𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓭 | The Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 12: The Point of No Return

It was finally the night.

The night of the performance of the Phantom's opera.

Eveline sat in the chapel below the Opera House, tears silently streaming down her cheeks as she held a rose she had previously received from Erik.

Christine and Raoul made their way down to the chapel, finding the redhead crying on the floor.

Eve looked up at her sister and sister's fiancé, "Please...don't make me do this to him."

Raoul tried to reach out to her, but she held a hand up to stop him, "I won't. I refuse. I will perform, but nothing will convince me to remove his mask. I would never betray him like that."

She wrapped her arms around herself looking at the stained glass window, "I care for him too much."

Raoul went to protest, to try and get her to see reason, or at least his version of it, but Christine stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

The man turned to his love, who simply shook her head at him.

She knew how much Eveline cared for the Phantom. Nothing would make her do anything that could harm him. Her sister was stubborn like that.

~~~~

"Here the sire may serve the dam, here the master takes his meat! Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat!"

Eveline stood backstage, waiting for her cue as she wrung her hands in front of her.

"Poor young maiden! For the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets, you will have to pay the bill - tangled in the winding sheets!"

She took some deep breaths, attempting to calm her racing heart and the fluttering in her belly.

"Serve the meal and serve the maid! Serve the master so that, when tables, plans, and maids are laid, Don Juan triumphs once again!"

Christine was a part of the ensemble alongside Meg. The pair received two pouches of coins from Piangi.

"Passarino, faithful friend, once again recite the plan."

"Your young guest believes I'm you - I, the master, you, the man."

"When you met, you wore my cloak, she could not have seen your face. She believes she dines with me in her master's borrowed place! Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff, stealing what, in truth, is mine. When it's late and modesty starts to mellow, with the wine..."

"You come home! I use your voice - slam the door like crack of doom!"

"I shall cry, "Come, hide with me! Where, oh, where? Of course - my room!""

"Poor thing hasn't got a chance!"

"Here's my hat, my cloak and sword. Conquest is assured, if I do not forget myself and laugh..."

Piangi laughed as he exited the stage. Eveline took one final deep breath as she picked up her basket of roses, slowly walking onto the stage and singing gently.

"No thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy. No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!"

She sank to her knees, picking up a rose from her basket as she heard Passarino's voice from behind her.

"Master?"

The next voice made shivers run down her spine.

"Passarino."

Eveline looked up to where Raoul sat in Box Five, silently pleading with him not to do this.

"Go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey..."