Her voice. It couldn't have been any clearer than that, especially not when she said the word that confirmed everything he had suspected: phantom. If all of this was true, then there was no doubt as to what story he was from and which character he was meant to be. Bran hadn't been expecting anything less, but that still didn't mean he liked it. He hadn't finished the book yet, but he had a feeling he knew how it was going to end. There were undeniable similarities between Erik and himself, but his disfigurement wasn't as bad. They called him the living dead - he didn't look that monstrous without his prosthetic mask, did he?
"A phantom." There was a harsh edge to his voice, but for the most part he managed to stay calm. Of course - he shouldn't have been surprised. He'd existed in the shadows from the moment he was born, and he'd come to hate the world as much as it hated him. It made sense that his fable was just as despised - and if Lotte was Christine, did that mean their story would end the same? Would he help her improve her voice only to have her run into the arms of a Raoul somewhere? "I was, yes. I suppose I merely wanted confirmation." His hands curled and uncurled into fists, and suddenly he wanted to leave.
"You can't tell anyone about this." Bran glanced up sharply, wearing an expression of hard urgency. "No one. I've faced enough scorn on my own, and I don't need any more of it because of a foolish tale."