MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Chapter 266: New body, old ghosts

As Reggie and his brothers continued their hushed discussion, an uneasy silence settled over the dilapidated safe house. Blake was left alone in the house with Nana, the weight of recent events hanging palpably in the air as he stood alone in the sitting room.

Blake's gaze drifted towards the grimy window, peering out at the vibrant tapestry of city life unfolding beyond the glass. People milled about, going to and fro with an almost frantic energy, blissfully unaware of the dark undercurrents swirling just beneath the surface.

He watched them, his newly heightened senses picking up on things a normal human could never perceive. The flutter of heartbeats, both steady and erratic. The rise and fall of anxious breaths intermingled with raucous laughter and gossips. Even his sense smell had advanced. A whole hidden world laid bare before him.

It was at once wondrous and deeply unsettling.

As Blake studied the passersby, his mind inevitably turned inward, ruminating on the harrowing chain of events that had brought him to this strange, liminal existence. All the pain, the betrayal, the sheer anguish – had it all been some perverse prelude to his recent metamorphosis?

A slight rustle behind him prompted Blake to turn. There stood Nana, hovering almost hesitantly at the foot of the stairs. Her eyes were tinged with melancholy, underscored by the weary lines etched into her delicate features.

As she walked closer to him, "What troubles you?" she asked, her voice soft yet laced with concern.

Blake opened his mouth to deflect, to insist that all was well. With a weary sigh, he simply shook his head.

"Nothing..." he murmured "I'm simply admiring the beauty outside."

An unspoken depth of understanding seemed to pass between them then. For all their differences, Blake and Nana now found themselves united as exiles of the uncanny, strangers in a reality that no longer made sense.

"What about you?..." Blake ventured carefully. "How are you feeling? Judging from these past events especially what happened to Kabib, how are you coping?"

Nana barked out a hollow laugh, surprising even herself with the bitter cynicism laced into the sharp sound.

"I know it's not easy dealing with all these changes." he said, turning to face her fully. "To lose the love of your life suddenly, to be left with the stress of living in hiding?" He shook his head slowly. "Sometimes I wonder how you still manage to smile and encourage others...despite what you're going through."

Nana's brow furrowed, her eyes glimmering with a profound sort of composure that belied her youthful visage. "I am fine, you don't need to worry yourself about me Blake. You have more problems than I do, and besides it wasn't your fault. Kabib attacked you and Elena did...she did what she did. Nobody is to be blamed for what happened".

But Blake could see that she was not really okay. He could sense she was still grieving the loss of Kabib and was only trying to put on a brave face.

Blake placed a comforting hand on her arm, holding her gaze steadily. He was speechless for a moment before he finally spoke, "Whatever it is, I know you'll be fine. You are a strong and brave woman, Nana. Do not let the doubts and fears cloud that Truth."

His words washed over her like a soothing balm, calming the swirling grief that had consumed her heart. She studied his face anew, perceiving for the first time the quiet resilience that lay beneath his demeanor.

This woman had borne witness to atrocities, had her entire world upended in the most brutal fashion. Yet still she soldiered on, clinging to hope and her own unshakeable sense of self. Perhaps she saw something of that same fortitude buried within Blake as well.

Offering him a tentative smile, she inclined her head respectfully. "Thank you, Blake. Your counsel is...appreciated, more than you know."

He returned the smile, radiant and warm. "Of course. We're all adrift in these strange tides together. We must lend each other strength where we can find it."

A comfortable silence settled between them, the unspoken solidarity a poignant balm. Eventually, Nana's eyes strayed towards the interior of the safe house, her expression turning wistful.

"This city...was it your home before everything happened?" She glanced back at Blake inquisitively. "The life you knew?"

Blake considered the question for a long moment before giving a slow shake of his head. "Not entirely, but places very much like it," he admitted. "Urban sprawl and steel and glass - that was the predominant backdrop to my existence, yes."

He let out a rueful chuckle. "Hell of a change of scenery from the lush, secluded shores of your island home, I'd wager."

Nana's expression turned positively rapturous as she drank in her new surroundings with fresh eyes. "It's all so...vibrant. Alive in a whole different way than what I'm familiar with."

Her gaze fell on the simple blue linen dress Reggie had procured for her, a stark contrast to the flowing, earthy garments of her people. "Even the clothing is strange and wonderful."

With a sweeping gesture, she indicated the shabby living quarters around them. "And these dwellings! So starkly functional compared to our hand-crafted homes made from the land itself."

Blake couldn't help but smile at her unbridled sense of awe and curiosity. To her, the drab monotony of urban living must seem like an exotic new world to explore.

"I'm glad this new reality isn't weighing you down" he remarked with a lopsided grin. "Maybe I could stand to take a page from your book on cherishing life's little marvels."

Clearing his throat, Blake excused himself to the modest bathroom, leaving Nana to her wide-eyed wonder. As he stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror, he remembered Rose, the beautiful moments they shared together.

But that was'nt the only thing on his mind either. His smile faltered, replaced by a scowl of intense introspection. While they didn't know, he could hear the conversations between Reggie and his brothers. They didn't trust him which wasn't entirely surprising. He realized they had their concerns about his current mental state but that was to be put aside for more pressing matters.

Rose was still out there and the need to be with her was ever present. However, some other need consumed him wholely.

Elena's face flashed in his mind's eye, the memory of her deception still like a deep, festering wound. Then, the flashes of Reggie's violent clashes with the malevolent vampire, Elena, her crazed eyes burning with dark fervor as she and Reggie fought.

Elena was comparatively stronger than all of them, perhaps that may be the reason Reggie and his brothers advised not to confront her yet because they were probably scared of her.

As Blake stared into the mirror, his own reflection seemed to mock him. He ran a hand through his now longer, gray and black hair, his eyes narrowing with determination.

"You soft, diplomatic fool," he muttered to his reflection, his voice tinged with self-reproach. "Your reluctance to act, to take a stand, it's what got us into this mess in the first place."

He traced the outline of his jawline with his fingertips, the cold surface of the mirror providing a stark contrast to the heat of his emotions. "In the past, I would've blamed it on my lack of strength, my powerlessness in the face of supernatural forces. But now..."

He paused, his gaze hardening as he met his own eyes in the mirror. "Now, there's no excuse. No reason to stay on the sidelines while others dictate the course of our lives."

With a determined nod, Blake straightened his shoulders, a newfound resolve coursing through his veins. "From now on, I take control. I make the decisions. And I'll be damned if I let anyone else determine my fate."

A snarl curled Blake's lip as he reached a sudden, ironclad resolution. As formidable an adversary as Elena might be, she could not be permitted to continue her reign of terror unchallenged. Not after all the death and suffering she had wrought.

No, he mused grimly, she would have to be stopped - by whatever means necessary. Even if it meant calling upon the darkest capacities of his own newfound vampiric state.

As the steely conviction coursed through him, Blake felt it like an electrical charge, a prickling rush of intensity fizzling beneath his skin. His eyes snapped up to the mirror, only to be met with a reflection that caused his very blood to run cold.

Two burning rubies stared back at him from the glass, branding his features with an unholy crimson cast. Bloody tears began tracing lurid paths down his cheeks, seeping from his furiously glowing orbs like congealed anguish given liquid form.

Blake slammed his hands down on the bathroom counter, a wordless snarl tearing free from his clenched jaws. The mirror shook violently before exploding in a shower of shattered glass, his rage momentarily escaping his control.

As the glittering shards settled, Blake heaved a shuddering breath, feeling the eerie energy slowly subside and trickle away. His eyes faded back to their usual hue, and when he lifted his head, the normal features of his reflection reasserted themselves once more.

It was a sobering reminder -- while his determination burned bright and undaunted, the darkness within also lurked perilously close to the surface. And if he wasn't careful, it threatened to consume him entirely.

Whatever happened from here, he would see Elena's madness brought to an end. No matter how unnerving the methods he may need to employ.

Nothing would deter Blake from his righteous path of vengeance against Elena. Not the uncertainty of his new vampiric condition, nor the doubts voiced by Reggie and his brothers. A simmering determination burned within him, an inextinguishable flame that would see justice served, no matter the cost.