Steady On.

Chapter 67.

She so desperately ached for it.

Not wanting to sob in front of Poe again, she turned her head, letting silent tears roll down her cheeks.

Rey never expected anyone to understand their relationship. It was complex, the two of them. It was divine, and raw, something more than words and deeper than love.

"Either way... I'm... I'm sorry, Rey... I'm sorry you lost someone that..." He forced a sigh. "That you cared for."

In a way, Rey understood why Poe struggled to get the words out.

But she couldn't bring herself to care, or to fight, or even thank him.

Eventually, Poe excused himself to go check on the others, and still, Rey didn't say a word, keeping quiet as hot, angry tears continued to fall.

She felt it then, as she began to hate the people that brought them here, began to curse them with vile words and a venomous tone.

She felt that black, cold hand brush over her, the hand that guided all dark things and energized that evil power. She felt it in her fingertips, could feel it color her eyes as she sat in the room that held the only thing that mattered now.

With the company of the dark side, she wept.

( X )

Pure anger was something Rey had encountered before.

But never, ever had it carried the weight of a broken heart.

( X )

Her face was still a mess with dried tears and sweat, dirt filling the creases and pores of her face as she sat there, willing the force to bend and break to her will.

Every time it refused, only fueled her anger more and more, until she could sense the walls trembling and the small particles of dust in the air avoid her with urgency.

Her hand lay on top of Ben's, stroking away and away, waiting for the motion to be returned... Waiting... Pleading...

Rey moved to bend forward, letting her forehead softly rest against the back of his hand as her eyes drifted close, and that's when she felt a hard jolt to her spine, as if she was provided an answer by a teacher that was losing their patience.

Her eyes opened then, slightly wide as her breathing grew ragged.

Her head turned slowly, casting a quick glance behind her, knowing there was not any one there, though she felt something cold and dark anyway...

Focusing back on Ben, she stood over him with her hand now cupping his cheek, feeling the presence around her.

The door began to open, and without a second thought, Rey's mind commanded it to shut tight as a small, fragile voice spoke up from the other side.

"Rey?" Leia called, concerned with tight emotion in her voice.

Again, her mind acted before she could think, and Rey's force locked the door just as her eyes closed again, feeling for Ben.

She'd been there before, in the space stuck between life and death, where the force resided and provided its peace.

No, she wasn't in danger, and she wasn't at risk of losing her life, nor was she already dead...

But she'd been there... She'd known that place...

And she was determined to find it again.

( X )

It wasn't sunny, nor dark here, but the skies were white and grey with light clouds surrounding the area as far as the eye could see, and the ground itself provided cushion with blades of grass.