I fought against him as he drug me into darkness, refusing to go without a fight. I remembered the events that had lead me to his house on the lake beneath the opera house, and I had no desire to return there. "Christine.. Raoul! C-Carlotta! Antoinette...!"

But even as I called out, hoping someone would hear me, the door closed above us and I felt Erik pulling me along as I wept, his voice as gentle as when we had first met though there was something about it that frightened me. "Hush now. I wouldn't hurt you. Surely after all this time you know that."

I whimpered, continuing to cry as I looked toward his voice, unable to see him as he lead me through the darkness and lost relieved I couldn't. Was he enjoying my terror? Did he pity me? Was he doing this out of love? I didn't really care, as long as I was able to return to daylight. "Th-Then why are you doing this? Wh-Why bring me down here by force?"

He sighed, helping me into the boat Christine and Raoul had left when they crossed the lake to escape, when I had fled from him a little ways behind them. "Because, Nellie, she does not wish me to speak to you after what happened last time."

I frowned. "A-After I volunteered to go with you in Christine's place and you refused me.. taking her instead? Why did you do it Erik? Why break my heart again? It's bad enough you broke it at the masked ball."

He sighed, rowing us across the lake even as I spoke. "I had hoped you would see it as an opportunity to start over, maybe use my opera to learn the art of operatic singing and convince them to put you in the chorus. As for why I took your rival? She knew too much. You and Christine called her the Phantom's accomplice, and that she was. You needed to build your empire here, start a new business and forget all thoughts of returning to London."

I laughed, thinking how foolish the idea of going back seemed, even now when I was probably forgotten. "Erik! My love! Do you really think me such a fool? I know better than to return to my old life. Though it has been nice to have money coming in like this."

Erik nodded, leading me to the house and inside. "I knew you might enjoy this if you gave it a chance. And new management was needed, though you were quite wise not to take it on completely alone. I just hoped you could persuade Christine to keep singing."

I frowned. "Yeah well. Sorry to disappoint you. Now can I please go home? Or are you going to keep me down here the rest of my life?"

He sat next to me, holding me close. "No Nellie. Not the rest of your life. Just until you hear my proposal and have time to think it over."