My readers,

I have dropped the rating from M to T for now because there won't be much mature content for a while. I'll make sure to warn you all if it comes to that point (which you know it will ;)). Here is the next chapter with a surprise guest.

I hope you enjoy,

J.D.

The moonlight glared as bright as the sun as I wandered the streets of Paris. The diffused scent of smog and sewer radiated around the crevices of the city as I strolled through the deserted part of town. The anger and irritation within me festered. I couldn't persuade myself to go home just yet. The look of utter fear and surprise on the little dancers face when realization struck her who it was replayed over and over in my head. I had hoped it would be sufficient to snuff her growing interference.

As I rounded a corner and exited an alleyway, I caught a glimpse of a young couple sitting hand in hand on a bench beside the Seine River. They were in an exchange, their heads bent so their faces were only inches from each other. I watched with fascination as the man brushed his fingertips along the young girl's cheek. She bowed her head towards his caress and her eyes smiled widely up at him. He hesitated only for a moment, and then lowered his head and planted a soft kiss on the girl's mouth. They morphed into one shadow as their embraced form blocked out the light of the glistening moon.

My hand clutched the stone building beside me as I stood frozen, unable to look away from their private moment. The man then stood up, took the girls hand and began to lead her back towards the light and noise of the city. Once they were gone, I slipped over to the bench and stared at it. The wood was cracked and splintered, giving way to evidence of many other young lovers sharing intimacy together. Tearing my eyes away, I forced myself from the bench and took a flight of stairs down to the walkway beside the shore.

I strolled next to the water, my eyes fixated on the shivering reflection of the moon in the night sky. Its beauty was breathtaking and I couldn't help but feel lost in its sensual sway in the river. For so many years I had longed for someone to love and for the feeling to be returned. I had fantasizes about sharing moments like that with someone of my own. Alas, I had hardly shared a conversation with anyone without them shying away in terror.

A heavy sigh floated out into the dead of night. Resigning to my inner follies, I began to walk in the direction of the opera house. This whole situation had become greatly more complicated as the threat of detection and capture hovered over me. Why was everything in my life such a struggle? What kind of past life did I have that damned me to such a life now?

The only thing able to keep me from wasting away was Kristina. The past fortnight was the most exquisite experience of my life. Even my sweetest dreams never delivered such an overpowering sense of enamor.

Thereupon, I had remembered about my poor little devote waiting for me back in her dressing room. With a frenzied pace, I charged through the streets of the city, weaving in and out of the maze of alleyways before I entered the grate leading from the seine river. It had been ages since I used this entrance, and the metal groaned from the rust that collected there.

I dropped down silently, my feet sinking into the sandy shore. The air was cold and clammy with the distinct smell of unturned earth. An eerie glow emitted from the still water ahead but everything surrounding was pitch black.

Grabbing the oar off of the wall adjacent to the grate, I pushed the row boat into the lake, sending ripples across the deadened underground sea. My arms set the vessel asunder and I steered the boat towards the passageway that would lead me to Kristina's dressing room.

The hidden vestibule came into view just as the lake began to narrow towards my apartment. The lantern sat unused and abandoned off the hook on the wall. I freed it, and with a quick turn of the switch, I made my way up four layers of the opera house. I stopped short of the final incline to smooth over my hair and remove my cape. An action which seemed unnecessary as I was hidden behind the mirror and out of sight.

I slid back the wooden plank in front of the two way mirror and to my disappointment, was greeted with an empty room. On the night stand was the score for the last act of the musical and Kristina's jacket lay motionless on the armchair in the corner of the room. The lights were out and it was clearly deserted.

She must have left after becoming impatient with my absence. It was all because of that little ballet rat! She wasn't even here and she was causing mischief. I growled in frustration. Picking up my discarded cloak, I hastily made my way back down to the underground flat.

Upon entering, I hung my jacket and went to go warm the furnace in the galley. Once the coils were heated, I wandered to the main room and grabbed a bottle of bourbon out of the bookcase. The sitting room was utterly dark yet I could sense a presence lingering. I poured the sweet, savory liquor into the cup and slowly turned towards the suede armchair that sat neatly in the corner.

"Don't you know it is incredibly rude for you to enter someone's home uninvited, let alone when it's unattended?" I grumbled, taking a hefty swallow of the liquid, welcoming the burn cascading down my throat.

"Erik...what trouble are you getting yourself into now?" The accent revealed the foreign origins of the person sitting patiently in the armchair.

"I'm having a drink, Amir. I'm fairly certain there will be no trouble with that. Oh, look at me. Now I'm being rude. Could I offer you a drink?" I asked, refilling my now empty glass.

I bent and lit the oil lamp sitting beside the settee and the room flooded with an iridescent gleam. The man sat still, his legs crossed and his elbows resting on the arms of the chair with his fingers pressed against each other in a wide arch. His heavy cologne fumigated the air around us in a suffocating hold. He stared at me with narrowed eyes, searching for the answer he so desperately feared.

I shrugged. "I'll take that as a resounding no." I replaced the cap back on the bourdon, and in one swoop, downed the glass.

"Erik...don't play dumb. We all had an agreement. You leave them up there alone," He gestured towards the darkly painted ceiling. "In exchange for freedom and anonymity."

"I haven't done anything that would warrant a break in the treaty, I can assure you. Now, if you'd kindly leave my house so that I may drink in peace." I abandoned the glass and picked up the bottle. I made for my bedroom down the stairs. Setting the bourdon down on the mantle of the piano, I began unbuttoning my vest. Just as I was slipping the garment off my shoulders, the Persian came and stood at the archway of the door, his back leaning against the wood panel.

"What part of leave my house did you not comprehend?" I yelled, draping the black vest over the side of the wooden bed frame.

"What have you done to cause an uptake in security?" Amir gave me such a pitiful look that anger boiled over me. I took a few menacing steps towards the man.

"That is none of your concern, Daroga! If you can recall, you have no business in my affairs any more. And I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way. There was a time not too long ago that I almost took your life and believe me; you wouldn't want to test my resilience twice." I spat through clenched teeth.

He uncrossed his arms and stood taller. "I am the Chief of Security in this building and when management has instructed me to double down on forces, I can only assume you've done something stupid to cause this...do you want to be hauled off to jail, Erik?" He hesitated for a moment, as if carefully choosing his next few words. "I was told that a young lady came into the administration's office to complain about a masked man tormenting her. Is this true?"

"Should you not be asking that question to the young lady?" I sat down on the piano bench and reclaimed the bottle of bourdon. I took a quick swig and contemptuously offered the bottle out to the chief. "On the contrary, never believe a word those silly dancers say."

"Erik...are you really going to risk all of this for a young ballet dancer?"

"All of this!?" I sneered. "I have nothing but a few stuffy rooms underground, hidden away from the rest of the world like some wretched boogeyman..." I took another heavy swallow as the effects of the alcohol began to tickle the edge of my senses. "Don't you worry, Amir. I saved you the trouble. I took care of the little hellion. She won't be a problem anymore."

I watched amused as his face lit up with disbelief and shock. "Please tell me you didn't!?" He pleaded.

"Didn't what? Come now, Daroga, even a hideous piece of filth like me has standards."

"Erik!?"

"No, I didn't kill her. I just delivered a rather personal message. Quite friendly, if you ask me." I chuckled, and took another gulp of the liquor. My skin began to feel aflame now with the lovely poison surging through my veins.

"And what of the young chorus girl? Kristina Daae?" He pried, his eyes searching mine.

"Have you been following me again?" Rage surged through my body and before I knew it I had kicked over the night stand, sending blank music sheets fluttering to the ground. "You have, haven't you? Well, are you entertained? Is it satisfying to see Erik follow around a beautiful girl like a lovelorn pup!? She will never see me for me, so why even bother, Daroga? Pathetic isn't it? Oh, don't look at me like that!"

A look of horror flashed before his face for a fraction of a second. In the heat of my anger and the numbness of the alcohol, I failed to notice the glistening mask resting upside down on the floor. Cursing, I bent down and replaced it over the disfigurement as untold shame flooded my soul.

"This will only end in misery, Erik. Whatever fantasy you've created is only going to come spiraling down. And I'm either going to have to pick up the pieces, or I'm going to have to arrest you. I'm just trying to warn you as a friend. I've known you for 20 years, Erik..."

"You listen to me, and you listen well, Daroga. Stay away from me. Kristina is only my pupil and I plan to guide her to the greatness she longs for. I have no ill intentions and certainly am not planning on harming the girl. It is strictly business." The anger within subsided slightly as the alcohol began to rest heavy on my senses.

"It is never just business with you. You always have a purpose for what you are doing. I just fear the outcome. It will not end well..." He shifted his weight, unnerved from the alarming rate at which the alcohol was emptying. "I think you've had enough my friend. Drinking this will not stave the hurt..."

He went to take the bottle away from the mantle. I grabbed his wrist and squeezed. Before I knew it I had him up against my bedroom wall, wrapping my hands tightly around his neck. His pulse beat furiously beneath my crushing fingers.

"Get out of my house. If you ever come here again uninvited, I will kill you." My eyes narrowed as his breath became short and his eyes began to bulge out of his head.

I released him, and the Daroga's body crumbled to the floor in a heaving pile. He turned his head to stare at me with shock. I turned away from him and reclaimed the bottle to steal another gulp. My fingers trailed over the ivory keys of the piano as a heavy sadness began to invade my body.

"If I have to, Erik, I will use deadly force. Please do not make me do that." He said, his voice raspy from the pressure of my hands against his throat. Giving me one last threatening look, he turned and left the room. A few moments later, I heard the door of the apartment slam shut.

I replaced the bottle back on the mantle and began to beat out a sloppy rhythm on the piano. Drunkenness began to hit me harder as I stared at the empty music holder above the keys. Amir didn't know what I was trying to accomplish and it would be best if such things were kept from him. It was true; we had known each other for over twenty years. He had helped me escape many judgements before, but these were nothing compared to the fate he feared for Kristina. I had truly meant that I would kill him if he was ever here without my prior permission. This is my one safe place and I would hate to have that spoiled over a feigned friendship.

A severe longing to see my Kristina filled my heart with anxiety. Would she abandon me? Would she give up hope in me, would her faith falter? Would her little dancer friend destroy all the leaps and bounds we had made in the past week and half?

All these questions swirled around in my head with unclear answers. The only thing I did know was I couldn't let that little wench, Cass disrupt anything more than she already has. I needed to get her away from Kristina. But how?

'This will not end well.' Daroga's words circled around in my head.

My head fell harshly down onto the piano keys as the vision in front of my eyes began to sway like a rocking ship. One thing was for certain tonight, I would not be capable of any such thought as the bourbon had surrendered me completely obliterated.

The following day slipped away with aimless traversing of the opera house. People around tended to their duties as I watched with boredom. Kristina was in rehearsal all day; her face was etched with remorse and resembled the color of ash. Even from where I sat, far away from the stage, I could see she was detached. She took instruction blindly and stumbled upon her verses like a disembodied corpse. It pained me greatly to see her so. After her rehearsal, she stayed behind the rest of the company, dragging her feet slowly across the wooden beams of the stage floor. I dropped down and tucked myself away behind the curtain. When I was certain everyone else had left, I called out to her.

"Kristina..." I whispered gently.

She stopped her slow advance to the exit and faced the empty theater. "Angel?"

Her voice was hushed, and she looked quickly around her to see if anyone was there. Her hands feverishly circled around in angst.

"It is I, my child. You weren't at your lesson last night when I came to you."

"I waited...but you didn't show up. I thought I upset you." Her head dropped down as her hair fell in beautiful auburn waves.

"You could never do such a thing. Please come for your lesson tonight. There is still much for you to learn."

"I will. I promise." She smiled sadly.

Suddenly, the door to the theater burst open, and a blonde haired girl came barreling in. I sunk deeper behind the curtain as Cassarah crossed the stage to where Kristina stood.

"Kristina- what are you doing? Rehearsal let out 10 minutes ago." Cass looked around the theater, her face screwed up in suspicion.

"I was -"

The rest of the ballet group began to file into the theater. They set their things down as they began to stretch and prepare for their rehearsal. Cass began to lead Kristina away from the rest of the group, towards the back of the stage.

"Go home, Kristina. Get some rest. You look awful."

She shook her head in compliance, but before she left, she stole one last look out at the theater. Shaking her head slightly, she squeezed her slender frame between the squawking dancers. Turning silently, I made my way to the stage door exit. As I slowly pulled the door ajar, to my surprise, Amir was walking down the hall, his uniform crisp and ironed out into perfection. I immediately closed the door and darted behind the cyc towards the ladder leading up into the rafters. The Persian entered the theater just as my foot hit the first rung.

The slamming of the stage door drew the attentions of the ballet rehearsal. The dancers stared curiously at the head of security and began muttering gossips between themselves. Frank parted the mass of people and smoothing down his thinning hair, approached the man. I stood in the shadows, intrigued to know what business he had been seeking there.

"Monsieur Nadir. Can I help you with something? We are under rehearsal at the moment." Frank asked, his irritation barely at bay.

"I am looking for Cassarah Dubois. Is she here?"

"She is. But she is my lead and I need her here to practice her solo."

"Understandable. Please tell her to stop by my office at her earliest convenience." He bowed his head and turned to leave.

Everyone turned to look at the girl, who now was red with embarrassment. She bit her lip and began to pick at unseen imperfections off her leotard. Once Amir had left, I took a more comfortable seat on the rafter. I had nothing to occupy myself with for the next few hours and thought what harm it would do if I observed for a while.

Frank refocused his group of dancers and set off with the introductory scene of act one. It was slow and the majority of the company was rather hoggish in their movements. There was even a very young ballet dancer, plain in every way, who tripped and fell during mid performance. I couldn't help but let out a hushed snigger.

The room grew tense as the dancers tried their best to ignore the eerie noise whispering around the stage. Cassarah, who was standing aside to await her entrance mid act, had stopped her stretching and looked around the theater. She silently slipped behind stage right and searched around the curtains. She looked in every corner and inspected every shadow. She became very flustered when she couldn't find anyone. Defeated, she rested her back against the ladder. Her body grew stiff and craned her head to look up directly at me. I froze where I sat, unable to think as she continued to stare, her mouth falling open in utter shock. To my own dismay, she began to climb the ladder leading up the rafters!

I groaned, 'Not again!'

Bouncing to my feet, I briskly walked to the end of the rafter, trying my very best to keep everything as still and silent as possible. I felt the beams below me tremble as the girl hoisted herself up.

In a few quick steps I made my way to the fly wall and stealthy climbed up to the second rafter. I was about half way across the beam when I felt her climb up behind me. Was she really trying to catch up to me? Turning on my heels, I saw her standing there grasping a fly wire tightly between her fingers.

She was taller than Kristina. Her face was round by her checks but came to a point at her chin and where her golden hair parted. It fell in soft waves down her chest. Her eyes were a sharp, piercing mahogany and encompassed by long eyelashes. Her leotard clung to every curve of her body and she took one shaky step towards my direction. Her agility as a dancer aided her in traversing the beam as there wasn't a rail to guide her steps. She bit her lip in concentration as sweat gleamed along her hairline.

I turned back once more but this time I felt a violent jolt, sending me reeling down to grab the wood to balance myself. Looking behind me, I saw the girl had slipped and was now dangling from the wooden rafter, wildly trying to throw her leg over to save herself from falling. I hesitated momentarily, deciding if I should just go to the hidden door of the forgotten prop room or help the enemy of my due course.

The moral aspect of my mind won and I rushed over to where the girl swung helplessly from the wood. She glared at me, but her resolve gave way to a more desperate plea. Bending down, I grabbed her arms and lifted with all the strength I could muster. Finally, she gave way and we both spilled onto the beam, with her shaking body landing on top of mine. My body tensed involuntarily and I fought the urge to throw her off of me.

Our chests heaved viciously from the excursion. We stared at each other for a few moments before she carefully inched her way back onto the beam. I righted my mask and fixed my vest as she sat down to collect herself.

"Why are you following me!?" I whispered harshly.

"Because I was curious."

"Curiosity will get you killed. I would no doubt be blamed for that misfortune."

"I wouldn't have tripped if my foot wasn't injured." She muttered, her eyes breaking away from her trembling fingers to peer up at me.

"Your foot wouldn't be injured, Mademoiselle, if you minded your own business in the first place. I told you to leave me alone. Do not follow me again."

I turned on my heel and ran up to the fly system. When I looked back, the little dancer was carefully making her way back to the stage. I watched long enough for her to make it to the ladder before I continued into the prop room.

The familiar scent of moth balls and dust invited me in. Within the comforting darkness I stood for a moment to regain my composure. I couldn't shake the slight amusement I felt during the pursuit. Such a brave little soul, to follow a man she utterly feared. What was her gain in doing that?

My fingers trailed the dingy canvases of forgotten scenery as the memory of her body pressed against mine invaded my thoughts. The feelings it provoked completely caught me off guard. Her soft exhales against my face made my blood surge with a menacing speed. She was nothing short of beautiful, I will give her that, but the invasion of my privacy was beginning to wear on my patience. I wished she would just take my warning seriously. Life was much easier that way.

I stayed in the room for a while to digest my thoughts and prayed time would clear them away.

Later that night, it was silent throughout the opera house when I had reached the two way mirror. The only sounds were my faint footsteps along the cement corridor. She still wasn't there and even though I trusted she would come, I had a deep seeded fear she was starting to doubt me.

Just as I was about to give up hope, I heard a faint click of the door settling back into its chamber. I threw back the wood paneling and instantly felt my heart still. She was absolutely gorgeous in a floral dress that stopped at the top of her knee. I pressed myself against the glass and watched her place her stuff down onto the ground.

"Kristina, you look as radiant as the heavens!" I sung out.

She jumped slightly and then blushed. "Thank you, maestro."

"We have lost a day of lessons and I want to make absolutely sure you will be ready for opening night."

We began with the usual warm ups as my voice guided us through the generic notes of the master scales. She followed along yet I could sense some hesitation in every note she sung. Her heart wasn't there as she faltered with our warm up music.

"Kristina, you are not paying attention." I gently chided her.

She dropped her head and muttered, "I'm sorry, my angel."

"What is wrong?"

She hesitated. "Nothing. I think it's just my nerves for the upcoming performance."

"Kristina, you mustn't lie to me. I am the Angel of Music and therefore I see everything. Now tell me what is really troubling you." I clutched my vest with bated breath for her response.

The contention swirling within her mind bled through the pained look in her eyes. She played with the tips of her hair as she teetered back and forth on her feet. As if her courage failed her, she dropped her head down low. "Angel...when you didn't show up the other night-"

"I beg for your forgiveness, Kristina."

"Please let me finish. When you didn't show up the other night, I felt myself wither inside. I was so afraid you abandoned me, which I had somehow committed some untold sin for you to be yanked away from me." She began to cry silent tears causing her shoulders to shake. "I felt cold and alone again. It frightens me."

My heart violently beat against my ribcage as my soul imploded. I understood that feeling all too well in my hellish domain. Loneliness was all I ever knew until this beautiful creature had crept into my life and blinded me with her captivating light. Oh, how I wanted to bathe in it!

'Pull yourself together, Erik. She is such a child, and she only sees you as the ethereal being you've deceptively shown her.' I pushed the negative thought aside. As long as Kristina needed me, I'd be right there with her.

"My dear child. I will always be with you, no matter what transgressions you may or may not cause. Do not cry. Your face is too beautiful to be filled with such sadness. Now, I shall sing you a song to still your aching heart."

Granted, I didn't have a song in mind, so I improvised. I sang her a song about a tale of two lovers crossing a harrowing journey together. My voice rang out in hushed, succulent tones. It rose up towards the heavens and came spiraling down in a melodic flourish of fevered notes. I saw her eyes begin to drift shut, her mind wrapping around the delicate aria I was performing for her. Her breath came out in slow, labored puffs as her head began to fall back with the captivity of the song. She was completely and utterly hypnotized.

Before I could stop myself, I drew back the mirror silently and reached out my silk-gloved hand to stroke her flushed cheek. I tenderly wiped away the tears from her face and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her little ear. Through this, I never ceased my quiet song to her.

Her face was absolutely stunning. Her skin felt creamy and unbelievably soft. She had perfectly sculpted eyebrows, and her long, dark eyelashes fluttered along her high cheekbones. Her lips were coral and turned up into an elegant smile.

"I can feel you here around me." She whispered.

I jumped out of my skin at the sound of her husky voice. The rose I brought with me fell from my fingers and landed softly onto the metal music stand. I scampered back into the safety of the cavern and shut the mirror behind me. I tried my best to compose myself.

"I'm always around you Kristina. It's time to rest. Come back tomorrow night."

She opened her eyes and instantly spotted the white rose lying on the music stand. She gasped in delight. "Oh, thank you."

I felt light headed with giddiness as she cradled the flower to her chest. I pressed my face up against the glass to drink in her emotions. I didn't think it was possible to love this girl anymore.

"Good night."

"Goodnight, my Kristina."

I turned around and began my journey through the desolate tunnels towards my apartment. Tonight, these halls were filled with unheard music and unseen light. I was like a love drunk sailor, swaying back and forth between the catacombs. Perhaps, maybe, there is still a chance at redemption. This beautiful woman could free me from my solace.

'You pathetic fool. No woman could ever free you. No one could ever love you.'

I bit back the dark entity within my mind and continued through my love lust haze of delirium. I craved the musical release of my violin. I had to get these melodies out before the darkness ate them up. They needed to be freed.