Readers, these chapters are difficult to write. I do not really want to write them but this part of the tale is not really my story, this is not an AU but adheres to the original story. It is difficult for me to write but I can do it because someone who was very close to me once tried to describe to me what his mental disease was doing to him. Sadly he did not make it. In his pain he turned to substance abuse, and it made a bad situation worse. These chapters are dedicated to him, my late brother. I love you David.

Chapter 25.

Erik felt himself drifting back into time as he related his story. Truthfully, it felt like the events at the opera house were in many ways lived by a completely different man, a darker and angrier man, and a lonely man, who had never known either love or joy. He could remember the feelings that he endured back then, strong feelings. During those last months at the opera house, his mood of betrayal and loneliness seeped through everything that he touched. Corroding his grip on reality more and more, until it was gone. It was like a cancer eating at his brain, a disease that he could not stop. He tried opium, as he had done in the past, but it served only to heighten his anger and paranoia, rather than comfort him. Often times if he were not playing his organ, he was passed out on the bench or the floor, numb to the world around him. Gradually it became too late to pull out of that state even if he tried. But he did not try, instead he relished it, embraced it, perhaps hoping that one day he would go to far and wouldn't wake up. But he labored on; he used his feelings to convert his opera into the strongest piece of music that he had ever written.

He had no distractions, at least not real ones, only the ones manufactured in his infected mind, and the real task of completing his new and deadly maze of mirrors. He wanted to keep the world out for good and knew that his maze would catch all who dare invade his realm. He had snickered to himself that if anyone were clever enough to get through his other defenses, as Buquet did, that they would have such a cruel surprise waiting for him. Unlike the one in Persia, there was no way out from the inside at all, except if the person outside was willing to release you. He would be that person, and surely he would not be willing to release anyone from there. He did not put the maze in a place where many would dare come; only the greediest and the stupidest would dare look for him in his realm. He did not worry that any but the Vicomte's minions would dare approach. He had no friends left. The world had shown him no mercy, no compassion and, most of all, no love: nothing! He didn't see any reason why he would ever be compelled to show mercy to another when mercy was never applied to him. 'How wrong he was!' He reminded himself darkly. Yet he also realized that the opium had made him even more paranoid. He had not touched opium since then, despite its continuing popularity.

Gustave looked at his father, "You have stopped listening father, I asked you a question and you looked at me blankly."

Erik heard his son's voice through his internal fog, "Uh, sorry son, what did you ask me?"

"I asked you whether or not you tried to apologize in writing and explain everything to Mother during that time. It seems to me that if the Vicomte was sending people to hunt you that you could have explained everything to her then. It seems so drastic to just cut yourself off from the world like that. If I were alone in the dark for all that time, I might feel crazy as well." Gustave stated bluntly.

"Your mother was not in the mood for an explanations from me, and I was not in the mood to give any. I felt nothing but rage and sorrow at my fate, and that pushed my love for her to the back of my mind. I did not think that any gestures towards your mother would have been well received, so I did not bother to make them. Remember I thought that she was afraid of me mostly because of my face, not because of my actions."

Meg interjected, "Perhaps if you had sung for mother she might have listened. You both say that your singing brought you together. Why didn't you try to sing for Mother, and remind her that you would never harm her? Surely there must have been one opportune time during that six months that you might have been able to do so."

Erik smiled sadly, "I let go of your mother during that time, just as I let go of everyone and everything else. I was much too busy finishing my opera to bother with any other matter. I put every emotion that I had experienced during that period into my music, and that included my love for her. It was my substitute for the real thing. It was reflected in the aria that I composed for her to sing after her character, Aminta, discovered that Don Juan had committed suicide. In it she finally realized that she and Don Juan were one and the same soul, and that her callous rejection of him, has consigned her own to join him in Hell." Erik looked at Christine and smiled, "Although it was unique, your mother to this day has never performed my opera, nor has anyone else for that matter. It lies untouched in the catacombs beneath Paris, and I have not composed an opera since then."

Meg asked curiously, "Why not? If you worked on it for so long why did you not at least bring it with you? Why leave it down there where no one would find it, at least not for a long time?"

Erik glanced at Christine and then at his daughter, "Because it is too powerful. No one but your mother has ever heard any of it, and even she has heard only bits and pieces of it. To listen to my opera, is to get trapped inside of it. If you listen for too long it infiltrates your soul, and causes you to burn with the powerful emotions that are better left unstirred."

"But yet you wrote it to be heard?" Gustave asked.

"Yes but it will not ever be, it is far too subversive." Erik explained looking at Christine.

Christine added, "Your father is right. It was the most intense, yet beautiful piece of music that I ever heard. Completely sublime, a true masterpiece. But it unleashed emotions that you would not even suspect existed inside of you, until the music reached inside and pulled them out. Once freed, they swirl around you. They are difficult to put back, almost impossible. Your father once likened it to Pandora's box, intriguing and irresistible to open but dangerous if you do."

Erik teased, "Not so different than me ange. You were initially attracted to me but then when you unmasked me you had wished that you could escape what you saw."

"But later, I discovered that the same box that I opened there contained a rare but valuable jewel, and how I value it now. Yes, I almost threw it away, but I am here with you now aren't I?" Christine replied softly.

"You did throw it away and when you went looking for it, it was no longer there." Erik reminded her.

Christine picked up where Erik left off and explained, "No, you had vanished."

She turned to her children and continued, "In the first month of your father's absence I felt a sigh of relief. I had half expected more bodies to show up, or at least some sort of threats to issue, but no one received any word from the Phantom, nothing at all. I had hoped that he had realized that what he had done was terrible and ran away. Yet then another month passed in silence and I began to wonder whether he was simply biding his time to do more harm by staying out of sight. Even the managers had started to notice the absence of any notes, any strange disturbances, even his box had been empty, even during my solos. By the third month, I had begun to notice that my voice had become dull and lifeless. I was strangely feeling depressed despite the fact that Raoul was courting me and I thought that I loved him. In the fourth month Raoul proposed to me and I accepted. I started to wonder whether the Phantom knew, and what he would do if he did; but again there was silence. The silence was beginning to oppress me. For the first time in years I no longer heard songs in my head, and music had simply left me, bereft. Your father had been my friend and teacher for so long, and suddenly I realized that he was gone. I had believed that his absence would bring me freedom, but instead it made me feel more bound to him yet. I had to know what became of him, so I called to him through the mirror but heard nothing but silence. I tried to go down the path that he had taken me but it led straight back up to the surface. It had seemed like I had walked and walked but did not go anywhere."

Erik smiled, "I had closed off the portions that led to my lair, rerouting them back up to the surface. I thought myself to be quite clever, as I would route some of them to all sorts of odd parts of the Palais Garnier, like the coatroom, or the ladies bathroom. I was the master illusionist so I was able to make them all go away, save for the ones that led to my worst traps."

Christine continued, "The next day I again felt that sadness and wanted to make another attempt. I again found the latch to the mirror and went off in a different direction. As I walked, I started to hear an organ play, majestically and I knew that I was on the right path. I reached a fork and was unsure of which one to take. I had been walking for a while, and my candle was starting to get low. I looked both ways and could not decide. I decided to rest and listen to the music so that I perhaps would get a clue as to which way to go. The music reached out to me and called out to me, and buried itself deep inside my soul. The pain, feelings of betrayal and abandonment brought tears to my eyes as I could feel the raw emotions emanating from my music implant themselves with in me. I cried tears from places that I did not know existed, but they came unbidden and I sobbed endlessly until I fell into a strange stupor. At that moment I felt a tap on the shoulder and I realized where I was and gasped in fear. I was sure that it was my Angel-cum- Phantom, but the hand was not gloved, as his were, and the voice bore an exotic accent. I looked up to see a man with Jade Green eyes and a strange sort of Cap looking at me with concern.

Once he had my attention he asked me, 'what are you doing here Mademoiselle? It is not safe in this labyrinth, especially not for a young woman.'

I stuttered, 'I...I waass looking for s-someone.'

'Who were you looking for a lov…?' He stopped in mid-sentence after looking at my face more closely. 'Mademoiselle Daae?' he asked.

I replied, 'Yes. But who are you?'

The foreigner replied, 'my name is Nadir Khan; I am a friend of Erik's. I assume that you are doing the same thing as I am, looking for him, but why are you doing so? It was my observation that you are afraid of him and wanted nothing to do with him.'

"Who is Erik?' I asked, 'is that my teacher? The Phantom has a name?'

'Yes Erik is his name, but again Mademoiselle what are you doing down here where it is unsafe? You want nothing to do with him so why seek him out. He has left you alone and yet you are playing with fire.'

I nodded in agreement, 'It is true, but still he was my teacher and friend for many years. I don't want him to hurt me, or anyone else for that matter but still I do care about him, at least about the part of him that was my teacher, and now he is gone. I just want to make sure that he is alright.'

The Persian looked into my eyes as if to look for something and then advised, 'I am sure that Erik lives. He is too stubborn to just wilt away and die. But you took an unnecessary risk in seeking him out. This labyrinth is full of all sorts of traps that Erik has put out to deter would be visitors. Even I, who knows about most of his traps, and how to avoid them, must tread lightly for fear of setting one off. I was down here trying to find a way through his paths into his lair, but the fool has shut me out completely.'

'Are you his friend?' I asked him. I did not realize at the time that your father had any friends.

'Yes, at least I call myself his friend. He refuses to acknowledge me as one, although I have been for many years. I even followed him here to France to keep an eye on him and to advise him and come to his assistance if necessary.' The Persian explained.

'Do you know why he killed Buquet?' I asked, fearful of the answer.

The Persian shook his head no, 'I do not know the reason but there must have been. Erik does not kill just for sport or spite. He needs a good reason to do so. That is why I am looking for him. I was too angry with him, that day, to ask him why. I confronted him without thinking and hurt his feelings. I never did find out why, but I suspect that it was in self-defense.'

I looked at him in disbelief, 'Do you think so? It would seem to me that he killed him to prove a point or at least so that he could get his way.' I opined.

The Persian looked at me and replied, 'at first I thought so too, yet he has not pressed the advantage that he gained by doing so, which is unlike my friend. If he had killed to make a point then why has he disappeared?'

I was young and naïve so I had no answer to give him. He took my hand and told me, 'It is time to return you to the surface safely Mademoiselle. Erik would not want to see you trapped in one of his devices. He would never forgive himself if something happened to you, or me for that matter for letting you continue on without steering you away.'

'Did you hear his music?' I asked.

'No,' he answered quietly, 'but if you did then it means that he is alive and well. At least he is well enough to play his music', the Persian added seemingly to reassure himself.

'If you find him, will you tell me whether he is alright?' I asked him.

'No Mademoiselle I won't. I would like to request from you that you do not attempt to seek Erik out ever again. His grip on sanity has been somewhat tenuous for some time. If you cannot love him then you must let him go. What you are doing now is not fair to him,' the Persian explained.

'Let him go Monsieur?' I repeated, in disbelief, 'but it is he who cannot let me go, Monsieur Khan. He has been in my head for many years, and followed me around and spied on me, then he forced me to stay with him for almost two weeks. It is he who refuses to leave me in peace, to let me go.'

The Persian gave me a gentle fatherly smile and replied, 'whether or not you are aware, it is you who hold the power over Erik. Erik has never had a friend, a real friend. He spent much time cultivating your friendship, and then to both of your misfortunes fell in love with you. I don't believe that he set out to do so, after all that he has already endured in life, but nonetheless he did, and has had to face the dire consequences of it.'

I looked at him in confusion, 'what do you mean by saying all that he has endured? To me it would seem that he has, like a coward, hidden himself beneath the opera house both stalking and hurting people and also making outrageous demands. It is not what he has endured rather what he has inflicted that should concern you.'

'It is not my place to tell you what trials Erik has endured, but he has not always lived beneath the Palais Garnier,' the Persian explained, he then continued, 'But I request, and warn you as well, that if you truly have even the smallest bit of concern for Erik, and his feelings, you will stay away from him forever. He has survived much heartbreak in his life, and he might eventually get over his heartbreak over you, but you must realize that if he is made to believe that he stands the least chance of winning your love he will never let you marry the Vicomte. The best thing that you can do for both of you is to forget about his existence. In the meantime I hope that I will be able to find him and talk him into leaving France altogether. It is no longer safe here for him.'

'How can I forget about him when he is here, his shadow is everywhere even when he isn't?' I asked.

The Persian smiled, 'Marry your Vicomte, and have your beautiful little children. They are bound to be handsome because of their parents. Leave the Palais Garnier behind forever and it will eventually leave you. I assure you that if you leave him alone; he will leave you alone as well. I know Erik.'

I nodded my agreement, and again he took my hand and this time I went with him to the surface. I turned to the Persian and told him, 'you are such a good friend to Erik. He is lucky to have you.'

Monsieur laughed, 'Tell that to him the stubborn lout. He refuses to this day to call me friend, or to let me do the same.'

I told him, 'you are his friend and a very good and loyal one at that, and he is a fool if he does not see it.'

Years later, tears rolled down Erik cheeks as Christine recounted that part.

"I do see it, Daroga. I am so sorry doostam, please forgive me."

Christine caressed his brow soothingly, "He knows darling. He knows."

Erik replied, "I hope so. With all my heart I do. My old friend knew me better than I knew myself. I did not hear your conversation that day. No doubt I was knee deep in my compositions and opium. I barely paid any heed to the passage of time. I had not realized that almost six months had passed since I had made my presence known I probably wouldn't have cared. Unfortunately the Vicomte was not aware of what the Persian told you because his reward for my death or capture remained very much out there."

Christine interrupted, "I did not know. I figured that the Persian was right and you were simply leaving us alone. But we were not really, or at least my fiancé wasn't."

Erik continued, "No, to my surprise another man was successful and made it almost all the way to my lair. I had forgotten one of my less used passageways but someone else had found it, and interrupted me. I think that it was around a month after your conversation with Nadir. My maze was not yet deployed, so he was able to come very far. I of course still heard him, even in my stupor and immediately my Punjab was around his neck. I questioned him, "Who sent you here?'"

'He replied, "The Vicomte, his reward is a fortune. I need the money for my family, please don't hurt me he pleaded."'

'This time I was weary of him, since I had let Buquet go and then he turned on me, "Why should I believe you?" I asked. "If you need the money that badly might you not be tempted once again to try to make it back here, or at least share my secrets with someone else and split the money?"'

'He choked out a reply, "No Monsieur le Fantome, I swear to you that I will never return if you promise to spare me. Please I have two little ones, one only a few months old they need a father."'

'I looked at the man and saw the truth written in his eyes, despite my anger, my wretched sense of compassion got in the way. I loosened my grip and then asked, "How did you get down here?" He promised to show me. I released my grip and sat him down; I quizzed him about who had sent him, and what was going on above.'

"Tomorrow they are having a masquerade for the new year. Everyone will be there including the Vicomte de Chagny and his fiancé Christine Daae,"

he told me.'

'He had gotten my attention, "His fiancé?" I asked.

'The man replied, "Yes, fiancé, it is being kept a secret, but everyone knows about it. His servants have gossiped as well as Meg Giry. They are to be married in the spring and then they will go somewhere abroad to hide from you, at least until the danger has passed. The Vicomte upped his reward for you just in case you might be captured and then they could stay here in France."'

'"Reward?" I asked again.'

'The man replied "Yes 100,000 francs."'

'I chucked to myself, "100,000 francs, perhaps I should turn myself in for such a sizable reward. The Vicomte must be very desperate."'

'"I think that he wants to make his future wife feel protected from you. Everyone knows that she is terrified that you will kidnap her again," he told me.'

'"Kidnap her again?" I repeated in anger. "I have left everyone alone for months and yet they still think the worst of me."'

The man saw my angry face and looked fearful, "Please Monsieur let me go."' He begged.'

I nodded my agreement, "Alright I will." Yet in my heart I knew that I couldn't. They all betrayed me in the end. I made a note to myself that I would seek out the man's family and make sure that his children were cared for, but it was in my mind either him or me, and I was not willing to take a chance. When he thought that he was safe, I gave him a quick and merciful end. It was not his fault that I had grown to 'believe that no man would truly keep their promises to me, especially made under duress. Your mother, even had taught me that much." Erik explained sadly. "I reached into his coat and found some identification, and then dropped his body into the lake. Later I made a rare trip to the surface and left a sack of cash on their doorstep with an apology, and then returned home to ponder my next move. The unfortunate man's visit had served to awaken me from the dead. I would attend that Masquerade, dressed as death and make my presence known once again. The Phantom had returned with a vengeance.'