AN: I'm very, very, very sorry for not updating before. But I hope you'll forgive me, because this chapter, no, interlude, only has Erik in it. The idea came to me yesterday and I just had to write it down. However, thanks to this, the next actual chapter will be up soon, because I have a quite big part of it already written. One more thing: is there anyone who would have the will and time to become my beta? I don't seem to have much luck in this department lately…

Disclaimer: Not mine. I only dream of it… All characters and such belong to Monsieur Leroux, Lord Lloyd Webber and Mrs. Susan Kay. The song used belongs to Mary Chapin Carpenter.

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A Whole New World

The First Interlude

There is someone in his past that he hasn't gotten over yet
Each day's like the last, he just misses what he can't forget
It's just an empty space where something used to be
Now he guards the gate, but he's lost the key
So no one enters, but no one leaves
There's a keeper for every flame...

A Keeper for Every Flame, by Mary Chapin Carpenter

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The great stone mansion was quiet and asleep, save for one person. The master of the house himself.

He paced in his study, occasionally stopping to take a sip from the glass on the large oak desk. The whiskey didn't taste half as good as his favoured French wine, but it was tolerable.

Once again, he wasn't able to sleep. He had gotten used to it by now. After all, he had always thought about himself as a more nocturnal creature. Daylight did not suit him.

It was at night when his inspiration came to him. The sounds of night were quickly transformed into notes, as his hands flew over the ivory keys. Sadly, it was also at night when she came to his mind.

His Angel.

Her face, her voice… It had been three years, and still he wasn't able to forget. Why did she torture him so? He had let her go, so why did she keep haunting him?

What did she want from him?

He knew it was pointless to blame anyone but himself. It was he, and only he who had fallen. Only he himself could make him forget. And he hadn't forgotten.

Did he want to forget?

Yes, of course he did. Why did he even doubt it? She was gone, and she wasn't coming back. It was time for him to move on.

But wasn't this exactly what he had been doing for the past three years? Trying to move on?

At first, he had wanted to die. But the cruel fate didn't let him. And he wasn't going to kill himself. For him, suicide was the coward's way out.

So, he had moved on. Taking all of his money and his most precious possessions, he had gone to England to start life anew.

Now, three years later, he was a well-known composer. But his operas were not as terribly passionate as Don Juan had been. No, in fact, they were quite ordinary. Or as ordinary as operas written by musical geniuses can be. Meaning they were fantastic, brilliant, amazing. Meaning people loved them. But for him, they were nothing special. He couldn't even remember the names of some of them.

He should have been happy: for once in his life, people saw him as the genius he actually was. But he wasn't happy.

Those people didn't know the real him. They only knew him as an eccentric, masked composer, who lived alone in a large stone manor. He had few friends, and tended to keep away from people.

And tonight he had received the message that one of his few friends had died.

He did not know what to do. The old lady had been sick for quite some time now, and he had known she would die soon. But still, now that it had happened, he felt as if someone had broken his heart again. Shattered it to thousand pieces. And he had no idea how to put these pieces back together.

So here he was, trying to make himself numb to the pain.

Suddenly he turned, throwing the glass he had been holding against the opposite wall. He watched with morbid satisfaction as the glass shattered to little pieces.

What a perfect portrayal of his life.

Stepping over the shards of glass, he slowly walked to the window. It was still dark outside, but he knew that soon it would be morning. He would go to sleep only to be woken a few hours later by his faithful servant. Then, he would drink a cup of tea, and perhaps even eat something. After reading the mail, which mostly consisted of invitations to the opera premieres and letters from the opera house manager all around Europe, he would go up to the music room. Then he would compose for a few hours. Usually he would write things that were expected from him, but sometimes he would write something for himself. Those songs would be forgotten and he would go on as if they never existed. But in truth, those were the only pieces of music where he put his soul into.

It was a diary never to be read again.

After composing, he would go and take a ride with one of his horses. Which was it going to be this time? Lightning or Trophé? Cesar or Black?

After riding, he would come back to the house. He would eat a little and then go to his study, to answer to letters and send out his operas.

Taking his mask off, he let out a hollow laughter. It was always the same. And it would stay the same 'till the day he died. He would always be alone…

Enough misery for one night.

Reprimanding himself for wallowing in those pointless thoughts, he replaced the mask on his face.

Turning back to the window, he was no longer Erik, the passionate man who had written Don Juan Triumphant. He was now Lord Destler, the cold and aloof man who lived alone in the huge manor. The man, who was usually avoided by others.

That was what he truly wanted, to be left in peace.

Right?

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Sazi: Here you go, lots and lots of Erik in this part! Thank you for reviewing!

sbkar: Thank you for all you reviews! Hmm, I wonder, who does Christine miss? Hehe, that's way too easy to guess…

Yes, accidents happen. And they have no-one to blame but themselves. Always heed the warning of those older than you!

This person she works for has the tendency of hiring maids to help them out of trouble. It'll be explained better in the next chapter. And at that point, everything makes her happy.

Once again, thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

Big thank you's to all who read. Please review and let me know what you think!