Chapter 1 (Erik)
"Pitiful creature of darkness" Christine had said of me, I wondered, was I really a pitiful creature? I pondered this as I paced across the black carpet of my dungeon beneath the Opera Garnier, was this place really such a dungeon? I sighed and slumped down. I stood staring at my hands, the hands of a monster some said. I traced the scars on my wrist that Christine had pretended not to notice, or was she pretending? I could not bring myself to blame Christine, even now for leaving and going with that fool. The Viscount Raoul de Chagny. I remembered how much I wanted to kill him the first time I saw him with Christine, but I also felt jealous. Why was it he that made her eyes sparkle like that when she laughed? I would have killed him too, if she had not begged me to spare his life, that and she would give up her happiness for him. Or did she love him that much? Did she just want to get away from this horrid deformity that has cursed me all these years? I then remembered how she had looked at him. Yes, I decided she really did love him. But because of this curse she did not stay with me!
I ripped my cursed mask off my face and threw it to the ground, it trembled as if it were about to shatter but it did not, of course it didn't it was built by me wasn't it? Nothing I built ever disobeyed me, I was their master after all. I sighed again and looked down and my hands once again, the hands of a murderer. Did I regret killing all those people? Of course not. They were insolent fools, so ignorant, they deserved to die. Especially that one fool who had gone around telling everyone of me. My secrets are mine alone, even the slightest things. I then thought of all the names I had acquired over the years but there were three in particular that haunted me. The Phantom of The Opera, Angel of Music and of course the last one that as far as I knew I was the only one left to remember it: Erik. That's right, I laughed cruelly, even a monster such as myself could have such a mundane name.
I sat down at my organ and looked at my last masterpiece, The Don Juan Triumphant. Its deep complexities known only to me. I walked over and pick up the mask that bound me to my fate. I suddenly heard footsteps coming from the gate.
I put my mask on and blended into the shadows, all in a split second. What fool dare wander into my domain? They have truly have chosen a bad time to wander here, if it was any other time I would have given them a quick, painless death, well maybe. But today, today they would suffer and cry out in pain. I would torture them until they begged me for mercy and death, only then would they have they have the gift of death.
"Erik?" A timid, yet somehow strong voice queried from the center of my dungeon.
I blinked in surprise, who was left alive to remember my name? I peered out from the shadow but I still couldn't get a good glance so I quickly shifted to stalking up behind them. I grabbed my noose, the Punjab lasso. When I got close enough I wrapped the noose around his neck and hissed in his ear.
"Tell me who you are and I may let you die painlessly."
'My dear Erik, have you forgotten me already? Although it has been many, many years I didn't think that you would forget the man who saved your life." With great difficulty he twisted around to look at me.
I felt faint, the room around me started spinning, how could this man still be alive?
"The daroga." I managed in a steady voice. "How are you still alive? I had thought they killed you in Persia."
His face lit up. "Ah, so you do remember me, Erik."
I removed the noose from his neck.
"Why have you come down to my lair? I have no patience to talk to anyone today, even a man who is supposed to be dead." I said wearily.
I walked away and hoped that he would not follow, although I knew he would. I heard his footsteps echo behind me, loud to my ears compared to my silent walk.
"I hear that you kidnapped a young lady by the name of Christine Daae, does this have anything to do with your forgiving mood? Because usually you would have killed me without a second thought, even though I once saved your life." He questioned as he followed behind me.
I turned around so abruptly he ran into me.
"Do not EVER speak that name, for Ms. Daae belongs to me and only me!" I snarled
He took a step back in shock then smiled.
"Ah, I see. So it seems our dear Erik has finally fallen in love. Something many thought would never happen, although many girls do not seem to like to belong to someone. Really Erik, give the poor girl some freedom." He chided.
"She's already gone with her lover the Viscount de Chagny." I said bitterly. "They fled my lair no more than a day ago."
"The Viscount de Chagny, really." He said thoughtfully. Then he seemed to fully process what I said.
"And you let them live?" He asked shocked. "They're alive?"
"Of course they're alive! I would have killed the Viscount had Christine not begged for his life."
"Ah, this sounds more like the Erik I know, Erik the trap door maker, as you were known in my country." He said slightly amused.
"Yes, the country of my ill-spent youth now leave at once, I have no patience for visitors." I said stalking away, of course the daroga never listened to anything anyone said.
"I see, you must have truly loved this girl, for as I recall no one could ever stop you from killing when you desired."
I stopped at swung the noose toward him again, but this time he was ready. He had his hand at the level of his eyes before the noose got to him.
"You really think that trying to strangle me with your noose two times in a row will work? Really Erik, you ought to know me better than that." He said taking the noose off his neck.
I then threw a blow to the stomach. He wasn't expecting it but he blocked it somehow.
"Ah, Daroga there is no beating you is there? In all my years I have never once beaten you in a fair fight." I sighed.
"Then may I come in for tea?" He asked.
"If there's no other way for you to leave then yes."
"Well then, let us sit down and have tea." He said joyfully.
I filled my kettle and set it across the fire and took out one teacup. The Daroga was not surprised, for he knew I never ate in the company of others.
"So Erik, I hear that you've been terrorizing people here and that they call you the phantom of the Opera." He said as he sat down. "Not a bad name, I suppose after all many consider you equivalent to a phantom. As many do not consider you real."
"Ah, yes unfortunately I am all here. Mind, soul and body. Only my heart has been given to another." I said thinking of Christine.
He looked stunned; I set his tea in front of him and watched him put a lump of sugar in it.
"My, my it seems our dear little Phantom" He said the word mockingly "Really has learned of love."
"Do you doubt me?" I asked in a withering tone.
"Of course not, I learned not to doubt you years ago; there is no room in your black soul for lies." He said pretending to apologize.
"Eat then leave!" I commanded but the Daroga will always be the Daroga, he sat there calmly sipping his tea.
"So my dear Phantom, have you built a normal house yet? For as I recall the last thing you said to me was 'I want to live like a normal person, build normal houses with normal bricks.'"
"Why would I build houses for the human race? They have denied me, called me a monster; I have no love for those human fools!" I seethed.
"You're a human too! Beneath that mask is not a monster but a man! A man named Erik!" He shouted his voice vibrating around the room.
"Is that what you think? You think that I am merely a man? No, monsieur I am neither a man nor a monster I am a chimera, yes, a mix between them. I have murdered and maimed and denied people what they most desired, yet somehow, somehow I still feel mortal feeling such as love, hate and despair." I said sounding as helpless as I felt.
He set down his tea and watched me for a moment. He sighed then stood up, his teacup empty. I then realized that in the time we were arguing he had not once looked at me. This only reinforced my need to hide in this dungeon, even the person who knew me the most did not dare look at me. I felt a twinge of sadness, but my rage overtook it as always.
"GET OUT!" I yelled as I flew into a rage. "GO NOW!" He stood there for a moment looking shocked. I then threw a plate at him. He ducked out of the path of the flying plate and backed away towards the door.
"Don't worry Erik, I'll be back!" He shouted behind his back as he ran out the gate.
He left me standing there still enraged holding a plate. I sighed and put the plate down.