#phasma au

As the door slid open underneath the pressure of your palm, you could have almost gasped. What looked to be commonplace from the outside sprawled into something far more extravagant and gaudy on the inside. The dark ceiling that guided you forward past the doors dissipated into high vaulted ceilings, adorned in gold. The gold with the light fixtures beneath it gave the atmosphere a sort of ambience you couldn’t describe, but it certainly was impressive. Just as impressive were the stone and marble columns that supported the structure floating above you. With a great contrast of light gray and deep onyx stemming down from the gold like roots. 

Upon letting your eyes examine the ceiling you let them trace every curve and angle that the designs took. Some were clean and precise lines while others seemed to veer in their own direction. The light fixtures that hung from there were adorned in a similar design. While more clean and geometric, it did not take a single thing away from the beauty illuminated by them. 

Overall the place would have been generically referred to as retro, but it held an eye to detail you couldn’t help but appreciate. 

Within another moment you turned your attention off to the left, finally seeing the check-in. Quick strides took you straight up to the marble counter and before the first person you had actually noticed in this hotel at all. 

An older woman peeked up at you from behind her coke bottle glasses. Just from seeing a glance of her you could tell she was exhausted. Not just physically but spiritually. As if her very being had been spent and the bags under her eyes relayed that story to you. 

“Checking in?”

You nodded, “(Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

She gave you a curt nod in response before pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and turned her attention to her records. Within an instant she turned back to you again.

“Perfect. And you’re planning on staying for 6 nights?”

“Yep.”

Swiftly swinging the book shut she turned her attention to the cubbies behind the desk, glimmering with the gold of all the various room keys. In a seeming theme of retro, the key she handed you was a heavy gold painted brass that felt like a weight in your palm. 

She sighed, “Room 56. All the towels and other amenities should be ready to go for you. If you need anything, just give me a call down here.”

You gave her a smile in response, “Thank you.”

“Enjoy your stay at the Cortez.”

Not bothering to acknowledge her tired tone you gripped your bags once again and dragged them to the elevator. The woman, Leia, watched as you drifted further into the hotel with a sort of fondness in her eyes. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she worried for you. Not like the other tenants. 

“How long do you think this one will last?” a gruff voice appeared from behind her.

She didn’t bother to turn, as she knew that voice all too well. 

“Han, you know I don’t place bets on guests.”

He shrugged, “Don’t have much else to do.”

With a shake of her head she turned to face Han, “How did you become so cynical?”

He huffed as he held out his arms assuring his eyes scanned from side to side before meeting Leia’s again, “How do you think?”

Leia nodded, “That’s fair.”

Meanwhile you had already disappeared behind the ornate gold metal that caged in the elevator. The design heavily resembled the sun, beaming out like a beacon. In an ironic contrast to the hotel itself. Smoothly you went ascending from floor to floor. Too enamored with the décor to notice the multiple gazes glued to you. Watching you glide past them behind the bar and gilded metal mural.  

A man on the far left of the bar, with dark tousled locks gazed at you from behind his glass of bourbon.  

“There goes another one,” the woman beside him sighed. Her hand going to rest against her round cheek on the bar top. 

The man to her right shook his head as he gazed into his own glass, “Damn shame.”

The young brunette beside him shook her head as well, “Poor thing probably thought the reviews online were legitimate.”

The first man shakes his head, “Damn internet.”

The woman beside him scoffs, “You can’t scold something you haven’t even experienced Poe.”

Poe huffed, “Rose, I don’t want to experience shit if it’s the thing leading people here.”

The woman on the other end of the bar raised her glass with a smirk, “I’ll drink to that.”

Poe smiled, “See Rey understands.”

Pretending to clink their glasses in the air Rey and Poe exchanged a wink before throwing their respective drinks back. The man beside Rey, Finn, seemed to stare deeply into his glass as the others laughed briefly at the antics. Rey knowing Finn all too well turns to look at him, suddenly aware of his state of disconnect. Gently she glides her hand across his back and over his shoulder blades.

“What’s on your mind Finn?”

He shook his head, “It sucks. Practically reliving the experience mentally and otherwise every time some poor soul stumbles through those doors.”

Rey sighs as she leans over and rests her head on Finn’s shoulder, gracing him with a peck to the cheek. It always did calm his nerves.

“I know. I feel that too. But we can’t help everyone.”

Rose removes her hand from her cheek and sighs sympathetically as she joins Rey in comforting him, placing her hand gently over his. 

“All you can do is hope for the best. Or warn them in time.”

Poe snorted, “As if there ever is any.”

Rey hissed, “Poe!”

He shrugged, “We’ll see who gets to her first.”

Once you reached the 5th floor you glided out of the doors with your bags in tow. The halls, while far less decorated than the main lobby and bar, still held the same rich colors. Drifting past door after door you searched for your room, paying no mind to the strange sounds that traveled from behind each one. 

After a couple more strides you found yourself down a different hallway, coming face to face with a man. From the way he was dressed, in a rather stiff grey hotel uniform with a tag that read ‘Mitaka’, you could only assume he was one of the staff. The very few you had noticed here thus far. His complexion was extremely pale, contrasting his well styled raven black hair, his ears poking out ever so slightly. His brown eyes were narrow in focus on the task before him. Cleaning off some white sheets that dawned some unsettling red stains. 

While it was likely just some wine, you couldn’t help the slight twist in your gut. In that exact moment, the man decided to acknowledge your presence. As if he had sensed your discomfort like a waft in the air. 

“Ugh, horrible accident in 39. It’s going to take forever to wash these out.”

You gave him a nod, unsure of how you were really supposed to respond. Were you supposed to acknowledge his hard work? Wish him luck on it? Ask him what the hell it was? None of it really felt right. 

Continuing down the hall felt like the better resolution. But even settling on that resolution didn’t quite feel right as the weight of someone’s gaze remained heavy on your back. You imagined it was Mitaka, but then you weren’t certain you wanted to turn back to find out. The man’s demeanor gave you the creeps.

Soon enough you found the surprising relief of arriving at your room. 

While the key you held in your hand was far more impressive than the room you were going to be occupying, you had to admit it was cute. With the retro furnishings and rather subtle décor it seemed to compliment the otherwise gaudy lobby and bar well. A great contrast from all the bright lights and gold detailing. Here you could just rest.

Rest you thought with a hum. You desperately needed to catch up on some sleep. Between your work and your already hectic life this little getaway was your one chance to take a load off. You quickly dropped your suitcase next to your bed, opting to get straight to your napping. There would be enough time to explore as you so desired. 

Your head plopped against the pillow, finally bringing you a calming sensation. For a rather retro hotel, you had to admit the pillows were perfect for your head. What wasn’t perfect however was the mattress. Your face contorted as you squirmed around a little. From what you could tell, this mattress had been bent out of shape severely. Whether from years of different guests or some other abuse you couldn’t tell. 

In a swift motion you swung your legs over the side of the bed and brought yourself to your feet. With your brows still furrowed you began to graze your fingers over the mattress, attempting to understand what could possibly make it even a little more comfortable. 

The closer you got to the mattress, the more your grimace grew. Not only did it lack comfort, but it smelt horrendous. Even without any knowledge of what it was you could tell it was not from years of use or molding food. It had to be something else. Squatting down closer you took in a big whiff of the mattress, immediately regretting it. Even if you opened all of your windows it couldn’t possibly relieve the room of this God awful stench. 

After a couple of moments of inspecting, you pulled yourself back up off the ground and pulled off the covers. Though there weren’t any obvious marks or stains to signify where the smell was coming from, there was an unsettlingly long row of stitches down the center. The thick black fabric was far too noticeable against the pale white fabric of the mattress.  

Your brows furrowed even closer together as your confusion only grew.  As your eyes wandered down the expanse of the mattress you noticed one spot towards the middle where it ever so slightly had been torn open. It seemed as though someone had dealt with this same pang of curiosity over this mattress as you had. Then again what person wouldn’t be plagued by it?

Leaning closer you decided to attempt to rip the mattress even further. Maybe if you could find the source of the smell you could just get rid of it. Or at least that’s how you reasoned with yourself. The faster you got this out of your hair, the sooner you could finally unwind. 

Climbing onto the mattress you settled yourself over the center of the stitches, deciding it would be the most effective place to start. Under the strain of your grip the stitches slowly started to pop. Hearing each strain finally release you gradually pulled the top half open as much as you could. Compared to the opening you had found prior, you had obviously made far more progress than the guest before you. 

To your dismay, you quickly discovered why.

Just at the moment when you decided to take a breath, rest for the slightest moment before you continued, something shifted. In an instant your body stiffened and eyes widened. There was no logical reason why a mattress would shift in that manner just from you ripping it open. As your eyes travelled back to the center a pale arm suddenly sprung up from the tear.

Startled and horrified you fell back and off of the mattress with your heart ramming in your ears. You could feel your entire self tremble as the stuffing from the mattress suddenly began to push up with another arm escaping into the air. Just as you began to get your footing and remember how to stand the arms suddenly gripped either side of the mattress, accompanied by an audible groan.

Stumbling over your own feet you began to back up, “ Holy shit, holy shit.”

In a sick twist you found yourself dying to know what the hell you were dealing with. While every fiber of your being was screaming at you to run, you just couldn't do it. Not until you saw whatever this was, face-to-face.

Seconds later your desperate onslaught of questions seemed to be answered as a figure emerged from the mattress with a loud gasp. The man who had emerged, desperately gasping for air, was covered in what seemed to be a combination of scratch marks, skin tags, warts and bruises. As if he had been beaten to hell before he was sewn inside. Then again, he did look like a creature you would assume could ascend from Hell itself. All of these horrible marks adorned his discolored skin which seemed to match the less than appealing colors of the once white mattress than that of an actual human being. His hazel eyes were blood shot and deranged, accompanied with no trace of eyebrows. 

Letting out a shriek of horror, feeling the strain pull at your throat, you watched as he pulled himself out of the mattress. Despite not being able to hold back your fear, you wish you had as his terrifying eyes loomed over to you, taking another gasp. As you shrieked once more, unable to even comprehend what was unfolding in front of you, he suddenly responded. In an almost inhuman sound he shrieked back at you, exposing his nearly brown teeth with rotting gums.

With his attention turned to you, you immediately scrambled for the door. You could care less what you left behind, you had to get the hell out of there. All you needed to escape with was your life. Pushing all of your weight onto the door you swiftly released yourself from the confines of your room, running desperately down the hall. 

Unfortunately, despite being trapped in a mattress for who knows how long, the beast you had unintentionally released followed close behind you. Whatever had held him hostage there had certainly taken no toll on his stamina or speed. Turning your head back forward you pushed yourself to run faster. The carpets ongoing monotonous pattern was making you dizzy, but the adrenaline you could feel buzzing through your every fiber kept you going.

“Help!! Somebody help!!”

As if mocking your plea the man behind you shrieked again, this time with more aggression. You didn’t know what he could possibly be after, but you assumed he thought you were behind his sentence, whatever it had been. 

As you rounded a corner, thankful that there were at least elements to help you lose him at some point, you finally saw an escape. Not too far down this new hallway there was an open door. You had no idea if someone was staying in there, but considering your circumstances, you couldn’t have cared less. 

Practically breaking into a sprint you pushed yourself closer to the room, determined only to get inside. All you needed was the chance to lose him, to officially escape this pursuit. 

The second you approached the door you heard the man release another guttural animal like shriek. As your feet reached the new room you could feel your body’s adrenaline on an absolute high. That high though, propelled you further than you were prepared. Just as you passed the threshold you suddenly came to the realization that you were tripping over your own feet. You had been pushing yourself so steadily to escape that you didn’t even anticipate the need to slow down. 

The rug burned your upper arm through the fabric of your clothing, slowing you down for just a moment. Quickly you pulled yourself off of the ground, attempting to at least get your footing. But it was too late. The beast that had been chasing you was now grinning at you with those same horrid teeth, quickly approaching you. You couldn’t hear anything aside from your heartbeat in that moment, even as you screamed one last time.

“Get away!!”

The man shrieked back at you once again, seeming frustrated but also entertained by the chase you put him on. To your surprise however, something else emerged before you. As if a wall of black had sprung from the window magically, another man appeared before you. You couldn’t make out any features past all of the black fabric and his obvious height and width. Whoever he was, he was certainly someone you didn’t want to piss off.

The half human who had chased you into the room suddenly fell still, seeming to freeze with uncertainty. The man functioning like a brick wall to protect you produced a knife from his jacket pocket, pointing it directly at your attacker.

“Get out.”

The other man snarled, still an almost animal like nature. 

“Get the fuck out! Or else you’re going to be choking on your last breaths as you disintegrate in the acid pit.”

The attacker let out a lower growl, but visibly shrunk under this new strangers threat. You weren’t even sure what he was referring to or why he would say such things, but it very clearly worked on this being as they slunk away, never once breaking eye contact with the new man in black as they disappeared into the hallway. 

Your chest was heaving almost sporadically as you braced yourself against the dresser. There wasn’t truly any rational explanation for what you had just witnessed, and that was starting to weigh on you. That and the intensity of the new strangers gaze.

His baritone voice soon sounded in your ears as your heart settled, “You, get out.”

Your brows crinkled, “What?”

“Get out. I only saved you to keep blood stains off my carpet.” 

Was he serious? He was regarding you like this after you had nearly been attacked by some man, or some thing? It wasn’t as if you were inconveniencing his day. After a few more moments had passed the man sighed.

“Guess I’ll leave instead.”

Without waiting for a response or reaction he turned his back to you, sauntering off into the hallway where you had just barreled through. From what you could gather he was annoyed by your reaction to the whole thing. As if this was something normal that people should expect to experience when in a hotel. 

Slowly pulling yourself off the ground you braced your weight against the dresser once again. While you hadn’t been physically harmed you knew your anxiety leading up and through this whole thing had messed with you. Your senses weren’t quite back to where they needed to be. Where they needed to apparently be for staying in your room. 

Suddenly your heart skipped a beat. You were alone, in a strangers room with the door wide open for that thing to come running back to you. The last thing you wanted to do was go for round two, that or finding out what happened if he did catch up to you.

A deep breath escaped you as your eyes scanned the room. Perhaps that man stayed here cause nothing seemed to be hiding out here. Or at least nothing you could see yourself. Slowly your feet carried you out of the room, hesitantly to the hall. 

Truthfully you were shocked at how timid your movements were at the moment. The most primal part of you wanted to run for the hills, escape while you could and fight for your deposit back over the phone. You could practically feel it burning in your calves; the anticipation. The fear and adrenaline were packed inside of you perfectly now, ready to snap into action the second you beckoned them. But the other part of you, a voice in your head you couldn’t quite explain, urged, begged even, for you to see this through. As if your brain was certain that you should be here and didn’t fear one damn thing.

The two were at odds and pulling you apart. What were you supposed to really follow? Sure you were a logical thinker, but you also trusted gut instinct. Both had decent points, but neither seemed to hold dominion over you as the sole choice you should lean into. What were you supposed to do?

Looking both ways down the hallway, assuring the coast was clear, it felt as though you got your answer. Or at least what would suffice as one. The man in all black was still in view, downing the last of someone’s abandoned bottle service. You didn’t know if he was a man that you wanted to get that close to, despite how appealing he appeared, but you knew he had thing you wanted. Answers.

With a sudden jolt of energy you marched down the hall towards him, nostrils flaring ever so slightly. The way he had responded to that creature, he had to know what the hell was going on here. Not to mention the threat of an acid pit that you were certain would not be found in a hotel. Had the two met before? Was he hiding something? Either way you wanted to know. 

“Hey!”

The man turned his head towards you, his deadpan expression still holding strong. His gaze held almost no emotion but even from where you were, you could tell he was perplexed. His first question likely being why were you following him? 

He seemed to want to test your willingness and began striding off again. Huffing you picked up your pace, attempting to speed walk beside him.

“Hey, wait.”

“I’d rather not.”

He was certainly going to be a peach to talk to.

“Listen I just-”

“Mmph.”

You nearly spat at him with all the venom that felt as though it were pumping through your veins as you stepped right up to his side, “Who the fuck are you?”

His brows pulled together, “Shit, simmer down.”

“I’m serious, I want to know who you are.”

His hand waved at you dismissively, “That’s not important.”

Your brows furrowed, “Important my ass, who are you?”

He sighed as if bored by this whole ordeal, “Kylo Ren.”

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

“I didn’t ask who you were.”

You sneered, “Fuck you.”

He gave you no response as he picked up his own pace. Likely in some kind of attempt to lose you. But you weren’t going to give up that easily. 

“I still have questions.”

He huffed, “Of course you do.”

“First, what the hell was that in my room?”

“Some guy.”

You rolled your eyes, “Ha! Seriously, what the hell was it? You seemed to already know what his deal was.”

Swiftly you both rounded a corner in the hallway, “A guy that was sewn into the mattress and left to die. Most people left with those circumstances have the same behaviors.”

“Why would anyone sew someone into a mattress at a hotel and leave them to die?”

He shrugged, “Jealousy, random sociopathic episode. Less chance of being found by the cops.”

“Wouldn’t someone report it?”

He laughed, “No.”

“You’re saying someone like me wouldn’t eventually report it?”

“Most people who come here don’t get to tell many stories outside of these walls.”

Your brows furrowed at the sudden ominous words that he conveyed far too casually, “Wait what?”

He stopped suddenly, causing you to nearly stumble into his chest. It was the first moment you really realized how intimidating he was. He was broadly built, possessed some of the deepest and intense gazes you had ever seen on a person and he seemed to tower over you. Even if there wasn’t a significant difference his presence seemed to dwarf the space around him. Standing upright once again you watched as he crossed his arms.

“Do you even know what this place is?”

“...A hotel?”

He laughed, “You’re one of those.”

You scoffed, “What is it not a hotel?”

“It is. But there’s more to it.”

“Look I’m sure you have a whole reveal and build up in your head, but could you just cut to the point?”

He sighed, “You’re not going to like it. Or likely believe me.”

“I already know it’s haunted.”

He gave you a smirk, “Oh but it’s so much more than that.”

Your eyes narrowed, staring straight into his as if attempting to challenge him, “Really?”

“Like I said, you’re probably not going to like it.”

You crossed your arms under your chest, “Try me.”

His left brow quirked, as if stunned by your invitation to hear more.

“Have you ever heard of Armitage Hux?”

“No, I don’t believe I have.”

He gave you a slight smirk, one that could only be described as devious, “You should.”

“Why is that?”

“He’s the one who built this hotel. The reason it’s cursed.”

You snorted faintly, “Cursed?”

“See, you’re skeptical.”

Almost as quickly as he had appeared Kylo began walking off. Obviously he was not a man of patience or of tolerance. You groaned before rushing off to catch him once again. 

“Hey! I’m sorry I just, explain to me how it’s cursed. Who is this Armitage guy?”

He turned to you with a smirk, “Is that your second question?”

“Yeah sure.”

Extending out his arm Kylo kept his cocky expression in tact, “Let me buy you a drink. This one’s gonna take a while.”

Apprehensively you accepted, sliding your arm into his. With the events that had transpired within only 15 minutes of your stay, you weren’t certain how smart of a move this was. Not to mention the very intimidating and rather mysterious presence that Kylo was himself. But it was too late to turn back now.

Almost an hour later you found yourself still sitting at the overly decorated bar of the Cortez. The lights of the grand chandeliers seeming to glow brighter as the sun dipped behind the skyline of LA. Your eyes were wide with wonder and shock, mind buzzing with a million and one other questions. Kylo was sipping on his whiskey, watching your reaction unfold across from him. He had given you an entire run down of the history of the Cortez, how it all began and what darkness consumed its entirety. Though he left out a few essential pieces to the story, he knew the origins were enough to make your head spin. The last thing you needed was a whole other dimension of confusion to process. 

Watching your brows crinkle together and your lips part he placed his glass back down on the table. He knew you were going to react this way, nearly everyone did. What he didn’t expect however was how still you suddenly were. Even with the whole thing sinking into your head, you were not a frantic mess of emotions. Most of the guests would have been running for the hills by now. Flying down the staircase in a desperate attempt to escape the clutches of this God forsaken place. Only to meet their inevitable fate. He could only wonder what yours might be after becoming so oddly comfortable with you in the matter of an hour. 

“I...wow.”

He nodded, “It’s a fucked up story.”

“I just...why would he want to commit that much murder?”

Kylo shrugged, “Who knows. Some insatiable psychopathic appetite I suppose.”

“And, so this hotel, he wanted it to be like a giant mouse trap but for people?”

“You could describe it that way. It was specifically designed to have people walk in and seemingly disappear.” He took another swig before meeting your eyes again, “No body no crime as he’d say.”

Your nose crinkled in disgust as he gave you a nod, not even needing words to know exactly what you were thinking.

“Still fucked up?”

“Very. How did he get away with it?”

Kylo sighed, “I told you. He was a mastermind, everything that built this hotel was meant to help him never get caught. Hide every molecule of evidence. Laundry chutes to dispose of bodies, hallways with fake doors, black painted closets with traps inside of them, acid pits. The whole thing is set up to serve his...appetite.”

A hand reached up to rub your forehead as if trying to crease out the details that you had just absorbed, “That’s seriously fucked up.”

He shrugged as he placed his glass back on the table, “Told you.”

For a moment you sat in silence, allowing your eyes to survey this place in the new light that you had access to. The knowledge of what awful and hideous crimes unfolded here for years. The amount of evil and methodical planning that went into every brick, piece of fabric and strip of molding. As it all soaked into your brain, you slowly turned your focus back to Kylo.

Kylos eyes narrowed at you for a moment, “Can I ask a question now?”

You chuckled, “Sure.”

“How are you so calm about this right now? Between running for your life into my room and learning who built this place I don’t see how you’re still here.”

A deep breath pushed out from your lungs as you gave him a nod, “Well to be honest I don’t know how I’m still here either. I felt the physical need to run and escape, and yet my mind was pushing me in a different direction.”

“So you’re saying despite everything you’re staying?”

“I mean, honestly I am on the fence. What happened is not anything small, despite my knowledge coming in that it was haunted.”

“No, no (Y/N). That guy wasn’t a ghost, I know its haunted but shit that’s not something normal people shrug off.”

“I’m not shrugging it off! I just...I’m more angry at myself for releasing it, not requesting a different room cause it smelt. I could be high maintenance at least once and instead that happens.”

Kylo snorted, “Shit that’s one way to look at it. You’re really not that shaken up?”

“I’m still a little shaken. But for the most part I know if he came back I could hold my own. As anxious as I might be, I’m not scared of a ton.”

He raised a glass to you with a hint of a smile, “Well you’re certainly in the right place to test that.”

You rolled your eyes, “Ha!” 

Your glasses clinked together before each of you took a silent sip of your drinks. Looking at Kylo across from you at that moment, suddenly your mind began buzzing with more questions. 

“Ok, third question. How do you know so much about this hotel? I mean you seemed to know exactly what to say to that guy to get him to back off.”

Kylo put his glass down as his lips quirked to the side for a second, “I live here. In one of the penthouse suites.”

You laughed, “What?! You live here?”

He nodded in response. While you weren’t surprised that a guy like him wasn't entirely intimidated here, you couldn’t help but be stunned that he would willingly stay here. For more than a couple of nights of course.

“Alright then. With all of that, my fourth question. How did you end up here? Are you Hux’s biggest fan or something?”

In the blink of an eye Kylo’s entire body language seemed to shift. His jaw tensed, his shoulders appearing broader as they were no longer slumped in comfort. Everything in his mannerisms practically screamed discomfort. You had obviously hit a nerve of some kind. 

“Fuck no. But I don’t like to talk about it.”

“Really? So you’re ok with people thinking you’re a psycho for staying in this grand murder hub just for fun?”

He snorted, “If it keeps the pricks away.”

You nodded for a moment, “You know, you can tell me. I know I don’t really know you, but I won’t judge.”

His head tilted to the left ever so slightly, “Not really about judgment.”

You shrugged, “Can’t be the worst thing that's happened here.” 

His eyes finally met yours again and displayed something new to you. A softness. One that you could only truly explain as vulnerability. And for a second you wondered if anyone had asked him this very thing before. Had anyone ever stopped to actually acknowledge him? Or had fear consumed every last one of them entirely? 

A sigh escaped his lips before he ran a hand through his locks, “Just...made some dumb choices as a teenager that led into my twenties, stumbled in here one day.”

You snorted, “Wait... So you really do willingly stay in this murder hub?”

“No I uh...I’m indebted to someone here.” 

“Indebted?”

He nodded with hesitation, “To the one who saved me.”

“From what?”

“Myself I suppose.”

You gave him a soft smile before your curiosity sparked once again, “Who saved you?”

In an almost uncanny coincidence to answer your question a presence seemed to emerge suddenly from behind Kylo. From the shadows behind your booth emerged a statuesque woman with platinum blonde hair, impeccably dressed in a long emerald green gown. The lighting in the room seemed to highlight her strong cheekbones and seemingly flawless pale skin. For a moment you could have sworn she wasn’t of this world. All of the elements of her in the physical realm just didn’t seem to be possible. Considering the way she had her eyes locked on you, you figured your presence must have been a mystery to her too. 

Daintily her gloved hand went to rest on Kylo’s shoulder, ever so slightly curling into his leather jacket. While you didn’t know the context of their relationship you did notice how Kylo seemed to tense under her touch as the diamonds incrusted on her hand shone under the light like a beacon from the black leather of his jacket. 

“Kylo, are we making friends?”

He cleared his throat, “You could say that.”

She gave you a gorgeous smile, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side, “And who might you be?”

“Uh, (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”

She hummed, “A decent name. I’m Phasma. The Countess.”

Your brows piqued ever so slightly at the mention of her title. There hadn’t been anyone you had heard of outside of European monarchies that held such a title. The fact that this woman in a Los Angeles hotel held one certainly had your interest captured. 

“Countess of what?” 

Her blue eyes tightened in their gaze, “This hotel of course.”

“Oh! That’s great.”

You could tell almost instantly that her gaze on you had turned to one of skepticism. While you were used to the occasional “judgey eyes”, something about hers unnerved you. It seemed to be far more than judging and bordering on what you would expect from a predator stalking their prey. 

“It is.”

Her voice certainly didn’t help your wariness of her either. It carried a certain condescending undertone that you couldn’t ignore. As if she saw you as a speck of dirt on her turf. 

With a shift of her pointer finger closer to Kylos shoulder you watched him tense his jaw. She put on a dainty smile, bringing back the velvety quality of her voice.

“Kylo darling, we should really be going.”

He cleared his throat, “Where?”

“That art show I’ve been raving about. Don’t you remember?”

His brows rose for a moment as he gave her a nod in response, “Oh yeah.”

Still not possessing any knowledge of their connection you watched as her tightened gaze stayed on Kylo who stood from his chair. You weren’t certain why or how, but you knew without a shadow of doubt that jealousy and anger shined through those blue irises. They shone through with such conviction you were surprised that Kylo didn’t feel it seeping onto him. Then again, maybe he did, maybe he was just better at hiding his discomfort.

Phasma almost instantly pulled him closer, seeming to stare you down as Kylo met your gaze again. Something had indeed changed in his eyes and physical demeanor. And while you weren’t certain what it was you couldn’t help the sudden urge to find out what it was. 

“It was nice meeting you (Y/N).”

You smiled at him despite the eyes throwing daggers at you from beside him, “Nice meeting you too.”

He gave you a short wave before being instantly ushered away by the tall blonde. As her gown billowed behind her, graciously dragging down the steps of the stairwell, you noticed she looked back at you once again. With the same angry energy radiating onto you, you gulped. 

“Take my advice sweetheart, you don’t want to mess with that.”

You nearly jumped out of your seat as you turned swiftly to see who was speaking from behind you. Not too far off, from behind the bar, a man with perfectly tousled brown hair and a handsome smirk stood. You didn’t remember him being there for the entirety of your talk with Kylo, but he had obviously made a way of sneaking behind you two.

Placing a hand over your heart you sighed, “What?”

“I would advise against getting anywhere near those two. Everything they touch dies.”

There wasn’t really any explanation of why he thought this was necessary to say, but you certainly didn’t appreciate the sentiment. Having gone through what you did already you weren’t looking for someone to remind you of the trauma that you had suffered.

“Listen I’m sure you think it’s fun to spook people here because of Arm...whatever his name is Hux, but it’s not a damn joke.”

Swiftly you scooped yourself off of the seat and steadily strode off to the left. Poe suddenly became to stammer, truly apologetic for the tone that had obviously driven you out of your seat.

“Miss, I’m-”

As you grew more and more distant, passing by the golden guardrails, Finn appeared at the bar, watching you just as carefully as Poe was.

“She didn’t stay long enough to listen to you did she?”

Poe sighed as he grabbed a bottle of tequila from the bright bar wall, “Nope.”

“Does she know-”

“No. I didn’t hear their conversation but she sure as hell doesn’t know what’s really going on.”

Finn shook his head, “Lord help her.”

Days passed as you stayed in the Cortez, night turning into day in a sort of drawl you could not explain. While you were enjoying Los Angeles, every night that you came back through those brass doors you felt as though your heart was attempting to leap out of your throat. Nothing as traumatizing as your first experience had happened yet, but every night it felt as though something were lurking in the shadows, waiting. Watching.

Whatever it was you could practically feel the darkness of it crawling over your skin. Every hall, every window, every fixture seemed to unnerve you. To your fortune no matter what shadows or voices wished to bring you to your demise, you had one thing that kept you safe, and most certainly kept you here. Kylo. 

You had never had the intention to meet anyone while in L.A, but Kylo was something special. The connection you shared was not something you could really explain. It was like that of two friends in familiarity but with a tenderness that meant more. As the days passed you seemed to run into Kylo more and more. Whether that was a coincidence or not you weren’t certain. But you weren’t going to call into question your favorite part of this vacation so far. 

Your conversations grew longer and longer, covering more than you had ever expected to cover with a stranger. Most of the talks seemed to center around your own philosophies and pop culture. The more layers Kylo peeled away of himself, the more intrigued you found yourself. As if the Cortez, despite all its flaws, had gifted you this tantalizing new stranger. A stranger who had seemingly assured your safety as all kinds of travelling gazes remained at a distance whenever he was near. 

Tonight you were going to meet up with him again. Kylo eager to take advantage of your last days here and see you as often as possible. The more you had spoken to him the more he had opened up to you. Though he still held a rather quiet and reserved demeanor, his sarcasm was far less directed at pushing you away and more towards hopes of pulling a smile across your face. 

Your arms were swinging freely at your sides as you hummed to yourself down the hallway. The carpeting no longer made you that dizzy so you could at least enjoy your strolls through the halls. You could especially enjoy them when you knew you had a gem waiting for you at the bar. Not to mention the fact that after Kylos stunt to save you, the other guests all seemed to leave you alone. Sure you got a distant stare from time to time, but you were untouched. 

Just as you were about to round a corner, the hall closest to the stairwell, you suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Finn get the fuck out of here.”

The voice most certainly belonged to Kylo, but you knew no one by the name of Finn. From the corner you waited with baited breath.

“Look I’ll get out of your hair in a second, just hear me out.”

Kylo groaned, obviously not wanting to go through with this interaction.

“I may not like you for the most part, but I’m not going to watch someone else go through the same thing I did. The second she catches wind of what you’re feeling, she’s going to slaughter you both.”

“Why the fuck are you bringing this up?”

“I’ve seen how you look at that girl. I looked at Rey that way, and I know exactly how I felt when I did. And I know exactly the price I paid for it.”

Your heart fluttered for a moment. Were they talking about you? They had to be. Phasma was out of town and you were the only one Kylo had been spending ample time with. At least from what you knew. 

Kylo growled, “You don’t know shit about me.”

“Kylo, Phasma did it to me and trust me when I say she will do it again. She may treat you like you mean the world to her now but the second your eyes wander away from hers, you’re done. Once you’re no longer her undying servant she doesn’t want you to ever see the light of day again.”

You could hear the leather from Kylo’s jacket squeak from his shifting movements.

“You’re just mad Phasma found a replacement for you.”

Finn laughed, as if in disbelief, “Kylo! Her moving onto you has nothing to do with me! This is what she does! She doesn’t love us! There is no value that she sees in us except temporary entertainment!! She sniffs out the ones she wants to keep close, but the second we aren’t under her spell she disposes us.”

“Just because she did it to you doesn’t mean she’s done it before or that she’s going to do it to me.”

Finn sighed, “Kylo, the second she smells it, tastes it, how you feel, she’s going to do exactly what she did to Rey. She’s going to slit that poor girls throat while you watch.”

Suddenly a thud sounded from down the hall that startled you, and you were sure it was Kylo using some force on Finn. From the sounds of it he had him pressed up against a wall.

“Shut the fuck up!! How the fuck would you know?!”

Finn choked out, “You’re running out of time man. She comes back tonight from Paris. If you two make a run for it before she comes back you have a chance to escape. You gotta at least consider it!”

There was a moment of silence, aside from Finns strained breathing. Moments later you finally heard the collapse of Finn on the floor followed by a cough. 

“Stay the fuck away from me.”

The heavy thuds of Kylos boots descended down the rest of the hall, allowing you a moment to catch your breath. What were you supposed to make of any of this? Why was this concerning you? Did Kylo really have feelings for you? Was he secretly meeting with you when he was with Phasma?

Your thoughts came to a shrieking halt as Finn himself came around the corner, pausing for a second as his eyes met yours. He was certainly handsome, eyes that bore a softness you knew Kylo did not typically understand. 

“I would get out of here while you still can.”

As your brows furrowed he swiftly made his exit from your presence. You didn’t really know what kind of danger he thought you were in, but at the very least he was concerned enough to warn multiple people. Perhaps his fear of Phasma was clouding his judgement? Then again, there could be something here that he knew about that you had yet to uncover. Hell you had hardly found anything out about Phasma aside from the fact that she loved to live lavishly and had an eye for art. Even Kylo didn’t like to speak about her too much, despite their apparent close relationship. 

With a deep sigh you carried yourself the rest of the way to the bar.

Later on that evening you settled in under your covers, relishing in the memory of your time with Kylo. Despite his interaction with Finn he was still eager as ever to speak with you, eager to pick up where your last conversation left off. Though he seemed to leave in a hurry you were at least content that you had spent time with him, unsure of when you would ever get to see him again after this trip. 

With a contented sigh you sunk into your mattress, allowing the newer sheets Leia from the front desk had given you to swallow you in their warmth. It definitely made you drowsy, made the experience of falling asleep in these rooms just the slightest bit easier. 

That comfort and ease however was quickly replaced with an all too familiar panic when your drowsy gaze caught sight of something. A figure standing just above your bed. Instantly your eyes shot open, startling you straight out of the beginning of your sleepy haze. 

There was no possible explanation for someone slipping into your room that easily. Sure you were sleepy, but you weren't incapable of noticing your surroundings. Surely there would have been a sign of his presence. Unless he had quietly waiting for you somewhere in the room throughout the night. 

The figure appeared to be a man, probably no older than his mid-30′s. His fiery red hair was visible to you even in the darkness of your room, styled with what you would assume was gel, sleek and almost formal in nature. He wore a four piece suit with a stiff bow tie that you swore matched the rather unwelcoming look on his face. 

Just as a shriek built up in your throat, the man leaned down and placed his hand to cover your mouth. Muffling any and all attempts to draw attention to the room. Now you could really feel the blood pumping in your veins, could hear it pounding in your ears again like a scorned memory. A nightmare. 

“Oh be quiet will you?”

The mans odd British accent suddenly took you aback, almost distracting you for a split second. 

“You can scream all you want, nobody will come. Besides, I’m not here for my usual bidding.”

As he removed his hand from your mouth you sneered at him, “What the fuck do you want?! Why are you in my room?!”

The red headed man threw back his coattails before seating himself on the foot of your bed with a faint sigh, “Ah well, I’ll try to make this simple dear. You see, I’ve been watching you.”

You could practically feel the fear shaking you from the inside, your veins trembling at the very words. He was what had been lurking in the shadows, you had felt it all along your stay. 

“And it appears you are the key to what I have been looking for! Seeing as you have made quite the acquaintance here.”

“What?”

“You have made a very strong acquaintance with someone here whom I despise, and that is why I have sought you out.” 

Your brows pulled together as you sat yourself upright, “You mean Kylo?”

The man seemed to almost flinch at the mention of Kylos name. You didn’t know his, but you could imagine Kylo having an enemy or two. 

“Precisely. I never did, nor do I now understand my wife’s affinity for him, or the one before.”

Despite the haze of sleep that was still over you, you suddenly began putting the pieces together. The confrontation earlier between Kylo and Finn, the warnings from the bartender Poe, the pitiful gazes from Leia as you walked by, it was all coming together. 

“Phasma is your wife?”

The man gave you a slight smirk from the corner of his mouth, “Indeed she is. A vision is she not?”

“Sure. Then...you are?”

His brows suddenly pulled together like yours though his expression read much closer to that of shock, “My gaud, how could I forget? Introductions are quite necessary, especially in this predicament. I’m Armitage Hux, the creator of this hotel.”

You scoffed, “Right, and I’m Marie Antoinette.”

“Oh wouldn’t that be fabulous? A carelessly ignorant aristocrat with fantastic taste in my hotel.”

With a heavy sentiment of sarcasm you rolled your eyes, “Tell me who you really are.”

“Considering I already have darling, perhaps you should consider expanding your thinking. It would certainly help with the rest of this discussion.”

“Look I get that everyone loves this story here, but it’s like 2 a.m. I’m not interested in playing games, just tell me who you are.”

He sighed in response, as if exhausted suddenly, “Perhaps I should show you instead.”

With a swift movement of his hand the tie that adorned his neck flew off. What you saw next would quickly send your head spinning once again. From the moment your eyes left his eyes and traveled down the nape of his neck a chill ran down your spine. Too many details from Kylos story were adding up. Where his pale flesh was supposed to connect to the beginning of his collar bones there was a sudden break in the flesh. An almost raw and angry looking gash sat across his neck. The only way you could have described it was what actors wore in slasher films to make their injuries look convincing. But there were no lines of concealer or obvious traits of plastic here. Not with the very real jagged edges and pulled skin. 

What didn’t settle you any further was the memory of Kylo recounting Hux’s demise. The police banging on his door as he slit his throat, just in time to not be prosecuted for his crimes. But that had been in the 30′s. 80 years later you couldn’t possibly be looking the same man in the eyes. Could you?

Frantically your blood started to pump in your veins as you swallowed down the lump that had formed in your throat, “That’s not possible.”

“Oh but so many things are. Especially here.”

The room seemed to be spinning now as you tried to digest anything that this man was saying. His profile most certainly matched the picture that Kylo had shown you, his accent very specific to the era in which he was born and his all too formal attire solidifying his seeming attachment to the past. Not to mention the gash that was still practically staring back at you. 

"As I was saying, you have made acquaintance with that giant brute. Seeing how close you are I have seen an opportunity I cannot ignore.”

Scooting closer to your headboard you kept your eyes on him, “What?”

“I would like to make you a deal. Seeing as you have heard my story, you know what I am capable of. If you agree to this, I will make a one time exception for my own benefit. And perhaps yours as well.”

You nodded eagerly, allowing him to know you were still listening.

“As much as I would love to slit that buffoons throat and make him one of my meals, I cannot bear the idea of him being trapped here with me for an eternity.  However, now that he has a reason to go back to the living, mostly-” 

Instantly your hand flew up, “Whoa, whoa! Mostly?”

“My dear, have you not realized? Kylo is like my wife. For heavens sake have you been paying attention to anything here?”

“Is he a ghost?”

The man shook his head as he returned the ascot to its rightful place around his neck, “No, no. The ghosts here are trapped inside these walls for eternity. Such as myself. Physical apparitions that wander these halls aimlessly, searching for purpose or someone to place their anger and rage upon. My wife and Kylo are of another breed of the undead.”

You could feel your throat going dry, as if you had been just talking for an hour straight. How had you missed all of the red flags? Had there even been any?

“Surely you know the signs. Flawless skin, a disdain for the sun, a flurry of outings in the evening. A seemingly non-existent appetite, a severe aversion to flash photography.”

As the words fell from your lips you could hardly fathom the fact that you were actually playing along with this. What had your life become?

“They’re, vampires?”

“Ah there it is! You’re expanding your thinking.”

“I’m losing my damn mind.”

“Oh don’t fret. You are finally checking into Hotel Cortez, seeing it for what it really is. The illusions are slowly melting away.”

Placing both of your hands on your knees you cradled your head between them, attempting to take deep breaths. Nothing around you seemed real anymore. It seemed as though the second you had stepped out of that taxi and onto this property reality suspended itself. Had you fallen into a portal to an alternate universe? Surely you hadn’t fallen into some type of hallucinogenic  nightmare. It wasn’t really 

You gulped, “So if I’m understanding correctly, despite Kylo being...undead.” A chill ran through you at the mere mention of it, “He can leave the hotel?”

“Precisely. Him and my dearest Phasma may be undead but not entirely. And seeing as Kylo seems to fancy you I see my way of escaping a never ending nightmare. With you I can get rid of him and spend eternity in some form of content with my wife.”

He adjusted himself on the mattress, attempting to turn more of himself towards you. 

“And seeing as you will be doing me this favor, I shall bestow some mercy upon you and allow you to escape this hotel."

“You...you just want me to run out of here with Kylo?”

He smiled almost uncharacteristically, “Precisely! And never let him return.”

“Well that’s easy enough.”

Almost as quickly as his smile had appeared it faded away, “If you should fail, and allow him to die here, do not think my offering of mercy still stands. A man of my appetite would not pass up a new victim. Another meal.”

Your body stiffened in response to his tone, instantly picking up the rather obvious threat. A part of you wondered if he ever gave his past victims chances like this or if you were the first. Either way, you knew the end would be the same if you did not appease him. There was no time to dwell on if you were special or not. 

“Do you understand?”

You nodded, “I do.”

He gave the mattress a pat with a smile, “Splendid!”

Hux picked himself up off of your mattress with his smile vanishing almost immediately.

“You have until tomorrow afternoon.”

Your heart sank into your gut, “What?”

“Do you think I’m really going to give the rest of the spirits here a chance to get him or you first?”

“But how-”

“Figure it out.”

Your heart began beating furiously as Hux made his way to your door, all too casually strolling out as if he hadn’t just threatened to murder you in less than 24 hours. How in the hell were you supposed to convince Kylo to just run? You had heard him with Finn, he didn’t see a reason to be fearful here. What was going to make him listen to you?

At the door Hux turned to you once again, “Remember (Y/N), I have an appetite and if you fail, I will feast.”

As the door shut once again you could feel your lungs closing in. Your world had already been turned on its axis this evening, and now you had this. Between speaking to a former serial killers ghost, learning this hotel was a hell-mouth and realizing Kylo was a vampire, you weren’t sure what was crazier. Nothing seemed to be following any semblance of logic or reality anymore. It was as if you were floating in your own alternate universe.

Taking deep breaths you attempted to ground yourself, get yourself together. If you really were going to make a run for it, you had to be ready. You couldn’t be a trembling mess, it would only make you an easier target. 

“Come on (Y/N)...you can do this. You can make it out of here.”

Another deep breath as your ribs felt as though they were vibrating. Your whole body was. You could recite every positive mantra you had ever heard in your life, but none of it could quiet the fear that ran rampant in your head.

“Shit...shit!”

Turning to look at the clock on your bedside table you sighed. It was 2:36 AM. Considering Kylos condition you had a better chance of him being awake, and the chances of people hearing about your plot were far less likely. 

The speed you suddenly propelled yourself with shocked even you as you nearly threw yourself from your bed. With a stiff thud your feet hit the ground, sending a little jolt up your ankles as you began your venture. All you had to do was make it to Kylos room and then down the stairs. That was all you had to do.

Sprinting down your main hall you felt the carpet subtly burning the soles of your feet. As you rounded your first corner you nearly shrieked when a young woman with brown hair appeared, the dark circles under her eyes almost as deep as the thin slit across her throat. Rey, unbeknownst to you. 

“Hope you can keep running like that.”

You didn’t bother to acknowledge her or slow down, there was no time to listen to whatever else she had to say. There were far more pressing matters at hand. Feeling your feet glide you tried to recall the exact turns you had to make to arrive in front of Kylos door. 

The moment you did take your next turn you nearly choked again as you saw Mitaka not too far ahead of Kylos room.

He gave you a disturbingly cat like smile, “No need to fret Miss. I’ve cleaned up plenty of feasts before.”

His smile broke into a devious laugh that had your stomach lurching. You knew you wanted to dry heave but you couldn’t let that slow you down. Hux’s creepy cleaning minion couldn’t stop you.

Finally reaching Kylos door you began frantically turning the knob only to get nowhere. Feeling your heart pound a little harder you began pounding on his door.

“Kylo! Kylo open up, it’s me!”

A couple of seconds later, despite it feeling like hours, Kylo swung open the door with tight knit brows.

“(Y/N)? What the hell is going on?”

Instinctively he started looking both ways down the hall, no longer seeing Mitaka as he had vanished into thin air. Frantically you hit your hands against his chest, attempting to pull his full attention to you.

“Kylo you gotta listen to me, we have to get out of here.”

His eyes narrowed, “Have you been talking to Finn? I swear (Y/N)-”

“No Kylo! Listen to me please! Hux, the Hux came into my room and told me everything.”

Gently Kylos hands flew to hold your upper arms, “He was in your room?”

You nodded desperately, “Yes! Yes he came in and I thought he was going to hurt me but he just talked.”

Kylo sneered, “That bastard is always-”

“Hey! But you gotta listen to me, he told me if we’re not gone by tomorrow afternoon he’s going to feast on me.”

Before you could even fully process what was happening tears began to roll from your eyes. You had been holding back for so long that the sheer stress of this moment was finally breaking you. This was your last shot.

“Hey, hey. Look at me.”

“I don’t know what that means but I know it’s not good. I know you’re dangerous too but I just want to go. I want to get the fuck out of here! I’ll take my chances!”

Kylos eyes softened as he stared into yours, his grip loosening on you, “You know?”

You nodded, “But I couldn’t give a shit right now we can figure it out later, I just want to go. I wanna go!”

He gave you a nod in response before pulling your head forward, placing an unexpectedly chaste kiss to the top of your head. Gently he pulled you back, holding your face so you could look him directly in the eyes.

“We’re gonna go ok? We’ll go right now.”

You nodded as you choked back another sob. As you tried to form coherent sentences you were brought to a pause as Kylo scooped you up into his arms. It was as if you were weightless to him. Which in consideration of your situation was more than ideal. With Kylo your odds of surviving were certainly higher. 

As soon as your feet were off of the ground and Kylo settled you in his arms he began running down the hall. Light fixtures seemed to blur past you with the remnants of tears still clinging to your lashes. Truthfully you didn’t care if you saw the grand escape, you just wanted to feel the fresh air hit your face. Then, then you would be safe.

Running down the next hallway, leading to the staircase you heard a chorus of voices. As if they knew what you were trying to do without being anywhere near you.

“Run, run as fast as you can!”

“You’re gonna die in here.”

“There is no escape.”

“Watch your throat.”

Soon enough you were pushing your head into Kylos chest, attempting to muffle out the sounds. You weren’t sure if there were really spirits taunting you or if they were all in your head. The last few hours had thrown you for a loop and frankly it was possible that you were going insane. Either way, escaping this hell hole would free you on some level. Free Kylo even.

In a sudden shift of Kylos footing you realized you had reached the stairs, practically bouncing from his desperate near leaps down the steps. You were getting closer. There was only the guardrails and last remaining stairwells until you reached the lobby. 

Just as Kylo seemed to steady his steps you suddenly heard a familiar voice yell out, “Not so fast bastard!”

You knew all too quickly that the voice belonged to the bartender Poe. Though you weren’t so certain why he was appearing suddenly. That was until Kylo seemed to fumble and tripped over a step. To his and your dismay his grip on you failed as you rolled out onto the carpet. With a squeak you tried to pull yourself back up as your attention was pulled back to Poe as your eyes widened with horror. 

In his grip, like a vice, Poe held a cork screw with a fire in his eyes. It wasn’t one that you were used to seeing on the man, but you knew it anywhere. Rage. Pure and raw rage. There was obviously a history here that was playing a factor. But it wouldn’t be ending today, not with everything on the line.

Lunging forward you shoved all of your body weight into Kylo’s, “NO!”

While the man was built like a brick wall you were lucky enough to move him in time. Poe’s swift strike of the corkscrew instead getting caught in the carpeting. As curses flew from his mouth, attempting to pull it from the ground and try again you felt Kylo’s hand engulf yours.

“Come on.”

With little effort he pulled you back up once again and began rushing down the stairwell. Getting yourself back together you started matching his pace, trying to get your legs to run as quickly as his were. As long as you two were side-by-side your odds of surviving would be greater. 

Soon enough you had reached the floor of the lobby, about fifteen paces closer to freedom. You weren’t sure what you were going to do once your body leapt through those doors, aside from running further. Perhaps if luck was in your corner that night a cab would be driving by. 

You could hardly wait, and you began counting the paces there.

2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Running faster towards the doors you glanced for a moment to the concierge desk. From a distance you could see Leia’s eyes widen with anticipation as she watched you both dart for the doors. You weren’t sure whether she was shocked that you had waited this long to run or shocked that you were running at all. Either way you could practically feel her enraptured in watching the scene before her. 

Just as her eyes began to shift your head turned forward again, you didn’t want to trip over the last steps or slam into the door. It had to be a clean exit. If there were any missteps it would cost you.

7, 8, 9, 10, 11

As your eyes turned forward once again you felt your throat constrict. Where there was once a gorgeous view of the Cortez logo adorning your exit, Phasma now stood. While you didn’t know her well enough to decipher her moods you could read her eyes clear as day. She was livid.

Kylo seemed to take in the same view as you as he came to a screeching halt. Despite your minor lunge forward Kylo pulled you back. While you knew it was likely to protect you from her, you knew it was for so much more. He was afraid of her. And knowing what she was, you could only begin to imagine why.

“Going somewhere?”

Kylo panted, “Uhm just out.”

Phasma’s eyes narrowed as she looked over to Kylo, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Kylo’s eyes immediately went to the floor, not daring to look in her glaring daggers. Given what little you knew about their relationship and Finns warning, you could only imagine what was racing through his mind as he stared down. Still clutching onto your hand.

As if reading your very thoughts her icy blue eyes travelled down to your conjoined hands, regarding them with a rise of her brow. While a hint of a scowl settled onto her lips her gaze moved to you, sending your heart through your throat. 

“You see unlike other humans I can sense feelings, taste them in my mouth like a fragrance floating through the air.” Her eyes travelled to Kylo now, “Sadness is like a saltine, as if you were catching tears themselves on your tongue. Kylo would remember that one well.”

Kylo gulped, still not looking directly into her eyes.

“Ease is like a sugar cookie. Love is like rosewater. ...But there has always been one that I hated the most.”

Finally Kylos eyes met hers, as if knowing she wanted to glare directly into his irises as she said this.

“Betrayal. Like a bitter char.” 

Now you could yourself trembling, unable to really hold yourself still. You could tell this was going to result in something happening to Kylo, you could just feel it. At the very least she would not let him leave this place without at least a scar to remember her scorn by.

“I’ve tasted it only a few times before. But now...now I am riddled with it and I cannot bring myself to find peace tonight, knowing that this is going to remain.”

Kylo’s jaw tensed, “No one has betrayed you, you selfish bitch.”

She gave him a half hearted laugh, sounding more like she was huffing out air than anything else. And then her eyes turned to you, giving you what you knew was a fake smile.

“(Y/N) dear. Tell me, is the taste of rosewater I get around you true? You love him?”

Now it was your turn to clam up, swallowing what felt like an entire apple core. There was no way to casually go about this interaction, and you knew it.

“Y-yes.”

Kylo looked over to you, a hint of softness in his gaze as his lips slightly parted. You knew it was too soon to truly call it love, but there was certainly some feelings there. And obviously even the slightest crush did not go missed by Phasma.

Phasma ran a hand over your jawline, bringing the metal claws all to close to your flesh, “It is an amazing thing isn’t it? I’ve only tasted it a few times before. The most recent being a young man and woman at the bar. The air around them was riddled so heavily with it you could practically suffocate.”

With your figure still trembling she took her longest clawed finger traced your jaw once again, “But the char I tasted from him, was only so bitter. I always knew he was weak. Especially when the end came near.”

You gulped again, “The end?”

She nodded, not once breaking eye contact with you. 

“When I decided he should feel it too.”

A stray tear escaped the corner of your eye. You just knew this was going to be it. You were so close, and yet Phasma was assuring it was the a passing daydream. 

“Feel what?”

She pulled away from you with a scowl, “Suffering.”

In a split second her clawed finger flung from her side and across the expanse of Kylos neck. Time itself seemed to come to a complete halt as you let out a shriek. Kylo’s eyes were shot wide as he staggered backwards, blood gushing out from his neck like a damn fountain.

Shaking your head desperately you turned all of your attention to him, placing your hands over the wound as if it was going to help. You could care less what happened to your clothes or how gross it felt, you just needed to keep him alive. Or at least in his own way.

“No! No Kylo please!”

As Kylo began to fall to the ground in a moment of weakness you rushed to his side. You frantically ripped a piece of your clothing, quickly working it around Kylos neck. At the very least you could put pressure on it and get him to the ER. While Phasma watched, obviously unmoved by the entire thing, you suddenly got an idea. There was little chances of it working but you had to at least try.

Sliding your arms under Kylos armpits you drug him up the last steps, attempting to make the last few paces. All that mattered was getting the hell out of here. With a sob you kept pulling Kylos weak body, trying not to focus on the sounds of his choking.

“Come on please! Please hold on! We’re almost there.”

12, 13, 14

You could hardly breathe now, both in relief and absolute devastation. You were in front of the doors! Despite the struggle and crippling heartache you were nearly there. One step closer to freeing Kylo and you from this hell hole. 

With a sigh you leaned your weight into the door, trying to keep it open as you dragged Kylo over the threshold. Getting him onto the entrance tiles you nearly laughed between panted breaths.

“We’re almost there, I’m gonna get you help.”

You drug him a little further, nearly to the opening that led to the sidewalk until you were startled out of relief riddled daydream.

“Not likely.”

Just as you looked up you met Phasmas ice cold gaze, staring you down before her infamous claw cut straight through you as well. There wasn’t any way to really describe the feeling, all you could really feel at first were your eyes widening and your entire body going into shock. Then you felt the warmth, the gush over your hand as you feebly tried to keep everything in. The second it was met with pressure is when you felt the sting of that little blade. It was as if Phasma’ s scorn itself had set your cuts aflame. 

As you stumbled to the floor, still stunned as your knees hit the pavement and your vision went blurry you watched Phasma shake her head at you. That same old jealousy from your first night still flaring fiercely behind her lashes. Further you fell onto the pavement, feeling the cold seep through your clothing. As if the grip of the grim reaper was finally taking you in, clutching onto you carefully as the world around you seemed to fade away.

Just as everything went black, you suddenly felt a jolt. As if a spark of lightning had just traveled through your body. The sheer energy setting you right once again. Or so you thought.

As your eyes flew open, assuming you had been revived, you discovered much worse. 

You were back inside the Cortez.

To make matters worse your eyes caught sight of the very obviously lifeless corpses of you and Kylo lying outside on the Cortez’s tile, staining it with deep red. Instinctively your hand went up to your throat, hoping to find some kind of last confirmation of your worst fears. Maybe if you were lucky you would fling yourself awake and discover that your neck was still barren of any gashing marks. 

To your dismay you found exactly what you feared. The gash was still there, now dry and torn. As your hands began to tremble, eyes still fixed on the horrible scene before you, a sob threatened to tear through you. If you could even sob in the first place anymore.

“Don’t worry, I have one too.”

Flinching in response you quickly turned your head to the side, only to see Kylo. In some sick sense you felt relief. He was still here, with you. And he did in fact have a matching scar to that of the one now adorning your throat. In spite of all the fear, anguish and confusion you were feeling in this moment you could have at least one familiar thing. One thing that made you happy. Just as you were about to respond, a voice from behind you both echoed through the lobby.

“Well! It seems my wife’s appetite surpassed my own.”

You both turned instantly to see Hux standing above you at the guardrails of the bar. In his more than unnecessary four piece suit with a glass of scotch raised to the both of you.

“Cheers!”

Like an ominous shadow, Mitaka suddenly appeared, handing Kylo a room key you recognized as his own. Your brows pulled together as he gave you a devious smirk.