Rey crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on the seemingly endless ocean in front of her. The harsh wind played with her hair. She knew what was about to happen—she wasn't sure if it was thanks to her abilities with the Force or just plain intuition, but she could feel it in her guts all the same. She was about to lose her home again.

"You know why I've brought you here," Master Luke said.

"I do."

They stood side by side in silence on the mountain where she'd first found him. The grass was as green as ever—greener than anything she'd ever seen back on Jakku.

This place had become her home. On this island, she was never hungry, never thirsty, and never lonely. She loved it here. She loved waking up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. It reminded her of the ocean she'd used to imagine on sleepless nights back in Jakku. Leaving this place was going to break her heart.

"There's a reason why Jedi initiates are always taken in young," Master Luke continued. "As we grow older, darkness tends to find a way into our hearts. Don't blame yourself, Rey. I still believe you can find your path to the light. The darkness within you can still be purged. But, until then, I can't teach you anything else. For now, your training has to be postponed."

Her eyes blurred with tears. "I understand."

She did, really. They'd both witnessed how anger and fear could fuel her connection with the Force in a way no Jedi's feelings ever should. Just as there was light in her, there was also a speck of darkness. She knew how it worked—the more her powers grew, the stronger the darkness would get. That's how it always went. Master Luke didn't want another Anakin on his hands—or another Kylo Ren.

Master Luke had never said anything, but she knew her strange connection with the traitor bothered him. It bothered her, too. She still couldn't explain what had happened between her and Kylo Ren. All she knew was she'd felt something familiar within his mind, something that pulled her toward him—and she knew he'd felt the same.

Kylo Ren. She scowled. The connection between them didn't matter, and neither did the unexpected gentleness she'd sometimes seen in his dark eyes when he looked at her. It didn't change who he was. He was still a coldblooded murderer.

"I've arranged for a ship to pick you up," Master Luke said. "Go wherever you think is best. I know you'll find the right path. When you do, I'll be here waiting for you."

We'll come back for you, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. The vague last memory of her family washed over her, and it still made her chest ache. She may be the one leaving this time, but she still felt like she was being abandoned all over again.

She took a deep breath, pushing back her emotions. So what if she was being left behind again? She'd always been perfectly fine on her own. She could survive anything. Jakku with its sandstorms, dehydration and vicious traders could have easily broken a young girl like her, but it hadn't. She hadn't let it. Whatever it takes, she'd always thought. I'll do whatever it takes. That's how she'd survived all those years in that hellhole. That's how she still kept on living.

She gave Master Luke a small smile. "I hope we'll meet again one day."

Master Luke smiled back. "I hope so too."

Rey left him and his island without looking back.

Kylo Ren felt it the moment the girl landed on Jakku. He could always feel her in the back of his mind, but ever since their battle on Starkiller Base, she'd been too far away for him to pinpoint her location. Now, he knew exactly where she were. He only had to close his eyes to feel the disturbance she caused in the force, like a whirlwind of light and power, untamed and free. Want surged through him. If he took an airship, he could be by her side in mere hours. He could bring her in. Train her. Turn her. Let his darkness consume the brilliant light within her. He could . . .

But he wouldn't. His weakness wouldn't get the best of him. Not this time.

He sat on the bed in his quarters and removed his helmet. The empty eye sockets of the mask stared back at him. The mask radiated power and ruthlessness—something his own face never had. Even after all these years, he still had to cover his face in metal to make his own people respect him. He was still weak. Too weak.

He ran his fingers through his hair, his thoughts returning to the one person who knew all about his weakness—the one who'd penetrated his mind and fished out his greatest fear in one powerful push. The one who'd humiliated him over and over, yet he still couldn't bring himself to hate.

The girl. Completely untrained, yet one of the strongest Force-users he'd ever encountered. He didn't even know her name, but he knew her. He'd seen her darkest secrets and her deepest fears. He'd seen her loneliness—a loneliness he recognized all too well.

She was lonely, right now. He could feel it. He shouldn't have been able to do so, but he did. The want grew stronger within him. A part of him wanted nothing more than to drown in her light, while another part—a more rational part—realized that doing so would destroy him.

The Force tore at him, pulling his essence back and forth between the light and the dark. No matter what he did, no matter how dark he became, that little speck of light within him never seemed to die out. As long as there was light, he would remain in this state of turmoil. He had to walk the dark path, or he'd never be free.

He had to forget about the girl. Though the thought of making her his apprentice and watch her darkness grow into full power was frighteningly tempting, he knew he had to stay away from her. Supreme Leader Snoke had been right—his compassion for her made him weak.

The girl could stay in the Jakku hellhole with the other desert rats, where her seemingly limitless Force abilities would do no harm. He could control his cravings.

The girl means nothing to me, he thought, not for the first time and most likely not the last. He still wasn't sure if he truly believed it.