The Viscount Raoul de Chagny stepped out of his carriage, and was greeted with a blast of wind. He looked up at the Opera Populairè, which cut an imposing figure against the night sky, and sighed. How many more days would he have to suffer through this mind-numbing patronage?
His brother Phillipe had arranged all this, hoping that Raoul would someday become the nobleman he was born to be. He had conveniently ignored the fact that Raoul had wanted to be an artist since the day he was born as well. Well, it's all for your well-being, Raoul, he had said so many times.
To hell with his well-being. Raoul hated this endless stream of parades and money. But then, it was always like that, wasn't it? The rich had always wanted what commoners had.
"…Monsieur." Raoul's carriage driver said quietly. Raoul looked to him.
"What is it, Ferdinand?" he asked.
"Look." Ferdinand pointed into the shadows that surrounded the Opera Populairè.
Standing there was a woman. She was wearing a black dress, which was rather short and came up to her mid-calves, and a long black cloak that whipped in the breeze. Her long hair was black as well, and blew loosely around her face. She also wore a white half-mask that hid the right side of her face.
Her yellow eyes glittered with what could only be amusement. The woman raised her hand, and beckoned for Raoul to follow her.
"What…?" Raoul wondered.
"I, uh…I s'pose I'll bring the carriage around back, then." Ferdinand said tensely, and drove the carriage off. Raoul went off after the young woman, his curiosity aroused.
As soon as he stepped foot into the darkness, a high, lilting, almost musical laugh met his ears. Then, on the other side of him, he heard a whispering giggle.
"Curious, are you boy? Wondering who this young woman is who wears a mask and such strange apparel?"
"Where are you?" Raoul called to the never-ending blackness. His plea elicited another laugh from the young woman.
"I can be anywhere I like. Yes, so very curious, yes…curiosity killed the cat, did you know, boy?"
He could not answer her, the breath knocked out of him from running.
"Well, since you're so intent on following me, I suppose I'll have to reveal myself!"
She appeared in the stream of light from a nearby window. Her beautiful face was contorted with that infuriating smirk. Then, in one fluid motion, she slid into the cellar of the operahouse.
Raoul had once heard a story about this particular operahouse and the being that lived below it, but he did not remember it presently. He followed her into the cellar.
Almost as soon as he hit the ground, he met the eyes of a man wearing the same mask as the young woman, but on the other side of his face.
"Monsieur, can I help you?" he said, his voice icy.
"I…er…I was following a young woman down here…she, er…led me down." Raoul finished lamely.
The man's eyes narrowed.
"I see. Well, there is no woman down here. It is very dangerous, so I suggest you leave. We are…doing some construction. I believe you are here to see the opera?" he said in that same dangerously cold voice.
Raoul might have been many things, but he knew he was not a brave man. So, he quickly climbed up and out of the cellar, brushed himself off, and went to go inside.
The man sighed. "It's safe now, Eris."
Eris poked her head out from behind the large stone column. Her lustrous black hair was disheveled, and she still had that frightening smirk on her face.
"Did you bring that man down here to kill him?" he asked her. She ran her hand through her hair, looking confident.
"Maybe I did. What of it?" she said haughtily. The man looked furious.
"What of it? Eris, you could have gotten us caught! Do you have any idea how much danger you put us in? What if he had escaped?" he yelled.
"He wouldn't have escaped if you hadn't let him go, Erik." Eris said, spitting out his name. "I do it all the time and you never complain."
Erik was silent. He slinked over to his organ, but did not play. Eris sighed.
"Eris…how can you kill people so heartlessly and uncaringly?" Erik did not turn around to look at her when he spoke.
"Because I am a child of Satan. It's what I do. I enjoy it. It's in my soul. You can see it painted on my face." Eris said, stroking her mask with a tinge of pride.
"Evil is in my nature," she said. "And I love it."
There was a long silence between them. Erik laid his hands on the keys, but still did not play.
"Just because you are a child of Satan doesn't mean you can't try to be good," he said.
"You don't." Eris pointed out.
"I only kill when I need to. And I don't enjoy it like you do." He stood up roughly. "I'm going to watch the opera to see my student sing. I'll be back later. Don't go wandering around, otherwise they'll suspect."
"Of course not, dear brother." Eris said, fingers crossed behind her back.