Chapter 25

I don't own anything or anyone. Enjoy!

At last, the big day had arrived. Everyone was so excited about the big night and for the celebrations that would follow. The Opera House was decorated and ready to open its doors to welcome the Parisian audience. Erik with the musicians and the actors were rehearsing all morning and when he was sure that everything was perfect, he allowed them to go and get readyfor their debut. He went to his hotel as well. As he was looking at his in the mirror, trying to fix his vest, someone knockedupon the door. It was Nadir of course. His friend passed the threshold well dressed and with a big smile on his lips.

"So, the big night arrived my friend. How do you feel?"

"I don't know Nadir", Erik answered giving one last glance to his reflection. "I am very nervous but I am sure that it will be a splendid night for allof us".

"I am sure about that", Nadir agreed as he helped Erik to wear his jacket.

"Do you think we'll have any surprises tonight?", the phantom asked thoughtfully.

"I don't think so but please don't worry. If something will come in my notice, I will let you know. I will have eyes and ears open. Did you speak with Christine again?"

"No. We haven't talk since that night. I suppose that she's fine and that she's getting ready for tonight."

"What a story, huh? At least she's happy now."

"Nadir, I could not imagine that she had gone through so much trouble. I thought that she was happy with her marriage", he said as he sat beside his friend."

"How could you know that? The point is that now she's here with a new life and the both of you have a better relationship than before. It's a step, don't you think?"

"The truth is that we have talked to each other more than before about our lives. We have both changed. We feel more comfortable around each other and the most important thing is that she's not afraid of me. I can say that she trusts me. Otherwise she would not do any attempt to tell me about her troubles. She didn't do it just because she wanted to persuade me that there is no a trap".

"I believe the same thing. Maybe you can build a new friendship now from the very beginning with the right way. So, are you ready to go?"

Erik nodded and wearing his coat followed his friend out of the room.

The Opera House was suffocatingly full. All the people were so excited that everywhere you looked you could see small groups of stately gentlemen in formal clothes and well-groomed ladies with expensive jewelries and impressive hairstyles discussing the event of the year. You could also hear scattered words here and there like "could you believe that the opera would be open again?", or "I have heard that the maestro is an amazing musician and he's so popular everywhere he goes", or "let's hope that the tonight performance will make it up to us", or "I think Opera will flourish again after the tragic events of last years". Every single person around was smiling and waiting with anxiety the performance to start. Nadir was smiling too. All these people had come here to admire the Οpera's employees work but also the phantom's work, without know it of course. Nadir had let Eriκ with the musicians a few seconds ago and he headed to the big hall. He had to push some people to get through but that didn't bother him in the least. He was ready to enjoy the show and that's exactly what he would do.

Christine pushed aside the curtain and looked out into the audience. It had been years since he had seen so many people at the Opera House. The last time she remembered herself peeking behind the curtain waiting for it to open, was 10 years ago. In a little while she would be again on the stage, just like then. But this time, she would be part of the dance again and not the leading lady "with the divine voice", as a journalist once wrote. At the memory of those days, she felt a mild pain in her chest. She would do anything in her power to sing again. She may not admit it, not even to herself but she knew that the desire was there, into her heart. The only moments that she had sung the last years, were for lull her daughter to sleep and keep company to herself when she was alone at home. But this feeling was totally different. She wanted to feel again the energy of the stage under her feet, the flutter in her chest as she performed, the shiver on her body as she was hearing the audience's applause… But for the time being, she would be a dancer, keeping her hope that the day that she would live her dream again, would come soon.

Nadir took a seat at the auditorium not so close but also not so far because he wanted to enjoy the music and the performance as well. There were a few seats now.

"Come on Bianca, don't grumble. We arrived before the beginning".

"Paul, in occasions like this I prefer to arrive earlier, you know that. Do you ever hear me? I think that sometimes you put your job above me".

"This is not true, my love. But you know that I had to make a visit to my patient. I couldn't let him down".

Nadir was listening the entire conversation as he was trying to feel more comfortable in his seat.

"Who are you waving at?", Bianca asked her husband.

"It's Pierre. You know him for years. Don't be unsociable".

"Of course, I know him for years. He is a good man. AND I AM NOT UNSOCIABLE".

"Whatever", Paul answered, rolling his eyes. "And, yes, he is a good man. But I would believe that he would never come at the Opera House again after all that happened to him".

"You mean the falling chandelier"?

Suddenly, the conversation became interesting in Nadir's ears. He tried to catch every word.

"Yes. We all remember what happened. This man, lost her sister that night from the falling chandelier. And that was a maniac's fault. A lunatic who would kill anyone on his path to take what he wanted. A lunatic with the name "Phantom of the Opera".

Paul paused for a few seconds.

"Pierre and his sister were alone in the world. He was like a ghost after that, remember?", he addressed his wife. "He could not recover. The only thing he kept saying was that he wanted revenge".

"Yes, I remember", Bianca said with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "He never forgot. We had met him some times in the park and he was whispering the same word every single moment: "revenge".

"And that lunatic is still free, somewhere. Maybe this is the reason why Pierre became a police officer".

Nadir had frozen. He wanted so badly to believe that this conversation was only in his imagination but it wasn't. He had to find Erik and warn him, immediately. This was an emergency. But that moment the managers of the Opera House made their entrance on the stage. The curtain would soon rise and, whatever Nadir wanted to do, it had to wait.

Erik was more than satisfied with the presentation of his work, and in fact, at the Opera House in Paris, his home. He was proud and moved. The audience's applause made him realized that everyone was excited with the result. He felt grateful for taking the risk and returning back, even if just for a while and for the help of the people at the Opera House, his collaborators. They were all amazing at their work. They followed his instructions faithfully and the result justified them all. However, he couldn't deny one thing: that he couldn't take his eyes off that ethereal figure who danced on the stage among with the other ballet girls. Erik had forgotten how much charm Christine had over him just by her presence. She was dazzling tonight. What would he give to hear her sing again! Many years had passed since the last time but he never stop believing that the stage belonged to her. He wanted to express to her his admiration. He looked around and searched for her among the crowd but Christine was not there. 'She must be in her dressing room', Erik thought and decided to go straight there. But suddenly someone called her name and Erik felt a hand on his shoulder. The Phantom turned around and saw a pale Nadir, drenched in sweat.

"Nadir, what's going on? You are white".

"Erik, we don't have time, we need to talk now. Let's go to your office".