It was so dark.
He saw nothing but blackness despite his eyes being wide open. He felt nothing too. He was encased in a place – in a dark refuge where he would never be freed. Oh, how he wanted to see light – to feel light. But it was darkness again. It would always be dark now and it would never be any better.
Get used to it.
He desperately wanted to. He knew there was very little chance of him ever moving again. He was here, like a dark, grotesque gargoyle – forever hated, forever immobilized. He wanted to get used to this darkness. He wanted to get used to this empty, hollow space that filled his insides with hate and anger. He wanted to get used to this loneliness. The loneliness that was familiar to him before but alien now. He wanted…He wanted…
He wanted her.
He led out a deep, choked sob.
Cold, wet tears streamed down his face covering the tracks of the old ones before it. The darkness showed no sympathy towards him and it seemed to swallow him as he cried. He ended up cowering even deeper into the corner of this small space, head down, hands clutching the top of his head as he heaved irregular breaths.
She will never know him. She will never know how he felt now. She will never realize truly how much she'd hurt him. She will never see him sob for her. It was she that gave him this darkness. It was she.
The sobs began to reduce till there was silence.
All that could be heard were the soft, light breaths that evocated from his chest. His mind was swimming with thoughts. Out of the plenty, only one thought stood out.
You must forget, Erik.
He moaned. How could he forget? How could he forget when the very thought that she could be with that child getting married forces bile to develop in his throat? How could he forget how much…how much…
You must forget, Erik.
He stood up, stumbling slightly, realizing that he hadn't moved for a few hours. In fact, all he had done in the time was cry. Pushing open the opening of the passageway, he descended down the corridors. It was dark here too. But, he liked it that way.
He reached home. When she had left, he'd blown every candle out. He'd destroyed all illuminations. All ornaments. He'd destroyed everything. Even his own piano had been object of his wrath. As he looked around, he saw nothing but the black hell again.
What have I done?
Scrambling as he found a candle, he lit it with the box of matches beside. The small twinkle of the candlelight stunned him as he looked at it pensively. He watched it twitch and dance against the darkness he had created. It was oddly beautiful and it entranced him for a few more quiet moments. The damage he had made was highlighted now as his eyes travelled around but one particular object caught his eye.
A small shining diamond in the void.
He walked over to his desk and picked up the ring coldly. It was her ring. A memory flashed. He ignored it. As he looked at it, everything seemed dark again despite that one piece of candlelight. The object triggered his insides and set off hurt emotions into the point of exposure. Exposure, in the form of tears.
But he didn't feel like crying anymore.
He'd cried enough. Holding the ring in one hand, he came over towards the misty waters and exhaled. He hesitated at first. But the second time he tried, he succeeded.
The ring was thrown into the air into the dark, lifeless waters. He watched as it sunk, emotionless. He continued watching it till it disappeared.
A second passed.
Everything was still dark. He turned around and eyed his home. It wasn't home anymore. It was his home when she was here. But she wasn't here anymore. There were far too many memories. Far too many. Wherever he looked, she was there…
You must forget, Erik.
The thought told him. Icily, he returned to his desk and picked up his mask. And then, he lifted his lit candle and wandered over to her. His version of her. His immortalization of her.
He threw the candle and watched it consume her. "Goodbye." He murmured, turning around and beginning to wade in the waters.
Christine…I love you…
He stopped and watched the flames devour his home. His piano. His life.
Christine…I love you… Christine…I love you… Christine…I love you…
Breaths were muffled as he stopped. The thought broke him. Please stop, he pleaded. His head hurt. His heart hurt.
Oh, how he loved her.
Oh, how it hurt.
But, it was over now. It's over now. Memories clawed through him as he escaped the clutches of the flames.
Forget me…Forget me…
The Phantom departed. Hearing only the ghosts of the past as he escaped.
Christine…I love you…
Please don't forget me.
"Please."