Tethered

12: True Terror Takes Over the Mind

The object of his interest sat abandoned in a drawer in his quarters. He didn't even know why he still had it. He'd bought it on a whim on a spring day that seemed to be eons ago with a man he wished he could forget. A street vendor on a planet whose name he did not remember offered it to him.

You sir look like a boy who needs to be on time, he had said. I can offer you this for the low low price of ten credits to help you keep yourself on schedule. What do you say?

It was larger to him then, a little bit bigger than his childish palm, though now he dwarfed it with his size.

Wide brown eyes had stared at the circular item, watching the hands move across the face and he looked up at the man who accompanied him. They posed a silent question.

The man grinned down at him crookedly, running his hand through his nearly black hair. "Sure thing, son," he said fishing some credits out of his pocket. He passed them to the vendor and took the watch in exchange. His hands spread the change, slipping it over the smaller boy's head. "Here. Now you'll always know what time it is, and know how much time we spend driving your mother insane."

He opened up the top drawer and there it sat; the only item kept in the enclosure. The item was small and circular, with a long chain that could easily fit over someone's head attached to the top. The shell was a tarnished brass, proudly showing its age. Intricate patterns of vines and abstract flowers were etched into the surface, giving it an almost feminine appearance. On the front cover, a good portion had been carved out, revealing a preview of the hands inside. They loosely formed roses with their swirls and edges, covering the face of the clock.

Kylo pressed his thumb to the clasp at the top and it opened to show its face. The numbers were golden, a beautiful accent to the white they rested on. The circle in the center was golden also, as were the hands, but they only added to the design.

Kylo didn't know why he still had this. He didn't know why he'd kept this watch over the years, both during his time at the Jedi training academy and as Snoke's apprentice. But here it was, untouched, gathering dust. He dragged his fingers across the glass surface that protected the pocket watch's face, cleaning it off. The quiet ticking it made was the only sound in the room, steady and constant.

Maybe that was why he had kept it. It was his watch after all. It was a constant in his life, reminding him of his constant existence, reminding him of his humanity. There were strong feelings attached to it-strength from when he left home to join the academy, resolve when he'd destroyed the academy, determination when he vowed that he would prove his master he was capable of great things in the dark side of the Force.

The man who had bought it for him mattered not. Not anymore.

All that remained was the attachment.

And he was transferring that to Lux.

His light had said she had no way of telling time, nothing to call her own. He didn't know why, but he felt the urge to change this.

The watch was small enough that she could hide it easily, just in case someone would come by, but it would give her something of her own. He knew she didn't have many possessions, and while she'd lived long enough without them, he wanted to be the first to gift her something, even if it was small and insignificant.

It was perfect.

He slipped the watch into his inner pocket, the ticking keeping time with his heart, and walked back out of his quarters. The walk back to her cell was one he'd become very familiar with. He knew it by heart and could probably make the journey with his eyes closed.

There were very few people still awake as he walked. He passed the occasional pair of stormtroopers on patrol who stood at attention when he passed. But, aside from him, the halls were empty. It was exactly how he liked it. Wide, powerful strides brought him to the elevator to take him to her floor.