The entrance gates were shut tight with the rapidly growing darkness. Nasih looked solemn as he walked towards them. Christine stayed glued to the spot. She could not move her legs. She feared if she did, she would defiantly fall. They trembled terribly, and her head was fit to burst. If she could muster the strength, she would run. Nasih called out through the gates, and was greeted by a man who left a small guard post to talk to Nasih from the inside. He talked a while with the man, who had quickly swung the gates open when he had recognised Nasih. The two men talked rapidly, obviously Nasih wanted to move away quickly, as he cast glances back to Christine, who had now adopted a look of pure terror on her face. Nasih moved to reach out to her. He took her arm slowly, and very gently tried to pull her towards the large silluetted house in the distance, through the palm trees of the grounds. Christine reacted to the tug sharply. She twisted from his grip and tried to run back the gates. Nasih grabbed her, and was met by her tears cascading down her face. The guard watch worriedly, and Nasih said something to him, making the guard retreat hesitantly into his guard hut.

"Where are you planning to run to?" Nasih asked exasperated. Christine tried to wriggle from his grip again, but he was too strong.

"I don't know!" She cried. "I just know I can't go in there! I CAN'T!"

"We've come too far to just turn away now!" Nasih shouted back. "Don't you understand? This may be the only safety haven you have left!"

"No…no, he doesn't want me… its too late." She muttered to herself. Nasih became frustrated and shook her, like he had done all those weeks back in Paris.

"Christine, please! I don't want to see you hurt!" The sudden compassion in his voice brought her to her senses. She looked at him through tear glazed eyes for a while. He was breathing heavy, and was watching her with a look of pleading imprinted in his features. She finally gave in to his grip, and he led her down the long path, towards her fate, towards her past, towards her fear and happiness. She was not going to survive this, she thought to herself. She wanted nothing more than to be home with her father. Home. Where was that anymore? She didn't have a home. Her home lay with her heart, which was now angry with her for putting it through such trauma. It banged heavily on her chest in annoyance and frustration. Every step counted for at least 5 heartbeats, and Christine felt an enormous sense of nausea. The house loomed towards them, glittering magnificently in the sunset behind it. It was not as big as the De Changey residence, but it met its match in grandeur. If Christine had not have been so reluctant to enter, she would have seen it was the most beautiful house she had every witnessed in her life. She had tightened her grip on Nasih's arm, making whimpering noises now. She was shaking so much that Nasih felt worried sick about her. He tried to calm her by putting an arm around her shoulders, but it just gave her a backing which she could try to restrain herself from taking another step. On arriving at the doors, she felt so sick, she actually threw up at the side. Nasih rubbed her back as she did, holding her veil out of the way. She stood, tears just pouring freely from her eyes. He gave her a final look before knocking on the door. Christine looked at the panel of the door, seeing roses and dancers, instruments and notes beautifully carved like the music she knew he could produce, caressed with love and care. She wished she could admire it, but her mind her clouded over, seeing stars in front of her eyes. She hardly noticed the door being swung open by a maid, who looked anxiously at Christine, who was a nasty shade of green by this time. Nasih supported her as she stepped into the cool, tiled entrance hall. A small fountain was in the centre, with a calming trickling noise that soothed even the most troubled of souls. But Christine was beyond troubled. The maid spoke to Nasih in Persian once again, casting frightened looks at Christine, who was falling into Nasih's strong grip.

"Christine," Nasih spoke softly. He tried to prop her onto her own feet, but it failed as she buckled under her own weight again. He caught her, and held her tightly. "Christine, I'm going to take you to him. Ok? Are you ready?" She didn't answer. Her mind was a drift in thoughts of terror. He slowly began to move her up the stairs, almost carrying her whole small frame. She was talking to herself, muttering and babbling. Nasih was horrified at what he saw in Christine. What could have happened to reduce someone to this state? He tried not to think about it.

On reaching the landing, he lead her to a corridor of doors and windows. The corridor windows looked onto a courtyard in the centre of the building, where a statue lay centred, unrecognisable in the fading daylight. They moved around the square like building, reaching one of the most highly decorated doors of the house.

"Wait here." Nasih muttered quietly. "Please, Christine." He looked at her, his eyes begging her to remain. She ignored him, but propped herself against the wall next to the door out of view. She was finding it difficult to breathe, and her eyes were wide in terror. Nasih knocked on the door, and Christine suddenly stopped breathing all together, as she heard the one thing she thought she would never hear again.

"Enter."

Erik's voice.

She began to breathe quickly through her nose, so he would not hear her. Her nails were cutting into her hands as she clenched them so much. Nasih had entered the room and left the door slightly ajar. She could hear Nasih muttering quietly for a while, but heard no response from the other party. Suddenly she heard Nasih hesitate, and a low growl of a reply to his silence. She stopped breathing once more, her back pressed completely against the wall in terror. She heard Nasih reply finally. It was greeted by the smashing of glass, and a loud roar which cut right through Christine.

"WHAT?"

That was the final straw. Her legs found their life, and she began to run, ignoring the still throbbing pain in her wounded leg. She ran down the corridors that Nasih had led her down, and came to the top of the stairs. She could hear rapid, loud footsteps coming her way, and she cried in fright. She missed her footing on the marble staircase, and fell painfully down them. She hit the bottom of them with a crack. Her head spun wildly, and she saw spots dancing in front of her eyes. She quickly tried to lift herself up, but felt back down with a greeting of shooting pain through her wrist and arms. She fell on her face with a sob. She lay sobbing into the floor, as she heard the slowing footsteps coming down the stairs. She quietened her cries as the footsteps were now directly behind her. She heard the breathing become heavy with emotion. The steps abruptly stopped, and she lay cowering, her eyes clenched shut in defence of what was about to happen. Seconds felt like hours, and Christine began to think that something terrible was about to happen. Suddenly, she let out a half scream, half gasp, as two strong hands gripped her and turned her over violently on the floor. There he was. Knelt beside her, gripping the tops of her arms aggressively. Her eyes, although tear filled, locked with his dangerously glittering ones. His white mask sat perfectly on his face, and his dark hair fell in disarray after the chase. They held each others gaze for a long time.

"What…" Erik whispered terrifyingly. "…are you doing?"

She was breathing so fast now, she could not answer him. He was terrifying her, and he knew it. He wanted to. He wanted to scare her so much, that she would go. And just make this into another bad dream. Ones were he saw her so often like this, gazing wide eyed, horrified at him. His head spun. Never did he expect to see her here, never. He never expected to see her ever again. Erik shook her violently.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" He roared at her. Christine whimpered in fright, and tried to squirm from his grip.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" She began. He laughed, insanely, frighteningly. Nasih, who was stood on the stair case now, felt his blood turn cold at the laugh.

"You're sorry! Sorry! You're…sorry?" He threw his head back and laughed even more. Nasih made a move past Erik to try and help Christine up, but Erik got to him first. He grabbed Nasih by the neck and slammed him into the wall, making him cry out in pain. Erik let him wriggle there for a moment, enjoying the discomfort the man was in. Nasih tried to hold onto Erik's hand, as he lifted him higher off the floor, choking him.

"How dare you." Erik hissed through gritted teeth. He wanted to kill this man, and was going to take his time about it. Watch him suffer, like he had suffered. "I asked you, I TOLD YOU! I SPECIFICALLY DEMANDED YOU DID NOT BRING HER TO ME! Did I not!" He bellowed.

Nasih tried to cough out a reply, but his air was beginning to fail him. Erik lifted him higher, cutting off his oxygen.

"You will pay for your insolence. You have no idea the damage you have caused!"

"NO!" came a cry. "Please, Erik, don't."

Erik, felt his body go limp. He had not heard her speak his name in a long time. Her pleading tone was enough to make him buckle. He dropped Nasih to the floor, who lay gasping for breath. Erik turned to Christine, who was propped up on her good arm. She held a look of sorrow and begging to him, and Erik felt himself go faint at the sight of her. He wanted her to leave, before he did something stupid. He wanted her to go and never come back. He couldn't cope with her breaking his soul again. He knelt beside her.

"Christine.." His voice broke. She felt her insides flutter at the sound of her name on his lips. It sounded so perfect, heavenly even. She stared into his pain filled eyes.

"Leave." He whispered. "Leave, and don't you dare come back. Do you hear me?" His voice became raised, as her face twisted into despair. "I don't want you near me. Go! Go NOW!"

Christine picked herself up painfully, and ran towards the doors, sobbing violently. She heaved them open, and ran as fast as her legs could take her. She sprinted, hardly seeing were she was going through her hot tears. The beauty of the gardens she ran past looked distant, as if they didn't belong to the world she was in. She got to the gates and began to scream at the guard to open them. He fumbled with the keys in terror at the wild girls ravings, and pulled them open. Christine felt her legs take her to the world outside her terror, but bringing a new sense of terror. Where would she go? What would she do? This didn't matter now, as running was all that she could think of. Running away from the nightmare she had just encountered. The worst scenario, relived for real. She felt her legs turn to putty, her head became clouded. The foreign streets she had run into made her sick and nauseous. Christine finally collapsed out cold in tiredness and despair.