Chapter 8
Don Juan Triumphant triumphed over all other musical performances once more. Christine played brilliantly alongside Phelan, who was a stunning as ever. The crowds were entranced. Critics were thrilled. Everyone enjoyed watching the play.
…Except one.
Erik laid on his stomach in the rafters, watching his opera through a ventilation grating used to free the theater fro the gas-light smoke. His eyes were fixed to a pair of opera glasses as he stared at the production.
Christine!
She was more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Her voice filled his ears and he clenched his teeth. Did she think he was dead? Did she even care? Of course not. He stifled a sob.
He had wanted to come back to the opera and reconcile himself with her, however, when he had arrived she he found his angel involved in a plot to kill him. The shock of the revelation was unbearable. He had hidden himself, refusing to appear only to see the satisfaction on his beloved's face at his demise. Alone, he had staid in the dark and cavernous catacombs of the underlands. However, something caused his return: a newspaper. Someone must have dropped it, and it founds its way down sewers and drains until he had stumbled upon it, and read the one dry page: the musical reviews.
He had to reappear, if only to see what they had done with his opera. He longed to hear the applause, the cheering, the glory. It was what he had always wanted for his music. Yet, he could not enjoy it. What was the purpose of fame when the one person he wanted to share his joy with hated him?
He turned the opera glasses away from his friend and onto the new tenor. The young, brilliant voice was certainly not Piangi. Yet, in all the voice's beauty, there was something inherently wrong with it. Something unearthly was in the voice, and something familiar in the rolling accent so very much akin to Erik's own. At last, the face of the tenor came into view.
No! Erik gasped. Is that… That can't be… Phelan?
Erik gapped.A knot formed in Erik's stomach and his mind wondered only one thing, how did that gremlin find him?Smiles! Review please!
