Voices

_._

XXIV

light touches trailed down her back as Rey opened her eyes. She had no idea what time it was, and once she looked up to see Kylo staring down at her she didn't quite frankly care.

"Good Morning." Rey nestled closer to him as he continued drawing circles.

"I'm sure it's way past morning." Rey dreaded the idea of having to get up. Dreaded the idea of him being gone and left alone. The voices had gotten progressively worse over the last few weeks, seeming to become silent the longer she spent time with him. And at this very moment, the voice was completely gone.

"Maybe." Kylo chuckled as he shifted to prop himself on his elbow, cascading over the half of her body. Heat rose as he began to trail kisses from her neck down to the expanse of her chest, sending tingles down her spine. He continued slowly as he made his way down her stomach stopping right below her belly button.

Her eyes flew to his, as excitement filled her core. "We could continue sleeping if you like." Kylo shot her a sly smile before dipping his head down to leave a light kiss against her skin. "Though my exact definition of 'sleeping' isn't really just sleeping." He breathed against her.

Her mind flashed to images of the past few weeks, the sounds they made as they both learned each other physically and emotionally. She had become more freer with him, finding herself more and more as each night rolled onto the next. Kylo's words of passion filled her head, making it seem like the memories were being lived once again. "I will not rest until I have tasted every part of you." His words would ring in her ears, reminding her of the first time she truly became his.

Rey bit down on her lip, as she tilted her head back. Her blood boiled as his breaths lingered on her body. "What says my love?" Kylo spoke through kisses as he continued his path down her body.

"I like your version of sleeping." Rey let out a breathy laugh.

Rey sat at the vanity shortly after Kylo had gone. Her eyes scanned her reflection, though the longer she stared at it the clearer it became. The voices in her head were starting to wear her out. Lines etched her face where there once weren't any and the dark smudges under her eyes grew more prominent. She knew she looked tired, knew it was consuming her energy, but the moments spent with Kylo always made her forget them, her demons.

A small sly smile appeared on her lips as she combed her fingers through her hair, remembering the feeling of his hands. Her face warmed at the thought of him. Thoughts of them together in a flurry of sheets, skin, hands, and kisses that set pulses down her body.

"Missing me already?"

Rey paused a moment, realizing that the intensity of her memories may have triggered a response from him.

"When do I not?" She responded, her smile growing wider. She would have to do something about those dark circles and soon.

"I wouldn't be surprised; I've been told that by women before."

Rey scoffed at that remark. "Were the women imaginary ones?"

Kylo laughed, "They might have been."

Her heart fluttered as she felt his laughter rumble through the force. He was laughing more often these days and every time he did it was as if she was hearing it for the first time. He was changing, slowly but surely, and she was loving each part of him that he shared with her.

"I will see you later my love."

Rey closed her eyes, savoring the sound of his voice before the connection between them thinned and vanished.

When Rey opened her eyes again terror took her breath away.

In the mirror was her reflection but it had changed. Her eyes were glowing red and her expression was vile.

The smile that stretched across her face was not human.

"Do you see it now?" Her voice echoed back to her.

Rey immediately stood up, knocking back the chair trying to separate herself from the monster in the mirror.

"Don't be afraid of what is to come." The figure in the mirror spoke as it copied her actions, never losing the horrifying smile that was plastered on its face.

"You are not me." Rey forced through gritted teeth. Tears burning her eyes as she took in the creature staring back at her.

"But I am." Her voice countered, "I am you in the years to come."

"No. You. Are Not." Rey swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She wanted to smash the glass. She had to smash the glass. She needed to destroy herself from within.

Rey took a small step towards the mirror.

"The sooner you accept it the better, especially for him." Rey's arm lifted at the same time as her reflection, pointing at the mirror. It took a few seconds for Rey to realize what she was pointing at.

Whipping around, terror seized her as she realized she wasn't alone in the room.

A tall dark figure walked forward from the shadows, revealing his face in the small light that illuminated the room. Kylo's face appeared, his eyes glowing the same red as herself in the mirror. But as he approached Rey noticed there was something different about him. He looked much younger, with his hair shorter and slightly lighter in color.

Before she even had the chance to call out his name, the mirror behind her shattered and Kylo vanished.

Rey knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes of standing amongst the shards of glass, but it might as well have been an eternity. Looking over her reflection from the broken pieces on the floor Rey could feel the darkness coming to meet her. As if it was waiting for her to step into its abyss. Red eyes didn't glow back at her but it was almost as if the image was still there. The longer she stared the more she felt the seduction of the shadows calling her.

"It's time, my apprentice."

The voice that whispered through the dark pushed her to move her feet.

It was time.

Rey didn't really think as she took off to her wardrobe grabbing the cloth bag from the bottom and quickly stuffing a change of clothes inside. She didn't look back as she bolted out and down the hall.

Weaving through patrols and servants no one tried to stop her. Some smiled and others nodded their heads in acknowledgement, but no one stood in her way as she pounded through to the loading dock, her bag gripped tightly in her fist. Once she had reached the dock Rey approached the general on duty. The same one she had encountered a few weeks prior at the doorstep of her quarters.

"I need a tie fighter prepared. Now." The general, who did not expect the request, looked at her askance. "Empress?"

"Please General Clyde, its important." Unease started to grow in the pit of her stomach.

He was the only general on the ship that could help her escape quietly, without asking to many unnecessary questions, for a price of course.

Rey pulled a rather large pouch of credits from her bag and handed it to the general. She was awarded the money from the council as pension for her title. She was saving it for a while now, hoping it would one day come to use.

"Does the Supreme Leader know of this?" General Clyde opened the bag, examining a few credits before quickly closing it and shoving it into his pocket.

Rey remained silent; she had no intention on selling her plans to.

"I presume not." He shrugged before turning to one of the troopers.

"Get a tie fighter ready without any delay!"

Rey released a shaky breath. She didn't think it was going to work. She hadn't even thought of where she would go. She didn't even have any supplies, just the change of clothes in her bag and the ones she wore on her back.

"Thank you." Rey didn't give herself any time to rethink this course of action. She took off after the trooper who was leading her towards one of the tie fighters. She waited impatiently as they readied it for her, looking back to see if the general had moved to make any report to Kylo.

He hadn't.

When Rey got the all clear from the trooper and was just about to slip into the cockpit of the small ship, she looked back once more to where the general stood.

Her heart dropped to her feet as she locked eyes with Kylo standing beside the general. Guilt washed over her as she took in his stoic face. The raw pain in his eyes cut through her, like a serrated blade cutting open her heart.

But she had to do this, for him. For her. She had to do this. Because she loved him more than she was ever willing to tell him.

So she stood. Waiting. Taking in every detail of him as she thought about going back into that room with that shattered mirror. About the voice who had remained silent this whole time. And about the pain that was so clear in his eyes that tears sprung in her own.

The whole dock- which just a few moments ago had been bustling with noise seemed so far away from her now, from them. The troopers that had prepared the ship for her now looked back to their Supreme Leader for orders.

Kylo only stood, staring so hard into her that she felt he could see right through her. Could see clearly the pain she had been suffering with for months now.

He had said he understood that pull, had survived it. But those who had been in the crossfire of his journey to the dark side had not. The destruction of the temple was the price for his survival. But it cost those around him their lives. Rey knew deep down that if she stayed with him, his life would be the price for her survival.

It was a price she was not willing to pay.

She refused to look away from him as the tears began to pour down her face. He needed to see this, just as he had seen all of her these last few weeks.

A loud sob escaped her lips as she watched Kylo turn and leave, his hand lifting to signal the troopers just before he disappeared behind a sliding doorway.

"Ready for take-off!" They called out as the others moved away from her ship. Rey stood at the top for a moment longer, looking out to where Kylo once stood.

She had to do this.

Dropping down into the cockpit Rey set the ship in motion, guiding it out the opening of the fleets dock. She slammed on the ignition, quickly jumping into lightspeed. And as she watched the stars around her stretch, she fiercely wiped the tears from her eyes.

There was no going back now. She would find the voice and destroy it, for good.

As he heard her ship jump into light speed his facade quickly disappeared, forcing him to lean against the cold metal wall. He thought she had been getting better. He thought that whatever it was that was haunting her was slowly disappearing as the light began shining in her eyes again. But it seemed he had been all wrong. He couldn't contain her; he should have known better.

But the longer he leaned against the wall, the longer he contemplated the decision of letting her go. He gripped a fistful of his hair desperately fighting the need to chase after her and just as he realized he couldn't fight it any longer, Kylo felt a dark force entered his mind, making his skin crawl.

"Fool. She is destined for far greater things than you."

~To Be Continued~

A/N: If you would like to check out my other original stories, you can find them on Wattpad.

@VintageRosez

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