"Rose... Rose... Listen..."
Onstage, The Mage Tower's Fall reached its most heartrending scene.
With the screen's light playing across his cheeks, Annan quietly took the Magic Mirror from his Magic Ring. In it, he saw a pale figure pieced together across the shattered glass at the back of the auditorium.
As he spotted it, Annan heard sobbing. Then the pale figure vanished as though torn apart, and the crying stopped abruptly.
The Mage Tower's Fall ended, and Annan put on Annan Potter and the Magic Stone. The pale figure did not return.
His attempt to meet the Theater Phantom had come to nothing. Annan had no choice but to close the Moonlight Opera House for the night and take a room at a nearby tavern.
He entered the smoky tavern, dodged the women vying for his attention, and rented a Guest Room. Amid creaking bedboards and affected cries, he began to meditate.
Silly Cat's ears drooped as she jumped from the chair to the windowsill, pushed open the window, and leaped onto the roof. Up there, the filth coming from next door could not sully her innocence.
Late that night, Annan finished meditating, and the tavern finally settled into the quiet of night.
He pulled up a reasonably clean blanket. As he closed his eyes, spiteful compound eyes lit up beneath the bed...
Silly Cat lowered her head, as though she could see through the roof into the room. She gave her whiskers an almost human twitch and went back to watching the moon.
Just as Annan was about to fall asleep, a heavy breath suddenly brushed his ear. He jolted awake, and a blur darted under the bed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Annan caught a glimpse of a twisted, hateful figure. He nearly summoned Mr. Swaro,