"I made the rules very clear," Snoke says, looking down at us from his seat high above. We're back at the gathering space and he's behind the glass viewing window, his voice coming through a speaker. No says anything and my pulse pounds in my ears as we wait for our punishment. If we get disqualified I'll kill Caleb, right here and now, in this very room.

"There are twenty-four players left," Caleb says. "So technically, we won."

We all turn to him, this is news to us.

Snoke reaches his hand out and Caleb makes a choking sound. "Quiet," Snoke says. "I've changed the rules." He lowers his hand and Caleb starts breathing again. "I don't know you well, boy."

"My name's Caleb, not boy... Sir."

Snoke narrows his eyes at him. "Is it? Then Caleb, I've decided not to disqualify all of you, just one of you. Tell me, who do you think I should disqualify?" Snoke asks.

"Ren," Caleb replies immediately. Phasma gives him a glare and Hux remains unmoved.

"And you, Ren?" Snoke turns his eyes to me. "Who do you think we should disqualify?"

"Caleb," I say.

Snoke nods slowly then sits back in his seat. "Phasma, what about you? Tell me who I should disqualify."

Phasma hesitates. Does she really have to think about that answer, even for a second?

"Hux," Phasma says.

Hux and I gasp. Phasma has an angry expression on her face and she keeps her eyes on Snoke, ignoring us.

"And you, Armitage? Who do you say I should disqualify?"

"Any of these three but me, Your Supreme Leadership," Hux says.

Snoke clasps his hands together, watching us. "Very well," he finally says. "Go and finish the Game. I've decided only fifteen will win. If there are more than fifteen left before the end of the night, then the count goes down to five, and only five can be left for the Game to end."

Nobody moves, as though we're all trying to make sense of this new change in the rules.

"Go on," Snoke says, waving his hand at us like we're pets.

Hux bows, before leaving. "Yes, Your Supreme Leadership," he says, then marches out of the room.

Phasma bows so low that I know she's being sarcastic. She then turns and runs out after Hux, not addressing Snoke in any way.

Caleb and I bow at the same time.

"Thank you, Your Supreme Lead-" I start to say.

"You are ever wise, Grand Master," Caleb interrupts. I turn and go after Hux and Phasma.

* * *

"Hux, would you just wait!" Phasma calls down the hallway. I run to catch up to them but Hux is already in the elevator at the end of the hall. The doors close before Phasma can reach them. I grab hold of the elevator doors using the Force and open them again.

Hux crosses his arms and does not look pleased.

"Leave me alone, Ren," he says to me. Is he mad at me too?

"Snoke was playing games with us," Phasma says, stepping into the elevator with Hux. Caleb arrives and I get into the elevator, then quickly close the doors before he can get in.

"Hey!" I hear Caleb call from the other side. I hold the doors shut.

"Phasma, what were you doing?" I say. "Turning against us? Why didn't you vote out Caleb?"

"Because," she growls. "Snoke was just testing us. If we all voted out Caleb he'd know we were a team, or that we're working together, you, me and Hux. And that's against the rules, remember? Then he'd kick us all out. So I couldn't vote Caleb and I couldn't vote you, because Caleb already voted on you and that would be two votes against you, the winning vote and you'd be kicked out."

"They why didn't you vote yourself out?" I say.

"The same reason you didn't vote yourself out," Phasma says. "If there's one thing Snoke hates more than attachments it's self sacrifice. If I voted on myself, I'd be out for sure."

Hux doesn't say anything.

"Hux?" Phasma stands in front of him but he turns his head to the side, refusing to look at her. "You know what?" she throws up her hands. "Let me the hell out of this elevator, Ren. I don't need this."

I open the doors and Caleb is still standing there, wide-eyed. Phasma pushes him aside and storms past. He loses his balance and topples into the wall.

"Phasma!" I call after her. I don't want her wandering around on her own. Aiden's team is hunting singles today. But I also don't want to leave Hux alone with Caleb. I don't trust Caleb. I step out of the elevator and Caleb steps in.

Hux holds the door open for me.

"We'll catch up later," Caleb says, giving me a salute. I don't move and Hux doesn't say anything. Caleb shifts on his feet.

"Hux..." I start to say, but then can't seem to form the words. I want him to leave Caleb behind and come with me.

"See you, Ren." Hux lets go of the button and the door closes.

* * *

I wander the halls, expecting to be attacked at every turn. I don't know what's worse, my hunger, my hurt feelings or not knowing where the others are or what time it is. I don't want to miss the two minutes we have to get into a room before night hours, and end up caught outside for the night. Each hallway I go down is empty. It reminds me of my dream again, where everyone is dead in the game. I shudder, despite the heat which is now even hotter than before. At least my feet are bare and not stuffed into those heavy Stormtrooper boots anymore.

I should have gotten into the elevator with Hux. Why didn't I? I hate Caleb but I still wanted to stay with Hux. Was I waiting for him to ask me to join them first? He held the button for me. For a moment.

I sigh. I didn't want to follow him and Caleb around anyway, listening to all of Caleb's dumb ideas that Hux would think are so brilliant. And have him ignore me the whole time. I suddenly remember all the boys we killed today, and Caleb shooting them over and over when they were already dead. And suddenly I know I made a big mistake leaving him with Hux.

"Are you alone?"

I turn at the sound of the voice. It's Aiden, looking larger than I remembered him to be. Behind him are six or so other guys.

"Where's Hux?" This time the voice comes from the other end of the hall where five more guys walk towards me. I'm trapped.

"How many people can you choke hold at one time?" another one says as they move in. I can't think. What should I do? I've never defended myself using the Force against so many people at once, coming from two different sides.

Aiden stops a few feet in front of me and crosses his arms, looking down his nose at me.

"Give Hux a message for us," he says. "Tell him we didn't kill you because we wanted him to see you suffer and die in person." He nods his head to the boy beside him and they all circle around me. Then he takes out a injection device from his pocket and holds it up for me to see. It's one of the devices used by the medics, which push against your neck and give you a quick injection without an actual needle. The boys suddenly grab hold of me all at once from every side. I struggle but they're stronger and my Force abilities are blocked by fear. 'When you're afraid Ben...' Uncle Luke's words come to me, 'you can use this mantra.'

Aiden approaches me with the medic needle and I close my eyes. "When I am afraid I put my trust in the Force, the Force which is stronger than my fear," I chant. I focus on the life energy of the boys around me, and on Aiden's life force. His heart is racing. He's afraid, too. The fear is coming off of him in waves. I continue chanting and focus on his thoughts.

He doesn't know I'm looking and therefore he doesn't have his guard up yet. He's scared of my Force powers because he doesn't understand them or how they work. He thinks it's like magic, rather than a natural force that works with its surroundings. His biggest fear is of being cursed, with something called the Blind Man's Curse. His brother used to scare him with stories of it, when he was little, and talked about Jedi's casting spells like Blind Man's Curse on regular people.

I stop chanting and open my eyes. "Every hand that is laid upon me," I say. "I will curse..." Aiden freezes. "I will curse them with Blind Man's Curse."

I focus my Force energies up to the overhead lights and the emergency lights running along the bottom, then make them burn out all at once. Suddenly it's pitch dark. Shouts erupt around me and all the hands release me. The boys run, their shouts growing farther away as they go. Glass from the lights above shatters and falls. I cover my head with my arms and I stay ducked down until there is no more sound. Then I lower my hands and look up. I can't see anything but a small frame of light at the end of the long hallway. Glass lies in every direction and I stand in one spot in my bare feet, surrounded by darkness and broken glass.