My Stepmom Is A Vampire & Her Entire Bloodline Wants To Breed Me

Chapter 231: Essence Of Life

Everyone stepped back instinctively. Even Diane, who had been silent the entire time, moved forward and raised her scythe, positioning herself protectively in front of Bianca and Maria, knowing they had less combat power than the rest.

Leah, who had been yawning just moments ago, straightened at once. Her expression sharpened as she sensed something was wrong.

The temperature in the room dropped noticeably as her bloodstyle reacted, frost creeping along the walls. Seamus and Fleur stepped forward together, already prepared.

"Damn it... I should have realized sooner," Seamus muttered under his breath.

Mark laughed, the sound hoarse and broken. Blood spilled from his mouth as he coughed, yet his grin remained.

"Relax. I’m on your side. No. I’m on my own side."

"What?" Seamus and Fleur said at the same time.

"You should have noticed," Mark continued, leaning back against the chair. "The evolution, the clues, everything I handed to you. I’m not on Latros’s side."

"That makes no sense," Fleur replied sharply. "There is plenty of evidence that you worked for him."

"He’s lying!" Maria shouted.

Her voice trembled, anger and fear tangled together. "I saw your past. You worked with Robert Latros. He called you his friend. You talked about changing the world, about vampires ruling it!"

Mark sighed heavily, as if genuinely disappointed. "Was my assessment of all of you wrong? I expected sharper minds."

"Shut up," Seamus snapped. "Your life is in my hands. Explain it properly. Use your mouth."

Mark laughed again, louder this time, bordering on hysterical. "Playing tough won’t save you, boy. Especially not against Robert. If I don’t help you prepare, all of you will be dead in minutes."

His eyes sharpened, filled with twisted amusement. "You should be thanking me. Praising me. Your lives depend on me."

The way he spoke was wrong. This wasn’t the Mark from the Red Zone, nor the desperate old man who begged for mercy.

It felt like a fractured personality, a mask switching mid sentence. Seamus felt his patience snap.

And for some reason, a theory formed in Seamus’ mind about what Mark actually was. The clone, his past, the clues he said. It leads to one thing.

He struck Mark hard across the face.

The laughter died instantly.

A shadow stretched behind Mark, condensing into a tall figure. Long hair cascaded down its back, crimson eyes burning as they stared at him.

"Robert... no... this is just a nightmare," Mark whispered, terror finally breaking through his arrogance.

"It stops being a nightmare when you forget your place," Seamus said calmly. "This domain is mine. Your mind is weak here."

He raised his hand slowly.

"Your memories may be empty. Your identity may be fabricated. But fear never lies. And I know exactly who you fear most."

The shadows multiplied. Figures formed around Mark, each one identical. Each one wearing Robert’s face, each set of crimson eyes staring down at him.

Mark’s breathing turned ragged.

"You should have been afraid of your creator from the beginning," Seamus said quietly.

Mark swallowed hard. "So... you know," he murmured.

"I know what you are," Seamus began calmly.

"You’re a living clone created by Robert. Maybe even through force, judging by how clearly you never wanted to exist this long."

His gaze hardened slightly. "I heard everything from Maria. Your past, your choices."

His eyes shifted briefly toward Dylan. "I know someone who feels disappointed by the power he suddenly gained."

"And someone else who shares your past, someone who still hates being a vampire, who stays on the human side even after becoming the very thing she despised."

He looked back at Mark. "You were human. They were human. Everyone here was human once. That’s why I understand you more than you think."

"Someone like you would never want to turn into a monster that resembles a vampire."

There was a pause before Seamus continued, quieter but sharper. "So why the change of heart? Even when your body was controlled by Robert, but the fact that you made an agreement with him, it won’t change."

Mark let out a low chuckle and dropped his gaze. His eyes looked distant, unfocused, as memories surfaced.

"You’re right," Mark said slowly. "I can’t escape Robert’s grasp, even in death."

"But being controlled isn’t the right word. He can hear me. He can see me even from kilometers away. But he cannot read my thoughts. That’s the only place I was ever free."

He lifted his head slightly. "And your domain," he added, "cuts his sight and hearing off completely. That was never an accident. That was my plan."

Silence spread through the room. One by one, weapons lowered. Even Leah relaxed her bloodstyle, the cold in the air slowly fading as everyone focused on Mark’s words.

Mark’s gaze moved to Maria. "You were right about what makes us human. It isn’t just our bloodline or our bodies. It’s our morals. Our minds. The lines we choose not to cross."

His fingers twitched weakly against the rope. "The moment I saw Robert cross that line, I knew my choice had been wrong. That’s why I never took the golden liquid we called the Essence of Life. I threw it away."

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "And yet I still woke up in a new body, with the same consciousness."

"Funny, isn’t it? Makes you question what a soul really is. Are we just energy spread across this universe like all beings? Or something that refuses to disappear?"

He inhaled deeply, then began recounting everything. The experiments. The moment Robert crosses the line. How every step after that was about sabotage disguised as loyalty.

Everyone listened in silence, weighing every word, every pause, every crack in his voice.

Seamus didn’t interrupt.

He knew Mark wasn’t lying.

And for the first time all his questions were answered and now he know that Andrew and the rest was in danger.

’Damn it, I wanted to breath just for a while.’ He sighed and massaged his temple in frustration.