I awoke to soft piano music coming from within the Opera House. Looking at the clock I had on my dresser I saw that it was three in the morning and deep inside me I could feel a slight annoyance to the musician. "No one should be playing music at this god forsaken hour." I muttered to myself as I got out of bed and dressed. Wandering out into the now empty house I discovered that no one was playing at three in the morning.

" You're going mad." But walking back into my room, I could suddenly hear the music again, this time accompanied by a violin. Though it was soft, it was utterly exquisite. I could literally feel the emotion behind it, sorrowful yet hopeful. It drew me ever closer to the full-length mirror that came along with my room.

" Why is the music coming from behind the mirror?" Somehow I knew it was a stupid question to ask, but I asked it anyway. Staring at the mirror for what seemed like forever, I saw that it was actually see through and if it was see through…" Where is the latch?" Running my hands around the frame, I found it disguised as an angel holding a bouquet of roses in its petite hands.

" Sometimes Erik, you outdo yourself." Flicking the latch, I watched as the mirror slid aside to reveal a dark hallway lit by a torch at the far end. The stone floor was icy against my bare feet as I walked down the ever-brightening hallway until I reached the beacon. Beyond that, it was like pitch, the darkness seemed to ooze from the walls. Suddenly a sense of curiosity overwhelmed me and drove into the darkness and away from the light. If the was ever a metaphoric moment this was it as I turned my head ever so slightly to watch the light disappear into the night. I couldn't tell how long I walked, but not kicking anything or running into anything meant this was a well-traveled pathway. But who or what traveled it? As I gazed into the darkness, I felt my foot hit a loose block, stubbing my toe and depressing the block also.

" What the hell…" Out of the blackness came a noise like I had never heard before and I dropped to the ground quickly. The thing hissed by metallically and once more I heard the noise as I swung back to other way, this time hitting the wall on the far side. Sparks flew from the impact and I could see that it was a pendulum with a sharpened blade, slowly ticking down with every swing. On my hands and knees I crawled forward quickly to avoid the blade and came upon a pair of feet. Cold, they wiggled as my hands ran over the toes and up unto a pair of legs. Inch by inch I grasped at whatever this thing was until I was standing, the pendulum finally touching the ground with a bell like ring.

" Well, what do we have here?" His voice sounded more sensual when he whispered which I noticed all too well. " I didn't mean to disturb you Master…" Suddenly I felt his finger touch my lips ever so gently and I quieted.

" Are you alright? Sometimes my traps do work as well as I planned."

" How can you see in this darkness?" He laughed, his hands placed on my shoulders. " If I may?" I shrugged and I felt his lips touch my forehead ever so slightly, the flesh soft and supple. But as he moved to make the telepathic bond better, I felt something scrape my forehead. Reaching up, I touched his face, he flinched as he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, but with a firm hold on his shirt with my right hand I made sure he didn't move as I explored. He wore a mask, it seemed to be made of skin also, but unlike skin it wasn't warm. Following the seams, I discovered it was actually leather and I felt for the edge to find what was underneath.

" Please don't." Hid plea was heart wrenching.

" Its alright. I cannot see yet. Just let me touch." And gently pulling off the mask, I ran my hands over the right side of his face, feeling the skin curve and dip from scars. But I had lied to him, I could see him perfectly now, and the scars that were there. His scalp was ravaged but with the hair that had grown back, you couldn't really tell. As I continued to feel it, I saw that his lower part of his eye was lower than his left, but was caught me off guard was that his part of the right side of his nose was missing, leaving a dark patch. To make sure, I ran my finger over it and discovered that it was merely a shadow.

" What happened?" My voice sounded strangely childlike after what I had seen and felt.

" An accident." His voice had dropped and I could hear the sorrow in it.

" What accident?"

" I really don't want to talk about it."

" Why?

" You wouldn't understand."

" How do you know? Hmmm?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE A CHILD CHRISTINE!" His voice echoed throughout the tunnel, filled to the brim with thunderous fury. " You will never understand what have gone through, or what I will have to go through for the rest of my life. Do you hear me?" I heard him snarl the last few words and I instinctively shivered. Pulling myself out of his arms I turned and walked past the now stopped pendulum.

" I do understand your pain, Erik. For I saw what you are and in my mind…' My words died on my lips as he grabbed me roughly by the arm and pulled me towards him.

" You saw it?" He nearly shrieked and I nodded swiftly. His anger suddenly dissolved into raging sorrow that momentarily overwhelmed my senses.

" I am sorry." I whispered and placed my hands on his shoulders, wanting to comfort my master.

" Get out." He whispered and shrugged of my hands. " I can help…" He stood up so fast that he nearly threw me into the wall.

" Get out!" He roared and I obeyed my feet pounding on the stone as I followed the path back to the mirror. Jumping back through it, I closed it and tumbled into my bed. Instead of coming after me, Erik just stood there, mask in hand with tears running down his face at what he just did to me.

R&R people. Thxs