During a break in the rehearsal, Xavier, the lead cellist, came over to Allegra.

"Hey, I kept looking over at you during the rehearsal. I think you need to tune your violin again," Xavier told her.

"Really? Usually I can tell while I'm playing."

"Well, it looks like you're pretty sharp if you ask me," Xavier grinned sheepishly.

It took a few seconds for Allegra to catch on, but then she smiled. "Using music pick up lines? Wow, how unique."

"Would you believe me if I said I spent two hours on that one?"

"No, not really."

"Good, it was really three."

Allega giggled. "Okay, you're pretty funny."

"What do you say to a date tonight? Say, after we finish rehearsal?"

Allegra usually visited Erik around six o'clock. He had been helping her practice in the past few days, and was actually a really good tutor. Well, that is if you ignored the constant badgering and complaining. The only time he actually complimented her playing was when she had a rest in the music. So what if she was a little late?

"Sure, I'd like that," Allegra smiled, looking down at her shoes.

The director ushered everyone back to their seats, and Allegra took her place. Xavier tried to sneak a look at her from around the director, but Allegra focused intently on arranging her folder just right. It was only a date, right? Nothing serious. Maybe she should have said she was busy… No, she'd rather not hurt his feelings now.

After rehearsal, Allegra and Xavier practiced with the lead violist, Emma. The director wanted to showcase a trio with the best players in the orchestra.

Things were great with another girl in the room to diffuse the awkwardness. After about twenty minutes she said that she had to go home to her apartment and left the two alone.

"So..., I suppose we should go grab some dinner or something," Allegra said, putting her violin away.

"Yeah… Hey, what do you think about dark rosin?"

"Well, I mean I prefer light rosin myself, but-" as Allegra turned around Xavier blew a cloud of dust from his rosin box in her face. Coughing, she stuttered, "Wh-what the heck was that for?" Her vision turned blurry, and she became light-headed fast. "Xavier?"

"Sorry doll," was all he said, shoving her to the ground while she lost consciousness. He pulled a chair over to the corner of the practice room and tore out a portion of the ceiling, then unscrewed a pipe of gas.

Smirking at how easy it all was, he tied the chair to the outside of the door in the small chance Allegra woke up. He doubted that though, the drug was powerful. Now all he had to do was testify that she had dumped him and he went home. Of course he would come early tomorrow to remove the chair. Suicide, they'd most likely rule it. No one would be able to say anything otherwise.

Erik had watched from his box seat. How stupid he was, to think that he would ever receive another chance at love.

There was no way that Allegra would ever feel the same way, now that Xavier would steal her heart instead. Maybe he should die, again. Feeling the pain of Hell would be better than not feeling anything at all.

When Allegra didn't show up for her lesson, he finally understood.

He took out some of his anger and grief by destroying his phantom piano. Music could never repair his heart after this, so it was useless. Piece by piece he set it on fire, along with the music he had been about to show Allegra. It was all in his head anyway. All he had to do was think about a memory involving a piano and he could make a new one appear anyway.

After he was ready to give up, he made his way up to the stage. He technically was able to move around the opera house, but it hurt him too much to do so too often. It was the same places, just not the same people. It wasn't, and never would be, the same again.

As he was walking towards Meg's office, he noticed a chair propped against one of the practice rooms. He walked over and looked inside it.

Allegra seemed peacefully asleep inside. The insolent girl, sleeping when she should be practicing! At least Xavier was nowhere to be found, but it did seem strange for her to lock herself inside a room.

Maybe she had become afraid of him too, just like Christine… As he was about to leave he had the urge to at least see her one last time, as a final goodbye.

He used some of his energy to untie the chair and push it away from the door. Stepping inside, he gently tried to wake her up. "Allegra," he whispered.

She wasn't waking up. "Allegra!" he yelled, shaking her. Something was wrong. He looked around the room and noticed the torn ceiling and open pipe. He didn't have to breathe because he was already dead, so he hadn't noticed it beforehand, but when he sniffed the air the smell of natural gas was overwhelming.

"Oh, God, Allegra!" He pulled her out of the room, barely landing outside of it with her lying in his arms. He knew he probably shouldn't use so much of his energy to simply hold her, but it felt right.

With Christine, it felt like he was forcing her to love him. If it was her in his arms, she would run away once she woke up. With Allegra, he was sure that she would just smile in that stupid, naive way. It felt.. natural.

"Please wake up, please," he pleaded, his tears passing through her face.

"Erik! What did you do to her?!"

No. It couldn't be.

But he knew that voice anywhere.

Erik slowly turned to face Christine, and Raoul beside her.

(Thank you guys for the positive reviews, they mean a lot to me. It isn't that hard for me to write long chapters, it's just finding the time to actually write long chapters. Shorter chapters are more manageable and less stress for me. I'll update in a few days. I hope you like the story so far and keep reading. Wish me good luck at my competition! )