Chapter 4: The Phantom's Past

28 years before

The sky was filled with doom and the air thick with sadness that would fall from the sky. The coldness that wrapped around the city brought no comfort to its inhabitants, which made it that much worst. A black car pulled up and an older man and climbed the stairs of the grand old opera house. His bag dropped by his side as he entered and a single gentleman greeted him.

" Monsieur Dautry," the old man

" Thank you for coming." The gentleman said

" I got your call it seemed urgent."

" I found a young boy of three wandering the opera house." Monsieur Dautry said, " but it was not his wandering that made me call you, but the condition of this young child."

" Do you know him?" he asked

" I see only a shadow Monsieur." Monsieur Dautry remarked

He guided upstairs to the office and opened the door, there the boy looked up in hope it was someone else.

" Doctor." He said

" Is this the child you spoke of?" he asked

The young boy turned away and the older gentleman knelt down to look at the boy. His clothes showed wealth and yet he looked so pathetic. He was weak and his gentle frame showed far worst.

" This child looks as though he were abandoned." The doctor said

" For several days." Monsieur Dautry remarked

The doctor examined the boy and then turned to Monsieur Dautry. He sighed and closed his leather bag before he spoke.

" I see he is healthy, but he is very weak. Do you know who he belongs to?" he asked

" He is none other, but the Duke's son." Monsieur Dautry remarked

" Why would the Duke abandon his own flesh and blood?"

" Cause of his…"

" Perhaps you are right. Monsieur I must ask that you look after the boy until I can inquire further on this matter. I will speak with the authorities…this is after all not the 1800's anymore."

" I shall do so." Monsieur Dautry replied

The doctor looked at the boy and gave a smile then went on his way. Monsieur Dautry looked at the boy and knelt down.

" Tell me what is your name?" he asked

" Gabriel." The boy of three replied

" Well, Gabriel you are in my care."

Gabriel sighed and looked around the office and then stood up. Monsieur Dautry looked at the boy and saw curious look in the boy's eyes.

" Do you have a name Monsieur?" he asked

" Yes, I do. It is Victor." Monsieur Dautry replied

" Monsieur Victor will my father come back for me?"

There was hope in his eyes and Victor had not heart to tell him no.

" I'm afraid he away right now, but yes I hope to see him be reunited with you." Victor responded

" Then I'll wait here for him." Gabriel remarked

It was not until a week later that Gabriel's father came to Victor and paid him to keep the boy from society's eyes. Victor refused the money and argued for Gabriel's sake. His father insisted that there were matters that caused him to send his son away from society.

" He's a bastard from another woman." His father spoke

" I see and because this you are to refuse to be his father."

" I am saying keeping him away from the public's eyes and all shall go well. I shall pay my contribution to the opera house if all is well." Gabriel's father bribed Victor

" Fine, I will see to his well being, but you know your son will find you." Victor threaten, " and I am not responsibly for what happens."

Gabriel's father gave him a nasty look and went off on his way. Victor sighed and then went off to find the young boy…it was his new mission to raise the boys as his own.

Weeks turned into months and months turned into years until the boy turned into a handsome young man. He taught the young boy: music, art, science, history, and literature, which allowed Gabriel to get his education. Professors from the university came to train Gabriel in other subjects that Victor couldn't teach. He graduated from a distance and remained beneath the cellars

" Victor," Gabriel said

Victor pushed off the wall and looked at his student as he looked over the balcony.

" My father has not written once to me. He seems to not want to keep in touch with me." Gabriel remarked

Victor leaned against the railing and Gabriel pushed back his medium length, black hair away from his face. Victor sighed and rubbed his eyes.

" I believe there is no holding back any longer seeing that you are now 20 and have already surpassed every student here." Victor remarked

" What have you been hiding Victor?"

" Your father isn't coming back. He's far from returning."

Gabriel sighed and touched his face with his white-gloved hand then let out a shout that echoed through out the house. People stopped when they heard it and shivered at this sound.

" Gabriel perhaps this is best to show your father what you can do." Victor tried to calm the boy

" Sadly it might be the only way." Gabriel whispered

Gabriel looked around then heard footsteps coming his way. He slipped into the shadows until they past.

" Monsieur Victor…I heard a sound." The maid said

" It is nothing. Return to what you were doing." Victor replied

She went off and Gabriel stepped out and Victor looked at him.

" Be careful Gabriel they'll think there's a real Phantom." Victor said

" Perhaps that is what they need to think." Gabriel said with a smile

" No," Victor snapped

Gabriel went off into the shadows and so the young 20 year old began to build the legend of the Phantom of the Opera. He remained silent for a little while for he knew it would take awhile to catch on. Victor did not help in creating him, but left box five for him. It was then the story of the possible mysterious man in box five. Gabriel smiled after hearing chatter and vanished.

Three years later his appearance at the Masquerade raised an eyebrow. Victor watched the young man that wore clothing from the 1800s and charmed the ladies. His smooth talking drew one young woman in particular, a ballerina of 18. She was the lead of every ballet and often made an appearance in other opera houses.

" Who is he?" she asked her ballet mistress

" I am not sure." The ballet mistress replied, " Go on and see."

She smiled and looked at him and Gabriel looked at her then smirked. She glided over to him like a leaf in a smooth flowing river. Gabriel's eyes showed deepness and her eyes suggested other things.

" Monsieur." She spoke

" Mademoiselle." He replied

" I saw you from across and noticed you were not dancing."

She wrapped her arm around his and they walked to the dance floor and suddenly everything was about them. The whispers cast over the guest and Victor shook at the idea of Gabriel's identity being revealed. Victor looked and saw the Duke in the distance looking at the two dancing and he walked over.

" What the hell are you letting go on here!" the Duke hissed

" You can't stop this." Victor said

Gabriel looked at the blue-eyed angel and when the music stopped he kissed her hand.

" A name Monsieur." She demanded

" Gabriel." He whispered

He walked off and she smiled then walked off after him. He made it to the rooftop and smiled when he heard her behind him.

" I figured you would follow." He said

" I could not help it." She softly said

The moonlight caught her beautiful blonde hair and touched her soft skin. He walked towards her and stared in her eyes and she smiled.

" Don't be shy." She whispered

She reached up and kissed him on the lips and Gabriel found it natural to kiss her back. They pulled away and she smiled a beautiful smile as Gabriel gazed at her.

" A name." he whispered

" Christina." She replied

" Such a beautiful name."

She smiled and kissed him once more and then it seemed like hours before they broke away. He grabbed her hand and guided her away from the light and into the shadows.

" My life is the shadows." He whispered, " come with me."

He went off with her to the darkness of the opera house where he took her to where he lived. A palace under the surface and she looked at him.

" Why do you live here?" she asked

" My life is the shadows…I compose the music you dance to…I am the music you hear in the shadows. My voice is your tune." He whispered

Gabriel turned around and removed his mask and let it fall to the ground. He leaned against the organ and breathed deep. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

" What is wrong?" she asked

His hand placed on his chest and she heard him breathing deeply. She felt scared and then he stopped and slowly turned around and her eyes widen.

" This is what I have become." He whispered, " This is why the shadows are my life."

Christina stepped back in slight fear and Gabriel stood straight as if her reaction was natural. He did nothing to calm her fears and she breathed deep.

" I fear that you are just another to run from me." He spoke so surly

" I do not run from what I don't understand." Christina whispered

He looked at her and walked towards her with such grace then placed his hand out towards her. She walked towards him and took his hand then smiled softly.

" Why are you here?" she asked

" My father has left me here." Gabriel replied, " I am a disgrace to his name."

She removed her glove and placed her hand on the disfigured half. She felt the unsettled flesh and slightly shivered at it, but she looked at him seeing this was the first time someone had touched his face. She felt the flesh mode into nothing more than normal flesh. Gabriel closed his eyes and then felt a kiss place on his lips.

" I shall be your other half." She whispered

Gabriel began his new life as the protector of the ballerina that stole his heart. Christina returned his protection with her loyalty to him and love. She introduced him to a new world just above his home beneath the shadows.

" Close your eyes." She said

She looked at Victor and he opened the door as she led Gabriel into a room. Light filled the room and Gabriel slight covered his eyes. Christina looked at him and smiled then looked at Victor.

" Open your eyes." She said

Gabriel opened his eyes and what he saw made him gasp. Books filled the room; a grand piano lay in the center, and chests full of music that contained music that he too wrote. Christina looked at him and he nodded then looked at Victor.

" This is yours Gabriel." Victor said, " compose, write, relax…no one will bother you. I have placed a chord that rings a bell if you need me."

" Thank you." Gabriel said

He kissed Christina and then took her hand into his own. She looked at him and he smiled brightly.

" Marry me Christina, live with me here." Gabriel whispered

Christina wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

" I shall marry you Gabriel." She whispered

The wedding was small, but there were people that kept the phantom's identity a secret, but there were others who would reveal it. Gabriel and Christina did just live a life of solitude for a little until foes became friends to the couple. It seemed life was going well for the couple, until a night brought horror.

" Murder!" the papers read out, " Murder in the opera house!"

The news reached Gabriel's ears and so did the sight.

" Who did this!" Gabriel shouted as it rang through the opera house

Every one stopped and saw a shadow grow and they felt fear surface.

" A shadow!" a child said

" A shadow!" Gabriel shouted

His shadow vanished and appeared behind the stage and Gabriel pulled a sword cutting the ropes around his beloved's neck. The limp body and himself vanished and there Gabriel looked at his beloved as she laid in peace. His eyes poured tears of sadness and he vowed that he would revenge her death. Gabriel looked in the mirror and breathed deep.

" The day I find those journals will be the day the phantom's reign continues." Gabriel growled

Gabriel took Christina's body up to the surface and rode to the cemetery and buried her on his own. He placed a red rose tied with a black ribbon.

" Let it be known that who ever feels the need to cross me shall deal with death." Gabriel hissed

Three more years passed and Gabriel's dark soul haunted the famous Opera Populaire. Word spread about the return of the Phantom of the Opera and the house flooded with people to attend the show. Victor and his brother Henri were now wealthy owners and so there were new changes once that happened. Gabriel watched as the opera house drowned with petty people and looked for his beloved's killer. His dark black hair floated over his shadows and his clothing showed a changed as well.

" Come to me my angel…. bring the soul of the Phantom of the Opera to me!" he chanted