‘’Kylo! Kylo!’’ was a desperate call of Rey, but not even an echo could be heard back. Only dead silence.

The atmosphere was dark, it wasn’t night time yet, but it just seemed to not be enough light either. There was only a road that led away from the temple, the only direction she could go towards, and it had pillars standing on each side of the road, every two of them forming an arch high above the ground. They were majestic in their own way, but every time Rey looked up at them, she felt her stomach drop. Something in their artistic design made her feel uncomfortable. She noticed that some of them still had a red flag hanging down. Some were torn to pieces almost completely, but others could still be seen almost intact. She wanted to see what symbol was on them, but they were way out of her reach so she closed her eyes and called upon help from the Light side of the Force. But it was a dead end.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the red cloth again. Kylo mentioned that the temple used to hold both of the teachings, the Sith and the Jedi.

What if I need to use the Dark Side instead? But how?

Rey closed her eyes again and tried to think this time of the vision she had in the forest, when she wanted to avenge the deaths of the villagers and torture the one responsible for it. She felt out of a sudden a hidden power awakening inside her. An electrical shock wave left her heart and reached out for the entire body, giving her a warm feeling that gradually increased it’s temperature. Her blood felt like it was boiling, but the sensation itself and the experienced emotions were addictive. The Dark side gave her passion, hunger for power, it made her feel alive.

When Rey opened her eyes and looked up at the flag, it was burning in flames and waiving at the same time, although there was no wind. The symbol was one that she recognized from Kylo’s parchments back at the Jedi academy: The Sith Empire.

A sudden realization hit her out of the trance, the newly discovered feelings fading away and leaving behind a void in her heart. Kylo said that the first trial will be about something that she desired most, but why would the Sith Empire symbol appear? She was a rebel at heart, a chaos even if Kylo was her weakness. She wasn’t ready to change the sides only because of him.

A distant scream interrupted her thoughts.

Someone else was there and needed help. The only way was ahead so she started running as fast as she could. The screams were getting closer and closer and her heart was sinking more and more because at one point, she recognized the person who was screaming in agony: It was Kylo, asking for her name.

Kylo looked at Rey and said:

‘’Just stay alive and come back to me.’’ He reached out to bring her back in an embrace but before he could, in an instant she was…

Gone.

‘’Rey! Rey, where are you?’’ He panicked as she vanished right in front of his eyes. ‘’Damned be this training! This world! Everything!’’ He knew the first trial started and needed to make sure she is alright, but when he tried, he couldn’t reach her mind. As if she were in another dimension.

Behind him, in front of the temple, there was a strange road. The planet itself was a ruin with no life left to it, but the path before him had green grass and small flowers on the sides. There were also pillars on each side of the road, each pair forming an arcade above his head, with waiving flags representing the Jedi Republic. The sun was shining bright and seeing so much color, so much nature, in a place where death was the ruler for thousands of years, it felt strange. He started walking forward, aware that he was already watched and judged by his actions. Cautious and with a hand on his blade, he continued his journey through the greetings of the flowers and the tree branches that bowed before him whenever he passed them.

Peace… indeed what I desire… I am tired of fighting malevolent forces that want to destroy this Galaxy instead of helping it. What did Snoke know and the others before him, to do with their power?! Turn people into slaves! Destroy worlds! Become ruthless rulers that had no shame to kill even when not needed! But I will never join the Jedi… hey are too proud because they think they know the secrets of the Galaxy and are invincible. And that makes them weak!

A distant laughter interrupted his inner monologue.

It was one of a woman’s that, as he approached, he recognized: his mother. And she wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t spot them yet. He started running faster and faster until he reached the end of the road which led to a beautiful landscape, filled with people, flowers and blooming trees. There were familiar faces among the crowd… his father, his uncle and finally, his mother too. They were all laughing, having a wonderful time at the gathering.

‘’Ben!’’ Han ran towards him and hugged him. ‘’My son! My son, oh, how I missed you!’’ Kylo hugged back his father and everything felt so real that he started crying. They were both crying together while embracing each other so tight that they were almost out of breath. Kylo needed to feel his father in his arms, to not let him go anymore. He regretted his every second of life since the moment he killed Han and he needed him to know. He needed him to know how much he missed him. Because despite his absence in his and mother’s life… he still loved him.

‘’I’ve waited you every year on my birthday to come home… But you were away and afterwards I left for the academy… and then….’’ Kylo’s words were barely intelligible because of the sobs.

‘’I know, I know, and I regret that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.’’ Han was shaking from the overwhelm of emotions. He missed him so greatly and needed to tell Ben how much he was suffering from there, from the spiritual world, that he couldn’t do more for him while he was alive.

Kylo noticed his mother approaching them and in an instant, his heart dropped.

‘’M-m-mum… mum you…’’ but he wasn’t able to finish his sentence more. Leia smiled at him and said:

‘’No, my boy, don’t worry, I am still alive. I came here because the Force itself asked for my presence, but at first I was reluctant. Then I found out it was about you, so I came here as fast as I could. No matter what happened, I love you so much, no, we love you so much that I am ready to do anything for you, just so I know that you are safe.’’ Leia came to Kylo and Han and embraced them both.

Now they were a family all over again. It was everything that Kylo ever desired. A family.

‘’I’m so sorry, so sorry to both of you. I’m trying to make things right but it’s too late already… at least for you, dad. I’m so sorry, I regret it every single moment th…’’

‘’Son.’’ Han parted from the embrace and took Kylo’s head in his hands, then spoke again. ‘’I know you are sorry. I can feel it. And you should know that I am sorry too, both of us were at fault in here. And I know you did it to protect Leia. All that matters now is that I love you and I’m not mad at you for anything. You are our son and our love for you is infinite.

They were all over again embracing together all three of them. Kylo felt at peace for the first time in many years. He loved his parents so much and wanted to make them proud of him. He had his fall but he was ready to redeem himself in front of them. He was ready to make things right once and for all.

‘’I believe there is someone else you should talk to. He’s been waiting for you.’’ Whispered Leia to his ear. And he looked in front of him, further behind a tree, his uncle, Luke, was watching him. He could sense his feelings from apart. Shame.

‘’Uncle!’’ called out Kylo as he ran towards him and stopped by the tree. ‘’Uncle… there is something that we need to talk.’’

‘’I know, Ben. And that is why I would like to take a walk with you.’’ Said Luke and turned to leave but then added: ‘’If you wish, of course.’’

‘’Luke…’’ He didn’t know where to begin with as he walked in silence by his uncle. He felt like everything he would say, it would have no justification.

‘’Ben, I have failed you. And I have failed myself as well. I didn’t have enough faith in you and I listened to the voice of doubt instead.’’

‘’You weren’t listening to any doubts you had. It was Revan the whole time! He was a Dark Lord and you got deceived by him! He told you to kill your nephew and the first thing to do was listen to him!’’ Instead of asking for forgiveness from his uncle, he was mad at him still and now he was yelling. He added: ‘’You don’t understand how betrayed I felt when I saw you ready to strike me that night. I may have been torn between two Masters back in that time because I wanted more than to see things in black and white. I wanted to master both disciplines, to see the strengths and weaknesses in them and use them to create peace across the Galaxy, not war. But know this, I would of never betrayed you! You are my blood and above everything, for me loyalty is what matters most! You were my true master. The other one was just a teacher. He only helped me understand things that I didn’t have access to with you.’’

‘’Things that led you on the path that you are now! A puppet of Snoke! And now, a puppet of the First Order!’’ Luke was furious as well, but only because he knew his nephew was right. His words hurt him.

‘’I had a dream! That one day we would lead the Galaxy to peace and a new philosophy. I was so sure that you would accept in the end my ways that it never crossed my mind that I would be the result of an attempted murder!’’

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but Kylo wasn’t finished: ‘’And you know what? Despite your betrayal, I was given this chance to say I’m sorry! Yes, I am sorry for turning my back on you! I am sorry that I fought against you and chased you across the whole damn galaxy only to take my revenge for what you tried to do to me! Because it was my fault for idolizing you instead of understanding that you are not perfect, that you are human yourself and that you’ve got your weaknesses yourself. It took me way too long to understand that I was your weakness this whole time, that because of me, you fell victim to deception.

Luke’s eyes were wide. He did not expect those words from his nephew, he did not expect forgiveness from him. He thought the boy was lost… Oh, how wrong was he! The only lost one was himself, Luke, the Legend! The irony!

‘’Ben…’’ said his uncle and then hugged him tight. ‘’I’m so sorry myself for everything. For everything…’’

Kylo’s heart was finally at peace after a long, long time filled with turmoil, pain and regret. He achieved what he wished to do the most since the time things took the wrong turn in his life. But now, part of them were right again. He still needed to fight against a corrupt system and subdue it, but he wasn’t alone. He had Rey now. Speaking of which…

‘’Luke, tell me of Rey. What do you know about her? I know you refused to train her the first time she came to you. Why? Why did she have to insist for days until you finally accepted?’’

His uncle eyed him cautiously. He took in a deep breath then spoke:

‘’Because of an ancient prophecy. You will not find it here in this world, you need to go search for it in real life. There you will find her origins as well as yours and her destiny combined. I am not allowed to speak of it, the Force itself forbids it because it wants you both there. And the only one who could of given you this information was me.’’

‘’Where do we have to go?’’

‘’Korriban.’’ Said Luke after a long pause.

‘’Rey! Rey!’’ The screams were getting more and more agonizing as she approached the source. She was so afraid. I’m coming! Please, hold on! I’m on my way!

But his screams weren’t stopping as if he couldn’t even hear her. She got closer and closer until she reached the end of the road that led to a dark valley and then… Kylo’s scream suddenly stopped. Or was it even Kylo? She couldn’t see or sense him anywhere.

A cold breeze made her shiver. She was afraid to walk further because of what she saw in front of her: cloaked shadows that were in fact people, all dressed in black, roaming around and whispering… whispers that were transformed in an unintelligible chaos of words. She should of ran back but those people seemed to suddenly be aware of her presence.

‘’The Daughter of Darkness herself has arrived!’’ a deep man’s voice spoke.

The mysterious man took off his hood to reveal himself and so the others followed. They were all Sith Lords, some were scarred beyond recognition, some needed breathing masks, others had minimal damage on their faces, but all of them had signs of Force corruption. Their eyes were glowing, some had them yellow, others blood red, and they were all frightening. Rey took a few cautious steps forward.

‘’What is this about? Who are you all?’’ she asked as she slowly withdrew her lightsaber out. She was on guard, they could not be trusted even if it was just a test from the Force.

A single laughter could be heard from the whole crowd: the man who greeted her. He stopped and spoke again:

‘’Look at her, fellow Dark Lods, she is magnificent. She withdrew her lightsaber even now, when she is clearly outnumbered. No second thoughts, ready to fight, her heart is racing, blood boiling and her own eyes have a spark now when she’s calculating her strategy.’’ He faked a short laughter then continued: ‘’In honor of us, the fallen Soldiers of the Night, I present you the future Empress of the Galaxy that shall bring a bright future to our name!’’

They did not cheer. Instead they all knelt in front of her, one by one, moving aside and forming a path towards a distant shadow, a tall man who was the only one left standing. He did not move. Rey looked up at the sky and almost had a shock when she saw how many bright stars were able to be seen. It was breathtaking. Behind her was the path she came from with ruins left behind and in front of her, a new beginning.

Forward.

Her decision was final. She was going to leave behind the past and move towards a better future. As she walked forward towards the man from the shadows who’s hood was hiding his face, her mind couldn’t stop asking questions. I? And Empress? But I do not belong here. I should strike them all down, they are evil. But why don’t I feel so? Why do I feel safe around them?

‘’We are not evil, Rey.’’ A woman’s voice could be heard from the crowd. She was still kneeling, but looked up in Rey’s eyes as she continued: ‘’We are same as you. We dedicated our lives towards wars that had the premise for a better future for the Galaxy. All of them were supposed to be the last one. We failed, but you are our last hope. The Galaxy does not need democracy! The Empire can bring wealth and order to it’s people without them fearing of a corrupt system that lets on the loose criminals and bounty hunters for their own personal gains and conflicts! Now go ahead, child, and fulfill the Prophecy for we shall always be here to aid you in your Journey.’’

Rey continued walking ahead after the woman finished. She sensed the passion in every word that she spoke and there was no trail of deception. Maybe there were Sith who chose a different path, a midway indeed, maybe they were not all ruthless killers as she previously thought. As she got close to him, Rey finally saw who it was when he took off his hood.

‘’Kylo!’’ and ran towards him. But when she reached to hug him, she saw that he wasn’t real. He wasn’t really there. He wasn’t tangible, he could not be touched and he did not look at her. He looked straight ahead, unaware of her being there right in front of him.

‘’He cannot see or sense you because that is only a Force representation of him. He is currently having his own trials right now but every decision taken in the first two will affect the third one. It will be a survival test. Be you fail it, you will be stuck in here forever between the world of the Living and the Dead, roaming for an eternity with no chance of escape.’’ The man who spoke was wearing a respirator and his face was filled with scars. He was old and terrifying and Rey was scared of his words.

‘’I have a question…’’ she began, clearing her throat as she fought back tears. ‘’While I was on the path, before to reach this valley… I heard Kylo’s voice screaming for my name. He seemed in pain, as if he were tortured. But I haven’t sensed his presence and I know he isn’t here. The screams suddenly stopped when I left that road and I came here, to you all. The moment I stepped on the grass of this land, they stopped. Why? What was the meaning behind all that?’’

The same man answered her. He seemed the oldest of them all, meaning he had a long life and a better knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force comparing to all of the other younger ones.

‘’The ruins were a representation of your past. Your suffering brought you fear. And Kylo’s safety is what you fear the most. That’s why you heard him screaming in agony. It wasn’t even him, it was your own mind playing tricks on you. Although your loyalty and dedication to him and his cause can make you stronger, your feelings for him can make you weak if you do not keep them under control. Use the love you have for him as an ally and your trust in him as a guarantee for your success. You must give up on your idea of him ever redeeming and turning to the Light Side. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi are the answer for the future, but together they shall stand stronger in front of the real enemy of this Galaxy. He will soon reveal himself and you must be ready until then. You must promise that you will give up on the old ways and accept and follow the new. You must promise that you will obey Kylo Ren’s every command and be he tells you to leave him behind, you do so. He is strong alone, but in order to ascend to the Throne, he needs you to complete him. You need each other’s power.’’

Rey let out a tear drop on her right cheek as she looked up at what she first believed to be Kylo. She finally had a purpose with her life and she was going to pursue it.

‘’I promise.’’