Chapter 1

Paris 1870

I watched from across the street as the Paris opera house burned down in flames. I felt a single tear rolled down my cheek. The bone white mask I wore hid the sight of my face from the world, and I was glad once more for its inexplicable use. I stayed and watched the masterpiece of unique genius burn, I watched my home burn, and I watched until it burned down into ashes. My heart felt hollow. I had been betrayed by my heart's desire - Christine - who was going to leave me unaware of her undeniable longings for the Vicont de Changy. I loathed him, not only for his pretty face but because he could win Christine's love so easily. I turned my back on the world I knew for the past thirty years and turned my face onto the world whom despised me so and found that my master was standing before me in all his glorious darkness.

"Erik," He said, his voice resonating with the underlining of sweet, glorious music. I knew that even angels could reside in hell and my master was the leader of them. "It's about time you turned away from that hideous tragedy." He sounded sad and at the same time mad as if Paris displeased him.

"Master, I'd like to have my reward now." The words sounded like a question and I hated myself for sounding weak and confused. My master had said that if I destroyed the opera house he would heal my face and give me immortality. A gift, he said, that he only gave to the most loyal.

"Very well Erik, come here." He commanded, with that voice that resonated with music. I stepped closer than I had ever been to him and then stepped once more. Our bodies were touching now and his hands flew to my face and ripped off the mask that hid me from him and the world. His lips touched every inch of my face leaving a fiery trail across my skin.

"Take what once was ugly and make it new, turn my servant and make him beautiful too." His voice flowed through the air chantingly as it surround us with his magic. Then it felt ad if my face was on fire, I screamed and screamed but for all my efforts no-one heard me and then, the pain stopped as quickly as it had come.

My master was still there standing in front of me but now he held a mirror in his hands. It was silver framed, and on the back was a single red rose, like the ones I would leave in Christine's room. I drew the mirror up and looked into the mirror. The face I saw was a strangers and He was beautiful. He had soft, shiny brown hair dark enough that it looked almost black in the dark night, he had a nose! And it was perfectly shaped, long and narrow. His lips were as red as the ruby that I stole from the throne of Persia and his eyes, oh god his eyes, were a vivid green which were so familiar that I could see my old self in those eyes. This stranger's face was beautiful, and it was mine. The stranger was I and now I was beautiful because of my master's dark magic.

"Thank you," I whispered but no-body was there. I wish Christine could see me mow. Perhaps she could love this beautiful stranger's face that I now own but I knew that she was long gone now, with that stupid child Raoul. Perhaps even too late for me to catch the ship they were planning to leave for England on but I could try and I would find her eventually. All I had to do was hope. I ran out of the alley and hailed down the first empty carriage.

"Where to Monsieur?" The driver asked. He had his face turned towards me, looking at me and he wasn't screaming in terror or calling for the police. It was exhilarating and I smiled as I replied "To the harbor and make it quick!" I climbed into the carriage as he moved the horse into a run. It didn't take very long to reach the harbor and I saw people climbing aboard the vast ship, which claimed that it was set to sail to England. I didn't have anything with me except for my violin and a small suitcase full of clothes which I had carried out with me when I had escaped from the fire that I had caused at the Paris opera house.

I saw her then, wrapped up in the child's arms waiting in the line like commoners. I smiled at the sight of her, my heart burning in the inferno that I had come to realize as love. I jumped into the short que. I was a few people behind them but when Raoul turned and looked around, perhaps looking to see if I had followed, he didn't even recognize me but I hoped Christine would recognize me through my eyes. I hoped she would turn around and look too but she did not and I did not understand why. They paid for their tickets and then boarded onto the ship. It didn't take long for me to follow suit. I boarded the ship and made my way to the cabin given to me. It was luxurious; it reminded me of the apartment the Kahnum gave to me as my home. I put my suitcase down and moved out onto the veranda and on the next one over was a very familiar woman crying. Simply by the sound of her heartbreaking sobs I knew that it was Christine. By instinct I hid from her in the darkness of the shade of the curtain. I pulled out my violin and played a soft melody I had written for her. She cried even harder when I started playing she cried my name and I cried silently with her.

"Oh Christine," The cry broke from my lips before I could stop it. She flew out of her chair and looked around her, searching wide eyed for me but of course she would not find me.

"Raoul come quick," She cried. He was out there with her in a second.

"What is it?" He demanded as he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly. It infuriated me that he would treat her like so, that he didn't take the utmost care whilst he was around her. I wanted to go over there and giving him a good roughening up but I couldn't she would think that I was a mad man and I wanted to win her back.

"I swear I heard his voice," She whispered and without a doubt Raoul knew she was talking about me. The way her voice soared when she was talking about me almost made me weak at the knees but it looked like it made Raoul sick which was almost just as pleasing.

"Christine," I heard Raoul sigh not knowing what else to say. Christine sighed too and mumbled something before Raoul kissed her forehead and went back inside.

"Oh Erik," I heard Christine sigh, "I miss you," She said and stared up into the moon.

"I miss you too," The words flowed from my lips before I could stop them. She must have heard me because she started crying again, only now it was soft and it sounded more like her soul was mourning than her heart was crying but surely I read too deeply into those tears. I put my violin aside and unpack the suitcase I had brought with me before I relaxed into the soft bed, my soul crying as well as I listened to her cries which were the last thing I heard before I fell asleep.

My master was here, there was nothing in the dream except for my master but now his flesh burned with an inner light. The fire was dancing in his eyes; this was the true glory of my master.

"Erik," He said or more so called. I obeyed and walked over to my master. "I have given you your beauty and immortality and by doing this I have taken away God's curse on you but now I must place another on you for doing what I've done. There must be balance in the world Erik I cannot simply take something and without put something else in its place. Do you understand?" He asked. I understood what he meant by balance but what I didn't understand is what he was talking about with another curse.

"I understand master but what do you mean by another curse?" I asked trying to keep my voice steady and succeeding.

"Ah Erik, The curse is something that already you are quite familiar with. The Kahnum would have never even thought it as a curse." He sighed and then continued "The curse is that throughout all of your immortality you will lust for blood and through this lust you will kill to get what you need, take notice Erik I say need not want because you will need to drink blood to survive. You will be able to eat food but it will not sustain nor fill you." He looked sad but he always did look like that didn't he. It was unnerving to think how similar we were but the thing was that he was a real angel and I was not.

"I can live with that master," I said humbly. His eyes flashed then and he snarled.

"Don't play games with me Erik!" He roared. He breathed in and out before he spoke again, "Would you be able to live with yourself if you killed Christine?" He asked, his voice had gone down to a whisper but it was a snarling, vicious little whisper. Darkness swirled and twirled around us and then in seconds he was gone.

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