Hello there!
Well, well, it looks like Erik has finally shown his true intentions to Christine. Now, while a lot of people may have said that this was rather predictable, my apologies. However, I've always wanted to write up a situation where Erik dumbfounds her, only because I think that in the book, she doesn't have the opportunities to be this curious. The Phantom more waits on her hand and foot, so Erik might not be the same Erik that you know, but he's the Erik I've had pictured in my mind for this fanfic. Yes, there will be some more surprises coming your way soon, however bear with me.
I tried my best for this chapter not to use a lot of the "Point of No Return" lyrics, because I didn't want to make all of you take the time to read it again- I'm sure all of you know exactly how that duet goes.
Also, the layout I use for this opera house is not the Metropolitan Opera House, even though I am using its name. This is one that I've built in my mind that is the fruit of many opera houses combined.
I know this is technically my "first fanfic" under this pen name, but I'd really like to see how much I can stretch this out. I mean we do have a couple months to go in New York for both Christine and Erik, and then after that they have their whole lifetime together. Don't worry- I'll make sure to end this fanfic when it's necessary. No sooner and no later. Bye for now, darlings, and thank you so much for your support by reading and commenting!
Ever yours,
The Soprano in Shadow
PS: I have just finally gotten wifi, so that I could upload this chapter. Don't hate, please. This was the earliest I could upload. Deepest apologies. However, I have had to write the next chapter, so it will be up in the next day or so.
The blood pounded in her ears as Christine tried her best to calm her anger and embarrassment before her entrance onstage. As Monsieur Reyers held the orchestra on a soft chord, Christine smoothened her features and walked on stage, with the look of a girl in love.
"No thoughts within her head
but thoughts of joy.
No dreams within her heart
but dreams of love!"
As she sang this and sat on the stage floor, her mind raced ahead of her. This whole time he was Don Juan? How was that even possible? Had he done this to spite her? Quickly, Christine erased that thought—if Mr. Destler had really wanted to do that, he could have announced that at the press conference. No… there had to be some reason.
"Passarino, go away
for the trap is set,
and waits for its prey."
Don Juan had entered. Christine swallowed. There was no going back now. She would have to do this, and do this right. Or not only would he have her swooning on stage, but also her head.
"You have come here
in pursuit of your deepest urge.
In pursuit of that wish which till now
Has been silent. Silent…"
Christine closed her eyes as she allowed his voice to wash over her. This powerful, rich voice—how had she been without it all of these years?
"What warm unspoken secrets will we learn,
beyond the point of no return?"
The ending of his verse meant the start of hers. This was her one chance to show him that she could do it. Drawing in breath, Christine flashed her mind back to the way the man before her had made her feel when he held her during rehearsing this song. She needed that. And then, she sang.
Erik watched her as she sang towards the audience, with her back to him. He tried not to break from this character, partially in amusement and partially in awe of how ravishing she looked, when she stalked towards him with her opening lines. He could tell that Christine had been surprised right when he had spoken to her before her duet. He had seen the way her eyes flashed at the sound of his voice, and almost wished he could have smirked.
"Now I am here with you.
No second thoughts. I've decided. Decided."
As she sang those words, she faced him, and he caught a flash of her eyes darkening over with passion, her voice laced with excitement, wonder, confusion… all of the emotions that Aminta was supposed to feel.
But what did Christine feel?
Erik almost wished that he could read her mind right then, because while her body was saying, "come hither", her mind certainly may not have been. He had no clue.
And now began their duet, and their trek up to the scaffold.
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold.
The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn.
We've passed the point of no return."
Feeling the warmth of his body against her back, Christine waited for his small interlude. They had never practiced this part before, because of Christine's determination to "wait for opening night", and she was nervous.
"Say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime.
Lead me, save me from my solitude."
As he sung this to the audience, Erik could feel these words becoming real. Originally he had composed them with Luciana in mind, but Christine was different. She would accept him… wouldn't she?
"Say you want me with you
here, beside you.
Anywhere you go, let me go too.
That's all I ask of—"
Aminta cut her Don Juan off, as she turned his face towards her and kissed him passionately as the orchestra swelled to a climax. This was why Christine refused to practice this part of the scene. She had been afraid of what she would feel if she kissed him, and she still was. The shiver that ran down her spine didn't help much either. Christine wished that she could have stepped away from the intensity of this man, but until the technical crew dimmed the lights, they were stuck lip locking. Not that she really minded, honestly.
However, this had thrown Mr. Erik Destler, world-renowned composer and now baritone, completely off.
He had expected her to put in as much effort as a codfish when they reached this portion of the scene. He had expected her to simply wrap her arms around his neck, press her lips against his, and leave them there until the lights were dimmed.
He had not expected to find her tongue asking for entrance into his mouth.
The lights dimming seemed to awaken Christine from her attempt to map out the inside of the masked man's mouth. However, there was no time for them to look startled now. As quietly as possible, the pair reached the bottom of the stairs as the crew pushed out a large, masculine bed. Slipping into the robe that had been laid on the bed by the crew, Christine gave a quick nod to Erik, who now was found sitting on the bed.
As the lights rose back up, and the orchestra continued its music of gaiety in order to express the happiness and love found between the both of them, the audience was treated to the view of how much Don Juan had grown to love Aminta. They were just giggling and talking on the bed, as Christine began her aria of affection and love for the Don.
"Fickle fate has cast her
shadow of cruel fate.
For though it is certain
that certain affection has been given,
it is through certain knowing,
certain knowing, Ah—
Batricio, that Fate should have me love another!
Tis truth, yet hold it not against
my heart!
Ah, Don Juan!"
As Christine moved downstage towards the audience, her hands clasped to her breast, as she turned to look at the man who was half hidden in shadow and had stolen her heart away.
"Aminta, sweet dear
I wish to tell you of my journey to this day.
For I must confess.
Ah, Aminta!"
Her character's attention was drawn away from the baritone, and to the set's door slamming open as her supposed fiancé stormed cheerfully into Don Juan's chambers, followed by a nervous Passarino.
"I am to leave, but
my need to thank you for your council
urged my feet to hasten here, good friend.
Ah, Don Juan, how you have saved my soul
From years of guilt!"
Batricio's cheerful song of gratefulness died short, as the tenor realized who else was in the room.
"Aminta…"
"Ah! Batricio! But if you are there
then who is it that has stolen...
Ah, Don Juan! You have deceived my heart!"
"Aminta…"
This time it was Erik's turn to sing the lovely gypsy girl's name, as he kept his eyes focused on Christine's heartbroken face. Besides on stage, he never wanted to see her face like this again. And he would do everything in his power to keep that statement true.
"False one, was I only to be your prey…"
"This pitiful soul yearns for only your love, sweet Aminta!"
"Creature of deception, what devilry has taken your heart?"
"Make hast and flee, good master! For you have plucked…"
As the quartet began, Christine eyed the box that had been alienated from the others with a sold black velvet curtain, and then zoomed in on the shadowed figure. So this was Francis Werger—at least his box was at the very end of the row. Mentally she began to plan her route up to the targeted box.
She would take the ladder backstage up to the catwalk and then swing around to the inside of the theater. From there, she would have to climb the sides of the statues and carvings within the theater itself—that would be the trickiest part, in order to ensure that no one saw her from within the shadows. Then she would have to pull herself up into his box, kill, and then knock on the box's door five times in a syncopated rhythm in order to signal that the client was taken care of. From there, she would rush out from the main door, scurry past the main foyer, and then make it back to the rehearsal and backstage side of the building before anyone missed her.
Piece of cake.
"Your words drip poison and lust.
Ah! Don Juan, you now must leave!"
With Christine's final words filled with mournful heartbreak, Aminta fled the stage, leaving the two leading men to sort out the remainder of the quartet. Casting a quick smile at some of the chorus members, Christine waited until the singers went back to their idle gossip, before quickly leaping onto the ladder, and gracefully climbing the rungs.
Mentally Christine followed along with the duet being sung below as she double-checked the location of the needles that had been sewn into the skirt of her costume. Long thin needles, the tips were flat and sharp, almost giving the impression of a thin scalpel. When accurately thrown with the right technique, the needle could paralyze or even instantly kill a target.
While the brunette enjoyed her blades, Christine also enjoyed using these small weapons—barely noticeable and silent as a snake, the target wouldn't even know what had hit them before they went down. Quick, effortless and painless.
Grimacing at the lack of support she would be getting from holding onto the stone statues that were attached to the walls of the opera house, Christine looked down at the audience that was still enraptured by the men on stage and then slowly began to slide a needle out of the skirt. Steadying her hand, Christine, flipped the needle around in her hand a couple of times to get a feel for the lighter weapon, before sending it in the air with a flick of her wrist.
Quietly she grinned, as she stabilized herself once more on the statue before sliding out another needle. Just one more to be sure. Mentally she thought of the lack of arms that would be on the black market, and she grinned. This was for the better of mankind.
Procuring the same amount of grace that she had used during the first throw, Christine sent a follow-up needle to be sure of her aim. Even if her aim was rarely off. She glanced at the stage, and noticed the masked baritone glance right at her, as the two men reached the climax of the duet, before the furious Batricio also stormed off stage. Giving a quick thumbs up, that only one with catlike eyes could see, Erik began the finale of the act a tempo. He and Christine had worked out signals that she would have shown the primo baritone on stage in the case of her needing more time. But of course she didn't.
She was Christine Daae after all.
Hoisting herself up into the box, Christine glanced down at the crumpled body then quietly knocked on the door, before going back to the body, intending to check for a pulse.
The warm smell of blood reached her nose before she could reach the corpse. Following her gut instinct, Christine turned the front of the man over and scanned the body before quickly exiting the box, and taking the route she had already planned out.
While her face betrayed no emotion, her inside were churning. Christine was beyond anger. She was worried. Worried because her needles hadn't killed the man splayed out on the private box's floor.
Because you can't kill a man if he's already dead.
