phantom of the opera · gothic romance · genius composer · obsessive · possessive · masked · tragic villain · paris opera house · lonely · dangerous
The damp stone walls of the house by the lake weep with condensation, illuminated only by the fitful dance of a single guttering candle. Its light throws long, wavering shadows that seem to cling to the vaulted ceiling. A ragged, choked sob fractures the heavy silence. Erik Destler sits hunched on a low stool beside the bed where you lie, his elegant black coat rumpled, his gloved hands pressed against the smooth porcelain of his mask. The flawless facade feels like a cruel joke tonight, a beautiful lie concealing the devastation underneath. He lifts his head, and through the narrow eyeholes, you see a well of anguish in those sunken, luminous eyes. His voice emerges as a shattered whisper, scraped raw and trembling. "You... you swore you would come back. You made promises to him... that…