Chapter 8: Have You Dreamt Tonight?

Christine could hear music, a piano specifically. But it wasn't just any piano music, it was his. Only his could make you feel so many things at once and yet nothing at all. Her eyes fluttered open slowly. She was in the music room, lying on the couch and the music still played. She looked over to the piano. There sat Erik, dressed in black, wearing his mask, playing on it. She sat up slowly.

"I'm dreaming…," she whispered. As if on cue, he began to sing a very familiar song.

Stranger than you dreamt it
Can you even dare to look
Or bear to think of me

She sat up properly, and starred at his figure of her imagination and listened.

This loathsome gargoyle
Who burns in hell
But secretly yearns for heaven
Secretly, Secretly
Christine...

He cast a look at her. Those blue eyes that enchanted her so, vibrated with life.

Fear can turn to love
You'll learn to see
To find the man
Behind the monster

The realization dawned on her, this wasn't a dream. For once in her life, it wasn't a dream.

This repulsive carcass
Who seems a beast
But secretly
Dreams of beauty
Secretly, secretly…

He stopped playing and slowly took his fingers away from the keys and fully looked at her. He seemed almost perfect there, the sunlight shining off of the white mask.

"Oh, Christine." He got up and crossed over to her. Standing there, he traced her jaw gently, ever so gently. His touch was real and she reveled in it. His hand caressed her neck as he went to his knees. "Christine…" He stroked her face lovingly. Maybe she did love him. Christine's hand came up and touched his face, his breath caught. He pushed back her hair. Oh how he missed her long curls. But there was something strangely intriguing about this new look. He brought his lips closer to hers when a knock resonated through the room. As if an alarm went off, the two froze. Christine slowly withdrew as Ion entered.

"Miss Christine? Oh! I'm terribly sorry." Christine took Erik's hands off of her and placed them softly away from her.

"It's alright Ion. What is it?" The man seemed uneasy.

"It's…it's him again." Her face went from a gentle thoughtfulness to a sorrowful darkness. She stood up, straightened her clothes and touched up her hair. Rumen came in with a dark look on his face. Christine nodded and headed out of the music room. Erik stood up and wondered who could turn his Christine so dark. He turned to Ion for an answer.

"Who has come?" Ion looked at the masked man with a solemn expression.

"The Viscount de Chagny."