Verne with the Phantom of the Opera. ®. (In English)

 Verne with the Phantom of the Opera.®.

Verne's Dreams Series. Tale 12.

Magical Realism.

Metafiction

Author: Jorge Ofitas. ®.

Verne's potion plunged him into a new reality. This time, the journey didn't take him to a distant time or place, but into the very Paris of his era. It wasn't the bustling city he knew, however, but the one that lay beneath the earth, in the foundations of the majestic Opéra Garnier. The city's dreams and nightmares were condensed in a single place. The air smelled of ancient dust and wilted flowers.

Guided by a melody that seemed to be born from the very ether, Verne ventured into the labyrinth of tunnels. Shadows danced in the light of the lanterns. A subterranean lake, dark and mysterious, reflected the weak candlelight. On the other side, in his lair, an organ stood, imposing.

The Phantom, a being in a black cape and white mask, seemed to be a reflection of Verne's own fears. He was not a monster, but a solitary genius, an architect of sound and gloom. His voice, deep and melancholic, resonated in the vast space.

"I see you have found my sanctuary, traveler. Do you, like all, come to witness my pain?" the Phantom said, without stopping his organ playing.

Verne, amazed by the music and the place, was not afraid. His fascination with the unknown surpassed any fear.

"My name is Jules Verne. I have come because I have heard of your genius, of your art."

The Phantom interrupted the melody, stood up, and approached the edge of the lake. For a moment, his figure shuddered.

"My genius... ha! What use is genius if love has been denied to me? You don't know the torment of creating the world's most beautiful music for a single being, Nalythaca, only for her to be scared of my face and reject me for another. I loved her... and that light was torn from me."

In his desolation, the Phantom sat down beside Verne. For the first time, he felt lonely enough to open his soul. Verne listened attentively.

"The world has seen your face and judged you. But I have seen your work and your pain," Verne said calmly, opening the briefcase he always carried. From it, he pulled out a small metallic device.

"My world, Erik, has not only invented the time machine but also the change machine. I carry a plastic surgery procedure with me that, in a matter of minutes, can restore any face. It is an art of the future, without pain, without scars... a procedure that could give you the beauty the world denied you."

Erik stood motionless. The idea of a new face, of being able to walk in the light without fear, of being worthy of Nalythaca's love, was so overwhelming he could barely process it.

"Are you... joking?" he asked in a whisper that was barely heard over the murmur of the lake.

"No. I offer you the possibility for the world to see you as you see yourself. I offer you the option to no longer be a shadow, to live among men."

Erik remained silent, contemplating his reflection in the lake. A tear of hope and terror slipped from under his mask. Time was fading. Verne's potion was beginning to lose its effect, forcing him to return. The echo of the organ music, now playing a new and hopeful melody, was the last thing he heard.

Verne woke up in his bed. The briefcase had been left on the edge of the subterranean lake, a gift left in the Phantom's time and space.

Days later, Erik, alone in his lair, mustered his courage. He looked one last time at his disfigured reflection in the water and, with trembling hands, activated Verne's device. A soft blue light enveloped him. There was no pain, just a strange sensation of molecular rearrangement. When the light faded, Erik took off his mask. The reflection he saw in the water was that of a face of serene and perfect beauty. A new man had been born.

He abandoned his old life and called himself Joseph. He became an acclaimed tenor and composer, and on the day of the premiere of his new opera, "The Jasmine Flute," Nalythaca, now the leading star, appeared before him. They fell in love on stage, in the middle of the performance. In the end, all of Paris stood and cheered for the new couple, while their love was no longer a torment, but a symphony of happiness.

Erik, the Phantom, ceased to be the shadow of the Opera, and with his new face, he found the peace and love he had so longed for, thanks to a time traveler who offered him, not advice, but a miracle of science.

FIN

Author: Jorge Ofitas. ®.

England. 2025. ®. Europe. 2025. ®.