A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks again for the reviews! I really hope that you like this chapter!
Before we left, I saw Erik subtly replace his mask, and with it the manner that I was seeing was the Phantom of the Opera, not Erik. I pondered this as he led me silently up through his labyrinth of hallways to my dressing room, the same way that he had taken me to his lair the first time. Only minutes ago his demeanor had been so different. Without his mask, Erik was exposed, emotionally and physically. But when he could hide his face with it he also hid himself – the parts of him that were vulnerable, the parts that still feared the abuse of the world and wanted nothing more than to be accepted. He used his mask as a barrier against all the cruelties of the world that he had already suffered.
I was suddenly jerked from my thoughts as I almost ran into Erik, who I had failed to notice had stopped walking. Before I had the chance to speak he held up his hand, motioning for me to stay quiet, listening intently. I looked around us, noticing that we had almost come to my dressing room. Then I heard what he was hearing just faintly. I didn't know what could be making the noise or where it was coming from; I couldn't even make out what exactly it sounded like. Soon it was silent again, though, and we continued on our journey.
I gasped as we came to the mirror that led into my dressing room and discovered what all the noise was. I could barely see inside the room through the web of cracks in the glass. Erik slid aside the mirror and I stepped into my dressing room, shocked at the destruction of its contents. Furniture was smashed, glass vases full of flowers lay in pieces on the floor, and even a few of my dresses were strewn about the room.
Erik and I didn't speak as I picked my small suitcase out of the wreckage and quickly walked about the room shoving clothes into it. We both knew that it had been Raoul who had done this, and we knew that it would be more than wise to leave the Opera House before he had the chance to catch either of us. When I was done packing, Erik helped me back through the mirror and closed it carefully behind us, but I found I couldn't move. I just stood there shaking, trying unsuccessfully to fight back tears. Erik stood close to me and with a gloved hand wiped away the few tears that had escaped, his fingers barely brushing my skin.
"I'm frightened," I admitted quietly. I had never seen Raoul angry, not like this, and had no idea what he was capable of. Seeing the destruction that he had already caused made me fear for my life, and for Erik's. I knew that we weren't safe as long as Raoul could find us.
"Erik promises he will keep Christine safe," came Erik's soft reply. I don't know why, but I believed him wholeheartedly. I knew the depth with which he cared for me, so I trusted him.
I felt a little better as we descended back into the cellars, moving quickly in the hopes that we would be gone before any unwanted company could catch up with us. As soon as we were back at his lair, Erik gathered a few of his belongings and asked me if I was ready to go. I nodded that I was and he took my hand, guiding me once again through the dark, seemingly endless labyrinths beneath the place I had come to consider my home so long ago. I couldn't help but wonder slightly at why I was leaving my home and fleeing from my childhood sweetheart with this man in the mask, but at the same time I couldn't come to regret my decision to stay with him rather than watch my fiancé kill him.
"Erik?" I asked softly, my voice penetrating the soundless shadows around us.
"Yes?"
"I just wanted you to know that I'm still glad that I decided to stay with you." Erik heard the sincerity in my voice and stopped walking so he could face me. His white mask seemed almost luminescent in the darkness.
"Why did Christine choose to save Erik's worthless life?" he asked. "Already her choice is causing her nothing but trouble." His voice was so intense it startled me. I thought for a moment about how best to answer this because I wasn't even entirely sure what the answer was.
"I could never regret saving your life, Erik," I said. "You were here for me when I was most in need, even if I didn't know it was you. You've given me the gift of music. Even after everything, you're still my Angel of Music, and I knew in my heart that I couldn't let Raoul kill you."
Erik seemed moved by my honest reply. Saying nothing, we continued on until we stood outside the Opera House, enveloped in the blackness of night.
So please please please keep reviewing! I like hearing what you think and how I could make it better. Sadly, I won't be able to update during the week, but I should have another chapter up on Friday. Love you all!
