[h3][center][b]Opera Night[/b][/center][/h3]
~[@Eviledd1984](MAR))~
[hr]

Christine, was in complete shock. She couldn't say or do anything, she just fell to her knees as she looked at the scene before them. Just...how? Why? was it the phantom they said they saw? Or was it someone else? He had been supposedly meeting with a foreign lord of sorts, hadn't he? But she couldn't vocalize any thoughts right now.

All she could do was stare up at Maria like a lost child.

[color=6ecff6]"R-right..."[/color] She glanced up at Nephele as she bolted towards the room on the second floor. [color=6ecff6]"...Maria, what do we do?"[/color] The formerly spunky and energetic girl seemed completely despondent. Given what had just happened. Before Maria could give a reply though, the entire air in the foyer seemed to shimmer and waver. The air seemed to come alive and take a washed out look as if it was an old painting, flakes falling off and turning into small, black and blue butterflies before flying off and fading into nothing.

What they were left with, was a a scene Maria had seen earlier. Gone was the bombast and ritzy atmosphere of the manor from before. Now it was replaced with nothing but creaky, broken floorboards. The chandelier itself was old and worn, broken in various places and covered in a few cobwebs. The paintings were completely destroyed.

[color=6ecff6]"...?"[/color] It took Christine a few seconds to recognize this, but she couldn't seem to care too much. [color=6ecff6]"M-maria...You won't leave me alone, will you?"[/color] She asked quietly, looking up at Maria.

The floor creaked, and footsteps could be heard, almost permeating the entire foyer with their presence.

They were heavy, as if someone was wearing a heavy suit of armor, a cold wind blew into the foyer as the door to the dining hall creaked open.

In the doorway, was a massive human, wreathed in black shadows and equally imposing armor. It seemed to be some sort of wraith? It was difficult to tell, but it was clear that whatever it was, was not a friendly. It lumbered towards Maria and Christine, a massive blade in one hand. Christine didn't look in any particular condition to be fighting, if she even could in the first place.

[hr]
[@The Irish Tree] (NEP)

Meanwhile, the environment around Nephele was receiving much of the same treatment. The formerly well maintained and rebuilt manner faded into a more decrepit form. The floor creaked under her footsteps, and the windows in the room shattered. If she cared to take a look outside, even the town they had walked through seemed to vanish into thin air as the sun sank below the horizon. Of course, she probably wasn't paying too much attention to these details given her focus on finding a certain phantom.

Thankfully it seemed like the Phantom didn't make much of an effort to hide herself.

[color=00aeef]"Looking for little old me?"[/color] The phantom materialized in the opposite side of the room, face as most phantoms are, hidden behind a mask of sorts. In its seemingly jovial and energetically playful manner, it continued. [color=00aeef]"Quite the scene, isn't it! The master of the manor is dead, his daughter in complete shock and not a gallant knight to save them is coming. No no, the evil lord saw to that before hand, hehe! [sub]That's actually [i]not[/i] me by the way.[/sub]"[/color] She grinned, giggling lightly. [color=00aeef]"Oh who oh who will save them, I wonder? Perhaps one of the guests has the courage to give this tale a happy ending finally? Or will it play out like always? Even I, such a master playwright can't see the outcome of this tale!"[/color]

[color=8882be][h3][center]~Arletta Dupain~[/center][/h3][/color]
[@PaulHaynek][@The Irish Tree] 
[hr]

Arletta led Talia round the building, giving her hopefully a nice tour of the place as she could. Granted, she had only been around for a few days so she didn't quite know about all the renovations but she did her best. It was honestly, a little adorable when Talia was so enthralled by the forge and armory. She couldn't help but to smile a bit at her enthusiasm as she showed her around the place. She went on to explain about how the place was built and how the dwarves built it, no good to lie to Talia really.

[color=8882be]"...should it?"[/color] Arletta replied, frowning a bit. [color=8882be]"Neils my friend, I don't think he'd keep secrets from us that could harm us."[/color] She continued with a thoughtful expression. [color=8882be]"Everyone has their secrets, Talia, and they're that way for a reason. I trust Neil, he's a good kid."[/color]