Surrendering to the Dark

Bittersweet Victories

As his eyes flashed blue again, I ignited the lightsaber held between us, piercing his chest—a mortal wound.

Ren's body jerked as the lightsaber burned through his sternum, a look of surprise on his face.

"What have you done? I've waited a millennium for a perfect host." Vitiate spoke through Ren one last time.

As the blue faded to Ren's lovely warm browns, I heard him utter, "Thank you, Princess."

His eyes fluttered closed, and I pulled his colossal frame against me. When he went down, I didn't have the strength to stop it. He landed on his back near Ushar. Body twitching as he coughed, a bit of crimson appeared on his lips. With his lungs pierced, he was drowning in his own blood. I held his hand tight. He would not be alone in his last moments. Eyes open, but glazed over, sightless as his breaths became agonal, it reminded me of a fish out of water.

I leaned into his ear and whispered, "I love you, Ren. I don't regret meeting you or the changes you created in me. You are my destiny."

When his chest no longer rose and fell, I peered at my beautiful Dark Prince, skin paler than ever, lips no longer pink, but a shade of blue, and black hair fanned around his head like a halo. He was magnificent.

So many people moved through their lives, never knowing what it was like to love and be loved by someone, to consume and be consumed. I would never regret it.

Burning pain suddenly shot through my hip as his mark seared into my soul—the mark of the Prince of Alderaan. His Force-signature loosened its grip on mine, then slipped away, part of my soul tearing away with it. Vicrul was right. I felt a gaping hole in my chest, now; a void that couldn't be filled by anything in this world. He was gone, and half of me left with him.

A numbness overtook my limbs and mind. I didn't notice when strong arms seized me and dragged me away from his body. I didn't see the carnage all around us.

Behind the bunker, Rey held her left side, blood seeping from a wound there. Vicrul warred with himself over fighting versus healing her. He put his hand over her wound and swiftly gave her a piece of his life-force, sufficient to keep her alive, before going back to the fight.

No matter how many droids they demolished, more kept coming. I sat crumpled on the ground, a mere spectator of the surrounding horrors. No sound reached my ears. As my friends shouted, all I saw were their mouths moving.

Lando stood next to me, blasting droid after droid as they attempted to breach our shelter. When a body lumbered over the top of the dried corpses, I recognized it as Trudgen. Blood poured from the space between his mask and his armored breastplate. Lando removed his helmet and hurriedly placed pressure on his neck. Trudgen had dark skin and deep brown eyes, eyes that were blown wide with fear. Numb, I watched him bleed out as Lando fought a losing battle.

Vicrul screamed when he witnessed yet another one of his brothers succumb to death. I could tell because his mouth made an o shape and an anguished fury ripped across his face.

Turning my attention to Ren's remains, my mind wandered away from the battle—to a time at a great waterfall—to a time of joy.

What if? What if I healed him? He was already dead. Could I heal him enough? Would Ren come back fully or just a shell of his spirit, someone that looked like him?

In a split-second decision, I bolted from the bunker, my lightsaber tearing through metal bodies as I passed. My hearing was back, the numbness gone. Adrenaline pumped wildly through my veins as I shredded the battle droids before me. Reaching Ren's now cold corpse, I fell upon it, placing both of my hands over his heart. The moment my first bit of life-force left my spirit, gentle hands touched my shoulders. Turning, I stared up into the face of a man I had never seen before.