"Keep me awake to memorize you.

Give us more time to be this way.

We can't stay like this forever,

but I can have you next to me today."

Josh Groban

Chapter Thirty-six

Someone was crying. I could hear the soft sobs and feel the tears falling to my cheek. I frowned. Why is someone crying? I tried to open my eyes, but they were too heavy. "Erik... I need Erik," I managed.

"I am here, my love," I heard. I felt a pair of arms squeezing me and realized he was cradling me to himself. "I thought I had lost you."

"I had to find you..." I began, but his finger was placed to my lips. "Do not speak right now," he told me. "Save your strength. The mirror must have drained you."

He doesn't know. How am I supposed to tell him when he'll blame himself? I swiftly decided it didn't matter at the moment. I'd come to warn him, so that's what I was going to do. "Erik..."

"Shhhhh." He kissed my forehead, and I immediately whimpered in pain, my eyes finally opening to see his stunned face. "What is wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I've been trying to tell you but you kept shushing me! Raoul somehow found the mirror and kidnapped me. He's coming to kill you. You have to leave."

I expect him to rise to his feet, to take action, but he didn't move at all. "How are you here, then, Christine?" was his only reply.

My gaze fell away. "That doesn't matter."

"It does!" he insisted, firmly but gently turning my face to look at him. "What did you do?"

"I hit my head on the wall until I passed out so I could warn you," I answered quietly.

He buried his face in my hair. "Oh, my love..."

"It's fine," I assured him. "It doesn't hurt anymore, and I had to get here. There was no other way. He has me down in some kind of old well or something."

"It is not fine," he said through clenched teeth. "Did you even think of the danger you are in by being here? If your injuries are as bad as I suspect they are, you could die. Being here is draining you even faster. I cannot send you back while you are completely unconscious in your world. And, if the boy manages to kill me, he will die, and you will die in that hole. Did you think of that?"

"No, I didn't," I murmured. "I didn't think of anything except finding you. If I'm going to be rescued, I need you to escape."

He was silent for a moment. I knew he didn't like my methods but understood there was no other way. I could tell he'd reached that conclusion when he sighed and hugged me again. "How much time do we have?" he asked.

"None." We both turned our heads to see Raoul standing by the entrance. Erik's muscles tensed. "Hello, Erik. It's nice to finally meet you properly, face to... well, mask."

Erik glared at him, hate emanating from him. "You might have killed her already," he hissed, slowly rising to his feet. "Bravo, boy. How ever were you lucky enough to find me?"

"It wasn't luck. It was me," came a second, sneering face." With that, Carlotta stepped up to stand beside Raoul, a cruel smile on her face. "Surprised?" she asked me triumphantly. "I told you I would get you."

"What do you gain from this?" I demanded. "Revenge against someone who did nothing but be the victim of your petty attacks?"

"I get my place back," she snapped. "Soon, your name will be forgotten here. It will be like you never existed. I will be the celebrated diva of Paris, not you."

"It will be an empty title," I said with a hint of my own viciousness, "because this is the only way you can have it. You couldn't earn it; you had to snatch it."

With a shriek, she lunged for me, but Raoul grabbed her arm. "No," he instructed firmly. "I told you she's not to be harmed."

While they were arguing, I turned to Erik. His golden eyes met mine, and I could see his fear. "Run," I whispered. "He can't hurt me. Just run."

"Run and I will kill her as soon as I return," Raoul interjected coolly.

"You might have killed her already," Erik hissed. "She is dying, boy. She needs medical attention now."

"Now, why should I believe you?" Raoul asked, raising the gun to aim it at Erik. "You just want me to leave so you can run and hide."

"I would never put Christine's life in danger," Erik replied with scarcely-contained fury. "She hit her head on the brick walls of her prison to get here. She is losing strength in your world. You must get her to a doctor. I know you will kill her if I run, so I will wait for you until Christine wakes in her world and is well. Then, I shall let you kill me."

The blood drained from my face as I realized Erik's plan. He intended for Raoul to kill him. He would die, but so would Raoul, and I would be safe in my world. "No!" I protested. "Erik..."

"That won't work," Carlotta interrupted.

"Why not?" Raoul inquired, irritation in his face and voice. "Everyone gets what they want."

"We had a deal, you fool!" she insisted. "I need him alive! He's the one who had me removed, and he's the one who will restore me!"

Erik burst into laughter. We all stared at him, stunned into silence. He laughed until he was doubled over and tears were in his eyes. "You are daft, woman," he gasped, "absolutely insane if you think I will ever help you."

Her face darkened. "Why, you," she began.

"Enough!" Raoul shouted. "I will take Christine to the hospital. Once she is stabilized, I will return here, and you, Phantom, will die." Carlotta opened her mouth to object, but Raoul silenced her with a glare. "Your usefulness has run out, Madame. Now would be a good time to leave."

She stood with her mouth open, speechless. Raoul rolled his eyes. "Leave now, before I change my mind," he instructed as though she were a child. Without another word, she backed away, but not before giving me one final death glare.

Raoul moved to follow her. "Say your goodbyes," he told us. "I don't believe I'll be gone long. Christine will be back in reality soon enough." With that, he too left.

Once he was gone, I buried my face in Erik's shoulder. "I can't let you do this!" I whimpered. "Please don't do this."

His hands stroked my hair lovingly. "We have no choice, Christine," he said, trying to hide the catch in his voice. "He will haunt us if I escape. He will use you to find me because he knows I will always come for you. If that happens, you will never forgive yourself."

"What answer can I give?" I demanded, tears freely streaming down my face. "It's twisted every way. Either way, I lose you."

"But, you will be free," he replied, wiping the tears from underneath my eyes. "You will live for both of us."

I took his hand in mine. "We were going to be married," I whispered sadly.

I felt him shudder, trying to keep it together. Trying to be strong. "Pursue music," he pleaded. "Sing for me, my angel, and when you do, think of me. I will never leave you if you do." He kissed the top of my head again. "No more words," he bid me. "Let us just be together while we can."

We stayed like that, my phantom and I. For how long, I don't know. It could have been minutes or hours. Suddenly, pain flashed through my head, and I screamed. "What's happening?" I cried.

He kissed me tenderly. "You are beginning to wake in your world," he informed me.

"Already?" Despair filled me. Not yet... please not yet!

"Time works differently when you are dreaming, darling. You know that. It is like when you first began to dream of me."

I held onto his coat, never wanting to let go. "I wish... oh, how I wish I could do something."

A brief smile flickered across his face. "You can sing for me," he requested. "Sing for me one last time."

I nodded, and he lifted me to my feet. We moved towards the piano, and Erik on the bench. "What do you want to hear?" I asked him.

"Something fitting," was all he said. His fingers moved to the keyboard, but then, he paused and looked at me. His beautiful golden eyes were shining with tears. "I love you," he whispered.

"And, I love you," I told him back. "I will always love you." I wanted to tell him more, but words were failing me. A wave of dizziness swept through me, and I grabbed onto the piano for support. "We don't have much time," I said.

"Then, let us begin," he replied, and his hands began sweeping over the keys with a grace like none other.

Isolde's Liebestod. The song I'd sung on the night of our greatest triumph. Her last song for her beloved, Tristan. Her last song before she joined him in death. In the song, the ecstasy of music carried her away, and as I sang, I prayed it would be the same for me. That somehow, some way, we would see each other again.

I could feel myself grow weaker and weaker, but I pushed myself to finish this, my last gift to Erik. But, it wasn't to be. Right before the last note, I was spirited away from him. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

Posted on October 15, 2014