Eveline never lost her smile as she made her way back to the Prima Donna dressing room.
She was so happy that she could alter the course of the story this way. She prayed that Erik heard her words, that he wasn't currently crying on the rooftop.
She placed the rose she still held in a vase with the previous one she received from Erik.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another resting on the table she found the other two on. Beside it on the table was a note, sealed with a red wax skull.
Eve tilted her head as she walked over to the table, picking up the note and opening it carefully.
My dearest, Eveline,
I regret to inform you that you will not be hearing from me for some time. I wish to focus on my work for a period. This is through no fault of your own, my angel. I will return to you. I swear.
Your adoring Angel of Music,
Erik D.
Eveline's smile turned brighter if that was even possible.
He signed his name.
He trusted her enough to tell her his true name.
She couldn't help but let out a squeal, twirling around like a giddy schoolgirl, the note pressed against her chest.
She fell backward onto the bed in the room, gazing at the ceiling, her smile refusing to drop.
The girl was on Cloud 9.
~~~~
It was now New Year's Eve. The night of the masquerade ball.
With all the time that had past while she was in this world, Eveline started to believe this was reality more and more.
Days felt like real days.
Weeks felt like real weeks.
And months felt like real months.
She was in more performances at the Opera House, just like any normal ballerina would be.
But she felt like something was missing.
Well... scratch that. She knew what was missing.
It was Erik.
Eveline looked over to the vase she had brought into the dormitory from the Prima Donna dressing room. It held the three red roses, their petals slightly wilted from time. The note she received that night was tucked away in her dresser, hidden under some of her clothes to keep it from being found.
The only people she told about the note were Madame Giry and her sister.
She told Madame Giry that Erik found to be gone for a while, and when the older woman asked how she knew that name, Eveline showed her the note.
As she read the note, Madame's lips lifted into a soft smile.
"He truly cares for you, my dear," she said as she handed the note back to Eveline.
The redhead blushed as she looked back over the words on the parchment.
"And it seems you care for him as well," Madame spoke once more, a smirk on her face as she observed the love-sick smile on Eveline's face.
Biting her bottom lip, Eve nodded, "He's a troubled soul, but I can't hold it against him. All he wants is someone to love him the way he loves them."
Madame Giry wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, "And are you willing to be that for him?"
A bashful smile formed on Eve's lips, "I'd love nothing more, Madame."
Christine took a bit more convincing.
"You mean...our Angel is the Phantom?" the brunette asked her sister, her eyes wide with shock and a small amount of fear.
Eveline took her hands, "Christine, I beg you to understand. He would never hurt either of us. Buquet was...a specific scenario...that I have no reason to believe would be repeated."
Christine squeezed her sister's hands tightly, "Do you believe that?"
Eve nodded, placing her hand on Christine's cheek with a smile, "He's still the same man we've known since our childhood. Nothing has changed that."
Christine let out a long exhale, before nodding her head, "Alright. I trust you."
She then looked up at her older sister, a mischievous gleam in her eye and a smirk on her lips, "Now, are you finally going to tell me the truth about how you feel about our Angel?"
Eve squeaked out, looking at Christine with wide eyes, "W-what on Earth are you talking about, Christine?"
Christine giggled, "Oh, don't play coy with me, sister. I see the look in your eye when you speak of the Angel. It's the same as the one you always say I have when I talk about Raoul."
She squealed quietly, shaking her sister by the shoulders, "I believe that my big sister is in love."
Eveline quickly attempted to silence the excited ballerina, covering her mouth, "Shhhhhh! You know this place is full of ears! Christine, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Christine took Eve's hands from her mouth, "You do not need to lie to me, Eve. You have feelings for him."
Eveline turned away from her, placing her hands on her cheeks to hide her blush, "Just because I care about him doesn't mean I'm in love with him."
"But you are!" Christine insisted, before sighing, "If you wish not to tell me the truth, fine. I won't push you. But you know you can trust me with absolutely anything."
Eve turned back to the younger girl, "I know."
Christine hugged Eve tightly, "I love you, big sister."
Eveline couldn't help but smile as she hugged the brunette back, "I love you too, little sister."
So here she sat, one of her roses in hand as she gazed at her dress in the mirror.
Christine had chosen her dress for the event. It was a beautiful navy blue with jewels sewn into the skirt to look like stars, some even forming constellations.
She also decided to pay homage to Erik, a lace black mask covering the right side of her face.
The door to the dormitory swung open, making Eveline look to see Christine, her baby pink dress swirling behind her.
"Eveline, you look gorgeous!" Christine complimented, smiling at her sister.
Eveline was about to thank her and return the compliment before she noticed something sparkling around her neck.
Eve squealed, rushing over to Christine, "Oh, let me see the ring!"
Christine had previously told her of her and Raoul's secret engagement, and, even though she could vaguely remember the movie, it was so far from her mind she could barely remember any of the remaining portions.
Christine giggled bashfully, holding up the ring that hung from the chain around her neck.
"Christine, it's beautiful!" Eve awed, gently holding the piece of jewelry.
"I know. I was shocked at the size when Raoul gave it to me," Christine chuckled, before placing her hands on Eve's forearms, "But enough about me. Come! You must come out and enjoy the party."
Eveline had no time to protest as Christine grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the dormitory.
Once they made their way to the front hall of the Opera House, Christine ran off to find Raoul while Eve stayed behind and admired the beautiful outfits and masks around her, listening to the lovely music.
She closed her eyes, leaning against the pillar behind her. Every day she felt more and more a part of this world. As the days passed, new memories of her childhood in this world entered her mind.
Memories of times with Gustave Daae and Christine, listening to the man playing the violin. Memories of reading with her sister and Raoul. Even memories of previous performances at the Opera Populaire.
She found herself feeling as though she was where she belonged. Nothing was left for her back in her previous world. Her mother was disappointed that she committed her time to the arts. Her father left when she was young. She had no siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or cousins...
"Little Eevee," a familiar male voice broke her from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes, only to be met by Raoul and Christine, "you look wonderful."
Eveline smiled as Raoul took her hand, placing a polite kiss on her knuckles, "Thank you, Raoul. And you look dashing, as always. I believe congratulations are in order."
Raoul chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck as the redhead giggled.
"You finally plucked up the courage, I see?" Eve chided with a smirk.
Christine gently smacked her arm, "Oh, Eve, stop it with your teasing."
Eveline raised her hands in faux surrender as Raoul smiled at Christine, ushering her away to dance.
Eve chuckled, shaking her head at the pair. She ran her hands along her waist, seemingly trying to rub the butterflies out of her stomach as she continued to think about Erik's approaching appearance.
"Masquerade! Burning glances, turning heads... Masquerade! Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you! Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds... Masquerade! Take your fill - let the spectacle astound you!"
It seemed her thoughts were heard as the lights in the hall dimmed, people going quiet as Erik appeared at the top of a staircase, dressed in a suit of magnificent crimson, a skeletal mask on his face, and a sword on his hip.
The music shifted its tone, Erik taking a step down the stairs with each beat.
"Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good? Have you missed me, good messieurs? I have written you an opera!"
From behind the cape on his shoulder, he brandished a large manuscript.
"Here I bring the finished score - "Don Juan Triumphant"!"
He tossed the manuscript to the ground before unsheathing his sword.
"Fondest greetings to you all, a few instructions just before rehearsal starts: Carlotta must be taught to act..."
Carlotta looked insulted but didn't move as Erik used his sword to ruffle the feathers on her headdress.
"...Not her normal trick of strutting round the stage."
Piangi pushed Carlotta away from Erik but was stopped as Erik pointed the sword at him, lightly poking at his stomach.
"Our Don Juan must lose some weight - it's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age!"
Piangi didn't move a muscle but was clearly angry as Erik shifted his attention to Andre and Firmin.
"And my managers must learn that their place is in an office - not the arts!
Both men look terrified as Erik pointed the sword at both of them.
Erik then turned, sheathing his sword as his eyes met a pair of hazel ones that refused to leave his mind for the entire three months he was gone.
"As for our star...Miss Eveline Daae..."
Eve inhaled quietly, her gaze full of only adoration for the man before her. It was so pure it nearly made Erik's heart melt.
"No doubt she'll do her best - it's true her voice is good. She knows, though, should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn, if pride will let her return to me, her teacher, her teacher..."
Eveline's lips lifted as she took slow steps toward him, Erik doing the same.
As they reached each other, Eve slowly reached out to him, placing a hand on his cheek. Erik's eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into her touch.
He placed his hand over hers, gently removing his from his face and holding it out to the side, his other landing on her waist.
Eveline's other hand instinctively moved to rest on his shoulder.
Suddenly, an eerie tune filled the air, and Erik led the redhead soprano in a waltz.
As the song came to an end, Eveline stepped away from Erik, deeply curtseying as he bowed to her, their eye contact never breaking.
He suddenly rushed backward to a platform, tossing a smoke bomb as a trapdoor opened beneath him.
Eveline watched as Raoul jumped after Erik, "Raoul, don't!"
But she was too late.
The trapdoor closed.
A/N: I really didn't want to put a video in the middle of a chapter, but I felt it necessary