If Adelyn were anything like Erik expected, she would emerge from her room in only a few hours. However, night soon fell over the opera house in Paris, and she still had not shown her sweet face. He began to grow impatient, pacing the cracked tile in front of her door. But he did not hear her so much as cough for hours. When the night matured, and there was still no sign of her, he became disheartened and decided to retire for the night. Gently removing his mask, he laid it next to his pillow and climbed into the coffin which he used for a bed.

About half an hour after Erik had fallen asleep, Adelyn gently turned the knob of her sturdy oak door and emerged from her room, breathless with excitement. She knew that he was no longer awake, for the incessant footsteps that had plagued her ears half the night finally disappeared into silence. Now, without him keeping such a watchful eye, she could have a bit of exploration around this crypt-like home.

First, she investigated the drawing room, in which she found several musical scores, some of which she recognized, and some of which she did not. Also within this collection were detailed plans for magnificent works of architecture, though Adelyn, being ignorant to the art form, did not recognize them. After going through the shelves of books and papers, she sat down and stared at the keys of the piano. She longed to play, but knew that doing so would undoubtedly wake the strange man sleeping. Instead, she left the room to find other ventures.

It was during this unfortunate time that she stumbled upon Erik's sleeping place. Her eyes widened as she entered, for the room was unnaturally dark. Any hope of light seemed to be swallowed within the cavernous bedroom. Being childlike and instinctively afraid of the dark, she longed to throw open the door so that light could trickle in from the lit room next door. However, something within her breast told her that this was a room to be left undisturbed-like a tomb of a great king. She eventually had to resort to feeling her away along the wall; that is, until she felt her skirt brush against something long and wooden on the floor.

How curious, she thought, bending to feel what the object was. Is it a chest of some sort? It is very strange indeed.

Her hands ran over the smooth wooden exterior, until they came to rest at what felt like a cushioned area within the box. It was then that she felt something strangely human-like underneath her hand. Indeed, it was almost as if she was running her hands over two cheeks, a nose, a forehead-but no, it was too lifeless to the touch to be a human. Adelyn grasped it gently between her fingers, and lifting it into the air, she tried to examine its shape, its texture; but it was so dark, so terribly dark-

It was then that an idea dawned upon her.

"It is the mask!" she whispered, a thrill of fear coursing through her veins. "It is the mask which he-"

A cold, corpse-like hand grabbed her wrist before she could speak any further. The mask came cascading down her palm and fell pathetically to the floor at her feet. Adelyn wanted to scream, but no noise came out.

"You fool," a voice hissed. "How dare you touch-how dare you see-You-You dared to-" The voice was trembling with rage.

Finally, Adelyn did scream. Stunned, the hand loosened the grip on her wrist, and she took this opportunity to flee from the creature's touch. Trembling, she grabbed the door by the handle, and she flung it open violently. Bright, painful light streamed into the room like sunlight, dispersing all shadows-and men-- that would have preferred to stay in darkness.

"God have mercy!" shrieked Adelyn, slamming backwards into the wall behind her with a loud thunk. "Have mercy on us all!"

Standing in front of Adelaide was the irregularly shape of a skinny man, perhaps slightly ill looking, but man nonetheless. However, there was something that sat upon the man's shoulders that was completely inhuman-something beastly and Hellish. It was a white, twisted face, each feature wreaked with deformity. It looked horribly like a drawing out of a tale of a terrible demon, but unlike a drawing, it was moving and breathing and living. The creature began to move towards her with the swiftness of a cat. Adelyn screamed and closed her eyes, leaning the whole of her weight against the wall behind her, the strength in her legs having completely vanished.

"Does it frighten you, poor child? Come now, this is little more than one of your silly games," growled Erik lowly, creeping along the ground like some horrible animal. "Think of me not as a man, but as some creature of folklore! Isn't that what you'd rather think? Is it not? Is it not, you foolish, silly viper?"

Adelyn did not reply, but rather, breathed heavily, avoiding his eyes.

"Look at me!" he screamed. "Look into the eyes of the man you owe your life! Look into the eyes of your captor! But you will never see it that way! You only see this, this face! Just like all others who have seen me! They only see this! Look at me! Look at your Don Juan!"

At this point, Adelyn sank to the floor, deprived of all strength to stand any longer. The sight of Adelyn collapsing against the rug was too much for Erik to bear. Could he truly stir a woman to such fear and despair? Yes, he could! All for this wretchedness which was too much to bear!

Taking his head in his hands, he pressed to the floor on his stomach, his body shaking with horrible sobs. Adelyn watched him weep, suddenly very weary. She quietly brushed the dust off her skirt and exited the room. Erik thought that she had truly abandoned him to his misery, and his torment worsened, his sobs ravaging his skeletal-like body. But it was not so. She had only left to find a basin, with which she had filled cool water. With a sense of fearful determination, she fell to his side. When he did not acknowledge her, she forcefully took him by the shoulders and pulled his head into her lap, taking the cold water and gently smoothing the tears away with a cloth.

"Poor, sweet child," she murmured. She could not help but avoid his eyes, so terrible was the sight before her. But with all strength that was given her, she nursed the unfortunate creature in her lap. "You pitiful creature; you are a genius, but all for naught. Tell me your name, will you not?"

"It is… It is Erik," he breathed, stunned by her display of compassion. "I am called Erik."

"It is a lovely name," she commented kindly.

"It is a cursed name," he replied savagely.

Adelyn did not reply, but continued pressing the cold cloth to his face.

"Why did you come back for me? I could have killed you." Erik dared to look at the face above him, but he found it was quite impassive.

"You have brought me happiness, and spared me some unhappiness; it is only right that I repay you," she said softly, her voice shaking as if she were about to cry.

A long silence lapsed between them. Even Adelyn's short, quick breaths were inaudible; all that could be heard was the steady ringing of the water falling fron the cloth into the basin like a lonesome melody. After several minutes, Adelyn spoke.

"We can help you. My fiancé and I," she added, noticing Erik's startled glance. "Drew knows many excellent doctors right here in Paris. And we have the money, if you need-"

"I don't need your charity," snapped Erik, pulling suddenly from her soft dress. "I need no one's pity, least of which yours and your moronic lover's."

Adelyn stared at him in hurt disbelief. It was not often that she extended her charity, and to have it so roughly rejected was almost shocking. She stood in silence, no longer avoiding his eyes. The fear she had felt towards the haunted face was suddenly lost. She feared more that his soul was lost-that he no longer realized his fragile humanity. To be senseless to human happiness, whether past, present, or future, was in Adelyn's opinion, the darkest of fates.

"I only wished to help you," she replied stonily, "but perhaps you are beyond my reach." She turned and prepared to exit the room when Erik emitted an inhuman howl.

"Stay with me!" he begged, reaching vainly into the air with a bony hand. "Stay… Please… I implore you."

"Are you not tired?" she asked, alarmed by this display.

"I do not mean now," he said, his voice beginning to calm.

"What do you mean, then?"

"You wanted to help me. Then stay with me here," he whispered, tears leaking from his eyes. "Stay with me in my home. I swear I would never dishonor you. I only want you to stay with me-to fill the lonely hours-like a sister, perhaps, if you could only think of it that way-"

Adelyn was horrified. "But… Erik… I am betrothed."

"But you do not love him!" the creature cried. "Surely you do not love him! You cannot love him!"

There was something about the sureness with which Erik spoke that turned Adelyn's stomach. She turned on him, shaking with rage, and practically screamed her reply.

"Of course I love him! I am marrying him, am I not?"

Erik did not reply right away, which greatly annoyed Adelyn. How could he so calmly react to her fits of anger? Everyone else she had known either attempted to soothe her fury, or, if particularly tempestuous themselves, they fed her bitterness in return. But he simply bowed his deformed head and spoke as softly as a child.

"Tomorrow, we will return to the surface," he said solemnly. "I am sorry for having detained you for so long."

With those words having been spoken, he gently but swiftly replaced the mask across his face.

* * *