𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞 (𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲)

.[14].

"Yes," Atlas said to him. "I will train with you but I refuse to let you manipulate me to turn to the dark side." She knew what she truly meant. She knew that Kylo wasn't doing anything to her, but it was herself. It was herself that was doing this to her. It just made her feel better to tell herself that it wasn't her that was doing the damage; that it wasn't her that was putting this burden upon her shoulders. She blamed it on Kylo.

"You're only doing this to yourself...and you know it," he said, still looking at her eyes, looking through her soul to find light and darkness; as well as conflict and peace. Comforting. It felt comforting to him to see something this powerful, something this rare, alongside him.

He turned around and headed to the door, but stopped midway. "We start training tomorrow, Six a.m." Then he was gone, only the presence of his heavy boots on the cold hard floor left. She shivered and stayed in shock of what she had just agreed to. She was going to be training with him, starting tomorrow. It was all going to fast.

She walked back to the personal quarters, still thinking of what she had just said. How did he do that to me? She stayed with that I'm thought, as she ate, as she showered, as she relaxed, as she slept. The thought was always with her. Always lingering somewhere in her mind.

•••

Laying asleep in her bed, she felt the presence of somebody's eyes upon her, watching her sleep. She slightly opened her left eye to see who was there. She found Kylo standing at the foot of her bed, staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly sat up, pulling the covers up towards her face. The light of the blinking stars shone onto his scar across his face from the big grand window in her room.

"Get ready and meet me in the training room." He then left the room, leaving Atlas alone with her covers. She knew that if she wasn't fast, he was going to be angry for how long it took her to arrive at the training room. Atlas quickly got up and ran to the bathroom to do her business. She put her hair up in a high ponytail, pulling some strands out to frame her face better. She then went to her closet and put on a black tight shirt that went down right below her belly button, with a black pants. This was nothing like she had worn before back at the base. These were the only clothes that seemed like exercise clothes in the closet. She knew she had to put something on that showed a bit of skin because she knew that Kylo was going to make her work hard with barely to no breaks, and she needed something a bit breezy to not make her so sweaty. She took one last look at herself, bracing what she was about to do, hoping that this wasn't a "no going back" situation, before she went out the door.

She ran through the halls, making tight turns, occasionally bumping into people and apologizing after. By the time she got to training room, she was already red and a little sweaty. Once she opened the doors, she found Kylo standing there looking at her, hands behind his back. He looked so poised, so professional. He knows what he's doing. She assured herself.

Atlas walked closer to him, preparing herself for what she is about to commit. "You have a strong connection to the force... but it is untamed." She looked deep into his eyes but there was nothing; no emotion. "I will be helping you master the force. As well as combat and when the time comes; lightsaber training. You will eventually master all of this is you obey everything I tell you, and as long as you work your hardest."

He turned around to face a small table. He grabbed a small white candle. He then turned and faced Atlas. "You will be trying to light this candle on fire with the force." This is crazy. I couldn't even lift a rock just a few months ago. How does he expect me to light something. Unbelievable. He placed the candle on the floor and told Atlas to sit down across from it. And Atlas did as she was told. She sat down as Kylo told her to close her eyes; think and concentrate on what she wants the candle to do.

She closed her eyes as tight as she could and tried her best to concentrate, but there was too much. To many things going on in her mind. You can do it. This wasn't her thoughts. It came from someone else. Kylo. She tried to blank everything from her mind; erase all thoughts about everything and anything. Leaving only the image of the burning candle in her mind. But she just couldn't. As Kylo looked down upon her, he saw the burning embers of the candle wick slowly brightening, but then go back to its black state as Atlas opened her eyes to look at him.

"I'm- I'm going to need you to leave the room, Kylo." She knew if she was going to do this right, she needed to be by herself; secluded, isolated. Kylo modded and walked towards the door, shutting it as he stood out there.

Then again, Atlas closed her eyes once again but with a blank mind this time. No Leia, no Resistance, no First Order...no Kylo; only the image of a burning candle in thought. She brought her hand out towards the candle, fingers slightly parted. She thought about the candle being lit. She thought about how happy she would be; how accomplished she would feel if she if she lit the candle with her mind. She calmly sat on the floor, right arm extended towards the candle, only thinking of the burning wick.

Then she felt it. She felt the warmth of the flame on her finger tips. She opened her eyes slowly to see the burning candle. She had done it successfully. Leia would be proud. She came closer to the flame; inspecting it, hoping she wasn't just imagining it. She brought her palm closer to it, feeling it's heat. Yep, this is definitely real.

Still focusing on the flame, she heard the doors of the training room open, then there was Kylo. In all of his glory, he slowly clapped as he walked towards her. "Good...but I know there is more in you than just lighting a candle."

Atlas stood up, walking towards him. "Oh can't you just be happy that I actually did something." No response.

"This is only the beginning, Atlas. This soon will be easy as snapping your fingers," he said as he, indeed, snapped his fingers.