Chapter 262: Blood powers?
As Blake's eyes began to glow with an intense red light, tears welled up and streamed down his face. But these were not ordinary tears; they were crimson, glistening with the hue of blood. Each tear that trickled down his cheeks left a trail of scarlet in its wake, a haunting testament to the turmoil raging within him.
His body trembled with an odd intensity , his chest heaving with each ragged breath. The red tears continued to flow unabated, staining his cheeks and dripping onto the cold stone floor below. It was a sight both mesmerizing and harrowing, as if the very essence of his anguish had manifested in the form of blood.
Nana, lost in her own grief, remained oblivious to Blake's transformation. Her sobs echoed through the cavern, a mournful chorus that reverberated off the walls. She was consumed by her sorrow, unaware of the miraculous spectacle unfolding before her.
As Blake rose to his feet, a strange sense of renewal washed over him, infusing his body with an unfamiliar energy. It pulsed within him, a potent force that seemed to surge through his veins with a life of its own. It was overwhelming, almost too much for him to contain.
'What... what is this?' Blake thought to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. He could feel the power coursing through him, electrifying his senses and heightening his awareness in ways he had never experienced before.
His eyes flickered with uncertainty as he surveyed the scene before him. Nana lay on the floor, her head bowed in despair as tears streamed down her cheeks. Blake's gaze softened as he watched her, a pang of unfamiliar emotion tugging at his heart.
Blake's mind raced as he took in the surreal scene unfolding before him. His eyes flickered with a mixture of confusion and awe, the red glow casting an otherworldly sheen over his features.
'Why is she crying?' Blake wondered. He couldn't understand why Nana would be so distraught, or why her tears seemed to stir something deep within him.
But as he stared at her intently, a strange sensation began to well up within him. It was a tightening in his chest, a feeling he couldn't quite place. Was it pity, or something else entirely?
Then, as if by some miracle, he noticed something very strange. His senses had sharpened, his awareness expanding to encompass the world around him in vivid detail. He could hear the steady thud of Nana's heartbeat, the rhythmic pulse reverberating through the air like a drumbeat.
And it wasn't just Nana's heartbeat he could hear. With a sense of astonishment, Blake realized that he could hear the heartbeats of Reggie, Gunther, and Randal as well. Each one beat with its own unique rhythm.
But it wasn't just his hearing that had changed. His eyesight, once sharp and clear, now seemed to pierce through the scene with an almost supernatural clarity. Every detail of the cavernous chamber was laid bare before him, illuminated by the eerie glow of his red gaze.
And then, as if to confirm his suspicions, Blake glanced down at his chest, where Elena's claws had once pierced his flesh. To his astonishment, the wound was gone, replaced by unblemished skin without even a trace of a scar.
A realization dawned on him, sudden and profound. The turning ritual had worked. He was no longer human, but something else entirely. He was a vampire.
As Blake tentatively raised his foot, he couldn't help but notice how much lighter it felt, as if he were floating on air. Encouraged, he lifted his other foot, taking a step forward with newfound grace and agility.
One step turned into two, then three, until he stood right in front of Nana, his presence commanding yet gentle. With a sense of determination, he bent down and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.
"Nana," he called softly, his voice tinged with an otherworldly resonance.
At the sound of her name, Nana's sobs began to subside, her tear-stained face lifting to meet Blake's gaze. There he stood, bathed in the eerie glow of his red eyes. Eyebrows furrowed, Nana took in the scene in silence, wiping away her tears and staring intently at Blake. Head to toe she looked at him about three times. Her entire world appeared to have been rocked just by the mere sight of him.
Nana's initial shock at seeing Blake in his transformed state gave way to disbelief, her mind struggling to comprehend the impossible. "Bl... Bl... Blake?" she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart pounding erratically in her chest.
But as the truth of Blake's resurrection sank in, disbelief melted into overwhelming joy, and Nana's features broke into a radiant smile. "B... Blake! You're... you're alive?" she stammered, her words tripping over each other in her haste to express her elation.
Tears of relief welled up in Nana's eyes as she launched herself into Blake's arms, clinging to him as if afraid he might die again. "I... I can't believe it! You're really alive!" she exclaimed, her voice choked with emotion, her heart overflowing with gratitude and happiness.
Blake stood there, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty. He knew he had changed, but the extent of his transformation eluded him. Turning to Nana, he pointed towards Reggie, Gunther, and Randal, his urgency palpable. "What happened to them?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Nana took a deep breath, her gaze shifting to the trio lying motionless on the ground. "During the process of feeding blood to your open wound," she began, her voice trailing off momentarily as she glanced at Blake's now unblemished chest. "They seemed to have been affected by the sun and loss of blood," she explained, her words measured and careful.
Blake nodded, a solemn expression crossing his features as he gently removed Nana's hands from his person. With purposeful strides, he made his way back to where he had been laid by Reggie earlier, his eyes fixed on the pool of clotted blood beneath him. Pausing for a moment, he raised his hand, and to his surprise, a round globule of blood floated upwards towards his palm.
He twirled his fingers about and the blood began to sort of glow vibrantly. As it did, parts of it flaked off into the air, disappearing like burning embers. The rest of it that remained was now more vibrant and bouncy. It was almost like he had unclotted the blood.
A smirk tugged at the corners of Blake's lips as realization dawned upon him. He had acquired blood powers of some sort, though the true extent remained a mystery. However, he had no intention of testing his newfound abilities just yet. His priority lay in saving the lives of Reggie and the others, whatever it took.
Nana stood in astonishment, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched Blake manipulate the blood with practiced ease, shaping it into intricate forms with a mere flick of his wrist. How did he know he could do that? The question lingered in her mind, unanswered and unsettling.
Her gaze shifted to the stream of blood trickling from Blake's eyes, a sight that sent a shiver down her spine. What was that about? So many questions swirled in her mind, but all she could do was stare at this person before her, this being who bore the semblance of Blake but seemed altogether different.
The strange aura that surrounded him made her feel uneasy, a sense of foreboding settling in the pit of her stomach. Despite her fear, she couldn't shake the feeling that, deep down, he was still the same man she had watched die only moments ago.
It was rather ironic that he now moved about unaided, unaffected by the injuries that had claimed the lives of Reggie and the others. Wait, wasn't he under direct sunlight now?!
"Blake!" Nana's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and in turn he lot focus and let the globe of blood drop suddenly to the ground.
"Please, you need to move away from the sun. As a newly turned vampire, you could be vulnerable to its harmful rays." She spoke with an edge of desperation, her words carrying the weight of her concern for his safety.
But Blake simply looked at her, his gaze unwavering as he turned his attention to the gaping hole in the cavern roof, through which the sunlight streamed in.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, his tone calm and collected. "I feel just fine."
Nana stood in a state of bewilderment, her mind still reeling from his cryptic response. "Just fine?!" What did he mean by that? Wasn't he affected by the sun? The thought gnawed at her, refusing to be dismissed.
'Wait?! Is he...immune to the sun? No...that would be...that would be...'
The idea seemed too incredible to comprehend, and yet, she couldn't find the right words to qualify it. It was a notion that defied logic, leaving her grappling for understanding in a sea of uncertainty. The sun and vampires was a sum that never added up, a bunch that was indivisible as the two went along yet were antagonistic.
Was Blake an anomaly? Now that she thought about it, Reggie, Gunther, Randal and even Elena, hell, every single vampire she had come across had certain features that Blake didn't seem to possess. For one, Blake's skin tone remained the same. It wasn't pallid as a vampire but instead appeared richer and more vibrant than it even was from before.
With a furrowed brow, Nana shifted her focus to scrutinizing Blake. Her eyes tracking his every move with a mixture of curiosity and concern. His hair, now longer and streaked with grey, fell in disarray around his face, a stark contrast to the man she once knew. But despite the changes in his appearance, his determination remained unchanged.
As she watched him approach Reggie, a floating globe of blood trailing behind him, Nana couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. Just what was Blake up to?...
****Author's note***
Check comment to see new character design.