"My life story is much longer than you can imagine, so I won't trouble you with all the details." Helen started saying as she sat down on the same bench where Tobias finished his tale.

"Just so that you may better understand my actions, I have to tell you a few important highlights of my life. I was human such a long time ago that I no longer even remember how it felt to be human. The only thing I do remember is the night I turned.

I was walking through a dark forest on my way home when it happened.

You see, although it was getting dark, I decided to take a shortcut through the dense forest. After all, I was strong and agile, the most skillful hunter of my tribe, nothing scared me.

I knew that I could handle any living being that dared mistake me for easy prey. So, when I sensed a presence looming in the darkness nearby, I wasn't scared. Although it didn't feel like anything I had felt before, it didn't frighten me, it just made me curious.

Imagine my surprise when soon enough, a figure of a dark-haired man popped out of nowhere and stood in front of me with his eyes blazing bright red. A wave of horror washed over me. It made my hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Every instinct in my body told me to run.

I didn't run.

My hunter self couldn't back down. After all, I was the Great Huntress of my tribe.

My courage made him hesitate for a second. It wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

Everything moved in slow motion, as he savagely bit into my neck and my hands flailed helplessly trying to save my life.

I found out later, that my bravery was the only thing that saved me from becoming just another dinner, whose body was disposed of after serving its feeding purposes.

The vampire who turned me had decided that I would be a great addition to his clan, that I had potential. It was the only reason he didn't bleed me dry.

Only later did I find out that he was something like a vampire royalty. He saw me as the perfect candidate to be his second in command. You could say that after the excruciating pain of turning, I became the vampire princess.

I am ashamed to say that I became the most savage vampire, the vampire society had ever seen, and I was loyal to a fault. Even humans started telling tales of a vengeful demon who drank human blood.

I never questioned Aludracs orders, I just did what I was told. Honestly, I was a bloodthirsty animal, and I loved every second of it.

My favorite thing to do was to bathe in the blood of my enemies. I've lost count of how many human lives I have drained just for the pure pleasure of it. Still, I do remember my first kill.

I had just woken up after being turned and I could smell something, a delicious scent wafting into space I was in. I didn't know where I was or what was happening, but I knew I had to follow that aromatic smell which I did on reflex.

Soon enough, I found the source of the wonderful aroma of fear, sweat, and something metallic that I couldn't identify.

There in front of me was a small family, mother, father, and their two children. They were trembling with fear, and I barely noticed the other vampires who seemed to have been herding them like cattle.

My focus was on their necks, on that beautiful full vein that was pulsating with life. Every pulse felt like a call for me to bite into it, to extract the precious liquid, to savor its rich taste that was hinted at through the incredible smell.

I bit into the mother's neck while her children were screaming and crying for their mummy and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Never before had I felt so much energy buzzing through my body and I wanted more, I wanted so much more.

Suddenly, I broke out of my trance when I felt the woman's body had no more blood to give. As her husband cursed at me trying to get free from the vampires who were holding him back, I started wondering what I had done.

That was when he showed up and told me everything was okay. He even started feeding on one of the children, bleeding him dry in a matter of seconds.

He always did have a voluptuous appetite, as I would learn later on, but that time he drank up to show me that it was okay, that it was a normal thing to do.

"It's us or them, little one," he said.

"Don't you want to live?' he added.

Since I did want to live, I approached the struggling man and started lapping up his blood enjoying his struggles, the thrill they gave me.

You might not believe me, but I thought it was the same as hunting the animals, only in this case we were fighting for survival, at least that was what I was told. Maybe I was enjoying it more than others, but I was told it was normal. I believed him. Kill or be killed." Helen said.

Upon seeing the scared and disgusted expression on Cecilia's face, she quickly went on with the story, skipping some gruesome details that weren't crucial to her story.

"Anyway, I became his most cherished subject, his tool. My name was used to scare vampires into obedience, and even humans were afraid of the red-eyed demon.

However, everything changed one day.

I was asked to murder another innocent human, to kill her, but not feed on her. I thought that was wasteful, but still, I agreed.

When I tracked her down, she was standing near a lake, looking so peaceful and happy, a sentiment that at the time I couldn't identify.

Something about her was eerily familiar.

I felt a strange connection to that human girl who was enjoying the beauty of the lake. It made me hesitate.

Then I saw my reflection in the lake that was in such a striking contrast with the girl's innocent expression, the expression that seemed to shine with some inner light of joy.

When I saw the monster preying on the young girl, I backed away.

Seconds later, before I even had the time to register what was happening, she was viciously torn apart by a group of vampires who weren't even supposed to be there. I screamed at them to stop, but it was already too late.

Her blood was all over my face and clothes. For the first time since I turned, I felt repulsed by the red liquid that gave me life.

Body parts of that fragile being had been strewn around me, and I couldn't stand the horrible sight in front of me, I ran away.

Later on, I overheard the other vampires saying that I was still too weak, that there was too much humanity left in me. That was when I also learned that the girl was related to my human self.

I guess they thought that if they wanted to get a perfect killing machine, they had to make it kill its kin, to be sure that it would kill anyone, anywhere, at any given time.

That was when something snapped in me, and I murdered all those vampires who killed the girl, who slaughtered my once-kin.

However, my rage wasn't satiate after that, because I realized everything they had told me was a lie. It was then that it became clear to me that we were monsters, the murderers of innocence and I needed to destroy to feel better.

So I went on and slaughtered the man who made me, the one to whom I had always been nothing but loyal. I cut his head off and burned his body and anyone who stood in my way without even blinking.

Killing your sire doesn't kill you, but it sure does hurt. I didn't care. Embracing the pain was easy. I needed to kill the monster who turned me into one.

I couldn't kill myself, I was too weak for that, so I thought killing him was the next best thing." Helen said as she took a deep, unnecessary breath to steady herself.

While she did that, Cecilia couldn't help but think that they were much more similar than she wanted to admit. It was a strange thing for her to note but an undeniable one.

"I told you all this because it was what made me who I was when I finally met Tobias.

After what I had done, I spent a lot of time trying to repent for my sins, to find redemption.

Knowing that you are this terrible monster who has taken so many innocent lives is a difficult burden to bear. Especially because I can dimly remember that once upon a time, I was a huntress, pure-hearted huntress. I only hunted for food and protection of my village.

Upon becoming a vampire, I became the worst predator anyone had seen, and I hate myself for it. I hate that I was so weak that I let others govern my actions. Also, I despise that it took me so long to see the truth, that I was being used as a puppet.

That day, when I saw those vampires feeding on Tobias, I saw in them all the worst there was in me. Knowing the diluted story of what I did and who I was, produced enough fear to stop them, to save him.

Did I do it for a selfless reason?

No, I didn't.

I saw him as my ticket to redemption.

Shame is a weak word to describe how I fell for trying to use him for my selfish reasons, but at the time, I didn't care.

While he was going through the transformation, I prepared blood for him, bottled blood, because I had a feeling he wouldn't feel comfortable immediately feeding on a live human.

But when he had finally risen, he wasn't behaving the way I expected him to.

He seemed to remember his human life very well, and he even managed to run away from me, to go through me.

It was such a surprise that it took me a few moments to get over the shock and follow him. Unfortunately, when I finally got there, it was already too late. He had already murdered the woman he loved in his newborn daze.

At least I managed to save him from the pointlessness of revenge since it doesn't solve anything, it just creates more problems. I would know. I was almost executed for my 'crimes' as they call them. Finally, they decided it would be a waste to destroy such a well-formed vampire.

They probably thought they could use me for their own selfish goals, but they were wrong. I went into hiding, and they haven't found me yet. Although I do fear the Vampire Council will be coming here after what you and Tobias did. We might even have to run.

Anyway, at that very moment that I saw Tobias' heart shatter, something in me changed. I decided that I would protect that boy and do everything in my power to help him out.

I truly care about him, I don't know how or why, but I see him as...well I guess I see him as my son or the closest thing I would get to a son.

That is why I, The Great Huntress of my tribe, former vampire princess, and Tobias' friend beg you not to break his heart, not to crush his soul or whatever it is we, vampires, have." Helen finished her story, looking deep into Cecilia's eyes.