"This is death." The Keeper's whisper echoed through the chamber.
Anakin was trapped in the darkest of spaces. Caught in the center of a deep and bright abyss ...the light here was blinding white.
"Only death is true now." The Keeper's voice was ice.
"Never!"
He was falling deeper into the center of the abyss now...but then was pulled back into the glowing frigid nightmare called the White Heart Abyss. Pulled back with brittle fingers made from shards of glass...the splinters ripped into his flesh, creating tiny flickers of pain. The harshness of the white light tore into his eyes, forcing them shut, just to provide some small measure of relief from this misery.
"Open your eyes!"
Anakin held his eyes shut.
Iceglass fingernails pierced his eyelids, and pulled them back, forcing his eyes open.
"You cannot hide." The Keeper floated before him, a beam of brilliant blue light that only served to make the white walls surrounding him even more unbearable to his vision.
She spun in a circle. Then the form stopped, and transformed into a column. One more shift, and it turned into a woman: raven-haired,with pale skin of ivory; delicately boned, and small in stature; ethereal and poisonous.
She held out her arms, gathering him to her body like a mother embracing her child. "You were a blessing from the Force. But you became the ultimate curse."
"I was seduced by the Dark Side."
"Seduced by the Dark Side? Or seduced by that woman?" The Keeper smiled."I have an idea. Watch now. I will become your beloved."
The corpse-pale face melted away, to be replaced by the familiar and lovely features of Padme.
But this face was false. He knew Padme was gone.
The Padme simulacrum drew back her hand across the face, and dug her nails into the flesh, drawing blood.
"These tears are her own. She mourns for you." The Keeper laughed again. "But you killed her! She died in front of you that day!"
"No! I did not kill her!"
"You do not remember? Then you must see once again what that day brought!" She pointed at one of the chamber's glaring walls of pure white.
On the wall, a vision began to form...and once more, he saw the nightmare. Of the molten world...then came her ship, descending in to the place of hell where everything beautiful and glorious would there was the encounter, then the confrontation...
"No,that did not happen!"
His black-gloved hand curled into a claw...unseen fingers tightened around her throat...she collapsed to the ground.
"She never came to Mustafar!"
"Do you forget so easily?"
Anakin turned his back on her. "You lie! I know the truth!"
She materialized in front of him. "You cannot deny the truth. You killed her." Her voice lowered into a hiss. "Just as you destroyed so many others. That is what brought you here to the Abyss. You made this prison for yourself. So you will remain here."
"I know the truth. She did not die, and I was not the one who took her life."
"You will come to know the truth. You will see what a monster you are."
He spun around, looking for an exit out of this torture. "I am not a monster!" His gaze traced quick and frantic lines along the endless walls of white, seeking an exit.
But there was no way out. And no one could help him.