𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 | TO [2] (MAJOR EDITING)

XXXVIII • NE ME QUITTE PAS

thirty-eight | do not leave me

Bar and Restaurant in Manosque, France, Seven Years Ago (2019)

Elijah walks in through one of the entrances, which leads him to the village bar, in which the sound of music from a piano is distinctly heard inside, being played by an extremely unfamiliar young woman, with fair skin and long, straight jet-black hair with a style and grace of elegance, herself as a few people watch her until she's finished with a smile on her beautiful face. The impressed audience clap their hands when she meets Elijah's eyes.

Clear dark brown ones meeting clear hazel-green eyes, to which a genuinely cordial comes upon the young man's handsome face once she notices him.

The beautiful young woman, seemingly familiar to him, gets up from her seat, her British accent sounding melifluous, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Considering he missed her, Elijah simply replied as he remains oblivious of the fact that he's actually being watched from across the spacious room by a pair of extremely familiar jade-emerald eyes.

"Did you learn anything about...who you are?" The young woman, who's clearly a vampire as well, only has her smile to grow by his raw presence.

"Only that...obsessing about my past...it brings me nothing but misery and torment. And that I miss you. Can you forgive me?" The Original asked.

She shakes her head a little, smiling, "There's nothing to forgive. Viens ici." Being fluent in French for 'Come here', she embraces him into a welcoming kiss, which he reciprocates so, both of her warm hands holding his face.

They remain in the warm reunion embrace as the one who has been watching them from afar, disclosing her identity to be Victoria Labonair, leaves a tip of a fifty-dollar bill into an empty wine glass, sitting on the piano, for the musical performance before she walks past them to go.

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Bar and Restaurant in Manosque, France, 2026

Both Elijah and the young woman are seated closely side by side as they play the exact piano together, with a delightful tune, until they're finished. The audience clap their hands as a customer leaves a tip inside of an empty wine glass on the piano while Elijah leaves a kiss on the woman's bare right shoulder, watching her with meaning as she takes a sip of her white wine.

"Merci beaucoup."

"What is it?" The woman gently runs her hands through her long straight jet-black hair while the young man, being her lover, maintains his gaze.

"Seven years ago, I walked into this bar. Seeing you...is a sensation I don't think I could...describe to you. I'll tell you this. Whoever I am now...I want you." Elijah presents to her a diamond ring as an early engagement proposal in an open velvet box, truly surprising her with a smile, "If you'll have me."

She leans in to kiss him on his lips, though stops at the last minute within inches of his handsome face, with a delightful smile, "No, no, no, wait."

His eyes open once more after they're closed from awaiting for the kiss she was about to leave on his lips in response to this sudden proposal, "What?"

"We're going to need some champagne." She gets up on her feet and leaves a kiss on his forehead before she walks away to the back kitchen to search.