Erik heaved open the front door to let a tired Nasih in. Both men were rasping for breath, each with different reason. Nasih slouched, his hands on his knees as he tried to recover his breath back.

"What is it? What did you find?" Erik gasped. Nasih took a few more deep breaths before answering.

"Nothing to be specific. Yet…yet there was few unreported carriage entrances to the country from the north…through Russia…yet there are plenty of boats shipping in people everyday…what made me come…was the disappearance of a woman…"

Erik was becoming angry with his riddles. He had just been forced to tear away from his living dream to hear what news he so dreaded.

Erik had guarded his secrecy very well up to now. He kept a low profile, not letting anyone come into direct contact with him, as he was no someone who you would forget. 2 countries after his neck, with a very unique visage was not the safest situation to be in. But then again, he was not worried about his own safety...He growled at Nasih.

"You're trying my patience. Who is it?"

"…Sara, Master. Sara has gone missing. I went to check on her on your demands, and the Mistress told me she had left with a stranger a few hours back, and had not returned. That was two days ago, and she still has not returned."

Erik felt his heart sinking, and his mind turn blank. If Sara had gone with a customer, then so be it, but he dreaded to imagine who the customer would be. If Sara gave his whereabouts away, Christine would be in the path of death. Yet Sara would not have been so obvious a target, as how would anyone know that Sara was acquainted with him? Yet, he still had to be sure. He had to be sure she had not just jeopardised his secrecy.

"Go back. Go and find her no matter what. I assure you, Nasih, your pay will be considerable. Leave, and when you find her, bring her to me."

Nasih nodded. Nasih did not run throughout the city, listening in conversations, watching the boarders and roads just for money. The young girl he had watched over for the past weeks had played on his mind and her safety was something he cared for. He actually felt a pang of jealousy toward Erik at times. For having her heart. He felt awful, as he loved his wife dearly, but Christine was different. He had deep feeling for her he could not surface, which only came apparent when he had seen less and less of her the past days. He had missed her terribly, and now worked for her safety.

He reluctantly climbed back on his horse outside and galloped away into the night.

Erik watched him ride away, frowning after him. Erik could not leave now, as he didn't want to risk being seen unnecessarily. He would first confront Sara to where she had been. Once he was convinced his secrecy was still safe, he would be on guard, but somewhat secure again. Safety for Christine was all that mattered.

Christine! He remembered. He quickly made his way back to the corridor where he had left her. He panicked at what she may have thought, dropping her and running away without explanation. On coming to the dark corridor, he called her name softly. Nothing.

His eyes, accustomed to darkness, scanned the corridor to see that there was no one there. He cursed to realise she had gone.

- --

Christine had shut herself once more in her room. She had dismissed the horseman as nothing, an excuse Erik had used to drop her and run from the situation he had found himself in. She had no tears, just acceptance. Acceptance that Erik did not want her anymore. Acceptance that she had lost her Angel. It was stupid of course, to think such things without an explanation from him first, but he had given her all the explanation he could.

Christine! I…When I see you, I feel nothing…nothing! Do you understand? I don't know why you came back, and I really don't care. Just stay out of my way, and don't come snooping around here again!

His voice rang in her head painfully. What could be a better display of the truth than that? Why had she pursued what was never there. Her Angel…belonged to someone else now.

At this point, tears did well over, and brim to the edge. She threw herself on her pillows, and sobbed into them.

She quickly stopped at a sharp rapping on the door.

"Christine…Are you there?"

It was Erik. She felt that warm fuzzy feeling when he spoke her name once more, but felt sadness block it out.

"Erik…please…Just leave." She called through the locked door. "It doesn't matter, Erik, please just leave me!"

Erik shuddered. He didn't know if it was with disappointment, rage, regret or love. He just felt his body relax properly for the first time ever, and he spoke. Spoke in the voice Christine knew as his angelic voice. His voice given to him by the angels to intoxicate the mind that heard it. He imagined her warmth as he spoke, finally speaking from the heart.

"How can I go, when I cannot imagine us apart? How can I leave when I never really do in my mind? Christine, I was finally getting over you and actually believing I didn't need you. I thought that by telling myself that I hated you. That sooner or later I would come to believe it. But I now realize that by lying, it makes me want you even more. Christine…"

Christine had opened her bedroom door, and was gazing at him, eyes wide with shock at his words. He felt his mind cave in, completely obeying his heart once and for all. Tonight, there would be no pain, no living in the past. He now agreed with her. He would give everything for one night with her loving him, than living a thousand perfect lives without her. He moved into her room, walking towards her slowly, as he carried on speaking.

"Fate brought you back to me, this time I won't let you leave." This sounded menacing, as his breathing was becoming deeper again, his chest rising and falling heavily. His voice was breaking with emotion, yet kept that mind entrancing power lingering in it, making Christine feel helplessly weak. "I thought I would die if I couldn't have you. And when…when you left, I realized death was inferior to what I felt. Without you, Christine… there is no love…" Christine was letting tears spill down her face, as Erik wiped them away with loving hands. "Without you there is no me. Without you there is nothing. Christine…please don't make me leave once again. No more. No…"

She clung to his strong form desperately, holding him like she would never let go. She wanted to melt into him, so their union was complete. Their deep soul mate relationship overtook both their minds when they held each other. Erik held her so tight, incase she would disappear, taking her breath away. She sniffed, and whispered in his ear.

"I thought…I thought you didn't care anymore…I thought I had lost you again."

Erik backed away from the embrace, and looked into her eyes. The true genius of poetry and song finally arose again from its long hiding place.

"How can I not love you when you control my heart, Christine? How, when it beats for you? I love you more than every heavenly being or feeling. My eyes have been mistaken, for this to be true, an Angel so low, an Angel so bright… it's as if God himself has stolen two stars from the night sky, and hid them within your eyes, so one day you shall see, the beauty within, the Angel I see, but above all, you have become, the Angel of my heart.."

Christine drew him in for a passion filled kiss. Tears were lingering there, soaking her skin and lips. She pressed herself into him so deeply; Erik thought he would pass out. Her kiss meant more to him to him than his words. His words were inferior to her warmth pressing against his body. He felt a tear emerge from his own eyes, falling behind his mask. Christine saw it, and reached to place her fingers on the bone white barrier between them. He drew back slightly. She whispered; her voice heavy with passion.

"Even the most beautiful of roses have thorns..." She pulled his mask away to see the distressed skin and tormented features of his right side. He looked down, as if ashamed. She lifted his chin to meet his eyes.

"The greatest gift to me is having my eyes set on you." He looked at her confused, and almost in shock.

"How can you love a monster?" He muttered, angry at his own deformity. He would not be surprised if she cowered, like she had done so many times in his nightmares. But she remained gazing, lovingly at him. She placed a soft kiss against his deformity, feeling him tremble as she did so.

"To dream of you, my love, is to dream of perfection in its greatest. My soul is yours, and yours is mine, and beauty is measured by the soul. Does that mean I am a monster?"

"How could you say such a thing?" Erik said shocked at the idea of Christine being anything close to. She was perfection to him.

"Exactly what I think every time you regret your beauty."

His eyes turned from confusion to adoring. He adored her with every inch of his body, heart and soul. He felt her hand caressing his face, and one resting on his chest. Her touch was awaking feelings of desire. His gaze, Christine watched turn to passion. They suddenly glinted with a hunger towards her. His eyes dragged themselves all over her figure as he pushed her back to look at her. He then moved to the bedroom door, leaving Christine for a moment. He shut it tight, and turned the lock. He turned back to her, candlelight casting him in magnificent shadows. Christine's breath was taken away by the sight of him. She felt such an over whelming desire for him that she gasped slightly. He stalked towards her, and before he could reach out to touch her, he whispered,

"The games we've played till now are at an end. This is the final threshold."