(Disclaimer: I do not own any phantom of the opera character except for the ones I have created Such as Amy and Elizabeth. )

All of his work… gone. Escaped through the mirrors he had run away from his entire life. Christine Daae'… why? He was a man of art, her being his best project. He only had to tweak her slightly to make her perfect, to prepare to unleash her out unto the world. A lifetime of trinkets and memories he had made he left behind, all because of her. The girl he so foolishly fell in love with over the years in which he tutored her, coached her voice to become everything he knew it could. But alas… being chased out of his own sanctuary, his temple of inspiration and knowledge, made him grow angry with every step he took.

Even as far away from the opera populaire' he was, he could still hear the commotion of the fire from the chandelier. Sirens blared from afar, the firemen of Paris coming to the rescue. He knew that he had not done that much damage, for the fire would not have been too big. At least the physical damage he had done to the opera house would be minimal. But the memories he had stained onto the stage of that theatre', the lives he had taken, the mistakes he had made, they would never be erased. Not even a fire could destroy such things like that. But they all deserved it… for taunting him, for exiling him to the labyrinth underneath the opera house. That Carlotta had to pay with the life of her husband, perhaps then she would learn to not be so arrogant, and that Joseph Boquet, perhaps he will regret in his later life that he wasn't so kind to the Opera Ghost.

Miles away now from the Opera house he had to stop. He leaned against a light post and panted heavily, his arm wrapped around it to hold his balance. Light flooded around him, revealing him to the world around him. He had left his mask behind, and now Paris could see what a monstrosity he truly was. His skin was pulled taught around his eye, and that eye was blood red. His blonde hair was all askew, giving him the image that he had been severely beaten. But no… this was how he had always looked. Even as a child people would watch in horror as he played with the sock monkey he had created himself, without a care in the world. It was then they had decided to get rid of him, to sell him off to the circus, for that was the only thing his parents had found Erik useful for; entertainment.

"Christine… why…?" He asked himself as he clutched his hands into fists in front of him. His only love had deserted him for that young pretty faced boy, Rauol… he knew he should have taken care of him when he had the chance in the mirror room. He had been so vulnerable, but Giry had helped him escape. In her old age she must've become confused, not knowing who's side to be on. She had been the one to take him to the Opera House in the first place. She had been his only acquaintance his entire life… and now even she was leaving him behind. A tear began to glisten in his deformed eye as he looked up towards the sky. It was a moonlit night, and that wonderful orb that glowed so brightly in the sky hovered thousands of miles away from the surface. It was the one place Erik felt he could go; who would take in such a foul creature as him?

In an alleyway nearby, a woman stood with her back against the cold stone of an office building. She had been on her way home when she saw the cloaked figure running in her direction. Out of fright she had dashed into the alleyway and that was where she waited, listening to him. Listening to his cry and his heavy breathing. The poor man… He must've been chased away from something… But what if he was a burglar? It couldn't be… a burglar does not sit on the street and weep like a child like he was doing. She wrapped an arm around herself and rested her hand on her limb elbow.

Her arm was the arm that had never worked. All it did was hang motionless at her side. The muscles in her shoulder had somehow been damaged at birth, and her arm had never worked. Making it nearly impossible for her to have a normal childhood. All of the others poked fun at her, throwing rocks at her arm while she walked by, unable to block them for lack of feeling in her arm. She had figured that she would never be accepted in life for who she was, but that all changed the day Elizabeth -

"Who goes there!"

Oh no! He must have saw her peeking around the corner. She looked down the alleyway and then back into the street, indecisive on which way to go. She then took a deep breath and dashed out into the street, running in the opposite direction of him as fast as she could. Her arm only managed to slow her down seeing as how it made it harder for her to balance herself as she ran. Hoping he wouldn't be able to catch her she ran relentlessly, the cold night air stinging her face.

Hands suddenly shot out from the darkness behind her and grabbed her around the throat, pulling her to an abrupt stop. Her windpipe automatically shut off as she was pulled backwards into a strong chest. She could feel it was damp with sweat, and she arched her back, trying to escape, her hand thrown up to try and claw his hands away from her throat.

"You… were prying on me… weren't you…?"

"No sir I mean yes I mean-"

"TELL ME!"

"Okay okay! Yes I was listening in! I thought you were going to attack me so I hid! Please don't kill me!"

She sputtered this with gasps, her hand still clawing at her neck. Finally she felt his hold on her loosen and he pushed her away from him. She fell to the ground, her hand going up to rub her neck. She looked back at him as she stood there over her, his face shadowed. She blinked as he took a step back, so he was now in view.

"Look at me… I'm a freak huh? Gawk at me like the rest!"

His head fell limp as he hung his head, his hands coming up to his face. She could hear his quiet sobs racking his strong masculine body. Watching a grown man cry was not something you wanted to see every day. She began to think to herself… Poor fellow, he must've had his heart broken by that Christine girl he had mumbled about. She started to stand up as she continued to look at him. She spoke a bit hesitantly at first, but then as she continued on, she began to grow stronger behind her words.

"The only freaks around here are the normal ones… I know a place you can go where you will feel at home. I know where you can go to live and be with people who are just like you. You are not alone. I've got a problem too, my arm has never worked. You can even check for yourself.."

She turned her dead arm towards him and it just swayed from side to side, motionless. He didn't have to touch it to be able to tell that it was worthless. He looked up to her face. It was pale in the moonlight, and her eyes glinted a dark blue color. Her hair was the color of hay as it tumbled in waves over her shoulders and down to about her waist. His eyes traveled down her body and then back up, flowing over every curve on her body. He could tell by her looks that she was still a teenager, but she had the development of a woman, which made his mind race slightly, growing nervous. He'd only felt this way once with somebody else; Christine.

"If you don't believe me.. Then come with me."

She offered her hand towards him, staring at him in the faint moonlight. She felt her cheeks begin to grow hot as she saw his eyes travel along her body once more. It was making her slightly uncomfortable to have this fellow scoping her like so, but it sent a tingle up her spine that made her shiver.

Finally he nodded and took her hand, looking up into her blue eyes. She began to walk towards Erik but when she got close enough she turned to the side and walked past him, guiding him towards her apartment.

End Chapter 1