Chapter 8: Confronting the Darkness and Facing the Past

Rey stood at the edge of the Jedi Temple, gazing out over the sprawling landscape of the distant hills, the rising sun casting a golden light over the stone buildings. Her thoughts, however, were far from the serene beauty before her. In the silence of the early morning, she felt the weight of her isolation pressing down on her chest.

Ben Solo was lost to her, his absence like a gaping wound in her soul. The dream from the night before, where they had been together, laughing and loving, had only deepened the ache in her heart. She had wanted that life so badly. But now, the longer Ben stayed away, the more she felt a growing emptiness. She had tried to reach him through the Force, but his presence had been nothing but a fleeting ghost.

I have to face it alone, she told herself, but the thought brought her no comfort. The darkness within her was rising, twisting and curling like a living thing, feeding off her grief, her longing, her sense of loss.

Turning away from the view, Rey entered the meditation chamber, the familiar space now feeling foreign to her. She closed the door behind her, sealing herself off from the rest of the world. This time, she would go deeper into the Force—beyond the surface, beyond the bond she shared with Ben. She needed to confront the darkness that was growing inside her before it consumed her entirely.

Rey sat down in the center of the chamber, crossing her legs, and placed her hands on her knees. She took a deep breath, focusing her mind, and extended her senses outward.

The darkness was there, swirling around her, tugging at her thoughts. She reached for it, embraced it, and allowed herself to be pulled in. The Force seemed to fold around her like a shroud, suffocating yet freeing at the same time. She could feel the coldness in the air, the pulse of the dark side, and the weight of all the losses she had endured.

As she let herself fall deeper into this abyss, she became aware of something else—something more dangerous. The darkness within her was not just grief and loss. It was also the Force itself, twisting her, drawing her closer to the temptation of power. Rey knew that if she wasn't careful, she might find herself succumbing to it, just as Ben had.

Her mind flashed to Ben—Kylo Ren—his face filled with torment as he had once stood before her, lost and broken, yet so full of darkness. And as the Force deepened around her, she could almost hear his voice, distorted by the weight of his suffering. *I failed you, Rey. I failed you and my father. And I couldn't save myself.*

The words echoed in her mind, reverberating with the same grief she had felt when he had left, when he had turned his back on the light once more.

Meanwhile, in the World Between Worlds, Ben Solo was trapped in a dimension where time and space bent in unnatural ways. The ethereal glass platform beneath him felt like a prison, its transparent surface reflecting his own despair. The world around him pulsed with the energy of the Force, but it was cold and lifeless, just like the emptiness within him.

Ben's hands trembled as he clutched the edges of the platform. He had been alone here for what felt like an eternity, yet he knew that this place was meant to test him, to challenge him. Luke had told him to fight, to find the strength to return. But Ben wasn't sure he could fight anymore. He had already lost so much.

A ripple in the air caused the familiar figure of Luke Skywalker to appear beside him. The blue glow of the Jedi Master's form illuminated Ben's face, which was drawn and weary.

"Ben," Luke said, his voice both compassionate and firm. "You're here because you need to face the darkness within you. You need to reconcile with your past before you can move forward. Only then can you help Rey."

Ben stared at Luke, his eyes haunted. "I've already faced it, Master. I killed my father. I'm not sure I can face that again."

Luke's expression softened, and he placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "That's why you're here, Ben. You need to accept what happened, not bury it or run from it. Your father's death… it shattered you. But you can't allow that trauma to control you. You must accept it to find peace."

Ben's chest tightened as memories flooded his mind—the cold, unforgiving face of Supreme Leader Snoke, the manipulative words, the twisted training that had broken him from the inside out. He remembered every cruel lesson, every painful command to kill, every time he had been forced to strike down anyone who stood in his way.

But the most painful memory of all was the moment he had faced his father, Han Solo. He could still hear the words his father had spoken, the last desperate plea before Ben had ignited the saber.

"Ben, please, don't do this."

The guilt, the shame—Ben had carried it all with him. The voices in his mind screamed at him, calling him weak, calling him unworthy. He had betrayed the one person who had always believed in him.

Luke's voice broke through his spiraling thoughts. "Ben, what you did was not your fault. You were broken long before that moment. Snoke had a hand in shaping your choices. But you can't allow him to control you any longer. The path to redemption begins with accepting your actions, but also understanding the trauma that shaped them."

Ben's eyes burned with unshed tears. "Snoke twisted me. He made me believe that I was nothing, that I was the only one who could bring balance to the Force—through destruction. He made me hate everything I loved, including myself."

Luke's face grew more solemn. "Snoke's manipulation was insidious. He preyed on your fears, your doubts, your insecurities. He made you believe that your love and compassion were weaknesses. But that was never true, Ben. That was his lie."

The air around Ben shimmered as the landscape began to shift. He found himself standing on the bridge of the Finalizer, staring into the cold abyss of space. Han Solo was standing in front of him, his expression stern yet full of love.

"Ben," Han said, his voice gentle yet firm. "You can still come back. I'm still here. I'll always be here."

Ben's heart twisted. He reached out, but his father's form vanished, leaving only a cold emptiness. He fell to his knees, consumed by grief.

"This is the trial, Ben," Luke's voice echoed. "You must accept your father's death. You must forgive yourself. Only then can you heal."

The vision shifted again, this time to the dark corridors of the Supremacy, where Snoke stood, looming over Ben. "You are nothing without me," Snoke sneered. "You are my weapon, my creation."

Ben's anger flared, but Luke's voice steadied him. "This is not your truth, Ben. You are not Snoke's creation. You are your own person. The darkness you feel is not your destiny."

Ben stood tall, confronting Snoke's image. "I am more than what you made me," he said, his voice shaking with the force of his resolve. "I am Ben Solo. I choose who I am."

As the vision of Snoke flickered and disappeared, Ben felt a surge of energy through him. He understood now—he had been manipulated, but he wasn't broken. He could heal, and in doing so, he could help Rey.

Back at the Jedi Temple, Rey collapsed to her knees, her breath ragged. The darkness that had been tugging at her for so long had taken hold—yet, as she fought to remain centered, she felt something shift. A presence, faint but undeniable. Ben. She reached out toward him, her heart racing.

He was fighting, too.

And maybe, just maybe, he wasn't lost.

The darkness tugged at Rey, whispering that she was nothing without Ben Solo, nothing without Kylo Ren. It urged her to bring him back, to fill the aching emptiness in her heart. The Force vision that followed showed her and Kylo Ren in a future together—married, with a child. They sat on a throne side by side, Rey in his lap, his mask removed, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. The vision was filled with love, power, and an intoxicating bond.

"We will create a new order, Rey," Kylo Ren's voice echoed in the vision. "A new path, free of the Sith and Jedi. My Empress, embrace your dark power—our power. Together, we will bring the galaxy freedom. I will make you into the person you were meant to be. We will have everything we've always wanted—a family, a life without pain or killing. We can defeat the new dark threat together."

Rey kissed him again, her heart swelling. "Yes, together," she whispered. "Together, my love. Guide me, and we will be bound forever by this darkness and power."

Rey barely recognized herself in this vision, but despite the consuming darkness, there was a strange satisfaction. The darkness whispered once more, "It can give you everything you desire. Come to the Fortress on Exegol. Become who you were meant to be. When you take your rightful place as Empress, you can save Ben Solo. You can rebuild Kylo Ren into the man you've always wanted him to be—not the monster he was. With you by his side, you will be unstoppable."

And for a moment, Rey felt the allure of it all—power, love, and the promise of everything she had ever longed for.

Rey lay on the cold, stone floor of the meditation area, her body aching with exhaustion as her head spun, the weight of her thoughts pressing against her skull. Her eyes closed tightly, and for a moment, she felt like she might slip into unconsciousness. The fog in her mind deepened, and she could hardly tell where her thoughts ended and the darkness began to pull at her.

She knew, deep down, that Ben had fought for something better—something beyond the chaos and pain. So why, then, was she falling so deep into the shadows? The answer crept into her mind, silent and relentless. Because I haven't accepted that he's gone.

The thought of him stirred something inside her, a gnawing desperation. She couldn't shake the feeling that the darkness might be the only way to bring him back. *It can't be* she tried to tell herself, but the idea clung to her like a suffocating blanket. *But maybe it is.* She desperately tried to rationalize everything, grasping for some shred of logic in the storm of her emotions.

I could have him. I could have the throne... The thought lingered, pulling at her, and for a fleeting moment, Rey smiled to herself. But then, in the haze of the vision, a small child appeared—a son, with Ben's dark features but her hazel eyes. The image was so vivid, so real, that her heart fluttered with longing. She smiled widely, the possibility of a future she had never even dreamed of overwhelming her.

She wanted it all. I want it all. The intimacy with Ben, the answers to bring him back, the chance at a family she had never had—the family I've always wanted.

Her breath quickened, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope, even if it was born from the shadows.

As the days passed, Rey continued to train Keira and Sky, while Finn spent time with Rose and BB-8, observing as Rey demonstrated combat techniques. Finn, ever the jokester, flashed her a playful look before joining in. Together, they sparred, showing Keira and Sky the importance of proper form, dodging, and timing, their lightsabers—Rey's yellow blade and Finn's green one—clashing in the dim light. They went into detail, explaining each move and the reasoning behind their actions as they engaged in the training battle.

The day unfolded smoothly, and Rey found herself growing closer to Keira, seeing so much of herself in the young girl. Keira, like Rey, had an innate curiosity for repurposing random parts and items, a trait Rey admired. Recently, Keira had crafted a metal umbrella—a creation born more from curiosity than necessity. While it wasn't essential, Keira had seen the plastic and metal she'd found as something that could be turned into something useful. Rey had been impressed by the girl's resourcefulness, and even more so when Keira had used the umbrella at the fire pit table that evening. It was a small, yet meaningful act of creativity that Rey had come to cherish.

But it wasn't the umbrella that made Rey's thoughts darken—it was the moment when everyone had gone to bed, and Rey found herself sitting alone by the fire, sipping quietly, lost in her thoughts. That's when Sky emerged, stepping out discreetly, as if trying not to disturb her.

As Rey sat alone by the fire, the warmth of the flames contrasting with the chill in her heart, her mind began to slip deeper into the dark thoughts that had been clawing at the edges of her consciousness for days. The whispers of the darkness, soft and seductive, began to grow louder, drawing her attention away from the flickering flames.

"You know what you want," the voice murmured inside her mind. "You want him back. You've always wanted to fix things. You were never meant to walk this path alone."

The night was silent, save for the crackle of the fire. Rey sat alone, her hands trembling as she meditated, trying to keep her thoughts focused. But it was getting harder. The darkness that had been whispering to her for days had become louder, overwhelming, like a storm surging inside her. Images of Ben, of Kylo Ren, filled her mind—his strength, his power, the shared bond they once had. She could almost feel his presence again, as if he were standing beside her, holding her, promising that together they could reshape the galaxy. Her heart ached at the thought, at the pull of that connection, and for a moment, she could almost hear his voice calling her back.

The air around her seemed to thicken. The whispers were no longer gentle; they were sharp, insistent, and full of promises of power. Power that could bring him back. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath, but the pull was undeniable. Her thoughts swirled in a vortex of longing and desperation, a deep ache she hadn't known how to fill.

Then, suddenly, everything went dark.

Sky stood off to the side, watching Rey with concern. He had seen the way she had been acting lately—distant, almost consumed by something. At first, he thought it was just the stress of training, but now... now it was different. Rey's body had gone rigid, her breathing shallow. Her eyes flickered, glazing over. Then she collapsed.

"Rey!" Sky rushed to her side, his hands reaching out instinctively, but not knowing what to do. She was sinking to the ground, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He caught her just in time, holding her against him as her body slumped in his arms. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind raced to make sense of what had just happened. Her skin was cold, her pulse erratic. Delirium, he thought, feeling helpless.

He could feel the strange weight in the air around them—dark, suffocating. It wasn't just her; something else was happening, something he couldn't quite grasp. He looked down at her, confused, unsure of how to help.

In the shadowed corners of the galaxy, a secret Sith cult was watching, waiting for the moment to strike. They had risen from the ashes of the old Empire, a ragtag group of Sith loyalists, power-hungry sorcerers, and shadowy figures bent on bringing the Sith back to their rightful place at the top. Their leader, an enigmatic figure whose name was whispered in hushed tones, had spent years tracking the powerful Force dyad between Rey and Kylo Ren. They knew of the connection between the two, a bond that was unbroken even by death. The Sith saw the power that Rey and Kylo Ren could wield together, and they understood that with Ben Solo's return, they could form the core of a new Sith Empire—one that would stand for eternity.

The cult had uncovered lost texts, dark rituals, and forbidden magic from the deepest corners of the galaxy, including knowledge of the World Between Worlds. This mysterious realm, a place that existed beyond the fabric of time and space, could be the key to bringing Kylo Ren back. It was in this place that Ben Solo still lingered, a spirit caught between the past and the future, suspended in a world outside the reach of both Jedi and Sith.

As Rey's mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, she heard them—the voices. They spoke of the World Between Worlds, of Ben's presence there, and of the power that awaited her if she embraced the darkness. "Come to us, Rey," the voices whispered, their words dripping with temptation. "We can show you the way. We can make you whole again. With Ben by your side, together you will reshape the galaxy. Together, you will reign."

Her heart raced, the warmth of the promise curling around her like a blanket, beckoning her closer. Power. Family. Control. The desire for all of it consumed her. If Ben could come back, if they could be together— the thought consumed her so completely that she could almost feel him standing there, beside her, alive, waiting for her to take his hand.

Sky looked down at Rey's pale face, her body limp in his arms. The tension in the air around her was thick, the temperature dropping in a way that made his skin crawl. He had never felt anything like it before. The whispering voices, the way the darkness seemed to cling to her... he didn't understand it. He knew Rey wasn't herself. She was being pulled into something—something dangerous.

And that was when he saw it, a dark figure emerging from the shadows. A figure cloaked in darkness, its presence suffocating. Sky stood up, instinctively holding Rey closer, ready to defend her. But the figure didn't move toward him—it moved toward Rey, kneeling beside her.

"You've been lost, Rey," the voice was low, soothing, yet full of malice. "We can guide you. You and Kylo Ren, your bond, will be the key to rebuilding the Sith. Together, you will rule."

The voice was familiar, but not one Sky could place. The figure's words were not just for Rey—they were for him too. The cult had seen Rey's grief, her guilt, and the power she sought to reclaim. They knew of her connection to Kylo Ren, and they were ready to manipulate it.

Sky's grip tightened around Rey, his mind racing. He had no idea what this was, but he knew it was dangerous—this wasn't just the Force. This was something darker, something far more sinister.

The Sith leader's eyes glowed with a dark intensity as he watched the scene unfold through his hidden eyes, the figure of Rey unconscious in Sky's arms. The leader's smile spread wider. "Soon," he murmured, his voice a promise. "Soon, we will have them. We will have them both, and with their power, the galaxy will bow before us."

The cult believed that Rey's pain, her longing to bring Kylo Ren back, was their greatest asset. It was her weakness, yes, but also her greatest strength. The cult would use her grief and her desire for power to lead her into their fold. Once she joined them, they would show her how to harness the dark side fully and bring Ben Solo back to the world.

As Rey's eyes fluttered open, the cold, dark whispers continued to haunt her thoughts, pulling her further down a path she didn't know how to escape.

Rey's consciousness shifted between flashes of light and darkness. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and the bond between her and Kylo Ren was so close, so powerful, it threatened to overwhelm her completely. She could almost see him, his figure outlined in the shadows, reaching out to her.

And just as she thought she might lose herself completely, the voices in her head spoke one final time:

"The choice is yours, Rey. Come to us, and your power will be limitless. But remember—everything you've ever wanted, everything you've ever dreamed of, will be within your grasp... only if you surrender to the darkness."

The pull was irresistible, but deep down, Rey knew that once she crossed that line, there would be no turning back. Yet, in that moment, she wasn't sure she cared.

Rey slowly awoke, her mind clouded and her vision blurred, as if she were trapped in a haze. Her head swam with confusion, the edges of her thoughts fraying. As she struggled to focus, a soft pressure on her lips pulled her back to the present.

Sky, despite witnessing the darkness and the shadowy figure earlier, was overcome with an impulse he didn't fully understand. He wasn't sure if it was love or something more twisted, but he couldn't resist. He kissed her—his lips pressing gently against hers. Rey, still disoriented, responded, her breath coming in shallow, desperate pants. There was a yearning, a hunger for something more than just the kiss, something she couldn't quite grasp.

Sky smirked, a sense of excitement rising within him, eager to continue. But Rey, her senses muddled, didn't realize who it was. In her daze, she didn't see Sky—her student, her apprentice—in front of her. She saw only what her heart wanted to see. She thought she was somewhere else, somewhere distant in her dreams, kissing a younger version of Ben.

The moment was intense, but Rey's mind was lost in the fog of her desire, unaware of the reality around her.

The moment was heavy with intensity, but Rey's mind was lost in a haze of desire, oblivious to the reality around her. Sky cried out for help, and soon Finn appeared, rushing down the hill toward Sky and Rey. Sky was holding Rey, gently hugging her, and Finn stood, confused by the scene before him.

"Sky, I know you have feelings for Rey, but she doesn't feel the same. Move on," Finn said, his voice sharp. He felt a pang of guilt—he had once harbored similar feelings for Rey, but now he knew that she could only love Ben. She belonged with him, and Finn had come to accept that.

"No," Sky whispered softly. "At least let me carry her to her room. Just come with me."

"Fine," Finn replied reluctantly, not wanting to upset their young apprentice. Sky cradled Rey gently, and Finn led him to her room, unlocking the door with the spare key he had. Sky laid Rey on the bed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Finn watched for a moment before speaking.

"You can't stay. She's unwell," Finn said. But just then, Rey slipped into a Force vision. It was a peaceful one—Ben was there, standing on a beach. Rey was in the same state as she was now: eyes closed, dizzy, but lying on soft sand, surrounded by the desolate beauty of an unknown planet. Ben gazed down at her, speaking to her with tenderness.

"I'm close, my love. Don't let the darkness pull you in—it only takes away hope and life. You are my hope, Rey, and I'll be yours. You want me as Ben, not Kylo Ren: you made that choice long ago. Just hold on. We can be together—Ben and Rey—whether we walk the light or the gray, but not the darkness. I'll give you everything I can. Just be patient with me."

Ben kissed her, and the dream ended. Still in her dream state, Rey moaned Ben's name softly. Sky, confused, asked, "Who's Ben?"

Finn turned to Sky, his voice calm but firm. "Rey is with Ben—he's her partner, so you need to back off. You're only twenty-one, and she's your teacher. Don't overstep, or you'll lose a great opportunity here." Finn paused, glancing down with a hint of sadness. "Rey has been with Ben for the past eight years, but it's complicated. I get it, Sky—having a crush is tough. But Rey isn't like most women. She'll wait for Ben as long as it takes. I can't go into details, but trust me on this."

Sky hesitated, his gaze lingering on Rey with longing before he nodded and left. Finn sat down in a chair beside Rey's bed and sent a message to Rose using his comm device. Rose was still asleep, but Finn needed to keep her informed.

"Rey's showing signs of delirium," Finn typed. "I'll be monitoring her. I'll stay in her hut. If you need me, you know where to find me."