Eleana's carriage ride home felt shorter than it really was because her thoughts had escaped her from reality. The only thing Eleana's mind was capable of thinking of was of Erik.
He had come out all the way to Dijon for her. He was their watching over her, like an Angel of Music. But Eleana began to think of some deeper thoughts about Erik, things that she never thought of before.
What had happened in his past that made him a man without a soul and without any trust to any human being? Why wouldn't he let her hear him sing? What really happened the night when Christine left Erik? Why wouldn't he share his past with her when Eleana poured out her soul to him? All of these thoughts made Eleana's mind race, but not as nearly as much as when she asked herself this question.
What was Erik hiding underneath his white mask?
Eleana never really thought of this before. She always saw the mask as something that was a part of him, not something that was hiding his true self. She never once questioned him about it, nor did she ever once question about what really happened between him and Christine.
Was it time for her to know the truth? Would Erik even want to look at her again if she asked?
But these thoughts were concluded shortly. She must know the truth.
Eleana told the carriage driver to drop her off at the Opera House instead of her inn. In matter of minutes Eleana arrived at the Opera Populaire and got out in a hurry.
She walked through the familiar building, taking her usual passage ways until she reached the dark and comforting lair that felt like her second home. Their was little light but she was sure that Erik was their, awake.
She looked around his whole room not noticing one sign of his presence. She then decided that if was not here, she would just have to wait for him. She sat down on Erik's pipe organ bench and began to play the music that was on the music sheets in front of her to pass time. Their was lyrics in front of her, and thought since Erik wasn't here, she would give it a go.
"You have come here, in the pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of the wish, which till now has been silent, silent.
"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge-
In your mind you've already succumbed to me-
Now that you are here with me; no second thoughts, you've decided
Decided..."
The song was powerful and possessive. It was full of anger and love. The person in the song wanted the person he was singing about all to themselves. The music then began to turn into a slow rhythm. The next set of lyrics were made to be sung by Erik.
"Past the point of no return
No backward glances
The games of make-believe are at an end...
"Past tall thought of "if" or "when"
no use resisting, abandon thought,
And let the dream descend...
"What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks the door?
What sweet seduction
Lies before us...
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold-
what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?
Beyond the point of no return..."
Before Eleana sang the remainder of the lyrics she read who they were supposed to be sung by. Christine. Eleana hesitated before she continued, but remember Erik wasn't here.
"You have bought me, to that moment when words run dry
To that moment where speech disappears into silence
Silence...
"I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why...
In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining
Defenseless and silent-
And now I am here with you
No second thoughts,
"I've decided
decided...
"Past the point of no return-
No going back now,
Our passion-play
has now, at last
begun...
"Past all thought of right and wrong-
One final question
How long should we wait
Until we're one...?
"When will the blood begin to race,
The sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames, at last
consume us..."
The next set of lyrics were supposed to be sung by Christine and Erik together but Eleana decided to continue. But this time, she wasn't singing a lone.
"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..."
The song had finished, but with not Eleana ending it herself, but with Erik finishing it with her.
Eleana was at loss of words. Was it possible for a human being to even possibly sing so beautifully? She was scared to turn around, she wouldn't know what to say even if she sat their for a thousand years.
But Erik resolved her problem for her by speaking first.
"I see you have come across my Don Juan Triumphant."
She still couldn't think of anything to say, she sat their feeling completely useless.
"Can't think of anything to say I suppose? Yes, that tends to happen when someone hears me sing."
But now Eleana could think of was that his voice sounded so familiar...she had to of heard him sing before. Perhaps at the Opera House with Christine...no that wasn't it.
"Eleana are you okay?"
Eleana had stopped breathing without knowing, but once she came to the realization that she was about to faint, she began to take deep breaths.
Erik was now by Eleana's side, knelt down by the pipe organ trying to see what as wrong.
Eleana starred right at his white mask, when she remembered why she came here.
"Erik, I need to know something."