The full moons shine down through the trees of the forest, creating ghostly shadows all around. My breath puffs out into the cold air and I pull my hood over my head to keep the chill away. I've spent the night roaming the forest before, as punishment. The first time was the worst and I had nightmares for weeks. But I never saw any ghosts, although I thought I heard them, and now I think I hear them again.

"I can do all things through the Force, which strengthens me," I whisper. My words get lost in a gust of wind. A tree branch moves like the arms of a giant, with gnarly fingers silhouetted against the starry sky. I walk faster, heading for a clearing up ahead.

The snap of a branch behind me makes me stop. I turn. It's dark in the trees where the sound came from, to see anything.

Probably just a forest animal.

I keep going. My boots crunch the leaves and branches as I hurry to the forest's edge. The tall trees sway wildly overhead and the wind lifts the leaves all around me, making them rise around my feet.

Another branch snaps nearby. I stop walking to listen. A dark shape jumps out at me and I scream, falling to the ground. Two hands hold me down and I know by his familiar grasp that it's Hux. An old splintered tree trunk stabs my side, sending pain shooting up my back.

"Get off of me!" I yell, but my voice is drowned out in the wind. Hux pins my legs down with his bony knees and his hands push on my wrists making my fingers numb. His attack startled me and now my heart won't calm down now. "You're not supposed to touch me," I say.

"No, you're not supposed to touch anyone, because Supreme Leader thinks you're so special. But I can do whatever I want."

"Get off!"

Hux leans in close and I turn my head to the side. "I'm the only one that's ever going to want to come anywhere near you. Even Phasma would never lay with you."

"I don't want her to," I say, trying to push Hux off, but he's strong and two years older than me. I'm not allowed to use my Force powers or I'll be expelled from the program. The tree trunk digs further into my side and I clench my jaw.

"We need each other Ren," he says, his face close to mine. 

I hold my breath, my stomach twisting. "I don't need you. I'm going to be like the other Sith Lords who don't need anyone."

"Who said you could ever be a Sith Lord?"

"Nobody," I say quickly.

"Well you'll never be one, you're too much of a coward."

"Why don't you go to Phasma?" I say. "She'll let you lay with her."

"She'll let anyone lay with her. I don't want Phasma. I'll get punished for unclean acts."

I don't respond and look out past the trees at the stars in the distance. One day I'll be all powerful and I'll have armies and weapons and battle starships at my command. But for now I have to deal with Hux.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" I say. "I failed another test. Isn't that good enough for you? You're passing them all."

Hux seems to consider this for a moment. "You'll never make it through the training course," he snarls, climbing off of me. "Have fun in the forest."

I sit up slowly, my back aching from the fall. Hux is already gone into the dark woods and I'm alone again.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Phasma says from the dining table as I walk by. I try not to limp, so I don't look even more pathetic than I already feel, being out in the forest all night. I hurt my ankle out in the forest, climbing on the rocks near the large river and my hurt ankle makes it impossible not to hobble as I walk.

I ignore Phasma and keep going. After Hux's assault last night I walked as deep into the forest as I could, not caring about the ghosts anymore. I dared them to come and destroy me. Everything Hux said seemed right. That I'd never make it through the training, let alone become a Sith Lord someday.

When I reached the wide river I considered jumping into it, but the water wasn't deep enough for me to drown in and I came back instead. Now I'm late reporting back to Master Snoke.

"Where are you going?" Phasma calls after me. "Come and have breakfast with me."

I keep going to the next building that's connected to this one by a wide hallway, where Snoke's office is. The sun shines through the long windows so bright that I feel like I'm walking in a dream, my mind hazy from lack of sleep.

Master Snoke isn't in his study when I get there. I frown. I'll be in trouble when he returns, for being late. But at least I completed my punishment this time.  I'll have to wait here until he comes back.

There's a movement near the door and I stand up straighter, thinking it's Master Snoke. I look and see the little blond girl, Rey. She's got her hair in braids today and is wearing her beige pants and dust-coloured shirt with a towel wrapped around her neck. The towel hands down like a cape. She stops when she sees me.

"Did you fall out of the tree?" she asks, her eyes going wide.

"What tree?" I blink, squinting to see her. She's standing in front of the hallway windows with the sun shining so brightly behind her that it hurts to look at her.

"When you took the baby bird back," she says.

I quickly glance at the wooden desk. I let out a sigh of relief. It's cleaned off and the bird is gone. I look back to Rey again. "If Master finds me talking to you I'll be in big trouble."

She nods then starts to walk away.

"Rey?" I say in a loud whisper.

"Yes?" she says in an even louder whisper, looking back into the room.

"Why are you wearing a towel around your neck?"

She narrows her eyes at me in an angry glare. "It's my cloak," she growls, then stomps off loudly down the hall. 

I hear other footsteps approaching and my heart speeds up. Hurry Rey. I can't afford any more mistakes. I'm starting to lose count of how many I will be punished for. What if Master Snoke regrets his decision to take me on as his personal apprentice? Hux says the only reason Grand Master tolerates me is because I'm the grandson of Darth Vader. But I know I have power, I've seen it hurt people when I used to get mad and had no control over my emotions. 

Two elderly Jedi Masters walk by in the hall, their cloaks hiding their faces. My shoulders relax. I'll have to stand here and wait for as long as it takes Master Snoke to come back. It's my own fault I'm late.