The Brighter Dark (Kylo Ren X Reader)

Ch. 3- Ghouls

Vicrul was no Sith, but he knew the Force.

He knew the way it felt when it rushed through his veins, an all-consuming fire that warmed his bones and readied his muscles for the battle ahead. He reveled in it; thrived when it took over. Its strength was something he felt compelled to follow.

This was why it was taking every ounce of self-control he had in him to stay outside the bounty hunter's room instead of barging in to see just who exactly was behind that door, and what gave her the right to flood his senses with a Force signature as strong as this.

Vicrul huffed, impatient, arms crossed and stance wide as he held his post outside the silver door. When Master Ren commanded that he stand guard outside the bounty hunter's chambers all night, Vicrul's first instinct had been to laugh. Guard duty? Any token 'trooper could've done that. Master Ren's new prisoner technically wasn't even a prisoner, so why did she need a guard at her door?

Now he understood. Outside of his encounters with the Jedi and Master Ren, Vicrul had never come across a person with this kind of energy before.

He'd felt it before he ever reached her door; the Force cloaking her like a blanket, a shield of energy cocooning her as she slept. It felt like a constant thrum, echoing in his bones and leaving warmth in its wake. It felt raw and untamed, vulnerable and inviting. It was a wildness he felt inexplicably drawn to.

This was why Master Ren had wanted Vicrul to watch her door. Stormtroopers wouldn't be any match for someone this powerful, she'd escape without breaking a sweat. Also, his strength in the Force meant that he was the perfect person to feel out just whom exactly they were dealing with.

But as fun as it was to stand there all night soaking up a power he wasn't allowed to touch, Vicrul was starting to get antsy. War, carnage, chaos- that was what he was used to, not guard duty. He almost wished she'd try something. He'd been there for six hours now, and Vicrul had already started hopping up and down just to get his blood moving. He was aching for a good fight.

The sound of heavy footsteps snapped him back to attention as the Supreme Leader rounded the corner. Vicrul straightened his spine, hoping his Master hadn't seen him hopping in place like an energetic child (though if he had, he wouldn't have been surprised.) He saw Kylo's steps slow as he drew closer to the room, his attention zeroing in on the door behind Vicrul, who nodded knowingly. "I feel it too. Where did you find this one?"

"Crouching behind the kitchen counter of her most recent kill." Said Master Ren as he came to a stop across the hall and placed his hands behind his back. "Report."

Vicrul relaxed his stance a bit and scratched the back of his neck. "Not much to report, Master. She fell asleep shortly after I got here. Her Force signature grew substantially after she drifted off, though."

Kylo kept his gaze fixated on the door. "I sensed that she was strong with the Force from the beginning, but it felt... different, before. Duller. Less..."

"Overwhelming?" Vicrul finished. Kylo nodded.

He extended his right hand slightly, undoubtedly trying to get a better look into the aura radiating from the room. "She must have had this power the whole time, but was smothering it by sheer force of will."

He raised his hand higher, fingers flexing with intent, and Vicrul watched rapt with anticipation. He knew what Kylo was about to do; Vicrul had seen him perform this same procedure countless times before. It was Master Ren's specialty- looting the minds of those who dared to defy him, those who thought they could hide information from their Supreme Leader. Vicrul had watched many a man cry for mercy when his master invaded their thoughts and slowly drove them insane. No one could hide from Kylo Ren, and Vicrul couldn't help but envy that kind of power.