They got out of the carriage and walked over to the door. Adellade opened it, hesitantly eyeing the furniture that had greeted her as a reminder of her imprisonment in that place. Erik and Madeline stood at opposite ends of the room. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I am pleased to see you as well," he murmured in reply. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"It was nice. Christine and I went exploring in the village and we found this little music shop! Oh, you'll have to see it sometime! They have all of these different things in there!"

"Perhaps." He glanced over at Christine. "You do not fear Erik?"

"Less so," she answered. "Adellade's told me some of your stories."

"I do hope she has recreated them faithfully," he pointed out, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly. "But now we are faced with a choice," he whispered. "I fear it will not be a pleasant one-however you may choose."

"What choice?" She released him. "Erik, what choice?"

"Madeline and I seem to have come to a disagreement."

"On what?"

"There is a revolver on the table there. It's alright. Pick it up."

She walked over to the table, glancing over her shoulder at him. She took it, holding it in her hands.

"And now you have a choice to make." He sighed. "Myself or her."

She stared at the revolver in horror, realizing what he meant. "No. I won't! I can't!"

"It's your choice. Whatever you choose to do."

"And be grateful he got a chance to say his farewells!" Madeline snapped. "Now take it and be done already! No use in keeping him around!"

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't."

"Please," Christine added. "You don't have to make her do this."

"Stay where you are," he ordered. "There's no need for anyone else to be harmed."

"I can't do this!" she begged. "Please! Don't make me!"

"What? Do you actually care for him? Do you actually care for the monster he is?"

"I can't do this." She fell to her knees. "I can't do this."

"There has to be another way," Christine begged. "There must be another way!"

"It was Madeline's decision that things be this way," Erik explained. "Have her precious little daughter prove her loyalty-prove her hatred of what lies beneath this mask. Believe me: if there was any other way, it would've been done."

"You've seen him!" Madeline argued, turning to Christine. "You've seen how horrid of a person he is! Don't you agree that he should be done away with?"

"How could say something like that? Of your own son?"

"She was never my mother. Just as I was never her son. I learned that the day she locked me away in that attic."

"I can't do this. I just can't."

"I'm sorry. I am sorry that this must hurt you, but this is the one thing Erik cannot stop." He knelt down. "It's your choice how this ends. It's your choice as to how this pain ends."

"I can't do this!" She ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, leaving the revolver on the floor. "I can't do this!"

"I know. I know." He wrapped his arms around her. "I know. It's alright. You didn't do anything. It's alright."

"So. This is her decision." Madeline regarded them both. "My own child. Daring to leave her mother alone? Alone with nothing in the world? Not a single soul to comfort me? What kind of a daughter have you become? What kind of a daughter has he twisted you into becoming? I knew it! I knew he would do something! I knew he would taint you! I knew if I allowed you a single moment with him, you would be tainted by his horridness! How dare you!"

She turned to look at her, shock written on her face. "Erik's been nothing but kind to me! He's my brother-my friend! How could you ever think those things of him?"

"Then I suppose it's up to me to end things, seeing as you won't. Trust me, my dear: you'll be much happier once this is over."

Her eyes widened, seeing what she was reaching for.

"No!"

Adellade ran toward her, knocking them both to the ground as Madeline's shot went wild.

"Why you insolent little-!"

She grunted as Madeline tossed her off of her, getting to her feet to search for where Erik had gone. He appeared behind her, twisting her arm behind her back.

"I should've been done with you the moment you were born!"

She gasped, seeing as Madeline held onto the revolver, turning it around to face Erik…. She went to the floor, picking up the one she had dropped, turning it over in her hands, taking aim.

"Erik! Watch out!"

Shots rang out, surrounding them in a blanket of explosions before everything finally silenced into nothing….