Chapter 21: The Butcher

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A loud jingling rings in your ears. And a quiet raspy voice is whispering over the sound of clanking, 'the Jingler'.

Your eyes flash open, body stiff with stress. You let out a big sigh with your breath. It was just a dream. The room around you is dark, but you can feel that you're alone. You roll over, stretching your permanently sore muscles, and reach around for a datapad or clock or something.

"Shit!" you barely have enough time to get back to the quarters for your run without anyone getting suspicious.

You jump out of Kylo's soft bed, using the refresher and turning a light on to find your clothes. But they aren't on the floor by the door where you took them off. You find them neatly folded on top of his dresser. You throw them on and rush out the bedroom door into the hallway. You assume Master is already gone for the day, doing whatever Supreme Leaders do.

But halfway down the hallway, a strange feeling shivers up your spine, and at the same time, you hear Master's voice from behind a door. You creep toward the sound automatically, trying to find the source of the feeling. It's like you're not alone in his quarters with him, but in a strange way.

Your heart beating fast, you lean your head toward the door, unsure what kind of room is on the other side. Master sounds annoyed, and your mind is telling you he's speaking into comms, but your heart tells you something different. And you don't hear any response to his words even though he pauses for them.

"I don't know how to stop it. I don't want it."

There's a pause.

"You make me angry. You think you understand me...You don't."

Another pause.

"That's none of your concern."

This time there's a long pause.

"Hmm. A jungle."

Then the strange tingling in your spine is gone and you hear footsteps coming toward you. Silently, your heart in your throat, you leap back to his bedroom door, pretending to have just come out of it. Master comes barreling out of the room, his fist clamped around something green.

His furious eyes laser focuses onto yours. "Don't you have somewhere to be?!"

You freeze as he stomps past you. "Yes, Master." You whimper under his angry energy.

You turn to follow him, getting to the living area. Then he pauses, stopping abruptly in his tracks. His energy doesn't change, nor does his posture. He spins and stomps right up to you. Your shoulders tense and eyes narrow, ready for his wrath. But he stops just before crashing into your chest. His gloved hands wrap around your face, his fingers nesting in your hair. Leaning his face down, he plants one soft kiss on your forehead.

Your heart flutters in your chest, a shaky breath leaving your parted lips. He spins, his angry energy having never changed, and struts out of his quarters, grabbing his helmet off the dining table. Once he's one, you let out a deep breath, then hurry out, running back to your quarters.

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