It had been two months since Laurel had seen her sister's dead body. Lucy was only 10. She was her baby, her sunlight. Two years ago, her father died, and now her sister was gone, too. How could she go on after this wrongful death? She felt such pain, anger, and hate for those who had done this to her sister. Her mother promised her that she would do everything to find the truth. Laurel could do nothing but wait. In the meantime, her mother made her practice her powers every day. She was, now, able to teleport in small distances and get a few meters higher than the ground, almost like flying.

"Tomorrow is my birthday,'' she thought. ''It doesn't matter; no one is here to celebrate'.' Her friend Thomas tried to contact her, but she wasn't ready. She knew what he would tell her, and it wouldn't make the pain go away. No, she needed something else but couldn't name it.

In the middle of the night, her mother returned.

''I found them,'' she told her.

''What? Where? Who could kill an innocent girl like that?''

''My love,'' said her mother and caressed her cheek. ''I need your help. More than one person was responsible for Lucy's death. One of them killed her, but they were all responsible. I have tracked them down. Will you help me avenge our Lucy?''

Laurel needed no second word on the matter. Revenge. That was what she wanted. These people had caused her pain and had taken her sister. Now, it was their turn to mourn and get hurt. She never questioned her mother. She told her who was responsible, and Laurel believed her.

Her first murder was a vampire clan leader. Her mother said that he wanted to get revenge for something that her father had done long ago. She needed no further excuse. She ripped his heart out, and when her mother insisted on burning his people alive, she didn't complain.

Her next victim was a small pack located in central Europe. According to her mother, this pack thought her father had betrayed their kind when he mated a witch. So, she went there and brutally killed the Alpha in front of his family. She tortured the rest of them with the assistance of her mother. Only when the children were left alive, she stopped. She saw the fright and horror in their eyes, the fire she had started at their homes, the torture they had seen.

''They are innocent, mum,'' she said. ''They are like our Lucy.''

''Maybe but they carry their fathers' sins, and one day when they are ready, they will want to attack you for what you did. I might not be there to help you, and I don't want you to get hurt by them. Don't be weak, Laurel, for mercy is weakness.''

''Mercy is weakness,'' she repeated, trusting her mother's wisdom and so she created a circle of fire around the poor souls, so high and so strong that no rain and no god could stop it.

''You need more training,'' her mother said, and she trusted her.

''Let's use some other source of magic,'' her mother said, and she followed her.

And so she used black magic, the darkest of all, the one that sends souls to hell and makes heaven cry.

She met her childhood friend, Thomas, one day. He had left his home because his father, the Beta, didn't approve of his mate because she was the daughter of an Omega, the lowest ranking werewolf. Rakel was beautiful like a Norse goddess, with pale skin and light blue eyes. They remembered the past, and through their talk, Thomas eased the fire that burnt Laurel's soul. Thomas's father sent his men to find his son and bring him back. They found him and Rakel. The two mates, after they escaped from the people who hunted them, started running. Thomas asked Laurel's help, and she ended Thomas's problems.

''You are now ready for the next step, my daughter,'' said her mother after witnessing her daughter use with virtuosity the black magic.

Thomas saw Laurel's eyes turn black, and for the first time, he saw how dark her heart had become. He saw how her mother used her, and he got scared of his friend's soul and future. They exchanged terrible words, and Thomas took his mate and left.

''I told you that love is weakness, Laurel. Look at your friend. He can't accept our power. If you find your mate, and he sees what you are capable of, he'll get envious and jealous, and he will want to take you down.''

''But you loved dad, right?''

''I was young when I met him. Now I know better, and trust me, my daughter, that I know what's best for you.''

''Alright, mum. I'll be careful, and I won't make mistakes.''

''Of course, you won't. You are a huntress, the strongest of your line. You can achieve everything! Don't you dare forget that!''

''I won't, mum. I promise.''

The supernatural world was getting scared by the darkness that surrounded them. A few witches tried to stop mother and daughter, but they were defeated. An ally came to them with a proposal for co-reign in the supernatural world. His name was Charles.

One and a half years had passed since Lucy's death, and Laurel's heart wasn't at peace. She had thought that revenge would bring her answers and would take the pain away. Instead, she felt worse than before. Late at night, after her training, she would let her mum and Charles make their plans, and she would go to bed. She couldn't sleep. Nightmares with children screaming and werewolves turned to dust woke her up every night. People were coming for her, and all she wanted to do is ask for mercy. But then her mother would tell her that mercy is weakness and warriors don't beg, only fight back and win.

She left and went to Russia. Her childhood friend, Lena, was there. She welcomed her, even if she knew her deeds. She welcomed the friend she once had and the soul that she had loved.

''Love isn't a weakness, Laurel. Your father loved you so much, and he wasn't weak.''

''No, he wasn't,'' she agreed.

''Then love yourself, stop hating, and causing more pain. After all, it hasn't helped with your mourning.''

''But, Lucy...'' she would say and break down with tears.

''What happened to your sister was terrible, yes, but it's no excuse for you to kill. You are better than that. Somewhere in there,'' Lena said and put Laurel's hand above her heart, ''is still the girl I used to play with. The girl that would always smile, love, laugh, and enjoy life. The girl that always thought before acting and the girl that made her father proud.''

''That girl is gone.''

''No, I believe she is still there, fighting for you. Help her. Stop that circle of violence. You won't bring your sister back. Rest and think about who you are. I believe in you, Laurel, and I know you are strong enough to stop it. Have faith in you.''

Laurel's head and heart were confused. All she could remember from the last years was pain and blood and fight and darkness. Her life before seemed to belong to someone else. Lena was right, Thomas was right. She couldn't recognize herself. Guilt and grief overwhelmed her. A hunter was meant to protect others from the monsters. What if she was now the monster?

She needed to stop. Her mother needed to be stopped. Laurel had to act. Her mother was planning something but wouldn't tell her what. Her instinct told her that something terrible was going to happen, and her instinct was never wrong. She went to the only place she would think of, where the first hunter's mate was born. There was a village of witches there, the descendants of the first witches, all-powerful and cunning. She hoped that they would answer her problem.

''We don't accept monsters here,'' they told her.

''Please,'' she begged them. "I need help. I've done terrible things, but now I see my mistakes. Please, help me stop my mother. I don't know how to end it.''

The witches denied her at first, but she kept begging for days. Finally, they took her to their eldest.

''There is darkness in your heart, strong enough to make hell scared. But there is also love and light, ready to fight for you.''

''Help me.''

''Your mother is powerful, and stopping her won't be easy.''

''But, there must be a way, right?''

''There is.''

''What? I'll do anything,'' she begged.

''There is an ancient type of power, stronger than everything else. People say it was that power that created the first hunter. The one who wields it must be strong, very strong, and even then, he might die in the process. If he doesn't, there is a terrible end coming for him because it is the power of gods, and no human should have it.''

''Tell me what to do.''

''If you make it and stop your mother and you don't die, you will go to another place, where you will be neither alive nor dead, but your soul will be tortured, and you will wish you were dead. Death isn't the worse that can happen to you.''

''I'm ready. I'll do it.''

And so she did it. She was powerful, and the magic accepted her. She found her mother and tried to talk her out of her plans. She talked to her about love and forgiveness and mercy, but her mother laughed and called her stupid. Laurel could see now. She was a fool to trust and believe her. Now, it was her only chance to fix it. In the battle that followed, she came close to death. The sky got dark, and all the animals ran away from them.

''How can you betray your mother like that?''

''I didn't mean to, but I must. You are wrong mom, you were always wrong, and I was a fool to believe you. Lucy would never want any of what we did. I'm sorry,'' she said and gave her mother the final strike.

Laurel fell to the ground, feeling the power leaving her and her soul being carried away. The elder witch was right.

Death wasn't the worst thing that could happen to her. Now, she knew it, and no one was there to save her.