Alright, let me try this whole "Phantom of the Opera" AU thing again. "Phantom of the Atelier" didn't get the response I was hoping.

The Miraculous will exist, but they're young adults here, so they can use their powers without changing back and recharging, as has been established in Timetagger. And in this story, not only did Adrien not attend public school, but Hawk Moth, Mayura, and Cat Noir have disappeared out of nowhere - the backstory will be explained.

This story also explores a potential answer to a question that I've been thinking about: if a damaged Miraculous can cause the powers to go awry (As seen in "Timetagger") or have ill effects on the owner's health (as is the case of Nathalie and Emilie's use of the Peacock Miraculous), then what about the stability of their psyche? How would a damaged Miraculous mess with someone's sanity/mental health?

Okay, for those of us who know the story of "Phantom of the Opera," I'm sure there's no need to summarize, but for those that don't know the story (or have seen the show), here's a brief synopsis: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is not only the costume designer for the Palais Garnier, but she has dreams of potentially singing soprano, even if its only the one time. She becomes the vocal student (and obsession) of a mysterious figure living below the building. But wild and disturbing events start happening when the opera house changes owners...

Not every song from the musical is going to be in this story, and some songs may only be in pieces or with modifications to the lyrics, just a warning. If the flow seems a little choppy, I apologize in advance.

NOW, CURTAINS UP!

"SOLD!" *BANG* "Congratulations on your purchase, Monsieur!"

"...Is this the one?" A man in his mid-forties asked.

He had black hair that had tips dyed teal, which matched his eyes. He had a nice suit in navy blue with teal accents, too. He was also wearing a bangle in sea green on his wrist.

He was holding onto a paper maîche music box in the shape of a monkey.

A woman the same age, with short black hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and wearing a red dress was looking over the music box.

She gave a sad nod, saying, "Yes. That's the one. It's exactly how I remember it. I'm surprised it's still intact after all this time."

"...Quite the collectors' piece, huh? Every detail is exactly as you mentioned..." He murmured.

The woman looked it over again, with a mix of nostalgia and sadness in her eyes.

"...I wonder if this thing will still play once the rest of us are six feet under?" He questioned.

"I don't know." She replied.

"Lot 666 - a chandelier in pieces." The auctioneer spoke, garnering everyone's attention. They all looked to a tarp-covered item in the center of the room.

The married couple held each other close. The raven-haired woman was shivering in her husband's arms. The crew took the tarp off the aforementioned item. Her eyes widened as she looked at the lighting piece. It looked like nothing happened. She shrunk closer into his embrace, feeling safer.

"It's okay..." The older man gently whispered to his wife while looking towards the chandelier. "It's over now... It's been over for a long time..."

"Some of you may recall the strange affair regarding the "Phantom of the Opera." This chandelier is the same one from that very disaster," The auctioneer explained. "Our workshops have repaired it, outfitting it with new wiring and lights."

The blue-haired gentleman tenderly stroked the woman's back to help her relax. Her shivering subsided, her breathing evened out, and she released a big breath of air she didn't know she was holding in.

"Perhaps now we can shed some light on the past and chase those ghosts away," The auctioneer said before gesturing to the crew. Everyone looked towards the center of the room where the chandelier was. "Gentlemen... Lights up!"

With a flick of a switch, the lights on the chandelier went on in an instant. As the chandelier started slowly ascending into the air, organ music started playing. And almost like time was being turned back, the building became well-maintained, brightly-lit, and tastefully-decorated...

On the stage, a woman with long, blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a bit of makeup, and wearing a big, beautiful dress in red, green, and gold, was holding a fake head.

"This trophy from our saviors... From our saviors, from the enslaving force of Rome!" She sang, vocalizing and performing the movements correctly.

In the back where the costumes were stored, a young woman with short, ebony hair, eyes that rivaled the hues of a blue diamond, and skin like cream, was working on sewing up a few tears on one of the dresses.

"Your work is great, Marinette!" A small, sweet voice said. The woman turned to a tiny red creature with black spots and blue eyes.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette replied. "Now if only I can get more of these designs right."

There was a knock on the door and a woman her age with tan skin, hazel eyes, glasses, and dark red hair came in. She also had a fox-tail charm necklace, with a smaller creature that looked like a fox floating next to her.

"Hey Alya." Marinette spoke to her friend.

"Hey girl," Alya replied as she came in. "Rehearsal's under way."

"How's Chloé doing out there?" Marinette questioned.

"The usual," Alya scoffed. "Her singing is still pretty screechy. It works, but sheesh, it's nearly impossible to understand what she's saying sometimes."

"Yeah, but what do you expect? One word from her about threatening to call in the mayor or her mom..." Marinette began.

"She's gotten better about that, and I'm glad we're on better terms with her... You know, I talked to her earlier and I think it's safe to say that we're all... Friends now. Being Queen Bee has really helped." Alya began.

"NO! NO! Monsieur, it's "Rome," not "Roma!"" A voice shouted from onstage, garnering the women's attention.

"Si, si, but "Rome" is hard for me. Very hard..." Another voice replied.

"Doesn't sound like our tenor's doing too good of a job today..." Marinette muttered.

"While we're on the subject of jobs, Marinette, you've really grown into this fashion designer career of yours." Trixx, the fox kwami stated.

"Trixx is right! Your costumes are top-notch, and you're earning enough where you could possibly strike out on your own and start your own small company! I'd be more than happy to help with social media and PR." Alya agreed.

"Thanks, Alya, but I don't feel quite ready for that just yet," Marinette gently spoke. "Besides, there are still some things I need to get done before I really spread my wings."

"I can see that," Alya conceded. "Anyway, I heard the rumors about the owner retiring and passing the business on."

"Yeah, I've heard those, too," Marinette confirmed. "I think the owner's going to confirm or deny those rumors today."

"What'll happen when or if the owner does retire?" Tikki questioned.

"I don't know," Marinette replied. "Everyone here might get sacked or some of us might be kept."

"Who knows what'll happen," Alya said with a shrug. "But it's not like you're in trouble. No one's capable of designing the costumes as well as you."

"That's for sure," Trixx agreed. "And no one's capable of outsmarting supervillains like you, either!"

"...Speaking of which, how long has it been since we've last had an akumatization?" Marinette quietly asked.

"...Coming up on five years," Alya solemnly confirmed. "Think Hawk Moth's up to something?"

"I've considered that. But if he were, he would've executed his plan a long time ago. And we haven't heard anything from Mayura, either... Not to mention Cat Noir." Marinette said, her face falling at the thought of her missing partner.

"Still worried about him?" Alya asked. "Those three vanished without a trace. You'd think that tomcat would've told you something beforehand."

"Yeah... I wish I knew what happened to him," Marinette murmured. "Especially since the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous are still unaccounted for. I can't get them back without him. He might know something."

"Don't worry, girl. You've got me, Nino, and Chloé to back you up. Not to mention the rest of our teammates when we need them." Alya reassured.

"The trumpeting elephant sound, hear Romans now, and tremble! Hark to their step on the ground. Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!" The chorus crooned from onstage.

"I hope our tenor can get on that damned prop elephant without any help this time." Alya spoke, shaking her head.

"Me too," Marinette muttered. "That thing's a little too big for him to mount on his own."

"But the prop master had to make the elephant to proportion as best as he could." Alya reminded.

"Fair enough." Marinette admitted.

The singing soon stopped and the clamoring and chatter from everyone started flowing into the room.

"I think I hear the owner out there," Alya said. "Come on, let's go and see if the rumors are legitimate."

The kwamis ducked into their designated hiding places before their owners left costume area. They went in to the house where the stage and seats were, and there was the owner with two men. One was an older man wearing a white suit and pink shirt, with white hair and lime-green eyes. Next to him was a younger man with long blonde hair in a swift up-do and a purple bandana. He also wore purple with an "XY" necklace in gold.

'Crap, not Mr. Roth and XY...' Marinette thought, remembering the encounters she'd had with them in the past, most of which weren't very pleasant unless Jagged Stone was in the room.

"Everyone! Everyone?" The owner said, shouting for quiet, but no one was getting any attention.

He sighed, then turned to another woman in the room. She was wearing a black pant suit, had blue eyes framed by glasses, and black hair with a red streak tied in a bun.

"Ms. Sancoeur?" The owner prompted.

The woman took out her cane, then she loudly tapped it against the floor, getting everyone's attention and silence. They all looked to the owner.

"Thank you," The owner stated. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, there have been rumors of my retirement floating about the past few weeks. Today I can officially tell you that these rumors are true."

"I knew it!" Alya whispered to Marinette, who nodded.

Everyone else started talking and muttering about the situation. The owner looked to Nathalie again, who once again tapped her cane.

"It's also my honor to introduce you to the new owners of the Palais Garnier, Mr. Bob Roth and his son, Xavier-Yves." The owner said, gesturing to the two men.

"My peeps refer to me as "XY," sir." The younger man said in a condescending tone.

"May I introduce Nathalie Sancoeur," The owner said as he presented the older woman to them. "One of the supervisors here at the Palais Garnier."

Marinette looked at Nathalie suspiciously. The fact that Nathalie was so loyal to Gabriel Agreste made Marinette why the older woman left her job there in the first place.

As the new owners were talking with the rest of the staff, no one noticed that there was someone up in the rafters, looking down at the scene...

Chloé stepped forward to the new owners, and said, "Hello there! Chloé Bourgeois, Queen Bee, the lead soprano for five seasons straight! It's your honor to meet me."

She curtsied. Marinette and Alya rolled their eyes, unsurprised at Chloé's behavior.

"Listen, it doesn't matter how experienced you are as a singer," Bob started. "If we can't make any money off your voice, then it's no good. Since Elissa has an aria in Act III, I wanna hear you sing a bit."

"Naturally," Chloé said. "But only two bars, got it?"

"Whatever," Bob spoke with a roll of his eyes. "Just croon like a canary already."

"Maestro!" Chloé barked out.

The man at the grand piano started playing the song.

"Think of me. Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye." Chloé sang.

Her voice was reverberating, but high-pitched and a bit screechy. There were points where it was hard to make out the lyrics.

"Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try!" Chloé crooned.

Everyone had neutral expressions on their faces as they listened to Chloé sing. Up in the catwalk, there was someone watching. A gloved hand reached for one of the cables, then the ring on the finger flashed green. Black energy surrounded the hand.

"On that day, that not-so-distant day, when you are far away and free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for..." Chloé continued.

A cable that'd disintegrated fell on the stage off to the side. Out of Marinette's peripheral vision from above, Marinette saw something, then gasped.

"CHLOÉ, WATCH OUT!" Marinette hollered.

One of the hanging stage lights fell, heading right for Chloé, garnering screams from everyone. Chloé looked up to see the object heading for her, then jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding it. Everyone was screaming and scrambling around in fear, minus Nathalie and the new owners. But Marinette and Alya weren't panicking either.

"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" Someone shouted in the crowd.

"Chloé!" Alya shouted as she and Marinette ran over to the blonde.

Bob and XY weren't amused at this.

"Hey, show some manners, why don't you?!" Bob barked angrily.

"Chloé, you okay?" Marinette asked as she and Alya helped her stand up.

"I've been a lot better, Marinette," Chloé spat, dusting herself off. "Thanks for the warning shout, though."

"No problem..." Marinette stated before her eyes wandered back up to the rafters. She thought she saw movement in the shadows...

"Damn it! Where is he?!" The owner shouted. "Chief of the Flies! He's the one behind this! I want him down here!"

"Over here, sir!" The somewhat older man (mid to late thirties) said as he came over to the group. He had some ropes wrapped around and under one of his arms.

"For crying out loud, what is going on up there?!" The owner demanded of the manager of the fly system.

"You're barking up the wrong tree. I was taking a lunch break," He replied in defense. "There's no one up there, sir. And if there was, who could it be? A ghost?"

Everyone started chittering in anxiety again, with one girl quivering, "He's there... The Phantom of the Opera..."

"I've never seen such disrespectful behavior!" Bob Roth barked.

XY went over to the girls, and told Chloé, "Chill out, Chloé. These things happen, ya know."

Alya and Marinette glared at him, not amused.

"'These things happen, ya know...'" Chloé said mockingly, before flying into a rage. "MY ASS!"

She got into XY's face and yanked him by the lapels of his jacket.

"What the hell do you know?! You haven't even been here FIVE MINUTES!" Chloé screamed before shoving XY away. "Yeah, 'these things happen,' but they're happening ALL THE TIME! For YEARS!"

She rounded on the older owner, pointed at him, and said, "And YOU didn't do anything to put a stop to it! You're always making excuses, and even when I threaten to tell daddy, you still enable all of this!"

She glared at Bob and XY, then spat, "And you, Mr. Roth and XY, are just as bad, if not worse! Unless you STOP these things from happening, I'M NOT SINGING A DAMNED NOTE! RIDICULOUS, UTTERLY RIDICULOUS! AMATEURS!"

Chloé then walked offstage in a huff, but not without sparing a glance to her friends. She gave them a brief nod, implying something, before slamming the backstage door to the dressing room.

"I've seen Chloé throw fits before, but not like this." Marinette whispered to Alya.

"Yeah, but I don't blame her for walking out," Alya whispered back, garnering confusion from the half-Asian girl. "The funny thing is, I've noticed that almost every time there's an incident like this, Chloé's the one in the line of fire all the time... Almost as if she's the intended target."

"Now that you mention it, you're right..." Marinette began, realizing Alya's observation skills were on point as usual.

"Well, I guess that's that," The old owner said. "I don't think there's anything more I can do for you. If you need me, I'll be in Berlin, Germany."

The old owner left the building.

"Heh, Chloé will be back," Bob Roth chuckled. "She's not going to let stardom and fortune go so easily."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Nathalie began, approaching. "I have a message for you from the Opera Ghost."

Everyone stiffened up, minus XY, Nathalie, and Bob Roth.

"Dieu au paradis, everyone in here is obsessed!" Bob sighed in annoyance.

"He's only welcoming you to his opera house, is telling you to leave Box 13 open for his personal use, and is reminding you that his salary is due." Nathalie continued.

"His opera house? His salary?" Roth asked, a bit annoyed.

"His initial pay was €20,000 monthly," Nathalie explained, getting bug-eyes out of the new owners, and shocked expressions from everyone else. "Perhaps you can give him a raise since Kitty Section has become your new sponsor?"

"What the hell?! €20,000 a month?!" XY protested. "And Kitty Section being a new sponsor was something I was going to announce."

"Will any of the band members be in attendance tonight?" Nathalie continued.

"Only the lead guitarist, but don't change the subject!" Bob Roth said, pointing at Nathalie. "Whoever the understudy for Elissa is, get her ready for the show NOW!"

"Sorry, no understudy, Mr. Roth." The maestro said from the piano bench.

"How can there NOT be an understudy?!" Bob shouted indignantly.

"New production." The maestro stated.

"Great! No understudy, so that means no show! Right on our first night! All that money, LOST, all because someone decided to pitch a fit." Bob groused.

As everyone started talking about what they were going to do. Then Alya's mind sparked an idea. She turned to Marinette with a smiling face that said, "Genius idea, don't try to stop me!"

Marinette knew that look and braced herself for Alya's new plan.

"Hey Marinette, why don't you give it a try?" Alya suggested, gently pushing Marinette forward by the shoulders.

"What? Me?!" Marinette squealed, pointing to herself in surprise. Everyone looked in her direction. "No way, Alya! I can't! I'm only the costume designer, not a singer!"

"You've told me at least once you wanted to sing a lead part in one of the shows, right?" Alya asked once more.

"Half-jokingly, Alya!" Marinette insisted.

"But you've been taking singing lessons on the side, haven't you?" Alya questioned.

"Only for fun, not to be a serious singer, Alya!" Marinette protested.

"If you've been taking lessons, then who's your teacher?" XY interrogated arrogantly.

"...I think he'd prefer to remain anonymous. Even I don't know his name..." Marinette stated with uncertainty.

"Great, is everyone here crazy?" Bob asked.

"Give her a chance," Nathalie stated. "She's been excellently trained. She knows what she's doing."

"Ugh, fine," Roth griped. "Take it from the top of the aria."

Marinette stepped forward into the crowd, meanwhile the maestro started on the piano. Marinette looked around at everyone, and she started internally channeling her inner Ladybug.

"Think of me... Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye," Marinette began timidly, earning a stern look from Nathalie. She took a breath and continued. "Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try."

Everyone's eyes widened and people started smiling. Marinette's eyes wandered to Alya, who was giving her a thumb's up and a smile.

"On that day, that not-so-distant day, when you are far away and free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me..." Marinette trilled.

Nathalie put a hand up to stop the maestro. After a few seconds, everyone applauded Marinette, even Bob Roth, and he said, "We've found our Elissa!"

Everyone cheered, and Marinette had to fight to hold back a smile.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Marinette was now dressed in Chloé's stage costume and standing on the stage.

"Though its clear, though it was always clear that this was never meant to be. If you happen to remember, stop and think of me." Marinette crooned before traveling the stage.

Marinette's mind wandered to her missing superhero partner, and she let that leak into her performance. She sang, "Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been..."

She turned back to the crowd and continued her song, trilling, "Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me trying to hard to put you from my mind. Think of me, please say you'll think of me, whatever it is you choose to do. There will never be a day when I won't think of you~!"

Up in one of the box seats, a young man with olive skin, blue eyes, matching hair, and wearing a nice navy blue suit was watching intently. He had a sea green bangle on his wrist.

He looked on the stage with a big smile.

"Can it be? Is that Marinette?" He quietly sang as he watched the young woman on stage. He stood up, clapping loudly. "Bravo! What a change, you really have grown up, from that sweet thing you once were. She may not remember me, but I remember her!"

"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons, so do we! But please promise me that sometimes, you will think of me!" Marinette sang, vocalizing "of," before wrapping up her number.

Marinette got a standing ovation from the crowd, flowers being thrown at her, and cheers.

Once the curtains fell for the night, Marinette walked behind the stage to go back to the costume areas, but everyone in the ensemble and some of the other players ran up to her, crowding around her with praises and congrats.

"Oh, thank you... Thank you so much! I know, I wasn't sure I was able to do it, either... Really, I don't intend on making a career of this!" Marinette said, trying to reply to the bombardment of good words from her peers.

Nathalie approached the group and tapped her cane on the floor, and everyone went quiet. The woman looked at Marinette and gave the younger woman a smile.

"Excellent job, Marinette. He will be pleased," Nathalie stated, and Marinette returned the smile. "But everyone else, you were pathetic tonight. Go and rehearse now."

The rest of the crowd, Nathalie included, left Marinette alone. Breathing a relieved sigh, Marinette started walking back to the costume area.

But she paused when she heard a chilling voice from out of nowhere sing, "Brava... Brava... Bravissimo!"

'...That voice again...' Marinette thought.

"Marinette? Marinette?" Tikki said, checking on her owner.

"Princess..." The same enigmatic voice sang from somewhere.

"Marinette, GIRL! Are you with us right now?!" Alya spoke, waving a hand in front of Marinette's face, forcing her to blink.

"Oh, um, sorry Alya," Marinette apologized, shaking her head. She came back to earth, remembering she promised Alya an interview post-performance. They were back in the costume storage rooms. "You were saying?"

Alya sighed and shook her head with a smile, then said, "Marinette, you've been holding out on me! I knew you were a talented designer, but I didn't know you could sing like that! You totally crushed it tonight."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette thanked. "But I don't plan on being a permanent singer. Just until Chloé comes back... If she comes back."

"But you did a spectacular job regardless, Marinette." Tikki insisted.

"Tikki's got it right," Trixx agreed. "But now we need answers: who's your teacher? Alya wants to credit the person who made her BFF a singer in the article!"

Marinette and Tikki glanced at each other a bit.

"Well... It's sort of a... Weird situation," Marinette began. "I don't think it's something you should put in your article at all, actually."

"Weird? In what way?" Trixx asked.

"...The reason I don't know his name is because he's... Kind of a figure in the dark. We always have our lessons in here when no one else is around, but he's always in the shadows of the room." Marinette explained.

"Really?" Alya asked, before turning serious. "...Think it's a super villain prowling the building?"

"I was thinking that's the case, but it doesn't seem like it. None of the tell-tale signs are there. There's something strangely familiar about him, too," Marinette continued. "It's like... He knows more about me than he lets on, but he's very well-practiced in discretion."

"A stalker?!" Alya spoke, spooked.

"...I don't think so," Marinette began, shaking her head. "Again, something familiar about him. His voice... He sounds like someone I used to see a lot."

"...Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Alya asked.

"What are you thinking? That my teacher is the Angel of Music or something?" Marinette joked. The girls and kwamis laughed at the notion.

"Yeah, that'd be crazier than Hawk Moth making a comeback!" Alya joked back.

The girls once again laughed, but then Marinette started to shudder a little.

"He's... Always with me." Marinette said anxiously.

"Marinette, your hands are getting gold!" Tikki pointed out.

"...It's like he's all around me, too..." Marinette murmured.

"Girl, you okay? You're paler than a ghost." Alya asked.

"...It kind of scares me a bit." Marinette admitted to her group.

"Don't be scared. You're one of the most courageous girls I know. You're-" Alya said, but the kwamis hid when they heard footsteps.

Nathalie opened the door and got the girls' attention.

"Mlle. Césaire, are you nearly finished with your interview with Marinette?" Nathalie asked.

"No, but I can pick it up again later if you need me to," Alya stated. "Talk to you soon, girl?"

"Okay." Marinette said as she saw her best friend leave the costume room.

Nathalie came forward and she said, "I have a note for you, Marinette."

She handed the young designer a pale teal envelope before leaving the room.

Tikki came out and said, "I wonder what the letter says?"

Marinette opened up the envelope and took out the note. She read aloud, "Unicorn masks? Attic bedroom? Angel Song?"

She and Tikki looked at each other curiously.

Outside, Bob, XY, and the guitarist from Kitty Section were walking down the halls. The blue-haired youth was carrying a small bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

"We struck it rich tonight!" Bob Roth praised.

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's an amazing designer, but I think we can exploit her singing voice too." XY agreed.

The blue-haired man was giving the two men the stink-eye, then sighed.

"Well, Luka, here's where our star likes to shack up, apparently." Bob said, thumb-jerking to the costume room.

"Thank you sirs, but I have a feeling that Marinette wouldn't like the two of you in the room. So, I'll make this visit alone." Luka stated, a charming smile on his face.

"Ugh, fine. Go for it, Romeo." Bob spat as he and XY started to take their leave.

"Good, they're gone." Luka muttered angrily.

Inside the costume room, Marinette was getting ready to leave for the night.

Tikki told her owner, "You never got a chance to tell Alya what you were really thinking."

"...That it's possible that my coach could be Cat Noir?" Marinette questioned quietly. "I mean... He sounds like him. If it's really Cat Noir, then maybe..."

Luka opened the door quietly, slipped in, and said, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, did someone try to loot your unicorn mask again?"

Marinette's head perked up. She knew that voice...

"It was bad enough when Bob Roth and XY stole that costume design and Kitty Section's song. No wonder that super villain... Silencer, was it? No wonder that happened." Luka said, still standing behind Marinette.

"You got pissed off not only because were we gypped, but Bob Roth threatened to ruin me," Marinette said, before turning around and smiling at her guest. "Oh Luka, you really are here!"

She ran over to the young man, leaped into his arms, and he returned her embrace while gifting her with a kiss on her forehead. While the two young adults were cuddling, Tikki came out of hiding, as did a sea-green snake kwami with a cobra-like hood.

Marinette and Luka broke away, and Luka handed her the roses.

"Pink roses! My favorite! You remembered!" Marinette said as she took the blooms into her hands and took a sniff of the perfume.

"I could never forget anything about you, Angel Song." Luka said, giving her a wink.

Marinette blushed, saying, "You remember that?"

"Of course I do," Luka continued as the two of them sat down on some chairs. "I mean, remember when you'd sit in on Kitty Section's jam sessions on the boat?"

"Yeah. I remember the music festival when your mom got akumatized. When we first met..." Marinette stated, her eyes glued to him with a blush on her cheeks.

The snake kwami went over to Tikki, and the latter of the two said, "Those two are such a great match! Aren't they, Sass?"

"Indeed they are, Tikki," Sass replied. "Our owners are clearly in love with each other."

"It's so sweet." Tikki spoke, her eyes glittering.

The Miraculous owners were gazing at each other romantically while talking with each other.

"...Or whenever the two of us would watch movies or play video games in your attic bedroom?" Luka recalled.

"Yeah!" Marinette said. "Those were the days... Whenever there wasn't any super villains to worry about."

"...Still worried about Hawk Moth?" Luka asked.

Marinette gave a sad nod, then said, "The Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous are still out there and we have to get them back. So long as they're not under the guardian's care, we can't relax too much."

"...Let's change the subject," Luka stated. "I didn't know you could sing. You're an amazing girl as it is, but this just made me fall for you a little more with your performance."

"Thanks, Luka," Marinette thanked, but she looked him in the eyes with a blush. "But I only did it because there wasn't an understudy. I'm not going to be doing this again. I'm a fashion designer, not a singer, and I was only taking lessons just for the fun of it."

"Your voice coach probably won't like hearing that." Luka joked.

"No, I doubt he will..." Marinette agreed more seriously.

"By the way, I was hoping I could take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate?" Luka suggested, thumb-jerking to the door.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Marinette said, delighted.

"Great," Luka said as he made for the door. "I'll be back in about two minutes."

Luka left the room, leaving Marinette alone in the room. She swooned happily, before saying, "I'm so glad he hasn't changed."

Sparking sounds were heard from the ceiling. Marinette looked up, saw that the lights were flickering and sparking, then the room was plunged in near-black, prompting Marinette to shriek a little. Tikki ducked into hiding.

"Insolent boy! This slave of fashion! Basking in your glory!" A voice angrily - and musically - thundered from nowhere. "Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph!"

"Oh, it's you... Don't scare me like that!" Marinette said, crossing her arms.

"...Apologies, mon étudiant." The same voice replied.

Marinette heaved a sigh of relief before saying, "You know, I'm sick of this...I really wish you wouldn't hide in the dark. I think I have the right to put a face to the person who's been teaching me... Don't I?"

"Darling Princess, you shall know me..." The voice crooned gently. "See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror..."

Marinette turned to the full-size mirror in the room, and in the dim light, two cat-like green eyes and a mop of blonde hair appeared.

"I am there inside!" He sang.

Marinette gasped at the sight of the eyes.

"Finally... Please, don't hide from me anymore!" Marinette said, delighted.

"I am your Angel of Music... Come to me, Angel of Music..." The figure in the mirror sang. As he trilled, the glass in the mirror started to slide to the side. Mist started pouring out of the mirror, too.

Marinette's eyes lost their light and pupils. Marinette's arms fell to her sides and she dropped the pink roses. Her face went blank and lifeless, almost as if she were being hypnotized.

Luka had come back to the room. His ear was to the door, and alarm was on his face.

"Marinette? Are you okay?! Who's in there with you?" Luka shouted as he banged on the door while jiggling the doorknob. Somehow it was locked.

"I am your Angel of Music..." The cloaked figure sang, holding out a hand to Marinette. In a trance, she placed her hand in his outstretched one.

"Come to me, Angel of Music..." He sang again as he helped Marinette inside the mirror, then took her by the shoulder as the glass closed again. They disappeared into the dark.

"Sass, get the door!" Luka ordered while still shaking the door handle.

Sass phased into the keyhole, unlocking the door from the inside, then phased back out. Luka burst in, only to find an empty, brightly-lit room.

"Marinette?!" Luka asked loudly before noticing the roses were on the floor...

Alright, we'll end the scene there for the time being. Now, I like setting review goals because it keeps me motivated to write because it shows me that people care about my writing. So, I'd like to see a minimum of 6+ reviews (NO HATE PLEASE) before I post the next chapter.

Next time, Marinette finally meets her mentor and discovers a few things about him. And a few crucial things are brought to light, too.