How could this be? Why must it be like this? It seemed as if a thousand feelings were violently bombarding me. Oh, how I longed to set my eyes on that face – that heavenly face that filled its surrounding area with so much happiness. Oh, how I yearned to bury my hands in her luxurious curls, breathing in her blissful scent.
Nonetheless, this was merely impossible. She was gone. The most precious being in the entire universe… was gone – away from my existence! The angel I had valued for what it seemed to be for eternity… had simply left. My cherub, my joy, my love… my Christine… I would no longer be graced with her presence again.
She had left with him. That fool of a Vicomte… He had stolen her away! 'Raoul.' I thought sarcastically. Darling precious Raoul… Grimacing, my hand clenched the lonely wedding veil. However, my eyes softened slightly. I did not deserve her. I was a monster. Never did a monster deserve such a divine flower.
As if a million knives plunged deep into my soul, I sank desperately to the floor. Without her, my heart felt nothing. No emotions but sheer grief and sorrow ran through me… Not that they hadn't before, but Christine had been the only elation in my life. Her voice – her very existence had overwhelmed me with pure ecstasy!
I did not know what was to become of me now. Perhaps, if I lay in my coffin that was so familiar to me, I would auspiciously pass away… and be liberated of all this despondency. God, how could I even dream of such a marvelous creature loving me? This, I was not sure of. Perchance, I had raised my hopes too high.
Nevertheless, life was not fair – particularly to me. Destiny and love had always been my initial adversaries. In fact, they had never been good to me. The moment I was born and the second they settled their gazes upon my accursed face… Surely, they were appalled by such a creature as myself.
"Christine…" I quietly moaned, breathing her name as if it were a prayer, "… why can't you be mine?"
However, I hesitated. That was not the real question.
"Why did I have be like this?" I whispered, hopeless tears trailing down the crevasses of my malformed cheek.
Why could I not just be a normal man? A standard man with typical features… I was not asking to be dazzling handsome… just not so deformed as I currently was. Yet, I knew this was most unattainable thing in the word, with the exception of Christine.
Love. Was it too much to ask for? The word echoed in my mind. Love was the one thing I desired. I only wished to receive it.
"I would give anything up… everything… if I could only feel what it was like to be loved by her for a small second…" I wept quietly, speaking to no one but the darkness that had been my friend for so many years.
"Anything?" A pleasant female voice repeated.
"Who said that?" I snapped, my head darting up, swiftly wiping the tears away.
"I did…" The voice replied.
Spinning around, my eyes befell a gorgeous woman. She maintained wavy blonde hair that carelessly fell to her waist, and her emerald green eyes sparkled playfully.
"Who… who are you?" I inquired, tilting my head in perplexity.
"That, Erik, is none of your concern…" She spoke gently. "However, you said you would give anything up to be loved by Christine?"
Forgetting the questions of her identity, I nodded vigorously.
"Even if…" She paused, "… even if it was only for a short while?"
Without a moment hesitation, I nodded my head again. "Yes!" I replied feverishly.
"Then… let it be so…" She stated, her voice still smooth. Passing her hand over my eyes, she whispered. "You shall have four days with her, Erik… Four days of her devoted love; and she shall not remember this past night. Christine will not mention any Don Juan Triumphant or that final decision you presented her with…"
My eyes widened, a small smile tugging at my misshapen lips.
"Treat her well, Erik, for at the end of the fourth day, when the sun sets… She will remember Don Juan and that final night… Then, if Christine's heart is still filled with love for you, you can remain together." The woman then warned, "However, if she does not love you… you will lose something that I know is precious to you."
"What's that?" I questioned, absorbed in all she was saying.
Resting a slender hand on my shoulder, she murmured. "Your music…"
My eyes were filled with shock as she withdrew from me. "Are you willing to take this chance, Erik?"
Gripping the veil, my eyes glowed with determination, as I didn't even take a moment's consideration. "Yes… her love means the world to me…"
Sighing, the woman nodded. "Very well then. This shall begin tomorrow…"
And with that she had vanished.