Will of the Many~ Poe Dameron

Slipping, fading, losing my mind...

My past is an armor I cannot take off, no matter how many times you tell me the war is over....

-Jessica Katoff

Serena tucked her chin into her chest to hold the hem of her shirt in place as she tied the string along her high-waisted, black, denim pants. The material gave little room to breathe but it cut into her stomach enough to remind her that she was awake- that being with the Resistance was real instead of some made up fantasy she had to get herself through the First Order's grip. She secured the knot then lifted her chin to drop the black long-sleeved shirt. She tucked the front of it into the waistband then turned to grab her lightsaber from her bedside table.

Kaydel walked out of their bathroom dressed in her pristine cadet uniform. Her wet hair had already been pulled back into two low braids that she had spun into buns. She paused by the end of her ruffled bed and looked over at Serena. "You realize that we live on an extremely hot, humid planet... right?" She asked as she eyed Serena's all-black attire.

"You realize I don't care... right?" Serena deadpanned as she clipped her lightsaber to her waistband in front of her right hip.

Kaydel raised her eyebrows at Serena's immature antics, then decided not to play into them as she turned to head out. "Just try not to die from heat exhaustion today... I like having a roommate." She called out as she left the room.

Serena quit fumbling with her lightsaber as she looked up at Kaydel, but the young girl had already disappeared down the hall. She let out a breath at the astounding cadet, then dropped her head to look back at her lightsaber.

In the silence it was easier for Serena to remember her dreams. After she clipped her lightsaber she looked up to see the long shadows that dragged along the floor of the room. The darkness reminded her of the obsidian that lined Snoke's throne. The bathroom light gave off an ominous glow that cast a glisten across the shadows.

Her breath stalled as she felt a chill trace down the length of her spine. It was the exact same freezing cold she felt whenever she stepped in Snoke's presence. It had the jolting ability to steal the warmth from deep inside of her until she was nothing but cold bones wrapped in a numb body.

Serena let out a breath as she lifted her trembling fingers and gripped onto the knot on her waistband. She untied it then quickly pulled it tighter until the stiff denim squeezed into her stomach and stopped the chill. She took in a breath and quickly retied the knot to keep it tight. Her fingers fumbled over the knot and threatened to let it all unravel but she secured it before she lost her cool.

She let out a breath and gave a relaxed sigh as she pressed against the tight confines of her jeans. Even with the tight breaths reminding her that she was awake and alive and fine, the shadows pooled at her feet and played dirty tricks on her head.

Her lips parted as she took in breaths just big enough to fuel her, then she released them to ease the tightness in her chest. She had to physically tear her gaze away from the looming shadows to look for her boots. When she had them on she tore out of her room without a single look back at the nightmare waiting behind for her.

She tried to outrun her own terror as she sprinted through the hall. Cadets and officers in her way pushed themselves into the walls to give her more space but she didn't care about them. She barely even saw them as the edges of her vision pulsed with an eerie blackness.

"Serena!" Finn called out for her as he stepped out of the cafeteria as she sprinted by. "Serena, hey!" He jogged after her as she refused to look back at him.

She kept going. She knew there was only one way to make sure she was okay- one way to ensure she was free of the First Order's grasp, so she didn't care that Finn was calling her name. She didn't care about anything as she headed towards the front doors that led out of the base.