"I will stay." Tears ran down Christine's cheeks, but her voice never wavered.

Raoul took her hands in his. "Christine, please."

She shook her head. "Just let me do it. There is no other way."

"You will live with that monster. You will die down there, in the dark."

"I know," Christine exhaled, "but you will live the life you deserve. And you will be free of him, even if I never am."

"It is the life we both deserve, Christine. Does your own happiness matter so little?"

"Not so much as yours, dear." She kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, Raoul. I will not forget the boy who rescued my scarf, nor the brave man he became."

And she vanished into the shadows.

"Erik heard you speaking to the boy."

"Did you?" Christine was not in the mood for his antics.

"You will stay?"

How was it possible for a man such as him to sound so broken? So childish? So hopeful?

"Yes, Erik. I will stay." For all of the emotion his voice carried, hers was empty.

"Is that what you want?"

Christine dropped wearily into a chair. "When has that ever mattered to you?"

"Erik wants Christine to be happy." The statement was so simple, yet it stood in direct contradiction to the reality of their relationship.

"Do I look happy?"

"No, I believe not. If you are not happy, why did you send the boy away?"

"Because I love him. And sooner or later, you are going to have a problem with that."

"Erik loves Christine."

"Oh? And what do you think love is?"

His expression was unreadable.

"Answer me, Erik."

"I do not know. I only know that I cannot bear the thought of you going away. Is that love?"

"Obsession would be a better word."

"Erik has never desired another person's company until you. What do you make of that?"

Christine bit her lip. "You must lead a lonely life." She took a deep breath. "Why me?"

"Why, indeed? You called Erik an angel when others have called him a monster. That is no small feat."

"That was before I knew-"

"Before you knew the face of the Voice? Before you heard of Erik's past? But, all the same, you said it. Once, you even believed it."

Christine felt tears pricking at her eyes. "That was long ago."

He nodded. "Now you know. There are no angels and no monsters here. There is only Erik, only a man caught somewhere in between the two."

"Until you choose that you want to be next."

"What would you have Erik be?"

"I would have him be the man who grants my freedom."

"Are you not free, Christine? You, with your beautiful face and miraculous voice. You may walk in the sunlight and sing on the stage!"

"Not anymore. Not if I stay with you, here in the dark."

His brow furrowed as he sat back. "No, I suppose you are right."

"Erik, let me go." Her voice was pleading.

"Erik cannot."

"I was under the impression that Erik could do whatever pleases him."

"This is not pleasing. It is a death sentence."

"If I stay here with you, my life above will be over. Is that not also a death sentence? If you love me, how can you do that to me?"

There was a long, stifling silence. It hung between them like a cloud of smoke.

Tears shone in Erik's eyes as he finally raised his gaze to hers. A single word formed on his lips.

"Go."