Stillness. Emptiness. Silence.

These are what Ben Solo wakes up to. He has no idea where he is other than knowing he is alone. The realization sends him to tears. He finally had her in his arms, the way he always wanted to hold her and care for her. Now she was nowhere to be found. Ben falls to his knees and holds his face in his hands. Tears fall freely as his body shakes.

"Ben," a voice calls out in a whisper.

Tears continue to stream down his cheeks. His body shudders and trembles as he breaks down. He sits down and pulls his knees to his chest, resting his head against the top of his knees.

"Ben," the voice calls out again, louder this time.

He sniffs and lifts his head up slightly. Hearing the voice clearer this time, he thinks he's gone crazy. It can't be.

"Mom?" Ben calls out softly.

A ghostly blue mist forms before him. Ben wipes his eyes briefly to make sure he's seeing what's actually in front of him. Or who's in front of him. His eyes widen as the blue mist glows brighter. He shields his eyes from the brightness standing out against the darkness around him. After his eyes adjust, he sees his mother, Leia Organa-Solo, standing before him dressed all in white. She looks down at him and kneels down beside him. Smiling softly, she reaches out and tenderly touches his face.

"My son. I am so proud of you," she whispers.

Leia brushes some of his tears away with her thumb. He shakes from her touch and takes a deep breath. He looks at her with fear in his eyes.

"Where…where is Rey? Why can't I feel her here?" Ben asks quietly.

He looks at her and it pains her to be the bearer of bad news. She sighs and drops her hand to his knee.

"Ben, you are in the World Between Worlds. A mystical place strong with the Force. It is an in-between place for those not becoming one with the Force yet," she explains as gently as possible.

His eyes widen and he moves to stand quickly. Leia stands up with him, forgetting how tall her son is as they both stand at full height. She steals a moment to gaze upon her son. No longer is he dressed in a closed off manner. He is freer and the Ben Solo she knew was there all along.

"The World Between Worlds? I thought this place was only theory. This means…" he says as he begins searching about.

Leia watches her son as he moves about swiftly.

"The portals? Yes, there are portals to points in time throughout your life. You have the chance to go back to…" she begins.

"...back to Rey," he finishes.

His mother doesn't miss the light in his eyes when he says Rey's name. She smiles and places a hand on his arm. Her thumb strokes his arm lovingly.

"The question is…when will you go back to her?" Leia asks.

Ben looks down at his mother, shocked by her question.

"What do you mean 'when?' I'm going back to her on Exegol! She's all alone and I can't leave her alone! She deserves to be happy!" he shouts.

Leia feels the anger roll off him. She gently rubs his arm trying to calm him.

"What I mean is you can go back to her at any point in time. Not just Exegol," his mother explains.

His eyes soften as Leia leads him towards a glowing white circle emerging from the darkness. He feels his heart racing with nerves as the white circle glows brighter. When the circle is at its brightest, Ben peers at a lush forest full of various greens. His eyes widen as he realizes where this is.

"Takodana," he breathes.

Leia nods and looks at her son. She can't help but smile at her son when a smile crosses his face the instant he sees Rey in the forest. She's dressed in her scavenger attire from Jakku and her smile he sees warms him up. She is his star and always will be a beacon of hope to him.

"You can go to her at this point in time. Meet her as the man I always knew was hiding behind the mask," Leia says softly, placing her hand in his.

She squeezes his hand gently and smiles when he squeezes her hand back. He takes a step forward towards the circle then pauses. Shaking his head, he steps away and turns towards his mother. He takes a deep breath and meets her gaze.

"This is a wondrous place. I have the chance to start over with the love of my life. But…" he pauses.

Leia waits patiently, still holding his hand strong with her own.

"I wouldn't change anything that has happened between Rey and I. Nothing at all. If I have the chance to return to her, I'm going back to her on Exegol," he finishes.

A slight blush tinges his cheek when Ben feels his mother place her free hand on his cheek. He leans into her touch and closes his eyes, smiling.

"Go to her, Ben. Go to her," she whispers.

All Ben remembers is his mother's hand on his cheek and the warmth of her hand in his before the darkness swallows him whole.