Attack Olivia strategically

"Olivia!" You yelled with anger and charged at the vampire.

Olivia was caught off-guard and pinned on the wall by you. Feeding too much blood to Fran had taken a toll on her, however, she was still stronger than you. You tried to drive the stake through her heart, but she easily grabbed your arm and stopped you.

"I'm surprised that you have the gut to attack me. Do you really believe that you can kill a vampire like me on your own?" She slowly pushed the stake away from her chest and sneered at you, "Just give up, James. You never have a chance. "

"Don't I?" You smiled confidently with no reason and focused your mind.

Olivia widened her eyes as she felt a surge of sensation drilling its way into her mind. The connection between the vampire and the victim worked both ways, and with the strong desire to save your love you succeeded in forcibly connecting Olivia's mind with yours. She suddenly had a vision that you shared.

"Hi. Can I have a seat here?" You were holding the dish plate and looking for a table to quickly finish your lunch and go back to work. And the brunette sitting there alone seemed to be your only hope now. She looks familiar, you thought but you weren't so sure about it.

"Sure." The brunette glanced at you and continued eating. However, she looked up again and stared at you as you sat down, "Are you... James? James Wilson? You're back!?"

"Olivia Adler?" You recognized your college friend when you looked closer. You smiled in surprise, "We haven't met for, how long, two years?"

"Yeah, that's a really long time. And it's Olivia Brown now." She avoided your gaze as she blushed, "I'm married... to Neil..."

"Well, congratulations!" You truly felt happy for her, "You work around here? I remember you wanted to open a bookshop?"

"Ha. No, I gave up on that. Perhaps if you had stayed..." Olivia paused and shook her head with a bitter smile.

"Olivia?" You noticed the sadness that flashed across her face. You didn't know what that meant back then.

"Never mind. I'm working in the biological laboratory in this campus now. What about you?" She leaned closer over the table with her eyes glistening the light of curiosity, "You talked about becoming a detective or something before we graduated. How's that going?"

"Private investigator, yes. I just went through the hard classes after failing for a few times, and finally got my license last month!" You replied proudly, "I just came back here this week and I'm thinking about establishing my first agency."

"Wow..." Olivia admired you and sighed, "You never give up, do you? I wish I were half as determined as you."

"It's never too late to pursue our dreams." You gently smiled, "You're still young, and beautiful. There are plenty of opportunities out there."

"You think so?" Olivia looked at you in surprise. Her hands on the table slightly twitched, like she was about to reach them out. But she didn't, and the joy on her face eventually faded.

"Yeah. And I'm sure Neil will support you, too."

You and Olivia both breathed heavily as your minds returned from the vision. She looked blankly at you with her red eyes. A drop of tear slowly slid along her cheek and mixed with the blood around her mouth.

"You... had feelings for me when we're still in the college?" You were slightly shocked. You were not putting as much strength in your arm with the stake as before, but you also realized that she wasn't either.

"Yes... You and Neil. I... I really, really love you both. I love running tests with Neil in the laboratory. He's enthusiastic and talkative. I love reading book with you in the library. You're caring and patient. But I know I can't be with you both. It's unethical." Olivia replied in a low voice, "And you left the city after graduation... I've been wondering what could have been if you had stayed."

That's what she meant when you met each other again after two years. You knew why she was sad. You were so determined to pursue your dream that you didn't even know what you had left behind. You never regretted, but still...

"So when the voice offered me a chance to have you both, I took it!" Olivia suddenly snapped out of the past and laughed maniacally, "I failed to have Neil, but I can still have you, James!"

"Olivia... No..."

You kept resisting her hypnosis and her supernatural strength, but you knew it was impossible for you to succeed. You mind was trembling and your hands was shaking. A voice in your head was telling you to submit. You would love to comply.

Brandon busted the door open and ran inside the room. Olivia was astonished. She had hypnotized dozens of people down in the hall and commanded them to stop the priest. However, when you **** the connection between your minds, she failed to maintain those controls and she didn't even realize that until Brandon's arrival.

"Go back to hell, foul creature!" Brandon ran up to you and helped you fight against the master vampire.

The priest kept spelling some kind of exorcism in Latin. It miraculously weakened Olivia to some extent and helped you regain the control of your mind and body. Olivia growled horrifically but in her current state she couldn't significantly outmatch the two of you combined.

Fran moaned in pain on the bed beside you. Screaming angrily, you gathered all your strength and punched the stake right through Olivia's heart. Brandon didn't lower his guard and kept exorcizing until Olivia's hands that were grabbing your arms feebly dropped.

"James... If you had stayed..." Olivia looked at you and asked, "will you... and I..."

"I don't know." You shook your head.

She smiled helplessly and closed her eyes. Her body turned to ash and dropped on the floor along with the stake. A red mist rose from her remains and disappeared. It's over. Brandon panted heavily and he almost collapsed, too.

"James..." Fran opened her eyes and tried to reach out her hand.

"Fran! I'm here!" You immediately grabbed her hand and realized that the heat was consuming her body quickly. You turned around and yelled, "Priest Brandon! Please!"

"10 minutes, James!" Brandon worriedly grabbed the bottle of water on the bedside table and began to perform the blessing ritual, after he handed you the wooden stake.

"You hear that, Fran? You're gonna be okay..." You knew what Brandon meant and you accepted the stake with your hands shaking, "Just hang in there for 10 minutes, alright?"

"I feel like... burning..." Fran shivered and twitched as her body was dying from the invasive heat.

"I know... Try to take some deep breaths. It's not worse than that terrible, hot summer, right?" You held her hands tightly and smiled with tears, trying to comfort her as much as possible, "Stay with me, Fran... Please."

Fran's eyes flickered with the light of hope as they were struggling to stay open. The pain was evident in her expression, but she fought against it as she held on to your soft words as her anchor of life.

"We used to swim in the lake in the summer... The water... felt cool and all good..." She whispered and chuckled weakly, "I wish I can... go with you... one more time..."

"We'll go next summer... I promise..." You glanced at Brandon, and then back at Fran. You didn't know how much time he needed, or how much she had.

Fran was breathing slower and slower. You could feel her life slipping away with each exhale. Your heart was pounding heavily in your chest as it was about to be overwhelmed by sorrow.

"I love you, James... I'm sorry... Goodbye..." Fran spoke weakly at you before her eyes gradually shut and the smile on her face disappeared.

"No!"

"Here, James!" A few seconds later Brandon handed you the bottle.

You grabbed the bottle and quickly poured the holy water into Fran’s mouth. It immediately cleansed the remaining vampire blood in her mouth and ran straight through her throat. Fran twitched and screamed painfully before she fell ****. Her pulses were still weak, and so were her heartbeats.

"James..." Brandon gently grabbed your hand which was holding the stake.

"I’m not gonna give up... not on her..." You held Fran’s hand tightly and stared at her pale face.

"I’ll leave you two together." The priest sighed and went to the door.

As Brandon left, the room become quiet again except for your sobbing. You remembered Fran told you that she didn’t know what to do without you, and you felt the same about her, too. You looked at the stake in your hand for a few seconds, and threw it away. You leaned your head on the pillow beside her, and fell asleep with her hand held in yours.

Dec 28th. A new day finally came.

"James...?"

You woke up to a whisper calling your name. You sat up in surprised and saw Fran lying in bed, smiling at you. The warm sunlight shone through the window and landed on her smooth skin. Tears streamed down her face as you leaned over and hugged her tightly.

"Francesca..." You felt reborn.