The Crimson Rose || Nicolae Bartholy X OC || [COMPLETE]

Chapter XXIII.

The turning.

Nicolae materialized in the middle of the rose garden.
It had started to rain, but he kept holding onto Claire's body, kissing her face as he had the pocket watch in his hand.

"What have I done. Why isn't it working...Why!" His eyes had returned to their regular color.

Time was ticking. It had been a whole six minutes she had been gone.

"Come back. Come back to me."

He lost more tears as he observed her face.

"Claire, I cannot lose you. Come back to me... please. "

He was shaking in distress, glancing at the watch.

"Please, please, come back to me." He rested his forehead on her chest, feeling defeated.

But right when he was asking himself if Viktor had really won, Claire's beautiful blue eyes opened wide towards the moon, turning crimson red.

"Claire!"

He called her and dropped the watch.

At first she was extremely confused, just waking up, she tried to break free as she didn't understand where was she and what was happening.

"Gggh." She struggled weakly, trying to get him off her.

"My love, it's me. " He held her firmly as she took her first breath in her new life.

It was like learning to breathe all over again.

"Claire it's me." He repetead as she was still struggling to get away.

"Look at me!" He demanded of her, trying to take a hold of her face to calm her down.

*

"We can do this, together."
Claire followed Nicolae in the last cell down the dungeon, sat on a wooden bench, thinking.

"I spoke to Lorie and Lily. We can use all the help we can get. " He said after contacting the little girls.

Claire nodded, she was anxious, she didn't want the girls in that mess.

"Nicolae, listen..." She took his arm.

"Not now, my love, I need to think of a solution." He started pacing back and forth.

"I already found it. Listen to me." She raised her voice to have his attention.

Nicolae turned to face her, nervously. He already had seen what was she thinking about.

"You have to kill me. You have to be the one." She took his hands.

"What? No." He shook his head firmly.

Claire lost one tear. "Please, listen to me! You can bring me back, you can turn me. I know it's possible, I want you to."

Nicolae avoided her eyes. "I don't want to take your life. I can't do that." He was shocked.

Claire was crying.
"If you don't... I will die, eventually, tonight or another day... and I don't want to die, I want to live with you, forever. I cannot think about you alone, it destroys me."

She kissed him, Nicolae tasted her tears, shaking.

"Claire... Claire... Are you sure about this? " He kissed her again and again, he was crying too now, as the walls shook from Viktor's rage.

"Yes. Yes I am. I want to spend eternity with you." She smiled, looking into his beautiful eyes.

"It's going to hurt." He whispered. "You are going to have to drink from me."