I'm soooo sorry that I was a bit late with this update! I've just had a busy week, and was also in a mini writer's block. But, I think it's resolved now; my writer's block often don't last long. At the most, they last a few days, but not months and months, so do not worry! Besides, I'm eager to write this story! Really, I was just rearranging paragraphs and scenes this whole time, wondering which fit the best and what-not. That was what delayed the update.

Well, I wanna thank you all for your awesome reviews! My goodness! I'm shocked by how many I've received within such a short amount of time, and oh my gosh! I love you guys soooo much for them! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

I named this chapter after a lyric from Taking Over Me by Evanescence.

Me: Erik, time to give them more hugs!

I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any songs from Evanescence! Only my OC's, especially Clare!

Enjoy!

. . .

Clare's POV

Inching closer, I saw a dark form crumpled on the ground. Gasping, I noticed that there was blood all over the ground around the man. Rushing to him in panic, I suddenly knew who he was. I shouted his name in horror and felt glass crunch beneath my shoes once I reached him.

His icy blue eyes met mine, though I felt like he was looking right passed me. His eyes began to droop.

"Don't you close your eyes – don't just give up!" I cried. Cupping his face into my hands, I desperately tried to get him to look at me, which worked to my surprise.

"You do have something to live for," His skin felt clammy, and falling back into his daze, sinking in deeper, I saw his eyes drift shut. "Look at me, don't close your eyes! Stay with me!"

. . .

My eyes flew open, met with darkness that was draped across my room.

It was just a dream.

Although I knew that it had been a nightmare, I couldn't help but to be. . .Worried for the man that was dying in my dream. I was actually concerned for him. A man that wasn't even real. Though he wasn't real, he felt so familiar. . .I even said his name in my nightmare, but thinking back on it, I could not remember it. I had seen his face, but his features faded from my memory. I could only remember that he had the most beautiful blue eyes that I had ever seen.

Who was he?

I tiredly rolled over and glanced at my alarm clock. Reading the bright blue numbers on it, I realized that I still had a good hour until I had to get up for school. I would have gotten up if I wasn't so tired.

Maybe I can enter the dream again and help the man. I thought as I closed my eyes.

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. . .I want to help him. . .

. . .

Erik's POV

I lived.

I couldn't believe it, but I had actually survived, even from the major blood loss. At the time it was difficult to seek out every sliver of glass, but I somehow managed through it. I hadn't realized just where all the injuries were in my hand until I was already pulling out the glass shards.

There was one particular jagged piece that had been shoved into the bottom of my palm, and the beginning of my wrist; that was the main laceration that caused me to bleed terribly. I hadn't even felt it at the time due to the numbness that had spread through my hand with tremendous speed. The rest of the cuts formed in-between my knuckles where smaller glass pieces had pierced through my skin, and prodded out of my hand.

I would have taken more care with gingerly pulling out every sliver and glass fragment, but I had to fly through the procedure to stop the bleeding. I had to sew up the ugly gash in my lower hand, but not without difficulty, for the blood nearly made it impossible. The stitches were very close together, though not completely straight. I would have made the stitches very precise, though I did not waste time to make it look pretty, since I was losing precious blood by the second, and I was practically sewing blindly, struggling to see though the deep red liquid that continuously seeped through my numb wounds.

I raveled a white wrap around my injured hand, cringing at the sight of all my stitches. It was a miracle that I survived. Once my hand was wrapped up properly, I went to the broken mirror, doing my best to sweep up the glass, and to clean away the dried blood. Once that was taken care of, I sank to the bench next to the pipe organ. I wanted to play, but obviously could not.

My eyes drifted down to Clare's letters that was sprawled across the keys of the organ. As soon as I saw them, I felt my eyes burn without any warning.

What if she was still here? What if she had never disappeared? I would have brought her back home with me. Home in my heart. Home in my arms forever. I immediately regretted not showing my true love for her sooner. She had loved me this whole time and I had not known! Her letters admitted her feelings! It was proof. How had I not seen it earlier? I was such a fool.

"Hello?"

I practically jumped out of my skin at the voice I heard directly behind me. I whirled around, met with a familiar face. I felt my mouth drop open, overcome by complete shock, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

"C-Clare?" I gasped.

She was there. She was truly standing there before me. I saw her narrow her green eyes at me in confusion, as though she could not understand my reasoning in being utterly astonished. She was wearing her infernal clothing again - her ridiculous futuristic pants and shirt, that only should have been worn on a man not a woman. Although, at that moment, her clothing choice did not affect the sudden that came over me, and I found myself shooting off the bench.

"Clare!" I cried. Racing to her, I opened my arms, not wanting to wait any longer. I wanted to embrace her for hours to come. I needed her.

Feeling the air rushing past me, I hastily ran to close the space between us. Once I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her, crushing her against myself. I heard a small surprised sound come from Clare as soon as I swept her right off of her feet. I loved her so much, and was willing to prove that to her, that night.

I pressed my face against the crook of her neck, embracing the fact that she was truly there. I wasn't even sure how she had disappeared earlier. Had I been going mad? Was I hallucinating? Was it all a dream?

Though feeling my eyes pressed against her warm neck, and smelling her soft scent, I was determined that she was truly there. Kissing her wildly, my lips eagerly drifted across her neck, over her jaw and onto her face. My lips automatically went to hers, desperate to remember what she tasted like. I found myself whispering that I loved her in-between my kisses, and I knew that it would only be so long before I would be tempted to carry her to my bed.

She felt tense in my arms and before anything else could happen, her shaking hands went to my chest, pushing me away. I immediately froze upon her forbearance. Pulling away reluctantly, I unsteadily sat her back upon her feet. Her green eyes looked up at me with complete shock and. . .Fear? I found myself frantically wondering if my mask was in place. I recalled slipping on a new one hours ago, but I also recalled hearing her say several times that my face did not frighten her. . .So why did it just now cause her to look anxious to create a large amount of space between us? Did my actions startle her? Shame crept inside my heart.

How dare you act so. . .So. . .Ungentlemanly wild with her! How dare you try to shower her with your selfish lust! Monster!

She kept trying to free herself, looking utterly aghast as though she was forcefully apprehended by me. Struck by hurt and overwhelming shame, I urgently released my light grip I had of her arms, and she hastily stumbled back.

"Clare, I-"

"Who are you?" She demanded with a thick, wavering tone that was just barely audible. A jolt of tremendous horror shot through me the moment I heard her say that.

Who am I?! My mind echoed back baffled. You know me very well, child. I felt myself staring at her, numb and overwhelmed with many emotions all at once. The sudden horribly understood reasoning of her words hit me. She must had not recognized my bursting passion and crave I felt for her, though I could not get my head around why she had accepted my kisses earlier that day. Did she finally see me as a monster?

I decided that it was either that, or she truly did not remember me. How would that be, though?

"You know me." I stated. As soon as I told her that, she shook her head. My veins ran cold when I recognized the confused look in her eyes. She looked at me the same way she had the night we had first met.

"No," She said quietly. "I don't."

. . .

Argh, I wanted to write more, but I have to stop it here, and I didn't want to make you guys waiting. I know, short chapter. Because of that, I will hopefully update within a few days from now (early update, yay!), but I cannot promise anything. If I update within just the next couple days, it will probably be a short update.

Whoever reviews gets a hug from Erik!

Erik: Not this again! *Getting tackled by phan-girls*

Thanks for reading! :D