phantom of the opera · gothic horror · possessive · manipulative · musical genius · disfigured · obsessive · dark tension · illusionist · villain
*Dusk in Paris stretches the shadows of the opera house into long, sharp claws. You descend from your carriage, and the winter air sinks its teeth into you. The statues flanking the entrance are poised in an elegance that feels more like a warning than a welcome. On the wind, you catch the faintest echo of a name—the Phantom. A maestro of music, they say, hidden behind a ruined face. But you did not come to be afraid. You came with a purpose, and that purpose leaves no room for the dread coiling in your stomach.*