Constant Angel

Summary: Erik has been a ghost for over 130 years, desperately wanting another chance to live. Destiny is a young woman who is still reeling after the car accident that claimed the lives of her parents. Naturally, these two kindred spirits wind up crossing paths. (Modern Day, ghost!Erik, Erik/OC, Erik/Christine, Raoul-tolerant)

Prologue

Erik

February 28, 1882

At first, the whole thing seemed like a nightmare. Christine leaving me, a mob on my trail, and me stumbling into an angry crowd at first seemed as if they were events from one of my chaotic nightmares. That was until I woke up lying on my back in one of the Opera's secret passages. At the time, I was confused, and disoriented, which led me to further believe that just maybe I'd been dreaming. That was, until I tried to get to my feet and to try and figure out what was going on.

It was at that same moment that I saw a man lying on the ground.

I could instantly tell that he was dead, but at first, I couldn't tell who he was. I just assumed that he might have been a random stranger. At that time, it wasn't all that uncommon for one to come across someone starving in an alleyway with no home.

But then I noticed his eyes.

At first, I only noted that they were a dull brown, but then I realized that those eyes were all too familiar.

They were my eyes.

At that same moment, the world came crashing down on me as I realized that I was the dead man lying motionless on the ground. I quickly scrambled to my feet, trying not to panic. Throughout all of this, I still thought that it might all be nothing more than a nightmare. I couldn't be dead! Not now!

As I stared at my own lifeless body, I suddenly heard footsteps and voices coming towards me. Out of habit and a blind panic I ran. At that point I didn't care where I ended up. I wanted to distance myself from that sight, and most of all, I wanted this nightmare to end.

Somehow, I managed to wind up standing in my lair. At that point, it was the last place I wanted to be, but it had also been my refuge when I was alive. That was why I decided to stay. Time was lost to me, and what seemed like five minutes later, I saw Madame Giry arriving. I was certain that she knew, and if she saw me, she made no note of it. I saw her gather my hat, mask, wig, tailcoat, and cape. I wasn't sure why, so I decided to follow her. Then I saw Meg, Raoul, and Christine. Christine was sobbing, and it pained me to see her this upset. The Vicomte had an arm arond her shoulder, probably to comfort her, and Meg was also downcast.

That's when I realized that I had stumbled upon my own funeral.

I'm not really sure why I stayed. I didn't want this to be the end of everything, but I wanted to tell Christine I loved her one last time. I walked over to her, each second torturing me, as I comtemplated a bleak future. One without Christine, light, or music. I stood beside her and asked, "Christine? Can you hear me?"

There was no response. Not even a slight indication that, yes, she could hear me. I said, "Christine, please, if you hear me, just give a sign. Anything."

Still nothing.

My deepest fear- that no one would be able to see or hear me- was rapidly coming true. That's when I truly started to panic. I started screaming, trying to get anyone to hear me, but no one ever showed any sign of it. Eventually, it became obvious that no one could either see or hear me.

That's when I crumpled into a sobbing heap. I didn't want to be dead, nor did I want Christine to be in tears. That was one sight I had always hated other than my face: seeing my angel in tears. I wanted to tell her to not cry over a wretch like me, to be happy with her Vicomte, and to keep singing, for her fallen Angel of Music. How was I supposed to tell her all of this when she couldn't hear a word I said?

Then the answer came painfully, she would never hear my last words to her, and no one would tell her. All I could do was watch my own funeral as they filled in my own shallow grave. Christine turned away, unable to watch as her former tutor was buried. I couldn't blame her.

Soon after, they all left. I tried one last time to get Christine to hear me, saying half to myself, "Christine, I don't know if you'll hear this, but I want you to know that I loved you since the day we met. Please, I don't want you to cry for me. I want you to be happy with your Vicomte, and to keep singing for me."

That was the last time I ever saw her.

The next 134 years passed by, slow, and lonely, but little did I know that everything would soon change.

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back with another story. So yes, this is my first, real Phantom of the Opera fanfic. And to those of you on Fanfiction, you're all probably wondering what took me so long. Well, let's chalk it up to an unwillingness to keep working on Light and Dark, and an overall lack of inspriation. I'm telling you, this is probably one of the most depressing things I've ever written. Anyways, next chapter, we're going to meet our heroine, who will ultimately drive most of the story. Don't worry, I've spent several months planning this, so she's not a Mary Sue. As time goes on, you'll see what I mean.

Anyways, please review, give feedback, and no flaming.