Always there singing songs in my head (A Phantom of the Opera fanfiction)

Erik's Beginning

Not everyone's life is how they wanted. Take Erik as an example. He was born with a disfigurement that covered the whole right side of his face. Because of his deformity, he was placed in a traveling fair where he was treated with such cruelty. He will be beaten daily, he was given hardly anything to eat or drink, he was forced to wear a bag over his head to hide the deformity, and he had been given a cruel name by his master; The Devil's Child.

From a young age, he was forced to live in this hell and was never able to escape. The only thing that gave him comfort was the sound of his soulmate's singing. He believed it was an angel ever since he first remembered hearing her. He never had the confidence to sing back in case he was beaten for it. But he had the confidence to attempt to escape one day. He too wanted to see the world or, better yet, spend one day outside of his cage.

Hearing his soulmate talk about the world outside of his dark cage made him wonder what it really looked like. And I'll tell you a secret, Erik and (Y/N) are soulmates. Except, (Y/N) doesn't know that yet. Her island doesn't believe in the idea of soulmates and (Y/N) has never heard Erik so how would she know that he even exists? But despite the lifelong song he's been listening to up until now, he wanted to leave this cage.

While his master walked past, he sneakily took the key to his cell. He unlocked the cage door after his master left and made his escape. But, just when he thought he had finally escaped, his master caught him and dragged him back to his cell while Erik begged him not to hurt him. But those pleads were ignored because his master threw him back in his cage and proceeded to beat him until Erik couldn't take it anymore and just broke down in sobs.

"After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?! Escaping?!" His master yelled, "You would know better than to escape from here! You expect to be accepted with a face like yours?!"

He took off the bag covering his disfigurement which Erik attempted to hide. 

"I-I-I'm sorry, master. I won't do it again," Erik said in tears

His master locked the cage again.

"Demon, you don't know what it's like out there. But I do," His master said, 'The world is cruel, the world is wicked. It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city. I am your only friend. I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you. I who look upon you without fear. How can I protect you, boy, unless you always stay in here? Away in here. Remember what I taught you. You are deformed.'

'I am deformed,' Erik repeated

'And you are ugly.'

'And I am ugly.'

'And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity. You do not comprehend.'

'You are my one defender.'

'Out there they'll revile you as a monster.'

'I am a monster.'

'Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer.'

'Only a monster.'

'Why invite their calumny and consternation? Stay in here. Be faithful to me.'

'I'm faithful.'

'Grateful to me.'

'I'm grateful.'

'Do as I say. Obey. And stay in here.'

'I'll stay In here.'

"You're good to me, master. I'm sorry," Erik said quietly

"You're forgiven. But remember, Devil's child, this is where you're safe from the world," His master left

"I guess. Safe behind these covers and these bars of iron gazing at the people up above me. All my life I watch them as I hide in here alone. Hungry for the histories they show me. All my life I memorize their faces knowing them as they will never know me. All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day, not before them, but part of them. And out there Living in the sun. Give me one day out there. All I ask is one to hold forever. Out there where they all live unaware. What I'd give, what I'd dare just to live one day out there. Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives. Through the cracks and covers, I can see them. Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives heedless of the gift it is to be them. If I was in their skin I'd treasure ev'ry instant. Out there strolling by the Seine. Taste a morning out there like ordinary men who freely walk about there. Just one day and then I swear I'll be content with my share. Won't resent, won't despair, old and bent. I won't care. I'll have spent one day out there!'

This would be the first time (Y/N) had ever heard Erik sing and learn a little about him. Erik put his bag back on and waited for the fair to begin and for him to be humiliated again. This was what he went through every day in so many different countries. A never-ending cycle of abuse and humiliation.

But at least he was able to tell his mystery soulmate that he can hear her. After hearing the voice, (Y/N) went to her grandmother to get an explanation. Unlike the rest of her family, her grandmother loved the idea of soulmates so she told her grandaughter all about it. After hearing all about it, (Y/N) wanted to meet her soulmate but she knew she couldn't without leaving the island. It was almost impossible to leave. But she would find a way. She always did.