Rose's POV

I held my breath as the stagehand read off the results.

"The Countess will be played by La Carlotta Guidicelli." Carlotta let out a sigh of triumph.

"Serafimo will be played by Miss Rose Johnson." I let out my breath. Carlotta gave me an evil sneer from across the stage. She did this. The Pageboy… How could I have gotten the Pageboy?

I blinked away tears and ran offstage to my dorm.

Erik's POV

I crouched in the rafters above the stage and watched the auditions for Il Muto. I covered my ears and flinched as Carlotta ruined a once beautiful song. It fascinated me to no end that people actually enjoy her singing. I took my hands away from my ears and thanked God that I wasn't deaf after that nightmare.

They called Rose's name next. She walked to center stage and smiled weakly. Her cheeks turned bright pink as she started singing. She did well, singing as I taught her. I felt a twinge of guilt as I thought about our lesson. I shouldn't have offered to. I should be training Christine's voice, and only hers.

Yes, Rose did well, but I was intrigued by her song of choice. She looked up at the rafters as if she knew I was there and poured emotion into her words. Her words shook and she looked away as she sang a few lines.

Dark hair, with a gentle curl

That's the girl he chose

And heaven knows

I'm not that girl

The managers and audience just stood stunned. I just smiled. It was funny how they never expect anything from anybody from the chorus. There are a few diamonds in the rough; you just need to know where to look. They obviously don't know where to look.

"Um… thank you Miss Rose. Results will be posted in an hour or so."

With that being said, I stood up and headed toward the tunnels. Perhaps I'll go find a good bottle of wine from the cellars.

As I walked down the tunnels I heard Christine singing to herself in her room. It caught me off guard and got me sidetracked as I started walking in her direction instead of the cellar. She was dancing around her room with her hair down swinging all over the place. I chuckled to myself as she tripped over her own feet and landed laughing on her bed.

I couldn't help myself anymore. After seven years of Christine not knowing I exist in any other form other than her angel of music, my heart was starting to ache. How long could one bear thing like this? No longer than seven years, I told myself.

"I am your angel of music,

Come to me, angel of music"

Christine looked up and around the room.

"Angel I hear you. Speak, I listen. Stay by my side guide me.

Angel of music, hide no longer.

Enter at last, master."

"Flattering child you shall know me.

See why in shadow I hide.

Look at your face in the mirror.

I am there inside!"

"Angel of music guide and guardian,

Grant to me your glory!

Angel of music hide no longer,

Come to me strange angel!"

"I am your angel of music,

Come to me, angel of music!"

Christine walked toward the mirror slowly, with glassy eyes. She was so beautiful. All other thoughts slipped away as I opened the mirror and held my hand out to her. She took my hand and stepped into the tunnel as I shut the mirror behind her. Just then, the door flew open and I flinched as it hit the wall.

"Christine! We're going out to lunch! Do you want to come?!" I heard Meg yell from the hallway. "Probably in the graveyard again." She muttered to herself.

Rose stepped into the room and looked around.

"Come on Rose! She's not here!"

"Coming!" Rose hollered in response. She didn't move. Her eyes lingered around the room and landed on the mirror. Her eyes locked with mine and although I knew she couldn't see me, I knew she wouldn't leave until she saw that Christine was with me. With a silent sigh, I lit one of the torches that were nearby and the flames illuminated the tunnel, almost blinding me in the process. I always left all of the lights out because I had grown so accustomed to the darkness and I could read a book in the dark if you asked me to.

As soon as the torch lit up, Rose turned slowly on her heel and walked away down the hall. I turned to Christine who was still staring at me through cloudy eyes. She looked fascinated. Hypnotized, she was, technically, but fascination was of her own accord. She started to sing again, her voice like that of an angel that was surely from heaven. The only flaw was me. The monster and the angel. Who'd have thought?

"In sleep he sang to me,

In dreams he came.

That voice which calls to me,

And speaks my name.

And do I dream again?

For now I find,

The Phantom of the Opera is there,

Inside my mind."

I sang with her. Like two strands of melodies, at last, after seven years, entwined.

"Sing once again with me,

Our strange duet.

My power over you,

Grows stronger yet.

And though you turn from me,

To glance behind,

The Phantom of the Operas is there,

Inside your mind."

When we got to my lair, after crossing the lake in my gondola, I started to sing a song that I'd written a couple of years ago, when she turned fifteen. I'd met Rose via this song. Strange how songs feel like they lose their purpose for the person they were written for and feel like they are instead reserved for another person. This song had lost its meaning for Christine and given to… I snapped myself out of reverie and walked over to the curtain that had concealed Christine's wedding gown. She followed behind me slowly, taking every step deliberately and slowly although she was half conscious.

She stared for a moment. I'm not sure if she even understood what it was until a few seconds of comprehending. When she did understand, her eyes rolled back and she fell backward. I caught her just before she hit the damp floor of rock and carried her to my swan bed.

"Help me make the music of the night."

I spent the rest of the night finishing Don Juan, for it was nearly complete. Hours upon hours I worked until morning. That was when I heard Christine awaken.

"I remember there was mist.

Swirling mist upon a vast glassy lake.

There were candles all around,

And on the lake there was a boat.

And in the boat there was a man."

I heard her walk toward the organ that I was sitting on and held my breath.

"Who was that shape in the shadows?

Whose is the face in the mask?"

I felt her fingers on my face, crawling their way toward my mask. I didn't realize what she was doing until it was too late…

So, now that our school musical is done, I'll be updating more often than I have been. Hope you like this chapter. I'll update soon because I know I left you a cliffy.