Monte Cristo 1: The Haunting at the Colosseum

He reached the highest level of the amphitheater and sat upon the cool stones to wait. His breathing sounded harsh and shallow to him, his mouth dry and indeed his entire being trembling with anticipation. This was a foolhardy plan – to come back to a place like this. He wasn’t even sure if the mysterious man would still be here. For all young Franz knew, he could very well be the fool waiting in the wings for a man who would never come.

For how long he sat there, he had no idea. He could feel himself losing consciousness as the excitement of the day began to catch up with him. A lethargic sensation fell upon him and just as he was about to give in to welcome sleep, he heard it again. That voice. His voice.
“Beneath the moon, my dear Baron, you could almost pass for one of the many ghosts which wander the catacombs of Rome.”

Franz rose to his feet quickly, his cheeks flushing with heat as he watched the man step out of the shadows. It was a relatively cool night and yet he could feel a cold sweat break out on his brow. His heart pounded fiercely within his chest as if threatening to fall right out of it. However, he knew he couldn’t back away now. He had come here to satisfy his curiosity and he was determined to find the answers to his questions.

“Who are you?” he asked in a voice which sounded breathless to his ears. He could not see the man’s eyes for the top hat covered them. However, there was no denying the power he exuded with each step he took.

“Who am I, he asks,” came the amused response as the man flung out an arm to reveal a walking stick unlike any Franz had ever seen before. It was simple and yet as ornate enough to belong in the Louvre Museum. “Haven’t you ever heard the term ‘curiosity killed the cat’, my dear Baron?”

“How…how do you know my name?” Franz took a tentative step backwards in growing worry. The man followed with a smirk now on his dark features.

“Does it matter how I’ve come to know you?” He took another step forward and watched as the younger man shrank back again. “What matters is that you are here and you’ve come for one thing, have you not?”