Astral | Rey Skywalker

3

The remnants of the Jedi temple loom like haunting specters in the dimly lit chamber where Avalon now sits. Her body aches from the aftermath of the fierce duel with her brother, Ben. The pain in her muscles is nothing compared to the anguish that gnaws at her heart. She's alive, yes, but at what cost?

Leia Organa stands nearby, her gaze filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. She had arrived in the nick of time to save her daughter from the brink of darkness, but she knows that Avalon's wounds run much deeper than the physical ones.

Avalon sits in silence, her knees pulled up to her chest, her pink lightsaber resting beside her. The room is filled with an oppressive silence, broken only by the distant echoes of crumbling stone. The air is heavy with the weight of what transpired here.

She should eat, she knows, and she should rest, but her body feels like an empty vessel, and sleep is a distant memory. Her mind is a tempest of thoughts, each more harrowing than the last. Her brother, once her closest confidant, had fallen into darkness, destroying everything they had known.

Leia crouches down beside Avalon, her hand reaching out to gently touch her daughter's trembling shoulder.

"Avalon," She says softly, "you're safe now. We'll find a way to bring him back. I promise."

Avalon doesn't respond, her eyes fixed on the shattered remains of the Jedi temple. It's a physical reflection of the turmoil inside her, a testament to the devastation caused by her brother's fall.

"I failed, Mom," Avalon finally whispers, her voice shaky, "I couldn't save him. I tried, but he's gone."

Leia's heart aches for her daughter, knowing the weight of the burden Avalon carries. She wraps her arms around Avalon, pulling her into a comforting embrace.

"You did everything you could," Leia says, her voice filled with empathy, "The pull of the dark side is strong, but we won't give up on him."

As they sit there, mother and daughter, in the ruins of what was once a place of hope and training, Avalon can't help but feel the immense loss. Her bond with Ben, once a source of strength and connection, is now a painful reminder of the chasm that separates them.

Days turn into nights, and still, Avalon can't find solace in sleep. Her nights are plagued by haunting dreams of her brother, his face twisted by anger and darkness. She wakes up in cold sweats, her heart pounding in her chest.

Leia watches over her daughter, her concern deepening with each passing day. She knows that Avalon is slipping further into despair, and she worries about the toll it's taking on her. She tries to coax Avalon into eating, but the food tastes like ashes in her mouth.

One evening, as the pale light of a distant moon filters through the shattered windows, Leia sits down beside Avalon once more. She can see the shadows under her daughter's eyes, the pallor of her skin.

"Avalon," Leia says gently, "you can't keep punishing yourself like this. You need to eat, you need to rest."

Avalon looks at her mother, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resignation.

"How can I rest?" She whispers, her voice filled with anguish, "Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I see what he's become."

Leia reaches out and takes Avalon's trembling hand.

"I know it's hard, sweetheart," She says softly, "But you can't give up on yourself. You have so much strength inside you, and you can use it to bring your brother back to the light."

Avalon's tears spill over, and she clings to her mother, as if seeking refuge from the storm that rages within her.

"I don't know if I have the strength," She admits, her voice barely audible.