross the practice room. After what happened last night, she was not comfortable in setting foot at the vicinity of the said room. Suddenly, she heard footsteps slowly creeping up on her. She looked back and saw a dark shadow seemingly on the hunt to get her. She started running away, but when she looked ahead, a man with a severely burned left face greeted her. It proved too much for her as she welcomed the darkness which claimed her consciousness.
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As her consciousness returned to her, she realized that she's lying down in the middle of the hallway with a man looking down at her, concern discernible on his face. She quickly bolted upright and crawled away from the guy. He looked perplexed in a split second before smiling gently at her.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“Who are you?”
“I'm a student here. I'm on my way to the music room to practice when I saw you passed out here.”
“You're the one I'm hearing every night?”
She decided to look at him closely and she thanked herself that she did. He looked dashing. He was wearing a white long-sleeved, tight-fitting shirt with black and blue fiery details on it. The collar was black with intricate gold embellishments. His dark pants were ironed crisply. It was a little weird seeing a student wear this kind of clothes, but he made it work. His hair was styled to perfection. But what got most of her attention was his face. He looked angelic. His face was heart-shaped; the skin was smooth with almost no pores visible. He had almond-shaped eyes which turned into slits whenever he smiled, a royally-high nose, and moist and beautifully shaped lips. She would have ogled at him longer if not for his gorgeous voice breaking the silence.
“Yes. I'm the one you're hearing. Sorry for disturbing you, but it is my habit to practice every night.”
“That explains why you're so good.”
“Not really.”
He looked bashful hearing those compliments coming from her, but it's true. His playing is impeccable.
“Do you want to accompany me while practicing? It gets pretty lonely playing alone.”
She said yes, and it's the most right yet the most wrong decision she ever made in her life. They talked for hours from, her frustrations while studying music to her insecurities. Afterwards, the man played and played until the wee hours of the night as if to comfort her. It seemed like she's under a spell, and she's slowly losing herself in it. She didn't realize the time until her phone rang. She quickly answered the phone only finding Wakaba scolding her.
“Zhenya, where are you?! Have you forgotten that we need to meet early for the final rehearsal of our play?!”
“Huh? What time is it?”
“It's already 7 am! Wherever you are, drag yourself to our meeting place! Now!”
She got shocked from what her best friend told her. She's only been in the music room for a short time, maybe two hours tops. If she's confused, she didn't let it show. She stood up and bid his company goodbye.
“I'm really sorry. I need to go.”
The man didn't answer, and she took it as a signal to walk away. Just as she's about to open the door, she looked back and faced the man once again.
“I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Evgenia Medvedeva, an exchange student from Russia. What's your name?”
In a split second, the man's angelic demeanor faded and was replaced by a chilling smirk.
“I am Yuzuru, Yuzuru Hanyu.”
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night
“Zhenya, where were you?!”
“I'm sorry. I overslept.”
If Wakaba noticed that she's lying, she didn't mention it, though there's an extremely concerned look on her face.
“How's your stay at the dorms? Don't you find it creepy?”
“At first I was scared. It's an old school after all, but not anymore. Not when I know that I got company.”
“Company?”
“Yes. He's also a student here. He likes to play and practice the piano every night.”
“Are you sure, Zhenya?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Everyone makes sure not to practice at night because the school is really scary during those times.”
“Uhm, maybe he knows that and just capitalizes on it. He said it has been a habit of his.”
Wakaba looked hesitant for a second, but pushed her thought away as she opened a gate from the past.
“Zhenya do you know the history of this place?”
“Not really. Why?”
“This school is the oldest music school here in Japan. It was founded in 1833 by a world-renowned pianist and violinist, Yumi Hanyu. She had a son in whom she derived the school’s name. She loved her son dearly, but her son was so absorbed in music that he didn't have time for her. He kept practicing the piano until dawn. One day, he received a call from the Conservatoire de Paris for a scholarship. He went there thinking that his dreams of becoming a world-famous pianist who would be bigger than his mom and of finally breaking free from his mom’s shadow would come true, only for it to be crushed by the brutal three-round, competitive selection process in the school's admission test. Ego and heart broken, he returned in Japan becoming more and more reclusive, until one day he met an exchange student from Armenia, Eva Babasyan. She unfroze his heart and made him see other things in life other than music. But just as everything was turning out well, an accident happened. The school was swallowed by fire while he was practicing in the music room. His body was recovered afterwards. Miraculously, the only part burned was his left face. Eva was not seen ever again. Others said that she committed suicide. It was never confirmed. Also, every night he haunts the school's halls, playing as if he's still alive. Others claimed that they saw him, his left face severely burned. That's why he was given the nickname ‘The Phantom’.”
Evgenia could feel herself shaking. She saw The Phantom last night. There's also a nagging suspicion in her heart which she could not shake off. And there's only one way to find out if it's right.
“T-The Phantom, what's his real name?”
“It's Yuzuru, Yuzuru Hanyu.”
Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world, leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me
She knew it's wrong and dangerous, but Evgenia still found herself outside the practice room. The furious playing of Alexander Scriabin’s Etude in D-sharp minor inside the music room was echoing out on the hallway. She opened the door, and his playing stopped. He looked at her, a chilling smirk marring his angelic face.
“What are you doing here?”
“I-Is it true? Are you The Phantom?”
With his smirk altered into a serious expression, he touched the left side of his face, his skin that once so smooth changing into a severely burned state. She couldn’t help but gasp from what she saw. He then picked up a mask covering the ruined part of his face.
“So it's true. You are The Phantom.”
“The one and only. I'll ask again, why are you here if you already knew I am The Phantom?”
“I just want to make sure. In the short time that we were together yesterday I felt that you're a kind-hearted person.”
A sickening laughter from him echoed in the room. She could feel herself shaking in fear. When he stopped, the chilling smirk was back on his lips.
“You expect too much from me. This imperfect world destroyed everything that I was. If someone you dearly loved decided to burn you, wouldn't you feel bitter?”
“W-What do you mean?”
“I thought that she would be the one who would take all the pain away, who would cure all of my frustrations. But all was just a lie. She's just as evil as she was beautiful.”
“Do you mean Eva? Hadn't she loved you? Wasn’t it all just an accident? Didn't she commit suicide when you died?”
“Loved? All she wanted was fame. To be at the top in everything. Even if I was a reclusive person, I was still the best student in this school. And what way to change that than to get my affection and destroy me afterwards. A master arsonist. And she didn't commit suicide, far from it. She became the number one student in this school. Immediately, afterwards she got a call from the Conservatoire de Paris, and she got accepted. Wasn't that lovely?”
Bitterness could be heard in his voice. And who wouldn't be bitter if someone were in the same situation?
“You know what, you look exactly like her.”
“D-Does that mean y-you hate m-me?”
She had never been afraid like this in her entire life. She felt like one wrong move and he'll end her life. That's why she's quite perplexed when his features changed into a gentle one, an expression where you could see that someone would protect you against all odds.
“On the contrary, I don't. When I got to spend some time with you, I felt that you truly enjoy spending time with me. You do want to be the best, but not in the expense of someone else's downfall. That's why I like you.”
He walked closer to her and enveloped her into a tight hug. She felt the air around the room suddenly changing, like it's slowly suffocating her. She couldn't fully describe what she was feeling. When he let her go she felt like she's under a spell she couldn't comprehend. And as he kissed her forehead, the hypnosis began.
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I am your Angel of Music
Come to me, Angel of Music
When she opened her eyes, they were out of focus and seemingly in a trance. Just a little bit more, he'd finally get her. He continued singing with his soothing baritone voice while engaging her into a slow dance, his hands around her waist and her face close to his.
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin,
let your darker side give in, to the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night
She's now totally under his spell. There's no escape anymore. He sealed the spell completely by kissing her passionately until her body became limp in his arms. If he couldn't have Eva, then he'd have her great-granddaughter for eternity.
You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night
Never in her wildest dreams did Wakaba think that she'd read something like this, more importantly about her best friend.
RUSSIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT FOUND DEAD AT BOW FEATHER’S MUSIC ROOM