Chapter 258: The turning ritual
The sudden plea from Blake caught them all off guard. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they exchanged uncertain glances, grappling with the weight of his words. It was a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation they found themselves in.
Reggie's brows furrowed as he processed Blake's plea. He glanced at Nana, then at Gunther and Randal, silently conveying the weight of the decision they now faced. This wasn't just about Blake's life anymore; it was about their principles, their loyalty to Rose, and their moral compass.
Nana bit her lip, torn between her instinct to protect and her fear of the consequences. Gunther and Randal remained silent, their expressions unreadable, lost in their own thoughts.
Reggie took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering as he met Blake's pleading eyes. "Are you sure about this, Blake?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. "It's a decision that can't be undone."
Nana's frustration boiled over, her voice rising with anger. "Reggie, are you serious?!" she exclaimed, her eyes blazing with intensity. "We don't have time for this! We can't just sit around debating whether a dying man wants to live or not!"
Reggie's jaw clenched as he felt the weight of Nana's words. He knew she was right, but the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him. "Nana, I understand," he replied, his tone strained. "But this isn't a decision to be made lightly. Turning someone into a vampire is a choice that changes everything."
Nana shook her head in frustration, her hands trembling at her sides. "I don't care!" she exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion. "We can't let him die like this, Reggie! Not when there's a chance we can save him!"
Reggie's expression softened as he looked at Nana, seeing the desperation in her eyes. He knew she was right; they couldn't stand idly by while Blake's life slipped away. Taking a deep breath, he made a decision.
"Alright," Reggie said, his voice resolute. "We'll do it. We'll turn him."
Reggie's gaze shifted to Nana, his expression grave. "Nana, there's a protocol we follow," he began, his voice measured. "As knights, we can't just turn someone into a vampire without the presence of the lord of the household or family in which we spawned from. It's not something we have the authority to do on our own."
Nana's brow furrowed in frustration. "But we don't have time to wait for your lord," she protested, desperation creeping into her voice. "Blake doesn't have much time left!"
Reggie nodded in agreement. "I know, Nana," he replied solemnly. "That's why we'll have to resort to a turning ritual."
Nana's eyes widened in confusion. "A turning ritual? What's that?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Reggie sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the situation. "It's... complicated," he admitted, choosing his words carefully. "You see, vampires are considered undead creatures for a reason. Before a human can become a vampire, they have to die and be reborn through a ritual."
Nana's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat. "You mean... Blake has to die?" she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Reggie nodded gravely. "Yes," he confirmed, his voice barely audible over the sound of crashing waves. "And there's no guarantee that the ritual will work. It's... risky, to say the least."
Nana's hands trembled at her sides as she looked at Blake, his breathing shallow and labored. Tears welled up in her eyes as the reality of their situation sank in. "Are you serious?!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with emotion. "We can't just let him die like this!"
Reggie's heart ached at the desperation in Nana's voice. "I know, Nana," he said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But we're running out of options. It's either this or we lose him for good."
Nana's gaze flickered between Reggie and Blake, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty. "Alright," she said finally, her voice trembling. "Let's do it. We have to try."
Reggie nodded solemnly at his brothers, and they swiftly moved to lift Blake from the ground, their movements urgent and purposeful.
Nana's brow furrowed in confusion as she watched them. "Where are you taking him?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Reggie turned to face her, his expression determined. "We're heading straight to the source," he replied, his voice steady. "We're going to the island's volcano."
Nana's eyes widened in realization, a shiver running down her spine. "The shrine," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crashing waves. "You're taking him to the shrine."
Reggie nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes," he confirmed. "The same shrine where your people worshipped the sun god."
Nana's mind raced with conflicting thoughts. The shrine held deep significance for her people, a sacred place where they had sought solace and protection. But the vampires saw the sun god as their enemy. Why would Reggie choose to hold a turning ritual in the same shrine?
"Reggie, wait," she called out, her voice tinged with urgency. "Are you sure about this? Don't vampires see the sun god as their enemy. Why would you take Blake there?"
Reggie met Nana's gaze, his eyes reflecting a sense of determination tempered with sadness. "I know it seems risky," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "But the shrine holds powerful energy, and we need all the help we can get to make the ritual work. The vampire we all just witnessed, Duncan Salvador, he came from that shrine. He's the first vampire, born inside the volcano."
Nana's eyes widened in shock at Reggie's revelation, her mind reeling with the implications of his words. "I know of the legends but up until today I never thought any of it was actually true. But wait, you mean to tell me that Blake... he's going to become like that man?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
Reggie nodded solemnly, his expression grave. "I don't know," he confirmed. "We're going to have to recreate the same process. It's the only chance we have to save him."
Nana's heart sank at the weight of Reggie's words, the gravity of their situation bearing down on her. "But what if it doesn't work?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waves crashing against the shore.
Reggie's jaw tightened with determination as he met Nana's gaze, his eyes filled with a steely resolve. "We have to try," he declared, his voice tinged with conviction.
The beachside seemed to blur as Reggie and his brothers summoned shadows to envelop them, wrapping them in a ball of darkness. In an instant, the ball picked up speed, hurtling through the air with incredible velocity, leaving behind a trail of swirling shadows.
As they streaked through the forest, trees blurred past in a dizzying frenzy, the wind whipping against their faces. Time seemed to warp and bend around them, the world outside the cocoon of darkness a mere blur.
After what felt like an eternity, the ball of shadows slowed to a halt, gradually dissipating to reveal Reggie and his brothers standing alongside Nana. The air around them was cool and damp, the scent of earth and moss filling their nostrils.
Nana stepped out cautiously, her eyes widening in awe as she took in their surroundings. Before them loomed the entrance to a cave, its yawning maw beckoning them into its depths.
"How did we get here so fast?" Nana murmured, her voice filled with wonder and confusion. She glanced back at Reggie and his brothers, her gaze searching for answers.
She was mesmerized by how much power they weilded yet when she remembered what they had seen in the hands of Duncan Salvador, it was crystal clear that there were levels to how strong vampires were.Being a human, it made her think of how pathetic she was even against the weakest of a vampire.These vampires in front of her now at any point could instantly kill her and nothing would happen.But instead they had something on their minds.
Rescuing Blake was their top priority.