AUTHOR'S NOTE: I sincerely apologize for the delay, there's an upcoming exam I have to work for. As always, thanks to all reviewers (congratsfor the 300th, Morleigh!).

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I. No more Memories

Stretched out on his bed, half covered by a blanket and a fluffy sheep's skin, the Phantom was reading. There was no point in sleeping; he had tried but given up on it soon enough. Instead, he had placed one of the braziers closer to the bed, stretched out comfortably and opened one of the scores Aeternus had just given him. At first he had doubted that those large volumes – especially the other one, the one about the valkyries, was huge – were genuine Wagner works, but the orchestral introduction describing the river Rhine had convinced him of its authenticity already.

As he read the notes, the music filled his head, and images formed, images of a wide, green river and a forest and steep mountains in a distance, and of a light beneath the waves, an unearthly gleam, the light of the legendary gold hidden in the deep waters, waiting to be discovered by the one who, according to prophecy, would forge himself a ring of it that would give him the power to rule the world…

It was pure bliss. Until now, he had left his comfortable place only once, and this had been to fetch a dictionary to look up some of the more unusual words he had encountered. Otherwise, he had spent his time hooked, unwilling to put the score away and do anything else. Occasionally he would glance at the watch lying on the pillow, but apart from that, he did not let anything disturb him.

The language was odd at times; there were words he was unable to find in the dictionary, and he left a tiny pencil cross on the edge of the page to remind him to ask Aeternus. And there were some splendid new words he had now learned, mainly insults. He had made a special mental note of haariger höckriger Geck, which apparently meant hairy hunchbacked fop. It was definitely worth trying it out on someone – too bad the only one who would probably understand it was once again Aeternus, but the look on Aeternus's face was bound to be priceless.

He only sat up for a moment when he felt Christine waking above him. He was at the point where Alberich the dwarf was cursing the ring and all its future bearers, and the passage fascinated him greatly, but there was nothing more important than Christine. Nuzzling her awareness gently, he wondered if she would mention what had happened last night, or if she would prefer to act as if nothing had happened. Himself, he was not quite sure which he would prefer.

Good morning, Erik. It had an oddly awkward feel about it.

Good morning, love. To be honest, he felt just as awkward himself. He should have thought of it last night, remembered that Christine would sense any intense feeling he experienced. But even though he had been thinking of her all the time, he had not thought of that one thing. Satan take him, he was such a moron! Christine could even tell when he had to go to the lavatory rather badly, for Hell's sake! It had been so obvious, and still he had not thought of it!

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between them, then she asked, Have you been up for long?

Quite, actually. It hung between them like a corporeal thing, that unspoken secret they shared. Say… He glanced at his watch lying on the pillow. Would you care to be at the ballet school changing rooms in about half an hour, you and the kid? Raoul would still be there with her, he knew it, just as he knew that little sting to his heart, like the stab of a needle. He had spent the night in a woman's arms, and he was full of warm affection for the girl at the thought of her, but still, his true place was at Christine's side.

Well, yes. Why? And why just there?

Because Claire is down on the stage for practice today, so we won't be interrupted. As for the rest… He smiled to himself. I'll tell you there. Meg was bound to like it, and so would Raoul, probably, but he was not yet sure what Christine would have to say.

At first he had meant to go alone, but then… It had been because of the dream, he had to admit to himself. After that new dream, he had not wanted to be alone with his dark thoughts.

And he had seen it before. He had had a brief glimpse of it, back then when he had confronted and killed Niobe. The Road of Nerayamat, the Pillars of Heaven gleaming in the sun… It almost was one of his own memories now…

A fallen angel, and far from Heaven.

There was no father.

Who am I?

Pressing his fists to his temples, he clenched his teeth. No. No more.

As Christine prepared to get ready for the day, he returning his attention to The Rhinegold, trying to shut those cruel doubts out of his mind, but it was growing harder and harder to concentrate.

And then, very suddenly, he sensed something else, and the hailstorm of fire that had been slumbering subdued inside him began to roar with dire fury.