All of a sudden Carlotta lost the ability to sing. It was a disaster on stage. She was brought down from the stage and now Lizzie was the one to sing. But before the show could start again a hanged body dangled from the ceiling. Lizzie looked up and she saw him. The Phantom. Why would he do this?
Raul who was in the audience was now grabbing Lizzie's hand "we must leave!" he said but all Lizzie could do was stare at the phantom as he looked down at her as she couldn't believe that he would do such a thing. Raul saw where she was looking at "so he is real" he said "the phantom of the opera!" he pulled Lizzie away and out of the opera "I don't think is safe in there anymore" he said "I want you to stay with me from now on"
At that time Lizzie didn't oppose. She could not believe in what just happened. The man who showed her true beauty of music, who could seduce anyone with his voice was now a murderer. So she went with Raul.
For three months she lived with him and they got closer. His parents welcomed her again in their family and suddenly the marriage was arranged again. She didn't love Raul in that way but she didn't say no ether. He was a good man who could provide her a great life. She never said anything about them leaving her when her parents got killed. But she didn't care anyway. This could be a new life for her. Raul was a great man and good looking too, she knew that she could love him if only it wouldn't be for a ghost that was still singing somewhere in the back of her mind. But she pushed it away. He was a murderer she told herself. Raul was the right one.
Yet she couldn't resist when there was a masquerade in the opera. Raul did not like the idea of going but he would do anything to make Lizzie happy. She was grateful that such a good man loved her, but the fact that she could not now love him back as passionately as he did filled her with guilt. Nonetheless the told herself that she could learn to love him eventually.
As the masquerade began she danced with Raul and felt happy. She drank some wine and talked to everyone she didn't see for the past three months. The evening went beautifully until he came. At the top of the stairs he stood in a red suit and a black mask. Raul quickly went to get the officers. But Lizzie could hardly notice him. His eyes were on the Phantom. Her heart skipped a bit when she looked at him but she ignored it. He is a murderer. She should not have feelings for him. Her face was giving away only hatred towards a murderer, no sign of love for a music genius if there ever was any. Everything in the hall stopped.
"Did you think I will not come?" he said while descending down the stairs.
"You fools thought that I left my own theatre" he laughed. His eyes were locked with Lizzie's all the time. Others were afraid, but she had no fear. She felt hurt looking into his eyes. How could he kill? Was all that went through her mind.
"I have written you an opera" he said "Don Juan"
He told Carlotta that she has to learn to act and Piangi to lose some weight. Then he was already by her. He walked around her and her heart was pounding. Noone dared to come near them. "Lizzie will be playing the lead role" he said right by her ear but loud enough for everyone to hear. Then all of a sudden he disappeared, leaving sheets of notes on the ground. As Raul came back with the guards he was already gone.
Lizzie did not fear to act in a Don Juan, what bothered her more was that Raul made a plan how to capture the phantom, but there was nothing she could do. And beside he was a murderer and capturing him would be the right thing to do. But did she really believe that?
As the night of the Don Juan finally came she sang perfectly. Piangi was playing Don Juan and she was his love. Everything went as planned until the last act. She was sitting on the ground singing, when she heard his voice. It wasn't Piangi anymore. It was him. She looked towards him and stood up. It felt like the point of no return. As he sang to her she forgot all about the murder, she forgot the guards on every door, she forgot Raul, all that was on her mind was him and his voice. As she joined him in his singing the song was full. They both ascended the stairs, eyes locked. At the top they met. She felt how close she was and he changed the song. He sang only for her. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..."
She felt his hand on her cheek the other around her waist.
"Lead me, save me from my solitude..."
His words were pouring out of him with sadness and love. Her hands touched his face.
"Say you want me, with you here, beside you..."
All she wanted was to be in his embrace again. But no. Something stopped her. He was a murderer!
"Anywhere you go let me go too Lizzie, that's all I ask of..."
She pulled of his mask. A laud scream was heard and chaos broke out. A murderer! Her head was shouting. But as she saw the hurt on his face she felt sorry. The phantom grabbed her and they fell down trough the hole. She got scared as he dragged her trough the dusty hallways. "No!" she screamed. Will he hurt her now because of what she did? But could he really do it she thought. He is a murderer! Would he really hurt her? A murderer!
They came back down by the lake. "I gave you my music!" he said "and now how you repay me, deny me and betray me!"
She wanted to tell him it wasn't true, but it was wasn't it. She wanted to run to him as he raged in the water and tell him they will be together forever. But that would be a lie. She could never stay here. He was a murderer. He killed.
"Let her go!" it was Raul. He came to her rescue. It didn't took long that the phantom tied Raul and put a rope around his neck.
"No!" screamed Lizzie "Don't kill him! "
"Free her, do what you want only free her! Show some compassion! " said Raul
"The world showed no compassion to me!" said Phantom "Nothing can save you now!"
Then he turned towards Lizzie "Except perhaps Elizabeth. Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love!refuse me and you sent your lover to his death! This is your choice, this is the point of no return!"
The phantom pulled the rope so that Raul was barley breathing. "Don't!" she shouted and ran to the phantom "Please don't kill him!" she begged.
She was looking into his eyes. Not eyes of a murderer, but eyes of a hurt man. A man who wanted nothing but to be love. And in that moment she realised it.
"I never loved him" she said quietly. There it was. The truth. The phantom dropped the rope. Lizzie looked towards Raul "I'm sorry Raul"
"But..." be said "I thought I will love you eventually" she said "but I can't, I'm so sorry" Raul was hurt and shocked. He did not quite believe all that happened, how he just lost his love, but he just nodded and left. Lizzie felt sorry, she hurt him badly, but she also knew that he will get back up again and found someone new. As for her there was no more hiding her feelings. As she looked at the phantom giving her a choice she did not see a monster but a man. A hurt man who knew nothing but hatred ever since he was born. Noone acknowledged that he was a genius and also a human being. There were tears in his eyes
"Lizzie?" he asked not believing what just happened. He put his hand lightly on her cheek. She tucked his hair behind his deformed ear and put her hand on his scar.
"I love you" she said "And I did from a moment I heard your voice"
There was no more doubt in her. He killed, but it didn't matter to her now. She loved his music.she loved his voice. She loved him.
And there under the burning opera of Paris, in the glassy lake, they kissed.
