It has been a long time since the urge to write as hit me. I wanted to delve a little deeper into what was going on in Gabriel's mind as he turned into a vampire.

As the globe on top the tower began to glow, we paused in our quest waiting for the portal leading to the realm of the Forgotten One to open. It's not that I was there with any great desire to save the world. It was more like I was doing this, because I had nothing else. Nothing at all. After Marie had gone to heaven, taking the God's Mask with her, I had only stood numbly gazing over the precipice of the towering rock column I had just defeated Satan on. I had no more tears to shed. No purpose. Nothing. Oh, how I wished to go with her, but once again my fate pulled me away from the only thing I cared about. It was then that I heard Laura's call, her cry for help, which pulled my body from the spot I had stood like a statue.

I didn't even question Laura, or suspect her motives once she had explained about the impending danger from yet another demon from long past. We had a connection she and I, a sort of bond that had formed from our last encounter. We were both trapped in roles dictated by other. She a vampire, forced to perpetually survive due to her nature that Camellia had forced upon her. And Me, God's Chosen, who was nothing more than a puppet led on by destiny.

I was pulled out of my dark reflection by the completion of the opening of the portal. I turned to her, a brief surge of protectiveness surging through my body for this fellow trapped soul.

"The portal is open. I will go in. You stay here."

I was surprised by her outburst, the actual worry in her voice as she proclaimed that I would die in the realm before us due to my humanity.

"Only dark beings can survive there," was her proclamation. Had I not felt so empty inside, I would have scoffed. Instead I merely stated the obvious.

"There is darkness in me."

It was the truth, despite how I hated him; Zobek had driven that point home. I could no longer turn a blind eye to my own nature.

"Yes." She quietly admitted, "But there is also love, compassion, and tenderness. You must leave it all behind. You must become a creature like me."

She then bit into her left wrist; blood flecks splattered her face. Small rivers of the substance ran down her arm, dripping off her elbow as she offered me the crimson substance. Another man would have balked, protesting to find another way. I merely looked at her, the sadness in her gaze confirming that this was indeed the only way.

"Drink my blood. Its power can protect you once you get to the other side." She briefly paused, her eyes filling with pity as she softly added, "I'm sorry your have no choice."

I stroked the side of her face, a silent thank you for her compassion to my situation. She was right of course.

"I know. I never did."

I broke eye contact and prepared myself. If this was my fate, then so be it. I had no more desire to fight against the inevitable. I grabbed her arm, somewhat roughly as anger at my helplessness once again flooded my being. I bit her arm, widening the wound she had already inflected. I drank several mouthfuls of the coppery tasting substance. However, as soon as it hit my stomach, I stopped. Panting, I felt a burning sensation spread throughout my body. My whole body began to revolt. I had the urge to vomit, bile rising in the back of my throat. I swallowed it back and cried out.

"What is happening to me?"

It was a stupid question, for we both knew what was going on. I was changing into a vampire. But it was the terrible sensation of liquid fire burning through my body, which prompted me to speak aloud. I collapsed to the ground, barely holding myself up with my trembling arms as blood dribbled off my chin.

With the gentleness of understanding, Laura explained, "My blood is burning through your veins. It is a powerful poison that will soon…kill you."

I sat up, trying to listen to her words as the pain spread to every inch of my body. She had come closer; knowing the agony my body was going through.

"You must keep drinking from me"

I sat there dumbly until her words penetrated through the pain.

"What! No." I exclaimed in horror. The pain I was in rivaled that of when Zobek essentially killed me as he manipulated my body with that damned gauntlet. How could I possibly ingest more of that vile substance? I could only pant as she continued.

"My blood must completely replace yours. You must continue to the last drop. Many lifetimes I have lived, many I have killed. All my power will be yours now."

I sat there, horror filling me as I realized what she was asking of me. "No. Laura, Please!" I could not do this again. Even though she wasn't an innocent soul like Marie or Claudia, I could not bear the thought of being responsible for the death of yet another.

"Do it now or you will die! Free me from this miserable existence. I beg you!" she cried. "Free me."

The sorrow in her voice cut through the pain, reaching through the numbness that I had thought swallowed my very soul. Apparently she was right in that I still had compassion left. I could not ignore her plea. However, rising with the compassion, came vicious anger. She would be freed from her miserable existence, while yet again, I would be left behind. My thoughts clouded as I felt a surge of bloodlust. I grabbed her roughly and bit once again into her bleeding wrist. Greedily, I devoured her blood. Gulp by gulp, I drained her dry as she screamed.

As the blood stopped flowing into my mouth, I sat back on my heels; Laura sprawled out across my lap. The bloodlust that had consumed my very being was gone. I simple stared at her as her body began to turn to ash. Her ashes floated away, leaving me gazing at my hand that had supported her lifeless body. The burning of my body had abated for the time being. As the blood began to dry on my face, I remembered the entire purpose behind Laura's death. I stood up and made my way to the portal. All my thoughts focused on just one thing, the death of my enemy. I had become a harbinger of death, and the Forgotten One was my next target. With this in mind I stepped through the portal, leaving another piece of my shattered soul to float away with Laura's ashes.