I noticed the number of people reading the story and I just want to say thanks so much for reading because it really does mean a great deal to me. I had five years of this story dancing in the back of my mind and it feels really good to finally write it out. This chapter is a little slow placed, but that's partly cause Erik just got his heart broken and ditched during Down Once More, and Lorenzo is kind of just a bleeding frozen guy...but though it may seem like there's not much action going on I should hint to you that there's a lot of information Erik is collecting about Lorenzo already, and he hasn't even met Erik yet. Enjoy reading!

CHAPTER 5: Eternal Masquerade

Erik's POV

"I gave you my mind blindly."

There would be no way for her to switch this around. She wasn't the victim; I was. A victim of God's torturous ways to bestow such a face on a man, a victim of loneliness, a victim to endless despair; I was the victim; not Christine.

"You try my patience. Make your choice." I tugged on the rope causing the Vicomte to choke just to prove how serious I was. I know she would refuse me. This was all part of the plan. She would refuse me and I would kill her precious Raoul and then who else would she have but me? In time she would forget about him and learn to love me. I waited for her answer.

"Pitiful creature of darkness what kind of life have you known? God gave me courage to show you; you are not alone…"

I was not prepared for what happened. She placed her hand on my shoulder and pressed her lips against mine. She then parted her lips and her tongue entered my mouth. The sensation! I could barely kiss her back in disbelief this was happening to me. How could I deserve this kiss? She pulled away slowly and her eyes studied my face for a reaction, and she came back for another kiss. This time it was deep and my tongue indulged itself gliding smoothly across hers as we explored each other's mouths. Oh the taste of her salvia was never what I dreamt it to be; it was a thousand times better. The sweetest flavor this earth would ever hold in all of its existence and here I was in pure ecstasy of it. Her left hand slid up from my shoulder and cupped the right side of my face; the deformed side! And she kept it there as we continued the kiss! This kiss was the crescendo of my life; here below the earth in the darkness she was the music in my never ending night. She finally pulled away and waited for me to respond.

As I looked into the eyes of my angel as I began to cry. She had melted my heart and then shattered it to pieces with that kiss. It was at that moment I truly felt that I had possessed the heart of a monster. No longer was it just my face, as Christine said moments earlier it was my soul where the true distortion was. I would forever be a selfish creature by forcing Christine to love me. If Christine were to live with me after this it would only be because I had to cheat my way into her heart, and not because she loved me. She had given the kiss of a lifetime to a monster, and I wanted to prove that my soul didn't equal the horror of my face. There was only one way for her to truly see whatever scrap of beauty that resided within me…

"Take her. Forget me. Forget all of this. Forget what you've seen." It was done. We were done. Everything I had worked for this girl was over. "Go now. Don't let them find you. Take the boat. Swear to me never to tell the secret you know of the angel in hell! Go now! Go now and leave me!"

That image of her embracing him the moment he was free of the ropes cut me deep! And all the sadness and pain I had ever felt in my life had followed me up to this moment. I ignored the mob's cries from above as I sang along with my music box.

"Masquerade, paper faces on parade. Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you…"

My life was a never ending Masquerade, no one wanted to find me. Christine had walked up to me. A thousand times I wanted to plead for her to never leave me alone, a thousand songs I wanted to dedicate and sing to her, but I instead I settled for the words I have always felt and the words I should've said so many years ago

"Christine, I love you…"

Without saying a word she placed the wedding ring back into my hand then walked away. Then it was complete. I had experienced every pain known to humanity. I kept my eyes on her until she was out of view.

"You alone can make my song take flight. It's over now the music of the night!"

I began to break the mirrors out of frustration until I broke through the one that was another passage about the underground of the Opera. I walked down the dark passageway until I had reached the end where there was a ladder leading up to a sewer cover. I climbed up the ladder and pushed the sewer top off the ground and pulled myself up into the snow. I slid the lid back to its place on the ground and began to walk down the alley then saw two figures motionless on the ground. I stood above them trying to make sense of what could've happened. One man was a policeman who was clearly dead because he had a belt strapped around his neck and there were a few bones that had popped way through his skin. The other man soaked all the snow around him in blood, there was a gunshot wound in his shoulder, but what struck me was that he wore a black mask that was identical to the one I wore in Don Juan Triumphant. I don't know what compelled me to do so but I kneeled down next to the masked man and checked for a pulse; he was still alive.

"Erik!"

My head snapped up to see Madame Giry walking towards me from the opposite end of the alley. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to analyze the meaning of two bloody bodies in my presence. She then looked back at me.

"It wasn't me if that's what you were thinking." I coldly spat.

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know but this one's alive." I pointed to the man in the mask.

"Oh no-"she quickly knelt down on the other side of him. "The police mistook him for you and shot him."

"How is that possible?"

"He snuck through the men's dressing room and grabbed one of Piangi's Don Juan masks to blend in, I watched the men chase him onto the stage and the police had thought he was you."

I felt a small twinge of guilt, but he was still alive and he needed help. I scanned the ground around us till my eyes fell on a bag.

"Check that bag. Maybe he has some identity." I ordered. I ripped the left sleeve of my shirt off and tied it tightly around his gunshot wound to maintain pressure while Madame GIry searched the bag. She pulled out a small black journal when a couple loose papers fell out.

"His pulse is slowing." I stated.

"Erik you must carry him, I have a carriage waiting for us. We have to get you out of here; we will find him help as we make our way to my house."

I picked him up and followed Madame Giry to the end of the alley where the carriage was waiting. When I entered the carriage I saw Meg was sitting inside leaning against the window. Madame Giry shut the compartment door and told the driver to go.

"Maman, is that the man who sneaked into the theatre? Is he going to be okay?" Meg asked.

"Yes it is, and we don't know. We're trying to figure out who he is." She answered.

I caught Meg gawking at my face; I then realized I hadn't been wearing a mask since Christine tore it off on stage. This bothered me immensely so I took the mask off of the unconscious man and shoved it on my face.

"Better?" I shot at Meg. She instantly looked down at her feet but then looked but then looked back up in surprise.

"Maman he looks so young!" Meg said.

I looked to the left at the unconscious figure and Meg was right; he looked very young. It was hard to tell with the mask on.

"His name is Lorenzo Trentacosta." Madame Giry spoke loudly. "He was invited to live at the Opera for a year…"

"By whom?"

"The Vicomte." She held out a letter I presumed that she had found in his belongings.

As she said this I grew puzzled. Why would the Vicomte invite someone who assumingly kills cops to live at the Opera? I took the letter into my own hands and read the contents. After reading it I was ever so intrigued.

"I didn't think those two idiot managers would continue that program for the following year." I stated.

Madame Giry nodded in agreement while Meg continued to stare at Lorenzo.

"Erik when I came to get you I saw that they successfully put out the fire, and even though Monsieur Firmin has quit as manager Andre still remains…"

I slowly began to realize what Madame Giry was getting at.

"No…"

"Yes Erik, if Andre still remains as manager and these letters to students were sent the Opera Populaire must keep running."

Damnit! I was furious. I had planned tonight to be my last night in the cellars, I had planned for the Opera to be deserted and left in peace, but no! It was still going to be in use, and there would be absolutely no way that if I wasn't there then people would be allowed to roam free amongst the halls mocking the memory of The Phantom of the Opera. I would have to return, along with…

"The Viscount…does this mean that they have to stay?" I asked Madame Giry so she could tell me 'no' I needed to hear that possibility.

"I do not think the Viscount will leave after sponsoring a talent, and if Andre stays then there's a good chance he will too." She admitted.

"You mean the both of them." I gritted through my teeth.

"Yes…Erik I really am sorry."

"I don't want your pity." I was beyond irritated. I was prepared to never see Christine again and now here all of us are still potentially stuck in Paris! "What of Monsieur Trentacoasta?" I asked bringing back the attention of his health.

"We are almost at my home. Erik at least stay for one night, shower and put on something more decent for the weather. There should be some spare clothes from my husband's room. I will continue to the Viscount's home with Meg and leave Lorenzo there. Monsieur DeChangey is his sponsor anyway. His health would be in far better care in their hands rather ours."

"So Monsieur Trentacoasta is a composer then?" I remembered reading that part in the letter. There would be fifty new talents at the Opera now. I intended to watch the presentation call backs and be the true judge of talent.

The carriage finally arrived to Madame Giry's abode. I got out of the carriage.

"Wait-"I held the door open before they took off. "Lorenzo, is he going to be living at the Viscount's for now?"

"I would think so for now. The Opera is under reconstruction for awhile." Her tone seemed to imply it was my fault for the inconvenience, though it very much was.

"Fine." I slammed the door and the carriage took off.

Everyone seemed to be going to the Vicomte's house, and I knew with every fiber in my heart that Christine would be there. I cursed angrily up at the sky. I cursed the stars for determining my fate, I cursed myself for not having control of my own fate, and then I cursed God's green earth for things to come in the future for I knew it would be one know no one could tell.

The next chapter will be in Christine's POV because Madame Giry arrives with Lorenzo at Raoul's house and things get pretty sketchy between people. Christine (being the little snoopster and indecisive girl that she is) doesn't leave Lorenzo alone at all, and yeah you can imagine how that could go. Please review, much appreciated. I'm open to new ideas, this story is really flexible so if you want to see something or add something to the story just let me know and I'll fit it in the best way I can. Once again thank you so much for reading. Means a lot.