The Lost Opera

Jared is in the throes of mental collapse, consumed by his obsession with Mortuus Messis. As his research reaches a fever pitch, his grip on reality slips. He feels the weight of his discoveries pulling him deeper into madness, all while hearing the haunting music of the opera. Desperate and on the edge, Jared decides to send his research to a mysterious old friend, hoping to preserve the work bef...

Jared's mental state continues to deteriorate as he experiences disturbing auditory hallucinations and a terrifying nightmare. A growing sense of being watched leaves Jared feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Jared is spiraling out of control, overwhelmed by the research into Mortuus Messis. Despite spending an entire day on the work, time slips away, and nothing seems to make sense. An uncomfortable conversation with Lily adds to the stress, leaving Jared feeling more isolated and detached. The confusion and growing obsession are leading to an emotional breakdown, as he begins to question their grip o...

Jared embarks on a day trip to Boston, seeking answers about the crescent moon necklace. In the North End, he revisits The Witching Hour, the mysterious trinket shop. The encounter with Lina leads to a revelation about the necklace’s material—a moss agate—and a deeper connection to the mystical and symbolic aspects of the gem. However, the conversation leaves Jared feeling uneasy, heightening thei...

Jared dives deep into the contents of the pamphlet Julianna sent, which includes a synopsis of the lost opera Mortuus Messis. The discovery of this long-forgotten work unearths some unsettling details about the opera's structure, characters, and Ustman's cryptic intentions.

The much-anticipated package from Julianna finally arrives, and Jared dives into the materials she's sent. Among the contents are photocopies of Mortuus Messis' pamphlet and several letters—three in total, each neatly folded and sealed. But there’s also something unexpected: a necklace in the shape of a crescent moon, made from a mysterious polished stone. Jared is captivated by its swirling patte...

Julianna finally reaches out, and her call brings clarity but also raises more questions. She is direct, explaining what she wants from Jared: the full truth about her great-grandmother, Dahlia. Julianna is frustrated by the web of secrecy surrounding Dahlia's fate, with family members avoiding the topic and shrouding it in lies, rumors, and half-truths. She wants closure, and she believes Jared m...

Jared finds himself drawn back to the abandoned theater site once again, despite not planning to go. His mind keeps returning to the place, compelled by a force he can't explain. Once there, something strange and unsettling happens—he starts to visualize the theater as it might have looked in its prime, but the images come to him in disjointed fragments.

Jared is clearly on edge today. He’s been anxiously waiting to hear back from Julianna, consumed by uncertainty about what she might want in exchange for the pamphlet and Dahlia’s letters. Her cryptic request weighs heavily on his mind, and he can't shake the feeling that there’s something more at play than simply sharing documents.

It’s 1 AM, and Jared is still wide awake, lost in thought. The triple moon imagery, something he first stumbled upon in his dream, has become all-consuming. No matter how hard he tries to push it aside, his mind keeps returning to it. He's been sifting through old texts, searching for meaning, but the deeper he goes, the more he realizes that the answers he seeks aren’t found in academic sources....

Jared receives a call from Julianna, and it’s clear something significant has surfaced. She’s found what she believes to be the original pamphlet for Mortuus Messis, along with a set of letters written by Dahlia Fleming around the time of the opera’s premiere.

Jared takes a step toward self-soothing, purchasing a cheap boombox to combat the unsettling silence in his hotel room. The device hums with local radio station noise, nothing special, but it provides the constant background sound he’s been craving.

Jared’s tone is strained as he confesses to the mounting tension in his life. His conversation with Lily today has left him feeling more vulnerable than ever. She’s concerned about him—about how distant and distracted he’s become—and her worry has begun to weigh on him. He admits that she’s right, that his obsession with the research, particularly the mysteries surrounding "Mortuus Messis," has co...

Jared’s voice carries a sense of unease as he reflects on the unsettling dream from a few nights ago. He’s still haunted by the vivid imagery—the three moons, the ancient vessel, and his bronze hands—and a deep, gnawing sense that these symbols are more than just figments of his imagination. They feel familiar, as if they are fragments of a forgotten memory, something he should know but can’t quit...

Jared's voice trembles with the rawness of his recent experience. He describes waking up from an intense, vivid dream that left him drenched in sweat and shaken to his core. The dream, which he can hardly grasp, felt more real than anything he's ever encountered before. He is desperate to record it while it's still fresh in his mind, as the details swirl in his head.

Jared details his call with Dr. Nasir Takrani, which he describes as a deeply insightful conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Dr. Takrani helped Jared understand the rare and significant role Dahlia Fleming’s background in maqam singing would have played in her performance of Mortuus Messis.

Jared shares his excitement upon receiving a reply from Dr. Nasir Takrani, a specialist in Arabic and Persian music. Dr. Takrani expresses interest in Jared's research and has agreed to a phone call later in the week. In his email, he introduces a few intriguing points that deepen Jared’s understanding of maqam music, a central element in Dahlia Fleming’s heritage.

Jared details a phone call with Dr. Cortez about the "banned in Boston" reference he found in the City Archives regarding Mortuus Messis. Dr. Cortez explains the historical context of the phrase, which was commonly used to describe works that were deemed too controversial or provocative for Boston's conservative culture. She shares examples of other banned works, like Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under...

Jared reflects on a challenging conversation with Dr. Sutherland, his advisor, who expressed concern about his deepening focus on the supernatural elements of his research. She believes he is becoming too entangled in the unprovable aspects of the story and is losing sight of the academic rigor required for his PhD. She emphasized the importance of sticking to the facts, history, and tangible evid...

Jared recounts a pivotal phone call with Julianna Jenkins, the great-granddaughter of Dahlia Flemming. After days of waiting, Julianna agreed to speak, but with clear boundaries: the conversation would remain unrecorded, and nothing shared could be made public without her explicit consent. Jared, adhering to research ethics, agreed without hesitation. The call revealed a deeply complex and tragic...

Jared recounts a chilling and mysterious experience from the previous night. While reviewing his notes in the quiet of his hotel room, he heard faint music drifting through the air. It started softly, growing louder and more distinct, yet when he looked out the window, the street below was empty—shrouded in mist, devoid of any movement or sound. Perhaps fatigue was playing tricks on him, or maybe...

Jared spends a productive day at the Blackwater archives and finally uncovers some critical pieces of the puzzle. Among the discoveries are black-and-white photographs of the Blackwater Opera Theatre, showcasing its striking and bizarre architecture. The building's jagged angles, impossibly tall columns, and asymmetrical ribbed arches give the space an otherworldly and disorienting quality. It’s e...

It’s late, and Jared’s day ends with an unsettling experience. After dinner, he takes a walk to clear his head, finding himself at the crossroads where the Blackwater Opera Theatre once stood. Now, it’s just an overgrown lot enclosed by a rusted fence. The heavy mist and eerie atmosphere make the place feel alive with memories of the past. Jared imagines the night of Mortuus Messis’s premiere in 1...

Jared’s day begins with a slow start and restless sleep, possibly due to the unease of being in an unfamiliar place. His plan to visit Blackwater’s City Archives hits a snag—they’re closed on Mondays. Despite the setback, he spends time on the agricultural college campus, where a surprise awaits in his inbox. Jared receives an unexpected email from Julianna Jenkins, the great-granddaughter of Dahl...

Jared has arrived in Blackwater, Massachusetts, and it’s almost 1 a.m. His first impressions of this rural town are a mix of charm and mystery. The streets, paved in cobblestone, have a distinctly European feel, but the thick mist cloaking the town adds an almost ghostly atmosphere. Jared notes the quietness of Blackwater in the summer—something the hotel concierge confirmed, mentioning this seaso...