When they got to Vampire Mountain, Kurda immediately got two medics to give him a full check. When he was done, he went to help check Larten's wounds.

"I'm sorry," he said as he attended to his wounds. "I didn't know they would have you tortured so seriously."

"It is not your fault," Larten reassured Kurda, and then they both lapped into thoughtful silence.

"Why do you think the vampaneze let us go?" Both of them suddenly asked each other at the same time. Kurda laughed.

"Beats me," he said, pondering. "We didn't get to see whoever that's in charge, but I think that we were definitely released on his orders."

"But why?" Larten mused aloud, asking the most baffling question of all. "You were the best person to kidnap after the Princes."

Kurda shrugged.

"No idea," he answered. "Maybe it was someone we know?"

Larten shook his head disbelievingly and went quiet. From his somber facial expressions, Kurda could tell that he was worried. He too, fell silent, helping Larten bandage his wounds and at the same time, contemplating the uncertain future.

Kurda was snoring loudly when Vanez stepped into his cell with the other Princes. They sat down and decided not to disturb Kurda's slumber as he had not slept well for quite a long period of time.

"He's a nice guy, just that he's had a horrible life," Vanez sighed.

"I'd never heard of him speak of his human years before," Darren brought up the subject rather abruptly.

"I only have the rough picture of what happened ……" Vanez began as Kurda let out a too-loud-to-be-true snore and rolled off the bed onto the floor and blinked.

"I'll tell my life story myself, if you please," Kurda started mildly. "All of you have different reasons for becoming a vampire, maybe you craved for power or just the super-naturalness. My reason was that I became an outcast of society.

"I won't elaborate on my younger years – I went to school and got into trouble – but the major turning point of my life was that I was convicted of murder, a death sentence, but it was turned to manslaughter. I must have spent at least five years on the death row and fifteen years in prison at around sixteen."

"That young?" Darren burst out. Kurda grinned sadistically at him.

"I was a co-founder of a street-gang." Darren nodded and bade him to continue.

"I studied in prison and earned my diploma in there as well. When I was released on parole, I wanted to turn over a new leaf. Therefore I left my hometown to other cities where I could begin life over again.

"But as you all know, finding a job is twice as difficult for an ex-convict. Try as I might, nobody wanted to employ a killer. So, I gave up all thoughts of settling down properly and decided to just roam the world. Then, by luck, I met Vancha, got hooked up into the vampire world, and I was blooded."

"Oh! No wonder you never had any pleasure in fighting," Vanez exclaimed, understanding dawning on him.

"Once bitten, twice shy," Kurda grinned bitterly. "Even if that quote isn't definitely accurate used in my case."

"Then that explains your peaceful nature!" Mika finally understood.

Kurda nodded.

"I found out from Vancha that vampaneze were once united with us, I just decided to take a gamble and see if I can succeed in getting them to reunite with us again."

"Only that the mini-gamble turned into a life-and-death gamble and you HAD to make a choice, isn't it?" Darren finished for Kurda. Kurda laughed.

"That's about it."

"Not many people know about my background," Kurda began ticking off names. "Gavner Purl, Vancha, Vanez… no one else. I only tell it to people whom I really, really trust. I had to tell you since you accepted me into your ranks, except that I wanted to tell you personally."

Kurda stressed on the last word and shot a fierce glare at Vanez who was snickering.

"Relax, we won't tell anyone, right?" Darren piped up and everyone in the cell nodded in unison.

"But…" Kurda hesitated.

"Go on," Larten prompted encouraging.

"What do you think about me now? Has my impression changed?" Kurda asked worriedly.

"No!" Vancha burst out into hysterical bouts of laughter.

Kurda grinned, his heart calming down.

Back in the Hall of Princes after a quick chat with Kurda, the Princes discussed Kurda's past at length.

"He's a pitiable soul, that one," Darren commented dryly. "And that must be this year's understatement." Vancha nodded his agreement.

"I never knew," Mika muttered, voice trembling.

"Me neither," Larten said softly. "I guess we were not that popular with him."

"If I'd known, I'd… I'd…" Arrow choked, shaking his head and looking utterly disgusted with himself.

"We didn't!" Vancha howled in anguish, letting his sadness, anger and shock rush over him. "We had him imprisoned, we almost killed him because of a foolish mistake we made of not believing him, we also turned him blind! For our stupidity, he suffered the consequences. Why? Because nobody ever had the sense to sit him down, talk to him, interact with him and try to understand him!"

Just then, Vancha whirled around to see Kurda standing behind him chuckling, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I didn't blame you!" he chortled. "I never blamed anybody in the first place, so why start blaming yourselves? I deserved what I got; it's completely fair."

"If Paris was here, he would definitely be able to clear these up," Darren mumbled sadly, staring up at the ceiling of the Hall of Princes as though he can see the night sky beyond. Larten squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Don't we all," Kurda replied quietly, bowing his head.