It was very late now, most likely some high hour in the morning, yet Rachel was still awake sitting in Christine's old dressing room staring at the mirror. She knew that he was somewhere inside keeping a careful watch of what took place in his theatre. He shouldn't be so displeased though, the music did bring in many faithful viewers; however, the music held no meaning. Songs couldn't even be classified as so. They were merely words spoken with a tune. She leaned closer to the mirror having sworn she saw a shadow moving within. His haunting voice was her only reassurance that she had not dreamt their encounter, not even dreams could produce such a lovely voice.

"It's not nice to play games with the mind, Phantom."

His chuckle echoed throughout the nearly empty room. "Haven't I already warned you? I believe I have told you several times to cease your attempts of approaching me."

"You have, just…Oh this is so silly." Rachel stood up and brushed the dust off of her knees. "Why bother approaching you? It is clear that you are only interested in playing. If you should ever decide to stop dwelling in the past, on her, you know where to find me."

"Rachel, there are no ways to return to the world of clarity once you come with me."

She smirked. "And some dare to call me the foolish child. Do you believe there is any reason for me to want to return to this life of servitude?" She laughed merely to spite him. "But then again, why would you want to take me to your secretive lair? Only Christine was allowed there because only Christine could appeal to your scrutinizing ear."

A hand slid around her waist and pulled her against a sturdy brace. "And you believe that she was the only one who has sounded beautiful to me? There has been one other who has sung even more elegantly than her."

"She may have had a good voice, but she was blind. I am not." Rachel turned around and placed her hand on his mask. "She couldn't see what really mattered." Her hand fell down to her side. "Masks can only hide so much, my dearest Phantom."

His hands returned to his side as well. "Farewell, I will be watching."

His figure shifted in the darkness, then he was gone. Rachel stared fixedly at the ground. Perhaps she had gone too far and severed their very delicate relationship. If that was the case, it wouldn't hurt to take one small step forward. After her two years of employment at the Opera Populaire, she had become rather accustomed to the darkness. As a result, she had been able to see how the Phantom entered the room. And another factor that ruled in her favor is that he did not have that hypnotizing power over her as he once had with Christine. She pulled the mirror aside and paused momentarily in awe at the extent of the passageway before her. She quickly ignited a gas lamp then she plunged into the sea of unknown that had inflamed her curiosity for so long.

"Phantom, dearest Phantom

Where dost thou lurk?

Why do you hide?

Could any deed be so dastardly?

Could any scar be so hideous?

Phantom, oh my dearest Phantom

You have been hurt

Life has been cruel

There has been no compassion for you

Please let me be the one to guide you

For as unbelievable as it may be

You need me more than you know."

She stopped walking as the ground before her ran out. Rachel was now faced with the problem of having to cross a glassy lake in her nightgown. How lovely. But now was not the time to shy away from the greatest discovery of her life. So what if she got a little wet? Rachel quickly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear leaving only her bangs to grace her face then jumped into the icy water. She quickly resurfaced, her teeth already chattering from the cold. But at least she could feel the bottom if she were to tiptoe through it. Worse case scenario—there would be an unexpected drop.

"The extremes I resort to merely to have a conversation with this man," She muttered to herself. "I am truly insane."