Daylight

1. Golden Light

Artwork commissioned by elopez7228 on Instagram.

PRE-The Force Awakens

Walking the temple halls had made me realize how much I never admired the details in the structure. I didn't have the burden of attending my training lessons today like my classmates as I turned down the stone walkway. Carrying a journal I've had since forever, I found one of my favorite rooms that overlooked the vast landscape surrounding Luke Skywalker's Temple. Leisurely strolling up to the window, I sat on the edge to balance myself enough not to fall as I opened my journal up. Writing down my thoughts had become second nature as I kept to myself most of the time. Sure I enjoyed the sessions and the sparring, but I also liked my alone time. It was nice the first time I came here as Luke Skywalker gave me what I needed as long as I didn't skip out. I didn't remember how long I had been here, only knowing what my age was currently as Master Luke had reminded me a month ago. When I arrived, many other kids training under Luke didn't understand why I had to be trained alone, and honestly, neither did I. But Luke explained that the force around me was different, stronger, more powerful than most.

Luke said it was because of my perspective on how I use the force that makes me different, and on top of that, Luke knew something the others didn't. Not understanding at the time before the temple, I had been born with a rare but special gift that most Jedi could do but with immense practice. I could siphon, or absorb, the power of the force from objects, landscapes, and people around me and use it for my power and control with force. Luke had only seen it a few times, and it was the main reason he wouldn't let me train with anybody when I first arrived here. But slowly and with time, he learned to trust my ability to keep it secret and under control, so for the past two years, all I've done were training sessions with my classmates, including his nephew Ben Solo.

Ben Solo was the best of the best compared to our fellow Jedi. Out of all the boys from young to old, he was the strongest next to Master Luke himself. While I was the strongest out of all the female but yet, Luke hadn't wanted us to spar against the other. Out of all the boys, to me, he was different. I didn't know if Luke could see or even feel it, but he always made sure for Ben and me to stay distant. We were both the best, the strongest, the most powerful next to the other teachers, which could've been why he didn't want us to spar against the other, probably out of fear we would kill the other. Like most male species, that had to do everything to be better than others, and Ben was no exception. I knew he had heard of me, knew of my secret training and lessons with his uncle, and like everyone, he hated me for it. Hell, I hated myself for it. But after seeing it for so long, I knew what Luke could see. The force inside and around me was different. It wasn't Light, and it wasn't Dark. It was something new, something neutral, but to Luke, it was also something dangerous.

It had only been known for a few Jedi to be neutral, but after the wipeout of the Jedi decades ago, it hadn't been wise to become stationed in the middle. Luke had told me it was much more dangerous to be neutral than be on the Dark Side of the Force. But like various things, I didn't know why it was so bad. I looked up to see the sun burning into my clothes as I felt the sudden warmth of the beams on my covered legs, a light breeze making my long dark brown hair sway with the wind that came through the open window. The golden light was mesmerizing as it made me look out into the world without realizing someone was watching me from the doorway. I stopped writing for a moment to let the sun warm my face as a faint smile formed on my lips. The second I heard shuffling, my journal dropped from my lap as Ben Solo's gorgeous face came into my view as I stood up from my seat and apologized.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were there, Ben. If you need this room, I can leave-" I didn't want to cause trouble with him knowing how strong and powerful he was based on watching him spar with Luke, but when he raised a hand, I silenced myself as I fumbled the ground for my journal.