A/N: Hello, all. My muse forced me to write this story. It's not like I have any extra time, with all the SAT junk that I'm doing. But I never do things the easy way, and so I am once more making life more difficult for myself. I promised myself I would finish this story, unlike others I've started and never finished. Reviews would help, of course.

It's AU, set in modern times (don't leave). Christine's father is alive, as you will see. It's a pretty important part in the story, so just give it a chance. It's only the beginning. Erik is…well, you'll just find out if you read it, hmmm?

Cruel Devotion

Ch 1: The Beginning

There are instances that begin the sudden unraveling of your life, that rip holes in the fabric of your being until it is unfixable. It could be anything- a loose thread pulled, a secret revealed. For Christine Daaé, it began on a frigid night in the city.

The girl hurried through the cold streets, pulling her black pea-coat closer to her body, nestling her face into her multicolored scarf. People rushed by her, each one intent upon reaching their destination. She barely glanced to either side of her, eyes fixed upon some distant point. She was jostled by the multitude of people walking on the busy sidewalk in New York until she turned onto a quieter side-street.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued on her way, glancing over her shoulder quickly. Feeling uncomfortable, she pushed her curly hair back from her face with a shaky hand and walked closer to the circles of light that the streetlamps provided. Brow furrowed, she took slower steps, obviously preoccupied with something.

"Dad…please talk to me. What's wrong? Is it something with the business?" Daaé placed a shaking hand on his daughters shoulder, avoiding her concerned gaze.

"It is nothing, Christine. We've just been having a few problems with your inheritance. I know you don't want anything to do with this, but you are my only daughter." He sat on a plush couch in the living room, coughing. "Have a seat, honey."

Christine shook her head and stood. "You know I don't care about the money. I just care about the music. I never wanted to go into business." She rubbed her forehead anxiously, feeling a headache coming on.

Christine Daaé was 20 years old and a student at an exclusive performing arts college. Her mother had passed away when she was a child, and her father had slowly built up his small business until it became one of the top corporations in the music industry. Consequently, he was very rich. Christine was never comfortable talking about their wealth. She wanted to make her own path without any help, and Gustave Daaé let her make her own decisions.

However, he had been diagnosed with a serious type of lung cancer that was progressing rapidly. Christine didn't like to think about it, but she knew the day would soon come when her father would not be able to be there for her. He wanted her to become head of the business in his place, but she always refused.

Gustave spoke again. "Christine, I understand if you don't want to get involved. I just need to know what your decision is." He looked at his daughter kindly. He knew this was hard for her.

"Can I let you know tomorrow?" She made puppy-dog eyes at her father, who tried not to smile. The puppy-dog eyes always got him.

"Oh, fine. But in all seriousness, Christine, I want you to do what you think is best. Don't try to please me if that's not what you truly want." Christine had nodded solemnly, promising to think long and hard about it. She would tell him her decision tomorrow.

It was tomorrow, and Christine still hadn't figured out what she wanted to do. She wanted to make her father happy, but she didn't want to be stuck doing paperwork all day. Music was her true passion, and she had never been good with numbers and figures. Christine didn't want the power, didn't want the prestige. She wished life was simpler, and it was just the two of them- the struggling violinist and the girl who could sing before she could walk.

Unfortunately, life didn't work out that way. And now she was on her way to her father's office in the ridiculously cold weather, after failing to hail a cab in the busy city. The girl could have easily taken her car from the garage, but she decided to walk.

Christine could hear her own solitary footsteps over the distant honking and commotion of the main streets. She could see her own breath puffing out into the sharp, clean air. Glancing at her watch, she quickened her steps again, cutting into a small alleyway that she knew was a shortcut to the street she wanted to go to.

She suddenly felt uneasy, peering through the dark behind her and in front of her, feeling slightly claustrophobic. She saw of flash of gold and stopped short. What the hell…

A black gloved hand wound itself around her mouth and she was pressed against the rough brick of the wall. Her eyes went wide and she moved her head from side to side frantically, attempting to break the person's hold. She tried to scream through the leather covering her mouth, then opened her mouth and bit down hard. The person cursed but did not let go, and the blazing eyes moved closer to her face. An unmistakably beautiful male voice breathed into her ear, and she went limp with shock. "Do not try to run. It will only make things harder for you."

She nodded obediently, but tensed her body just in case he let go. He removed his hand for an instant, and she let out a strangled yell until she felt something sharp jab into her neck. She felt the coarse surface of the wall at her back and caught the sight of glowing golden eyes with perfect clarity before the black spots clouded her vision.

The sinister black figure looked at the unconscious girl for a second before picking her up and disappearing into the darkness.