Dark, wrecked cold church while rain was hammering as if sky was crying in pain, the wooden was muggy as the engraved sacred glasses were broken, pieces of what once was celestial stained glasses.

“Take it!! I don’t want it!!”

The woman lying on the drenched floor shouted gripping the dress of the midwife who watched her in astounded as blood floated mixed with the pouring rain through the place between the woman’s legs.

“It is your son.”

“It is a shame!”

The midwife watched in disgust the newborn whose was enwrapped on a dirty humid grey piece of fabric “It is the proof of your perfidy.”

“I don’t want him!!! Kill him!!!”

The woman cried; her eyes wide in craziness as she was draining off, hatred and anguish reflected on his eyes towards her own son.

“The archduke would want to know the bastard who you gave birth.”

The midwife hissed while the archduchess tried to stand, crawling on the floor, trying to catch the newborn who was crying “I’m going to kill him myself!”

“Die knowing he would live as the proof of your shame.”

The archduchess cried in despair holding her pain as the midwife took her son away. It was maybe midnight, when the sky was broken and misty as the waves collided against the rocks “A mongrel born by a noble and an Asian slave mustn’t live.”

The baby was crying while the torrent was reaching the when a horse was heard as the howl from a wolf. She dropped the newborn and ran, leaving the abandoned child on the drizzly grass.

A man in hood reach the end of the cliff, his litmus eyes watching the crying shape as he took it with his blade and galloped to an unknown way.

“Of course, this child is an aristocrat son, and you can have him as a slave.”

The old dirty man who asked how much this small kid cost poked his nose and his finger after, his eyes bored on the trembling shape of the five year old kid as he grinned.

“It is ugly. I want a discount.”

“Just take it and give the money, nobody had wanted it since he was born, and I can’t keep feeding him. So deal.”

The child shook his eyes, holding to the man who was selling him as he cried, being hit and kicked “I hate you mongrel bastard. Go!”

The child sniffed trying to hold his cries when he was tore apart from the only person who had feed him these years as he was threw on a dingy place, grubby straw as he grunted softly in pain. His big wide teary innocent eyes scanned the place as he was trembling on his thin clothes embracing himself.

“Come back or I’ll kill you!!” The man was running as the kid ran hiding on the graveyard in a mausoleum, holding his breath.

The man tsk-ed walking away, cursing before leaving the place, that night the man returned with people, searching over and over again, never finding the child who once was his slave.

--

Ballerinas, singers and people in costumes traveled around the place as Kyuhyun’s eyes widened in excitement. He wanted this, his mother supported him sending him in train and he must reach his dream as his fingers gripped the small luggage on his hands, opening his mouth to ask someone with whom he can ask for a job, being ignored by everyone as he sighed.

“Go and send this to Heechul.”

Kyuhyun blinked and the old man rolled his eyes growling “Useless.” The man threw the dress to Kyuhyun and signaled the stage as Kyuhyun face was baffled.

“Are you new?” The man asked and Kyuhyun shook his head but smiled.

“No, but I’ll love to work here, I want to be a sin—“

“Hired, now go! or the will make a tantrum!”

Kyuhyun nodded, dropping his luggage, asking for Heechul, until he saw a feminine man who yelled at him and growled “Too late, I hate slow people.”

Kyuhyun nodded, he was bewildered in emotion watching a real theater, not those of the white and black films the circus showed to them from time to time on his town.

“I-I want…”

“Heechul!! An ambassador from England came to see you.”

The petite man nodded smirking, stepping the dress Kyuhyun showed him seconds ago, as the latter picked it, dusting away the mark.

“He is one of the best actors here, and since woman aren’t allowed because we follow Kabuki’s tradition on this theater, he is the more asked to perform female roles.”

Kyuhyun nodded, memorizing the words he just heard and blinked turning to watch the petite man smiling to him “I’m Sungmin, I play female roles too, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah… oh, Cho Kyuhyun!”

Kyuhyun shook hands with Sungmin and then the man who hired him, same man with wrinkles and platinum hair because the age, called another name, but this time, his voice was soft and the theater shut in silence.

“Donghae… come out.”

Kyuhyun eyes were open wide mesmerized as his heart thumped and he blinked open mouthed and Sungmin chuckled “He is special. Performs male plays and females roles as well, the director loves his work, he is called a mermaid, because his voice enchants listeners and inveigles the audience with his smile and looks.”

Kyuhyun sighed; it was like floating over fluffy clouds as a smile broke on his face. Donghae was perfect, the way he walked through the stage, high chin and light steps, slim body and graceful movements.

“Yes?”

Kyuhyun was enchanted and Sungmin shook his head, anticipating the outcome.

“You will be the lead female on the performance for next week.” Donghae nodded, turning on his heels and Kyuhyun smiled at him while Donghae huffed rolling his eyes.

“Off town boy, I don’t want to get dirty.”

Kyuhyun mouth was agape by the shook and Sungmin laughed patting his back “The other reason he is named ‘mermaid’ is because he just enchants those who has money and power, those who he has on his eyes, and shows his true self to the rest.”

Kyuhyun grinned even so “That’s amazing! It means he is on his role! I want to be like him!”

“Yeah, well… if you have anything to ask, just find me.”

“Thank you!” Kyuhyun beamed. Finally he was here, a step from his dream…

“Can’t you get someone better, nobody fits the male role!” Donghae whined and Kyuhyun listened how the male complained to the director while he was broomming the floor.

Donghae walked to the director seating on his lap, encircling his arms around his neck, glaring at Kyuhyun who lifted his gaze from a moment before lowering it again, hearing Donghae’s whisper.

“I want him.”

The director shook his head, pulling off Donghae’s hands “You can’t have him, he is special, different. Only plays when someone important asks for him.”

“I don’t mind. It has been almost a year since his last performance. I want to hear him, to watch him again.”

The director sighed, signaling Kyuhyun to go out; the latter did so, gluing his ear to the door, hearing nothing even if he tried.

“I have an announcement.” Everybody stopped what was doing, all pair of eyes on director’s shape as he cleared his throat.

“I didn’t want this, but Minister Kim asked for a special play from us. Tonight male lead isn’t going to be Siwon, the male lead is going to be performed by Sungmin, but, “director remarked “he will be switched at the end by another person at the final scene.”

Kyuhyun wanted to ask who. Siwon was the perfect male lead, and his voice was well tuned, and Sungmin was a really nice singer and even when almost always performed female roles. Kyuhyun was sure Sungmin could finish really well this tragedy act. Even so, Kyuhyun heart was aching to sings, to act, to…

“Kyuhyun was your name, right?”

He nodded.

“Good, you have a role. Impress me or I will personally kill you if not.”

“I’m nervous…” Kyuhyun sais to Sungin who giggled and dress, fixing the wig over his hair.

“It’s just a small role. You’re gonna sing for a short time, and still you don’t know who is the male you’re gonna stab, so it’ll be hard for you, because your script says you must kill him in one motion, so the heroine will fall on depression committing suicide.”

“Still… I’m very nervous. What if I trip?”

“Relax, you will do fine, and more important, you will perform with your mermaid, sometimes I guess you love him by how your eyes sparkle.”

“It’s not that. I like him and respect him as the famous actor and singer he is, is like a fairy or a perfect character out from a book, just that.”

“And isn’t that love, your heart races, right?”

“Yeah… it raises but I feel no attraction, just pure admiration.” Kyuhyun smiled touching his chest “If someone I would love exist, I’m sure I will know in an instant.”

“Right! Now, it’s show time.”

Kyuhyun was breathing hard, his chest thumping loudly as he felt butterflies inside. His eyes sparkling behind the orange golden mask as he opened his lips to start singing the lyrics, declaring his love for a woman who will be no his as he kissed Donghae’s back hand after singing.

Silence.

Kyuhyun heart stopped when nobody react and then… as if magic happened, everybody stood clapping and Kyuhyun knew, this was the place he wanted to be as he smiled. Donghae took away his hand as the lights shut down and he beamed turning to stairs up on the stage.

Kyuhyun tried to adjust his eyes as everybody went quiet, he felt nervous, walking to the stairs leisured as one white light over a person standing at the end of the stairs. The man was dressed in black, silver mask with golden furniture as a hood covered him and he started to sing.

It wasn’t as tuned as Donghae voice, but if Kyuhyun could have a said, this voice was more the one from a mermaid than Donghae’s as Kyuhyun hastened his steps upstairs, forgetting his lines as he felt a knot on his throat for some reason.

The man eyes were locked on Kyuhyun when he finished his chant, the audience was silent. Kyuhyun heard someone whispering him something but he couldn’t catch what was. He was focused on those deep brown doe eyes fixed on him, b in fear and prying beneath the light as his breath was caught.

“I-I…” Kyuhyun stuttered.

The petite man showed fear for a moment, raising his voice in a formulated sentence “I will not hand her to you, she is my everything!”

Kyuhyun was baffled until time moved again and he snapped “I must kill you then.”

The petite man didn’t say more as Kyuhyun grabbed him by the shoulders with a fake dagger, pressing it against the masked man, who gripped his shirt, dragging him on his fall as Kyuhyun widened his eyes.

The hood feel, showing blond strands of hair, milky soft skin, sharp jawline, and Kyuhyun could felt the slim frame of the man beneath him as Kyuhyun’s heart throbbed consciously, feeling the air wasn’t enough inside his lungs.

The man’s lips were plump and pink. Kyuhyun his ones, leaning down slowly when the lights were again turned off and he felt someone pulled him off the floor.

What happened?

Kyuhyun was in daze as he blinked slowly, he felt the other hot breath against his lips but never had the chance to touch them.

The director was frowning to Kyuhyun who was back-stage as Donghae was killing himself before the audience because his beloved was killed.

Kyuhyun heard the claps, the resounding joy and acceptance because they did well and cheering, his mind though, was in another place moments ago, repeating the scene over and over again on his mind.

“He is forbidden, just…”

Kyuhyun snapped again that day rubbing his neck “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you are talking about. I was nervous because people clapped to my sing and I got excited, so I forgot my lines and tripped. I’m really sorry. About the main lead, I thought it was Sungmin and that you lied about switching male lead this time.”

“Are you deaf or blind?” Director asked narrowing his eyes and Kyuhyun shook his head.

“No. I was just very nervous on stage, I’m sorry, please let me sing again in another performance and stay here.”

Director smirked “Since you’re a countryside man, I bet you don’t know the difference between voices and skills, that’s why you didn’t notice today switched but that’s good.”

Kyuhyun nodded slowly. Of course he noticed, of course his heart raced and he wanted to know who that person was. Kyuhyun doesn’t remember having an encounter with him until today, because he would remember those eyes, those lips, and that skin…

“I will give you a bigger role next time.”

“Thank you!!”

Kyuhyun bowed smiling, his dream starts here as his chance to meet that person again. Kyuhyun stopped his thoughts as curiosity took the best of him when he heard Donghae finally talking to him.

“He is forbidden, don’t ever expect meeting him again or trying to trick the director, he knows everything inside those walls and you can’t never ever meet that person outside stage.”

“Why?” Kyuhyun asked absorbed and Donghae smirked.

“He is a mystery. Doesn’t exist, doesn’t has a name, he just comes out when some aristocrats asks for a special play.”

“Then how he enters and exist this place?”

“Haven’t you heard? Just director knows, to everyone else, his whereabouts are a secret.” Donghae rolled his eyes and Sungmin appeared.

“Oh, you were enchanted by Donghae again or why talking?”

Donghae huffed and sighed “Were talking about the one who switched place with you, did you see him before the switch?”

Sungmin shook his head, seating before the boudoir, taking off the make-up “Director almost throw me out of the dressings and then voila! The Jewel was on stage again.”

“Jewel?”

Sungmin nodded and Donghae smiled excited “Yes, he is the treasure from director, rumors say is his son, others his lover and others say he bought the young man for special purposes, everything is a rumor though.”

Sungmin nodded and Donghae for first time chirped again, and Kyuhyun found him weird, because was so out of the first impression he had “Aristocrats call him ‘jewel’ that’s why we refer to him with that name.”

“By the way, why did you touch him, uh? I worked so hard and convinced the minister to ask the director for the jewel and you, you…” Donghae stopped “who are you again?”

Kyuhyun laughed before introduced himself again. His eyes traveling to the stairs on the stage as he smiled.

Hi!!! Finally I could update this. As you see, is different from the phantom of the opera, also is an AU, so it has invented facts. I was going to update this until Jjang's love and other stories would have 10 chapters but since you commented, I hurried to update for you.

Saranghe~!