Chapter Three: The Lair
The Angel offered his hand out to Christian, who accepted it, and the Angel led him through a series of passageways and hidden staircases. They walked in silence until a black horse appeared, and the Angel helped Christian on to it. They then descended even further down the abyss of darkness that thrived underneath the Opera House, with Christian on the horse and the Angel walking alongside him. All the while, Christian seemed to be in a sort of trance, completely hypnotized by the masked man.
They rode until they approached a shiny black underground lake, covered in clouds of fog and smoke. The only light source was the hundreds of lit candles that protruded from the depths of the lake's glossy waters. The Angel helped Christian off the horse and into a small wooden gondola. Using an oar, he steered the boat over the lake's misty waters while Christian sat in front of him, still under the spell of this intriguing stranger.
They continued to glide into the darkness until finally the fog of the lake dissipated, revealing a beautiful underground sanctuary covered in glowing candles. The centerpiece of the Angel's lair was a massive stone platform on which stood a rather complex-looking pipe organ. High above the enchanting structure, beams of moonlight streamed in from the large barred windows on the stone walls. Christian thought perhaps they weren't as far below the Opera House as they had seemed to be. The Angel tethered off the gondola at the ledge of the platform and led Christian up to where the organ stood.
"My wonderful prodigy," The Angel said, "This is where I create my music. Music that inspires the soul and enchants the senses." He approached the organ now, slowly caressing the keys with his long fingers. Around the organ all around there were stacks of written music, covered in notes that seemed to go on forever. "However, there is only one thing that allows me to write such haunting melodies. And that, Christian Daae, is you."
Christian felt a chill go down his spine. He knew he should have been scared, however something about the masked figure made him feel excited. And then the Angel of Music began to play, and the cave was filled with such beautiful sounds, which echoed off the stone walls and soared over the great lake. The song of the Angel was so powerful, it seemed to transform the dark lair into a labyrinth of colors and light. Christian could feel the music deep in his bones, and he was so overcome by his master's song, that he fell to his knees in front of the pipe-organ. When the Angel was finished, there were tears rolling down Christian's face.
"Who are you, oh beautiful spirit?" Christian asked softly. The Angel left his place at the organ and stood before Christian, placing a hand on his tear-soaked cheek.
"I have many names, though they do not matter. What matters is that I have you here with me to compose. I write for you, Christian, and you only." He lifted Christian up off the ground and pulled him closer, now caressing Christian's face with both hands. Christian felt his heart race and his breath stagger. He had never been so intimate with another man before. It was in this moment when Christian finally began to feel scared. "Don't be frightened," the masked man said, leaning in, "I have you now." The Angel pulled him in closer, and soon their lips met. They kissed passionately, each pair of hands moving freely around the other man's body. Christian moaned in release as he gave into the Angel's spell, and in the heat of the kiss, he reached up to his master's face and pulled off the half-moon mask.
"DAMN YOU!" The Angel screamed in horror and threw Christian away from him, immediately covering his exposed face with his hands and running into the shadows. Christian lay on the ground in shock for several moments before sitting up and realizing what he had done. The Angel sat in the darkest corner of the room, cowering in fear and burying his face in his hands. The white mask had fallen on the ground several feet away from him, illuminated by a stream of moonlight.
Trembling in fear, Christian called out to him. "Master?" he whispered.
There was a long silence. Then the Angel spoke harshly through bewildered sobs. "Before, I said I had many names. Angel, Master, Maestro, but perhaps the most common name I have been called in my lifetime is monster." Christian's eyes widened in disbelief. "It is true, my beloved. I live beneath the Opera House, causing mayhem and terror. My mangled face haunts the souls of all who lay eyes on it. I have had several titles, but I'm sure the one you know me by is: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!" As he spoke the menacing words, he turned around and revealed his unmasked face to Christian, who let out a terrifying shout and collapsed onto the floor.
The deformed half of the Phantom's face was, indeed, disgusting. Rotten, chunky flesh covered the swollen eye that bugged out and pierced the soul. Several infected scars and cuts ran up alongside the forehead and up into the scalp. But perhaps the most horrifying thing about it was the color. The entire half of the face was pale yellow, like that of a human skull. Upon seeing Christian's reaction, the Phantom threw himself back into the dark corner and buried his face again. He began to sob excessively, out of pure shame for his hideous distortion.
Christian slowly rose up from the floor, staring tentatively at the Phantom's curled up figure in the shadowy corner. Hearing the sobs of his master, Christian's heart was filled with pity and he crawled over to pick up the mask.
"Master, please, forgive me." He offered, approaching the Phantom and holding out the mask to him, which was followed by a great silence. Then, without turning back around, the Phantom reached behind, grabbed the mask and put it on. Finally he turned to face Christian.
"You must never remove that mask again." He warned him ominously, and Christian nodded. "Come, child, we must return you before sunrise." He took Christian's hand and helped him down off the platform and onto the gondola again. They rode the boat back over the lake in silence, the fog swirling behind them and concealing the Phantom's lair in darkness.