Lord of Darkness (JA)

Will there be Obi-Torture ? . . . I'm not telling

***************

The Jedi, with Nichola leading the way, ascended the many stairs in the fortress. ?Why hasn?t anyone tried to stop us?? Obi-Wan asked.

?As I have told you, there is no one else alive on the planet. Not to mention, no one has ever dreamed of climbing these stairs to meet the Lord willingly,? Nichola explained.

I wonder why, Obi-Wan thought sarcastically.

?Will this Lord be expecting us?? Qui-Gon asked as they huried up the stairs.

?I haven?t the slightest clue,? Nichola replied. ?Although I doubt we can surprise him, we should hurry and try. Have you been hiding your presence in the Force??

?Yes.?

After a few minutes, they arrived at a door, one which was all too familiar to the Jedi. ?Wait here a moment,? Nichola said placing his ear to the door. ?If you have anything terribly important to say to one another, I suggest you do it now, but don?t use the Force, the Lord would definitely feel it,? he whispered.

?Obi-Wan,? Qui-Gon said quietly.

?Yes, Master??

?Should anything happen to me, I want you to get away from here as fast as you can, understand??

?Yes, Master, however I?m afraid I can?t comply with that request,? Obi-Wan replied.

?That?s an order, Padawan Kenobi,? Qui-Gon said sternly.

?It may be an order, Master, but you can?t punish me for disobeying it if you?re injured,? or worse, he added mentally.

?Padawan,? Qui-Gon said sharply.

?No, Master. If you think that I would leave you to die to save my own life, then you obviously don?t know me very well,? Obi-Wan retorted with the same force in his voice.

?You are a headstrong apprentice.?

?And you are a reckless master.?

Nichola had been watching the debate. ?The fate of you two may have been different in this world,? he said with a sad smile, ?but your relationship is the same. You argue like old friends.?

The master and apprentice returned the smile. Nichola checked a small time piece. ?Alright,? he said. ?It?s time. Allow me to go in first, then follow me, and be ready for anything.? Nichola pushed open the doors and strode into the Council Room with the two Jedi just a step behind.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan got their first look at the Lord. His back was to them, but his wicked armor and long read cape could be clearly seen. His brown hair was tied back behind him into a long pony tail which ended about a foot above the floor, it was graced by several black bands which held the mane together. The two Jedi were aware of no breeze yet the Lord?s cape moved slightly at its ends. He was shorter than Qui-Gon, yet still an imposing figure. ?Nichola.? The Lord spoke softly, yet there still was a menacing ring to it. ?It took you longer than I expected to get here, you?re getting old.? He didn?t even bother to turn his head even slightly.

?You say that, but I doubt you felt us until now, we were hidden through the Force,? Nichola responded.

?Hide your Force signatures all you want,? the Lord sneered, ?but I still know who comes into my fortress. . . I sense you?ve brought two new mercenaries with you, Nichola. They must be eager to die.?

?We are not mercenaries,? Qui-Gon said putting strength into his voice. ?I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and my apprentice is Obi-Wan Kenobi.?

There was a silence and the Lord?s cape froze in its place. After a few seconds the cape resumed its motion but with much less movement than before. The Lord turned slightly and looked at them with one icy cold eye, most of his face was still hidden by the armor adorning his shoulder. ?You lie,? he hissed. ?Kenobi was the first Jedi to loose to me, and I killed Master Jinn, the last of the Jedi, some time ago. Neither of you are Jedi, and you,? he said eyeing Qui-Gon, his cape whipped upward suddenly, ?how dare you defile the name of the great Master Qui-Gon Jinn by taking it as your own.? He paused, but his cape continued to flap. ?Nichola, I never thought you of all people would ally yourself with those who would disgrace the name of your

 

That was a cheap move.

 

A dirty, underhanded use of the dark side. Wait.... the darkside is dirty and underhanded.

 

*Sputters indignantly* The nerve!!! First, you won't tell me if there's Obi-torture, and then you cut the post off at a part where I want to read more! How inconsiderate!!!!!!

More soon please! (SOON!!!!!!)

KG

 

It took me longer to post this than I thought it would, but here it is.

*****************

Obi-Wan tumbled through the air. After a few seconds he was able to flip himself over, so he was facing the ground. He looked to his left and saw Qui-Gon and Nichola jetting forward in order to avoid the pyramid base of the Temple, and he followed. As soom as he was clear of the Temple, he began to use the Force to slow his discent. Luckily it was a long way down so he had plently of time. He landed, not as softly as he would have liked, on a pile of rubble. Of course, no one in the group landed any softer. The three got up and brushed themselves off.

?Obi-Wan,? Nichola said.

?What??

?Your arm. . .?

Obi-Wan looked down at his arm to discover the sleeve of his brown cloak was stained red. Qui-Gon hurried over and examined the back of his arm where the blood seemed to be coming from. He helped Obi-Wan take off his brown cloak and rolled up the sleve of his left arm. ?Here?s a medical kit,? Nichola said as he pulled out a small box from underneath his rags. ?What happened??

?I don?t know,? Obi-Wan replied. ?It?s not causing me any pain. I didn?t even notice it until you said something.?

?There?s a piece of glass in the cut,? Qui-Gon observed. ?You must have gotten it when we were shoved through the broken window. It?s a clean cut and the glass is sharp which would explain why you can?t feel it.? He gently grabbed the piece of glass and pulled it out. Obi-Wan winced.

?I feel it now,? he said as Qui-Gon bandaged the wound.

?It isn?t deep enough to be cause for concern,? Qui-Gon said. ?However, it seems that our attempt to stop the Lord has failed. Obi-Wan you win, lets go back to our own time.?

?It isn?t that simple. . .? Nichola said.

?What do you mean?? Obi-Wan asked, stopping in the middle of putting on his cloak.

?That orb I had. . .? he trailed off.

?Yes, what about it?? Qui-Gon asked as a sinking feeling occurred in his stomach.

?It only works as one round trip. To go someplace and then come back.?

?We came here, so we should be able to go back,? Obi-Wan said.

?No, Obi-Wan,? Qui-Gon said understanding the situation. ?He used the orb to take him to our time, then brought us back here.?

?So we?re stuck here.? Obi-Wan said.

?Just until the orb recharges,? Nichola said.

?And how long will that take?? Qui-Gon asked.

?A hundred years,? Nichola responded.

?Perfect,? Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

?Well as long as we are stuck here, we might as well make the most of it,? Qui-Gon said. ?Did you notice any wind when we were in the Council Room,? he asked his apprentice.

?I wasn?t aware of any, Master,? Obi-Wan replied.

?Then what was moving the Lord?s cape??

Nichola looked at them a moment. ?You don?t know??

?What?? Qui-Gon asked.

Nichola sighed. ?I guess I?ll have to explain everything to you. All Jedi and apprentices here had capes, the capes were an actual manifestation of the Living Force of the apprentice. As long as the Padawan or Knight was living, the capes never stopped moving, in fact the capes also showed any emotion the wearer was feeling. The capes were the signature of the Jedi.?

?Capes of blood, doesn?t sound very Jedi like,? Obi-Wan muttered.

?No, all Jedi, even the apprentices, had capes of gold. The Jedi which became the Lord though, his cape was silver in color, and from the beginning he showed signs of being very different.?

?Nichola, you said you left the Jedi Order before you became a Knight,? Qui-Gon said, ?so how do you know this??

When I left the order, I dissolved my cape, so everything I can tell you came second hand from Qui-Gon. But I assure you, he was a reliable source. Anyway, the Padawan was much stronger than all the other Padawans, he was different. He learned ten times as quickly as the other students his age. Everyone was pleased and he remained an outstanding Padawan until he turned sixteen. . . That?s when all the troubles started. I do not know what monsters plagued him, but I am t

 

This fic is awsome i havent read one this good in a while

 

Ok. Next post will be up by Monday at the latest. See ya then!

 

Next post is up!

***************

It was late, but the two Jedi were quietly conversing over the day?s events while Nichola slept. ?He?s not telling us everything,? Obi-Wan commented looking over at the sleeping form.

?I know,? Qui-Gon replied.

?Do you think there really is someone else out there just as strong as the Lord,? Obi-Wan asked.

?I don?t know. From what Nichola said, it sounds like there is, but if that?s true, it raises many more questions.?

?Yeah, like where the hell is he? Doesn?t he care that someone is destroying everything and killing everyone??

?Perhaps that is why Nichola didn?t wish to talk about it,? Qui-Gon said. ?He might know this person or at least why they aren?t doing anything.?

?What if it is Nichola?? Obi-Wan asked. ?Maybe he saw a vision of this future when he was young and wanted no part of it, so that?s why he left the Jedi Order.?

Qui-Gon looked over at Obi-Wan then back at Nichola. ?I doubt it. If Nichola had the means to get rid of the Lord, I think he would. He summoned us here out of desperation, we would not be here if he could stop the Lord on his own.?

Obi-Wan thought for a minute. ?He respects you,? he said.

?Who?? Qui-Gon asked.

?The Lord. He said, ?How dare you defile the name of the great Qui-Gon Jinn by taking it as your own.? He wouldn?t have said that if he didn?t at one time know you. I wonder if we know him in our time.?

?You shouldn?t worry about that.?

?Why, Master??

?Because, even if we know him in our time, it isn?t the same person. Thinking of him as someone from our time would just be an unneeded distraction if we ever had to fight him again,? Qui-Gon said.

?I didn?t know you considered being thrown out a window a fight,? Obi-Wan said dryly. ?I didn?t recognize anything about him. Did his voice or hair sound or look familiar to you??

Qui-Gon sighed. ?Well since you?ve decided to ignore my suggestion, no I see anything familiar about the Lord.?

?Hmm,? Obi-Wan said. ?Well, he looked like he would probably be a senior Padawan in our time. Brown hair and human. . . Garen has brown hair, but he can barely stand having a long Padawan braid, so he would never have hair down to the floor. Master Hidinea?s Padawan has brown hair, but his shoulders aren?t so broad, or maybe that?s just the Lord?s armor. No, I've got it! It must be Master Yuni's Padawan, Hern-yan. He hates everyone."

?Obi-Wan??

?Yes, Master??

?Does figuring out who the Lord is matter that much??

?No, I guess not, since it really wouldn?t be that person anyway because of the split personality thing. What do you think caused whatever was that turned the Lord?? Obi-Wan asked.

?Nichola seems to think it was the Dark Side of the Force,? Qui-Gon responded.

?But the Force never takes such dramatic and forceful steps,? Obi-Wan pointed out.

?Perhaps here it does. After all, here Jedi have physical manifestations of the Force.?

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment. ?Master. . . Do you think we will ever return home??

Qui-Gon stared off into space. ?I wish I knew, Obi-Wan. I wish I knew.?

***********

I don't know when the next post will be up, but it will probably be next Friday.

 

I'm with you Obi and tring to figure out who the Lord is. I thought it might be Qui or Obi gone bad, but I guess not. How are Obi and Qui going to get home?

I really, really like this story. Keep it up.

~Swede

 

this a very interesting story, i am looking forward to reading more.

 

Obi-Wan is right. They have to figure out who the Lord is in their time. But physical attributes can definitely change. I think the connection is his respect of Qui-Gon

 

Upping.

 

Here's the next post.

**************

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spent the next two weeks following Nichola around as he taught them how to dig through the rubble of the planet to find supplies. They concentrated mainly on looking for medical packs which most buildings would have had a few of when they had been standing. Inside most of the medical packs were emergency energy capsules.

Overall, morale between the three was low. Obi-Wan was particularly depressed, he had no wish to live out the rest of his life like this, struggling from day to day. He also noticed that he and his master were beginning to look more an more like Nichola. Their clothes were constantly torn and stained from digging through the rubble and they had nothing else to wear. Not to mention the constant work of finding a medical pack beneath the rubble using the Force and then digging it up was no easy task. They could search all day and come up with nothing. Add to that the fact that the atmosphere control machines had been destroyed so the weather was unpredictable.

One night while they were sleeping in their run down buildings, they were awoken by a crunching noise. The three managed to scramble out just as both buildings collapsed behind them. They looked at the pile of rubble that had for the past two weeks been the closest thing to a home.

?I suppose it?s about time that rickety place fell,? Nichola said.

Obi-Wan stared a moment longer. ?I hate this place,? he said.

Normally Qui-Gon would have corrected his apprentice by saying that Jedi did not hate, but the hopelessness of their situation had finally gotten to the old Jedi Master, and he did have the heart to reprimand his Padawan for saying something that he too felt. Instead he said, ?It could be worse.?

Obi-Wan looked incredulously over at his master, and for a moment he lost his control. ?It could be worse? How the Sith could it be worse! First we?re stuck in this wretched place without any electricity or heat where the weather is unpredictable and there is no comfort in any form. Then, our only shelter caves in, not just depriving us of any place to sleep, but also reburying the few supplies that we broke our backs digging out of the rubble. How in the Force could it be worse?!? As if on cue, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and within seconds rain was pouring down on the three men. Both Nichola and Qui-Gon glared at Obi-Wan. ?No way is this my fault!? he shouted over the rain and thunder.
--------------

Nichola stood up from where he had been sleeping. The rain had stopped and a thick fog had covered the area. The fog obscured the sunrise, yet the dark fortress could still be clearly seen. Nichola looked back at where he had been sleeping, his back had been against the only remaining piece of the wall of one of their buildings. The two Jedi rested with their backs against the same hard cold wall. They had tried to take shelter there during the storm, but it didn't offer any protection from the weather and the three were still soaking wet.

Nichola sighed as he walked a ways away. He didn?t really wish to see the Jedi. Their predicament was entirely his fault. The only reason they?re trapped here is because I brought them here, he thought. ?I just thought. . . I don?t know what I was thinking. That they would be able to kill a monster and then magically go back? Or did I want them to get stuck here, so they could help to rebuild the Jedi Order and the Republic? I am truly a fool, and now I have condemned two innocent men to a life they don?t deserve,? he said quietly to himself. He turned to go back to where the Jedi slept only to see Obi-Wan staring at him from a few feet away. ?Obi-Wan?? he said startled. As Nichola looked at the young man he realized something had changed about him. He looked weary and older than before. All the frustration and anger that he?d displayed the night before seemed to have disappeared, it had been replaced by a look of calm acceptance.

?I owe you and my master an apology, Nichola,? he said quietly.

?Wh

 

keep writing.

 

No prob. Always glad to help.

Good post. They're not really going to be stuck there, are they? And what's the big, bad Lord doing during all this? Can't wait for more.

~Swede

 

Hey! I decided to be nice and post again before the weekend.

*******************

When Nichola returned, the two Jedi were waiting for him. ?Come,? he said quickly. ?We have a long way to go, and we?ll have to start out now if we hope to make it there by nightfall.?

?Where are we going?? Qui-Gon asked. He had noted the change in Nichola?s features. He was no longer worn and his face was filled with what appeared to be determination.

?I lied to you,? Nichola said facing the both of them. ?Qui-Gon wasn?t the last Jedi. There is one more. Only this Jedi is the Lord?s equal, with the same strength and control over the Force.?

?That?s why you said that the Force will claim one strong being for the darkness,? Obi-Wan concluded.

?Yes,? Nichola said. ?I suppose I should amend the story I told you earlier about the beginning of the Lord, but I will do that on the way to where the last Jedi resides.?

As they walked over the rubble and debris, Nichola told them the truth about the past. ?There was not one Padawan who had a silver cape, but two. Their abilities were almost identical as well. They would spare constantly and neither would be able to beat the other. They were the best of friends, they did everything together from sparing to eating. Most thought it was because they were so different from the other students that they could only find understanding in one another. So they stuck together, to the point that even their masters became good friends. Their masters often would share the burden of teaching the two, until it was like each had two masters. And when the one who would become the Lord, started having the nightmares, the other was the first to know and the first to arrive to comfort him even before his master. It was as though the two knew everything that went on about the other. And as the nightmares got worse the second Padawan started spending more time around the one which would become the Lord. I am told that the second Padawan knew exactly what the Force was doing and did everything possible to stop it, everything but opening fight whatever the darkness was. Finally, when Obi-Wan was killed, the second Padawan took a stand and faced the Lord in a duel. That duel killed about three thousand people. The strength of the two combatants was much too powerful to be used in such a crowded city. As the Lord took over more and more the Padawan, now given the title Jedi Knight by the remaining masters, returned two more times to battle with the Lord, all with the same result: thousands of people dead and no winner. After the third battle, the Knight gave up trying to fight the Lord one on one. Qui-Gon told me that for a time the Knight traveled with him and a small group of surviving Jedi, apparently the Knight hated the battles with the Lord, hated having to fight one who had a one time been a close friend. In the end the Knight left the group and returned here to Coruscant to wait.?

?To wait for what?? Obi-Wan asked.

?I don?t know, I doubt the Knight knows either. Qui-Gon knew where the Knight was hiding here and told me before he died.?

?Have you ever talked to this Knight?? Qui-Gon asked.

?Yes, three times actually. I tried to get the Knight to fight the Lord once more, but it was useless.?

?What?s his name?? Obi-Wan asked.

?I dare not say it here, so close to where the Lord is. If he finds out where we?re headed, he might try to stop us. But, I can tell you this, you know this person from your time. I am sure of it.?

?If this Knight is has refused so far from fighting the Lord, then why are we trying to persuade him?? Qui-Gon asked.

?Perhaps the presence of two which the Knight thought were lost, will convince our friend otherwise. Besides, the Knight has avoided responsibility for long enough. There is no one left to die in their battles. A duel now would be allowed to continue until one won. If we can convince the Knight to fight, perhaps this can all finally be over.?

?Let us just hope that our side wins,? Obi-Wan said quietly.

*****************

H

 

Arrggghhhh!!!! I thought you were finally going to say who they were!

Thank you for the extra post though. I've said it before, but I really like this story. I'm always intrested in ones where Jedi go universe hopping.

~Swede

 

UP!

 

Your not the only one Swedish. I also thought the ampticipation was finally over.

 

Here it is, the next post!

*****************

It took them all day to get where they were going. The last sun was setting by the time they arrived at a huge pile of debris. This one was larger than most of the others, indicating that it had once been an important structure. Nichola pulled a large sheet of bent metal to the side to reveal what looked like a cellar door. ?This way, quickly,? he said as he open the doors, and closed them as soon as the Jedi were in.

Nichola led the Jedi down a long flight of stairs in complete darkness. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Nichola hit a switch on the wall and bright lights lit up what appeared to be a narrow hallway. There were no doors save two at the end of the hall. ?Good, the backup generator still has some power,? Nichola said.

?Where are we?? Obi-Wan asked.

?This is the basement of the Republic Records Building. They used to store a huge collection of books here. Most that were kept were written before data pads, before all information was stored on computers,? Nichola explained. He walked down the hall along with the Jedi and opened the large doors allowing light to enter the room, yet the room was so vast that the light did not illuminate much. However, from what the three could see there were huge shelves everywhere which were filled with book upon book.

The room itself was huge, bigger than the floor of the room in which the Senate used to meet, but with a ceiling which was only two stories high. The air in the room was full of the smell of musty old books. Cobwebs adorned the spaces between the shelves, and every book, shelf, and even the floor was covered layer upon layer of dust.

?The last Jedi lives here?? Qui-Gon asked. ?These books look like they haven?t been touched in years, and the dust on the floor has not been disturbed in some time. No one has been here in a while.?

?Look above you,? Nichola said. Both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked up to see what appeared to be the underside of old catwalks that crisscrossed along the ceiling. The lack of good light made only a small part of them visible, but they guessed that the catwalks spread out over the entire length of the ceiling. As they were looking there was a glint of something silver on a catwalk to their left. The two Jedi immediately focused on that spot, but whatever was there had disappeared into the darkness.

?What was that?? Obi-Wan asked.

?That would be who we?re looking for,? Nichola said. He stepped forward further into the room and spoke loudly. ?Come out Jedi Knight, we are all friends here.?

?Really?? came a voice form the shadows above them. ?I was unaware of that, Nichola.?

The second Obi-Wan heard the voice, he recognized it as one he?d heard somewhere before. It was so familiar, yet he couldn?t quite place it.

?Why don?t you come down and speak with me? It would be more comfortable for both of us. Yelling back and forth seems so unnecessary,? Nichola continued.

?Hmm. You claim us to be friends and yet you know nothing of me.?

?I don?t understand. . .? Nichola said.

?Every time you come here, you insist on using the lights at their highest settings, as oppose to me who never uses light unless it is as dim as it can be. In other words, Nichola, close the doors, such bright light hurts my eyes.? From the Knight?s voice, the two Jedi determined that the person was moving around the catwalks, but on which eluded them.

?Oh yes, of course,? Nichola said, understanding his mistake. ?I?d forgotten you spend most of your time in the darkness down here. So everytime I come here, you always demand that I close the doors before you speak with me.? He quickly closed the doors and the room plunged into darkness. After a few moments, small orbs which were placed on various places on the bookshelves began to glow a pale green. The soft glow of the light wasn?t enough to read by or to pick up clear details of anything, but they could see the vague shapes of the bookshelves.

?I hope this is more to your liking,? Nichola said. ?I trust y

 

yeah a post, keep writing.

 

Is Vera one of your characters? Come on, you have to say more then that! How are Obi and Qui going to beat the Lord? And get back to their universe? And we still don't know who the Lord is.

~Swede

 

For those of you who don't know who Vera is, and that will probably be a few of you, read the second post of this story again.

 

Oh, thanks. I got caught up with Lord and the Good Jedi that I forgot about her. More?

~Swede

 

Yeah, I know. It's been a while since I last posted.

*****************

Obi-Wan stood there in absolute shock for a few moments. The only Jedi Knight powerful enough to take on the Lord was Vera. And yet it wasn?t. As he looked at her, he saw no indication of all the traits he?d associated with her. There was no enthusiasm, not exhuberance, no spunkiness. All he could see was the expressionless features of a calm cool Jedi Knight. That?s when the whole concept of people not being the same in this time finally began to sink in.

Obi-Wan looked over at Qui-Gon. His master?s face betrayed no emotion, but he could tell Qui-Gon was just as surprised.

?Tell me everything,? Vera demanded. Nichola recounted everything that had happened from the point when the Jedi arrives to when they had come down the stairs to her home. Vera listened with an impassive face, her her flapped slightly when Nichola came to the point where they met the Lord. Once he was finished, there was a pause before anyone spoke. ?So,? Vera began, ?you haven?t told them who the Lord is.?

?It didn?t seem important,? Nichola responded.

?I suppose to someone like you, it wouldn?t,? she said coldly.

?Vera,? Qui-Gon said. ?I know you have reasons for your decision not to fight, but is what you have chosen worth the deaths of millions of people??

?I am sorry, Master, I wish I could please you, but I will not fight the Lord,? she said solemnly.

?Why?? Obi-Wan asked.

Vera sighed. ?Even if the Lord dies, it will not be over. And I?d rather side with the evil I know over the evil I don?t.?

Nichola threw here a curious glance. ?What do you mean??

?You would not understand, no one understands.?

?Is there no way we could convince you?? Qui-Gon inquired.

?No.?

Nichola was out of ideas. ?Fine, then we shall leave you in peace.? He turned and the Jedi followed him to the doors.

?Wait,? Vera said. The three turned to look at her. She looked back somber as ever, but her cape moved faster than before. However, the exact emotion it portrayed was hard to tell, uncertainty. . . indecision? ?Where will you go?? she asked softly. ?You said yourself that the building where you lived collapsed.?

?I?m sure there are other buildings still standing somewhere,? Nichola said.

?Your wrong, the closest standing structure, other than the Lord?s Fortress, is at least ten days walk towards the west.?

?You have a better idea?? Nichola asked skeptically.

Again there was a moment of silence. Vera?s cape fluttered quickly then slowed. ?Stay here.?

Nichola was more than a little surprised at the offer. ?Just wait on minute, every time I?ve come here in the past, you?ve made it clear that I am not welcome. Why the sudden change?? he asked suspiciously.

?Would you prefer sleeping outside again?? Vera asked. Nichola watched her as her glance left him and traveled over to the Jedi. Immediately he realized why the normally apathetic Knight was for once being hospitable. Qui-Gon could never say a negative thing about her, he thought. This time she wants to make sure that she prevents the Lord from taking two people she cared about, and she can?t do that if she?s not with them.

It was true that neither Nichola or Vera liked each other. Both had their reasons. Nichola could find respect in him for someone who refused to fight the person responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Vera couldn?t find respect for someone who had let a man, who?d she?d had tremendous respect for, go off to face death on his own. Yet at that moment, Nichola could not help but feel some sympathy for the Knight. These Jedi before her were not the two men she remembered, but she still had a certain amount of loyalty to them.

But for Vera, she could not sympathize at all with Nichola. Between the two of them, she was the one who had more reasons to have an aversion to him, most of which weren?t entirely his fault. Yet whether or not the reasons were because of him, Vera still felt somewhat of a sting when she saw him. His face caused th