His footsteps echoed in the silence. His eyes swept around the west side, as he made his way toward the buildings in the distance. It had been some time since he had seen any light coming from within, and eventually his curiosity got the better of him. He had to go look, he had to know if the rumors were true. His stomach sank with each step he took towards the area, memories flooding back to him in a rush, almost overwhelming him.

He stopped at the iron gates, looking over, between, around them. Anything to get a good look. He missed the partners. He missed Anne, he missed Mary. But most of all, he missed Ariana. Her lose still hung heavy in his heart. He should have taken her away from the bad influences, the misguiding ways of the place. He'd loved her. His heart still belonged to her, what heart he could claim he had at any rate. If only she could return to him...

Shaking his head, he recovered his thoughts. Thinking like that would do no good. So it was, that Nicholai stood there, under the stars in a moonless night sky, gazing up at the life he once had.