===+===

Even on the world of Korriban, Erebus could feel the dark side of the Force permeate through the entire planet. He knew that there were stronger Force Nexus within the Galaxy--one such world is the Wellspring of Life hidden in the Deep Core--but they didn't play too heavily in the canon history of the Star Wars timeline.

Using his Cloak of Shadows skill, he managed to follow the Inquisitor character of this timeline undetected and bore witness to one of the most anti-climatic scenes that he played in the SWTOR game: interrogating the witness to uncover Essor Kyn's unauthorized murder. Erebus had agreed with Zyn on this matter since the acolyte was just too damn weak to make it as a Sith.

Luckily, the interrogation didn't take too long since it seemed like this Inquisitor was playing with the light side choices from the game. Aside from the ignorant natives of the Galaxy, Erebus had caught on to the fact that the Inquisitor was a transmigrator as soon as he heard the pleading words to Zyn about sending him off-world. The words made Zyn consider taking the brat off-world due to a favor he is owed by another Sith, so that quickly made Erebus roll his eyes as he left the jails--following after the Inquisitor to Harkun's office.

That is when Erebus saw Ffon or as Zash would later say to Harkun "your pet."

Thankfully, Erebus' killing intent had gotten honed a bit more during his time hunting Tu'katas as well as training his abilities through casting the Unforgivable curses on poachers that roamed Hogwarts Valley. Even in the game, he always hated Ffon for his god complex attitude and felt pleased when Zash used Force Lightning on him--killing him right in front of Harkun and the Inquisitor--while being nonchalant about it.

This meant Ffon couldn't hold a candle to Erebus' talent with the Force nor detect his intention to deliver brutality that could make even a Darth squirm in fear. All Erebus had to do now was wait for the overseer to send his pet to Spindrall so that he could utilize the Cruciatus Curse on him.

He didn't have to wait long at all since he soon heard Harkun tell the Inquisitor to go into the tombs to collect an ancient Holocron that no one else could get for thousands of years. This was also when Ffon started to leave to go see Spindrall--meaning this was when Erebus could begin his brutal plans.

Deciding to take this moment to enjoy his plan on making the pet of Harkun truly feel Hell, Erebus followed after Ffon through the hallways of the Academy and through the red sands which distanced the tomb where Spindrall awaited.

~{+}~

It had not taken them long to enter the tomb which housed one of the many important people in the Old Republic timeline: Spindrall. Erebus had noticed that his skill had only two hours left on the timer--meaning that he'd most likely needed to employ using the Disillusionment Charm if the time ran out before too long--but he had hoped to arrive before Spindrall himself and deliver Ffon into the grasps of Hell.

This is where Erebus' knowledge from the game came into play.

He made his way down through the tunnels that he understood from the game while Ffon struggled against the k'lor slugs that infested the tombs, but that only served in Erebus' favor. With each precious second Ffon wasted in getting to Spindrall, Erebus would be able to widen the distance between him and Ffon.

"Lumos," Erebus chanted as he pulled out his wand earlier when it got darker.

A small white light--no brighter than an LED at 25 percent power--emerged from the tip of his wand and illuminated the surrounding cave structure. Even that famous sound of a successful casting of the spell had been heard which sated his inner fanboy.

What was even more fortunate was that all of his spells acquired from his time at Hogwarts--at least the Wand-Lighting Charm--seemed to work almost exactly like they should from the books, movies, and videogames. The only key difference in the spells that he could understand was that only the truly offensive spells (like Avada Kedavra, Crucio, Diffindo, etc) required him to expend some Energy (aka Mana) in order to cast since they seemed to deal damage to any target.

This didn't bother Erebus at all since he knew that any power--even the most overpowered skills and abilities--all required some form of payment in order to conjure. He had even started to speculate that the System had sent him into these various worlds in order to find ways to mend his remnant soul, but at least he's not like some random protagonist that makes overpowered wishes from a random omnipotent being (or R.O.B for short) just to become the most strongest entity in the world.

No, he already knows that it is due to his remnant soul being harmed from the meteorite--causing his death in his original life--and that pain has already given him a drastic headstart in his descent into madness. Erebus also understood that this was to be his greater goal since it had essentially been confirmed by the System itself that his soul undergoing rebirth would his ticket back to Terra.

As he continued on his way towards the cave where Spindrall made his abode--ahead of Ffon--Erebus' time on the Cloak of Shadows skill ran out. With the shadows receding from his physical form and revealing his existence to all, Erebus didn't really care to use the Disillusionment Charm.

Not when he had finally arrived at his intended destination.

"Nox," Erebus chanted and the light dissipated into nothingness as he returned his wand to an inner pocket within his sleeves.

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Upon entering the chamber and seeing a far more realistic and living version of that old hermit, Erebus smirked in satisfaction. He found Spindrall.

"I admit that a wise old man in a cave best fit someone like yourself, Spindrall," Erebus greeted as his voice seemed to carry well within the tomb.

Ten paces ahead of him and at the top of a small stone stairway--obviously elevated by the architect of this very tomb--kneeled the very man in question. His orange-red eyes that were stained by exposure to the Dark Side were clearly visible as he seemed to have expected Erebus' arrival.

"Oh?" Spindrall inquired with curiosity as he observed Erebus in turn.

"Who would be better to teach the future generations of Sith than a wise man hidden in the dark depths of ancient tombs?" Erebus responded with a slightly casual tone in his voice. "Besides, I do not see you being here as an insult."

That caught Spindrall's attention. Normally, those who took the trials of the Inquisitor had to come see Spindrall since it was what Zash--or what Erebus considered a manipulative bitch--liked. Not even Harkun could deny that as he had openly said to the Inquisitor character in the game that Zash saw him as some kind of prophet.

As for Erebus, he knew Spindrall had some kind of ability to know what others could not. This is why Erebus made sure that the old hermit couldn't try any tricks that would make him easily control the conversation.

"Then what do you see?" Spindrall inquired--his intrigue obvious since Erebus caught his attention.

"Everything and nothing," Erebus responded with a tone that insinuated something deeper and far more profound. "For it is only the true wisdom of the ancients to know both everything yet acknowledge they truly do not know anything."

Spindrall did not appear surprised to recognize Erebus' wisdom in the words he spoke nor how the young acolyte felt attuned to some profound depth that even the ancient spirits hidden within the tomb strongly advised avoiding. At first glance, Erebus' words caused Spindrall to be concerned if he was secretly a Jedi, yet his suspicions proved to be faulty in the next moment when it felt like the darkness he had long delved deep into wanted nothing more than to flee in his presence.

To him, he could sense that Erebus had a strength in the Force that was unseen in the wider Galaxy. Forget Zash, but even current seated Dark Council members would be fighting over who could teach him.

What Spindrall did not know was that there were two Dark Council members along with two entire intelligence agencies who were looking for Erebus right at that moment.

As for Erebus himself, he would have continued talking to Spindrall had it not been for a timely notification from his System that Ffon was within twenty-five meters of Spindrall's abode.

"Apologies, Spindrall, but I'm afraid that I must postpone our discussion as a pampered dog is on their way here to see you," Erebus stated sternly--his eyes growing cold like the dark depths of the ocean--towards the old hermit.

That was when he performed the Disillusionment Charm right in front of Spindrall--not caring if the old man was surprised or not--and hid just outside of the range of any nearby light sources. Where he had picked also served as the perfect ambush point for his surprise attack on Ffon when he arrived.

Spindrall himself could tell that Erebus had something planned for what he called a 'pampered dog,' yet he couldn't fathom what the man wanted to do. Unlike most of the acolytes that come to see him, only Erebus seemed like an existence he could not touch.

-{+}-

Meanwhile...

Vikir was not struggling whatsoever in his second chance. He had already completed the first challenge that Tremel had set up by interrogating the three prisoners in the Academy jails. The only things he did to the three of them was put them in where he knew would fit them best.

The forger alien that helped forge Imperial documents had been sent back for interrogation. He had sent the girl bounty hunter to Imperial Intelligence instead of killing her like he did in his past life. The only real change from his past life's route was eradicating the worthless human by striking him down with his blade.

He had already learned of his mistakes from Tremel the first time and took his advice to heart, but Tremel--in this life--had no clue that his protege had plans of his own outside of dealing with Vemrin. Last time, he had killed Tremel on Baras' orders and suffered a bit in the past for that mistake by way of his daughter injuring him.

This time, he planned on only cutting off Tremel's hand and delivering it to Baras to trick him. As he was now in his younger body--not his old and more war-torn body--Vikir had no choice but to play along with the machinations of his so-called 'superiors' until he had the power to topple them all once again.

However, this time, Vikir noticed the changes from his past life.

He had never encountered the slaves brought in for the Imperial Inquisitors before nor heard strange rumors about some kind of person found on Dromund Kaas in the Dark Temple. Sith Lords and apprentices alike spoke freely of the rumor about a shadow that suddenly appeared on Dromund Kaas and killed dozens of fellow Sith--only to vanish into thin air the next moment.

This had intrigued him and made him wonder who this person was since he had no knowledge of him before, but he still had to play it cautiously. He had to make sure Baras fell into his trap rather than succumb to the death count of Korriban.

For that, he'd need his trusty sidekick Vette to show up at the right time.

-{+}-

Ffon never suspected a thing.

Spindrall could tell why he was called a 'pampered dog' the moment he looked at him. Strangely enough, what he had seen felt like a fixed point in the Force by how Ffon seemed too arrogant by his 'Sith lineage.'

He knew that Ffon would die by Zash's hand in front of Harkun as a stepping stone in a greater destiny that was slowly revealing itself. Ffon was going to die a dog's death sometime soon.

That made him suspect that the man from before (Erebus) had also knew this fate, but it also led him to ask himself why he (Erebus) seemed to plan something. Even though now he could only faintly tell Erebus' presence in his 'humble abode,' Spindrall knew that things were going to prove interesting.

After some time indulging in the delightful arrogance of the dog (Ffon), Spindrall felt it. A subtle change, but not enough to change the future he saw. The only difference this time was that Ffon died quicker and roared louder as if the pain became far too unbearable--akin to his whole body becoming completely vulnerable to Force Lightning.

Ffon never suspected that the rumored shadow that mysteriously disappeared on Dromund Kaas was about to attack him with something not known to the Galaxy.

Erebus used his position to his advantage as the Disillusionment Charm dispelled itself when he roared out a single word.

"Crucio!"

Red lightning shot out from his wand and flew towards the stunned Ffon--striking him unimpeded. The young Sith acolyte screamed out in agonizing pain as if his entire body was struck by powerful Force Lightning comparable to a Darth, but remained alive.

The only thing Ffon had on his mind right now was 'what did I do to deserve this?'

===+===