The Shadow of the Simulacrum

Chapter 30: Embrace of Authority

Overwhelmed by the catastrophic day, Sarah realized that Jesse would never leave her in peace. He would stop at nothing to transform her into a creature like him. Exhausted, she trudged along, her eyes clouded with despair and hunger. She needed to feed. Heading toward the dumpsters in the heart of town, she found a few rats whose blood provided her with enough strength to carry on, granting her a momentary respite. The young woman then wandered the streets, admiring the shop windows in Whitechapel, savoring this fleeting moment of solitude.

Meanwhile, Gord, Wes, and a few other vampires joined their leader in the auditorium. One of them couldn't resist making a snide remark about Sarah. Jesse, overhearing the mockery, killed him on the spot, revealing his irritability and the bitterness of his failure to manipulate Sarah. He was tormented by her tenacity; she seemed so resolute and determined to stay true to her moral values. He wondered what drove her to face death with such bravery.

Furious beyond measure, Jesse abruptly ended the meeting with his followers and decided to leave the venue. He recalled the taste of Sarah's blood—unique and exquisite—and remembered the intoxicating effect it had on him. Her purity continued to captivate him. Despite everything, Sarah had remained empathetic, a quality that stood in stark contrast to his own cynicism and manipulative power. To Jesse, this purity was both a mystery and a source of fascination, especially since he had always gotten what he wanted as a leader.

Jesse was deeply enthralled by Sarah's unwavering determination, a quality that fascinated him beyond measure. Never, even in his greatest triumphs as a leader, had he encountered someone so fiercely resistant to his attempts at manipulation. Sarah's tenacity provoked him in a way he couldn't ignore, intensifying his desire to dominate her and bend her to his will. Accustomed to getting what he wanted, the fact that she dared to defy him sparked an unhealthy and obsessive need within him. How could she no longer be under his spell? How could she resist the blood he offered her? These questions endlessly circled in his mind, and her defiance only fueled his need for control and domination.

His frustration was fueled by his inability to accept her rejection and her stubborn defense of her moral values. He was lost in a consuming obsession, where each act of resistance from Sarah became a new challenge to overcome. This stubborn resistance only fed his desire to control her, turning her into a destructive fixation.

He nostalgically recalled the moments they had shared, losing himself in the memories of their past closeness. He could see himself in her arms again, feeling the warmth of her tenderness and the softness of her touch. Her smile, that smile that had the power to melt him, was etched in his mind like a soft glow in crushing darkness.

The physical connections they had shared now tormented him: the way her fingers ran through his hair when they kissed, or the comforting warmth of her arms wrapped around him, bringing him an indescribable warmth he couldn't find anywhere else.

These memories had become persistent ghosts, haunting every corner of his mind and amplifying his desire to reclaim Sarah. His passion for her, far from waning, burned with renewed intensity—a devouring love that drove him to do whatever it took to bring her back to him. The purity and beauty of her soul, in such stark contrast to his own darkness, sparked an insatiable obsession within him—a desperate need to reclaim her, not merely as a conquest, but as the missing piece of his tortured existence.

Sarah was far more than simply beautiful to him; she embodied everything he had lost and everything he desperately wished to regain. Seeing her suffer was never his primary intention, but he sincerely believed his actions were for her own good. Jesse, resorting only to pressure and manipulation, knew only coercive tactics to impose his will. His methods included threats and intimidating gestures, not to destroy her mentally or psychologically, but solely to persuade her to yield.