This chapter's gonna be one heck of a doozy so buckle up and sit tight! We also learn Madame Feoderovna's connection to the Phantom/Gleb.

St. Petersburg Opera House, 1901

One year had passed since the chandelier crash, and the prankster seemed to have disappeared since that incident… in honour of Christmas coming around, the managers decided to throw a masquerade party to bring in a new year. It was a lively celebration with a spectacle of colourful costumes on display. And the Phantom was fortunately nowhere in sight!

"Oh, my love," Lily smiled, putting down her mask "what a splendid party!"

"Ah, Christmas! The time of the year!" Vlad raised a glass, leading his wife to do the same, causing their glasses to collide "Here's a prosperous toast to the upcoming year new year! With no more pranksters or so-called ghosts! It's such a shame that the Phantom couldn't be here!"

"What a night," Madame Feoderovna smiled raising up a glass…

"What a crowd!" Maria chimed in, imitating her grandmother…

"Makes you glad!" Vlad agreed.

"Makes you proud!" Lily smiled like a cat who got the cream "It's been a year of delight and Elysian peace! And we can finally breathe at last!"

"No more notes!" Natalya added.

"No more ghosts," her husband nodded his head eagerly.

"Here's to life and a prosperous year!"

"Here's to a new chandelier!"

"Here's to happiness and freedom!"

"Here's to the smashing Christmas masquerade!"

The group clinked their glasses to the blessings of the upcoming new year.

As everyone celebrated, there was a particular couple hidden away in a corner of the ballroom having a hushed conversation…

"Could the engagement be a secret?" Anastasia fingered the chain around her neck, its end tucked safely in the neckline of her gown "After all, things are more fun when they're secret…" She was wearing a Prussian blue gown, for the colour blue brought out her eyes and her blonde hair complimented it well, which was loosened in soft waves down her shoulders… she had her reasons to hide it… for society would look down on the both of them if they knew…

"Why does it have to be a secret?" Dmitri wondered, breaking her out of her train of thought and snapping her to the present "What do we have to hide?"

"Let's not talk about it…" she said in a vain attempt to change the subject "Let's wait until the time is right,"

"Anastasia, you're free…" he sighed, wondering what all the secrecy was about. Dmitri often felt a pang of jealousy when he knew she was keeping secrets from him… he scolded himself for having childish feelings of jealousy but… after all, it was an engagement, not a crime "What's there to be afraid of, it's been a year since he disappeared!"

"Please pretend," her blue eyes were filled with desperation "You will understand in time!" before his fiancée was swept away in the spectacle of colours… he found himself smiling as she danced with the other chorus girls, smiling after a long time… Anastasia had been so sombre ever since the chandelier incident and he felt a heavy weight being lifted from his chest as he knew she was in good spirits… however, the happiness was short-lived as the buzz and activity stopped, for a grotesque figure suddenly appeared at the top of the staircase… Dressed all in crimson, with a death's head visible inside the hood of his robe, the man descended the staircase as Dmitri subconsciously shielded the young woman with his body… feeing a familiar sense of danger from the man…

"Why so silent," the voice taunted, it was him… from the moment his deep, thunderous voice reached her ears; she knew it was the Phantom… "Did you really think I have left you for good?" letting out a low, rumbly, mocking laugh; he pulled out a manuscript "Have you missed me? Well, I have written an opera for you to perform!"

Anastasia felt her stomach lurch within a short distance as he handed it to the managers "Don Juan Triumphant! You shall comply for there are worse things than a shattered chandelier!" The ominous warning made her skin pale and every ounce of courage was sapped from her as she faced her mentor who was slowly approaching the two… with a sheer force, his cold hand gripped her arm tightly and inspected the necklace before yanking it off…
"Your chains are still mine," he drew out each word slowly, as if she were a disobedient child being scolded. But each word was menacing before he boldly declared "You will sing for me!" And in a flash, he was gone… causing the attendees to panic…

One day since the Phantom's reappearance… the young count had sought answers about the masked man and came over to interrogate Marie over a cup of tea…

"Madame," Dmitri's expression was serious and intent, wanting to get to business about the Phantom… "Please, for all our sakes…"

Marie gave a fatigued sigh, realizing that there was no other choice… and secrecy would keep everyone in danger "Very well, but it must be a secret…"

"Of course," Somehow, she felt she could trust the man…

"It was years ago…" Marie looked off into the distance, her memories resurfacing… "So many years ago…"

When Marie had came to the circus, she had been horrified at what she had saw… a freak sideshow. The deformed people lived in horrible condition, all for the entertainment…

"Behold," an announcer cried "The devil's child!" she saw the boy shrink back even further as he continued. In one moment, the boy was dragged into the light and forced him into the ground as several people screamed… for deformity covered half of his face… she felt pity for him…

She was snapped back to reality as he carried a scourge in one hand, whipping the boy and the filthy floor was covered in blood… Wincing, the boy slowly moved a hand to cover his face… it was his only protection… the terrified crowd were hurried out amidst the pain-filled screams of the boy who was being beaten so severely as the whip incised his flesh… Marie shoved her way through the crowd, heart-broken at the sight but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the circus… no matter how hard she tried to wrench free to do something, they would not let go…

"The boy went missing," Madame Feoderovna's voice broke at the memory "I searched for him but… he was gone…"

A soft "My God…" was all the man could muster, shock in his eyes before clarifying "So he escaped?"

"It appears so…" the old woman nodded her head shakily "The world believed he was dead…"

"But he wasn't dead…"

"The world forgot about him… but not me… I-I never could… then, I began to notice a figure hiding in the shadows a year ago…"
"You mean he-"

"He escaped and came here… I don't know how he came here but… I found him a place where no one could find him… far from the eyes of the opera house…"

"The place Anastasia told me about…"

"It became his artistic domain… he's a genius… he's an arch-architect and designer, he's a- composer and a- magician… a genius, young man!"
"Clearly, Madame Feoderovna," his expression and voice solemn "Genius has turned to madness…" and he wanted to put an end to this madness once and for all…

Before y'all berate Dima for being 'insensitive' for what the Phantom had gone through, remember that tragic backstories EXPLAIN bad behaviour, they do NOT EXCUSE bad behaviour (yes, there's a difference). And as quoted by Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99: "Cool motive, still murder!"