It was almost a year since I had last set eyes on my Erik, not a day had gone by that I did not think of him. Yet, I finally thought that I had moved on with my life, I was starting to feel some semblance of happy again. I felt a sense of freedom in my life, as I was not fully bound by the chains of love anymore. See, I never married Raoul or Erik, I discovered my true feelings too late.

That day, the day that my life changed so completely, still presses to my memory. There was stillness in the air and a thick ebony blanket stretched through the sky, as I sat alone on the De'Chagny balcony on the night before my wedding. Something Raoul said had been playing on my mind as of late. "… Would you love him, if he were beautiful", this question was met with a stony silence at the time, as I had not known exactly how to answer. Yet, in the stillness of the night, on that balcony, the answer was plain and simple, "Yes". Only, then did I realise what a truly horrid person I must be. Truthfully, all his terrible deeds did not bother me so; after all, I understood that he only treated the world as it treated him. What really bothered me was that face, that haunting face, which was nothing more than a skull. Every part of that poor man, felt dead, even his beautiful, beautiful music had a painful sorrow to it. That was when the realisation dawned on me, like my eyes were seeing for the first time, I realised my selfishness, Appearance shouldn't matter. I loved his man; I unconditionally loved him to my core. What was I doing? I was marrying a man that I didn't love! Suddenly the room become a red hot furnace, the walls were pressing down on my soul. I knew what I needed to do!

Before I could register my own thoughts, I awoke from my mad trance like state to realise that I was standing in front of the entrance to Erik's lair. Then I realised that we were both standing there, yellow eyes locked to my ice blue ones. I was frozen to the spot, my heart beating like a ticking time bomb. All of a sudden, I sprang to my senses; I knew I had to make the first move, as intimidating as Erik could be, I knew that he would never approach me without my permission. I started to run towards him, and then our lips locked in a strong, passionate kiss. For that moment in time, I felt fully complete, this was the first time that I had ever kissed anyone but Raoul. I knew in that instant that my heart belonged to this man and that I couldn't go through with the wedding.

I poured my heart and soul out to that man on that night, we sang, laughed, cried. He even let me sleep back inside my old room, form the days where he kidnapped me… yet this time I was a guest. I was so happy. Both our lives would finally begin, we would get married, have children maybe?

I awoke in the morning to the gentle lapping of the waves on the underground lake. It was so peaceful and calm in his lair, the perfect escape from the cold, harsh world. Then… I saw it. That piece of old stained parchment, containing the words that would rip my soul in two, written in that childish scrawl:

Go back to Raoul, my child. Marry him and be happy, you will never see me again.

I will always love you.

P.O

These words were like a knife to my soul that destroyed me and caused me so many months of anguish.

Only, I didn't go back to Raoul, I didn't truly love him, If I couldn't have my Angle of Music, then I didn't want anyone. I decided to go to America. I would start a new life where no one knew me. I spent my days signing. I lived to sing and people adored me. I was starting to become quite the successful artist. I was even slowly piecing back together my broken soul.

I was walking through the park one day, on my way to the Met, when I spotted that a travelling circus was in town. Naturally I was very curious as I knew that this was the world in which Erik had grown up, before becoming an architect and moving to Paris. I entered through the elaborate metal arch, through to a world of colour and wonderment. In the centre there lay a large yellow and red striped tent, framed by cages containing all kinds of wonders, like tigers and elephants! I couldn't help but think that it was cruel to keep animals in that way. I pitted them. Out of my own curiosity I approached one of the cages. It was a horrible, rusted contraption set upon wheels. As, I drew nearer, I was horrified to find that the cage contained a man. My heart contracted when I saw that mask. That mask lying next to that ghost of a man.

I must have just been standing there for an hour. I didn't know what to do, what could I do. I was shocked and frightened. With horror I realised that those yellow eyes were focused onto mine. Neither of us spoke, after all what could we say. He was crying, whenever I see him he always seems to be crying, what a poor broken soul to always be crying. I noticed that there were whip marks covering his skin, which oozed with blood, as I drew closer. I slowly bent down and picked up that beautiful black mask, handing it to him. He gratefully took it and fixed it across that disfigured face, making him seem almost human, apart from that hollow gap which should contain his nose.

A little time passed, in which we would just star at each other through those evil bars dividing us from our true love. I couldn't hold his gaze for too long because my heart was filled with too much sorrow and pity so I reverted them to the ground. I noticed an odd twinkling emanating from the grass. It was a key! It must be a key to my Angel's cage. I knew what I had to do. In a flash the key was turning in the lock, I was gripping those ice cold fingers and running as fast as my week legs would carry me.