I sprinted down the hallway as fast as I could, my eyes darting around as my heart accelerated in my chest.

"Help, help, someone please h-"

Before I could say another word, a hand covered my mouth, and I was pulled behind the shadows of a statue.

"If you want to get out of this, I suggest you remain quiet, Mademoiselle." A voice said.

I froze, my heart accelerating even more in my chest as the sound of my Uncle Henri's footsteps approached.

His eyes darted around as I was as still as a statue; whoever had pulled me into the shadows of the statue still had a hand over my mouth. Though I didn't trust whoever they were, I wasn't about to be caught by my Uncle.

Henri's eyes darted around, taking in every shadow. His eyes slowly drifting to the statue, narrowing as a smirk tugged at his lips. I had been found.

My heart froze as Henri took a step toward the statue, then the voice behind me whispered, "Hold very still, Madame, I'll get you out of this."

Before I could even think, the floor beneath me dropped, and I was falling. I landed flat on my back, whoever it was that held me, releasing me sometime during the fall. 

I scrambled to my feet, heart racing even more as I looked up the way I came, but there was nothing but darkness as if I hadn't fallen through the floor at all.

"Mademoiselle, I do hope the fall didn't harm you."

I turned sharply around, gasping as I saw only darkness. Slowly, as if by magic, the torches on the wall lit up, and as the darkness lifted, I saw standing before me was The Persian.

"You're the Persian," I whispered as I attempted to calm my beating heart.

"Oui, Mademoiselle, and I believe you are in need of some help, correct?"  He said.

"I...I...Oui, oui, I am in serious trouble, Monsieur. I need to get as far away from the Opera Populaire as possible. Can you help me?" I said, my eyes wide with hope, though a part of me was still afraid, untrusting of him, but if he was my only way of escape, then I had to take it.

The Persian didn't say anything for a moment, only studying me, before looking over his shoulder and down the tunnel.

He stared down the tunnel for a while, as if he expected something to crawl out of the shadows, then slowly looked back at me.

"I'll help you, Mademoiselle, but you must stay close and do exactly as I say, understood?"

I nodded.

"Oui, I understand."

"Good, now if you would take my hand, I'll take you to someone who can help you." He said, offering his hand.

I looked at his hand, hesitating only for a second before taking it, allowing the Persian to guide me away.

He guided me down the dark tunnels, my eyes looked around, my footsteps echoing in the empty space. My eyes were watching the flickering flames of the torches when, suddenly, a rat scurried over my shoes.

I screamed, jumping back, quickly covering my mouth as it echoed.

The Persian stopped, slowly watching the rat scamper away into the darkness.

"You'll find there are a lot of those down here, Mademoiselle, believe it or not, they are more afraid of you than you are of them."

"I suppose any creature who lives in the dark would be," I said as I shivered.

He didn't say anything for a moment before slowly turning around.

"Not all." He whispered as he continued to walk.

I raised an eyebrow at that as I followed him.

"Who exactly are you taking me to?"

The Persian didn't answer; the only thing close to a response, it seemed, that I was going to get was the sound of our footsteps echoing in the darkness.

I frowned as I folded my arms across my chest, not pushing the matter any further.

As we walked, I began to hear what sounded like an... organ? 

The Persian seemed undeterred by the sound, as if he was used to roaming the tunnels underneath the Opera Populaire and hearing an ominous organ playing. 

Suddenly, he abruptly stopped, and I ran into his back, frowning as I saw we were at a dead end.

"Is the wall supposed to help me, or do you not know where we are going?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I assure you, Mademoiselle, I know exactly where we are going." He said as his hand felt along the wall.

I watched as one of the stones shifted slightly, then another, until suddenly the wall opened.

"How did you do that?" I asked in amazement.

"Magic." He said simply as he walked through the opening.

I hesitated for a moment before following. As soon as I did, the wall closed behind me, and I gasped.

"Don't be alarmed, now come, quickly, and watch out for traps." The Persian said as he walked ahead.

"Traps," I repeated incredulously.

"Yes, he has a lot of those down here." He said.

"He?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

A low hum was the only response he gave me, and I frowned, feeling irritation fill my chest.

The sound of the organ was growing closer; it was loud enough to make my ears ring when we came to the top of a set of winding stairs.

The Persian took my hand, glancing at me for a moment, not making any movement, then he gave a slow nod and led me down the stairs.

The organ grew louder the more we descended, and when we arrived at the bottom of the steps, the Persian turned to me, raising his hand.

"Wait right here, Madamoiselle." 

"You expect me to wait here?" I said. "I don't even know where here is!"

"Madamoiselle, please, lower your voice. I assure you everything will be fine, as long as you listen to me." He said, his voice still a frustrating calm.

"Daroga?" A voice called.

My eyes widened at the voice, and the Persian quickly took my hand as a figure wrapped in what seemed to be a cloak of darkness, with a white mask covering half his face emerged.