The Phantom's Guardian (the Phantom of the Opera fan fiction)

Part 35 -Past the point of no return (Finale Part III)

The old Prima Donna room was awash with candlelight.

Along with the piercing light, the scent of freshly plucked roses permeated her nostrils. As the door creaked closed behind her, Desiree blinked several times to adjust her eyes from the dark corridor to the light,

And saw two dark figures struggling almost silently near the looking glass.

Erik, in his formal white-tie attire, is looking furious and at the sound of the door, he turned his wild eyes towards Desiree. He stood behind Piangi, his hands holding a length of rope which tautened around the portly man's neck. Piangi was wide-eyed and sporting a red face, a face filled of terror and panic. A bouquet of red roses lay forgotten on the floor.

"No!!! Master, don't!!!" Desiree thought she shouted, but her voice came out as a whisper. She stumbled towards the two men, her hand outstretched and eyes pleading.

At her furious whisper, Erik seemed to focus his eyes on her. Then, recognizing the look of horror on her face, his hands went slack. The rope slipped from the heaving man's neck and Piangi fell to the floor in a heap, coughing and writhing.

"Phantom... " he squeaked.

Desiree ignored Erik and ran towards Piangi, her legs slipping on the cold floor to kneel beside him. She scrambled to cup his face and listen to his breathing.

"Do not fuss, I did not kill him yet." Erik stood near her, sounding very casual.

"You don't understand!! I asked you no killing and the moment I turn around, you just go strangling peoples' necks!!" Desiree snapped.

Erik was furious, too.

"Then why is Christine not here?? You prevented me from meeting her before, and now, did you ask her to change the room?"

"What?? No." Desiree decided to ignore him and just focus on Piangi.

However, since Erik has let him go, the redness in his face has not gone down yet. He kept clutching his chest instead of his throat.

"Chest.. hurt..." He rasped and Desiree felt ice fill her veins as understanding dawned.

"He's having a heart attack.." She whispered.

As if in response to her claim, Piangi's face contorted in pain.

"Oh... nononoNO.. Please don't die, please don't die", Desiree started loosening the costume and tried to pat his face.

"Why do you care so much if he dies?, he was always unpleasant to you." Erik voiced his opinion.

"How can you be so cold? He's dying!!" Desiree retorted.

Piangi grabbed her hand.. "H e l p,"

His body bowed off the floor and suddenly, the man became eerily still.

Desiree's thoughts started swirling.. A faraway voice floated in her head.

"Did you think you can run from what you wished?"

The fates are cruel.. Desiree thought despondently as she tried her best to revive Piangi and failed miserably. She felt hot tears on her cheek and noticed that she was crying.

Suddenly, knocks sounded on the door.

"Two minutes until Curtain's up, Signor Piangi." a stagehand shouted and walked away, his steps receding.

The shout stunned the two occupants of the room into silence again.

Erik was the first one to spring into action. His calculating eyes skimmed the room, falling on the dark robe Piangi was supposed to wear as his disguise for Don Juan. Eyes glinting with decision, he strode towards the robe.