The cave was completely quiet, aside from the Phantom's agitated piano playing and Aria's off-key singing.

"No, you're flat." The Phantom sighed, ceasing his piano playing.

Aria, stressed out, raised the sheet music over her head and groaned. "Okay, well how can I not be flat?"

"Look!" The Phantom stood up from the piano and grabbed the sheet music from her, pointing at the notes. "By matching the notes. You know the notes. Don't sing directly from your throat; sing from your head or chest. And use your vibrato! When it falls flat, it's devastating to hear."

Aria sighed. "I don't know how."

The Phantom's face softened, his thin lips curling up into a small smile. He hesitantly reached out to stroke Aria's cheek, but when her eyes widened, he quickly pulled away. "You'll know."

Aria looked down at the music, and shuffled her feet against the ground. "Right then, um, shall we practice more?"

The Phantom noticed the glum tone in her voice. "No." He took the music away from her and set it against the piano. He took a lit candelabra and made his way to a tall structure, covered in a large piece of fabric. "Come."

Aria picked up her skirts and hesitantly followed him, silently observing every bit of the lair she had not yet explored. It was right there in plain sight; but she hardly had the courage to ask about it.

Once beside him, the Phantom pulled off the fabric hiding this structure, which was a full-length body mirror. Aria gasped and looked away as soon as she became certain of this fact.

The Phantom noticed this behavior, and with a furrowed brow, he gently pressed his index finger under her chin, causing her to look up at her reflection. "Now tell me," he spoke, "what do you see?"

Aria's breath caught in her throat and she blinked away tears as she tried her hardest to muster up any words at all. "C-cow." Was all she said.

"Are these your words, Aria? Or are they words from other people?"

"Mine." She demanded quickly, even though she soon doubted herself. "Mine..."

The Phantom shook his head slowly. "I don't believe you." He stepped into the reflection behind her, placing the candelabra on a stand beside him before resting his large hands on her shoulders. "I see a promising talent. I see a future leading soprano of an opera, possibly many." He leaned forward, tucking her dark curly hair behind her ear, "and I see exquisite beauty."

Aria's brows softened and she looked at his face through the mirror. She wanted so badly to turn around and hug him, but she knew it was the wrong time. "Thank you, Monsieur. Thank you."

Just by her body language, the Phantom could tell she'd never been told that before. And he understood. For the first time in his life, he understood somebody else. "It's nothing to thank me for."

"Do you know what I see when I look at you?" Aria asked.

"Oh, I-Aria, I really don't think-"

"I see a beautiful man, yes, but this beautiful man's eyes hold all the sadness of the world." She turned around, peering into his pale blue eyes. "A man who understands exactly how I feel."

The Phantom raised a brow, and smiled. "Our lesson is over, Aria. You may go home now."