Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She opened her eyes, breathing heavily. The world around her was still blurry—colours: green, blue, white, black.

Her head was spinning with dizziness and nausea.

Someone was screaming, shaking her, pulling her out of the line between consciousness and unconsciousness.

The colours seemed to blur together… Merging into something she was supposed to remember. Something she wanted so badly to recall. Yet, she couldn’t gather her thoughts enough to even be aware of herself.

"Nya! Can you hear me?"

The voice didn’t match the movement of the lips she saw on the face in front of her. The ringing in her ears was slowly fading.

"Jay...?"

She was startled at how weak her own voice sounded as it slipped from her lips. It felt foreign, like it wasn’t entirely hers.

“Thanks, First Spinjitzu Master. You hit so hard—” she heard another voice, higher than the previous one.

She felt someone pulling her into a sitting position, supporting her by the shoulders to keep her from collapsing.

She frowned, trying to remember what had happened, where she was, what... what was going on. But nothing came to mind. It was all clouded, locked behind an invisible wall she couldn’t break through.

She looked around, trying to stand, but someone pulled her back into a sitting position.

Krux. Acronix.

The fight in the past. The fight where she and her brother had battled the Vermillion and the Time Twins. The one they’d won—and—

Her chest tightened at the names that crossed her mind.

“Kai... Where... where is Kai?” she mumbled, searching for the familiar red gi among the blurred faces.

“...Kai?” someone echoed, but she couldn’t place the voice.

Nya’s heart stopped.

What do they mean by “Kai?” Why are they so surprised by his name? Why... why wasn’t Kai here?

“Kai. Kai—my brother!” she shouted, her head ringing from the sudden noise erupting from her own mouth.

Her eyes sharpened, now fully distinguishing the faces before her. They were all looking at her and at each other, confused. Almost all of them, anyway. Jay, instead, was gazing at her with soft, compassionate eyes, as if he alone knew what she was talking about.

“Nya, calm down...” He took her hand and squeezed it gently. “You hit your head really hard. The fireworks almost hit you, it’s just—” He bit his lip. “You’re confused.”

“Confused?” Her voice rose. “Yeah, I’m pretty damn confused!”

Bad idea. Raising her voice made her head ring even worse. She groaned as a sudden, piercing headache shot through her skull.

“You are suffering from a mild concussion. We should examine you carefully. Please refrain from sudden movements” the nindroid said, using his powers to cool down the area where Nya had been hit. It was working, she couldn’t deny that. But it still didn’t help her understand what was going on.

She looked around and was surprised to find she wasn’t in the Monastery of Spnjitzu or the Vermillion Swamps. And it wasn’t just that—it was broad daylight, the blinding hot sun overhead, not the cold and cloudy autumn she had expected.

Ninjago City Centre. It was the Imperial Square, full of civilians—

Scared civilians. Running into each other, yelling in panic.

Nya instantly stood up, ignoring the warnings from her friends. Terrified civilians meant an incoming threat. And an incoming threat meant you either went all in or got yourself killed.

The others noticed her sudden shift. Almost immediately, they pulled her back down, their voices calm but urgent.

“It’s alright! It was just a false alarm, anyway!” the blonde boy hurried to reassure her before she did something reckless.

Nya blinked few times.

“Lloyd? What happened to your voice?” she asked, confused. The voice didn’t match the boy’s face. No. The boy’s face didn’t match up either. It was... older. Not drastically, but in the details—his jawline was sharper, more masculine, his green eyes more stern, and... was that the start of facial hair?

Nya’s mind reeled as realization hit her.

“First Spinjitzu Master” she gasped in a single breath. “It’s the future.”

This was bad. This was really bad.

And the others seemed to think it was bad too. But with her.

“Um... I think we need to take her to the hospital. Like, right now. Now. NOW.”

...

And even with the fierce fight she put up, she still ended up having an appointment with the physician in the ambulance. They were already on the scene, patching up people who had been injured in the crowd panic.

Thankfully for her, the doctor wasn’t too concerned about her state and released her without bringing her fully into the ambulance. If it hadn’t been for Jay, she might have ended the conversation after just a few brief words. But instead, she had to endure Jay’s overly worried list of questions and pleas to examine her once again. When the doctor finally said she was okay, she didn’t wait for Jay to accept reality—she jumped off the ambulance.

Now she was looking around, with a new mind set of perspective. 

The future...

It couldn’t be too far off. Ninjago didn’t seem to have changed much, and judging by the others, they hadn’t changed too drastically either. Well—except for Lloyd. But let’s take him as an exception to the rule.

The last time she had seen him in “her time,” Lloyd had just turned fifteen. But here, he had hit puberty with a vengeance. Tomorrow’s Tea had aged Lloyd’s body, but for the past few years, he hadn’t grown a day older. It was as if his body had been waiting for his mind to catch up.

It was hard to pinpoint how much time had actually passed. She would have to ask, subtly, what year it was.

Subtly enough that they wouldn’t send her to the hospital again for being “overly worried” about a concussion.

And Kai. What about him? Why had they reacted that way?

She calmed herself down. Panic wouldn’t get her anywhere. She needed to take careful steps. After all, this was playing with time—maybe not as consequential as before, but still—she didn’t belong here. She knew she didn’t belong in this timeline.

Now that she thought about it, why were they in the Imperial Square of all places? There was an empty stage set up with a platform and speakers. The entire place looked trampled from panicked footsteps. Barriers were knocked down, litter scattered everywhere... People were passing by, cleaning, trying to restore the square’s former glory. And there were lots—lots—of guards, police, and even carabinieri.

What had happened here? A terrorist attack?

“Are you sure you’re feeling better?” Jay asked, hurrying to keep up with her pace.

She hummed in response, not eager to say anything that might draw unwanted attention. For now, she needed to stay observant. If she played it wrong, they’d try to send her back to the hospital—and from there, she wouldn’t learn anything.

“You sure? You still look pale to me...”

“Yes, I’m alright, Cole.” She sighed, a little irritated. How much more could they worry about her? Geez.

“Are we going back to the...” She started to say “monastery” but stopped halfway. Was the monastery even still standing here? What about Wu?

Yes, she needed to contact him immediately. He wouldn’t think she was crazy. Hopefully.

“We are invited to the Palace of Secrets, however, given our circumstances... refusal is encouraged” Zane stated, looking at Nya with his unnaturally blue eyes. Nya was almost certain he was running another analysis on her condition.

She frowned.

Hold on. The Royal Palace? This royal palace? Overdecorated with gold and red, paid for by civilian taxes? Now it made sense why the place was so heavily guarded if royalty was involved.

A meaningless invitation from the upper class who knew nothing about real life. Just what she needed now to distract herself from trying to grasp what was really going on.

“So, we’re refusing, then?” She wasn’t about to pretend she was interested. She needed to get back to the Destiny’s Bounty, or the monastery, or wherever their base was in this “time.”

“Given how Nya was hurt—”

“Oh, for FSM’s sake, it’s nothing! Give it a rest” she snapped at Jay.

“Mhm. Then let me give you a special charm: pain, pain, go away.” As he said this, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She stiffened. Nya’s guts twisted with cringe. How many times had she told him to cut out the PDA? It was eating her up inside. Or maybe it was the “future” her that didn’t mind it? There was no way she would ever like it.

" Okay, guys, stop. My single ass is cringing. Can we focus on what we’re actually supposed to be doing?"

Thanks, First Spinjitzu Master, Cole, she thought.

“I say... we go there” Lloyd responded. “After all, we’re here for the mask, right? So we stay.”

“I agree with Lloyd. We should accept the invitation since it’s the best course of action to handle this” Zane said in his usual stoic, sophisticated tone.

“I say go. Like, come on guys, there’s gotta be dinner after it, right? Dinner prepared by the best chefs in all of Ninjago—”

“Remember you’re on a cake-free diet” Jay cut in, interrupting Cole’s words.

“Shut up,” Cole groaned, frowning. “Anyway, everyone goes in or no one does. Even if my stomach says yes, the last call’s gotta be Nya’s. If she’s not feeling well—”

“Oh, for f—! I told you, I’m alright!”

“I’m against it, and I don’t believe that the doctor just let you go that easily—”

Nya groaned, nearly wanting to strangle someone right then and there.

Oh, she was being manipulated so hard right now. And Cole and Jay didn’t even realize what they were doing. They were too stupid for their own good.

All eyes shifted to her. The boys looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Nya groaned inwardly.

...

She was so angry at herself. She should have been focused on finding answers about what happened. But instead, nooo, she had to say “fine.”

She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she was curious about this place too. Even if it was the last thing on her priority list, especially now, the opportunity to understand the situation might be found in the Palace of Secrets. Wasn’t it a bit over the top? Of course it was. But she had to find some positivity in this mess of events.

So here she was, irritated and out of place, stuck in a new, unknown “time” in an unfamiliar place far from her own.

The palace was suffocating under the weight of its own richness, almost making her want to vomit. Gold. Red. Gold. Red. Overdecorated carpets and ornate corridors stretched endlessly. Paintings lined the walls—no one would ever really look at them.

The half-dark hallways were lit by hanging lamps that barely cast a flicker of light. Everything in this place was utterly impractical, designed solely to look impressive.

They followed the head of the guard, a man named Hutchins, with some exalted title that Nya couldn’t quite remember. His eyepatch and armour only added to his serious, no-nonsense appearance. He seemed stern and deeply focused on his task, avoiding any conversation between them.

Nya silently thanked him for that, because the boys were starting to get a little out of hand with their astonishment.

Zane was analysing almost every painting they passed, Cole was already lost in his daydreams about the upcoming royal dinner, and Jay’s eyes were wide, staring at all the gold...

But Lloyd? She couldn’t quite read his expression. He was stiff, a little detached from reality.

In some ways, he resembled Nya at that moment.

Nya sighed as they took yet another turn down the corridor. How long did they have to keep walking? The hall seemed endless. The more she saw walls painted in pure gold, the more her stomach twisted. It resembled a labyrinth within a labyrinth—designed to trap people with its dazzling shine.

Capturing the ignorance of the inhabitants.

Finally, Hutchins stopped and cleared his throat, drawing the group’s attention. He opened the doors and, with a solemn voice, said:

“I present to you the Exalted Emperor and Empress of Ninjago, and their children... the Jade Princess Harumi and the Dragon Prince Kaisei.”

Now Nya thought she had exaggerated about the corridor. The throne room was even worse. The long hall seemed to push them farther away from the main figures in the room. At the far end, an elevated platform was framed by two towering red columns, clawed by golden dragons leaning over the standing royal family.

Behind them, the lavish gold and red decorations clashed sharply with the deep green robes of the royal family.

She glanced at them briefly before Lloyd nudged her, reminding her to bow.

She couldn’t distinguish the Empress from the Princess—the heavy white makeup made them look more like stuffed clowns than the dignified representatives of Ninjago they were supposed to be. The Emperor, on the other hand, looked like he might crumble under the weight of the respectful bow they gave him. His overly enthusiastic expression only made his wrinkles stand out more.

Nya shifted her gaze to the right—but then Emperor caught her attention again.

“We are honoured by your presence” the Emperor spoke with a momentous tone. His voice was indeed charismatic. Far more so than his stiff posture. Perhaps Nya had judged him too harshly.

She glanced again to the right. The siblings stood much closer to each other than to their parents, not aligned with their thrones. The girl beamed a graceful, well-rehearsed smile. Everything about her was perfect: white pearl hair with not a single strand out of place, high, slender cheekbones emphasizing her large dark eyes. Her “clown” makeup only made her features more expressive, highlighting her natural beauty.

The prince stood beside her, wearing another smile clearly meant for the countless propaganda photos the royal family had at their disposal.

Nya looked up into his eyes—and immediately stiffened.

Those eyes. She would never not recognize them, no matter what. Even with the ridiculous heavy blush shimmering under the lamp light, they were unmistakable.

One eye was marked by a scar, a familiar scar, now awkwardly concealed beneath layers of makeup.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

It was Kai.

Her brother.

Chapter Text

“Your Highness?” There was a knock at the door. “The Empress has asked your Highness to check on Her Highness.”

Kai rolled his eyes as he stood up from the papers scattered across his desk. Not even a peaceful moment to work. He left the papers as they were, always in disarray, and walked toward the door.

“What is it now, Irv?” he said, opening the door and leaning against it with crossed arms.

The young man standing at the threshold looked desperate, like he’d been running. He avoided Kai’s gaze, searching for the right words. His fingers nervously fidgeted with the belt of his green haori.

Kai smiled to himself. He already knew what this was about.

“On a scale from one to ten…” Kai began, half-serious “How bad is it?”

Irv made the familiar face that immediately told Kai everything he needed to know. Kai sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m going to check on her in a minute” Kai mumbled, turning back toward his office.

But before he could close the door, a firm footstep stopped him.

“I encourage Your Highness to do it now.”

“So… a seven?” Kai raised an eyebrow. “Well, she’s really outdone herself today.” Irritation crept into his voice.

“Your Highness…”

Irv’s brown head turned back, as if suspecting someone was eavesdropping. He closed the door and, now locked in a private conversation, finally sighed with relief.

“She’s uncontrollable” Irv whined. “Three servant girls ran out of her room crying.”

“Three isn’t such a bad number” Kai tried to laugh, but Irv’s gloomy expression spoke louder than any words.

“Your Highness, please save us” Irv’s voice cracked with desperation.

Kai groaned. Again, he had to save the day by calming his sister’s fury. For what sins, he wondered.

“Isn’t the speech in, like, three hours?”

The boy nodded in confirmation.

“Two hours and forty-eight minutes. Please hurry, Your Highness.”

“Nope.” Kai shook his head. Irv’s face went from relief to ghostly pale in an instant. Kai smacked his lips in amusement. “Not until you stop calling me ‘Highness.’”

Irv bit his lip tightly, closed his eyes, then opened them with a heavy sigh.

“Please, Kai. Pretty please.”

Kai chuckled and patted the other boy’s shoulder.

“Atta boy! See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He smirked, flashing one of his mischievous grins.

Irv sighed again, clearly done with Kai’s play.

“You do know I can get fired for this, right? Especially if your sister finds out.”

Kai just smiled and headed toward the door. Turning back with his back still to Irv, he said cheerfully,

“Then I’ll be right there to calm her down again!”

And with that, he left Irv alone in the office.

However, as soon as Kai stepped out of the room, his cheerful persona dropped. He sighed heavily, muttering under his breath about what sins he was being punished for this time.

He’d thought his sister had finally dropped her moody behaviour after she had turned fourteen, but, true to form, things were never that simple with her.

Spoiled brat. Just like always.

People bowed as he passed, and he gave quick, polite nods in response. He quickened his pace. Irv hadn’t been exactly expressive about what his sister had done, but it had to be serious enough if the Empress had sent him personally.

He quickened his pace as he neared the end of the corridor. Most of the palace seemed empty, the guards already stationed for the upcoming speech. The quietness felt unnatural to Kai. The palace had always been a place where every move was watched by someone’s eyes. It had taken him forever to learn how to sneak out without being noticed. Not that he had ever dared use those hidden passages again after the accident.

The lamps flickered with a soft glow, casting uneven shadows that left much of the corridor in a solemn half-light. It was yet another part of the palace he had taken ages to get used to. The more he thought about this place, the more he realized he hated it—more than he ever liked it.

When he turned down the final corridor, he saw the girls who must have been the victims. One of them was still sobbing and hiccupping, while another offered a comforting smile and soft words, gently patting her on the back. The third stood with red, puffy eyes, glaring at the door as if it were the enemy.

But fortunately, fortunately, none of them seemed to have bruised cheeks or any marks from struggling. Kai could handle harsh words.

He gave them a weak, awkward smile, hoping it would convey his apology without him having to say the words aloud. The two shyer girls managed small, sloppy bows in return, their eyes flickering with a hint of relief. But the third girl glared back at him with a stony, defiant expression. Kai’s gut twisted. If she had glared at anyone else in this place, she would be out of a job in an instant. Perhaps something had broken in her, and he wouldn’t have blamed her one bit.

Kai sighed again, steeling himself as he stood before the menacing door to the room. He glanced at the time on his watch. No time to waste.

Without knocking, he stepped inside.

“Rumi?”

His sister sat beside the mirror, adding the final touches of makeup to her face. She was already fully dressed in one of her most ornate green kimonos, topped with a white cape embroidered with red lotuses. Her hair, though still loose and uncombed, tangled messily in the folds of her kimono and cape.

Her face was set with a determined focus on the dull task, not even turning at Kai as their eyes met in the mirror.

Kai took in the state of the room. The chaos was palpable: two mannequins displaying dresses had been knocked over, one of dress torn beyond repair. A pair of scissors was stabbed into one of the wooden forms like a grim trophy.

The vanity table was cluttered with scattered cosmetics, some tipped over and smeared across the surface. 

Honestly... it could have been much worse.

“Harumi” he repeated, this time with a firmer, more commanding tone.

“They started it” she scoffed, still refusing to look at him.

“Mhm. Like I’d ever believe that” he muttered, pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down heavily.

She finished her makeup and finally turned her face to him.

“Okay. Maybe I tipsy-dipsy added oil to the fumes,” she said with a shrug.

“Tipsy-dipsy?” Kai snapped. “Those girls are crying, Harumi.”

“Those girls are dumb whores” she replied mockingly. Kai let out a sharp scoff. “How the hell did they even get a job here?”

“Language” he warned.

She flashed him a “peace sign,”  that involve her middle finger raised right in his face.

“I swear” she hissed, her tone dripping with disdain. “Their only jobs here are to smile like idiots and spread their legs for every old creep with a coin.” She flicked her mascara wand over her lashes, steady as ever. “And to keep that old hag drunk enough to sleep.” Her tone softened slightly as she concentrated on the details, careful not to smudge her makeup.

And here Kai thought she’d grown out of that phase. Or maybe, he realized, something was eating at her.

“Do you need help with your hair?” He stood up and moved closer, trying to ignore her last comment.

“Yes, oh First Spinjitzu Master, yes.” She leaned her head back. “I’d rather watch those whores giving blow jobs to the Emperor than let them touch my hair.”

“Geez, sis. Not before dinner.” He laughed dryly as he grabbed a comb and began untangling her silver-white hair.

She hummed softly in pleasure, closing her eyes and relaxing. Kai noticed the stiffness in her begin to fade.

“So... being serious now... what’s going on?” Kai broke the silence.

“Hm?”

“You’re acting like a chick before her period.”

Sky chuckled, snarky.
“Maybe I am. Wanna find out?”

“No... thank you.” Kai pulled her hair a little harsher to comb the knots. “You seem stressed.”

Harumi glanced into the mirror, then shot Kai a sharp look.

“Do I need to be stressed to not be angry at incompetence?”

Kai smirked. “With you? Honestly, you’re the walking incarnation of fury.”

She elbowed him in the stomach.

“Ouch! Remember, I still have your hair in my hand—”

“Remember, I’m still not completely angry” she snapped back.

“Can you pass me the diadem?”

Harumi’s face twisted into a sour scowl as she handed it over.

“Okay, you’re right. I am angry.”

“Tipsy-dipsy angry?”

Harumi hummed softly.

Her expression shifted—serious now, brows narrowing with a sharp flare of irritation. Her lips pressed into a tight line.

“Let’s just say… things aren’t going according to my plan.”

“Things always go south when you’re the one doing the planning.”

Harumi jerked her head sharply, a low groan escaping her lips as Kai tugged a bit too hard.

“I told you, I have your hair in my hands. Don’t move— I’m almost done.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms with a stubborn pout.

“Who snitched on me?”

"Actually, Empress asked me to tame you"

Harumi let out another irritated scoff.

“Drunkyard. If she has a problem with me, she should come to me herself. Not send an errand boy.”

Kai chuckled.

“Yup. I second that. It’s an unfair world for me too.”

But when he caught the stone expression on Harumi’s face, he quickly stopped laughing. He stepped back to admire the hairstyle he had just finished.

“Done. Am I a great big brother or what?”

Harumi glanced at the mirror, tilting her head to inspect his work. A small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her lips, barely hiding her true satisfaction.

“Mhm… could be better.”

“Come on… a little flattery wouldn’t hurt.”

She stood up, now fully transformed into the Jade Princess.

“Not great brother. The fucking best.” She smirked.

Then her expression shifted again, clouded by thoughts she wouldn’t voice aloud. Kai noticed the change but couldn’t quite place where it came from. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, silently expecting for her to explain.

“Are you… happy being here?" she started hesitant. "Don’t you want to just get the hell out of this place? Free yourself from this shitshow — the endless etiquette, the meetings, the speeches—”

“Yup. Boring speeches” he interrupted and she shot a glare sharp enough to make him flinch, like she was ready to knock him in the stomach again.

Kai sighed, sinking back into the chair.

“I don’t know” he shrugged, “pure honesty. There’s a lot I hate here. Not gonna sugarcoat it.”

But where else could he go?

He was just one of those forgotten orphans who’d hit the jackpot when the Empress adopted him. What first felt like a blessing from the heavens had slowly turned into a living hell.

Sometimes he wondered if things might have been better if she hadn’t found him. Maybe the Emperor and Empress would’ve been happier without him around.

Harumi scoffed, breaking the silence.

“As always, undecided. Too much thinking for your poor brain, huh?” She crossed her arms, smirking. “Sit.” Her tone was sharp, commanding, as if she owned him. “I’ll handle your makeup before some other whore gets the chance to mess with your face.”

…

On the stage, he tried not to look at the sky too often. It had a calming effect on him. The clear, cloudless blue that he could stare at endlessly. How long had it been since he’d seen that same sky outside the palace, in daylight?

The Emperor was giving the speech, and he could read between the lines to see who the real author was: Kai. It was the speech he had prepared but never had a chance to deliver. He wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, the Emperor hadn’t bothered to hide his plagiarism.

Kai fought to suppress a yawn while still trying to maintain a perfect smile. The crowd seemed overwhelmed by words. At least someone was being entertained. Maybe he should thank the crazy biker gang, or whatever clowns were causing chaos on the streets right now. The news that reached him was muddled with gossip that only came from servants. There was no real flow of information to him. After all he was just a doll, a little pawn to be looked at.

"And always stayed… united!" The closing words of the speech crackled through the loudspeaker.

The incoming cheers and applause drowned out the crowd. He already felt so stiff from standing in the same perfect position for so long. Just ten more minutes, and he could retreat to his office, maybe with a bit of drama from Harumi. Locked in the palace. Why did that thought feel so melancholic to him?

Then he noticed it—something out of place.

A white-dressed man aiming a bow from the tower. Kai had to blink twice. Another—

A green head leaned out from behind a column.

Who were they? Could it really be that… the Emperor had asked ninjas for help?

The thought seemed ridiculous at first. That man was too proud to ask anyone for assistance. He only took when he absolutely had to. But perhaps it was Hutchins’s idea. That seemed more plausible.

Kai focused on the green head peeking out from the column. He seemed agile and stealthy, definitely the type to slip in and out unseen. So why had he revealed himself? Then, Kai realized: the ninja wasn’t looking at him. No. He was staring straight at the person next to him —his sister.

Well, whoever this man might be—Chosen One or not—he would soon be crushed under the weight of Harumi’s real personality.

Suddenly—

Bang.

The bang rang out, slicing right through the applause. Before he could react or register what had happened, he was slammed to the ground by a sudden weight. In the corner of his eye, he saw something green draped over him. It took him a second to realize he was being shielded—someone had thrown themselves over him and Harumi, tucking them down before any threats could reach them.

His heart stopped.

Screams erupted in the distance as people pushed and shoved one another. Cries, yells, anger filled the air. Some were injured—First Spinjitzu Master—he spotted a woman, probably, in a pink sweater, screaming as she lay on the ground, blood trickling from her forehead. No one was helping her, no one was offering her a hand to stand up. She was being trampled as people ran over and over her like panicked rats.

“Are you guys okay?!” the person who landed on him shouted, but not to them. He was yelling into his comm. Kai blinked a few times before realizing that standing before him was the famous Lloyd Garmadon, the Green Ninja.

Hutchins hurried after him, quickly extending a steadying hand to help him to his feet. Without wasting a moment, he began guiding Kai, Harumi, and the Empress toward the nearest exit, urging them to move faster through the chaos. Kai, however, remained rooted in place, his eyes desperately searching the throng of panicked faces.

Where was she?

He scanned the crowd again and again, but the woman in the pink sweater was nowhere to be seen. The sight of her helpless haunted him, but now she had simply vanished beneath the stampede. His heart pounded in his chest as a wave of helplessness washed over him.

Suddenly, a shout cut through the cacophony:

“What?! Nya is down?!”

The voice belonged to the ninja who had shielded him moments before. Without hesitation, the Green Ninja leapt from the stage into the tumultuous crowd, determined to find her.

Kai’s words were caught in his throat. He wanted to yell, to scream that the woman needed help. But no sound came out. The words were stuck, trapped inside him, as if swallowed whole by the chaos around him.

Hutchins grabbed his arm, pulling him roughly to attention, shouting something, but Kai couldn’t make out a single word. His gaze remained fixed on the wild, desperate crowd. A sea of agony and screams that threatened to swallow everything whole.

Until—

The pain flickered from his cheek. The sudden pain pulsed in time with his pounding heartbeat.

“Get your shit together!” Harumi barked, her voice cutting through the air like a whip.

She stood before him, frowning. Kai instinctively traced the spot of the burning sting with his hand, blinking blankly at her.

“Kaisei! Hurry up!” the Empress grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.

Finally, Kai began to grasp the gravity of the situation.

“Mother—” he gasped, before slipping the Empress under his arm, following Hutchins’ hurried steps.

They raced down the stairs from backstage straight to the black car which was pulling down before them.

Hutchins shoved them inside, then—

“Take them back to the Palace!” he barked to the driver,  before slamming the doors shut.

Kai glanced at the Harumi, then at Empress, whose ghostly pale complexion made her look almost spectral. Both were dishevelled, their hairstyles ruined, white and red paint smeared messily across their faces.

Then it hit him.

“Emperor—Father—where—is he?!” Kai lunged for the side doors, desperately trying to open them, but they were already locked tight. “We have to go back to him—We—”

“Your Highness, calm down! His Majesty is in the second car!” came a voice from across the seats, it was the driver.

“Kaisei, your father is fine. They evacuated him first” the Empress said, her voice nervous but steady, trying to calm him.

“Emperor—” he began again.

“Yeah, don’t sweat it. Like he’d just kick the bucket that easily,” Harumi interrupted with a hint of sarcasm.

“Harumi!” the Empress snapped, raising her voice in disbelief.

She rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

Kai inhaled deeply, then exhaled, struggling to steady himself. He tried to collect his scattered thoughts and make sense of what had just happened.

“What was that? A terrorist attack?” he muttered aloud, the question spinning endlessly in his mind.

The Empress looked at him silently, offering no answer. She remained tense and confused, her fingers clutching the fabric of her kimono tightly against her chest.

Only Harumi seemed relaxed and Kai wasn’t surprised in the slightest. It was his sister, after all—unfazed by anything. Sometimes he even wondered if she was really human.

“Sons of Garmadon, probably” she said, pressing her forehead against the window. “You know… the sooo evil biker gang.”

“A bunch of ignorant fanatics!” the Empress hissed. Harumi jerked her head away from the glass at the Empress’s words and frowned. “They think they can intimidate us by using that Mask of Deception!” she continued, agitated.

Mask of what now?

Kai glanced at Harumi, but she just shrugged—clearly no clue either.

“Those maniacs are after three ancient Oni Masks—one of them in our possession. One of which remains under our guardianship. Hutchins proposed entrusting their protection to the ninjas, yet your stubborn as a mule father declined.” Empress said, a hint of hostility in her voice. She scoffed, clearly offended. “Now he’s comprehending the gravity of our situation! Dealing with nothing less than deranged fanatics!”

Harumi glanced at Kai and rolled her eyes dramatically, then pressed her forehead back against the window.

Chapter Text

She stood there like a clown in a circus. Not far from the truth, really—with these ridiculous clothes and makeup, she could pass for one easily enough. Waiting for the “special guest” to arrive.

And now the shitshow was starting all over again.

Just one night. One fucking night, and everything would be over.

Of course that stupid old man had to invite the ninjas too. He was already shitting his pants, as he should be. 

The doors finally swung open, Hutchins leading the parade. The colourful pyjama party was marching straight to its doom. One more ridiculous than the other.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the circus of all circuses! The so-called protectors of the realm!

First up, the large, fat, hairy ape—Cole! Look at those biceps, more fat than muscle, and that stomach—pure beer belly, if she ever saw one.

Next, the living embodiment of a nervous wreck, Mama’s boy himself—Jay Walker!

And now, the wannabe real boy, Pinocchio in the flesh—Zane, the autistic robot with the cold heart looking to become a real human boy.

Then the token girl, so they wouldn’t get accused of sexism. But hey, let’s make her a muscular whale—just to keep things balanced, right? Nya, or whatever the name her was—

And finally, the crème de la crème, the chef’s kiss—Mr. Composed, Daddy Issues himself—Lloyd Garmadon!

Did she just mentally list them all? Yes… that would be the full roster. Oh, wait—there was also that other old geezer in the group. Well, at least one less person to bare the sight on, on this theatrics.

She smiled her most charming smile. Of course the Emperor would eventually invite the ninjas, but why did it have to be the almost the same day her plan was supposed would go into action?

With this turn of events, everything could collapse like a house of cards.

“We are honoured by your presence,” the Emperor said, after exchanging respectful bows with them. “The great protectors of our realm. It saddens me that we meet under such unfortunate circumstances.”

“The honour is all ours,” the Green Ninja replied, bowing again. “We are grateful for your invitation and your kind words.”

Harumi looked more closely at the boy standing and representing the group. He was… quite a bit smaller than she would expected. A little too fragile, but not timid. Which was surprising, given how the rest of them seemed overwhelmed by the situation.

Not that it mattered to her. Or rather, it might have mattered, but she didn’t care. She would achieve what she wanted, no matter who she stood against.

The blond boy standing before her also glanced at her, a flicker of curiosity hidden behind his eyes. Another surprise, and one she hadn’t anticipated. She knew her own beauty, and she wasn’t the type to be humble about it. A few well-placed words would surely do the trick. After all boys are the boys. Always the same.

She shifted her gaze to the others presented before her.

Boring. Boring. Bo—

Hold on. Why was that girl staring at Kai like that?

She wasn’t just glancing politely. She was practically devouring him with her eyes, mouth agape like a fish.

What was her deal?

“Recent events” the Emperor began, his voice strong and unwavering. “Have shown us just how difficult it is to maintain peace, and how fragile our order truly is. With only a handful of twisted, yet determined, fanatics, everything can collapse.” He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle before continuing. “The situation is dire, and I cannot turn a blind eye to the dangers that threaten us, including my own family. That is why I believe, my dear ninjas, that you are the ones best suited to guard the mask.” He spread his arms wide in welcome. “There are no better men to protect it from falling into the wrong hands than those who have stopped every disaster that has threatened Ninjago.”

Stopped every disasters, her ass.

A small portion of irritation came by. False prophecies and delusions, that the only ones, these elemental brats, appointed by the oh-so-goodie First Spinjitzu Master, were the only ones who could save the world.

That was it for her—

“I have read much about you” Harumi began, stepping closer to them. “Your heroics will surely become legends.” She paused, letting the flattery settle before turning her eyes on Cole. “Cole, the rock—the foundation of the team.” She gave him a small, mocking smile.

“Jay, the joker whose mouth is as quick as lightning,” she continued, bowing to him with exaggerated grace. Jay, startled, looked like he’d just been struck by a bolt himself.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Emperor and Empress stiffen at her words, but she only smiled wider.

Suck. My. Balls.

She felt her brother’s menacing glare, practically spelling out ‘What the hell are you doing?’ on his face. Priceless. She wondered just how far she could push him out of balance at an official meeting.

She wanted badly, so badly, to bamboozle all farce, but sadly she couldn't allow herself. Much more was on stake, than her intrusive thoughts.

She continued, her voice smooth and practiced, her tone that of the perfect courtier.

“Zane, the cold and calculating one—a droid.”
“Nindroid, Your Highness” he corrected with a bow, dropping his holographic disguise to reveal his metallic silver skin.

Finally, her eyes fell on Nya. She tilted her head slightly, voice dripping with faux sweetness.
“And Nya—the girl.”

Harumi paused dramatically. Finally, the cyan ninja unglued her eyes from Kai and turned to face her, brows furrowed. Harumi smirked to herself, opening her mouth to continue—

But before she could speak—

“The girl—the fierce and brave warrior who, with her command of water, can rival any master.”

Kai’s voice cut in, his tone warm but laced with steel. He stepped forward, brushing Harumi’s shoulder, a clear sign: shut the fuck up.

Harumi looked at him with only twitch of her eyebrow, giving him a reply that she didn't need his assistance.

Nya, however, shifted right back to staring at Kai, her eyes following his every move like a lovesick puppy. A heat of anger rise in Harumi’s chest.

What the hell?

Harumi forced a smile.

“As my brother said.”

Oh, right—there was still one more left. She scanned the group.

“Lloyd—the Green Ninja,” she continued, feeling the improvisation hit her at full speed. “The youngest but most powerful protector. The Chosen One.”

But Lloyd’s face fell, his expression suddenly heavy with some unspoken grief.

Fuck.

Time to wrap this charade up before it unravelled any further.

“Please” she continued, her voice regaining its polished calm. “Make yourselves at home during your visit. A grand feast awaits you—”

“As the prince and princess have already said, you are most welcome here” the Emperor cut in, his voice steady but strained. “These are troubling times, and as long as the Oni Mask remains in our possession, we fear our lives—and the lives of all our people—are in grave danger. The mask must never be reunited.” He paused to let his words settle, then continued. “Hutchins will show you the artefact you are to protect. Should you have any further questions, direct them to him.”

With that, Hutchins stepped forward, placing himself between the ninjas and the Emperor and Empress as they quietly exited through the double doors at the back of the chamber.

Kai started to follow them, until he noticed Harumi.

Instead of retreating with the so-called “family”, she moved deliberately forward, stepping down from the throne platform with a purpose in her eyes.

Harumi didn’t need to look back to know Kai was following her like an obedient dog—or better yet, a loyal guard dog, ever watchful and close at her heels.

“I will escort you in person” Harumi said with a gentle smile to the ninjas, stepping confidently to lead the way. Hutchins gave a respectful bow, seemingly unsurprised by her initiative. Kai, however, was a different story.

He looked at her with blank expression, just enough to expose everything, what he thought about it. But he played along.

“I’ll accompany you too” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her aside, away from the group, to speak in a low whisper. “What the hell are you doing?” He hissed to her, leaning close enough, not to be seen as whisper, but still keep it private.

“Having fun with ninjas, I guess,” she replied with a sly grin.

“Whatever fun means to you, it’s definitely not for me” he scoffed. “Just... please, please behave.”

“How bad could I possibly be, dear?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

…

And yet, she had to fight with herself, to not snap out.

Any moment now, any second, and she would gouge that bitch’s eyes out herself.

That girl couldn’t keep her eyes off her brother, like she would swoop in, batting her eyelashes and scheming her way into his bed, if Harumi let him out of his sight.

Harumi pressed her lips together, barely holding back the curses she wanted to spit.

“And finally” Hutchins said, dragging her back to reality. “The reason for your protection: the Mask of Deception.”

They arrived at the destination. Library. And there it was—sitting on a pedestal like some fucking prize: an orange Oni mask, all twisted features and sinister grin, exactly the kind of thing that would give kids nightmares. Perfect craftsmanship, but a little too on-the-nose.
And that name?
It was too damn perfect.
Because what was coming next for these idiots was nothing but pure deception—and she’d make sure of it.

“Ugh, it looks horrible” the fat-ass said, leaning closer to the glass case.
“If this is the Mask of Deception, what was stolen from Borg Industries?” Jay asked, leaning over Nya’s shoulder.

Harumi’s frown deepened. From what she had heard, Blue and Cyan were supposedly head-over-heels for each other, the press drooling over them like they were some powerful couple. More like a Dominant and Submissive straight out of a trashy BDSM flick.

But if that was the case, why the fuck was she staring at Kai like he was the last meal on earth?

Harumi’s grip on Kai’s arm tightened, hard enough to leave a mark.

As if on cue, Nya’s eyes narrowed at her.

Harumi didn’t hesitate. She shot her a glare back, pure venom in her gaze.

“The Mask of Vengeance.” Hutchins replied.
“And who has the third one?” Cole asked.

Nya was taken aback by Harumi’s expression. She leaned over to Lloyd, whispering something in his ear.

“No one has the location of the Mask of Hatred” Zane cut in. “But my sensors tell me that it won’t be lost for long.”

Did they really have to spell out every damn thing? Did they even know anything at all? Harumi could spend all day bragging about the ninjas’ incompetence, but this, this was beyond her expectations. These guys were worse than she had imagined.

“No one has found the third mask—” Hutchins started, but someone cut him off.

“If you’ll excuse us” came a voice right next to Harumi’s ear. It was Kai’s. “We’re grateful for your help. Unfortunately, it’s time for us to go.”

He pulled her sharply, forcing her to follow him as they stepped quickly out of the room. Not even after a one turn, he yanked her, now looking clearly frustrated at her.

“What was that?” he asked her with demanding voice.

“What was what?” she shot back with fake sweetness.

His eyes darkened with irritation.

“You know what.”

Harumi sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes.
“I haven’t done anything yet. But that bitch is begging for it.”

Kai threw his head back, exhaling in exasperation.
“Oh, First Spinjitzu Master—Rumi!” he hissed, struggling to keep his voice down. “She’s not a servant who you can harass! She’s a guest, not mentioning a ninja, and you you’re supposed to act according to your status—”

“Don’t lecture me” she scoffed. “Lecture her! She’s been staring at you like a lovesick puppy since she set eyes on you.”

“So be it!” He massaged his temples, fighting to stay calm. “Listen—maybe you forgot, but we’re the prince and princess. People are watching us every second, it’s our goddamn job!”

“Oh, so that’s it? You’re planning to have a little fun with her?” she spat.

“What? Harumi—fuck’s sake, no! You’re completely missing the point.”

“Hm. I wonder how a ninja would taste—”

“Harumi, stop!” he snapped, his voice cracking with frustration. He closed his eyes and let out a ragged breath. “You know what? Fuck it—I can’t do this. And by the way, the Green Ninja was staring at you too.”

“Oh? So the girl can stare at you all she wants, but the boy can’t even glance at me? That’s what this is about?”

“You know what? Have fun with your delusions. I’m done. I am so fucking done with your bullshit. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had this same conversation.”

He turned his back to her and walked away, leaving the frustration hanging in the air. Harumi watched him fade into the half-light of the palace lamps.

Whatever.

Soon, everything would be over.

…

She was heading to her room, eager to rip off the suffocating clothes, scrub off the makeup, and just flop on her bed. She had in mind to contact, to pass on some new information, but that could wait. First thing first – flopping on the bed.

She rounded a corner—and nearly collided with someone.

'Watch it' was on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it back when she saw who it was.

“Green Ninja?”

She blinked, slipping on her princess mask like a second skin.

“Your Highness—” he gasped, clearly startled. “I’m sorry—”

What the hell was he doing here? Shouldn’t he be off with the others?

“Don’t be” she said, forcing a smile and stepping to the left to pass him. But Lloyd mirrored her movement, blocking her path. Then he tried to sidestep in the opposite direction—awkwardly, nervously laughing—just as she tried to do the same.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the awkward dance, cursing inside that this little brat had to be the one standing in her way.

“My fault,” she said sweetly.

Lloyd laughed too, finally stepping fully aside.

“No, no, it’s mine” he said, then glanced around, ashamed. “I—I think I’m lost.”

Hold her back, before she murdered him right then and there. Instead, she replied softly:

“Turn right, then go straight. You’ll find the chambers that were prepared for you and your friends.”

“Thanks” he said, smiling at her. “It’s easy to get lost here.”

“You don’t have to tell me” she replied with a sigh. “It took me years to get the hang of this place—and Kai still manages to get lost sometimes.”

That was true enough. She knew every in and out, every secret passage. She had memorized them, especially for the plan she was about to set in motion.

“I’m sorry, years?” he asked, a confused expression crossing his face.

“Oh. No— Me and my brother, we were adopted by Emperor and Empress. My biological parents had passed away.”

Guilt flickered across Lloyd’s face.

“I—I’m sorry to hear that” he said. “I know what that feels like. I lost my father too.”

Oh, yes. Bonding over shared trauma. How touching.

Harumi wanted to shot herself.

But, at least it was working.

An awkward silence settled between them, both of them forcing bittersweet smiles.

“You should get back to your friends” she said at last.

“Oh, right. Yes— yes of course.”

“See you around, Lloyd.”

He bowed politely.

“Goodbye, Princess.”

She took a step, then turned back.

“Oh, and please—call me Rumi.” She smiled, practiced and perfect.

Lloyd’s grin widened.

For the beloved Overlord.

Why was it always so easy?

…

She laid on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, her body sprawled lifelessly across the entire bedframe.

Three hours left.

Time to make the call.

She sat up and rolled off the bed, heading to the corner where she had hidden the curved floorboard. She pried it up and grabbed the phone she had stashed beneath it. She scrolled quickly through the contacts until she found the right number and hit call.

“It’s me” she said, not bothering to wait for the other person to greet her. “The ninjas are already here. Proceed as planned.”

“Perfect” the voice on the other end replied with excitement.

Harumi was about to hang up, but then a thought struck her. She couldn’t resist. She smiled to herself.

“Oh—and the prince? Lock him in the most humid, claustrophobic place you can find. He’ll be as docile as a lamb.”

The woman on the other end laughed darkly. Then she hung up.

Now that, that was settled—

A muffled thump came from behind her door. She spun around, listening carefully.

Then she yanked the door open.

There stood one of the servants a brown-haired boy Kai was oh-so-fond of. He was pale as a ghost, frozen in place.

She was fast. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into the room, slamming and locking the door behind them.

“I didn’t hear anything!” he squealed, panic in his eyes.

Harumi just kicked him hard in the stomach, before he could stand up, cutting off his pathetic protest.

The boy groaned in pain, curling his knees up to his chest, trying to shield himself from any further blows.

“Didn’t hear anything, huh?” she hissed. “And yet you know I was speaking—curious, isn’t it?”

She reached to the vanity table and snatched up a hairpin with a sharp end.

The boy tried to crawl away, but Harumi was faster. She pressed the sharp point against his throat, making him freeze in terror.

“Irv. Yes… Irv! That was your name!” She grinned, her voice dripping with amusement as she remembered.

The boy wheezed in fear, trembling so hard his teeth chattered. She slammed him against the wall, pinning him in place.

If he had wanted to, he could have easily pushed her off and run—but Harumi knew better. The fear had him by the throat, paralyzing him.

“I always fucking despised you” she snarled.

She swung with the hairpin piercing his throat with all her might. The servant’s eyes went wide, and he let out a sickening gurgle as blood flooded his windpipe and bubbled out of his mouth.

She watched, unblinking, as his body slid down the wall, collapsing in a heap. She squatted in the blood puddle forming underneath the body, tilting the head.

She thought killing him would be more satisfying.

But it would have to be enough. For now.

Chapter Text

Nya had been half-listening to the Emperor’s speech, but by the time Hutchins was talking, she wasn’t listening at all. Her head was spinning with questions. One in particular filled at her mind.

Why.

Why Kai was here? Here as a prince?

While she was staring at Kai's back, the questions rinsed in her head.

It didn’t make sense. Not even in a timeline-messing, dimension-hopping kind of way. He looked the same, spoke the same. There was nothing to prove he could be the son of a royal couple.

A doppelganger? A clone?

No, those thoughts drifted too far.

But Kai… he didn’t know her. He’d treated her like the others: polite but distant. Like strangers. Heroes of the realm, sure, but not friends. Not family. And it went in both ways. Her friends didn't know him either. And that realization rattled her.

She felt her stomach twist.

“Nya.” Lloyd’s whisper broke her daze. “You look pale.”

She blinked, realizing Lloyd had been watching her.

“I—” she stammered, swallowing hard. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve been staring at the prince” he said with worried. “Better I noticed than Jay.”

Nya’s chest tightened. Jay was the last thing on her worry list.

“…Are you sensing any elemental powers from him too?” he asked, voice low.

“Wait… What?” Nya stopped walking, turning to face him with a puzzled expression.

“I thought that’s why you kept staring at him” he said, brows furrowed.

"Of course you do, he's—" she almost spouted out. Breathe. She forced herself to slow down. She needed to say it know. She wouldn't find any better opportunity, not to fool herself. “Lloyd.” She said, voice trembling, “please, just—don’t think I’m crazy, okay? Whatever I’m about to say—”

The blond boy frowned, but nodded silently.

“I—I think I’m from the past.” The words tumbled out in a single breath. “Or—or from a different timeline—I don’t know—whatever it is—this—” she gestured around them, the palace hallways stretching on like some unfamiliar maze “—this isn’t what it’s supposed to be. Not to me.”

Lloyd crossed his arms, his mouth half open to respond—

“Before you argue—” she cut him off, her eyes burning. She pointed a trembling finger at the group of ninjas up ahead, already far from them. “Kai. He’s my brother. He’s an elemental master—or he was back then. He’s a ninja, not a damn prince!” Her voice cracked with anger. “He’s far from that! I don’t know what the hell is going on—I was fighting Krux and Acronix, and now—” she threw her arms wide “—now I’m in this Palace of Secrets, for the First Spinjitzu Master’s sake—and—”

She stopped. Lloyd’s hand landed on her shoulder, grounding her like an anchor.

“Slow down, Nya. Just—slow down.” Lloyd patted her shoulder gently, giving her a small, reassuring smile. He glanced back at the crowd that had moved on without them. “Okay—let’s—” He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “First things first: we should continue this talk, but not right now—”

Nya opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

“I believe you” he hurried up saying. “Or—at least I don’t think you’re crazy” he chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension. “And I’m not trying to brush you off. Just—”

“Yeah. More pressing matters” she finished for him. She knew him too well. He would always be the one to stay focused on the mission, no matter what else was going on. 

“Exactly.” He agreed, giving her a grateful look. “I promise we’ll come back to this.”

Nya nodded, feeling the weight in her chest ease, even just a little. She clenched her fist, determination steeling her voice.

“Let’s go.” She said, as she and Lloyd hurried to catch up with the rest of the group.

...

So the Oni Masks were their main worry now? Great. It even had a face only a mother could love. Nya stared at the twisted expression of the mask, barely listening as the “royal escort” droned on. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

And that princess… something was off with her. Nya had whispered her suspicions to Lloyd, but he had brushed it off, insisting he hadn’t noticed anything suspicious. He was more concerned about Hutchins. Typical Lloyd.

But Nya trusted her gut more than anything.

Maybe, perhaps, she was biased. After all, she was looking at the girl who had replaced her as “little sister.” But that hostility she had felt from the princess? That was real. She was sure of it.

It was the time for little sniffing around.

She turned to leave, but Jay, ever the watchdog, caught her.

“Nya? Are you alright?”

How many times would she hear that question today?

"Yes. I am." She tried to not to sound too mean, but oh well. It slipped anyway.

Jay frowned, worried again about her.

"Are you sure?"

“Yes.” She hissed, irritation boiling over now.

“No. You’re not.” He crossed his arms, stepping closer, his voice firm. “Ever since you got hit, you’ve been acting weird. And don’t try to deny it. I’ve never seen you so lost in thoughts.”

She exhaled heavily, feeling cornered. What the hell was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain later, okay? This is not a good time.”

Yeah. Let future Nya deal with it.

“Okay…” He didn’t look convinced, but at least he didn’t push any further. Nya turned to leave.

But Jay opened his mouth again.

“Is this about your brother?”

Nya’s head snapped toward him, eyes wide.

“I knew it.” Jay mumbled, looking at the ground, then his voice rose in frustration. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Hold on. What about my brother?”

"You tell me." He paused, and then barley in whisper, almost inaudible "Nya, you need to move on. It was years ago."

Nya’s heart stopped. No. No. It couldn’t mean what she thought it meant.

“What… what do you mean?” she asked, her voice flat.

Jay scoffed, turning his head away. She grabbed his arm, yanking him back around.

“What. Do. You. Mean.” She demanded, her voice climbing in pitch, panic lacing every word.

Jay sighed.

“What I’ve been saying for years. You need to move on. Holding on to his death… It’s eating you alive.” His voice cracked at the end.

Nya’s blood ran cold.

No. No, no, no. That couldn’t be true.

She stormed off without another word.

“Nya!”

She heard behind Jay's desperate yelling, but it was to late. She was already gone.

Her chest was tightened with fear of what Jay had said, each word like a knife.

That couldn't be true. She refused it. She made out from the battle alive, she was with Kai all the time. So he had to be here too.

And He was here. That was her brother. Not some damn prince.

Damn prince. Damn princess. Damn palace. Damn masks!

What the hell happened here?

She charged down the corridor, heart pounding. She needed answers. But she stopped as soon she saw the familiar face on the other side of corridor.

Lloyd stood at the end of it, watching her with bitter smile.

"Perfect timing. Let's continue conversation" Lloyd told her.

...

They leaned against the wall, faces stiff and strained after Nya had finished saying everything she knew. Lloyd scratched his jaw thoughtfully, processing every word.

He had suggested they work backward from the end, retracing Nya’s memories piece by piece. She had spent nearly an hour explaining her timeline, while Lloyd questioned every detail, cross-examining any difference that could be significant. He had even ventured beyond Nya’s personal life: asking about the world, history, even beliefs—searching for cracks.

Nya silently thanked the First Spinjitzu Master that Lloyd hadn’t ignored her. It felt like a relief to finally voice her confusion, to share just how disoriented she was.

Finally, Lloyd clicked his tongue and straightened up.

“Okay.” He said. “Some of this lines up with what’s happened here, but your theory about being from the future? We can probably toss that. The worlds are too similar—at least where they don’t involve you specifically. I don’t know anything about ‘Time Brothers’ or Elemental Master of Time, but everything else you’ve said happened here.” He paused, frowning. “The only real difference I can see is that ‘Time Brothers’ never existed here, and—” He cut himself off.

“And what?” Nya pressed, a note of dread in her voice.

Lloyd hesitated.

“I… don’t know all the details. It was always a delicate topic for you.”

“Yeah.” She said hoarsely. “I know that already. Supposedly… Kai is dead here.”

The words hung heavy in the silence that followed.

They sounded so foreign, so absurd that she couldn’t even process what they meant.

That was why it didn’t hurt—because she didn’t believe it.

Lloyd only nodded slowly, his face solemn.

“…Should I go on?” he asked, hesitant.

“Don’t dance around it.” She said firmly. “Just tell me straight. What happened to him?”

Lloyd’s lips thinned.

“You never told me the whole story.” He admitted. “But when you were kids, you and Kai went into the woods one day, and… only you came back.” He shook his head, looking pained. “I’m sorry—”

Nya’s face was stone.

“It’s alright. Please—go on.”

Lloyd nodded, gathering his thoughts.

“Seeing how calm you are now… it makes me think you’re not my Nya I knew.”

'My Nya'.

What that meant?

Did coming here erase his Nya? Did it erase her too?

Her chest tightened at the thought. But there was no time to dwell on that. She needed to focus, on herself, and on Kai.

Lloyd continued, more gently now.

“I only heard stories from uncle and your parents—”

“Hold on. My parents?”

“Yeah… they still visit you all the time.” Lloyd said. Then he paused, blinking. “Right—In your world, your parents were captured by—”

“Krux and Acronix.”

“Yeah.”

So the price of saving her parents here had been losing her brother?

A dark thought flickered. How she might have preferred it the other way around. She quickly throw away those thoughts.

"Anyway, focusing on now, now." Lloyd rushed on, eager to avoid fall of another silence “It is possible he’s your brother. Of course, if we ignore the name, Kai and Kaisei aren’t the quite the same name. I mean, I don’t know if he’s the same Kai from your timeline or the Kai from this one, but—”

“What do you mean?” she demanded, cutting him off.

Lloyd took a steadying breath.

“The Prince and Princess here… they’re adopted.” He explained. “They’re not related by blood to the Emperor and Empress. And given that I can sense elemental master energy from him…”

“He could be him!” She gasped, eyes wide. “That would make sense! Maybe he got lost and they—”

“Nya, slow down.” Lloyd raised his hands gently. “We don’t know that for sure. I mean it is possibility. But..." He looked averting eyes "I mean, your parents think he's dead— you are thinking that he's dead."

“You said he was lost in the woods.” She said sharp, staring grim at Lloyd.

“I said… that’s what I pieced together from the stories you—well, the other you—told me.” Lloyd said, staring at the floor. “I don’t know for sure, Nya. Maybe you should ask my uncle. Or—” He hesitated, searching for words. “Or your parents.” He sighed, shoulders shrugging. “This whole time paradox, or alternate world—maybe it’s best if you just… go back to the Destiny’s Bounty?”

Nya could see the uncertainty creeping in. He tried to stay calm, but she knew that it was hard to him too. Masks, mission, now her sister throwing at him— ... Whatever this was?

Lloyd was trying to stay strong for her, but even here—he was still just a kid, and this was beyond either of them.

“No.” She cut him off, her voice sharp as a blade. “Kai is here. So I’m here too.”

Lloyd looked at her, doubt clouding his green eyes.

“Are you sure?” he asked, almost pleading. “I mean, this isn’t your world. Maybe that’s not your Kai. Maybe… maybe this is different.” He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “So many questions. So few answers. I just—” He paused, collecting himself. “Look, what I’d suggest is contacting the Destiny’s Bounty. Maybe they can help you figure this out.”

Nya let out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging.

Another hours of explanation incoming.

“Yeah.” She said at last, voice low. “It’s an idea.”

It wasn’t the best plan—but it wasn’t the worst. And right now, she would take whatever help she could get.

…

Time flied differently in this place.

Since the palaces’ half-enlighten corridors without windows didn’t let the sun rays in, she didn't quite know what time was. Her tired body, though, gave her a clue that it was probably late.

She moved quietly, navigating the labyrinth of corridors, heading for her assigned chamber where she hoped to catch Zane. As Lloyd had suggested, she should reach out to the Destiny’s Bounty.

A strange, heavy feeling tugged at her chest.

She wondered, what would her parents be like here? What would it have been like to grow up with them?

She shook the thought away, only to freeze at the sound of raised voices.

“You were supposed to watch her!” a man’s voice boomed around the corner.

“I was—but we’re talking about Rumi, she’s unpredictable!”

That was Kai’s voice.

Nya pressed herself against the wall, heart pounding, straining to hear.

“What would you do if she lost control, hmm? Your mother entrusted her care to you, yet you let her slip through your grasp!”

“I—I did!” Kai stammered, panic threading his voice. But before he could finish, the other man cut him off.

“Enough excuses!” the man thundered. “You’re her older brother. It’s your duty to take care her! You should be ashamed of yourself! Or did Kizuna’s death not teach you enough?”

The silence fell.

“No, Your Majesty.” Kai hissed, voice tight with tension.

“Dear! That’s enough!” The Empress’s voice suddenly cut through the air, gentle yet commanding. “That’s enough for the boy!”

Nya perfectly new this Kai’s tone. Kai gave up in the fight. But she didn't have to know this, since it followed with Kai storming off from the room. Nya instantly, ducked behind a column and watched.

Kai was shaken. Each his step was infused with fury. He circled the empty hallway like a caged animal, his fists clenching tighter and tighter until he slammed one against the wall.

The impact was sharp. A flash of heat pulsed through the air, like a spark that threatened to ignite everything around him.

It was Kai.

Everything about him.

The posture, the anger, even the fire that nearly touched the air—it was all Kai.

She swallowed hard. Kai turned back to the wall, muttering something under his breath. She couldn’t make out the words from this distance, but the pain in his voice was unmistakable.

She stepped out from the corner.

Her heart raced. What was she supposed to say? Comfort him? When he thought of her as a stranger? Ask him if he was okay? When he so obviously wasn’t?

“Kai.” She called out, the word trembling on her lips.

The words fell from her lips before she even realized what they could bring.

He turned to her, surprised. She could hardly read his expression from that distance.

“Oh.” He said blankly, his tone flat but tinged with a reluctant recognition. “The Water Elemental Master.” He started to walk toward her, then stopped halfway, his brows furrowing. “What are you doing here? Your chambers are in the south wing, near the mask.”

Then his eyes narrowed even further.

“Were you following me?” His tone shifted sharper, more accusing. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

Nya’s chest tightened, the pain of his cold unfamiliarity piercing deeper than any weapon. He was treating her like a stranger and it hurt in a way she hadn’t expected. Even more when they were alone.

“As far as I know,” Kai continued, his voice low and dangerous, “it’s not in your job description to eavesdrop on private conversations between members of the royal family.” He stepped closer, the anger practically radiating off him. “Or to stalk them.”

“I wasn’t doing either of those things!” She said quickly, shaking her head. But it hurt—hurt more than she could bear, seeing him stand there, looking at her like that.

He scoffed, crossing his arms in a posture she recognized all too well.

“I’m not blind or stupid. This is the last warning. If I catch you sniffing around—”

“Kai, please.” Her voice cracked, breaking at the moment she needed to be strongest. “Please, tell me you remember me.”

First her voice, then her eyes betrayed her. Her eyes got teary, not crying yet, but enough for others to notice. Kai expression shifted from anger to confused. He loosen his arms, staring, blinking with half open jaw.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked, his voice uncertain for the first time.

“I—” she started, but the words faltered in her throat. “It’ll sound crazy, but—”

“Kssh—guys—w—”

The comm in her ear crackled with static, making it hard to hear.

She frowned. Was that Cole?

Pressing her earlobe harder, she tried to filter out the noise. Kai started to say something, but she quickly shushed him, holding up a hand.

“I saw kssh—Hutchins—”

“Cole? We can’t hear you! We’ve got a bad signal!” Lloyd’s voice cut through, clear in the comm.

“We need to get kssh—! The whole palace kssh—to explode! It kssh— Hutchins!”

Nya’s blood ran cold. Without thinking, she grabbed Kai’s arm, pulling him toward her.

“Wha—?” Kai stumbled, eyes wide, trying to pull away.

“We have to evacuate! NOW!” she shouted, already breaking into a run. “Where’s the closest exit?!”

He stammered, clearly rattled.

“I—I think in the throne room—” Then, as panic took hold, his voice cracked. “What about Harumi? The Emperor—the Empress—they’re in—”

She didn’t even glance back.

“Others will take care of them! Worry about yourself, Kai—NOW!”

Suddenly, she was thrown into the air by the blast—

She hit the ground hard, pain radiating through her bones. The explosion’s roar echoed in her head, and she felt a heat crawling up her back.

A first-degree burn, guaranteed.

She turned her head and saw Kai. He sat frozen, eyes wide, his face bathed in the orange glow of the fire with half opened jaw in shock.

Nya reached for his hand and pulled herself up with a hiss of pain.

“We need to move!” She barked, hauling him to his feet.

“They—they were there—” he stammered, voice trembling. “The Emperor. The Empress—” His finger shook as he pointed toward the flames.

Nya pressed her lips together tightly. Then, with sudden force, she yanked Kai toward her.

Kai stumbled after her, his eyes still fixed on the blazing corridor. Nya didn’t let him hesitate—she tugged him along, dodging chunks of falling debris and the sharp scent of burning metal.

“Focus, Kai!” she snapped, even though she herself was barely holding it together. “We have to get out. We can’t help them now.”

His breath hitched as he turned to her, guilt painting his face.

“But they, they—”

“I know!” she said, voice taut, tears threatening but unspilled. “I know. But if we stay here, we’re dead too.”

A fresh explosion rocked the palace, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked them off their feet. A wave of heat slammed into them, smothering the air. Nya shielded her eyes and pulled Kai behind a fallen pillar.

“We need to move!” she yelled. She pointed to a cracked archway ahead, leading into a darkened hallway. “That way—let’s go!”

Kai nodded numbly, and together they stumbled toward the hallway, the fire at their backs. The roar of the inferno echoed like a beast closing in.

As they reached the archway, Kai stumbled, coughing on the acrid smoke. Nya steadied him with one arm while her other hand brushed the comm at her ear.

“Cole, Lloyd, anyone—do you copy?” Static, then a crackle.

“—Nya—kssh—we’re— the library —kssh—attack—”

Nya gritted her teeth. The library was on the far side of the palace.

“Copy!” she breathed. She turned to Kai, whose eyes were wide with fear but finally focused.

“Stay with me, okay?” she said, gripping his shoulder. “We’re getting out of here—together.”

Kai nodded, his jaw tight, and they pushed onward through the smoke-filled hallway.

Nya’s eyes darted around, taking in the chaos. The situation was dire. She didn’t know this place at all. She heard incoming voices all over the place. Clenching metal, screams, the sound of battle—

Voices echoed close by, too close for comfort. The acrid smoke made her lungs burn with every breath.

She glanced at Kai.

“Listen to me,” she said, her voice firm despite the tremble in her heart. “You have to focus right now, okay?”

It felt strange—almost surreal—to be the one guiding him. Kai, her older brother.

“Where’s the nearest exit? You said the throne room, right?”

He gave a quick nod. First Spinjitzu Master, he was trembling—

This Kai, he wasn’t used to this. Fighting for his life, relying on pure adrenaline.

“Where is it?” she pressed, gripping his arm. “Kai, please! You need to pull yourself together!”

He shook his head, his eyes unfocused.

“Who—who are you?” he stammered, voice breaking.

A knife twisted in her chest. Doubt was all she saw in his eyes. He was second-guessing everything, and her heart ached.

“I’ll explain!” she pleaded. “I promise, I’ll tell you everything. But right now—right now, I’m your family, Kai. The closest you have.” She squeezed his hand, desperate. “Please, you can trust me. You really can.”

Kai was looking into her eyes unconvinced. Perhaps he was trying to understand what Nya had said. Or perhaps he was searching in her any trace of lie or truth.

Whatever it maybe was, it gave him response to his doubts.

He swallowed hard.

“I…I’ll lead the way,” he whispered.

And with that, he pulled away from her grasp and led them forward.

Nya followed closely behind him, her heart thudding in her chest. She trusted him. Even if he didn’t quite trust her yet. She had to believe that, on some level, he felt the bond they shared.

The hallway was a maze of smoke and flickering lights. Debris littered the marble floors, forcing them to climb over fallen beams and duck under broken support columns. Sparks rained from the ceiling like angry fireflies.

“Stay low” she whispered, pressing a hand to his back to guide him. “Watch for falling beams.”

Kai nodded, determination sharpening in his eyes now. The old Kai she knew flickered through—a flash of the warrior she remembered.

They reached a fork in the hallway, one path leading toward a collapsed wing, the other plunging into darkness. Kai paused, breathing heavily, then pointed to the left.

“This way. The throne room is at the end of the royal wing—”

Kai swung open the last door. Nya recognized the place instantly—familiar and yet haunting from this angle. But before she could breathe a sigh of relief—

An enormous, grey hand lunged from the shadows and closed around Kai’s neck.

Nya’s instincts exploded. Like a force possessed, she grabbed the spear from her back and lunged—

It.

That was the only way she could describe it.

A hulking, grey mass, only in shape resembling humanoid — more like a twisted flesh and muscle, twice the size of any man — loomed in the doorway. Its thick, meaty hand clamped around Kai’s neck, lifting him like a rag doll. Kai kicked and twisted, gasping, coughing, desperately trying to get air.

There was sickening smell hanging in the room. A stench she couldn’t quite place, mixed together with the acrid smoke and the sharp tang of burnt metal.

Nya roared, driving the spear deep into the creature’s stomach, so deep she felt the handle thud against its unnatural skin.

It glanced down at her. Something that resembled human male face. Cracked in wicked smile. The creature didn't even flinch.

With its other hand, it reached for her waist, its fingers digging like iron bars. She felt her ribs bend under the pressure before it hurled her into the wall.

Nya cried out as her back slammed against the scorched stone. Her burns screamed in agony, but she forced herself to focus. Her vision blurred, then steadied. She had to keep fighting.

He was colossal—towering in both height and sheer bulk. Her spear jutted from his gut, curving slightly as it pierced through a faded “L” tattoo inked on his belly. A loose vest hung limply over one shoulder, barely concealing his grotesque form. He was a monstrous parody of a biker, with tattoos, skulls decorations, and sleeveless jacket.

She was surrounded. A dozen more had encircled her, their faces twisted into smiles beneath smudged skull makeup. Each wore a chaotic patchwork of punk biker clothes with weapon in their hands. Knives, metal rods, pipes, even a katana. Thankfully, she didn’t spot any range weapons or firearms.

The massive brute let out a low laugh, yanking her spear free with a single hand. The other hand still gripped Kai’s neck, mercilessly choking him.

“Is this the Princeling… or the Green Ninja?” he rasped, cocking his head unnaturally on a thick neck nearly swallowed by folds of flesh. His voice was low and mocking. Almost inhuman.

Nya lunged forward again, rage clouding her senses—

She didn’t even see the metal pipe swinging at her already burned back. She crumpled to the ground, gasping, before a crushing weight pinned her down. Several goons piled onto her, forcing her cheek to the cold floor as she struggled, thrashing fiercely.

But she was outnumbered.

With cheek smashed to the floor, crooked with head, she helplessly yelled in fury.

Her fury boiled over. She clenched her fists, gathering water from the air, and released it in a burst of high-pressure force, blasting the goons away and sending herself upright.

She immediately turned her eyes to the monstrous brute—

—but fire erupted suddenly, covering its face.

Kai’s fire.

Fire that came from Kai's palm

A groan of irritation rumbled from the creature’s throat as his grip on Kai loosened—just for a heartbeat, but enough for Kai to slip from his grasp.

“Kai!” Nya shouted, rushing to him. He was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath, eyes wide and panicked.

“Killow! Stop playing with him!— Knock him out already!” someone barked behind her.

Killow’s voice laughed low.

“The Quiet One didn’t want to hurt you. But it looks like the damage is done.”

Another thug lunged at Nya, knife glinting in the firelight. She dodged and struck him with a stream of water, sending him in air.

Killow’s burned face split into a grin, revealing missing teeth. Before Kai could crawled back away, Killow’s massive hands closed around his throat. Two meaty palms pressing under Kai’s chin, cutting off his air.

Nya let out a hoarse, furious roar, charging at Killow—

A body slammed into her from the side, knocking her off balance. She shoved it away and found Cole there, fists glowing, the ghostly scar on his forehead pulsing with light.

“Nya?!”

“Kai! They’ve got Kai!” She pointed at the monstrous brute.

Killow was already barrelling away, Kai limp over his shoulder.

“Prince?!” Cole yelled.

Nya didn’t hesitate. She spun into Spinjitzu, water swirling around her as she launched herself through the air toward Killow’s back—

And yet again she was blasted aside by a force that sent her sprawling—

Her Consciousness flickered, as her body hit the ground hard.

…

She woke moments later, being half-dragged by Cole, her body numb. Cool night air brushed her face, cleansing her from the feeling of sweat and pain.

It was dark. Possible middle of the night.

“Cole…?” she croaked, trying to stand on her own. “Did we—”

“…No.” He said, voice heavy. “We’re retreating.”

She looked back at the palace. Flames consumed it, the structure collapsing in real time. Nothing could be saved. And the banners, half ignited from the heat—

Where once had flown the Emperor’s sigil, now hung twisted symbols: the Sons of Garmadon’s mark. Orange, violet, and black colours flickered over the defaced crest, mocking everything that once was.

Suddenly, the darkness deepened, an unnatural shadow swallowing the night sky. Above, she heard the hum of engines. Looking up, she spotted the Destiny’s Bounty, its lights cutting through the smoke.

A ladder dropped down to them.

“Can you climb on your own?” Cole asked, grabbing the swaying rope.

“What—what about Kai?” Her eyes darted frantically. “We need to go after him. We need to—”

Cole shook his head.

“We don’t know where they were headed. We need to regroup, Nya. For now.”

He reached out her hand, but she slapping it away.

“Kai—they took him! You saw it! We can’t just—”

“Guys?!” Jay’s voice crackled from above. “You coming? We need to get out—ASAP!”

Cole looked at her with an exhausted expression, then reached for her again, gripping her arm and pulling her toward the ladder.

They climbed up together. On deck, Zane was talking to Pixal through a screen, Jay steering the wheel, and Lloyd speaking softly to princess, trying to calm her.

They all looked defeated.

Jay spotted them and rushed over. He pulled Nya into a tight hug. She winced in pain, her burned back screaming. She pushed him away, hissing.

“You’re hurt?” he asked, alarmed.

“No, I’m perfectly fine.” She snapped, then quickly softened. “It’s nothing.” She brushed past him, heading straight for Lloyd.

Jay grabbed her arm, but she yanked it free, her gaze locked on Lloyd.

“We need to go back!” She demanded, her voice steely. “They took Kai.”

Lloyd slowly turned to her, torn from his conversation with the princess. Harumi’s face froze at the mention of Kai’s name.

“Nya—They took the mask too. We’re trying to—”

“What about my brother?”

Nya’s head snapped toward Harumi, her brow furrowed. A cold knot twisted in her gut.

She hated it—hearing her call him “my brother.”

She ignored Harumi’s question and faced Lloyd again.

“We’re going back.” She said firmly. “A guy named Killow took him.”

“Nya—” Lloyd started, his tone calm but strained, “We can’t just charge back in. We need a plan. We don’t know where they’ve gone—”

“Then we find out.” She cut him off.

Lloyd clenched his jaw, inhaling slowly before speaking.

“Okay—” he said, his tone controlled, hands lowering as if to steady the storm. “Zane is working on it. Please—get your wounds treated, get some rest.”

“And do nothing?” she spat, her voice trembling with fury. “While Kai is being held by those fanatics?!”

“Nya, calm down—” Jay started from behind her, but his words only added fuel on the fire.

“Calm down?!” she exploded, rounding on him. “You’re all too calm!” Her eyes darted wildly, wet with tears she refused to let fall. “None of you care about him! You don’t care because you don’t remember him! You don’t know him!”

She was shaking now, her fists clenched, her breathing ragged. She didn’t care about anything else. She just wanted Kai back. She wanted her brother. She wanted everything to be normal again, her normal.

“Nya.”
“What?!” She snapped, whipping her head toward the voice.

On the higher deck, Sensei Wu stood with his staff in hand, his gaze steady, calm, yet heavy with meaning.

“Sensei—” she breathed, her voice catching.

“Lloyd told me about your condition.” He said, his voice low but firm. “Please, listen to your brothers. Come to my room. There’s much to talk. About the time that never was.”

Cole and Jay exchanged puzzled glances, then looked back at Sensei Wu. Lloyd gave them a silent nod, signalling he would explain later.

Nya turned and hurried to the stairs, drawn toward Wu like a moth to a flame.

“What—what about Emperor and Empress? Where are they? And Hutchins?” the princess cried out, her voice trembling with desperation.

“Dead.” Nya spat, gripping the stair rail like it was the only thing holding her together.

Lloyd shot her a sharp glare as the princess crumpled, sobbing into his arms.

…

They sat on the pillows, Wu quietly pouring a cup of tea for Nya. Neither spoke a word at first.

“Drink.” He said gently, setting the cup before her. “For your wounds.”

Then he rose and went to a nearby drawer, retrieving a wooden chest.

“I know you won’t tend to them before we talk, but please, don’t neglect the state of your body and mind. Both are important.”

He placed the chest on the table and opened it to reveal a small medical kit.

Nya stared at it blankly, uncertain how to react.

“Krux. Acronix—” she began.

“I know, Nya.” Wu interrupted softly. “Lloyd told me about it.” He rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. “Only a handful of people know about those Elemental Masters. And you, Nya—” he gave her a steady look, “you are one of them.”

“Then—”

“Returning to your own time is uncertain.” Wu said gently. “I cannot give you clear answer just yet.” He paused, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry, Nya. I will need to study it more. You must give me time.” He opened his eyes and looked at her with quiet gravity. “However” he continued, “this, unfortunately, must wait. Ninjago is facing more immediate threats. Ones that demand our full attention.”

Nya exhaled, her shoulders slumping as the anger built inside her. She understood—she really did—but…
She just wanted to go home. Her home, not this tangled, half-familiar world that felt like a shadow of her own.

Wu’s voice broke her thoughts.

“There’s another matter you need to be aware of. There is one “you” in time, at least in this case. Right now, your memories from your own timeline are overwriting those of this time. But the longer you remain here, the more those memories will start to merge. Both sets of memories will blur together, and eventually you won’t be able to tell which events belong to which timeline.”

Nya’s eyes widened, a cold shiver creeping up her spine.

“You mean I could forget… where I came from? My real home?”

Her voice cracked with disbelief.

Wu nodded solemnly.

“Yes. Memories are fragile, Nya, especially when they collide across different paths of time. If you stay here too long, the lines will blur. You may not even realize it’s happening.”

Her heart pounded. All she could see was Kai’s face, his real face, the one from her time, before all this chaos. She clutched her chest.

“Then we need to find a way to get me back. I can’t—”

Wu’s eyes softened, but his voice was calm and measured.

“It won’t happen overnight, this unravelling of memory takes years. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to help, to prevent it or at least delay it. But remember, Nya… Sometimes, even with all our skills, time has a will of its own.” He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “For now, we must focus on what lies ahead. Kai’s safety. Ninjago’s safety. And your own strength.”

Nya closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. She wanted to scream, to tear the confusion from her mind and find her way back home. But Wu’s steady presence gave her a little comfort.

“Alright.” She whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. “But promise me, Sensei. Promise me you won’t give up.”

Wu nodded.

“I promise.”

And in that moment, for the first time since she arrived, Nya felt a small spark of hope. Even in this strange world, there were still bonds that could not be broken.

“Now… Your brother…” Wu nodded thoughtfully “ You told Lloyd that Prince Kaisei is the missing Kai Jiang-Smith” he said quietly. “Can you explain that to me?”

…

Next morning they landed at the place that Nya didn’t quite recognize. Surrounded by open sea, hiding behind high rocks, a perfect spot to retreat.

Nya stepped out onto the deck, the salty breeze filling her lungs as her body finally felt lighter, healing. Wu’s tea, careful bandaging, and much-needed rest were working their magic. Her mind cleared, the fog of exhaustion lifting slightly.

Though she still refused to give up, she now faced her challenges with a steadier, more realistic resolve.

Lloyd and the princess were already on deck, locked in one of their tense conversation. Nya clicked her tongue at the sight. She owed the princess an apology for her harsh words yesterday.

“Morning.” Nya greeted, approaching them.

Lloyd gave a muted hum in response. The princess bowed slightly, her expression unreadable. Her poised, controlled demeanour betrayed no sign that Nya’s words had ever stung. It was strange, especially after the fierce glare the princess had shot at her in the palace.

“Any news?” Nya asked.

Lloyd shook his head.

“Nothing yet.”

Nya glanced at the princess.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Nya offered, immediately regretting her words coming from her mouth.

The princess nodded.

“Thank you. You’ve all been gracious to take me in since our palace was… taken.“ She started to hesitate, fidgeting her fingers.

Nya swallowed hard.

“I was an asshole” she blurted out “I shouldn’t have said so harshly. Saving Kai—that’s our priority. My priority.”

Harumi blinked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

“May I ask you why?”

“It’s complicated.” She said, retreating toward the control room, avoiding further princess questions.

As soon she walked in, she came up to the computer, seeing Pixal interface on the screen. Jay was there too, speaking with her on another screen. He glanced at her, with uneasy expression.

Nya frowned, shooting Jay a sharp look before turning her attention to the files before her.

“Nya.” Pixal’s robotic voice echoed through the room. “Zane and Cole have re-interviewed the burglar involved in the Mask of Vengeance heist. They are planning to go undercover at the bikers’ nightclub.”

Nya’s brow furrowed deeply.

“You… you had this information and only now you’re sharing it with me?”

“It was my decision,” Jay responded calmly.

“… Why?” a mix of frustration and hurt were bubbling beneath her question.

“Because you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment, Nya.” He said softly, his tone carrying a weight of concern and regret. He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “Please, can we just… talk? About everything that happened. Lloyd told me everything.”

“No.” She shot back instantly, turning away from him to fix her gaze on the screen.

Silence settled heavily between them.

“…We’re also planning to go with Lloyd to Mystake to talk about Masks” he pressed on “Sensei wants to speak with your parents about… the prince. Kaisei, Kai—” his words faltered, frustration creeping in. “Damn it, Nya, you could have told me! You could have told me that the prince was Kai or about time travel—”

She let out a bitter laugh, eyes narrowing.

“And what? To Hear that I need to move on? Or that I had hit too hard?”

Jay swallowed hard and gave up on pressing the topic further.

They stayed in the same room a while longer, both of them in silence, focused on their own tasks.

Nya barely noticed when Jay quietly slipped away from Destiny’s Bounty alongside Lloyd, leaving her alone with her spinning thoughts.

Chapter Text

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

He looked up at the blinding light, the only source in this pit of darkness.

His breath came in ragged gasps, each exhalation a shivering cloud of mist. The water had reached his shoulders, lapping cold and relentless. His fingernails were torn, the raw stubs oozing blood. His throat burned from the constant screaming, the bitter, sour taste of the contained water that he drunk, left a mix of blood, his vomits, and who knows what else—on his tongue. And exhaustion, an endless, restless exhaustion, clung to every fiber of his being.

How long.

How long?

His eyes were dry from crying. He stared upward, desperate for any face, any sign of help.

He had tried so hard to ignore what lay before him. His nose had long grown numb to the stench of rot. 

He closed eyes, trembling. The image was burned into his mind, growing more vivid and monstrous with each passing hour.

Let the rain come. Let the storm come. Let it all end.

He forced himself to look once more.

Wet, tangled black hair drifted on the water’s surface, a dark mass that brushed against Kai’s arms whenever he moved in this claustrophobic hell. The head, propped against the jagged rock, lay at an unnatural angle, too flat. The blood that had once stained the stone had long since been washed away. The arms laying like a rag doll, once slim with beautiful pearl skin, now bloated from too much water in it.

He was jealous.

Why couldn't he had fall and die quickly as she did?

...

Tap.

Kai jolted awake at the sound, his heart pounding in his chest. The dense humidity clung to his skin, washing his sweat with liquefied water.

Was it now? Was it his dream? Was it past?

It was dark. Wet.

He felt his shoes soaking in a shallow puddle.

He couldn't be back there.

He couldn't.

He scrambled to his feet, pressing a hand against the wall. Panic welled up, and his breathing turned ragged, shallow. His fingers clawed at the stone, nails scraping across the rough surface, seeking any crack. He faced then wall fully, pressing his forehead against the cold brick, desperate for some anchor in this nightmare. His fingers dug into the crevices, nails splitting and bleeding, not stopping, no matter of what cost.

He broke in cry, tears streaming down his cheeks. He sobbed, his body shaking with each breath.

...

He lay crumpled in the corner, away from any puddle of water, hiccupping with broken sobs.

How long.

"Harumi" he mumbled.

He needed her. He needed her comfort, her hug, her words.

Harumi. Harumi. Harumi

She was the one who could make everything go away.

She was the one who could help him forget.

She was the one who could save him.

Harumi. Harumi. Harumi.

She had saved him. She had saved him before. She had pulled him from that hell.

She could do it again. She could save him now.

Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi.

He whispered her name over and over, the word tumbling out between ragged breaths, a desperate mantra that offered no solace.

Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi.

He chanted it like a prayer, his voice trembling, tears falling unchecked.

Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. Harumi. 

...

He woke up again at the sound of water dripping.

Had he ever gotten out of there?

Was any of it even real?

Had he died back then, and now he was trapped in Cursed Realm, paying for his sins?

For not watching over his sisters?

For failing as their older brother?

...

He stared blankly at the stone wall, too afraid to look forward, to see that same burned image.

He wondered if he slammed his head against the wall enough times—would it be enough to kill him?

Could he then die like her?

...

Suddenly, light flooded in with a crack, the sound of a door creaking open.

He jerked his head violently, shielding his face from the sudden blindness.

“Hey! Careful!” A voice called out from the distance. “I can walk on my own! Geez!”

“Shut up!” another voice snapped.

Kai slowly uncovered his eyes, blinking in confusion. He saw a man roughly shoving another into the room, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

In the room fell darkness again, with the closing door.

Relief washed over Kai’s chest. There was a door. He was locked in a room. He hadn’t fallen.

Kai blinked, struggling to adjust his eyes to the dark. He could barely make out the outline of the other person.

Kai curled even tighter into the corner, unsure if he was hallucinating or dreaming.

The person dusted themselves off.

“Geez. You could be more gentle, Zane.” They muttered under their breath. They began to look around, then jumped when they noticed Kai in the corner. “First Spinjitzu Master…” They mumbled, then added “This darkness is driving me crazy.”

“Me too.” Kai whispered back.

The person jumped again, nearly ready to scream.

“For the Overlord’s eyes! You—” they exclaimed, then took a hesitant step toward Kai. But Kai shrank even further into the corner. “Are you alright?” The voice softened, directed fully at Kai now.

“Are you real?” Kai wasn’t sure if he was trying to lighten the mood or genuinely asking.

The person crouched down. Kai could finally see their outline: a round face, long hair tied into a short bun, and arms cuffed in handcuffs in front of them.

The man studied Kai, then his eyes widened in recognition.

“Prince… Kaisei? Your Highness?!”

Kai just nodded.

"That's a relief! We— we’ve all been trying to find you! Oh, thanks, First Spinjitzu Master! Don’t worry, prince! We’ll get you out of here!"

Kai sank his head into his knees.
That wasn’t real.

"Hey, I promise, everything will be alright now—" the man said, resting his cuffed hands on Kai’s shoulder and shaking him gently. "Harumi is with us—"

At the sound of her name, Kai’s head shot up, eyes wide.

"Rumi—Rumi—Harumi— Where—" The words tumbled out, his mind reeling. He grabbed the man’s shirt, ignoring the pain it caused.

"She’s with us! Don’t worry—safe and sound." The man patted his shoulder. "I’ve got a plan to bust us out, okay? You’ll be with her soon."

It couldn’t be true. There was no way out of this hell.

"First Spinjitzu Master—" the man’s voice trembled. "What the hell did they do to you?" He reached for Kai’s hand. Kai recoiled, yanking it away. "Sorry." the man mumbled.

Kai stared at him with doubt.

"...Who are you?"

"Right— I didn’t say my name. Cole. Cole, the Black Ninja— I was back at the palace, remember?"

Palace. Ninjas’ invitation. Mask. The attack—

“Emperor… Empress—Harumi—”

“Harumi is alright!” Cole said quickly. “Your parents, though…” His shoulders slumped in the darkness. “They… they didn’t make it.”

Kai closed his eyes, trembling, fighting back the tears. It’s okay. Harumi survived. That’s what mattered.

“I… I’m sorry.” Cole said, sitting down next to him and leaning against the wall. The space was so tight that his arm pressed against Kai’s.

“Don’t be.” Kai whispered, pressing his hand against his nose to muffle the sound of his sob. “They… weren’t the best parents.”

“Oh.”

Silence fell. The steady tap of water dripping was the only sound in the room. He couldn’t stand it. It only made the memories come back stronger. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to see that non-existent corpses in the corner.

“Hey… are you alright?” Cole asked again. “Okay, stupid question—you’re not alright—”

Kai tried to steady his breath. Instead, his heart pounded even harder—like it might jump out of his chest at any moment.

Cole noticed. He reached out and took Kai’s trembling hand in his own large hands.

“Are you… claustrophobic?”

Kai didn’t answer. He didn’t care to. He was too busy trying, failing, to stop the panicked hyperventilating, which only made it worse.

“Shit—breathe, okay? I mean, breathe slowly—” Cole stood up and crouched in front of him, still holding Kai’s hand. “Focus on my voice, okay?”

Easier to tell, than do it— 

Tapping. That damn tapping still echoed in his ears.

“Hey!” The voice sounded muffled now, blurred. Kai felt himself being yanked, but he it didn’t reach to him. “Kaisei! Stay with me!” Cole shouted, but the words slipped in and out of Kai’s mind, leaving no meaning behind.

He was back there. He had never left. There was never any way out.

“Kaisei.” The voice was firmer. Still distant, but gentler, too. “Breathe in. Hold it. Now breathe out.” Cole patted Kai’s arm, then gripped his hand tightly again. “You’ll hold it as long as I tell you, okay? Everything’s going to be alright. Everything is alright. Breathe in…” He paused for a few seconds. “Breathe out… slowly.” Another pause. “Breathe in… hold it… breathe out.”

Kai didn’t know how long it took for Cole to calm him down. Cole was patient, slipping in soft reassurances between the measured breaths, touching him gently, not rushing.

It was hard. But it wasn’t impossible.

“I’m pathetic.” Kai whispered, as soon as he could string a thought together. He was still trembling, but at least he could speak.

“It’s alright. No worries. And you’re not pathetic.” Cole said, pointing a finger at him. Then he brushed a stray lock of hair out of Kai’s face. “Your hair’s a mess—did you style it yourself?”

Why was he so… touchy?

Kai had never been touched by anyone without his permission—except for Harumi. He valued personal space, personal distance. And this guy—Cole—was making that worse. Sitting next to him, holding his hand. Kai understood it was meant to calm him down, but now?

Touching his hair without asking?

“No.” Kai answered, trying to hide the tremble in his voice. “Harumi did.”

“Your sister, the princess? You two are pretty close, huh?”

Kai nodded.

“Makes sense.” Cole said, still patting Kai’s shoulder. “She had a beautiful hairstyle, too.”

Kai’s eyes flicked to Cole’s hand on his shoulder.

“I made it” he mumbled.

“You made it? Wow—professional job there” Cole chuckled. “So, you like hairstyling? Is that your hobby?”

Kai shrugged.

“Rumi hates when anyone touches her” he muttered.

Cole hummed, but his hand stayed on Kai’s shoulder. It was irritating.

“…What are you doing?” Kai snapped, shaking Cole’s hand off.

Cole’s eyes widened, taken aback.

“Oh—sorry. I was just trying to help you calm down. I thought small talk might—”

“I’m fine now.” Kai cut him off, voice sharp. “Stop touching me.”

“Um—sorry.” Cole drew his hands back and sat across from him, putting distance between them. “I— I was just trying to help.”

Even in the darkness, Kai’s glare was sharp.

“…Sorry.” Kai mumbled after a while, softer. Realizing maybe he shouldn’t have reacted like that.

“No, that’s alright” Cole hummed. Kai couldn’t see what he was doing in the darkness, but it seemed like Cole was avoiding his eyes.

“…How did they capture you?”

“Oh, yeah—that’s…” Cole chuckled awkwardly. “Interesting story.” He scooted closer, sitting next to Kai. Once again, Kai felt Cole’s skin brush against his, and the uncomfortable sensation returned. “Ugh, should I have asked to sit next to you?” Cole muttered, clearly noticing Kai’s expression.

“No” Kai shot back, a little harsher than intended.

Kai swallowed hard, trying to steady the sudden tightness in his chest. Every time Cole got close, the walls Kai had built around himself trembled. He wasn’t used to this—any touch, any closeness.

“Alright then—” Cole leaned in closer, so close Kai felt sick. “Actually, it’s part of the plan for me to get captured” he whispered.

“…What do you mean?”

“Shh! Not so loud!” Cole shot a quick glance toward the door, as if expecting someone to overhear. “So, the plan now is to infiltrate the Sons of Garmadon from the inside. Zane needed to gain their trust, so he put me under arrest.”

“…And?”

“And bust us out.”

“How?”

Cole smacked his tongue. “That part’s still up to us to figure out—”

Kai rolled his eyes. He was sure Cole couldn’t see it in the darkness, but the sound of his exasperation must have been obvious.

“Hey, don’t be so pessimistic. The plan’s already in progress—it’s getting better.”

Kai didn’t answer. He didn’t feel like talking anymore. The more he learned about these famous ninjas, the more they sounded like a bunch of kids fumbling in the dark.

“If I just—” Cole struggled against the handcuffs. “Remove this—” He pressed his lips together, trying to do something with his hands. “Stupid—” He inhaled sharply. “Vengstone…”

Cole let out a heavy sigh.

“Everything would be so much easier with my powers—” He leaned his head back so hard Kai heard a loud bang.

“It blocks your elemental powers?” Kai asked, half-curious, half-bored.

“Yeah. They can be handy—” Cole chuckled. “Get it? Handy, handcuffs?”

Kai scoffed.

“I thought that Blue Ninja was the one who made jokes.”

Cole burst out laughing.

“He makes them even worse than mine—”

Kai joined in, a genuine laugh breaking through for the first time. His anxiety loosened, even if just a little.

Silence settled between them, then Kai asked again.

“…Is Harumi really okay?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. Safe and sound, like I told you. Not a hair out of place on her head.”

“…Good.” Kai mumbled.

“…Say, Kaisei… Can I call you that?”

Kai just nodded.

“Do you… know Nya?”

“…The Cyan Ninja?”

“Yeeeaah… her…” Cole let the word hang in the air, as though it carried some deeper meaning.

How was Kai supposed to answer that? Should he pretend to be grateful for the time she had saved his life? Or pretend he had forgotten how she had stalked him, creeping him out? She even had said something weird to him during the explosion too, hadn’t she?

“…No.” He finally shot back, a little too coldly.

“Oh. I see.”

“You don’t see shit” Kai muttered, instantly regretting it. He felt guilty, awkward. Ungrateful for Cole’s help. His nerves were getting the better of him.

“True.” Cole laughed lightly, nudging him with his shoulder. “See? That’s about Jay’s level of jokes.” His grin flashed white teeth in the dim light, his handcuffs clinking. “Hey—are you any good at lock picking?”

Kai blinked, genuinely confused.

“Right. Yeah. That was—stupid of me.” Cole sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to wait for Zane.” He let the last part fall quiet, and sighed again.

The silence fall again. And with that—

Kai’s mind flickered with an idea. He didn’t know if he could do the same trick again, but…

“… Could this… Venge… whatever it was—be melted?”

“Melted? What do you mean?” Cole’s brow furrowed.

That wouldn’t work anyway. He had just gotten lucky that one time he used his powers against that monster. Kai hadn’t been able to use his powers properly for so long. And it wasn’t like he had ever had that level of control back then.

“Nothing.” He muttered, dismissing the thought. “Just—give me a hairpin if you have one.”

“Wait—seriously? You’re gonna lockpick with that?”

“Got a better idea?” Kai asked, a hint of defiance in his voice. He stretched out his hand, palm up, waiting for Cole to hand hairpin over.

Cole must have been surprised, because he hesitated a second before reaching up and pulling a pin from his bun, his hair falling loose around his shoulders.

“Aren’t you a prince? How the hell did you learn how to pick locks?”

Kai didn’t answer, ignoring the question as he straightened the hairpin and bent over the cuffs. It was so dark he could barely make out the outline of the lock. He focused, feeling for the tiny shift inside the mechanism.

…

He forced his breathing steady. One wrong move and he would snap the pin.

“…If you try on the left side—”

“I got it” Kai snapped.

He hated it. Hated the way Cole’s breath hit his ear, hated the way Cole leaned too close, their hands brushing. The press of another person so near made him sick to his stomach.

He’d been working at the lock for at least twenty minutes now—each click and grind of metal building his frustration.

“Maybe if you give me for—”

“I got it” he hissed again, sharper this time.

It made him exhausted, weak, every second of Cole’s presence draining his strength.

Click.

He almost didn’t believe it himself.

Cole’s eyes widened.

“No way. You actually—”

Kai looked up at him, a cold smile tugging at his lips.

“Told you.”

Kai sighed and stepped back. As soon as he did, the exhaustion lifted from his shoulders.
What was that? Probably the tension.

Cole swung his newly freed hands, stretching them out.
“Sweet! Thanks, man!”

“Now can you open the door, please?” Kai’s tone was flat, but relief showed in the slight drop of his shoulders.

“You got this—”

Suddenly, a faint green glow flickered across Cole’s forehead, then marks on his arms lighting up and casting yellow light around the room. Kai instinctively took a step back. Was that Cole’s elemental power manifesting?

Cole was about to ram the door down, he took a few steps back, ready to charge—

But before he could run, a blinding light flooded the room.

The door was open.

A tall figure stood in the doorway, the light casting his silhouette.

“Hurry up! Before they notice!”

Kai blinked against the brightness, eyes adjusting.

“Zane!” Cole grinned. “Aren't you a sight for my sore eyes!”

“Did they hurt your eyes?” The calm, but concerned voice of Zane replied.

“Not exactly!”

They exchanged a quick bear hug. Kai just stood in the darkness, watching them like it was some kind of weird ritual. Only after a moment did Cole seem to notice that Kai was left behind.

“Oh—right! Zane, we found the prince!” Cole exclaimed, beaming, and pushed Kai out of the cell.

Kai shielded his eyes from the sudden light, grimacing as he was yanked from the darkness. When he finally looked up at their rescuer, his eyes narrowed.

Both of them wore the most ridiculous disguises—like cheap cosplayers trying to pass as street thugs, all oversized jackets and flashy colours. If Cole hadn’t said Zane’s name, Kai would never have recognized him as the same Ice Elemental Master he had met in the palace.

They were in a narrow corridor, the brick walls slick with moisture. Kai bit his lip, feeling an unease crawl up his chest.

“Kaisei, this is Zane.” Cole clapped a hand on his shoulder, jolting him from his thoughts. “He’s here to save us.”

“Actually,” Zane replied, his tone flat, “you’re going to save yourselves.” He bowed stiffly. “Good to see you again, Your Highness.” Then he turned and started walking down the corridor, expecting them to follow. “I’ve prepared an escape route” he continued. “According to my scans, we’re in an abandoned subway station.”

Cole hurried after him, glancing back at Kai, who was still frozen in place. He grabbed Kai’s wrist and tugged gently.

“Don’t worry, Kaisei. Come on—” He smiled, trying to be encouraging.

Zane turned back, his eyes flickering with an unnatural blue light.

“Your stress levels are abnormally high given in calculation the circumstances.” He noted, his gaze dropping to Kai’s ragged fingertips. When Kai realized Zane was staring, he quickly hid his hands behind his back. “Do you require psychological treatment?”

“Zane!” Cole hissed, warning him off.

Zane blinked, expression unreadable, then turned back down the corridor.

Kai didn’t respond. He fell into step beside them. He only wanted to get out of that place as soon as possible.

“I’ll guide you to the exit” Zane said, “then I’ll leave you.”

“Wait—what?” Cole asked, still holding Kai’s wrist. “Why?”

It was unnecessary and irritating. But at least it distracted Kai from the crawling dread in his gut.

“I have a scheduled meeting with the Sons of Garmadon’s leader” Zane said. “They call themselves the Quiet One.”

Zane suddenly signalled them to duck behind a corner. Someone was coming.

The corridor was scrawled with graffiti in symbols Kai didn’t recognize. Packages were stacked everywhere, giving the place the look of an abandoned warehouse rather than a subway station.

“Quiet One? What kind of name is that?” Cole muttered.

“The gang’s names are… odd,” Zane replied. “Under the Quiet One are three high-ranking members: Killow, Ultra Violet, and Mr. E.”

“Man, and I thought my Rocky Dangerbuff was the worst name I’d ever heard,” Cole grumbled.

“Statistically speaking, your name is far more… Odd.” Zane said in that unsettlingly flat voice that left Kai unsure if it was supposed to be sarcasm or a simple statement of fact.

“Can we focus on getting out of here?” Kai snapped, irritation bubbling in his chest. He felt like a package being carted from point A to point B.

“Affirmative.” Zane replied, his voice cold and mechanical. “There’s also information I should share before we proceed.” He turned to Kai, his expression unsettlingly blank. Like he was trying to frown but didn’t know how. “Our initial assumptions about the biker gang were incorrect” he continued. “We’re dealing with a dangerous, fanatical cult.”

Cole’s brow furrowed.

“Well, they’ve always been dangerous and fanatical.” he muttered, pulling Kai against the wall.

Seriously—was Kai just cargo to them?

“Affirmative.” Zane said. “However, this time, the situation is comparable to Chen’s Anacondrai cult.”

Cole stopped dead, his face darkening.

“Seriously?” He glanced at Kai. “Shit.”

Kai blinked. Was it some secret code between them?

“Yes, indeed.” Zane confirmed, his tone chillingly calm. “Proceed with extreme caution.”

Cole swallowed hard, then turned to Kai, his grip on Kai’s arm tightening.

“Kaisei, listen to me. When I say close your eyes, you close them. When I say duck, you duck. Got it?”

Kai frowned, refusing to answer.

“It’s for your own good, okay?”

Kai still didn’t respond, but Cole’s hand on his arm stayed firm.

Without waiting for a reply, Cole dragged him forward, following Zane’s lead deeper into the corridor.

Suddenly, they pulled Kai into a half-open room.

Cole’s hand came over Kai’s face, covering his mouth, but something even more sinister clouded his mind.
The stench.

The sharp, rotting stench of decaying bodies mixed with dampness. He knew that smell all too well.

Cole went pale, then green, covering his nose as his expression shifted from focused, to shocked, to outright disgusted.

Zane quietly shut the door behind them, pressing a finger to his lips in a warning to stay silent.

“And that’s it for our precautions, huh?” Cole muttered irritably through his pinched nose. “Zane, any chance of a reroute?”

Zane shot him a glare that clearly said 'shut it' and leaned against the wall, listening to the footsteps outside.

Kai scanned the room, illuminated by a flickering fluorescent lamp that buzzed with its characteristic clicking.

It looked like an abandoned butcher shop—tilted floors cracked with age, faded stickers advertising meat, the shattered glass of the counter now dark with grime.

Kai’s eyes looked over a ladder. A blackened mass, crawling with maggots, that had once resembled meat made Kai’s stomach churn at the sight of it.

Cole saw where Kai was looking and yanked him closer, trying to shield him from the sight.

Too close. Kai’s chest tightened. Too close.

He yanked himself away.

“Please, hold any sudden movements.” Zane whispered, his voice low but calm. “Cole’s only trying to keep you from seeing what can’t be unseen.”

“I can take care of myself” Kai hissed back, pulling even harder. “I’m not as fragile as you think.”

“Kaisei, please.” Cole cut in, his voice both firm and pleading. “We’re just trying to get you out safely. That means both physically and—” He hesitated, lips pressing together. “Mentally, too.”

Kai’s eyes flashed.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late for that?” His voice rose just enough to make Cole glance at Zane in panic, but Zane only nodded, signalling it hadn’t compromised their cover.

“Anger is understandable” Zane said, his tone as flat as ever. “But it’s not advisable. We need to keep moving.”

Kai let out a frustrated scoff and sighed.

"Please, just get me out of here." He said, his voice cracking into something dangerously close to begging "I... I hate it here" he whispered.

Cole laid a hand on his shoulder, his smile painfully gentle.

“It’s okay, Kaisei. I’d be shitting my pants in your place.” He chuckled softly. “You’re doing great. Soon, you’ll be back with Harumi. Okay?”

Kai hated that smile.

Zane’s eyes flickered with a subtle glow as his scanner activated, leaving a faint holographic grid wherever he looked. Kai shifted his gaze from Cole to Zane, yanking free from Cole’s hands again, this time more naturally.

There was no point in being hostile towards people who genuinely wanted to help him.

“There should be an exit at the back, leading to the abandoned track depot” Zane said, shutting down his scanner. “From there, turn left, and you’ll reach the surface.”

“Seems like a solid plan” Cole replied, his tone tense. “Zane, you go first. Your disguise hasn’t been compromised like mine.” He covered his nose with his elbow, grimacing. “And besides, you’re the only one who can stand this stench.”

Zane nodded and took the lead, heading toward the half-open door of the freezer.

Cole followed, gesturing for Kai to stay close, but this time, he didn’t grab his wrist.

They stepped into a defrosted freezer room that was surprisingly large, given that they were still underground. Rows of rotting meat hung from hooks, oozing putrid fluids and reeking of decay. The smell that already made Kai's stomach churn, he had to fight the urge to gag. He thought he would never have to smell it again, yet here he was, surrounded by rot.

They all kept a careful distance from the hanging meat, as if proximity alone might make them sick.

The only light source of light in this dreadful place was Zane’s artificial eyes, glimmering like a beacon.

Kai wished to be with Harumi again.

When they finally reached the door marked 'EXIT', half-illuminated by a green sign, a rush of relief washed over him. Even though the freezer was only a few meters long, every step had felt like a lifetime.

The vast, cavernous space opened up before them as the doors creaked aside. Bathed in the ominous glow of red alarm lamps, the scene revealed a tangle of tracks that ended abruptly in wall. A network of metallic supports jutted from the walls and ceiling, holding the cavern together. Barely.

Something crystalline clung to the structure, catching the red light, but Kai couldn’t make it out from this distance. Rocks littered the ground, fragments from the ceiling’s partial collapse, were blocking their path.

“No signs of life detected.” Zane reported, straightening from his crouched position. “But please keep your voices down. The subway was abandoned due to structural instability. Any loud noise could trigger another collapse.”

“Perfect hideout for a loud, punk biker gang” Cole muttered, weaving between the fallen debris. “Though… there’s something off about the ground here.” He paused mid-step, his brow furrowing. “Huh. It’s disrupted in a way I’ve never felt before.”

As they continued, the crystals embedded in the rocks began to show themselves more clearly. They glowed with an eerie red light, reflecting every movement like watchful eyes.

Kai caught sight of his own reflection, multiplied and distorted. A ghost stared back at him. His hair now hung down, tangled and matted. The richly decorated green robes that once marked his status were torn and filthy, smeared with blood, sweat, and mud. His eyes, sunken with eye bags, revealed in full glory ugliness of his scar on one eye.

He shivered at the sight. He looked exactly as he had that day. The day he had escaped that hell.

B̷̜̀̈́ͅe̵͕͐a̵͍͛̃ȓ̷̥̞̋e̵̻͗r̶̗͓͌ ̴͈͒̿ǫ̷͐f̶̞̞͐ ̶̙͂̅ẗ̸͖̥́͋h̸̗̉͂e̵̜͘̕ ̴̝̋l̶̪̫͝ö̸̘́̎s̷͔͍̎̔t̵͖̲̀͂ ̶̩̻͋F̷̫͕̆͋í̵̟̘r̵͖̀e̷̺̅ ̸̝͂͑Ē̴̦̦l̸̞͝e̴͛͜m̸͓̕ḕ̶̼̰ǹ̷̩̹̊t̸̻̓͛,̸̤̈́̐ ̴͍̇ḥ̶̊ȅ̷̬ ̵̙͍͑ẃ̸͍̻h̴̛͎̘o̸̮̹̒̿m̶͎͂̾ ̶̩͙̈I̸̞̐͝ ̵͈̂s̸̲̦̆ḧ̶̨̘́a̵̫̙͐ĺ̵̹̺̿l̶̻̈́̈́ ̷̜́̉s̶̭̎̚p̵̟̒a̷͛͜ŕ̸̥̠ẹ̴͉̾̃.̶̼̝̂

A voice.
Cold.
Sickening.
Like the sound of death itself.

Kai flinched, stumbling backward into Cole.

“Hey—what’s wrong, Kaisei?” Cole caught him, steadying him with a firm grip on his shoulder. His voice softened instantly. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.”

“Did you—did you hear that?” Kai’s voice trembled.
“Hear what?” Cole’s brow furrowed.
“My sensors did not record any auditory anomalies.” Zane interjected in his flat, mechanical tone.

Cole glanced at Zane, confusion in his eyes.

“Kaisei, are you alright?” Cole repeated with his reassuring voice.

Kai swallowed loudly and pull away from Cole.

The voice was real. He knew it.

He hardly understood what it said.

Kai tried to breathe, but the voice still echoed in his mind. Like a promise, like a curse.

“Let’s… Let’s just go” Kai muttered, with his voice trembling.

Zane and Cole exchanged puzzle expression. Kai knew this kind of look. And it made him irritated even more. Without waiting for their response, he pursued further, now taking the lead.

The stench refused to fade. They were already far from that place of rot, yet to Kai, it felt as if it clung even more. Growing stronger with every step. The crimson glow of the crystals intensified, creating a claustrophobic tunnel.

Then, at last, he stepped free of the crystalline path and stepped into a vast open space.

A shadow loomed across the far wall. A towering altar bathed in the oppressive red light. Strange symbols snaked up the wall in tight, tangled ribbons, as if they’d grown from the altar itself.

Kai eyes shifted to the altar’s surface.

A body.

He blinked once. Twice.

It was a naked human body, impaled through the stomach with a massive red, maybe magenta, crystal. Smaller crystals had sprouted across her skin like a grotesque fungus, and one limp hand dangled over the edge, lifeless.

Kai stepped closer, unable to look away.

A woman.

The skin was bloated and waxy from the damp, and Kai understood now—the smell was coming from her.

His chest clenched. Her blond hair, matted with dried blood, clung to the inhuman grey of her skin.

He knew her.

She had worked at the palace once, only for a short while, but enough that he would remember her face.

And she wasn’t alone.

In the dim red glow, Kai’s eyes flicked past her, and he saw it. A heap of bodies, stacked like discarded refuse in the corner, each one crusted over in those same crimson-magenta crystals. Their pale skin, split and bloated, glistened wetly in the half-light.

The sickly scent of decay was everywhere.

“First Spinjitzu Master—fuck!” Cole raw and trembling voice echoed in the hall. He yanked Kai backward, hard. “Fuck! This is fucking worse than Chen!” he spat, his voice rising.

Even Zane faltered, his normally calm expression shadowed by shock. His eyes glowing now with red, stared at the altar. Processing of what was before him.

Cole steadied himself, but he was shaking so hard that Kai could feel it in his own bones.

Cole face had gone pale, green at the edges, like he might vomit at any moment.

“Sick bastards!” he muttered, voice cracking. He pulled Kai closer. “Fuck—Kaisei, are you with us?”

“Fuck—we’re getting out of here, like right now!” Cole snapped, his voice raw with panic.

“Hold it!” Zane shot back, his voice sharper than usual. “Lower your voice.”

Cole pulled Kai into a rough hug, shielding him from the horror behind them. “What?!”

Zane’s eyes were locked on the altar, analysing the body with his signature holographic grid flickering across his gaze.

“What?!”

Zane looked conflicted. His eyes were locked in on the altar. His eyes then, put analyse on her, holographic grid coming from his eyes.

“The exit is on the left.” He said evenly. “There’s an emergency staircase that leads to the surface. Go—now. Good luck.”

Chapter Text

Harumi watched Lloyd walk toward his jet, then lifted a hand in a wave.

Relief washed over her the moment the cockpit locked and the engines roared to life.

Fucking finally.

Privacy at last.

For a while, she had started to think he would never leave. It would have come down to either killing him or jumping overboard herself.

She turned to face the breeze, more lost in thought than ever. Everything was coming to the end, the grand finally on her terms. The hidden hate, she had to buried inside, could slowly show up. She would have her revenge, her justice for everything that happened to her.  Almost everything was in place. Two Oni masks secured, a third within reach. Kai on her side. So why the tightness in her chest?

She glanced across the control room.

Nya’s glare met hers like a blade.

Harumi smirked and turned away with a quiet scoff.

On this ship, they were alone.

A dangerous little thought sparked.

It couldn’t be that hard… could it?

She looked out at the sea. They were flying too low for a fall to be fatal. But the water below, it could serve as a perfect grave. A plausible story. Nya vanishing without a trace. Two birds, one stone. Get rid of a pesky ninja and that insufferable little bitch.

Destiny’s Bounty was armed to the teeth. Finding a weapon wouldn’t be hard. The only challenge was landing a surprise strike.

Harumi didn’t stand a chance in a one-on-one fight. But one clean, fatal blow—that was all she needed.

She stepped lightly toward the cockpit.

Inside, it was a storm of chaos. Manuals, projects, documents, even weapons lay scattered across every surface. It screamed for a woman’s touch. Apparently, Nya was just as messy as the boys. Nya sat hunched at the console, absorbed in her files. From a distance, Harumi could see the Mask of Hatred displayed on screen. As if they could find it without divine help.

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for anything sharp.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Harumi jolted at the sound of a female robotic voice.

Another droid?

That wasn’t in her plan.

Nya turned to her.

Shit.

“Uh… good morning?” Harumi replied, wary.

Could the droid access the ship’s cameras? If anything was being recorded, there would be no chance to act.

“My apologies. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. My name is Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Life-form, but everyone calls me Pixal.”

Harumi scanned the room, trying to locate the source of the voice. No use. It echoed from the loudspeakers. An AI? Borg tech built into the ship? That complicated things.

“Oh... I see.”

“Never seen a nindroid before?” Nya asked, arms crossed.

“I… didn’t get the chance” Harumi answered, glancing around for anything that resembled a power core she could destroy. “Aside from Zane, the Ice Elemental Master.”

And Mr. E, though he had been laced with her dark magic. That hardly counted.

“Right.”

Silence fell. Awkward and tense. Neither of them eager to speak.

“…Did you find anything?” Harumi asked eventually.

“Actually... no” Nya admitted, turning back to the screen. “I’ve got… A side mission…, It keeps me hard to focus on the Sons of Garmadon.”

“Side mission?”

“It’s… complicated. Confidential.”

So the ninja could keep secrets when they wanted to.

“Say… Princess—”

“Please, call me Harumi.”

“Yeah, thanks—Harumi.” Nya paused. “Is your brother’s name really Kaisei?”

Harumi’s expression darkened slightly.

“Why do you ask?” she said sweetly, though poison shimmered just beneath the surface.

Pixal answered before Nya could.

“According to the records Nya retrieved, you and your brother were adopted by the Emperor and Empress after the Great Devourer incident. However, the name—”

“That’s enough, Pixal.” Nya interrupted coldly. “Can you answer the question, Harumi?”

Harumi hesitated. Was that not a violation of her privacy?

“Our parents renamed him Kaisei.” She said slowly. “But I still call him by his old name, Kai.”

Because, of course royal family thought that name “Kai” was too peasant.

“And how exactly does that help you find him?” Harumi’s voice now dripped with irritation.

“Confidential.” Nya replied, expression like ice.

Harumi clenched her jaw. Every nerve screamed to leap across the room and stab her.

But no. She needed to wait.

Gain trust. Build a bond. Then Nya would open up, share her little “girlie secrets.” Then Harumi could finish what she started.

…

With the awkward conversation with Nya still lingering and clearly going nowhere, Harumi decided to snoop around. Now that she knew about the ninja’s “spy” team member, any investigation had to seem natural. Subtle. Not invasive.

Exactly the opposite of how Nya had treated her.

She wanted to dig up Harumi’s past? Fine. Harumi would return the favour.

First stop: Nya’s room.

Unfortunately, it was a dead end.

The place was a disaster.

Schematics and scrolls covered the walls in a chaotic mess. Clean and dirty clothes were flung everywhere. Scattered around the floor were gears, tools, and freshly soldered circuits that still carried a faint metallic burn.

Harumi frowned.

This girl was a mess.

Every inch of the room screamed Nya, but it also screamed incoherence. Like someone trying to shout ten things at once and failing to say anything clear.

She walked to the desk where a few scrolls were unrolled. A quick glance told her it was some babble about time travel. Fantasy nonsense disguised as knowledge. Not the well-guarded secrets of the Elemental Masters she would hoped for.

Harumi scoffed.

Then, something finally caught her attention.

A photo.

Tucked just beside the schematics was a framed picture—Nya as a child, standing between what must have been her parents. And a boy. Young, smiling, just a little older than her.

So, she had a brother.

Little sister syndrome, probably.

Frustrated, Harumi left the room and moved on.

Next stop: Lloyd’s room.

This one was far more composed. Predictably green: green bedsheets, green pillows, green clothes hung neatly in the closet. Not sterile, but neat enough to pass as presentable.

Her curiosity led her to a corkboard on the far wall. It was dotted with pinned photographs. Team photos, colourful, almost offensively bright. Harumi skipped past them with barely a glance.

Then her eyes landed on something more interesting.

An older woman, dressed in weather-worn explorer’s clothes. She leaned closer. Garmadon’s wife? Lloyd’s mother?

She looked sharp, serious. Someone who didn’t exactly radiate maternal warmth. No wonder she had been so absent from Lloyd’s life.

A second photo caught her attention. This one even older, yellowed by age. Two men stood side by side, almost identical except for hair colour and robes. Black for one, white for the other. Brothers, clearly, the resemblance was uncanny.

She plucked the photo from the board, narrowing her eyes.

“That's Sensei Wu and Garmadon.”

Harumi turned. Lloyd was standing in the doorway, stepping into the room.

“…He probably doesn’t look like you expected” he added with a bitterly smile.

Harumi handed the photo back.

“I heard he changed… became human again in his final years.”

Lloyd nodded, looking down at the image.

“Yes.” Lloyd said nostalgic. “He wanted to redeem himself.” He looked at the photo and then he pinned it back to the board. “And he did.”

“How was the talk with Mystake? Did you learn anything?”

Of course he would eventually find out everything, Harumi had always known that. But better to gauge how much intel they had, and when.

“Yes…” Lloyd began solemnly. Then his eyes narrowed. “Their aim is to resurrect my father.”

Well, shit.
He knew everything.
Mental note: Mystake would need to be eliminated in the next phase.

“That must be… difficult for you.” She said, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

“To be honest… I don’t know how to feel about it.” He confessed. “I miss him. I want him back, but—”

“But?” she prompted, voice low, sympathetic.

“Mystake told us he wouldn’t come back as the man we knew.” Lloyd said, his gaze drifting to the floor. “That only the Oni side would return, corrupted by the Overlord.”

Harumi gave him a soft pat on the back.

Perfect moment for some bonding. Time to share that good old abandonment trauma.

Oh, Overlord, let this be the last time she had to fake this.

“If I had the chance to see my parents again… I’d do anything.” she said, voice lowered just the right amount.

Lloyd turned his head, meeting her eyes.

“You mean… your biological parents?”

She nodded slowly.

“I miss them deeply” she said with a faint, wistful smile. “They gave me everything in this world. Even their lives, just to save mine.”

His bright green eyes locked onto her. There was something in his gaze, compassion, maybe. Or something heavier. Deeper. She couldn’t quite tell. They stood there, the silence between them feeling heavier than words.

Until someone else broke it.

“We’re going to debrief before Cole and I begin the undercover operation.” Zane announced, his voice flat and mechanical.

Harumi didn’t mind his tone. Or intrusion. It was easier to deal with than human emotion. No pretence, no need to match a facade.

“Yes” she said quickly. “We’re coming.”

…

Harumi sat in the control room, spinning lazily in the chair.

So. Boring.

The remaining ninja were closely monitoring Cole and Zane's movements, speaking among themselves in hushed, focused tones. Harumi, as expected, was completely left out of the conversation. A fifth wheel, literally what she was.

She wasn’t particularly worried. Her trio could handle a few ninja. They would sniff them out instantly, no question. Still, she had sent a discreet message ahead. A quick heads-up never hurt.

Hence… The boredom.

So much boredom.

She sank deeper in the chair, chin propped up on one elbow. She missed Kai a little bit. Kai would be furious if he saw her posture. Or the way she wore this oversized green hoodie like she had no dignity. He would scold her for being so “disgraceful.” Or worse, for provoking Nya. His frustration was always so damn cute.

Okay, maybe she missed him more than a little.

He was safe, probably in the safest place she could arrange under her control. But not being able to see him, not being able to visit him? That made her heart ache a little.

And it had only been a day.

She needed to wrap this mission up. Fast.

A sharp red light blinked on the control board, cutting into her thoughts.

The alarm went off.

“Shit! We’re engaging now!” Nya yelled, already sprinting out of the room.

“Wait—what happened?” Jay asked, stumbling after her.

“Their covers are blown! They need backup!” she snapped, not even turning around.

Jay hurried after him, and then Lloyd. Harumi stood up to go after them.

“No—Harumi, stay here!” Lloyd ordered, glancing over his shoulder, voice firm.

“But I want to help—!”

“You’d only be a hindrance” Nya called back sharply, already halfway down the stairs.

Harumi’s eye twitched.
Oh. That’s how it was going to be?

So much for peace and alliance. Nya had drawn the line. Fine by her.

Peace was never an option.

Lloyd hesitated at the door.

“Harumi, I know you want to help” he said, softer. “But our job is to protect you. So please, stay here safe, no engage in our fight okay?”

His words were bittersweet. She relaxed her shoulders just enough to seem compliant. Lloyd gave her a quick nod and turned, disappearing down the ladder.

“Stay safe…” she said.

Break your bones and die.

“Thanks—I will!” he called out peeking from the ship edge.

..

Surprise, surprise. They fucked up—just like Harumi always knew they would.

They returned beaten, limping, dragging themselves back onto the ship like cockroaches too stubborn to die.

Harumi wanted to smile. Beam, even. But the situation didn’t allow it. So instead, she painted on a look of concern and hurried over, the image of the helpless damsel. Dutiful, supportive, always in the background. Her white knights, battered and bruised. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

As she helped bandage them up, something didn’t add up.

“Where’s Cole and Zane?” she asked, scanning the group, frowning.

“They… continued the mission,” Lloyd replied. His voice was tight, his arm tense as she tied off the gauze. Harumi had to admit, someone had done real damage. Deep cuts. She was impressed, that her people did their job really good. “Sons of Garmadon weren’t bluffing” Lloyd muttered. “They’re more organized than we thought.”

Harumi’s hands stilled for a moment.

“And Cole and Zane?” she asked, more carefully now.

“Zane’s staying undercover. He’ll try to gain their trust and dig for intel.” Lloyd groaned slightly as she adjusted the bandage. “Cole is the bait—he’s being kept as a prisoner. To make Zane’s cover story believable.”

Her pulse spiked.

Fuck.

They were trying to infiltrate from the inside. That was a risk. And too big of one. If Zane gained even an inch of trust, or he would try to walk around, Harumi’s whole plan could collapse like a house of cards.

She forced a soft sigh. Masked the tension in her shoulders.

“You’re all so brave” she whispered, pressing a patch onto Lloyd’s busted lip. “But maybe… too brave.”

They didn’t catch the bite in her words.

She needed to move fast.

Zane needed to be dealt with—carefully. And Cole? Cole would need to stay just where he was. Chained, contained, and in the dark.

They had made a bold move.

Now it was her turn.

…

Another mental note to herself: precise orders for her subordinates. Very precise. As in: idiot-proof.

How—how—could they lock up a ninja and the precious prince she had explicitly told them to be gentle with… in the same fucking cell?

Was it really that hard to think?

Now she sat, again, in the control room, waiting, fuming, watching the tiny red dot blink steadily on the map, supposedly Cole’s beacon. A little glowing signal dragging itself toward her like slow snail.

She sat tensed, pressing her lips into a tight line.  Bold moves could come later. Not until Kai was back. Not until she saw him with her own eyes. Safe. Breathing. Hers.

She shifted her eyes to Nya, sitting across the room.

Nya looked stressed, fingers twitching over the controls, eyes flicking back and forth like she was holding herself together with threads.

Harumi didn’t get it.

She—Harumi—was the one who should be panicking. Kai was her brother. Her fragile, half-healed mess.

So why the hell did Nya look like she was about to fall apart?

Harumi narrowed her eyes slightly, watching her.

Finally, Harumi heard the noise outside.

She bolted.

Without a word, she rushed out of the control room, overtaking Nya in a run. Her heart pounded against her ribs like it was trying to break free.

Her breath caught when she saw him.

Kai stood next to the hairy ape—Cole. She frowned at the sight of the man’s arm draped around Kai’s shoulder. Only then did her gaze shift to Kai’s face.

He looked like hell.

A ball of trauma wrapped in a panic attack. His eyes never met anyone’s. They darted to the ground. His whole posture screamed ‘Don’t touch me. Don’t look at me. Don’t notice me’.

Harumi bit her lip.

She had gone one step too far, hadn’t she?

It was supposed to be a little push, a nudge. Something to deepen their bond.

She opened her arms, with fake tears in her eyes.

“First Spinjitzu Master, Kai!” The girl next to her gasped “What— what happened to you?”

Harumi pressed her lips into a tight line. What the fuck was her aim here?

But she didn't have time to dwell over it, because Kai jumped in her arms as soon he lift his eyes on Harumi. He was grabbing her clothes tightly, sobbing. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her head. Like she might vanish if he let go.

She was stunned at the full display of the Kai's affection, feeling butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't help but smile, hiding her face in Kai's shoulder.

A second later, she began to cry too.

Because… Why not?

It felt so good to mirror his feelings.

They were siblings—torn apart and finally reunited.

Poetic. Tragic.

Now, nothing would separate them.

Kai kept sobbing, and Harumi smiled wider, gently running her fingers through his filthy hair, shushing him softly. He reeked of death and desperation, the smell she didn’t mind. But if it clung to him too long… it might break him.

“See? Harumi’s fine.” Cole said awkwardly, not sure whether to give them space or not.

Harumi recognized that look. The sceptical stare of someone who didn’t understand a damn thing.

She pulled Kai even closer, steering them away. Her eyes flicked back toward Nya, daggers laced with venom.

Nya stared back at them. At Kai. Hurt.

Harumi couldn’t stand her.

She tightened her grip on Kai and led him to her room, locking the door behind them.

Kai calmed slightly once they were alone, but he still clung to her hand, as if afraid she would vanish. With her free hand, Harumi dragged a chair into the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, she guided him to sit.

She silently lowered his head into the sink and turned on a gentle stream of water, washing his hair.

Neither of them spoke.

When she finished, she patted his hair dry with a towel, then moved to clean his face with a sponge, wiping away dirt and dried tears. When she was done, she kissed his cheek softly.

She removed his outer robes from his shoulders. He didn’t resist, limp as a rag doll in her hands.

She smiled, kissed his forehead again.

Then moved on to his belt.

She untied it quickly and let the haori drop to the floor, stripping him down to his bare chest.

Kai closed his eyes.

When she touched his skin with the sponge, he flinched.

“Shh… I’m with you” she whispered, running her fingers through his damp hair. “You’re safe. You’re not in the well.”

Kai hiccupped and broke into jagged sobs.

“She died—She died because of me—” he covered his face with dirty palms.

Harumi sighed. She should have started with the hands.

She crouched in front of him.

“It was an accident.”

“I failed her—” he hiccupped. “She— I should’ve—I was her older brother—”

She grabbed him violently by the cups, yanking off hands from his face.

“You’re my older brother” she hissed.

Kai froze, eyes wide. Those amber eyes, dilated, hollow, met hers.

“Kizuna is dead. I am alive.”

She released him. Her voice softened again. She picked up the sponge and wiped the smudges his hands had left behind.

Then she moved to clean his chest. He resisted at first, but she held him firmly in place.

Kai sobbed and trembled, but she didn’t flinch. She didn’t speak. She frowned at the sound of his cries.

It wasn’t that she disliked this soft, broken version of him. No, she loved it. It was a side of Kai only she got to see.

What she hated was that it was all in Kizuna name.

Harumi inhaled deeply and began to hum.

“Spider's in the house,” she started to softly sung “Sleep, sleep...”

She lifted his head. Kai looked back, with puzzled expression.

 ”Spider bit the mouse,” she continued “Sleep deep…” she smiled to him bitterly, pausing... Expecting him to end it.

“…Don’t wake up or else,” he croaked, voice trembling.

“You’ll find a spider in your mouth.” They finished together.

Chapter Text

Nya hurried after Kai and Harumi, but a firm hand stopped her in her tracks.

“Whoa, whoa—where are you running to?” Cole asked, gently turning her around to face him. “This really isn’t the best time to stress him out even more—”

“What happened there?” Nya cut him off, eyes sharp.

“Honestly?” Cole inhaled, then exhaled hard. “I don’t know. I already found him like that. And during the escape...” He trailed off, voice dropping. “It was bad.”

“Then that’s even more reason for me to go after him—” she snapped, trying to move past him, but Cole caught her arm again, firmer this time.

“He really should be with his sister right now.”

“I am his sister.” Nya hissed sharp.

Cole sighed and gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

“I know. I know. But...” He hesitated, lips pressed together. “Look—while we were getting out, he kept asking for Harumi. Over and over. This guy has been through something, Nya.” He rubbed his temples, eyes shut. “ Sons of Garmadon are nut-jobs. We saw… Mutilated corpses and Kaisei was first to witness.”

“Holy shit” Jay muttered under his breath.

“Yeah. Fucking nightmare fuel, man” Cole muttered back. “Like... horror show level. Blood, limbs—just wrong.”

Nya’s eyes narrowed, flickering with fury. At the Sons. At the situation. At herself, maybe.

But she didn’t continue to argue. She just shook off Cole’s hand and stepped back.

“Where’s Zane now?” Lloyd asked, watching them closely.

“He stayed behind. Said he had a lead— Something worth risking it—” Cole’s arms crossed over his chest. “Now I’m not so sure. If we don’t hear from him soon, we pull him out. Period.”

“And you?” Lloyd tilted his head. “Did you learn anything?”

Cole scoffed bitterly.

“Nothing useful. Just things I wish I could unsee.”

“So it was all for nothing?” Jay muttered.

Nya turned on him with a glare sharp enough to cut.

“We got my brother back.”

“I meant—” Jay stammered, then looked away. “Never mind.”

Cole jumped in before the tension could snap.

“Speaking of... Nya, I’m sorry, but... Kai doesn’t seem to know you.”

Nya’s chest tightened like something was caving in. She didn’t need to hear it. She knew it. And it still felt like a knife.

Jay looked at her, brow furrowed. Was that pity? Or just confusion at how much this meant to her?

She licked her lips, forcing the words out.

“What do you think about him?”

Cole tilted his head, pretending to think.

“Hmm... Cute, but kind of a dick” he smirked.

“The hell?” Jay snapped. “You were flirting with him?!”

“Nah” Cole chuckled darkly. “Just messing. Trying to kill the tension.” Then his face sobered, shoulders sinking. “But seriously... he’s really messed up. I don’t know if it’s what they did to him or something deeper, but... I think he needs real help. Like—therapy kind of help.”

“What?” Nya frowned, jaw tightening. “Now you’re joking.”

Kai? Needing therapy? The Kai she knew?

No. That couldn’t be real. Kai didn’t break. He got angry. He fought harder. He never needed help.

And yet... something about the way Cole looked said he wasn’t joking at all.

“I'm going to speak with him now.”
Nya’s fists clenched at her sides, knuckles white.

“Nya. Stop.”
This time it was Lloyd’s voice.

She froze in place, teeth grinding.

“If Cole's right,” Lloyd continued, gentling his tone, “then Kai needs space. He has just lost his home. His parents. He was kidnapped…” Lloyd stepped closer, voice low but unwavering. “Just try to look at it from his perspective. I know you’re worried. I know you want to help. But right now, giving him room to breathe might be the best thing you can do.”

Nya stared at him, her breathing shallow. Her eyes were hot, but no tears came. Just frustration.

Then, without a word, she turned and stormed toward the control panel room. The door slammed behind her with a sharp, metallic clang.

Silence followed in her wake.

“...That went well,” Jay muttered under his breath.

Cole just exhaled slowly, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah. Well, it’s a mess all around.”

…

Jay was the first to follow her to the control panel room. He lingered in the doorway for a moment, fidgeting with his fingers, unsure how to step further into her storm cloud.

Nya didn’t need to look. She could feel it, his nervous energy hanging in the air like static. Her chair creaked slightly as she shifted, pretending to read the scroll on Time Blades in front of her. The words blurred together. Her mind was anywhere but here.

She exhaled sharply.

She should have apologized. She knew she had to. But she didn't feel to do it.

Jay finally broke the silence.
“…Did you learn anything?”

“No.”
Her voice was flat, brittle. She didn’t turn.

Jay moved in quietly and sat across the table from her. He started tapping his fingers, but each tap was another chip against her focus.

She lifted her eyes briefly to glare at him before turning back to the scrolls.

“What are you going to say… to the prince? When you get a chance?” he asked.

Nya flipped a page.

“The truth.”

“That means?”

She closed the scroll with more force than necessary.

“That means everything I know. Everything that happened. Can you not pick at me right now?”

“I was just trying to talk to you—”

“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” Her words came sharp.

“Can you stop pushing me away?”
Jay’s voice was barely a whisper, but it hit harder than if he would shouted.

Nya bolted upright, her mouth opening for a retort, but then she saw his face.

His lips were pressed tight, trembling slightly. His eyes shimmered, not with anger, but with something far more fragile. He looked like he was one word away from breaking.

And suddenly, the weight in her chest shifted.

Her anger dissolved under the ache in his expression.

“I—” she breathed, voice catching. “I’m sorry.”

It was enough. More than enough.

Jay didn’t wait. He moved toward her the moment the words left her mouth, like her apology had been the final key to a lock he had been twisting at for days.

“I shouldn’t have been an asshole” she murmured as he reached her, wrapping her in an awkward, honest embrace.

Nya didn’t hug back immediately. But she didn’t pull away either.

After a moment, she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

“No” he whispered. “Neither of us has been okay.”

“I want to go home” Nya whispered, voice cracking. “I want to be back in my home. I don't know what to do anymore.”

Jay didn’t say anything. He just held her tighter.

“Why does everything go to shit? Why can’t I just get a break?” Her voice broke completely now, muffled against his shoulder.

Jay gently pulled back, enough to look her in the eyes. Then he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“We’ll get through this. Like always” he said quietly, giving her a small, warm smile. “Ninja never quit. Remember?”

He couldn't pick more corny line, could he? So Jay. And somehow... it helped.

She gave him a small nod, resting her forehead against his chest again. They stood like that for a moment longer.

Until the console beeped.

An incoming call blinked on the screen, cutting through the quiet like a siren.

Jay glanced at the screen, reluctantly loosening his grip.

“Duty calls” he said gently.

Nya stepped back, wiping her face quickly, eyes hardening again as she turned toward the console. She tapped the console and accepted the incoming call.

Zane’s face blinked onto the screen, framed by roaring wind and blurring desert.

“Zane, do you read me?”

“Yes. My cover may be compromised.” Zane said without a stammer. Behind him, the desert rushed past—he was on a bike, clearly mid-chase. “But I spotted the Mask of Deception.”

“Acquiring visual” Pixal said calmly. A second window opened, displaying grainy footage: several high-speed bikes tearing through dunes, and one rider with a glowing red, ominous helmet.

“I don’t know how much time I have, so listen carefully” Zane continued, voice strained through interference. “I still don’t know who’s leading them, but they're known as... the Quiet One.”

“Quiet One?” Jay echoed, furrowing his brow.

“Hang in there, Zane!” Nya said, already punching in coordinates. “We’re on the route to your location!”

“No—not yet—!” Zane’s voice cut. The feed jumped violently as he collided with another bike. Sparks flashed across the screen.

“Zane, don’t act cocky!” Jay barked into the mic, leaning over Nya’s shoulder.

“There’s something else you need to know... There’s a ghost—”

The image glitched again.

The horizon flipped, blue sky spun down, sand swirled up. Then— black. Complete blackout.

“Pixal!” Nya shouted. “Can you trace him?”

“I am afraid the connection is lost!” Pixal answered, her usually even tone carrying a rare note of concern.

“Shit” Nya hissed. She looked down at the frozen coordinates Zane had last transmitted. “I got a lock on his last position. Everyone, gear up!”

…

The night had deepened into a thick silence, the only sound the low hum of the ship’s engines hovering over the dunes. A beam of the reflector swept slowly across the desert, cutting through the dark, but so far revealing nothing but shattered bike parts and half-buried wreckage. Sand whispered across metal fragments, erasing signs of struggle as quickly as they were found.

They’d been searching for hours.

The last battle had clearly taken place here. Scorched tire marks still scarred the sand. But Zane was nowhere to be seen.

“Still no signal. I’m continuing the pinging.” Pixal voice mechanical but thinner than usual, echoed through the loudspeaker.

Nya leaned over the reflector, her eyes never leaving the sand.

Harumi stepped in behind her and Lloyd. It was the first time, Nya saw her on the ship deck, after reuniting with Kai. Nya frowned at her sudden appearance.

“How is it going?” Harumi’s voice was quiet, but edged with false concern.

Lloyd didn’t look away from the desert below.

“Bad.”

Nya opened her mouth to ask about Kai, but—

“There!” Cole’s voice tore through the tension like lightning. “I see him!”

The ninja team didn’t hesitate.

Metal rattled as they swarmed down the ladders, hitting the sand hard and running toward the direction Cole pointed. The reflector beam steadied, now locked onto a slumped shape partially buried under a collapsed bike frame.

But someone else was standing beside him. The silhouette was obscured by the harsh glare of the beam, details swallowed in shadow—but if one squinted, the outline was just visible.

Nya froze, pulling a spear from her back, but Lloyd reached out, stopping her mid-motion.

“Hello?” he called cautiously.

The figure didn’t move.

Then Nya saw it—the faint shimmer of green light tracing the edges of their form. Unnatural.

She raised her fists, water swirling tightly around them in preparation to strike.

She knew immediately what they were. A ghost.

The glowing robes stood still as the desert wind breezed Nya’s cheeks. They were standing with their back to them. Long translucent hairs, that seemed wet, were stuck to the clothing.

Nobody moved. The only sound was sand shifting beneath their boots and the distant flicker of static from the communicator still weakly connected to Zane's chest.

Lloyd stepped forward, cautiously.
“We’re not here to fight,” he said, slowly raising one hand. “We just want to help our friend.”

The ghost didn’t respond. Didn’t even twitch.

Then, a gust of wind stronger than the last swept across the dunes. In that instant, the figure turned their head.

Her jaw was dented inward, twisting the lower half of her face into a grotesque shape. Blood spattered across her skin, glowing faintly green, mixing with the sickly light that bled from her form. Nya held her breath, forcing her eyes away from the mangled jaw to meet the ghost’s gaze.

Eyes glowing green were locked at the ninjas with unreadable expression. Then Nya noticed, the gentle outline of the remaining of the face. It was a girl, teenage girl that couldn’t have been older than Lloyd.

Jay screamed.

At the sound, the ghost’s form flickered violently, as if her body were barely stitched together from mist. Her robes fluttered, translucent and bloodied, but she didn’t speak. Didn’t move to attack.

Instead, she began to drift backward into the dunes, the sand parting gently beneath her like water.

Cole gritted his teeth.

“She’s leaving—!”

“No—don’t chase” Lloyd ordered.

The figure disappeared in the darkness. And only then, the ninjas moved closer to laying Zane.

Zane’s body was twisted awkwardly, one arm caught beneath him, his chest plate cracked and flickering with faint blue light. Wires sparked where his synthetic skin had torn, but his eyes were open—dim, but glowing.

“Zane!” Cole dropped to his knees, brushing sand off his face.

“Say something Zane! You hear me?!” Jay yelled, stuttering, still shocked from the previous encounter. “Zane!”

“Pixal!” Lloyd shouted toward the Destiny’s Bounty. “Lower the stretcher—Zane’s in bad shape!”

Cole and Jay were already rushing forward, unhooking the stretcher and adjusting the braces to fit Zane’s limp body.

“Hang on, buddy. Hang on!” Lloyd’s voice cracked as he leaned over Zane, desperation starting to bleed through his expression.

…

“First Spinjitzu Master,” Harumi whispered, her breath catching as she saw Zane being lifted onto the deck. Her hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide with fear.

Nya didn’t even look at her.

Her focus was locked on Zane, on the injuries, on the lifeless way his head lolled to the side. She bolted to the console, hands trembling as she yanked open the medical interface. The others pushed the stretcher past her toward the medbay.

“Pixal, reading!” she snapped, already scanning the diagnostics herself.

The blinking red was all on the screen, screaming how much was bad with the Zane.

Vital systems offline. Power core unstable. Cognitive core damaged. Zane was barely holding together.

“He has extensive damage to all systems” Pixal reported, her voice tight with urgency. “His neural net and cognitive core have suffered multiple failures.”

“Can you do anything?” Nya asked, leaning over the console, eyes darting over the rapidly scrolling diagnostics.

“I have diverted power to critical functions, but Zane will have to handle the rest himself. He needs to reconfigure his internal systems and initiate a full reboot.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

Nya turned back at the voice that she didn’t thought she would hear. Kai was standing, curled up in the doorstep. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, posture defensive, like he didn’t know if he was allowed to be there. His eyes were shadowed, his voice low and cracked with trembling.

Nya blinked, startled, but before she could say anything, Lloyd spoke.

“We have to keep moving” he said, his voice fraying at the edges. “The Sons of Garmadon... they're still out there. And they’re still after you.” He looked at Kai. “You’re not safe here.”

Kai looked at the ground with even more disappearing expression. Nya make a step to him, but again, Harumi outrun her, grabbing Kai’s arm, under her.

“Kai!” she gasped concerned “You should be resting”

Kai just solemnly closed eyes and allowed her to be dragged out. However Nya was quicker and grabbed his other free arm.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

When Nya touched him, it was like watching a wounded animal flinch. He shrank behind Harumi, his grip on her sleeve tightening. Not possessively, but desperately, like she was the only stable ground he had left.

Nya’s hand lingered in the air, then slowly fell back to her side.

Her voice broke slightly.

“Kai… It’s me.”

Still, he said nothing. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Wouldn’t even lift his head.

Harumi glanced over her shoulder. Her expression was all concern, but behind it, something unreadable flickered in her eyes. She gently pushed Kai forward, shielding him.

“He’s overwhelmed” she said quietly, avoiding Nya’s gaze. “He needs rest.” Her last words came out more like a hiss than a statement.

Nya opened her mouth to argue, but Kai’s posture said everything. He wasn’t ready. Maybe didn’t even recognize her as someone safe.

So she let go.

“Okay” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. “Okay.”

She said it as she watched him disappear with Harumi into the corridor.

…

Nya wandered the deck under the moonlight, her eyes fixed on the stars as she tried to figure out what to do next.

“Shit!”

She whispered, wanting to break something badly. The situation was getting out of control.

“It’s frustrating, isn’t it?” Jay’s voice came softly as he approached, two mugs in his hands. “Tea?”

“Is that the same stuff Wu uses to calm us down?” she scoffed, accepting the mug from him. Then she gave him a small smile. “Thanks” she murmured.

“I think? Maybe. Partially. Yeah.”

“Partially?”

Jay shrugged.

“I kinda… shattered three jars last week and just mixed what I could scouped out into one.”

Nya let out a soft chuckle, the tension easing just a little.

“Don’t worry,” Jay whispered, his voice gentle but heavy with hope. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance to… be his sister again.” He gave her shoulder a light, comforting nudge.

“Yeah,” Nya replied, her voice cracking slightly, betraying her doubt more than her words did.

She lifted her eyes to meet Jay’s, but something shifted at the edge of her vision.

“Jay.”

“Hm?”

“The ghost… she’s behind you.”

Jay whipped around. Nya grabbed his arm, pulling him close. Her eyes locked on the figure at the far end of the ship.

There she was— ghost standing motionless like before next to Zane, cloaked in moonlight and mist. That fractured jaw, glowing with sickly green light, made Nya’s blood run cold. Jay’s body tensed. She could feel him trembling too.

Then—another voice called out from behind them, sharp and familiar.

“Are we interrupting something?”

Nya’s heart stuttered.

“…Mom?”

Nya stood frozen as her father stepped onto the ship’s deck, Master Wu beside him. Her mother stood nearby, arms open, waiting for a hug.

She turned back to the ghost. Ghost disappeared.

Did she just imagine it?

Or did she run away at the sight of her parents?

She forced herself to focus.

Turning back to the figures before her, she took a hesitant step forward, then stopped. Doubt tangled in her chest like thorns.

It was a strange feeling.

She knew this was her mother. But… she had only just learned about them.

Whenever she thought about parents, only image she had was Kai.

Maya’s warm expression faltered into a frown. Her gentle eyes creased deeper at the corners, concern growing behind them.

“Baby girl…” Maya whispered.

But her husband, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room, swept Nya into a tight hug, laughing softly as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You… aren’t her… are you?” Maya said in a low voice, her eyes fixed on Nya with quiet disbelief.

Ray froze mid-embrace, slowly pulling back. He looked at Maya, then at Nya, confusion creeping into his expression.

“Hey!” Jay stepped forward, his voice edged with frustration. “She’s your daughter—flesh and blood! Can’t you see? It’s Nya!”

“Am I, though…?” Nya said quietly, her chest tightening with the weight of it all.

Who was she now?
The Nya from her original timeline, trapped in a world that wasn’t hers?
Or the Nya of this timeline, inheriting memories that didn’t belong?
Even Jay—this version of him—wasn’t her Jay.
What here was hers at all?

She took a step back from Ray, deliberately avoiding both his and Maya’s eyes.

“As I explained to you… it’s much more complicated” Wu said gently, fingers combing thoughtfully through his beard.

Ray and Maya turned to him, visibly confused.

“Perhaps,” Wu added, looking toward Nya, “you should hear it again. This time… from your daughter herself.”

Chapter Text

Kai jerked awake, gasping for air.

Tapping.

He heard it. Tapping in his head.

He drew his knees to his chest, his fingers digging slowly into his skin. His nails, wrapped in bandages, began to bleed through as the pressure grew.

“...Kai?” Harumi’s voice was groggy, half-awake. She rubbed her eyes and gently pulled his arm, urging him to lie back down. “It's just the rain” she whispered. She moved closer, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Shh... It’s just the rain...” she repeated softly, pulling the blanket over him. “Go to sleep,” she murmured.

Kai closed his eyes again.

Tapping.

Harumi cuddled closer, holding him protectively. Gradually, the sound faded and Kai drifted back into uneasy sleep.

…

He woke again, this time bathed in sunlight.
Blinking a few times, he turned his head to the side. Harumi lay peacefully asleep, her white hair tangled across the pillow like threads of silver.

He frowned at the sight and sat up with a quiet exhale. The movement must have woken her, because a moment later she groaned softly and stretched.

She yawned, then looked at him with sleepy eyes, but her smile was warm and radiant.

“Morning” she said.

Kai didn’t answer. He stood up from the bed, biting his lip.

“What's wrong?” she asked, rubbing her eyes mid-yawn.

“...This.” Kai muttered.

“Care to elaborate?” Her brows furrowed.

“I slept in your bed.”

“...And?”

Kai crossed his arms, eyes dropping to the floor.

“It's wrong.”

“Seriously?” She raised an eyebrow. “This again?”

“People could get the wrong idea.”

“Like...?” she asked, smirking.

“First Spinjitzu Master—” he hissed through his teeth.

“It’s not like we’re blood-related or something” she said with a shrug. “It wouldn’t even count as incest if we fucked.”

“Fuck, Harumi! Can you be serious for once?” he snapped.

“What?” She tilted her head, clearly unfazed. His rising anger only seemed to fuel her casual defiance. “Okay, okay, geez!” she said, narrowing her eyes with a sigh. “So what? You wanted to cry on the floor while night having fucking panic attacks instead?”

Kai averted his eyes, staring at the ground.

“Now you can’t fucking answer that, can you?” she snapped, standing up. “You spent nearly every night in my chambers back at the palace— And now it’s suddenly a problem?”

“You were younger” he mumbled.

She grabbed his face, cupping his cheeks in her hands.

“Because you were having some kind of fucking panic attacks, just like you are having right now!” she shouted, yanking him closer before letting go with a sigh. “Look, I don’t fucking care what people might say. What matters to me is that you, my brother, get a decent night of sleep and some damn comfort. If you can’t deal with that, then… Fuck you.”

She scoffed and turned away, crossing her arms.

Kai scratched the back of his neck, awkward. He couldn’t argue. He couldn’t even deny it.

“I… I’m sorry” he mumbled.

“You fucking should be” she hissed, then she added. “Now go. I’m going to get dressed. Or do you think that might give people the wrong idea too?”

Kai scoffed and left, slamming the door behind him. He leaned against it, exhaling hard. Then, once again, he scratched the back of his neck.

Did he just start a fight for no reason?

He groaned to himself.

“Hey.”

Kai turned toward the voice. It was… Jay. That was probably his name.

Kai was still in his pyjamas, borrowed ones, at that. He should have felt ashamed, walking around like this, but then again, after last night, dignity didn’t rank high on his list of concerns. Honestly, he didn’t care anymore.

He inhaled and gave a slight, polite bow.

“Good morning.”

Jay blinked a few times, visibly confused.

“Um—yeah” Jay stammered. “Do you… need anything? How’re you feeling?”

Kai’s expression turned solemn as he scratched the back of his neck.

“…May I ask you for a clean set of clothes?” He glanced around. “I suppose I—”

“Yeah, sure! No problem.” Jay cut in quickly. “I think you’d fit in Zane’s clothes for now—or mine. We’ll figure something out later.”

Second-hand clothes. That stirred memories Kai hadn’t expected. How long had it been since he truly understood what a humble life felt like?

“Thank you.”

“No worries. Also, we’ll be having breakfast downstairs. Feel free to join us.”

…

After finishing his morning routine and managing to look somewhat presentable, Kai headed down to the kitchen, just as Jay had told him. He found only Lloyd and Cole there, setting the table.

“Kaisei!” Cole grinned at the sight of him, chuckling as he walked over and clapped him on the back. “You’re looking much better! Feeling better?”

Kai gave a small nod.

“Good to see you, prince” Lloyd added, giving him a quick, respectful bow of the head.

“…Can I help with breakfast?” Kai asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

Cole glanced at Lloyd, then back at Kai.

“Actually…” Cole began. “We’re pretty much done. Why don’t you sit and talk with us while we finish up?”

Kai nodded and moved to a corner of the room, careful not to get in their way.

“You like pancakes?” Cole asked from the kitchen annex. “You do know what pancakes are… right?”

Lloyd shot him a sharp glare for the unnecessary comment.

“Yes, I know” Kai said with a faint smile. “And I know how to make them too.” He added, almost to himself “Probably to your surprise.”

“Really?” Cole raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Kai clenched his jaw. He shouldn’t have said that. His eyes fell to the table, and he frowned slightly at the number of plates set out. There were too many.

“Will someone be joining us for breakfast?”

“You could say that…” Lloyd replied, setting down a plate of steaming pancakes. “You haven’t met my uncle yet—our Sensei, Sensei Wu.” He paused, then added, “And… he invited two more guests.”

“Guests?” Kai frowned at the vague response.

“You’ll see, Kaisei,” Cole said quickly, stepping in to help Lloyd.

“Morning” Jay yawned as he shuffled into the kitchen.

Cole glared at him.

“You know it’s your turn to make breakfast today, right?”

“It is?” Jay gave a nervous laugh. “I must’ve forgotten—” He flashed a goofy smile, then caught sight of Kai and immediately turned to him. “Hey dude! You look kinda fancy in my clothes!”

Cole gave him another pointed glare at what kind of change of topic Jay was even trying to pull.

“…Thank you again for lending them” Kai said with a quick bow.

“Um—”

“Good morning.” Another voice entered the room. It was Harumi. She smiled brightly at everyone and made her way to Kai’s corner.

“What the hell are you wearing?” she hissed through her teeth while still wearing that polite, graceful smile.

“…Clothes?” Kai replied with a shrug.

“Well, you look like shit in them—”

“…Thanks. Always can count on you, Rumi,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.

Then his thoughts drifted back again to the palace. The lost home. The people… his parents—
They were gone, while Kai stood here, waiting for some fucking pancakes.
A twist curled in his gut.
This was wrong.

“Rumi...” he whispered hesitantly. “...What about the funeral?”

Harumi’s eyes narrowed.

“The fuck?” She blinked a few times in disbelief. “You’re seriously telling me that’s your real concern?”

Kai didn’t answer her, still looking into her eyes.

“Fuck them.” She scoffed quietly, careful not to raise suspicion around the group. “Don’t you dare miss them. They were never really our parents.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. “We never belonged there in the first place.” She hissed the last words like a warning.

Kai swallowed hard, feeling the tight grip on his hand but unable to pull away. The weight of her words hung heavy between them.

“…Then where do we belong?” Kai whispered back.

Harumi opened her mouth to say something, but before a word could leave her lips, Nya quietly approached their corner. Her presence had gone almost unnoticed until she was right in front of them. Both Harumi and Kai turned to her, waiting for whatever she had to say.

But Nya hesitated.

Harumi’s expression quickly twisted into a frown full of suspicion.

“Hey...” Nya began, her voice cautious. “Can we talk... in private later?”

Harumi’s mouth opened again, but this time Kai acted first, covering her mouth with the hand.

“Sure—yes—of course” he said hastily, trying to suppress a groan as Harumi immediately started biting his fingers.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him as if to say really, Kai?

Nya, either ignoring the gesture or choosing not to react, nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“After breakfast?”

Harumi wrenched free and elbowed Kai hard in the stomach. Kai groaned irritated.

“Actually,” she hissed, “we have plans after breakfast. You promised you’d help me... with the hairpin.”

Kai gave her a deadpan look.

“The hairpin? Really? You’re seriously telling me that’s your real concern?” He said with mockery.

He turned back to Nya and was taken aback. There was something in her expression that made his chest tighten.
She looked... hurt. And jealous.

It was subtle, but enough to knock the wind from his sarcasm.

Kai’s faint smirk vanished.

“We’ll talk in private after breakfast” he said, more firmly now.

He didn’t miss the daggers Harumi was now glaring into the back of his head. He just chose to ignore it as always.

…

Breakfast went smoothly, surprisingly, despite Harumi kicking Kai under the table the entire time, clearly irritated that he had accepted Nya’s invitation. Her childish, four-year-old behaviour was nothing new.

And as always, Kai endured it.

There were a few unfamiliar faces at the table. An older couple, and one particularly ancient man with a long white beard. Kai couldn’t help but notice the way their eyes stayed glued to him throughout the meal. The couple whispered quietly to each other between bites, never fully breaking their stare.

Nya, too. Her silence was louder than words. Her gaze on him and Harumi was filled with something sharp and pained.

The whole atmosphere was suffocating. Only Jay, Cole and Lloyd were trying to erase tension with small talk about nothing.

When the breakfast was over, Jay volunteered to handle the dishes, giving Kai and Nya a silent opportunity to leave. Nya gave Kai a subtle nod and gestured for him to follow.

She took him to the room, that seemed as her. It was cluttered with schematics, scrolls, and gears. Kai didn’t know on what he should focus his eyes on. It certainly resembled his little, bratty, Harumi.

Nya shut the door behind them with care. Then she crossed the room to her desk, where she pushed aside a few scattered scrolls. Without a word, she picked up a framed photo and gave it to him.

She watched carefully his expression, any change on his face.

He frowned, uncertain what reaction she was expecting from him.

“So… This is about what you were trying to say back at the palace?” His voice was cautious and doubtful.

She didn’t say anything just gaze back at him with full of pain eyes.

Kai inhaled, not hiding confusion. He looked at the photo.

He instantly recognized the couple that were siting on the breakfast, here on the picture – much way younger. Between them, kids.

Kai scoffed.

“Are you seriously giving me blurry photo?”

“Blurry?”

Kai rolled his eyes and handed the picture back to her.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but I’m out.”

“Wait—what do you mean blurry?” Nya asked sharply.

“It means exactly what I said.” He shrugged. “Faceless kids. I don’t know, are you into urban legends? Or was that the intro to some creepy story from the internet?”

Nya dashed immediately form the room.

Kai stood there, blinking, more confused than ever. He scratched the back of his neck, glancing toward the door. Just as he made up his mind to leave, it swung open again—this time, with Nya returning… and Jay behind her.

“Jay, look at this photo.” Nya said, giving him the frame.

Jay blinked, clearly confused, but took the picture and studied it. After a moment, he glanced at Kai.

“If it weren’t for the scar—” he began.

Kai immediately shifted his gaze, jaw tightening. That word again. He resisted the growing urge to walk out, knowing it would only draw more attention.

“I thought it was already obvious that…” Jay lowered his voice, “…it’s him.”

“No, not that,” Nya snapped, shaking her head. “Do you see anything weird? Blurry faces? Faceless kids?”

Jay squinted at the picture.

“Uhhh… no? Should I?”

“No!”

“Then, that’s fine?”

She groaned in frustration.

“That’s the problem. Kai sees one.”

Jay looked back at Kai, brows raised.

“Seriously, dude?”

Kai scoffed.
“Is this some kind of joke?”

Nya snatched the picture back from Jay and shoved it into Kai’s hands again.
“Look closely!”

He flinched at the sudden movement, glaring at her, but reluctantly glanced down at the photo. His brows furrowed. He just wanted this whole thing to be over already.

What nonsense. A blurry spot? Seriously? What were they even hoping he would see?

Of course, nothing, came from it. How could he read anything from it.

And yet—
He froze.

The distorted part of the image… it wasn’t static.

The spiral of the blurriness was barley moving. A slow, almost imperceptible spiral, like mist circling a drain. For a moment, he thought he was imagining it. But the dread in his chest twisted tighter. It was making him uncomfortable, giving him nausea, headache and—

Then—he saw them.

Eyes.

Purple, abyssal, pupil-less. Staring straight at him. Through him.

He dropped the picture, catching the breath.

He was back again in the room, Nya and Jay looking at him with concern. No abyss gazing into him.

“Are you alright?” Jay asked, but Kai only grew in panic, feeling how he would hyperventilate in any given moment.

He bolted from the room.

“Kai!” Nya shouted, chasing after him.

She caught up easily, grabbing his wrist.

“Your name is Kai! Kai Jiang-Smith!”

“Let me go!” he snapped, jerking his arm, but her grip tightened.

“Kai Jiang-Smith!” she repeated, louder now, like the name was supposedly mean something.

“What the hell is this about?!” a sharp voice cut through the chaos.

Kai’s head whipped toward the source.

Harumi stood in the corridor, fuming. Her fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tight enough to crack. She looked like she could lunge at Nya at any second and gouge her eyes out without a second thought.

“What exactly are you doing to my brother?” she hissed, voice low but sharp as a dagger.

“It’s not like that—” Nya began, but Harumi had already stepped closer, forcing her to back off.

Jay slipped between them.

“Okay, this might sound crazy to you, but—” Jay said, his voice tight with stress.

“I’m your sister, Kai. Biologically,” Nya cut in, the words trembling in the air like a fragile truth.

Kai froze.
He blinked a few times, stunned.

Harumi held her breath too.

“This is ridiculous. This is fucking ridiculous!” Harumi shouted. She yanked Kai’s arm, pulling him out of Nya’s reach, then turned him slightly behind her, shielding him like a guard dog poised to bite. “He’s barely holding himself together, and you think now’s the time to play mind games?”

“It’s the truth!” Nya insisted. “Kai, it’s your real name—Harumi, you even told me—” She stumbled, trying to organize the storm of thoughts. “Your parents, Kai… they’re here. Maya and Ray—”

“Stop this nonsense! You’re breaking him!”

“I’m not breaking him!” Nya shouted back.

Kai stood frozen behind Harumi—pale, shaking. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, not from anger… but fear. And Harumi saw it.

Harumi turned her head just enough to whisper to him, her voice soft and razor-sharp, meant only for his ears.
“You want me to get rid of her?”

“Harumi—” Nya warned.

“I swear I’ll throw you through the ship deck if you say one more word,” Harumi snapped, her smile now honed like a blade.

Kai didn’t answer. His throat had locked up. He was still processing the word.
Sister.

Harumi.
Kizuna.
Nya.

Sisters.
Sister.

His mind was blank.

He tore his arm from Harumi’s grip.
“What—what are you saying—” he asked, voice hoarse. He swallowed hard.

“Kai!” Harumi hissed, digging her nails into his arm.

Nya inhaled sharply, clutching at her chest.
“I’m your biological sister. I’ve been looking for you. Me—” She paused, biting her lip. “Me and… our parents.”

Kai’s chest twisted tight, like a knife was being driven into his gut.
“H-How—?” he stammered. But before he could say more, Harumi jerked away from him, face twisted in frustration, and stormed off.

He looked at Nya. At Jay. Then back at Harumi.

And he ran after her.

“Rumi, wait—!”

He chased her to her room, but didn’t make it in time. The door slammed, followed by the sharp click of the lock. He grabbed the doorknob, no use.

“Rumi—please!” he knocked, his voice cracking with desperation.

“Fuck you!” she yelled from the other side.

“Rumi...”

“Go to your fucking sister! She’s probably better and perfect and everything I’m not!”

“Harumi, you know it’s not—”

“Leave me alone!”

Kai sighed, eyes falling shut as he pressed his forehead against the door. Of course it had to end like this. Slowly, he slid down until he was sitting on the floor, back against the wood.

“Rumi...” he murmured. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it—”

For a long moment, there was silence. Just his breathing, and the faint sound of her pacing beyond the door.

Then her voice came, quieter this time, muffled by wood and wounded pride.

“You always pick them...” She said, almost too soft to catch. “You always choose anyone but me.”

Kai’s heart sank. He rested his head back against the doorframe.

“That’s not true.”

“It is.” She whispered harshly. “First Kizuna, then your servants friends— And now— the second someone else shows up claiming to be your ‘real’ family—” Her voice cracked with a short, bitter laugh. “You just abandoned me.”

He shut his eyes.

“Rumi, you know that’s not true. I promised you—I’ll always stay with you, no matter what.”

Silence thickened between them.

“I told you back then. That I wouldn’t abandon you. And I never will.”

He heard the soft click of the lock turning. Kai straightened up, and the moment Harumi opened the door, he pulled her into a hug without hesitation.

“You are my sister. My little sister.” He whispered. “I will never abandon you.”

“Then why do I always feel like you will?” She scoffed, not returning the embrace.

“I didn’t ask for any of this.” He murmured. “I don’t even know what’s real anymore.”

“You know me” she snapped. “Isn’t that enough?”

There was a pause.

“...It is,” he finally said, barley as a whisper. “It is.”

She finally hugged him back.

Chapter Text

Harumi swung back and forth, legs kicking freely above the ground. She fixed her sparking eyes on the woman seated across from her. With a giggle, she jumped on the chair and stood on it.

“Do it again! Do it again!” she cheered.

“Now, now…” the woman replied with a gentle smile. “Where’s the magic word, my dear?”

“Now!” Harumi pounded the table with her tiny hands.

“Harumi?”

“Mooooom, please!”

Her mother snapped her fingers, and a soft purple glow shimmered into being, shaping in the form of a cat. The glowing cat blinked, then playfully stuck out its tongue. Harumi burst in laugh.

“Why don’t you try, Rumi?” her mother encouraged.

Harumi’s face fell, and she plopped back into her chair with a pout.

“It doesn’t work.” she muttered.

“You need tipsy-dipsy patience, Rumi. Spells take practice… and time.” Her mother gently patted the seat beside her. Harumi climbed off her chair and sat on her mother’s lap, gazing up at her hands. “Our power comes from the Dark Lord… As my mother, my grandmother… all the way back through generations. We served as His priestesses—carrying out His will, and in return He granted us knowledge and power. We are His extension of power, that supposed to lead others” Her mother spoke with soft authority, eyes shimmering magenta as she watched Harumi’s fascination. “And you, my dear…” She stroked a lock of Harumi’s silver hair. “You are the Chosen One—you will inherit aaaall of it, just as I did, and my mother, my mother’s mother before and before, before...” She kissed Harumi gently on the forehead. “We are, all of us, Daughters of Darkness, the Dark Priestesses.”

Harumi frowned at the kiss.

“Stop kissing me. I’m too old for that.”

Her mother laughed, brushing Harumi’s hair back.

“You’re never too old for your mother’s kisses.”

“What about—witches’ kisses for Daddy?”

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

“Dad!”

Harumi leapt off her mother’s lap and rushed to the entrance, where her father appeared.

“Aren’t you too old for this?” he teased, lifting her up with a playful groan.

Harumi clung to him, grinning from ear to ear.

The woman smiled softly as she watched her husband step through the doorway.

“Everything is ready, dear. Me and Yoshiki got the resources.” he said setting Harumi down gently. “Two days of preparation… I just hope whatever the Lord is planning, it’s worth it—”

“It’s always worth it, Yue.” She interrupted, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Welcome home.”

“Mhm” he hummed, resting a hand briefly on her shoulder before turning to their daughter. “Alright, Rumi. Go get your ritual robes— We’re heading to the shrine.”

Harumi gave a sharp nod and dashed off toward her room, excitement lighting up her face.

…

She walked between her parents, swinging joyfully from their hands as they strolled through the bustling streets of Ninjago. Sunlight danced across Harumi’s face, making her giggle as it tickled her skin. Her father carried a cloth bag over one shoulder with their ritual robes folded neatly inside.

“Mooooom?” Harumi started. “Why do we always need to bring a second set of clothes for the ritual?”

“They’re traditional robes, sweetheart” her mother replied. “We wear them to show respect to the Lord.”

“Why? Don’t you already respect Him enough?”

“Well…” her mother smiled, thinking about the answer “Don’t you like to look nice when you meet someone important? Someone you want to like you?”

“I don’t think the Lord cares what you look like” Harumi said bluntly.

Her mother laughed softly.

“You’re probably right, Rumi. In the end, actions matter more than appearances.”

“Then why don’t we just change at home instead of at the shrine?”

At that, her mother’s smile faded slightly. She glanced at Harumi’s father, with puzzled expression, before turning back to her daughter.

“Because most people you’ll meet, Rumi… they don’t serve the Dark Lord. They choose to worship the First Spinjitzu Master instead.” She gently ruffled Harumi’s hair. “The Lord and the Master… they’re both the same, and yet complete opposites. One can’t exist without the other.”

Harumi nodded slowly, her small brow furrowed in thought as they continued toward the shrine.

“That doesn’t make any sense” Harumi muttered, frowning.

“Perhaps not to us mortals” her mother said with a laugh. “But remember this, Harumi: many people will tell you the Dark Lord is evil itself—and that’s only partially true. He is… because He chose to take on that role. Just as the First Spinjitzu Master gave life to the world, the Dark Lord gave a part of Himself too—granting death, destruction, emotions, and the power to change. It might seem cruel to us, but it was necessary. For the universe to stay in balance, both had to give something, even if what the Dark Lord gave feels harsh to those who live through it.”

Harumi fell quiet, her mind clearly spinning with thoughts too big for her years.

But she quickly, stopped as soon as she saw a familiar shop between larger buildings.

An unassuming family business, one of many scattered across Ninjago. At a glance, there was nothing remarkable about it… Except for its curious location, directly above an abandoned subway station.

The shopkeeper looked up, recognized them, and offered a warm, knowing smile.

They returned it with a nod and without another word, they made their way to a shelf lined with colourful sweets. Her father reached behind a stack of cookies and pressed a hidden button. The back of the shelf gave a soft click and slowly slid open, revealing a narrow staircase narrowing downward into the shadows.

“We are misunderstood, Harumi. He is misunderstood.” her mother said gently. “And people fear what they don’t understand. That’s why we work in darkness—just as the Lord was born from it.”

Harumi dashed ahead, racing down the corridor that sloped beneath the city’s bones. The moment she entered the underground hall, the familiar scent of damp stone and incense hit her nostrils, but she hardly noticed it anymore.

The hall was bathed in soft red light that shimmered against the cold, aged brick walls. Shadows flickered across faces and cloaks, lending the room a quiet reverence. People were scattered in small groups, speaking in hushed tones. It was a scene Harumi knew by heart.

There was Mr. Grond, deep in conversation with Uncle Yoshiki as always. Jessie was arguing with her girlfriend, again. Harumi didn’t understand why they were still together, but at this point, it felt like part of the ritual, before ritual. Mrs. Koizumi was—

“Rumi! My child! Cupcake?” offering a sweet from the woven basket.

Harumi’s eyes lit up. She gave a quick nod and snatched the treat with practiced speed, already biting into it before the woman could blink. Mrs. Koizumi chuckled softly, watching the little girl savour every crumb. “Just like your mother at that age,” she said with a smile.

“Rumi… What do we say?” her mother scolded, staying from behind.

“Tha—yhou!” replied Harumi with full mouth.

…

Her mother stood at the centre of the altar, poised in the cavernous space. Once an abandoned track depot, the space had been carefully repurposed, reborn into something sacred. Magenta crystals were covering the holding structure, casting eerie reflections in the dim, red lights. The air around them gave ominous atmosphere.

Harumi stood to the right of the altar, eyes wide with focused admiration as she watched her mother step into the circle of red-painted symbols painted onto the floor.

She recognized some of them, just a few, but enough to make her chest swell with pride.

Among all the children in the community, she understood the dark arts better than anyone her age. She was meant to. She was the future Daughter of Darkness.

Her mother raised the ceremonial blade, its edge catching the glint of red light as she cut through the corpses laid upon the altar. The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of blood.

Harumi didn’t flinch. She didn’t look away.

Death was part of life. And in rituals like this, it was also a message. A powerful offering. A way to speak more clearly to the Dark Lord.

Her mother began to chant, her voice low and melodic, echoing off the stone walls with ancient weight.

Harumi listened closely. Again, she recognized some of the words, deciphering syllables and phrases she had practiced in quiet hours. She was a hard worker. A good daughter.

A worthy heir to the darkness.

Suddenly, Harumi was pulled from her thoughts by the flickering appearance of lights. Familiar, otherworldly two magenta orbs that hovered in the air like silent watchers. She gazed upon them, while the mother’s chant continued to echo through the chamber like a lullaby.

Then it came.

M̵̧͋y̸̘̤̓ ̸̬͌̚͜c̶̤͎̊h̶̗̘̑ì̶͈͝ļ̶̓d̵͙͑͝r̴̙̓̈́e̷͓̠͑n̴̝̊.̴͉̘̽̽

The voice wasn’t heard with ears. It settled directly into Harumi’s mind, cold and relentless. It was not cruel, but it held no warmth. Only purpose.

She straightened instinctively, heart pounding.

The Dark Lord had answered.

And she was listening.

Then came the flash.

A pulse of blinding light erupted from the hovering orbs, sending waves of heat and force rippling through the chamber. Harumi flinched, instinctively shielding her eyes, but stopped herself. Remembering that she shouldn’t have looked away from the Lord.

Forcing her hands down, she blinked against the brightness.

And in the heart of it, something moved.

A figure twisted within the dense fog that poured from the Lord’s presence.

A boy. A teenage boy.

He floated mid-air, wreathed in the Lord’s mist, but not subdued by it. He groaned, not in pain, but in fury, his body radiating dangerous heat that made the red-magenta crystals on the walls tremble and hum.

His fists were clenched, wreathed in real fire, burning defiantly against the creeping darkness. Each swing tore through the fog with desperate, furious resistance. His face was twisted in rage, fighting. Fighting with everything he had against the will of the Dark Lord.

Harumi stared, breath caught in her throat.

Who was he?

And why was he foolish enough to fight in the presence of the Lord?

A̶n̸ ̶u̵n̴l̷o̸o̷k̷e̸d̷-̴f̶o̴r̴ ̸r̷e̷s̸o̶u̷r̴c̵e̴ ̴t̴h̴a̴t̸ ̶m̵a̵y̷ ̴y̶e̷t̴ ̵s̶h̴a̷p̶e̴ ̸t̵h̶e̵ ̸f̶u̷t̷u̵r̷e̸.̶ ̸H̵e̵ ̸i̴s̶ ̵y̵o̸u̶r̷s̵.̸

Harumi’s eyes widened.
The Lord had answered her thoughts.

No—seen them. Heard them before she’d even fully thought them. Her heart pounded, her body still but her mind a storm of disbelief.

Fear.

And then, joy.

It was her. She was the one the Dark Lord had chosen.

He was speaking to her.

Her knees almost buckled under the weight of the moment. The air around her felt thinner, sharper, like the edge of a blade brushing her skin. But she stood tall.

She would not look away. She would not falter.

K̸̼̀a̷͚̾ͅi̴̤̰͋ ̸̞́͠J̵͔́͛i̶̙͇̽a̸̖̫͌̆n̶̳͐g̴̮̫̏͝-̸͇̿͘S̴̡̤̚m̴͎̊ĩ̴̢t̵͙̰̽ḧ̴̡́̾,̶͙̠̊͒ ̴̣͈̀͝y̸̺̺̓̊ö̷͎͓́͝ű̷̢̦͠r̵̲̚ ̴̭͖̽f̵̗͎͂à̶̧̺m̷̤̺͛i̴̮̠͒l̵̨̈͊ͅŷ̴͈.̶̨̈́

The name carved itself into the air like a blade dragging across glass.

“Don’t you fucking DARE!” the boy screamed, ripping a breath through the fog just long enough to speak. His voice was raw with fury, like a wildfire “I’ll destroy you—like I did before—”

But before the final word could escape his lips, the mist surged—twisting, writhing, and lunging for his face. It gathered around the scar beneath his eye like a living thing, tentacles of shadow slipping beneath his skin. The boy wiggled, fiercely, with his all might to jerked away from it. His fire flared in defiance, scorching the air, but the mist did not yield.

With a flash of cold malice, the fog ripped into him. His eye, gone, devoured by the shadow. The wound pulsed, raw and searing, as the fog slithered deep into the hollow it left behind.

The boy screamed, screamed in agony, a scream unlike anything Harumi had ever heard.

Flames exploded from him in a desperate burst. But it was too late.
The mist completed its work. It withdrew slowly into his eye, leaving only a ruined scar and silence in its wake.

Then, the fire extinguished. His body went limp. Followed by the heavy thud of his unconscious body crashing against the cold, hard floor.

…

The boy was carried into a smaller chamber, one used for quieter rituals, its shelves lined with arcane tools and relics steeped in old magic. Her father and Uncle Yoshiki gently laid him on the worn velvet couch. The air hung thick with tension, the silence stammered with unspoken questions. No one quite knew what to do, or what he truly was.

Scared and panicked faces surrounded her mother, keeping her busy. Even she, usually so unfazed, looked burdened. Through her calm, failing words, the frustration was crawling. Harumi knew she held her anger well, as she reassured others, hiding her real emotions.

The earth above them rumbled.

It was distant. But it was enough for the panicked crowd. The voices around her mother rose again, nervous, interpreting the quake as a sign. The Lord’s will, they said. A warning, perhaps. Or a summons.

But Harumi stood apart, still. Unbothered.

She understood exactly what had happened.

Dark Lord said the boy was hers.

And he was the family.

So why didn’t the adults see it?

While they argued, Harumi sneaked up quietly toward the couch. She stood beside the boy and studied him closely. He was older than her, but still young. But much taller than her father. His jaw was sharp, clenched even in unconsciousness. He was still breathing, slow and steady.

His clothes were a mess of torn red fabric, crusted with mud, dried blood, and sweat. They looked like a ninjas’ gi, but Harumi knew better. There was no red ninja. Maybe he was a fan. Secret fan, like she was. Her dad didn’t like ninjas at all.

‘Kai’ the Lord had called him.
It was a nice name.

She leaned in, eyes drawn to the scar slashing across one of his closed lids. She wondered, would his eye be purple now, like her mother’s? A mark of the Lord’s bond?

Curious, Harumi reached out, her small fingers moving to lift the boy’s eyelid—

But before she could touch him, a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked it back.

“Harumi!” She raised a voice “Yue, take her, now—”

Before Harumi could protest, her father scooped her into his arms and swiftly carried her away. They moved through the red-lit corridors until they reached the old ticket office of the subway. Now, repurposed as a changing room.

Without wasting a second, he stripped off her dark ritual robes and hastily slipped the soft white dress over her head.

“Dad” Harumi groaned in protest against his rushed movements. “Are we taking him home?”

Her father paused, hands frozen mid-button.

“Who, Rumi?”

“Kai!” she said, her voice rising. “The boy! The Lord said he's mine!”

Her father eyes narrowed in confusion. He opened his mouth to respond, but before the words came, another tremor shook the ground. Dust drifted from the ceiling, and his expression turned pale, eyes flicking upward.

He exhaled slowly, then knelt to face her.

“Sweetheart, I don’t know… It’s up to your mother. And the Dark Lord.” He added, almost under his breath.

“But the Lord told me! He’s mine!”

Her father’s gaze sharpened.

“Harumi, the Lord’s will isn't always meant to be taken literally. It’s… difficult to interpret.”

“But I heard him! He said—”

“Rumi,” he interrupted, his tone turning firmer. “This isn’t the time. You must stay away from the boy for now.”

“But Kai is—mine!”

“Harumi!” her father snapped, voice raised for the first time. “He’s not yours! I don’t know what the Lord meant, but nothing about that boy feels safe. Whatever reason Lord brought Elemental Master— It’s not something we can just take home and pretend it’s normal!”

“Yue!”

The voice came from behind.

Both turned. Harumi’s mother stumbled toward them, breathless, with the unconscious boy slung heavily over her shoulder. Strands of her hair clung to her sweat-soaked skin, and her robes were dishevelled.

“There’s an attack on the surface” she said breathlessly. “We have to move—now!”

Her father blinked, stunned.

“Attack? What?!”

“We need to evacuate—now! The underground's too unstable to hold if things collapse—”

“What’s attacking?!”

“I don’t know!” she snapped. “People were panicking, shouting about snake—something big. I tried to calm them, but—” she gritted her teeth, fury in her voice, not fear. “The ninjas showed up. Again.”

Yue’s eyes narrowed.

“Of course it’s them—always meddling where—”

“Take Harumi and go!” she barked. “And take the boy.”

Yue flinched.

“Him?! The Fire Elemental Master?! Are you out of your mind?! He’s one of them—”

“He was sent by the Dark Lord!” she shot back, stepping forward, defiant.

“He’s our enemy—for the Overlord’s sake!”

“Yue!” she shouted.

They stared at each other, intensively. But then, his father gave up first, helping her with the unconscious boy.

“Come on, hurry up!” He said, as he pulled Kai on his backs, adjusting his weight.

They ran, the rumble of collapsing tunnels chasing them through the trembling corridors of the abandoned subway.

With each passing second, her parents seemed to be worried more. Harumi just watched them with curious look, of what could have happened to put them out of their always calm expressions.

They reached the stairs, from where they came, to the surface. But just as her father pushed the door open, a deafening crack sounded. The ceiling above buckled, and pieces of concrete rained down.

Harumi watched Kai, hanging from her father's back, as he pulled her to another corner. She heard groaning that didn't resemble her father.

“He’s waking up!” Harumi shouted, eyes lighting up. She saw him twitch, then groan again.

Yue stopped in his tracks, surprised. He quickly lowered the boy to the ground, propping him up against the wall.

“Hey—hey, kid!” Yue slapped Kai’s cheek lightly, trying to get a response. “Can you hear me?”

“Yue!” his wife scolded. “Don’t be so rough!”

“He’s the Fire Elemental Master, for Overlord’s sake, Mei! You saw it—he literally burned in the Lord’s presence!”

“This is not the time for lectures!” her mother snapped.

Kai groaned again. His eyelids fluttered, and then slowly opened. Harumi leaned in, almost breathless with anticipation.

Would his eyes glow? Would they be purple, like mother’s?

But no. Just amber. Confused, unfocused amber.

Kai blinked, disoriented, struggling to sit up. His gaze flicked between the strangers around him.

Harumi watched him, both disappointed and fascinated.

“Wh-Who... are you?” Kai stuttered, trying to stand up.

“We’re your family,” her mother said gently, her voice the same soft lilt she always used with Harumi. “As the Dark Lord has declared.”

“Mei!” her father hissed under his breath, his eyes flashing with alarm.

“...Family?” Kai echoed, unsteady. He tried again to rise but faltered, collapsing into her mother’s arms.

“Yes, dear… family,” she murmured, cradling him like he was a wounded bird. “You must be so, so, confused.” Her hand patted his back, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you remember your name?”

Kai’s brow furrowed.

 “...My... name...?”

Her mothers eyes shimmered with pulse of purple blooming in them. She leaned closer, her voice silky and patient.

“Yes, dear. Your name. Try to remember...”

“Mei!” Yue snapped louder this time, as another tremor cracked through the floor beneath them.

But she didn’t let go.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll understand everything soon.” She reached for his hand. “Come now, we need to keep moving. It’s dangerous here.”

Yue gritted his teeth, grabbing Harumi’s hand tightly. On the other side, Kai clutched Mei’s fingers, dazed but obedient.

“He’s under the Dark Lord’s influence” Harumi's mother whispered quickly to her husband. “He’s ours now. Just as the Lord said.”

Harumi caught the words. Her heart fluttered with excitement, even if surroundings were in pure chaos.

Another quake shook the tunnel, harder this time. They stumbled as the ceiling above creaked ominously. The emergency lights flickered and finally died, plunging them into complete darkness.

“We’ll discuss this later.” Yue hissed, his voice edged with panic. “Right now, we need to get out—”

“Kai...” Mei interrupted, soft but urgent. “Can you use your powers?”

Kai blinked in the dark.

“...Powers?”

“Yes. Your fire. It’s within you. Just breathe. Focus. Feel it.”

For a moment, there was silence, then a low hiss, like a match striking. A faint orange glow pulsed from Kai’s palm. Then a flame, flickering to life, casting trembling shadows across their faces.

Kai stared at it, mesmerized. “...This...?”

“Yes, my dear” her mother smiled, eyes glinting in the firelight. “That’s it. Now follow me.”

Yue groaned in open disapproval, but said nothing more. He moved behind them, holding tightly to Harumi’s hand as the group returned toward the ritual chamber.

The hall still stood, untouched, for now. Magenta crystals lined the walls, their surfaces catching and fracturing the orange light of Kai’s fire. Their reflections danced in the gloom, ominous and beautiful. The rumbling hadn’t stopped, but in that firelit silence, it felt like the breath before something greater.

When they reached the altar again, Harumi’s parents immediately rushed toward the door on the left, fumbling with the locks and mechanisms hidden in the wall.

Kai stopped, his eyes drawn to the blood-marked altar at the centre of the chamber. Something about it held him.

Harumi didn’t give him a chance to dwell. She grabbed his hand and tugged him forward.

“Kai.” She said sharply, breaking his focus.

He blinked a few times, looking down at her.

“You’re slow.”

He stared at her, utterly lost. Still, he let her pull him, careful to tilt the fire in his hand away from her skin.

“Where… where are we? What’s happening?” He asked, his voice low.

Harumi shrugged as if it were obvious. “Mom said it was the snake.”

“…Mom?” he echoed, confused.

She nodded, completely serious.

“Mom.”

Kai hesitated, eyes flicking between her and the chamber.

“I’m sorry, but— Who-who are you?”

“Harumi!” She huffed, already annoyed that he didn’t know.

“…Are you… my sister?”

She paused, blinking.

Then a slow, wide grin spread across her face, so wide it almost hurt her cheeks.

She liked the sound of that.

“Yes!”

The sound of the opening mechanism made both of them turn toward the parents.

“Quickly!” her father urged, waving his hand for them to follow.

This time, Kai didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Harumi’s small hand and pulled her close, guiding her forward.

They raced up the staircase, but it felt as though they would never reach the surface. The rumbling above grew louder and more frequent. With every step closer to the exit, the threat loomed larger. Still, they pushed forward, desperate to escape the underground.

They finally emerged in the green plaza of Ninjago City. A place Harumi had wandered many times with her parents on sunny days. But now, the sun offered no comfort. Harumi had to squint against its harsh glare. Dust choked the air, making her cough, and destruction stretched out in every direction. Debris was scattered across the streets, overturned cars blocked the roads, and the air vibrated with the panic of the crowd. Shouts and screams echoed all around them.

Harumi clung tighter to Kai, uncertain and afraid. He looked just as lost, his eyes shifting to her parents, silently pleading for answers, but there was no time.

Another tremor shook the ground.

“Mei—” her father gasped, his voice thick with fear. Her mother, more composed, scanned the chaos.

“There!” she shout, spotting a group of firefighters in bright yellow jackets directing the evacuation. Without hesitation, she grabbed both Kai’s and Harumi’s hands and pulled them toward safety.

Then, suddenly—

Without warning, without even a moment to breathe, a building collapsed above them. Debris crashed down like thunder.

The last thing Harumi heard was her father’s shout and the warmth of Kai’s chest as he shielded her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was coughing so hard her lungs burned. Dust clung to the air, thick and suffocating, the world still buried in rubble.

It was dark again. Cramped. The only light came from a single beam of sunlight breaking through the debris above. Harumi’s knees throbbed, and when she shakily stood up, she saw the scrapes. Skin reddened, a thin stream of blood was trickling down.

Tears welled in her eyes as the pain finally reached her mind.

“Hey—” Kai coughed, his voice raspy from the dust. He was struggling to breathe too. “You okay?”

Harumi didn’t answer at first. She simply showed him her knees.

Kai pulled her into a hug, holding her gently. His face was smeared with dust, his voice soft but trembling. “It’s alright… just a scratch.”

Still clinging to him, Harumi glanced around. The space they were in was sealed off, surrounded by rubble. There was no way out.

Her eyes scanned for any cracks, any small passage they could crawl through, but nothing seemed promising. Then, something caught her eye.

It wasn’t quite a crack. It shimmered faintly in the sunbeam.

Harumi blinked, her breath catching in her throat.

A hand.

Pale, still, with strands of silver hair tangled in the debris.

“…Mom?” she whispered, stepping forward.

“Hey—hey, look at me.” Kai’s hand gently turned her face back toward him. “Harumi, right ..? Don’t look over there, okay? Just look at me.”

“But… Mom—”

“Don’t think about it.”

Kai was shaking now. His arms wrapped tighter around her, pulling her back to his chest.

“Don’t look at it. Don’t think about it.” He repeated, his voice cracking, on the edge of breaking.

Harumi wasn’t stupid.

She was just a kid. But she wasn’t stupid.

“…She’s not going to be okay, is she?” she murmured, gripping the fabric of Kai’s clothes.

Kai didn’t answer.

He only held her tighter.

Harumi yanked herself from Kai’s embrace, but he didn’t move an inch. His stillness only fuelled her anger, and she began to thrash harder. She screamed, scratched, kicked, even bit, but Kai held on. He didn’t loosen his grip for a second.

“Let me go!” she cried, her voice raw with grief and panic.

But Kai didn’t budge.

He held her tightly, anchoring her in place, refusing to let her go. His arms trembled with the effort, not from her struggle, but from holding back his own tears.

…

She didn’t know how much time had passed on crying, screaming, fighting against Kai. Her strength had drained away, leaving her limp and trembling in his arms. Now, she lay quietly, her head resting against his chest with her throat raw from all constant yelling.

Kai said nothing. He just gently patted her back as if trying to lull her into calm with nothing more than silence and warmth.

Harumi’s eyelids drooped, heavy with exhaustion.

“Let me go…” she murmured, her voice cracked and broken.

“Shh…” Kai whispered, barely audible.

A hiccup jolted through her chest.

“Mom is… dead…”

Kai held her closer.

“I’m here” he said softly. “I’m with you.”

“Dad is dead too.” She said flatly, the words falling from her mouth with more frustration than sorrow.

Kai didn’t say a word.

He only leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her dusty hair, holding her a little tighter. There was nothing he could say. No words that could fix what had just broken.

Her parents were gone. They left her.

…

Harumi didn’t cry anymore. She had no tears left. Her body was too tired, her heart too full. She just sat there, curled into Kai’s arms, listening to the slow rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear. It was the only sound that didn’t feel like the end of the world.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Time didn’t make sense down there, under the rubble, beneath the weight of grief and dust.

Eventually, Kai moved. Carefully, he shifted his weight, just enough to peek upward at the broken ceiling above.

“We can’t stay here forever.” He whispered.

Harumi didn’t answer. She didn’t move.

“The hole is enough for you to fit” he patted her back “I will lift you up, and you will crawl through it okay?”

Harumi didn’t move.

“Hey… Can you hear me” he moved slightly to see her face.

Harumi nodded slightly.

“Okay… Listen to me carefully…” Kai said, gently pulling Harumi back just enough so she could see his face.

It was pale, streaked with sweat, and smeared with dried blood on his forehead. His eyes were tired, but steady, locked onto hers with determination.

“You’re going to climb onto my shoulders” he continued, voice firm but gentle. “I’ll lift you as high as I can. There’s a gap up there—I-I think you can fit through it.”

Harumi blinked, her breath catching.

“You need to climb up, Harumi. And whatever happens next… you don’t look back. You don’t stop. You just keep going. You focus on getting out of here. Understand?”

She didn’t respond right away. Her lip trembled.

“But—what about you?”

Kai managed a weak smile.

“One step at a time. First, we get you out. That’s the only thing that matters right now.”

“You want to leave me” she said, voice tight.

“No, no, Harumi—” Kai began, reaching for her.

“You want to leave me!” she shouted louder this time.

“Harumi, listen—” he tried again, voice cracking.

“You’re not going to leave me!” she screamed, throwing herself at him, clinging desperately. “No! No! No! You won’t leave me! You won’t die and leave me!”

Kai froze for a moment, her words hitting him like a punch to the chest.

His arms wrapped around her again, protective.

“I’m not leaving you” he whispered. “I’m trying to save you.”

She shook her head, pressing her face into his shoulder, her small hands clutching the fabric of his clothes like letting go would mean losing everything.

“I won’t go without you” she sobbed.

Kai’s jaw clenched. He closed his eyes.

“Okay…” he sighed, patting her back. “Okay…”

…

Harumi’s lips were dry. The night had fallen and the only source of the light came from a faint flame flickering at the tip of Kai’s finger.

She had asked him not to put it out.

She liked watching it, how it danced with each subtle movement, how its warmth clung to them, how it pushed back just enough of the darkness to make the place feel less forgotten.

The soft glow painted their faces in gold and orange. Harumi kept drifting in and out of sleep, unable to rest for long. The exhaustion always pulled her back awake.

“Spider's in the house… Sleep, sleep” she hummed under her breath, eyes half-closed “Spider bit the mouse… Sleep, sleep”

Eventually, Kai joined in, his voice rough, uncertain at first, but growing steadier as he picked up the tune and learned the words.

Together, they sang softly in the dark.

Two tired souls, lulling each other to sleep, with nothing but flame and song to keep them going.

…

The barking of dogs jolted Harumi and Kai awake. The night still crawled from the creak.

“Hey! I think they found something”

A voice distant, echoed above them.

Harumi hardly open her eyes. Her body ached all over. Beside her, Kai shifted, pushing himself up with a groan.

Then, a artificial sharp light blinded them both.

“Down here!” Kai called out hoarsely, raising his free hand toward the opening above. “We’re down here!”

More barking. More voices. The sound of movement. Scraping. Shouting.

“We have two kids down there!”

…

They were bundled into the back of the ambulance, wrapped in foil blankets that crinkled with every movement. Harumi sat silently, her small hand clutching Kai’s tightly. She hadn’t let go since they were pulled from the rubble.

Around them, adults moved fast. Flashing lights, shouting instructions, voices layered over each other like static. Harumi barely heard them.

She just held on to Kai.

One woman, wearing a thick jacket with MEDIC printed across the back, hovered close. She was kneeling by Kai now, clipboard in hand.

“She’s your sister, yes?”

Kai glanced down at Harumi, then back at the medic.

“Yes—I… I think so. Yes.”

The medic raised an eyebrow but didn’t press.

“She didn’t have any prior problems with speaking?” she asked, watching Harumi with a tilted head.

“No” Kai replied. “She talked before. A lot.”

Harumi shifted uncomfortably, squeezing his hand tighter as the medic turned her attention toward her.

“Aren’t you a quiet one?” the woman said gently. “That’s alright. You’ve been through a lot. After a good sleep, a psychiatrist will come talk to you, just to make sure your mind and heart are okay.”

Kai frowned.

“She was talking before—”

“Yes” the medic said softly, already writing something down. “But trauma can appear after accident. Sometimes, the damage shows up later.”

Kai looked down at Harumi again. She was staring at her knees, her lips pressed tightly together.

“What’s your name, mister?” the medic asked gently, glancing up from her clipboard.

“I—” Kai paused, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. “I… I don’t remember.”

The medic’s brows knit together.

“You don’t remember your name? Or anything before the attack?”

Kai shook his head slowly, frustration flickering in his eyes.

“Nothing…”

Silence stretched for a moment as the medic studied him more closely.

“That’s not uncommon.” The medic said carefully, though a new edge of worry crept into her tone. “Head trauma, shock… memory loss can happen. But you’ll need to see a neurologist. As soon as possible.”

Then she shifted, turning her attention to Harumi. Her voice softened even more. “Alright, quiet one… we need to take your brother to the doctor. He’ll be back really quickly, okay?”

She stood upright again and reached gently for Kai’s arm.

But before her fingers could even wrap around his sleeve, Harumi’s hand snapped out. Fast and sharp, striking the medic’s hand away.

The medic blinked, startled.

“He’ll just be gone a moment, sweetheart. He just needs to be examined.”

“No.” Harumi whispered, her voice raspy but firm. “He’s not leaving me.”

The words hung heavy in the space between them, small, but absolute.

Kai looked down at her, stunned by the steel in her voice. His own hand instinctively closed around hers.

“I’ll stay” he said quietly. “Let them come to me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Harumi didn’t say another word.

But her grip said everything.

…

Harumi sat by the window, watching the children play in the orphanage garden.

It had been eight months since her parents died.

Eight months of silence, only speaking to no one but Kai.

How could those kids be so cheerful?
How could they be… happy?

She looked at them with hostility in her eyes.

They were loud.

Too loud.

She wanted to silence them.

No kid had reached to her. And that was fine. She never left Kai’s side anyway. Like a shadow stitched to his heels, she followed him everywhere. She clung to his sleeve, his arm, his presence, he was the only solid thing left in a world that had collapsed. Kai, ever patient, never complained. He spoke gently, waited for her silences, offered smiles when she couldn’t. Slowly, piece by piece, she was beginning to open again. At least to him. Hints of her old self resurfaced in quiet jokes, short replies, and cautious glances that almost resembled smiles.

But then… the others kids noticed him too.

The loud ones. The cheerful ones.

They started talking to him. Tugging on his arm. Asking questions. Laughing at things he said.

Touching him.

Harumi’s eyes darkened.

They were trying to take her Kai.

Her brother.

Kai sat cross-legged on the floor, further in the room, a book resting in his hands as he slowly turned the pages. Harumi hurried to him, without a word, she sat on his lap, clinging to him tightly. Kai let out a soft chuckle and ruffled her hair.

“Not going to play with others again?”

Harumi didn’t answer. Instead, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and curled into him, her eyes glaring at the window back again.

Then, suddenly, one of the supervisor stepped into the room.

“Kai” She said gently “the headmaster wants to see you.”

Kai blinked, caught off guard.

“Am I in trouble?”

The woman smiled and shook her head.

“No, no, absolutely not. It’s good news, I promise.”

Harumi hid in Kai’s arms even more.

Kai closed the book with an upbeat slap and gently lifted Harumi from his lap. “Alright then” he said, standing. He took her hand instinctively.

But the supervisor stepped in, raising a hand. “I’m sorry, Kai. He wants to speak with you… alone.”

Harumi’s grip on his hand tightened immediately. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.

Kai hesitated, glancing down at her.

“I won’t be long,” he said softly, kneeling to her level. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Harumi didn’t answer. She just stared at the floor, her fingers refusing to let go.

Kai gently slipped his hand from Harumi’s grip. She clutched tighter for a moment, but he leaned in, kissed her forehead softly, and whispered.

“I promise—I’ll be right back.”

Then he turned and left the room. The door clicked shut.

The woman exhaled in relief, murmuring mostly to herself.

“Well… that went easier than I thought.”

But Harumi heard it.

Her eyes narrowed, the fire rising fast in her chest. How dare she sound relieved?

The woman noticed her expression and faltered.

“Harumi—” she said quickly, trying to keep her voice light, “Kai will be back any minute, sweetheart. You’ll see—”

Harumi was already moving. Without a word, she bolted for the door.

“Harumi, no!” the supervisor shouted, lunging just in time to catch her mid-leap. She wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her back. And then Harumi bit her.

Hard.

The woman screamed as blood welled from her hand. She immediately let go.

And Harumi didn’t hesitate. She dashed through the doorway, with only one aim in her mind.

“Catch that brat!” the woman’s voice yelled behind her, raw with pain and fury.

But Harumi didn’t turn.                      

Her legs pumped harder as she darted toward the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. The echo of chasing footsteps and shouts rang through the halls, adults calling for calm, for silence, for someone to stop her. She didn’t care.

Harumi ducked low, slipping beneath a man’s outstretched arms and weaving between his legs. The gleam of gold lettering on a heavy wooden door came into view, the headmaster office.

Her heart leapt—just one more second—

But then—

A firm grip clamped around her waist, pulling her off her feet like she weighed nothing. Harumi kicked and writhed, but the arms that held her were steady, too strong.

This wasn’t one of the orphanage staff.

The man wore a dark green uniform. His boots were polished, his stance military. And strapped at his right thigh was a sleek, curved sword. On his left a holstered gun, half-concealed but unmistakable.

Harumi froze.

The man looked down at her, with unreadable expression.

“Easy.” He said low, but calm.

She inhaled, ready to fight again, but the voice snapped her out of it.

“Harumi!”

She turned.

Kai stood in the half-open doorway, his expression frozen in disbelief, grasping of what was happening. He dashed to her, as the man in green uniform released her. Harumi ran straight into Kai’s arms, burying her face in his chest. Her fingers clutched his shirt like a lifeline, trembling in anger, rage and fear.

Kai wrapped his arms around her without hesitation.

“I’m here,” he whispered, brushing his hand through her hair. “I’m right here.”

“Yes, well—as Kai mentioned” the headmaster voice followed, as he emerged through the doors “He has a sister… who’s experienced considerable trauma, understandably…”

The man in green glanced back at him, expression still unreadable.

“But I assure you,” the headmaster went on, “Kai is no burden. Quite the opposite—he’s a bright, compassionate young man. A lovely soul. I am sure, you will fall in love with him in no time.”

The other people stepped aside, and the doorway fully opened, revealing who the headmaster had been speaking to.

A family of three stood there.

An odd family.

In even, more odd clothes.

They wore rich, green robes with intricate gold embroidery that shimmered faintly in the light. The clothing looked ceremonial, too formal for any visit, almost theatrical. The man stood tall and composed, one arm draped gently around the shoulders of the woman, wearing a white paint on her cheek, beside him. She smiled politely, though her eyes were sharp with quiet calculation. Between them stood a girl with sleek black hair, older than Harumi but younger than Kai, watching at them with curious eyes.

“They seem… Quite close” the man huffed in low voice, not quite disappointed, but neither satisfied voice.

Harumi didn’t like the way he looked at them.

“Oh yes, exactly.” The headmaster said quickly, his hands clasped nervously. “That’s why I raised my concerns, separating the siblings would be… well, cruel. Especially given their circumstances.”

“We had considered only the son” the woman interjected.

“Yes, Your Majesty, but—”

“I’m not going anywhere without my sister” Kai snapped, cutting him off. His voice was firm and angry.

“Kai!” the headmaster gasped, flustered. “You must be more respectful to Her Majesty—”

Kai ignored him.

He rose to his feet, lifting Harumi into his arms with practiced ease.

“I will never abandon my sister.” His eyes locked on the royal couple.

Harumi looked at his face—serious, blazing with fury. He looked at them unshaken. She clung to him tighter, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Suddenly, a low laugh broke the tension.

Harumi jolted, turning her head sharply.

The man in the ornate green robes, the one who’d measured them with such cool detachment just moments before—was laughing. It wasn’t loud or mocking. It was quiet, amused… and oddly approving.

“I like men with conviction.” He said, his smile deepening. “Loyalty like that is rare.”

The woman beside him gave him a sharp glance, but said nothing. The girl, still standing between them, tilted her head, studying Kai with a new interest.

Kai didn’t relax.

He stood firm, Harumi cradled protectively in his arms.

“I’m not for sale” he said evenly. “Not if it means losing her.”

The man stepped forward slightly, hands behind his back. “No one’s trying to buy you, boy,” he said calmly. “If you want to stay with your sister—then that will be arranged.”

The headmaster blinked in surprise. “Your Majesty?”

The man’s eyes didn’t leave Kai. “We said we considered only the son. I didn’t say we wouldn’t change our minds.”

He turned to the woman beside him.

“If we’re to bring him into our household, we bring them both.”

…

At the same day in the night, Harumi lay in Kai’s bed. Supervisors had been trying always to stop her, but they had given up after a few days they were brought to the orphanage.  They had made an exception, just for this particular siblings.

She was fidgeting with Kai’s shirt.

“You are not going to abandon me, are you?” her voice was barely a whisper.

Kai gave a soft laugh, brushing her hair back from her face.

“Never.”

She blinked up at him.

“Never ever?”

He looked her in the eyes, his voice steady, sure.

“I will never abandon you, Harumi. I promise.”

“Whatever happens?” she asked quietly.

Kai didn’t hesitate.

“Whatever happens.”

Harumi slowly sat up in bed, her expression more serious than before. The shadows cast by the stars deepened the quiet intensity in her eyes.

“Promise me… on the Lord’s name.”

Kai blinked.

“Lord’s name?”

She corrected him without missing a beat.

“Overlord’s name.”

Her hand closed around his, small but firm and unshakable.

Kai looked confused for a moment, but then that familiar, gentle smile spread across his face.

“I promise you, Rumi.” He said softly. “I’ll never abandon you. On the Overlord’s name.”

Harumi gave a small nod of approval, satisfied. She lay back down, curled close to him, and finally let sleep take her.

Her new parents fell in love with Kai—or Kaisei, as they liked to call him now. As headmaster had said.

They adored his quiet strength, his resilience, his loyalty. The Emperor would boast about his sharp mind, the Empress would smile proudly when he bowed with perfect posture, and their daughter, disgusting, sickening, not-deserving-him, Kizuna, the Princess, would often tug him into the royal library for long talks.

Everyone admired him.

Everyone welcomed him.

But they never quite liked Harumi.

She was just Harumi. The quiet one. The shadow that followed Kai everywhere. The weird, traumatised girl.

Chapter Text

“I heard Harumi screaming— What happened?” Lloyd nearly fell down the stairs as he dashed toward them.

Jay looked shaken, still catching his breath.

“What happened? Dude, she went ballistic—”

Nya too, stood frozen, a confused look on her face as she stared down the corridor where Harumi and Kai had vanished.

“She’s obsessed” Nya said sharply, smacking her tongue in frustration. “Lloyd, go after Harumi. I’ll talk to Kai—”

“Hold on Nya, hold on!” Jay grabbed her arm. “You’re not seriously planning to continue this?”

“Continue what?” Lloyd asked, eyes narrowed. He still felt left behind form the entire conversation.

“Why wouldn’t I? He clearly remembers everything— He just buried it! I think Harumi’s the one messing with his head—”

“Okay, now you’re exaggerating—”

“I am not! She’s a manipulative maniac! Who acts like that?!”

“Nya, you literally told her brother that you’re his sister. That would freak anyone out!”

“You what?!” Lloyd shouted. “Why would you rush it like that? Why didn’t you wait?”

“Because he’s my brother, for FSM’s sake!” Nya snapped, her breath growing heavier. “She’s got him wrapped around her little finger— I couldn’t even get a moment to talk to him alone!”

“Okay, but Nya— You crossed a line too—”

“She was eavesdropping! Why else would she show up that fast? I told her the conversation would be private!”

“Whoa, whoa—” Cole had just arrived, drawn by the noise. Great. More attention, just what Nya didn’t need. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Nya told Harumi and Kai that she’s his sister” Jay said quickly, before Nya could shut him up. She groaned, throwing her hands up.

“What?! How did he react?” Cole asked, eyebrows rising.

Lloyd shot him a glare.

“Don’t tell me you support this.”

“I don’t,” Cole said, arms crossed. “I just think it should’ve been handled carefully. Not... in Nya’s style. No offense.”

“Thanks” Nya muttered, rolling her eyes.

“But... Kai, or Kaisei, or—whatever, shit—” Cole massage his temples. “I know we shouldn’t judge by appearances, but something—”

“She’s weird, right?” Nya rushed to say, eager for someone to agree. “They’re too close, and Harumi’s clearly the one controlling him!”

Lloyd gave her a sharp look, like she was the one acting weird. Nya just scoffed, clenching her fists as she frowned back. Jay looked uncertain, his expression full of doubt, while Cole blinked slowly, taking it in.

“That’s... not exactly what I meant” Cole said carefully. “At least, not in those words. But yeah— There’s definitely something off. Harumi’s way too attached. And Kaisei... he’s not pulling away, either.”

“You mean…” Jay began, eyes narrowing. Nya shot a warning glare at Jay, silently telling him not to go there. But Jay swallowed hard, then said it anyway. “You think it’s not... strictly platonically close?”

Nya groaned in disgust, and she wasn’t alone.

“No! What kind of fucked up thoughts you have Jay?!” Cole snapped.

“Alright, enough!” Lloyd’s voice cut through the tension, loud and firm.

Jay muttered something under his breath—something that probably should’ve been said out loud—but Nya had already ignored him.

“I’m going to talk to my parents.” She said sharp “If you care so much about Rumi, Lloyd, do whatever you want.”

Lloyd opened his mouth to respond, but Nya was faster.

“I don’t care” she hissed.

“Nya” Cole said, voice steady, stopping her just as she turned to leave. “He doesn’t remember you. Don’t forget that. And trying to force it… You're only making it worse. You’re the only one who knows the truth.”

Nya’s chest tightened. His words hit harder than she wanted to admit. She let out a frustrated growl and stormed through the doors.

The cold breeze hit her when she arrived on the ship deck. It was still before midday, but sun was already heating well on the open sky. She had to calm down, before she could speak with parents. Another heavy talk, that would probably go nowhere. Her mother looked at her as a stranger in skins daughter and Nya didn't blame her. She felt too, awkward acting as their daughter that she quite wasn't. Why was it so complicated?

At least her father didn't raise any suspicion around her. But given his high-spirited personality, Nya wasn't surprised. He was too damn Kai in this behaviour. And Nya hated it, because it reminded her what stake is on.

She let out a soft sighed, trying to steady herself. She closed her eyes and opened again.

The ghost was standing before her. 

Just a few steps away from her.

Nya stumbled back at the sight, her pulse spiking. Instinctively, she clenched her fists, summoning water, ready to blast it straight through the figure. But she held herself back.

The water hovered, swirling, trembling at her fingertips.

“What?!” she shouted “What do you want?!”

The ghost’s jaw shifted, just barely and the torn, ruined muscles along its face twitched grotesquely. The movement was subtle, but enough to churn Nya’s stomach. Her breakfast surged up her throat, threatening to escape. She nearly gagged.

The ghost startled, taking a step back. Nya’s brow furrowed.

“What?” she repeated again with the sharp voice.

The ghost twitched again, then, without a sound, dissolved into a swirl of green mist.

Gone.

Nya stood frozen for a moment, water still hovering in her hands. She slowly let it drop.

Wonderful. Now she was being haunted by nightmare-fuel ghost on top of everything else. Just what she needed.

As long as the ghost didn’t show any ill intent, Nya would let her wander. At least until her patience ran out.

She sighed again, then headed toward her parents’ room as she'd originally planned. When she opened the door, she found Sensei Wu already there, unsurprisingly sipping tea with her parents.

Ray lit up the moment he saw her, his face breaking into a wide, joyful smile. Her mother, ever more reserved, offered only a faint nod of recognition and a gentle smile.

“Nya! How—how are you?” Ray asked, trying to make small talk, but failing miserably.

Nya returned an awkward smile. “Fine, I guess” she said with a shrug. Then, without giving herself time to overthink it, she cut straight to the point. “Um... what do you think about Kai?”

Ray’s smile widened even more, practically glowing. Maya, on the other hand, furrowed her brow, her expression shifting to one of thoughtful confusion. Sensei Wu didn’t react, just kept sipping his tea as if the words was not meant to him.

“I still can’t believe it’s really him! It’s— it’s a miracle! A gift from the First Spinjitzu Master himself!” Ray said, turning to Maya, his excitement barely contained.

Maya nodded slowly and rose from her seat, walking over to Nya. Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were already misting over.

“We’re happy and grateful, that you found him, Nya” she said, clasping her hands together. “It’s... really him.” She paused. Her voice softened. “However…”

“...Yeah.” Nya pressed her lips together, her voice barely holding steady. “He... he doesn’t remember us.” Maya inhaled sharply, freezing at the words. Her breath hitched before she let it out shakily. “But I showed him the photo!” Nya added quickly, desperate not to let their hope die. “He—he reacted to it. It was subtle, but... it felt like something clicked. Like he had a glimpse of something.”

Better to leave out the part where he looked like he would seen a ghost and screamed.

Ray nearly leapt from his seat at that, eyes wide with renewed hope. Maya covered her mouth with one hand, trying to muffle the sobs that broke through anyway.

“What kind of reaction did it cause?” Wu asked calmly, sipping his tea as if he were asking about the weather.

Nya pressed her lips tighter. Of course he had to ask.

“He was... surprised. In shock. But when he looked at the photo, it was like... like it meant something to him.” She prayed Wu wouldn’t dig deeper. “But then Harumi stepped in and pulled him away. Took him to her room.”

“...Harumi? The... princess?” Ray asked, brow furrowed.

“Yes” Nya said, her voice flat, jaw tightening. Obsessive. Controlling. “She’s... protective. Way too protective.”

“Hmmm...” Sensei Wu scratched thoughtfully at his long white beard. The sound alone made Nya tense. She already felt like she'd been caught on lie. She could tell them the full truth… but if she did, wouldn’t they stop? Wouldn’t they ease up on Kai? Maybe even give up?

She couldn’t let that happen.

“You’re moving too fast, Nya.” Wu said calmly.

“We want to see him” Ray interjected, his voice sharp, like he’d been holding the words in too long and they finally broke free.

Wu slowly stood up.

“We mustn’t act hastily, Ray,” he said. “I understand how much this means to you, truly, but pressing too hard will only drive the boy further away.” He scratched at his beard again. “Still... a simple conversation. Nothing too heavy. No mention of the bond you share. Just a talk” Wu looked at both parents, then Nya. “That may not hurt.”

Ray lit up again, unable to hide how excited and overjoyed he was at the approval.

But Nya didn’t share his enthusiasm.

Not even close.

Because she had already told Kai everything.

And it had nearly ended in disaster. There was no room for simple conversation anymore.

Especially with Harumi lurking nearby.

...

She didn’t have much time to dwell on her thoughts, because at last, some good news reached her.

Zane had woken up.

Now everyone was gathered in the crumbled medic bay. Relief and joy filled the room. Cheerful chatter bounced between the walls, along with words of support aimed at the recovering nindroid.

“What the hell happened?” Jay asked, practically bouncing around Zane in overstimulated excitement.

Nya couldn’t help but smile at Jay’s energy.

“My cover was blown” Zane replied flatly. “The fight became unavoidable.”

“Yeah, and they beat you hard!” Cole chimed in, giving Zane a hearty pat on the back, even though he was still connected to wires and monitors.

Nya immediately shot Cole a warning glare, silently telling him to ease up. Cole raised his hands in mock surrender.

“However…” Zane said, straightening up slightly “there is urgent information I need to share.” His gaze shifted upward, toward the doorway. “I see that Your Highnesses are well” he added with a slight nod.

Nya turned to look where Zane was staring.

Kai stood in the doorway, his posture calm but guarded. Harumi was next to him, her arm linked possessively through his. She looked composed, as if the earlier argument had never even happened. Her eyes didn’t even flick toward Nya.

“Yes” Kai replied, offering Zane a polite bow. “Thank you for saving us.”

His voice was formal, almost distant. And he didn’t meet Nya’s gaze, not even for a second.

Nya noticed how Zane's eyes zoomed at the particular pair. Was he wary of Harumi too?

“First of all, I would like to tell you about Sons of Garmadon's leader” he continued with unchanged tone “Their name is Quite One. I required nothing more than information that they are behind the organization. The organization, or should I say cult, are lower, managed  by—”

“Cult?” Nya frowned.

Cole let out slight groan.

“I told you... it was just horrible there.”

“Wait, so the bodies you found—” Jay started, but Zane cut him off sharply.

“Continuing” Zane said, with a subtle edge. Nya noticed he did that on purpose, likely to keep them focused. “The cult follows ancient beliefs tied to the Overlord. Some of their practices are aligned with Serpentine culture, especially that of the Anacondrai—”

“Great snakes,” Jay muttered. “Why is it always snakes?”

Nya groaned.

“Can you shut up? Zane is trying to explain something.”

Jay gave her an apologetic glance and pressed his lips together, falling quiet.

“Thank you,” Zane nodded. “The cult’s lower leadership includes individuals known as Purple Violet, Mr. E—who I have identified as a Nindroid—and Killow, who is... a resurrected corpse.”

“What the hell?” Jay blurted out again.

Nya sighed loudly. “Seriously, Jay?”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re not shocked” he snapped back.

“We are” Lloyd said firmly, arms crossed. “But we’re trying to listen to Zane.”

Jay rolled his eyes but didn’t speak again.

“If I may?” This time it was Kai who spoke. His voice was cautious. “How... how is that even possible?”

“It is through the Overlord’s magic” Zane explained, “and a specific ritual. However, I do not recommend seeking interest in such knowledge, Your Highness. This magic is considered dangerous and highly unpredictable.” He paused. “In most cases, the one resurrected is not the person the caster hoped to bring back.”

“Zane is right, my boy” Wu added, scratching his beard thoughtfully. “The Overlord’s promises are always twisted and designed for His gain, never anyone else’s.”

Nya frowned.

Why were they all assuming Kai was interested in resurrection spells? He had just asked a question, like anyone else.

He didn’t have anyone to bring ba—

Oh.

The Empress.
The Emperor.

Her breath caught.

Did he mourn them?

Kai nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, but his eyes dropped to the floor, full of guilt or sorrow, maybe both. Nya watched him quietly. She ached to reach out, to offer comfort. But she couldn’t. Not without pushing him further away.

It was hard—cruel— to be a stranger to the brother she once knew better than anyone. To not even be able to speak to him without raising his defences.

Kai always was family person. His whole life was shaped by it. Raising Nya when no one else would, stepping into the big brother role for Lloyd, forging unbreakable bonds with the team.

And now… it had all been stripped from him.

Had he formed something similar with the royal family? With Harumi? Did he see her as real family?

Of course he did. It was Kai, after all.

Zane’s voice broke through the silence, returning them to grim focus.

“Back to the Overlord” he said evenly. “When we were looking for exit, we found… A place where they had performed rituals. There were unmistakable signs that a ceremony had taken place recently.” He looked first at Kai, then at Cole, his tone steady. “I spent some time decrypting the symbols left behind. While I cannot yet determine the ritual’s full purpose, I am certain of one outcome. They used it to learn the location of the third Oni Mask.”

“They’re ahead of us?” Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Do you know where it is?”

“Affirmative. It’s located in the Primeval’s Eye jungle” Zane replied. “May I connect to the screen?”

Nya quickly handed him one of the data wires. He took it from her and plugged it in.

A series of strange symbols flashed onto the monitor, processed through Zane’s algorithm from the ritual room photo. The markings formed a spiral pattern, starting just above a glowing magenta crystal etched into the wall.

A small groan escaped Cole.

Nya glanced at Kai. He stood still, unbothered on the surface, but she caught a subtle shift in his posture. A small, almost imperceptible step closer to Harumi. Now their arms were touching.

“If it’s in the Primeval’s Eye…” Wu murmured, eyes narrowing at the symbols. “Then the most likely site is the Oni Temple hidden there.”

“Excuse me?” Jay snapped. “You knew where the third mask was this whole time?”

“No, Jay.” Wu answered patiently, shaking his head. “There are many remnants of Oni and Dragon cultures: temples, ruins, artifacts. They are all scattered across Ninjago. Searching each one without direction is like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is the first time we've had a precise lead.”

Nya sighed. Did she enjoyed Jay's energetic behaviour a minute ago? Yes. Now Nya despised it.

“Ohhh...” Jay huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in defeat.

“How far ahead are they?” Lloyd asked, leaning forward.

“Not far” Zane replied. “I overheard they are still awaiting a signal from the Quiet One before they can proceed to retrieve it.”

Lloyd exhaled a breath of relief.

“So, we should head there without delay?” he asked.

“Affirmative.” Zane nodded. “However…” He hesitated. “There is another critical piece of information. One that may affect our strategy going forward.”

Everyone stilled.

“What is it, Zane?” Cole asked, wary.

Zane’s gaze shifted slightly.

“The second mask—the Mask of Deception, which the Sons of Garmadon currently possess... is a fake.”

A stunned silence fell over the room.

“What?” The high-pitched voice that broke it wasn’t from any of the ninja.

It was Harumi.

Everyone turned.

She stood frozen, staring at Zane, her face pale. After a long pause she continued.

“It’s… fake?” she repeated, each word slow, disbelieving. “Our parents… they protected a fake mask? And…” her voice cracked, barely audible now, “…they’re gone… because of that?” Her lips trembled as she tried to hold herself together.

Then Harumi turned to Kai, hiding her face in his chest.

Nya’s gut twisted. Something felt... off.

Even if Harumi was displaying full of roller coaster emotions, Kai stood frozen, looking down at her... Surprised. Yes, he could be surprised that Harumi suddenly was having breakdown, but... It felt off. His reaction felt off. Nya knew his expressions to well, not to be able to read him like an open book.

But no one else seemed to notice.

Cole glanced at Kai with something close to sympathy. Jay, awkward as ever, stayed rooted to the floor like furniture. Wu’s gaze was turned to the monitor, unreadable, silently processing everything. And Lloyd… of course Lloyd stepped forward to Harumi with the empathetic heart.

Only Zane met Nya’s eyes. His icy blue gaze locked with hers, unnerving in its precision. It was like a signal to her. To talk with her in private.

Lloyd moved closer to Harumi.

“Your parents protected that mask, Harumi” he said gently. “Because of them, the Sons of Garmadon don’t have it. And no one, not even the cult, knows where the real one is.” His voice softened. “That sacrifice mattered.” He offered her a small, bitter smile.

Harumi sniffed, wiping at her eyes, then slowly pulled away from Kai to meet Lloyd’s gaze.

“I... I apologize for the emotional outburst,” she murmured, her voice more composed.

“No, don’t worry about it,” Lloyd replied, offering a reassuring smile.

Harumi turned her eyes to Zane. “Do we know where the real mask is, then?”

“Unfortunately, no” Zane replied, his voice flat but respectful.

“I... see.” She lowered her gaze, staring at the floor in silence for a long moment. “I’m sorry. I need... a moment to myself.”

But despite her words, she reached for Kai’s hand and tugged him gently toward the door.

And Kai followed. Without hesitation.

Nya’s jaw tightened.

So much for moment to myself.

Nya took a step forward, ready to stop this ridiculous display, but Cole reached out and held her back, giving a small shake of his head.

She pulled away with a scoff, giving him a cold shoulder.

Zane, calm as ever, spoke next. “If I’m assuming correctly, there’s been no progress with... Nya’s time-travel complication?”

“No” she snapped before anyone else could speak. “And obsessive Harumi isn’t exactly helping.”

“She’s not obsessive, Nya!” Lloyd cut in, voice sharp with frustration. “She just lost her parents. Her brother was kidnapped. Kai’s the only family she has left. Of course she’s protective!”

“He’s my brother too,” Nya shot back, her eyes blazing. “And somehow I’m not acting like that!”

“…Are you though?” Jay muttered under his breath.

The room fell still.

As soon as Jay met Nya’s glare, he visibly regretted it. “I mean—”

“I don’t care what you meant!” Nya snapped. “I don’t care if any of you believe me anymore!”

“Nya, we do believe you,” Cole said quickly, trying to diffuse the tension. “But you have to understand, this whole situation— It-it’s complicated.”

“Oh really?” she spat. “Thanks for the update. I hadn’t noticed.”

“Calm down” Sensei Wu’s voice cut through the rising tension, his bamboo staff tapping sharply against the floor. “There’s no need to start an argument. I believe Zane hasn’t finished yet.”

“Affirmative, Sensei.” Zane replied, his tone steady as ever. “In fact, it’s actually good that the Prince and Princess have stepped out.”

Everyone turned to him.

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked, frowning.

Zane glanced around the room, scanning each face carefully. His voice dropped a little, more cautious now.

“I believe you haven’t met my new acquaintance yet.”

“Who now?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

“The ghost girl” Zane replied calmly.

“What?!” Jay shrieked, practically jumping out of his seat. “She’s already haunting us, and now you’re telling us this is your fault?!”

“Her appearance may be disturbing,” Zane continued, “however, she’s harmless. In fact, she’s helpful.”

“Helpful in what way?” Cole asked, crossing his arms.

“When we were escaping, I noticed we were being followed by some entity. Specifically… she was following Prince.”

“…So Kai is being haunted?” Jay asked, half-joking, half-terrified.

“No.” Zane shook his head. “She follows Prince, but remains unnoticeable.”

“Great. Obsessive princess sister and now a stalking ghost!” Nya groaned. “What more does my brother need, a cursed sword and a prophecy of doom?!”

“Okay, this is getting… kinda peculiar,” Jay muttered. “Hard not to notice a pattern.”

“Harumi is not obsessive” Lloyd snapped through clenched teeth.

“Can I continue?” Zane cut in before Nya could throw her comeback. “Thank you. As you’ve likely noticed, communication with the ghost is constrained due to her damaged jaw. The injury likely occurred at the time of her death. However, it’s not impossible to interact with her. She’s capable of writing.”

“Ughhh, okay?” Jay waved vaguely at the air. “Lady Ghost? Are you going to talk with us? Or write creepy stuff on our mirrors?”

“She’s shy, Jay” Zane explained patiently. “She won’t reveal herself to all of us easily. And she’s not in this room. She cannot hear you.”

“But she’s on the ship! I saw her today, and I saw her yesterday with Jay—” Nya started.

“That’s good to hear” Zane interrupted with a nod. “That means she’s still watching Prince.”

There was a heavy pause. Everyone exchanged glances.

“...That’s not the comforting sentence you think it is” Jay muttered.

“What I’m trying to say” he continued “is that the ghost appears to be entangled with both the Prince… and the Princess.” Everyone fell silent. “She’s wary around Princess Harumi,” Zane said, “visibly afraid when I so much as mentioned her name. Yet, she seems genuinely concerned about Prince Kaisei’s fate.”

Cole narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Afraid of Harumi?”

Jay squinted. “Okay, now that is suspicious. I mean, she’s already dead—what the heck could Harumi do to scare her?”

Nya’s frown deepened, arms crossed so tightly it looked painful. “You’re telling me this girl, who’s already passed on, is scared of Harumi… and following Kai around like a shadow?”

“That is correct” Zane confirmed with a single nod.

“Still think Harumi is not obsessive and weird?” Nya asked, side-eyeing Lloyd sharply.

“She’s grieving” Lloyd said defensively, but less sure than before.

“Zane” Wu spoke finally. “Do you believe this spirit has a connection to the cult? Or perhaps to the ritual room?”

“I do not possess enough data to make that conclusion” Zane admitted. “However, her behaviour suggests she has witnessed something important. Possibly something she cannot communicate clearly. Perhaps something she’s terrified of being known.”

Cole looked between Zane and Nya. “So… we have a ghost afraid of Harumi, and Harumi basically dragging Kai by the arm everywhere.”

“Sounds healthy” Jay muttered.

“The second matter I wish to share is concern about the mask. I chose not to mention it in the presence of the Prince and Princess because… I believe the real Mask of Deception is still hidden within the Palace of Secrets.”

“Seriously?” Cole frowned.

“Yes,” Zane nodded. “Killow attempted to use the mask during our battle, but it failed to activate. That’s why I believe it was a fake. When we faced Mr. E, however, the Mask of Vengeance functioned as intended, granting its user mastery in swordsmanship and a second set of arms.”

“Why do you think the real one is still in the palace?” Wu asked, curious.

“I believe Hutchins may have used a decoy” Zane replied. “Anticipating the risk of it falling into the wrong hands.”

Nya didn’t wait for any other information. She had already settled plan, plan in which she was going to dig up, everything she could against Harumi.

“I’ll go to the palace” Nya stated firmly. “And I’ll try to talk to the ghost too— She’s already stalking me anyway” she scoffed. The ghost was probably just as hostile toward her as Harumi was. “You,” she pointed to the others, “focus on the third mask.”

Chapter Text

“Rumi, please” Kai gasped, as Harumi dragged him by the wrist. “Help me understand—how can you sob in front of everyone about our parents, just after you’d told me to 'fuck them' when I suggested organizing a funeral?”

Harumi scoffed, but waited until they were alone to answer. When they finally, get to their temporary room, she carefully closed the door, looking two times if someone was going to eavesdrop. Kai frowned at her wariness.

“Kai, it's called emotional manipulation” she said flatly, leaning against closed door. “I’m not trying to get labelled as the cold, ice-queen bitch.”

Kai blinked, staring at her with a blank, unimpressed expression.

“Look” she groaned, “I'm just trying to secure our future.”

She locked the door and for Kai it was another unnecessary obsession over privacy.

“Secure our future?” Kai repeated. “Harumi, you don’t need to manipulate people to get their help. From what I can see, their help is genuine.”

“Yeah. Their stupidity is endless.” She muttered, eyes narrowing slightly. “But I might have a different vision in mind than they do.”

“Harumi—” he said firmly.

“Just trust me, alright? Everything will be fine.”

Kai let out a heavy sigh.

“May I remind you who’s supposed to be looking out for whom?” He said, raising an eyebrow as he stepped closer. “I’m your older brother. That’s supposed to be my job.”

“Aww, am I bruising your ego?” She smirked.

Kai rolled his eyes and flopped onto the bed with a groan. Harumi followed, sitting beside him.

“I’ve got this” she said softly. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”

She started absentmindedly playing with his hair, twisting a strand around her finger. Kai closed his eyes.

“We’re still royalty” he murmured. “Even if the Emperor and Empress are dead. Once things settle, I can look into what they left behind. They might’ve hated us, but they still had to put something in writing. A will or something. Even if it’s not much, it’s a start.”

Harumi didn’t respond right away. Instead, she let out a soft, unexpected giggle.

Kai opened his eyes and stared at her blank face.

“What?” he frowned. “What’s so funny about that?”

“Oh, Kai…” Harumi said, voice light with something between fondness and mischief. “Sometimes you’re just... so precious in how oblivious you are.”

Kai narrowed his eyes. “Then enlighten me. What’s so funny?”

Harumi’s smile softened, still playing with Kai’s hair. “There are going to be big changes in Ninjago soon. And your little plan? It’s sweet… but painfully outdated for what’s coming.”

“What do you mean?” He sat up slightly, his brows drawing together. But Harumi reached up and tugged at his sleeve, urging him to lie back down.

“Nothing,” she said, laying down beside him with her eyes on the ceiling. She lifted a hand toward it, as if she could trace the future on the concrete above them. “Soon, all of this will be over. And everything will be ours.”

“Harumi...?”

“Don’t overuse your two brain cells,” she said, giving him a gentle poke in the forehead. “You’ll see. Just trust me.”

“Can you stop messing with me?”

“Nope.” She smiled, unapologetic.

Kai let out a long, tired sigh and turned onto his side, facing away from her.

“...I’m tired, Harumi.” He whispered with something unfamiliar in his voice.

She blinked, then her smile faltered.

“What do you mean?”

Everything was too much. He didn't know if he could take it anymore.

It was pathetic. It was pathetic to admit.

He had never truly recovered from Kizuna’s death.
He hadn’t processed the deaths of the Emperor and Empress—another grief, clinging to his fractured mind.
Losing yet another home… Nya’s bond, that he couldn’t take it to be true…
The chaos with the Sons of Garmadon…

It was all piling up. Cracking him open from the inside.

And his mind, his mind was turning on him. Showing him things no one else could see. Letting him hear voices that no one else heard. He was losing his mind.

The words clawed at his throat, desperate to get out.

But he couldn’t say them. He couldn’t admit it.

“...I need some air” he muttered, rising to his feet.

“...Okay?” Harumi raised an eyebrow. “Fine by me. Do whatever you want…” she said with a casual shrug, rolling to face away from him on the bed.

Kai left the room quietly, his movements stiff with tension. Only once the door shut behind him did he start to feel his nerves unravel. His breath trembled in his chest. He rubbed his eyes, pressing the heel of his palm into them hard enough to sting.

Without a word, he made his way to the deck of the ship.

But when Kai stepped onto the deck, he wasn’t alone.

Cole, Jay, and Nya were already there, deep in a low conversation, until they noticed him standing. Cole turned first, offering a warm smile and a beckoning gesture.

Kai hesitated. His instinct told him to keep distance, but before he could think twice, Cole had already moved to pull him closer.

“Kaisei—good timing,” Cole said with excitement. “Nya’s heading out now, and I’m taking you to the safe house.”

Nya shot Cole a sharp look, clearly not thrilled he had said that aloud. Jay, meanwhile, remained perfectly unbothered, leaning against the railing.

“…Safe house?” Kai repeated, cautious.

“Yeah, don’t worry” Cole said, trying to sound reassuring. “We just don’t want you or Harumi in danger while we’re dealing with the third Oni mask. You’ll be in good hands.”

“Dareth and ‘good hands’ don’t exactly go together” Jay muttered with a smirk. Cole glared at him, but didn’t argue.

“It’s better to keep you out of this—for now” Nya added, her voice gentler. “We still don’t know why you two are being targeted. But I’m going to find out.” Her eyes lingered on Kai’s, dark with concern. “I promise.”

Kai met her gaze. There was that look again: pain, restraint, maybe guilt. Something quietly breaking inside her. He scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. All three of them were waiting, expecting something.

“…Good luck” he mumbled. “And… thanks. For helping us.” He dropped his gaze, avoiding their eyes.

“…Thanks” Nya echoed, voice just as soft. A pause, then, almost like she couldn’t help it “It’s what family does.”

Kai flinched. He glanced at her, then away again.

“I’m sorry” he said quietly. “But… I’d rather you didn’t call it that. It puts me in a place I’m not ready to be in. I don’t feel the same way about you.”

He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to. He didn’t want another sister. He didn’t want another family.

But as the words left his mouth, they lingered bitter on his tongue. Why, then, did it feel so different inside? Like the sentiment behind them rang false, even if the logic felt right.

Nya inhaled sharply but didn’t respond. She turned on her heel and walked off without a word. Her steps were quickening into a run. Jay glanced between them, then silently followed after her.

Just before she disappeared turned, Kai caught a glimpse, just for a second, of something glistening on her cheek.

He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling the weight of silence settle again. The words he had chosen stuck in his chest now, tightening with rising silence.

Cole was still watching him.

Kai straightened, keeping his expression unreadable.

“That wasn’t necessary” Cole said, voice low.

“It was” Kai replied without hesitation. “I’m not giving her false hope.”

Cole didn’t respond right away. He simply nodded once and turned his gaze toward horizon where distant mountains rose against the sky.

“I know I’m probably not the one who should say this” Cole began, his voice calm but careful, “but… Nya has her reasons. Why she’s acting the way she is. Why she’s pushing you to accept it all.”

Accept it.

The words echoed in Kai’s mind like a challenge.

What if he never did?

Why should he?

Did they even tell him a true? Or was it just for they gain?

He didn’t respond. His silence said enough.

Cole glanced at him sideways, reading the tension in his jaw. “You and Harumi… you’re not blood related, right?”

Kai’s expression darkened, jaw tightening. His voice, when it came, was low and edged with warning.

“…Why are you continuing this conversation?” His tone was flat. “Shouldn’t we be moving?”

Cole didn’t flinch. “We’ve got time. We’ll drop off when we get closer to the city.”

After a long, still pause where only the hum of the engines filled the space between them, Cole again broke the silence.

“…You aren’t, right?” he asked again, softer now, more cautious.

Kai’s shoulders tensed. “She’s my sister.” He hissed, each word clipped with warning.

“I’m not questioning that” Cole replied, steady and calm.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. “No. You’re questioning everything I have right now.”

Cole exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Kaisei… First Spinjitzu Master, help me—” he muttered under his breath before levelling his gaze. “I’m trying to help. Both of you. Nya, and you.”

Kai didn’t respond, but his jaw clenched harder.

“Harumi is your sister. That’s clear. No one’s trying to take that away. But we just want to understand—what happened to you? Why you were separated from Nya— Why you were separated from your family in the first place.”

There was another pause.

“…Don’t ask” Kai said finally, his voice cold. “I don’t remember.”

Cole studied Kai for a moment.

“What do you mean by ‘you don’t remember’?”

“I don’t” Kai said sharply. “Harumi does.” He added eventually. “I didn’t even remember my own name back then” he scoffed. Then, his expression suddenly changed. “But if you dare ask her anything, about our real parents—I won’t hesitate.”

“Whoah, whoah—” Cole stepped back, stiffening slightly at Kai’s sudden shift in tone. “No need to threaten me, man.” He exhaled heavily. “Delicate topic?”

“Very.” Kai hissed.

Cole nodded, accepting that.

“Alright, alright... I won’t ask her anything. Unless she wants to tell me herself.” Cole paused, leaning against the rail again. “But do you remember anything? Anything at all? I mean— From what I understand, you were adopted by the Empress and Emperor. Before that… you were living with Harumi’s—” He caught himself and corrected his words carefully. “Harumi’s biological parents?”

“Yes.”

“… And?”

“And what?”

“You don’t remember them? Or you don’t remember how you get there? Or you don’t remember how you were adopted by Emperor and Empress?”

Kai’s jaw tightened, grinding with restrained fury. Why did Cole keep pushing? Why couldn’t he just let it go? His fingers curled around the cold metal of the ship’s railing, white-knuckled. He could feel it, that familiar burn rising in his chest, the heat busting just beneath his skin.

“I remember their deaths.” His voice was suddenly razor-sharp. “I remember the building coming down. I remember holding Harumi while the dust was still in the air, trying to convince her everything would be okay—while our mother’s body was lying right next to us!” he shouted. He took a breath, but it came out broken, half-sob, half-anger. “So no, I don’t remember the warm memories you’re asking for. I remember grief. I remember terror. And I waiting, hoping that someone  would came for us.”

Cole stood still, gazing at Kai in shock and empathy. He was taken aback from the sudden burst of emotion and confession. But it still looked like, he wasn’t finished with his curiosity.

“…I’m sorry.” His voice was quieter now. “I didn’t mean to dig into a wound like that.”

Kai didn’t answer, his eyes fixed somewhere far beyond the deck—past the skyline, past the past. Somewhere unreachable.

Cole stepped a little closer but kept his hands down, careful not to push further.

“I wasn’t trying to make you relive it. I just…” He sighed. “I-I just wanted to understand. To help.”

Kai let out a bitter chuckle.

“Then don’t pry.” Kai’s voice cut sharp through the air. “You want to help? Then don’t force me—or my sister, especially her—to explain everything just so you can piece together a puzzle!”

Cole held his gaze, his eyes softening.

“I… I’m sorry” he said at last, voice low. “Again.”

Kai didn’t respond. He turned to leave, only to stop short.

Someone was standing in his path.

Sensei Wu.

Wu stood calmly, hands folded behind his back, his expression unreadable beneath the wide brim of his hat.

“We are not here to question your past,” he said slowly, “nor to make you suffer by reliving painful memories. We are here to help you find the answer to a single question: Who are you?”

Kai’s fists clenched at his sides. Something in his chest twisted tight, too tight. His breath grew uneven. He could feel it again, that burning pressure crawling up his spine, that urge to let go, to explode.

“Who am I?” he repeated, voice cracking into a bitter laugh. “Who am I?!”

His hand cut through the air, sharp and furious.

“You know nothing about me!” he shouted, the words ricocheting off the steel walls of the deck. “Nothing!”

The flames flared briefly at his fingertips, instinctive and uncontrolled, before he shoved them down with a trembling swing.

“And you don’t either, Kai Jiang-Smith” Wu said, his voice quiet but firm. “You had admitted it.”

Cole stood stunned, disbelieving at Kai’s sudden fire powers.

Kai’s breath caught in his throat as Wu’s gaze dropped, not to his face, but to his hand. Kai instinctively curled it into a fist and stepped back, hiding it behind him.

But Wu’s eyes had already moved to the railing behind him. The metal was scorched black, warped and blistered from the heat. Droplets of liquified steel still sizzled as they slid down, hissing in the silence.

“You don’t even know where your powers come from” Wu continued, calm but piercing. “Do you?”

Kai said nothing. The knot in his chest tightened, coiled with shame and anger.

“You are Fire Elemental Master”  Wu said, stepping closer, his voice low. “Do you truly believe it’s a coincidence you were given that power?”

“You don’t know anything” he muttered.

“Perhaps” Wu said. “But neither do you.”

Cole stood in silence, watching Kai carefully—hoping he had at least accept that much. That they weren’t asking him to push past his limits, just urging him to try. To know.

What frustrated him wasn’t if it was truth or lie itself. It was their expectation—that he would accept it, remember everything, even be grateful for the revelations.

“No” he answered finally, voice low and sharp. “But you are not the one to tell me who I am.” He hissed the words like a warning. “Thank you for your welcome, and for helping us, but I think it’s time we go our separate ways. Your help will never be forgotten.” He ended with a formal tone, the same princely voice he usually carried. “I expect you to drop us off at the nearest possible place.”

Wu nodded, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

“If that’s what you want, Dragon Prince Kaisei.”

“Sensei—” Cole started, but Wu raised a hand to silence him.

“We won’t keep you here against your will.”

…

“Harumi!” he shouted, slamming the door open. “We're getting—”

He paused, scanning the room. It was empty. Harumi wasn’t there.

“...out of here” he finished under his breath, frowning.

Where did she go?

He stormed out, nearly colliding with someone in the corridor.

“Harumi!” he gasped in relief when he saw her. He reached out, gently grabbing her shoulder. “We’re getting out of here.”

“Huh?” Harumi blinked, confused. “What?”

“You were right. As always. We don’t need them. The two of us—we’ve always managed, somehow. I was gullible, like always—”

He was speaking too quickly, the words tumbling out faster than he could think.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page but…?” Harumi frowned, brushing his hand off her shoulder. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing—I just realized—”

“You talked to them.” Harumi’s voice was ice-cold, her eyes sharp with a death glare. “You talked to them about your so-called family.”

“...Yes” Kai admitted, the shame lingering in his voice. “But not exactly I—”

Before he couldn’t finish, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to her eye level.

“I thought you told me I was enough.”

“You are! That’s why we’re leaving—they agreed to drop us—”

Harumi scoffed and shoved him back, letting go.

“You did it behind my back. What, did you think I wouldn’t find out? You wanted to keep it a secret from me?”

“No—Rumi, the conversation wasn’t even about that—”

“But it is! Because it changed your mind!”

“Rumi, fuck, can I speak?!” Kai snapped, voice breaking from the pressure. He stepped back from her reach.

“No! Because you’re a fucking idiot!” she screamed. “They just want to use you! That whole bullshit story about your parents—how stupid can you be?! Didn’t you think for the second that they want to use you because of your powers? They gave you some story about Elemental Masters, didn’t they?” She let out a bitter, breathless laugh. “How can you be so fucking idiotic to believe them, even for a second?! Do I have to always—always—watch you, one step behind, just to stop you from running away from me?!”

“I—I'm not running away! Rumi, I swear, I can’t, I will never abandon you—”

“Then why do you keep doing this?!” she shouted high-pitched, her voice cracking under something deeper than anger.

Kai clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. He shut his eyes, trying to steady his breath. There was no point in explaining—not when Harumi was fuming.

She felt betrayed by him. And she had every right to be angry.

But why did she never let him speak?

He reminded himself that Harumi was just as on edge as he was. She had gone through the same pain, the same loss. Of course her emotions would get the better of her, just like his.

Without a word, he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m not going to abandon you. Never” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. “I want to leave this place. With you.”

Harumi scoffed but wrapped her arms around him, holding tight.

“Stupid. Kai” she mumbled into his chest, her voice pouty and muffled.

“Yeah…” Kai murmured, his voice cracked and low.

“The fucking most stupid Kai.”

“Language.”

“Fuck you.” She pulled away with a snort, exhaling hard as she fixed her hair. “Better late than never” she huffed. Then her expression turned serious, her eyes locking onto his. “Kai. Whatever happens—whatever comes next—you have to trust me. Always.”

Kai nodded.

“You need to trust me above everything else” Harumi said, voice low and firm. “You need to promise me.”

“I promise.”

“On the Overlord’s name.”

“…I promise on the Overlord’s name” he replied without any hesitation.

Kai never quite understood why Harumi insisted on making so many promises and always in the Overlord’s name. Every time she asked for one, it ended the same way: sworn upon the Overlord. It struck him as strange… but then again, Harumi was always a bit strange.

Maybe it was just a habit she picked up from her parents. Or maybe it held a deeper meaning, something Kai couldn’t remember. He didn’t dwell on it for long, but the feeling stayed.

It was odd.

Harumi's face lit up instantly, her mood shifting with eerie ease into a bright smile.

“Good” she hummed, clearly satisfied. “There will be an attack in two minutes.”

Kai blinked.

“...What?”

“Anyyyyway, don’t sweat it,” she said, casually waving her hand. She lifted a finger. “No matter what happens—never, ever doubt me. Got it?”

Kai stared at her, utterly confused.

What the hell was she talking about?

Before he could ask more, Harumi grabbed his hand.

“Come on. Let’s go outside. It’ll be much safer there.”

Still trying to process her words, Kai let her pull him along.

What attack?
Safe? Safe from who?
Who’s attacking?
And why all this sudden reassurance? Why now?

When they stepped onto the deck, Kai saw Wu and Cole still standing where he had left them, only now, they were joined by the elder couple he had met earlier. Their eyes fell on him almost instantly, watching him with a quiet intensity that made his stomach turn. Kai swallowed hard. Their attention wasn’t just unwelcome, it sickened him.

The man took a step forward, as if to approach or speak, but his wife gently stopped him, a hand on his arm. Wu said something low to him. Kai quickly looked away, jaw tight, doing his best to ignore their stares.

Jay and Lloyd were standing on the other side, engaged in some intense conversation. But as soon as Lloyd noticed Harumi, his green eyes sharpened and he broke away from the conversation, walking directly toward them.

“I heard you want to leave us” Lloyd said, arms crossed. “That’s not wise. The Sons of Garmadon are still out there.”

“We know” Harumi replied sweetly, almost too sweetly. The tone twisted in Kai’s gut, a familiar reminder of just how effortlessly she could wear a mask. “But my brother…” she cast a glance at Kai, her expression shifting to faux concern, “feels uncomfortable with the constant accusations. Being pushed into supposedly family bonds. And I’m not comfortable with that.”

The last sentence came laced with a subtle venom, veiled just enough to be polite.

Lloyd’s expression softened, his confidence flickering into guilt.

“I... understand,” he said quietly. “I don’t agree with them.” He added quickly, “I think... it must be confusing. For both of you. I’m sorry—for how they’ve handled it.”

Kai inhaled sharply. Was this genuine empathy? Or just another performance to match Harumi’s?

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Green Ninja.” Kai said formally, bowing slightly. “I’m sure you’ll bring them to justice soon.”

“Thank you.” Lloyd returned the bow. Then he hesitated. “...But are you sure you have somewhere to stay? Do you have anyone out there to help you? Somewhere to hide?”

“Yes, Lloyd” Harumi said, smiling sweetly. “My brother already has a plan.” She looped her arm around Kai’s, tugging him closer with subtle possession.

“Okay then…” Lloyd replied, clearly unconvinced. “I’ll be the one to drop you off—just to be sure. Wherever you want to go. We’re already above the Primeval’s Eye, but—”

Suddenly, the ship jolted violently beneath their feet.

The floor tilted, and both Kai and Harumi stumbled. Kai caught her just in time, steadying himself against the railing as he held her tightly.

“What was that?” he asked, heart thudding, scanning the skies instinctively.

“I—I don’t know” Lloyd muttered, turning sharply to glance toward the others. Confusion flickered in his eyes, quickly edged by concern. “That didn’t feel like turbulence…”

“Emergency! Emergency!” blared the voice over the loudspeakers, followed by a sharp, rhythmic beeping. Kai froze for a moment before realizing it was the ship’s artificial assistant—one of the systems the ninja relied on. “I am detecting a foreign presence that has infiltrated my systems” the voice announced.

“Foreign?” Lloyd echoed, eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about, Pixal?”

“What?!” Jay shrieked. “Zane’s still plugged in!—” He immediately bolted toward the med bay, panic written all over his face.

But before Jay could reach the med bay, Zane was already standing in the doorway.

Wires were still wrapped around his frame, dangling from his half-cracked chest plate. His eyes—once calm, icy blue—now pulsed an ominous red-magenta.

Kai instinctively took a step back, pulling Harumi behind him and clutching her hand tightly.

“…Zane?” Cole asked cautiously, stepping forward.

“Do not approach him” the voice crackled through the speaker, distorted. “He has also been infected—” A harsh glitch interrupted her, and her tone shifted. “I have a minor confession to make—the Samurai X is on the route, and it has been compromised as well. My systems are being overwr-r-r-r-written. Find the source of the fo-fo-for—”

Her voice garbled into static before cutting out entirely.

Suddenly, something fired.

Kai yanked Harumi down, shielding her as a sharp metallic object whirled past them and crashed into the wall behind.

The ship trembled again, pitching hard to the left. When Kai looked up, the sails above were ablaze, fabric whipping violently in the wind.

“Take this!” Lloyd shouted, tossing a katana that clattered at their feet. “Just in case!”

Then he launched a green beam of energy into the sky, aiming toward something overhead.

Kai followed his gaze—and saw it.

A mech, silver-marine-blue in colour, was diving toward them with terrifying speed.

“Jay!” Cole shouted from somewhere amid the chaos. “Find the foreign source code and destroy it!”

Zane was already attacking, his arms flinging shurikens toward Cole, who deflected them with his hammer. Sparks erupted with every clash.

Kai grabbed the katana and tightened his grip, retreating with Harumi as far back from the centre of the fight as possible.

Was this what Harumi had told him?

The attack?

How did she know?

The ship groaned again beneath the quake of impact. The mech landed with an earth-shaking crash, its immense weight tilting the deck off balance.

The man clashed swords with Zane, metal ringing out with brutal force, while the woman, his wife, lunged at the mech with her spear. Cole and the man pushed Zane back, cornering him against the wall. The woman struck at the mech, but with a single, sweeping blow, it sent her flying. She crashed hard onto the floor, skidding across the deck.

Lloyd fired a blast of green energy, striking it dead centre in the chest. The mech staggered—but before Lloyd could press forward, a bolt of ice from Zane’s hand froze him to the ground.

Now the mech turned.

Its glowing visor locked directly onto Kai and Harumi.

"Kai!"

The desperate scream tore through the chaos—the woman, scrambling back to her feet, was running toward them. But she was too far away.

Kai’s grip tightened.

It charged—one massive mechanical arm raised, tipped with a needle-like claw.

Kai moved.

Everything happened in a blur. Metal shrieked as it struck his sword, cutting out the claws, but Kai second later had already ducked, sliding under the mech’s legs, fire gathering in his palm.

Please work.

He released a burst of flame at the mech’s leg—hot, bright, wild.

His own power.

Unfamiliar, yet impossibly familiar.

Lloyd stared from his icy prison, disbelief in his eyes. The man stopped mid-swing with Zane, frozen by the sight of the crimson fire. The woman halted in her tracks, eyes locked on Kai.

For a heartbeat, everything stood still.

Taking the opportunity, Lloyd shattered the ice and launched himself back into the fight, striking at the mech’s weakened joints. It reeled back under the assault.

Kai scrambled away, panting, heart racing.

He could barely process what he had done—until he heard the scream, he knew too well.

“HARUMI!” he roared, when he saw the mech taking her in its second hand.

Kai charged forward, sword clenched in a white-knuckled grip, panic and fury burning in his chest.

The mech, its leg mangled by fire and Lloyd’s blows, was stumbling. Sparks burst from its joints as it lurched—tilting—slipping closer to the edge of the ship’s deck.

And then, with a groaning screech of metal, it tripped.

It fell. Dragging Harumi with it.

“Harumi!” Kai shouted, lunging toward the edge.

But before he could leap, a blur of green light cut past him—Lloyd. He jumped off the ship after them, vanishing into the chaos below.

Kai didn’t hesitate. He climbed on the railing, ready to throw himself into the sky, ready to burn the world if it meant reaching her—
But someone grabbed him firmly.

Kai was shoved aside just as a flurry of shurikens sliced through the air where he had stood.

“Kaisei! Don’t!” Cole barked, gripping his shoulders and pulling him behind cover. “Snap out of it! You get yourself killed! Lloyd is taking care of it!”

Kai struggled against him for a moment—heart hammering, breath ragged—but Cole held fast, deflecting shurikens with his hammer as more projectiles rained down.

Then—
Zane froze.
Mid-strike, his body seized, convulsed slightly… then collapsed to the deck like a puppet with its strings cut.

From the cockpit, Jay and Wu burst into view.

“We found it!” Jay gasped, breathless and sweating. He held a scorched, sparking device in one hand. “We destroyed the source code!”

But Kai didn’t care.

He barely registered the words. His eyes were locked on the edge of the ship—the void beyond it.

And then—he moved.

Without thinking, Kai turned and bolted toward the railing again, ready to leap into the abyss after them.

“Kaisei, no!” Cole shouted.

He was faster. Again.

He grabbed Kai hard, yanking him back, both of them falling to the floor in a harsh scuffle.

“Kaisei—what the hell are you doing?!”

Chapter Text

Nya stood before the Palace of Secrets, once a symbol of tradition, wealth, and power. Now, it was nothing more than a monument to a fallen society.

She tried not to think too hard about how far people had gone for… what, exactly? What did the Sons of Garmadon want to achieve?

It couldn’t have been just to revive Garmadon. That seemed too simple. Were they really just fanatics?

Anarchy?

The fall of royalty?

Some twisted form of social movement?

She shook her head. Some people just wanted to watch the city burn. There was no point in trying to understand a cult built on madness.

The devastated royal banners weren't hanging anymore in the wind, however no signs of restoration touched the scorched walls or graffiti-covered stone. The palace stood ruined, untouched from the night of the attack. Nya wondered if it would ever regain its former glory.

She stepped forward, crossing beneath the crumbling arch that barely held itself together. Shattered motorcycles littered the ground, glass bottles crunched beneath her boots, and layers of graffiti defaced every wall of the narrow alley. The air was thick with the stale scent of smoke and rust.

Nya wasn’t sure if she should be sneaking. There was always a chance some of the Sons of Garmadon were still lurking. Especially now that they knew the mask in their possession was a fake. Yet, the torn-down banners and abandoned silence suggested otherwise.

Still, she stayed cautious.

She decided to begin with the library.

Crossing into the interior, Nya grimaced. Almost everything had been burned down or buried beneath fallen beams. The red-gold halls were now a skeleton of ruin. She couldn't help but think—what kind of twisted irony would it be if the gang’s own bikes had destroyed the precious mask in the chaos of their rampage?

She headed down the corridor, hoping she was going the right way. Navigating the Palace had  been a challenge, and now the ruins only made it worse.

Her body tensed. Suddenly, she felt something.

She wasn’t alone.

She took the spear from her backs and spread it. The metallic click echoed through empty palace.

From the shadows, a silhouette emerged. Nya tightened her grip on the spear and dropped into a battle stance. She relaxed her shoulders the moment she saw the familiar green glow.

“…Weren’t you supposed to be stalking Kai?” she scoffed, tapping the spear against the floor. She took a step closer to the ghost. “What the hell do you want?”

The girl ghost gestured for her to come nearer. Nya frowned, uncertain if she should follow. It could easily be a trap. And the ghost’s appearance was far from reassuring. In fact, Nya found herself instinctively keeping her distance, fighting the uneasy urge to gag.

“Who are you?!”

The sudden roar from behind made Nya jolt. She cursed herself for letting someone sneak up on her.

She whirled around, spear raised and ready to strike, only to lower it just as quickly when she saw the speaker.

“…Hutchins? You’re alive?”

The elder man slowly lowered his weapon at Nya’s question. He limped forward, his movements stiff, deliberate. Bandages wrapped his arms and side, some stained faintly with old blood. His armour was dented and scorched, still held together, but barely. The bent plates bore the marks of violent combat, though someone had clearly tried to clean him up. The dirt and blood were gone, but the damage remained.

His eyes was dimmed and hollow. As if something deep inside him had been lost and never returned. He looked like a man who had survived the battle, but left part of himself behind on that battlefield.

She glanced back to where the ghost had been. The space was empty again.

“Water Elemental Master...” He said sharply “...Do you feel remorse for your failure?”

Nya lowered her spear and strapped it to her back.

“...I'm sorry for your loss” she mumbled, unsure if she was only making things worse.

Hutchins remained silent. He stared at her with an unreadable expression, eyes hidden beneath the shadows of his helmet.

The silence between them was thick, heavy enough to press on Nya’s chest. She could almost feel Hutchins holding back, swallowing whatever accusations or grief he wanted to throw at her. Part of her didn’t want to be dragged into mourning for the dead. Yet another part knew she should feel something, should be fazed by the loss and failure. But there was too much happening, too many lives still in danger. There was no time for grief or remorse, only the relentless push forward to prevent of any further disaster.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked.

Nya sighed heavily.

“...Because of the mask. The one you protected, it was fake, wasn't it?” Nya asked cautiously.

Hutchins raised an eyebrow. Nya smacked with the tongue, not entirely satisfied or dissatisfied.

“It was, right?” she repeated.

He studied her intently, his gaze heavy with exhaustion.

“It doesn't matter” he said at last. “Sons of Garmadon have done damage already beyond repair.”

Nya pressed her lips together. The conversation was already heavy enough, and Hutchins wasn’t helping with his curt, conversation-ending replies. She didn’t want to drag words out of him. But she still needed to know.

“What about the prince and princess? They’re alive— They made it out of the palace—” she said, hoping that a spark of good news might draw Hutchins out of his shell.

Hutchins didn’t react. No words, no change in his expression. Nya frowned. That was… unexpected. Nothing. Not even the faintest flicker of emotion.

“They hardly count as royalty anymore” he muttered.

Nya blinked, caught off guard by the sudden bitterness in his voice.

“What… what do you mean?” she asked cautiously, watching his face shift into something darker.

Hutchins turned slightly away, his hand clenching by the spear. He didn’t answer her. The silence grew.

Nya shifted her weight from foot to foot, growing impatient. It was untactful, maybe even cold, but she justified it. Time was running out, and she couldn’t afford to waste any of it.

“…So” she began again, her voice more measured, “the mask. Is it still here?”

Hutchins hesitated, then drew in a slow, quiet breath.

 “Follow me.”

Behind them, the ghost girl drifted silently into view at the edge of the corridor, her pale form hovering in the dim light. She was starting to get on Nya’s nerves. Appearing and vanishing whenever she pleased, offering no way to communicate.

Hutchins showed no sign of noticing her at all. Nya kept it to herself. If the ghost-girl wanted to remain hidden from him, there was no point wasting breath trying to explain whatever this was.

Hutchins led Nya through a maze of winding corridors. When they finally reached a door, she was surprised to see it open onto a vast, outdoor space.

She stepped outside, taking in the scene. But before she could fully register what lay before her, a sharp pain stabbed through her head.

…

She giggled, leaning over the boy’s back as he worked at the lock. He was picking the door’s keyhole with careful focus. Gripping his shoulders, she clung to him in barely contained excitement.

“Shhh!” he hissed, snapping his head toward her.

... Kai?

It was Kai-

But younger than he was now. Not too much. Only a few years. But how? She was just with Hutchins and then-

The girl giggled again.

“Kaisei, come on!” she whispered, tugging on the boy’s green haori. “Before Harumi notices you lied!”

Kaisei scoffed.

“It wasn’t a lie...” he muttered, pausing as the metal clicked softly in the lock. “It was a white lie.”

Nya couldn’t move or speak. She was trapped, pinned inside someone else’s perspective. It played out before her like a scene from a film. She was still in the palace, in the same corridor she had just walked with Hutchins… but through another’s eyes.

Everything the person felt, she felt too—the texture of Kai’s haori beneath her fingers, the warmth of his body. And the emotions… Nya was swept up in them, a giddy, soaring joy that wasn’t her own.

“It still has lie in the name” the girl said with a grin.

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and sighed as he pushed the doors open.

“Harumi is... difficult.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” the girl said, rolling her eyes. “Today during our lesson, she called the tutor—and I quote—‘the old cow with hanging boobs.’”

Kaisei raised unimpressed eyebrow.

“When I told her to speak her mind, that’s not exactly what I meant” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “First Spinjitzu Master, why do I even try to get her to open up when that’s what comes out?”

The girl giggled and darted through the open doors into the garden. She looked around, wide-eyed with amazement. Even though it was still within the palace walls, the garden felt like it belonged to another world. It wasn’t manicured like the others. The moss-covered stone steps leading to the green torii were scattered with fallen leaves. Grass had overtaken the paths, and tall bamboo stalks gave it the air of an untamed forest.

Despite it being noon, the garden was as dim as the palace corridors.

“This place is amazing!” she gasped. “Why is it so abandoned?”

“You’re asking me?” he scoffed. “You’ve lived here your whole life.” He walked toward her, slipping his tools into his pockets. “Supposedly, two hundred years ago, a Jade Princess who refused to take a husband hanged herself here.” He hummed, glancing around the garden.

“How do you even know that?”

“Because I actually pay attention to the tutors. Unlike my sisters” he said with a smirk.

“So that’s how you found this place” she said with a smile, admiration shining in her eyes.

“Yeah... kinda. But Harumi found it first.” He scratched the back of his neck.

Was she in the dream? Or memory? Kai was younger here after all.

She hummed softly, taking a step toward the torii gate.

“I’m trying to like her, you know?” she blurted out, frustration slipping through before she could stop it. “I am—really. I’m nice to her.” She paused, biting back the growing irritation. “But—”

“She’s difficult” he finished for her with a shrug, trailing after her at a lazy pace.

“More like… she doesn’t want to be liked” she snarled. “And she’s… weird.” Kaisei glanced at her, his expression shifting from neutral to protective over Harumi. Realizing she’d said too much, she tried to soften it. “I know Harumi’s been through a lot. I get it.” She kicked a rock on the ground. “But still… she just doesn’t want to be liked.”

“A little bit of that, yeah…” Kaisei sighed, letting his shoulders relax. “Anyway... want to see the cursed well where your ancestor supposedly hanged herself?”

“Eww…” she recoiled. “Why would I want to? That’s so messed up.”

Kaisei shrugged.

“Harumi wanted to, when I brought her here.”

“I’m not like her” she said, pouting and crossing her arms. It was so frustrating how Kaisei always merged both of them into one image of little sister.

“I know. But everyone likes ghost stories in your age.” He smirked.

“Hey, don’t act like that! You’re only three years older than me!”

“Supposedly.” he replied quietly, his voice tinged with melancholy as he gazed up at the sky, barely visible through the thick canopy of bamboo.

Guilt crept over her. She hadn’t meant to touch on something so delicate.

“...Do you think you’ll ever get your memories back?” she asked softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“No” he answered without hesitation. “But I don’t need them.”

Memories? Kai didn’t remember… what exactly?

“So… Are you going to show me this cursed well?” she smiled bitterly, trying to change the topic.

Nya sensed the girl’s hesitation, but the girl still spoke up, hoping to lighten Kai’s mood.

And it worked. Kaisei smiled back to her.

“Come on, before someone seriously notice our absent” he waved a hand in gesture to follow her.

She took as close a look at Kai as she could, limited by the angle of her view. The perspective was still  set to the first person, to the girl. Kai seemed so... bright here. It was hard for Nya to connect this version of him with the person he had become—the distance between past and present felt vast. Here, she saw the Kai she knew too well.

They ventured deeper into the bamboo forest, following a forgotten path. In just a few steps, the infamous well came into view. It was much larger than she had imagined. The massive roof towering above the well far exceeded the size of the brick floor surrounding it. Styled like a shrine, it suggested the water was meant for ceremonial use rather than drinking. Atop each column, dragons were intricately carved, winding around the supports. Though time had worn away some of its former beauty—missing roof tiles, faded colours, and moss creeping over the stone—the well still held an undeniable majesty.

“…Kizuna?” Kaisei started abruptly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Hm?” She turned to face him directly.

“…Do you think your parents… would let me live here once I officially turn eighteen?”

She blinked a few times, caught off guard.

“Why wouldn’t they? Kaisei, they love you like you’re their own son!”

He scratched the back of his neck, leaning against the well. He picked up a nearby stone and tossed it into the depths below.

“…Are they, though? I know I was only adopted to improve their image after the Great Devourer attack.”

“Kaisei, come on—” she began, but he cut her off.

“And Harumi is causing problems…” he continued, his voice heavy. “And I’m only making your claim to the throne more doubtful” he scoffed bitterly. “There’s no reason to keep me here.”

“You know you’re worrying over nothing, right?” she raised an eyebrow. “My parents—no, our parents—would never throw you out of the palace! Besides,” she scoffed, “that would be the worst way to improve their image.” She took his hand gently. “I’m going to be Empress, just as it’s meant to be, and you’ll still be the prince by my side, as my brother. Come on, it’s not like you’re planning to plot against me to steal the throne.”

Kai gave a small, reluctant smile, the weight on his shoulders easing just a little.

“I want to believe you,” he said quietly, “but you know that I don’t belong here. Sometimes I feel like they put here for appearances, nothing more. That I will… Fade when I become… Useless.”

She squeezed his hand firmly.

“You’re not for appearance, Kaisei. You’re part of this family. And no matter what happens, I won’t let you fade away.”

He looked at her, the sincerity in her eyes cutting through his doubts. But still, his smile didn’t catch his eyes.

“Thanks, Kizuna” he whispered.

“Always” she replied, smiling softly.

They stood there for a moment, the bamboo rustling gently around them. Kai leaned against the well, gripping its rough edges tightly as he stared down into the dark abyss below.

“…Could you maybe not call me ‘Kaisei’?”

She paused, sensing something beneath his words.

“What’s wrong with that?”

He looked away, voice barely above a whisper.

“…It’s nothing. Just… never mind.”

What was that about? Did Kai really identify himself with his real name? Nya felt a light of hope.

“Come on!” she nudged him, moving closer.

“No, it’s nothing.” Kaisei shook head.

“Come on!” she insisted, nudging him harder.

“Kizuna, really—”

She gave him a gentle push, but suddenly—

The edge of the well crumbled beneath his grip, making Kai unbalanced.

Kizuna screamed, but it was too late.

Nya screamed with the girl. She wanted to jump, to save him, but she couldn’t. She was bounded to memories as a watcher.

He tumbled backward, falling into the dark depths of the well. Time seemed to slow as he flailed, arms grasping at empty air. A brief flash of panic crossed his face before gravity took over.

“KAISEI!” she screamed, panic choking her voice as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Her eyes searched desperately through the black water, heart pounding with every echo of the splash beneath her scream.

She couldn’t see a thing. Only an endless blackness stretched before her.

“Kaisei!” she screamed again, her voice trembling with desperation.

She leaned closer to the edge, eyes straining into the darkness, careful not to lose her own balance.

“First Spinjitzu Master… Kaisei!” she stammered, her voice breaking with fear.

Suddenly—

She felt a push from behind.

In a flash, she caught a glimpse of white hair and purple eyes blazing with hatred.

Then she was falling, plunging into the darkness. Cold air whipped past her, sharp and biting. The rough stone walls blurred as they scraped against her skin and clothes while she tumbled deeper.

Her breath caught in her throat, heart pounding like a drum in the heavy silence surrounding her.

She saw a rock—
And then—

Sudden, searing pain.

...And nothing.

…

Nya screamed as she jolted awake, the sharp sting of impact still throbbing through her body. She gasped for breath, clutching her jaw and head, the pain echoing relentlessly in her mind from those places.

It wasn’t real.
She’s alive.

Above her, Hutchins leaned down, eyes wide with concern. He yelled at her, but the words were blurred, slipping past her overwhelmed senses.

“What—what—…” she stammered, still trapped in shock.

“Are you alright?!” he demanded, grabbing her roughly.

Nya took a few seconds before she could answer, still dazed. Her eyes slowly took in the surroundings. The scene was the same as in her dream or memory. They stood in the abandoned bamboo garden, the well looming on the horizon. Nothing had changed.

Nothing, except for the numerous bouquets of flowers and softly glowing lanterns surrounding the well.

Hutchins watched her carefully, with clear concern in his eyes. One hand gently supported Nya as she sat up, while the other clutched an Oni Mask.

“What—what were we doing?” she stammered, slowly pushing herself up with Hutchins’ support.

“I was going to grab the mask, and then you suddenly fainted—” he replied confused, still looking carefully at Nya as he was looking for any visible injuries.

“Fainted…?” she echoed, her eyes darting around.

Then she understood it—
The ghost.

She had possessed her.

Nya nervously glanced around, but the ghost had vanished, no longer lingering behind her. It had slipped away, hiding once again.

Nya struggled to make sense of what she had just witnessed, pushing herself to grasp the reality of it.

“…Kizuna,” she whispered, the name stirring memories deep inside her. “Kizuna—do you know anyone by that name?”

Hutchins’ expression shifted drastically. Nya felt the tension tighten between them, and for a moment, Hutchins almost faltered in supporting her. He remained silent.

“Kizuna.” She repeated firmly. “You know who she is, don’t you?”

Why did Hutchins have to make everything so difficult? Couldn’t he just say it outright? If it weren’t for his maddening crypticness, Nya would’ve been out of here by now. She pressed her lips together, bracing herself for Hutchins to finally come clean. Hutchins’ jaw tightened.

“She was… a princess who died in an unfortunate accident. Here. In this very place.”

Nya’s chest tightened.

“Princess? Hold on, Harumi is the—”

“Her Highness Kizuna was the biological daughter of the Emperor and Empress. The one designated as Crown Princess” Hutchins explained solemnly.

She… was? She died, then—

But if the royal family had a direct heir, why did they adopt Kai in the first place? In memory, Kai had mentioned something about improving their image.

No, Nya didn’t understand it and maybe she didn’t need to. Politics, as always, were unnecessarily complicated.

But the fact remained: Kai had another adoptive sister. Nya wanted to scream. How many sisters did Kai have? And why couldn’t he accept the one who was actually his by blood?

“What happened here?” Her voice cracked with barely contained fear. “Did… did Kai—Prince Kaisei—fall into the well with Princess Kizuna?”

Hutchins looked puzzled but nodded slowly. Then, he handed her the mask.

“This is what you were after.”

Nya stared at the mask in confusion, then back at Hutchins.

“What happened here?” she demanded, her voice raw with emotion.

Hutchins didn’t say a word. Frustrated, Nya grabbed the mask from his hand.

“What happened?” she repeated, her voice rising.

Hutchins finally met her gaze, his eyes heavy with sorrow.

“It was a tragedy that’s been buried for years—and it changed the royal family irrevocably.” Hutchins paused, searching for the right words. “They both fell into the well you see over there” he said, pointing toward it. “Princess Kizuna was found dead....” He paused. “She died instantly, falling onto the rocks inside the well.” He closed his eyes briefly before continuing. “Prince Kaisei… he was alive. Rescued after two days trapped in that darkness.” He wet his lips, the weight of the memory heavy in the air. “It was a traumatic event for everyone involved.”

Nya swallowed hard, the story sinking deep into her bones.

“Two days… stuck in a well?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Hutchins nodded solemnly.

“Exactly. Beside the corpse of his sister.” He took a shaky breath. “The boy never fully recovered from it.”

Nya struggled to process every word. Just as she finally opened her mouth to respond, Hutchins cut her off.

“We should not speak of this any further. You got what you came for. Now leave.

“But—”

“Leave.” He repeated, his voice firm and final.

Nya couldn’t just be cut off like that. Her blood was buzzing with everything she had just learned. She was still in shock, still processing what it all meant—for Kai, for herself, for everything. But now wasn’t the time to analyse it. Not when she was this close to getting answers.

“That’s what you meant by not counting them as royalty” she said, her voice rising. “You blame them—for Kizuna’s death. The blood daughter of the Empress and Emperor.”

Hutchins’s expression remained like stone.

“But you said it was an accident, a tragedy!” Nya snapped sharply.

“I will not speak ill of the family I had been serving for years” he replied flatly.

“Kai fell there first!”

“Leave.” He repeated, fixing her with a dark glare.

“Wh-why do you blame Kai? He had just fallen down, Kizuna—”

“I am not blaming the boy!” His voice snapped, rising as his fists clenched. He caught himself, forcing a deep breath, trying to return to that unreadable calm, but failing. He averted his eyes. “I shall speak no more.”

Nya stared at him, confused.

Kizuna had been pushed. She saw it when she was possessed by the ghost. That ghost—she was probably Kizuna. She was trying to show her something.

Nya took a breath.

“Harumi.”

Hutchins looked up, meeting her eyes.

“She pushed Kizuna.”

His eyes closed slowly, as if the weight of the words was too much to bear.

“Some of the servants… believed so.”

Nya’s chest tightened. The fact that he didn’t deny it—couldn’t deny it—made the air feel heavier.

“Why would she do something so... Horrid?” she whispered, barely able to say the words.

“Because she was always… a problematic child. With an obsession over Prince Kaisei.”

“What?” Nya blinked, the words striking her like ice.

Hutchins said nothing.

“What do you mean by that?!” she pressed, stepping forward.

Again, silence.

“Why is she obsessed with Kai?! Did—did she kill the princess because she was jealous of him?” Nya scoffed, barely believing the words leaving her mouth. The idea felt impossible, yet she couldn’t stop the thought.

Still, Hutchins remained silent.

“Say something!”

“…I do not know what to believe,” he finally said, his voice low. “However… Princess Harumi was the one who found Kai in the well. If she was the only witness to the accident—if she was the one who caused it… She didn’t speak of it for two days.”

“…What are you implying?” Nya’s voice trembled.

“If Princess Harumi was the real culprit here—the murderer,” he said, spitting out the final word like poison, “then it means she was something far worse. She left her own brother to rot in that place… trapped in the dark, surrounded by the decaying corpses of her other sister.”

Chapter Text

Harumi screamed, staring into the endless blue sky. The mech gripped her tight, she couldn’t move an inch.

This wasn’t the plan.
This wasn’t the fucking plan.

Was she really going to die like this? So pathetic?

The hacked Samurai mech was supposed to kidnap her and Kai, cause just enough damage to slow the Ninja down.

Not this.
Not her falling to her death.

It was all their fault. All their fucking fault. The Ninja destroying the Samurai’s mech. Kai using his powers—

Why the hell could he even do that?
Why hadn’t he told her his powers got back?

But none of it mattered now.

She was falling. Literally falling.

She needed a spell. Something, anything, to save herself. There had to be something she’d learned. A life-saving incantation. A fucking spell. An ace up her sleeve.
Something.

Time slowed into something agonizing. Every heartbeat dragged like it was mocking her.
She couldn’t stop thinking, how she would die at any second. How pathetically she would die.

“Harumi!”

Her head jerked at the voice, it was not hers.

That yell…
No way.
It couldn’t be—

Someone else was falling with her.

It was so absurd, her brain short-circuited. Was this a dream? Had she already died and landed in the Cursed Realm? Was this her torment to be stuck with him?

“Lloyd?!” she screamed, stunned.

“I got this!”

She barely had time to scream what the fuck do you mean by that?! before he ripped her free from the mech’s claws. Just like that.

Just like that.
Like it was easy.

Harumi bit back a curse. How had he done that so effortlessly? Why was she so goddamn weak she couldn’t do it herself?

Then he shoved her into the mech’s cockpit.

“What the fuck?!” she spat.

Even while freefalling, his face carved by the wind, she saw it. Lloyd was surprise, his is eyes wide.

Oh.
Right.
She just swore.
In front of Lloyd.

But seriously—who the fuck cared? They were about to die.

“Buckle up!” he shouted, slamming the cockpit shut.

“What about you?!” she shouted.

“I’ll think of something—” And with that, he pushed off the mech.

Harumi screamed. Not in fear, in rage. Boiling, breathless, helpless rage.

The fucking Green Ninja had just left her, trapped in a metal coffin, plummeting to her death.

Fuck the Ninjas.
Fuck the Masks.
Fuck the Sons of Garmadon.

Fuck all pieces of shit wandering in this fucking world!

Tears welled in her eyes as she clenched her jaw, biting her lip hard enough to taste blood.

Why was everything always against her?
Why did she always have to fight tooth and nail for every inch of survival?

And most of all—
Why was she always, always meant to be alone?

The mech shuddered beneath her.
A sudden, bone-rattling rumble.
And then—impact.

The cockpit slammed down hard. Her body jolted, thrown up, then yanked down, crushed by the force of gravity and cold steel.

She groaned, wincing as her back and head sank into the deflated airbags.
It didn’t hurt much, just enough to remind her she was still alive. No broken bones and  no blood.

She didn’t move for a few seconds. She was laying there, staring through the cracked cockpit glass above her. The sky was still blue. Birds flew by as if nothing had happened.

She was alive.

She closed eyes, sniffing.

 “Fuuuuuuck…” she whispered half in curse, half in whimper.

She rubbed her eyes and dragged a hand down her face, feeling hot skin and dried tears.

The thought crossed her mind.

Was it all worth it?

Great. Now she was having second thoughts after surviving a near-death fall.

She groaned again and let her head flop back with a dull bang.

“Ugh. I’m starting to sound like Kai…”

Harumi pulled herself out of the mech, her limbs sore but functioning.

Now the panic was settling somewhere deeper.

Kai.

She turned her eyes to the sky, scanning for any sign of the ship. She steadied herself, inhaling fresh air.

He had to survive. He had to.

She had made the deal with the Dark Lord. There were rules to that kind of thing. Kai wasn’t supposed to die.

He can’t be dead.
He’s not allowed to be.

And yet... doubt twisted in her gut.

Maybe Kai had been right to worry about the future. What was waiting for them on the other side of this? What came next, for her, for him?

She couldn't just blindly believe the plan would work. That everything would fall neatly into place.

Kai was the one who always lived with it, future, past and never the present. Which was opposite of Harumi. She was living in the moment, pushing forward with instinct.

And now?

Now she wasn't so sure anymore.

She looked around.

She was in the jungle. Somehow, she’d made it—
The Primeval’s Eye.

Thick trees loomed around her. Vines curled like watching serpents. Everything smelled earth and rain and now burning metal.

“...Harumi? Are you alright? ” The voice was soft and careful. It was Lloyd’s.

She quickly sniffed, rubbing her nose against her sleeve. The tears stung more than the fall had. Maybe they were justified, but the thought of him seeing her like this? No, never. She hated the thought that Lloyd could see her real vulnerability. Her real emotions.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, turning to face him.

Lloyd beamed at her with that damn smile, the one that was too bright for the situation. But she noticed what Lloyd was trying to hide from her. His left arm, was moved too carefully. Or more accurately, the way he tried not to.

She frowned.

“Did you break your arm?” she asked flatly, not even trying to sound concerned.

“No—just bruised, I think.” He smiled again, softer this time. “You don’t have to worry.”

She rolled her eyes. She wasn’t worried. Why did he always assume that?

Without a word, she turned back to the mech's cockpit, crouched down, and pulled a knife from the strap at her ankle. She sliced clean through a bit of fabric of the airbags and returned to him.

“Let me wrap your arm. Just in case it’s broken.”

Her tone was cold, but her hands were steady. She worked in silence, tying the makeshift triangular bandage around his neck to support his arm.

“T-thanks,” Lloyd stuttered, clearly caught off guard by the sudden closeness.

Harumi was grateful he couldn’t see her face just then, because it wasn’t the kind of expression he’d expect from her.

She wasn’t calm or composed. She was furious.

At everything. At herself.

She was here, in the Primeval Eye with the person who could help her find the Oni Mask.
Exactly where she wanted to be.

And yet... what was the point? She had no map. No clue where to even start looking.

She stepped back, jaw clenched, and stared at the ground. The urge to scream or kick a rock—or something—burned through her.

She was so tired of never being in control.

“Don’t worry… We’ll think of something.”

Lloyd leaned over his wrist, tapping something with his more stable right hand. A soft click echoed from the small device attached to his arm.

Harumi tilted her head slightly. She didn’t recognize it.

“What is that? Are you trying to contact them?”

“Yeah…” he sighed. “But the signal’s gone. Nothing’s getting through.” His face darkened. “I think we’re on our own.”

Harumi let out a sharp, bitter scoff.

No shit, genius.

Lloyd blinked, then looked at her with concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hm?” She snapped out of it instantly, her expression shifting like a curtain drawn. Her voice smoothed over with practiced ease, her usual controlled, composed tone. The well-practised princess mask.

But Lloyd didn’t drop it.

“You just… look tense,” he said carefully, as if trying not to offend her. “… Something’s bothering you.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Being stranded in a jungle with no signal and a half-broken kidnapping-mech doesn’t exactly put me in a relaxed mood.” Then, Harumi frowned to herself in scolding. She was slipping. She was getting too careless and her emotions were getting carried away. “I—” she started, grasping to correct herself. But the anger had a chokehold on her thoughts. “I apologize for my outburst. That was… unacceptable.”

Lloyd blinked, caught off guard. Then he chuckled.

“No, it’s alright.” He smiled, and for a moment looked blushed. “I found it kind of… cute— I mean—” He cleared his throat. “I meant it’s good. That you’re not hiding your emotions. I mean, I don’t mind it. Really.”

Harumi forced a smile.
Internally, she screamed.

Why was she stuck with this blushing, awkward, green-suited simp?

“Let’s just pretend I didn’t curse like a sailor,” she said with mock coyness, adjusting her hairpin. Embarrassed-princess mode: activated. That should satisfy him.

Meanwhile, her thoughts were on fire:

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Kai was always the one who knew how to keep her from unravelling. Who could see through her and handle the mess beneath.

“Um, okay—” Lloyd stammered again, but smiled oblivious. “But seriously, I really don’t mind. It happens to everyone.” Then, after a pause, he added, “Now… I think we should start looking for the third mask.”

Harumi looked at him, surprised.

“The third mask? How?”

“I downloaded the map onto my wristband” Lloyd explained, leaning over and tapping the device again. A holographic map flickered to life above his arm. “Zane decoded the symbols and sent the data to all of us before the crash.”

“Oh.”

So… not everything had gone to waste.
Maybe the Ninjas having a map wasn’t such terrible luck after all.

She leaned in closer. The blue grid shimmered with light, a single pulsing dot marking their position, pointing them toward a red X, that supposed to be the mask’s location. It wasn’t too far from them.

“Should we then—”

The roar cut her off.

Lloyd’s hand shot toward the sword on his back.
But Harumi was faster. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward, running.

The ground trembled behind them, thunderous footsteps slamming into the jungle floor.

It was coming.
And it was enormous.

Branches snapped like matchsticks behind them. Harumi’s boots pounded the dirt, heart hammering in her chest. Lloyd surged ahead, overtaking her with ease. His healthy hand was gripping hers tighter, pulling her along with surprising strength.

And then—
Her foot caught on a root.

Her body pitched forward.

She hit the ground hard.

Fuck, shit, FUCK!

Leaves exploded around her. The creature’s roar grew louder and closer. Her grip slipped from Lloyd’s.

Her foot was caught, wedged beneath a thick jungle root. She yanked, shaky hands trying to free it, but it was no use.

Before panic could fully settle in, Lloyd was already there.

He spun around, raised his sword, and sliced clean through the root with one swift strike. She barely had time to breathe before he grabbed her arm and hauled her up, pulling her back into a sprint.

Branches lashed against them and leaves whipped their faces.

And then—

The ground shifted.

The earth crumbled beneath their feet.

They both tumbled, falling through the underbrush and over the edge of a hidden ravine. Harumi barely had time to scream before they hit the slope, sliding, rolling and finally crashing to a halt in the dense shadows below.

Her mouth opened to curse—

But Lloyd was again faster.

He covered her mouth gently with his hand, eyes wide, listening.

She froze, pressed tight against him as he pulled her close, one arm curled around her shoulders.

Something massive was up there with heavy steps.

The roar echoed above them.

Lloyd gestured again, urgently, his finger pressed to his lips.

They lay flat against the earth, barely breathing. Every leaf around them seemed too loud, every heartbeat a drum in her ears.

Harumi glanced upward, just enough to glimpse part of the beast through the thick canopy.

Scales, massive, lizard-like, shimmered with dull, mossy green. She bit her lip hard to keep from gasping.

Dying from the fall would’ve been better than becoming a snack for that thing.

Fuck!

Lloyd must have noticed the tremble in her hand. Silently, he reached over and gripped it.

Harumi didn’t look at him. She didn’t need comfort. She needed control.

She forced herself to breathe slowly.

She needed to survive.
As always.

She could do this. She had to do this.

After what felt like an eternity, the creature shifted, letting out a final guttural breath. The thunder of its footsteps began to fade, slowly, then completely.

But they stayed frozen for several minutes more, just to be sure.

Finally, Lloyd dared to lift his head, peeking over the ridge. He exhaled in relief. Then, without a word, he crawled back down and extended his hand toward her.

Harumi hesitated, just for a second, then she took it.

She exhaled, finally catching her breath. She was drenched in sweat, covered in dirt, probably smelled like hell too.

Stupid, overgrown, fucking lizard.

She reached up, adjusting her hairpin, trying to reclaim at least a sliver of composure.

Lloyd glanced at her, curious.

“You look better with your hair loose,” he said casually.

She paused.

It was… the first time she could agree with him.
She did look better that way. But whatever.

“…Thanks,” she muttered, barely above a breath, as she finished re-pinning the strands.
“But as you can probably guess, this isn’t exactly the best environment to let it fly free.”

Lloyd gave a small smile.

“Yeah… probably not.” He turned his attention back to his wristband, tapping it again until the holographic map turned on. “Alright—” he squinted, adjusting the angle, “I think we should go this way.”

He pointed deeper into the jungle. Harumi didn’t answer right away. She just nodded and followed, brushing a leaf off her shoulder.

Lloyd led the way, eyes darting between the overgrown jungle and the flickering holographic map. Every few steps, he awkwardly slashed at low-hanging branches and thick vine, trying to forge a path.

It was… painful to watch how he was handling it.

Harumi let out a loud groan.

“Let me handle that.”

Before he could protest, she snatched the sword clean from his hand, adjusted her grip, and then began slicing through the greenery with practiced ease.

Lloyd blinked in surprise.

“You’re… really good with that.”

She smirked without looking at him.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Lloyd Garmadon” she said, letting just a hint of tease slip into her voice.

“I guess so,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.
“It’s like I’m meeting a whole new you.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“No! I mean—it’s not! It’s… interesting.”

Harumi rolled her eyes, but couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at her lips.

“You and your… brother seem to have a lot of secrets,” Lloyd said carefully. “Always so mysterious.”

Harumi didn’t look at him. Her attention stayed fixed on the path, slicing through dense jungle leaves with precise movements.

“…Secrets like what?” she asked, voice flat.

Lloyd hesitated and she could feel it.

“You know that Kai is a Fire Elemental Master?” he finally asked, slowly, cautiously.

Harumi stopped mid-step, grip on the sword tightening. Her lips pressed into a thin, pale line.

“…He’s not a ninja like you” Harumi said with a thin smile. She turned back toward the jungle, slicing away another cluster of vines. “He was just… born with it” she muttered. “Besides, he doesn’t know how to control them. The flames, I mean. Or use any of your ninja tricks.” She let out a scoff. “He can’t even sneak.”

Lloyd stayed quiet for a moment, as if processing her words.

“Well, yes… Or-or maybe not… He’s already got some moves” he admitted, almost to himself. “But that’s not the point. What I meant is… he is an Elemental Master. One of the Creation Elements.”

Harumi stopped.

“And what’s with that?”

She knew what he was going to say next. And she refused to let him say it. Not out loud.

Lloyd inhaled.

Harumi’s blood felt like it was boiling under her skin.

“Nya already… told both of you, didn’t she?” he asked quietly. There was a beat of silence, broken only by the chirps of jungle birds. “Maya and Ray” he continued with voice low “the ones you met on the ship... Ray was the previous Fire Elemental Master.” He paused. His eyes were on her now, steady but cautious. “They’re Kai’s biological parents.”

Harumi didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

“And Nya” Lloyd added, “she’s his sister.”

Slash—

Harumi swung the sword too hard. The blade embedded itself deep into a tree trunk.

“Fuck!” she barked, stomping the ground like it had betrayed her.

Shut the fuck up. Just shut the fuck up!

Her breaths were shallow, sharp. She yanked at the sword, trying to free it, but it didn’t budge. With a frustrated growl, she slammed her palm against the hilt.

Behind her, Lloyd just… blinked, stunned.

“…Hey” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright.”

He stepped forward and, with one calm motion, pulled the sword free, like it was nothing. Then he offered it back to her, handle first.

Harumi didn’t say a word.

She just stared at it for a second, jaw tight, then took it from him and started slashing through the jungle silently.

Lloyd hesitated, then followed behind.

“…I suppose you’re not eager to talk about it?” he asked, careful not to trigger another outburst.

Harumi snapped her head toward him.

“No, Lloyd, no—I don’t want to talk about it!” she hissed.

Lloyd took a step back, caught off guard.

 “I thought—”

“You thought what?” she cut in, voice sharp. “That I’d be delighted knowing my brother—” she practically spat the word, “—is being taken away from me?” Her voice cracked. “He’s the only living member of my family.”

Lloyd stayed quiet a second.

“I didn’t mean it like that. And it doesn’t mean that, either. No one’s trying to take him from you.” He replied calmly.

“No one?” she scoffed bitterly. “What about Nya?”

Lloyd exhaled, clearly uncomfortable.

“Nya has… her own issues. And urgency. She’s not trying to hurt you.”

Harumi crossed her arms, irritated.

“Right. Thanks for clearing that up” she muttered, laced with sarcasm.

“Harumi, wait.” He moved gently to stop her before she could swing the sword again. “It’s just—Nya’s memories… they’re a mess.”

Harumi frowned, her grip tightening around the sword.

This wasn’t a coincidence. Kai with his amnesia, now Nya’s. It couldn’t be. But even if it wasn’t, she refused to accept it.

Kai was her brother.
Hers.

Lloyd hesitated, voice softer now.

“Nya travelled through time. She’s not exactly… from our timeline. In hers, Kai was never lost… He never was a ‘Prince Kaisei’. And Nya has memories only from it, she just… Confused how is different from the one she knew.”

Harumi’s eyes narrowed.

“Lloyd, can we stop this conversation before I say something I’ll regret?” she hissed. “You’re not making any sense to me, and you are pushing it too much.”

She barely hold it together her anger. She was so close to blew her acting completely.

“…Alright,” Lloyd mumbled, stepping back slightly. “I just wanted to say that… I don’t even know what I wanted to say” he admitted. “I just wish you could try to understand Nya’s position.”

Harumi closed her eyes, forcing down the heat rising in her chest.

Understand her?

Kai didn’t need any sister beside her. She was the one raised by him after they lost their parents. She was the one who cared for him. She was the one who was always by his side. And no one—no one—was going to take him away from her.

Besides what kind of fucked up explanation it was? Traveling in time? Better save this kind of made-up stories for the civilians they had never rescued.

No one was going to understand her, and not from all people Lloyd. The golden boy, Chosen One, destined to be loved by everyone. While, for her, the only person who truly, loved her, was only Kai.

“…Anyway… I apologize for overstepping,” Lloyd said quietly. “I know it’s a delicate matter. I just… I was trying to ease the tension. Because… I still think you should stay with us.”

“…What do you mean?” Harumi asked, her voice flat.

“I… I’d be happy if you stayed a little longer. I enjoy your company” he said, then quickly added. “And Kai’s, of course! And if Kai really is an Elemental Master… maybe he could even train with us.”

Harumi’s eyes narrowed. The idea turned her stomach.

Kai.
Would.
Never.
Be.
A ninja.

“That’s… a lovely thought” she said, each word carefully. “However, we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Yes!” Lloyd beamed with a bright smile.

Harumi returned it, with practiced princess mask.

“But first…” she added. “We need to deal with the Masks and the Sons of Garmadon.”

“Yeah…” Lloyd sighed. “It’s pretty ironic, isn’t it? The son of Garmadon stopping a fanatical biker gang trying to resurrect his father.” His smile faded. “Kind of contradiction...”

Harumi stopped cutting through the jungle and turned to him.

“I… I’m just so conflicted about it” Lloyd continued. “I’ve had to put aside my personal emotions to protect others. And it’s not the first time.” He glanced toward the horizon. “Sometimes, I just wish I could be normal. To not be… destined.”

“…Even if we are destined-” Harumi said sharply. “We still have a choice. No one can force you to act. If you can’t make your own decision, don’t blame the universe.”

She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. But emotion won over control. Lloyd was like a spoiled kid, that every misfortune blamed for being even born. Harumi wanted to burst in laugh. What about her? What about her destiny she defied?

Lloyd blinked at her, stunned, not fully understanding her.

Harumi rolled her eyes and continued cutting through the leaves.

Of course he didn’t understand. How could he? He only saw a princess—never the mastermind behind the entire deception.

Everything she had ever fought for had been against destiny. Against the odds.

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked eventually, quickening his pace to catch up with her.

She didn’t turn.

“For example, your father” she said. “Wasn’t he destined to be corrupted? To become a vessel for the Overlord? And weren’t you destined to destroy him?” She paused just long enough for her words to land. “But instead, he destroyed the Great Devourer… and saved Ninjago.”

Lloyd gave a small, bitter smile.

“I… guess so.”

Harumi smiled satisfied, and turned her attention back to the path ahead.

“Harumi…?” Lloyd’s voice was uncertain, laced with confusion.

But she had no interest in nursing another round of the Green Ninja’s daddy issues.

She kept walking, sword swinging rhythmically through the thick brush, humming in quiet approval.

“…How…” Lloyd hesitated. “How do you know about my father and—”

“I think we’ve arrived” she cut him off, gasping from the breathtaking view.

Before them a shadow was casted from the enormous place. There was no mistake. It was Oni Temple.  

The entrance was carved into the side of the cave. From a distance, it resembled the gaping jaws of a beast. Inviting them, not as a shelter, but as a sacrifice to be swallowed whole. Or maybe it was craved in this way on purpose.

Stalactites and stalagmites arched like rows of teeth, forming a mouth frozen in a silent snarl. Jungle vines and twisted branches masked the outside, but within, Harumi saw only overwhelming darkness.

Lloyd stared at it, astonished. But behind his wide eyes, Harumi saw it, a fear of the unknown.

It was… enchanting.

It was across the lake, surrounded by waterfalls, clashing hard the water, make it the aura of it—heavy, powerful… terrifying.

Harumi could feel the presence of magic far too clearly. It pressed on her chest like the another layer of thick, humid jungle air.

Lloyd waved a hand gesturing to resume walking. Because of the water barrier, they had to walk along the shore using abandoned path to the temple.

No one dared speak, too absorbed in the atmosphere—whether in astonished or unease.

They walked inside.

The stalactites and stalagmites seemed to glow with an eerie purple light. As they squeezed through the narrow gaps between the stone fangs, the cave opened suddenly into a vast chasm.

The only way across was a series of jutting stone columns, each one just barely within jumping distance. One misstep, one wrong landing, and they would fall into nothingness.

“Well… that looks inviting…” Lloyd tried to joke, forcing a crooked smile.

Harumi didn’t even blink. She simply glanced at him, unimpressed.

Lloyd swallowed, then shifted his focus to the path ahead. “The gaps between the columns aren’t too far, but…” His eyes flicked back to her, uncertain. “Maybe it’s better if you stay here—”

“No” she cut him off sharply. “I’m going.”

Lloyd hesitated, but he didn’t argue. With a short breath, he turned toward the abyss.

“Alright. I’ll go first. Just follow me, okay?”

He leapt—and landed safely on the first column. It swayed slightly beneath him, but he kept his balance with practiced ease.

Harumi rolled her eyes. Really? That didn’t seem nearly as dramatic as he made it sound.

When Lloyd jumped to the next column, she followed—and almost didn’t make it, screaming.

Her boots scraped against the edge as she landed, arms flailing slightly for balance. The column trembled beneath her, and for a moment, her heart froze.

She inhaled sharply, steadying herself.

Then, she looked at the darkness.

Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!

But then, she noticed, what was underneath her feet. In the column stone was craved symbol.

She squinted eyes, trying to read out through the darkness. It wasn’t just her column—

All of them had a symbols, differs from each other.

She crouched, leaning closer to get a better look. The symbol… it tugged at something in her memory. She’d seen it before—somewhere. In a book, maybe. Spell book?

But she couldn’t place it.

Of course she couldn’t. She never paid attention to that kind of thing. Memorizing ancient symbols wasn’t exactly on her to-do list. Studying sucked.

“Are you alright?!” he asked worried, looking back at her. She nodded in response.

Lloyd, then, was pressing forward. He leapt across several columns with ease, then landed on one—one that Harumi recognized.

Her eyes widened.

She knew that symbol.

“Lloyd—!” she shouted, too late.

It was the symbol for Death.

The column beneath him rumbled, cracks spidering through the stone. Lloyd’s eyes went wide as the platform buckled beneath his feet.

He jumped, just in time, as the column crumbled into the abyss below.

“Lloyd!” Harumi yelled, her heart lurching.

He barely caught the edge of the next platform, fingers scrambling for a grip. Gasping, he pulled himself up, chest heaving.

“...That was close—” he breathed.

“It fucking was!” Harumi snapped, still catching her breath. Shit—she cursed. Out loud. In front of him, again.

Lloyd glanced back at her… and chuckled.

“It takes more than that to kill me” he said with a grin.

Harumi shot him a glare.

Yeah, sure. Fall into the abyss, Lloyd. Like she cared—

Except… she did. Damn it. He was actually useful in this jungle. And worse, he was filling the weaknesses she had. Not mentioning, that maybe in another temple trail or boobytrap Lloyd’s heritage could be put on use.

“There are symbols on the columns! Try to avoid this one” she called out, pointing to her left.

Lloyd looked surprised. “Good call, Rumi!”

Harumi’s gut twisted. Ugh, why had she helped him? Watching him nearly get himself killed over something so pathetic would’ve been far more entertaining than… actually getting the job done.

They crossed the chasm without any further problems.

The corridor twisted through the cave like a labyrinth. At some point, Lloyd picked up a torch and lit it with his Elemental Powers, casting flickering light along the walls.

Show off.

Eventually, they entered a chamber lined with strange, ancient paintings. Each appeared to be drawn in black, depicting terrifying figures with horns and fangs. The images flowed together like a story, one panel after another.

But one in particular caught Harumi’s attention—it was painted not in black, but in an eerie shade of purple.

The eyes of the Dark Lord stared out from it.

“What is it?” Lloyd murmured.

“Overlord.” Harumi replied, narrowing her eyes as she tried to make sense of the twisted tale. “He’s painted here.”

“Huh. It feels more like… their history. The Oni’s” he mumbled, leaning in to study one of the horned, fanged figures. He tapped the wall lightly. “After all, we’re chasing an Oni mask. Not the Overlord’s.” He chuckled, as if trying to lighten the mood.

“Right…” Harumi muttered, not convinced. She stared again at those, glowing purple eyes. The resemblance was undeniable. Which, honestly, wasn’t surprising. After all, the Dark Lord knew everything about the masks.

She moved around the chamber, letting her eyes sweep over the rest of the ancient murals. None of them were clearly labelled, and the meanings felt just out of reach. Some images showed Oni kneeling before others. Some were locked in battle with dragons. But nothing stood out. No clues with no revelations.

Only one figure peeked her curious, humanoid enough for Harumi to connected the dots.

“It’s… Amazing.” Lloyd said softly, standing beside her now. “When First Spinjitzu Master escaped from their world… They must have come looking for Him”

“Who?”

“The Onis” Lloyd answered, excitement rising in his voice. “He was the key to end of eternal war between Oni and Dragons.” He went further passing another painting. “Ninjago was the new world for them. The Oni must have hold up here. That explains all of the traps. They didn’t want any visitors.”

Harumi walked away from Lloyd, exploring deeper into the room. Water leaked through cracks in the ceiling, circling into the centre before disappearing into a pit below. The dampness clung to her skin, but it wasn’t nearly as suffocating as the jungle outside.

She scoffed inwardly.

Kai would have hated this place. He would be having breakdown nonstop, crying of the wet, begging her to get them out as soon as possible.

He had this cute side of him.

Her eyes caught a familiar symbol carved into the wall at the end of the chamber.

“Over here!” she called out to Lloyd, waving him over.

He jogged up behind her, squinting at the markings.

“What is it? Looks like a dead end to me.”

“The symbol of death” she said, pointing to the carving. “It’s the same as the one on the column you almost fell from.”

“Death?” Lloyd echoed, surprise in his voice.

“We should destroy this wall and see what’s behind it” she continued.

Lloyd raised the other free hand, cumulating a green energy around his palm.

“Worth a shot” he mumbled. But just as he was about to release it at the wall, he hesitated. The energy fizzled and vanished as he lowered his arm.

“What’s wrong?” Harumi asked, frowning.

No way. He wasn’t about to cry over desecrating some sacred temple of his ancestors, or worse—start preaching that “it belongs in a museum” bullshit.

Lloyd studied the wall in front of them, then turned to the one beside it. This one was blank with no carvings, no markings at all.

“If the Oni wanted to protect the mask” he said slowly, “they wouldn’t make the marked path the right one. We avoided this marking so far. And you said… That it’s Death symbol…” Lloyd fall silent, like his thoughts were on fire. But Harumi didn’t let him dwell.

“What do you mean?” Harumi asked, narrowing her eyes.

“It has to be the way” he said, pointing at the empty wall.

Harumi stared at him in disbelief. From that wall, water was actively seeping into the floor.

“You see that? Water’s coming through it. If you destroy the wrong wall, the whole chamber might flood!” she snapped.

“Then I hope you’re right,” Lloyd muttered, handing her the torch.

Of course she was right. Who the hell did he think she was?

Once again, Lloyd dropped into a battle stance, this time summoning energy into both hands. His lips pressed together, uncertain, maybe even doubting Harumi’s logic. But after a brief hesitation, he released the blast.

He closed his eyes, bracing for the worst.

Nothing happened.

Harumi stepped through the crumbled wall with effortless grace, barely glancing back.

“See?” She called over her shoulder, a smug smirk on her face. “Listen to me next time.” Her tone was teasing with unmistakably victorious as she moved deeper into the corridor.

Lloyd let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. A small, weary smile tugged at his lips, worn down by the adrenaline, but amused all the same. He followed after her.

After a few more steps, the corridor ended, opening into a vast chamber. The stone walls curved taupward into a dome, their surfaces glimmering with shimmering purple crystals. The crystals pulsed faintly, casting an unnatural glow across the space.

Both Harumi and Lloyd gasped at the sight.

But Harumi's awe was short-lived, because in the very centre of the chamber, elevated on a pedestal and wreathed in purple flame, was the mask.

The Final Mask of Hatred.

Well… maybe not the final one. The original Mask of Deception was still out there. But that was a problem for future Rumi. Surely it wouldn’t be as hard to find as this one. Maybe even the Dark Lord would locate it for her, just like He had with the Mask of Hatred.

She didn’t waste another moment and darted toward the bridge that connected to the dome.

But just as quickly as she moved, the floor beneath her gave way. With a sharp crack, the stone crumbled, and the torch slipped from her grasp—plummeting into the abyss below, its light vanishing into the void.

Why was there everywhere a fucking chasm?

Lloyd rushed forward, grabbing her arm and steadying her on the more stable part of the bridge.

“Careful” he said with a smile, leaning a little too close.

Any moment now, and she would slap that stupid smile right off his face.

Harumi forced a smile in return, then turned away, crossing the bridge again, this time with more caution.

As soon as Harumi reached steady ground, she rushed toward the mask.

For a moment, she just stood there, savouring the victory. How far she had come, how far ahead she was from every other servant of the Overlord. She was everything they weren’t. She was perfect. The perfect Priestess of Darkness.

Her eyes drank in the sight of the twisted, purple mask. It radiated raw, seething power. A smile stretched across her face, so wide it hurt her cheeks.

She reached out, fingers trembling with anticipation.

The moment her hand neared the flames, a searing pain shot through her mind. She gasped, yanking her hand back. There were no marks. No burns. But the pain had been real.

She scowled at her hand, then at the mask, and reached out again.

Again, the invisible fire pierced her thoughts like a hot blade, stabbing straight through her skull. She staggered back a step, groaning through clenched teeth.

“Fuck” she hissed. And again, louder “Fuck! Fuck!”

Her fists clenched. The mask remained on its pedestal, untouched, pulsing with fire and malice.

Lloyd watched from the edge of the bridge, completely confused. Harumi cursed herself for again burst of her emotions.

He stepped closer, careful not to provoke her.

“Harumi… are you okay?”

She steadied herself taking a breath. She closed eyes and then open, looking at Lloyd. She took, one of her perfect, requesting for something postures.

“Only someone with Oni blood, can take the mask” she said sweetly, with fake concern.

She stepped aside, making room for Lloyd to approach the mask. Slowly and steadily, he moved forward, mesmerized by its eerie glow. Lloyd glanced down at his palms.

Come on.

Come on.

Get it.

GET IT NOW!

Harumi watched in anticipation, eyes fixed on him. She gasped as Lloyd reached into the flames without a flicker of pain on his face and grasped the mask. The fire instantly vanished.

She moved closer, but something about Lloyd felt off. He stood still, staring blankly at the mask, a puzzled expression frozen on his face.

“Can I… Can I see it?” She asked sweetly, reaching for the mask, but Lloyd took a step back. “I just want to see it” she pressed, her voice soft with expression of innocence.

Lloyd turned back to her.

“… How did you know?”

“Know… what?” she blinked, faking confusion, her lashes fluttering. “It’s—it’s an Oni temple,” she said quickly. “The only reason someone with Oni blood could take the mask is—”

“You knew about my father. About the Great Devourer,” Lloyd said, his voice low and stern. “You knew I had Oni blood. But I never told you any of that.”

Harumi froze, caught off guard.

“You’re the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master! It’s the only logical explanation—”

“I never told you that either” he interrupted, shaking his head and stepping further away.

Harumi’s eyes narrowed. Her fury flickered beneath her forced calm as she tried to hold on to her composure.

She take a step to him and put hand on his shoulder.

“Jay have must told me that… Or any one, really. They are all after big mouths” she continued, sweetly. While her hand wandered over the mask, to snatch it. Lloyd yanked her hand away.

“I don’t believe you.”

Harumi scoffed, turning away from him, visibly offended.

“You knew the symbols of the Oni temple… how?” Lloyd muttered, still staring at the mask. Then, slowly, his gaze rose to meet hers. “You…” he whispered, “you’re the Quiet One.”

Harumi snapped her head toward him, eyes wide.

“How—” she breathed, her voice cracking with disbelief and hurt. “How could you say that?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, her body trembling just enough to sell the performance.

Come on. Believe it. Believe her.

Lloyd looked down, his expression grim. “It all makes sense now,” he murmured, shaking his head. “They were always two steps ahead of us… because of you.” He leaned against the pedestal, the mask still in his hands. “You’ve been feeding them information this whole time.”

“Oh, yes!” she scoffed. “I’m the criminal mastermind, right? How could I possibly have done this?” She laughed sharply. “Do you even realize how—” fucking “—silly you sound?” She grabbed him by the front of his gi, forcing him to turn toward her. Her fingers traced lightly over his chest, then slowly drifted downward. “I thought…” she whispered, voice trembling, “I— I loved you.”

Time to be drastic.

She leaned in, eyes shut, her other hand drifting down toward his waist—dangerously close to the mask.

Just one more move. One kiss… and she’d have it.

But before her lips could meet his, Lloyd shoved her back.

“Stay. Back.” Lloyd hissed, his voice low, eyes narrowing.

“Lloyd…?” Harumi said, her tone laced with false confusion.

But Lloyd was already backing away, breath unsteady. She stepped toward him.

“You only needed me to find the last mask” he said, the words tumbling out.

Harumi’s face twisted, her mask of innocence crumbling.

“I didn’t fucking need you to get the mask” she snapped, venom in every word. “It would already be mine if your idiot friends hadn’t invaded my privacy in the subway and stolen something that never belonged to you!”

She took another step forward. Lloyd clutched the mask tighter, staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. Because he was.

“You… You invaded the palace” he said, voice shaking. “You allowed to kill your own… parents?”

“They were never my real parents!” she screamed, throwing her arm out. “I would fucking kill them with my own hands, if I got the chance” she snarled.

Lloyd recoiled, stunned by the ferocity of her voice. He shook his head slowly.

“What? What- what are you even saying?”

With a growl, Harumi lunged at him, but Lloyd sidestepped, barely dodging her.

“We gave you shelter… a home—we rescued Kai—” His voice broke in disbelief. “Is Kai involved in this too? Or did you kidnap him—planned to murder him too, since he’s not your real brother either?”

Harumi froze mid-step. Something in Lloyd’s words hit a nerve.

“And what if he didn’t mean anything to me?” She slowly circled Lloyd, her eyes never leaving the mask in his hands. “He’s soft. Weak. Always drown in his own guilt that he didn’t even caused. All that his big words, and still so easy to manipulate.”

Lloyd flinched.

“You’re lying,” he said, his grip tightening on the mask. “You have to be lying. You are obsessed with him.”

“Am I?” she purred. “Or are you talking about Nya now?”

She stepped closer, the sound of her boots echoing against the stone floor.

“You… You are evil.” He shook his head. “You did unspeakable things—even to Kai, the one you supposedly cared for. For what? In the name of what?!” he shouted, desperate to understand.
But his mind was clouded, like all of theirs.

“He’s my brother. The only family I’ve got. I’m doing this for us,” she said, lunging at him, knocking him off balance. “And for revenge. I never asked to be a princess, just like I never asked to be an orphan. But you—” she pushed him hard to the ground— “you all gave me that.” She hissed.

Lloyd shoved her off, pinning her to the cold floor. Harumi groaned at the impact.

“How can you even—”

“The Great Devourer!” she screamed. “It was too strong for you! Too big for you and your pathetic friends to destroy!” She shoved him back. “You destined me and Kai to watch our parents die. To watch our entire future burn. You left us to be forgotten. To break!”

Lloyd stared at her, horrified, the weight of her words finally sinking in.

And then she laughed, cold, cruel and added sweetly-

“Lloyd… Don’t tell me you were that naïve. That you really thought no one died that day?” She traced a finger across his chest, gently, almost mockingly.

He kicked her, hard, in the stomach, sending her flying. Harumi cried out, doubling over as she hit the ground.

But she forced herself up. She grabbed the knife strapped to her ankle, hiding it behind her back.

She couldn’t fail now.
Not when she was this close.

She stood up laughing.

“It wasn’t you who saved us—it was your father. Lord Garmadon saved us, not you!” her voice echoed through the chamber, sharp and accusing. Then, with a sudden shift, her tone turned sickeningly sweet—like poison wrapped in silk. “Lloyd… Don’t you want to meet your father again? Don’t you want to… have him back?”

Lloyd faltered, clearly shaken. Unstable.

“And you love me, Lloyd,” she added, watching him stagger. “Ah, it’s hard to think straight… when you have feelings for me.” She stepped closer. Lloyd didn’t move away.
He didn’t even blink. When she was close enough, her fingers tightened around the knife’s handle, still hidden behind her. “I have those feelings too,” she whispered seductively. “We’re… kindred spirits.”

And then—she struck.
She pulled the blade and lunged for his stomach.

But at the last second, Lloyd twisted away. The blade only grazed him, slicing a deep cut across his side. Mask dropped from his hands during the manoeuvre.

Harumi growled in frustration.

Lloyd didn’t hesitate this time. He saw her now as his enemy.

The mask in one hand, blood soaking through his gi, he lumped forward, striking at her, determined to knock the knife from her grip.

Harumi staggered back as Lloyd kicked the knife from her hand. She groaned, clutching her bruised fingers, ducking low as pain flared through her wrist. Her glare snapped back to him, blazing with fury.

She had no chance like this.
Not against him.
And the worst part—Lloyd was still holding back.

Then she saw it. The mask, just a few steps away, lying unprotected on the stone floor.
Lloyd hadn’t noticed. He was still staring at her, breathing hard, chest rising with emotion.

“The attack on the ship…” he panted. “It was you all along, wasn’t it? Was anything real? Anything true?”

“Oh yes,” she sneered, rising slowly to her feet. “Damsel in distress—” she threw up her hand in mock dramatics. “You ninjas really love to fall for that one, don’t you? It sickens me how easily you all ate it up.”

Her eyes gleamed with venom.

“You practically devoured Kai with your eyes. Saw an opportunity to use him—use us—pull the right strings of trauma just to make your little puppet dance.”

“We… we didn’t—” Lloyd stammered, but she cut him off.

“Yes, you DID!” she hissed. “You tried to manipulate him. You tried to take him from me. But it soon will be all gone now.”

She ducked low and dashed. Before Lloyd could react, the mask was already on her face.

“Harumi no!” His desperate voice echoed through the chamber, but it was too late.

The mask clamped to her skin like it had always belonged there. She gasped as it spread, crawling from her face down to her toes—tightening, hardening her body with every inch it claimed. Heat surged through her, not burning, but warm. Empowering. Radiating out like a weaponized heartbeat.

She felt it—power, rising inside her. It pushed through her muscles, her bones, her blood.

This... this would be enough. Enough to destroy Lloyd. Enough to destroy everything.

A dark chuckle slipped from her lips, warped and guttural, twisted by the mask now fused to her face. She glanced at her arms, at her body—encased in thick, jagged stone pulsing with veins of purple light. Her skin cracked with energy beneath armour of hatred.

She didn’t just feel stronger.

She felt invincible.

“Oh, Lloyd…” The growl in her voice barely resembled anything human. And certainly nothing of the girl Lloyd had once knew. “It could have ended a different way.”

“You… monster.”

“Oh, dear…” She chuckled, voice dripping with twisted delight. “I am so much more.”

She kicked him, hard.

Lloyd flew across the chamber like a ragdoll, slamming into the ground near the ledge. He grunted, hands scrambling to grip the edge, his feet dangling over the void.

Harumi approached with slow, deliberate steps. Each click of her armoured feet echoed off the stone.

“Goodbye, Lloyd.”

She raised her foot, ready to stomp down on his hand—

But Lloyd blasted a beam of green energy from his free hand. It struck her square in the chest.
She braced for pain—
But felt only a tickle.

Her eyes widened in awe. She really was invincible in this armour.

Lloyd, panting, began slowly to pull himself up.

Harumi tilted her head, eyes narrowing behind the mask.
No. This wasn’t enough.

A more… personal end came to mind.

Without a word, she turned and rushed across the stone bridge—back to the other side. When she reached the middle, she raised a fist and slammed it into the stone. The bridge cracked—then collapsed instantly into the abyss.

Harumi smiled to herself, savouring the sound of the rubble crashing below.

It was so much more than she expected.

Then she turned and hurried back into the previous chamber, boots slamming against the stone.

Her eyes locked on the wall, the one Lloyd had been so eager to destroy before she would stopped him.

She drew her fist back and slammed it into the stone.
The entire chamber trembled from the impact.

A thin stream of water broke through the cracks, hissing as it forced its way in.
Then another, thicker. Then the wall gave way entirely.

Water rushed in, first in streams, then in roaring sheets.

Harumi turned, already sprinting toward the cave’s exit, leaving behind the echo of collapsing rock and rushing water.

She was burying him alive.

Chapter Text

The ship was falling apart, and Kai didn’t need anyone to explain it. He could see it, hear it, feel it shaking beneath him. Chaos swirled around him, but he remained frozen on his knees, staring blankly at the edge of the deck where Harumi had vanished.

He had failed.

His sister was dead.
He had killed his sister. Again.

His parents were dead. The Emperor and Empress—gone.
The entire Palace… destroyed.

Everyone he had ever cared for—dead.
He had failed them all. He had killed them all.

And now… Harumi was gone.

Kai’s hands trembled. Blood, soot, and ash clung to his skin. He wasn’t sure which was which anymore. His nails dug into the wood beneath him, splinters piercing his fingertips, but he didn’t move.

Why.

Why only he… was alive?

He would gladly exchange his, worthless, ungrateful life, for anyone, anyone he had lost. For Kizuna’s life. Harumi’s.

How could he live, when others were… dead?

He hold his tears back. A scream built in his throat, silent and strangled. He didn’t deserve to grieve. Not when he was the reason. Not when everyone who touched him seemed to die.

Others were screaming around him, running here and there, but Kai’s mind didn’t process any of that. He didn’t feel the deck pitching under his knees.

All he could see was the edge. The place where Harumi had been.

And all he could hear… Tapping.

Tapping.

His breath raised, as his heart pound in his chest. No one second passed, and his breath hitched.

The tapping was louder now. Everything was becoming more blurred, more dulled.

He clutched his chest, but it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t breathe—he shouldn’t breathe. He didn’t deserve to.

The sky churned above him, clouds forming into dark strings that tangled and weaved. Black, wet, strings of hairs.

Clinging to the wind, clinging to his mind.

Harumi.

But she was gone. He saw her fall.
He failed her. Just like he failed—

Kizuna.

He had killed them. Not with his hands, but by existing.
If he had never come to the palace—
If he had never was found by Harumi’s parents—
If he had never—

Someone yanked him hard. His body, frozen in numb despair, didn’t resist. He lumped forward, dragged like a ragdoll, eyes wide and unseeing.

“Kai! Kai! Are you hurt?!”

The voice was strained, panicked. Someone gripped his hands tightly—too tightly—but he didn’t pull away. His fingers were cold, bloodied from clawing at himself. He felt them being pried open, inspected for injury.

But he didn’t look.

Because the tapping hadn’t stopped.

Still there. Behind the voice. Beneath the touch.

“Kai!” The grip on his shoulders tightened. “Please, look at me! Ray— Help me with him!”

Someone shoved him, forcing him to stand, but his legs gave out beneath him.

He hit the deck again, hard, unable to rise. He didn’t have the strength or will.

The rumble came, deep and thunderous, shaking the ship beneath him. Metal groaned.

He didn’t move.

The turbulence pounded through his body like waves crashing against a broken dock, but it was all distant to him.

Because the only thing he could truly hear… was the tapping.

…

Kai opened his eyes. His head pounded with ache, each pulse echoing behind his eyes. He was slumped against the mast, blood trailing down his cheek in a thin line.

The ship had crashed.

The acrid stench of burning engines hung thick in the air, mingling with smoke and ash. Kai groaned softly, shifting his head just enough to try and focus his blurred vision.

The deck was nearly unrecognizable.

The floor was smeared with soot, splinters, and the aftermath of battle. Smoke curled from shattered beams. Masts hung at sharp angles, cracked and broken like fallen trees. The engines, being now twisted mess of metal and flame.

“Kai… My child.”

Kai turned to the weak voice, but before his mind could register who had spoken, he was already wrapped in an warmth embrace. The scent of salt and sea overwhelmed him as his face was pressed into long black hair streaked with white.

“Are you alright?” the woman asked, pulling back just enough to examine him. Her eyes darted over his body, searching frantically for injuries. “Your head—” she gasped, reaching for the blood on his cheek. “Kai, do you hear me?”

Stunned, Kai looked away. The man was there too, approaching with the same look of worry.

“Ugh… Guys… are you alive?” Jay groaned somewhere behind, staggering to his feet as Zane helped him up.

Kai blinked and turned his gaze back to the woman.

She was the one from Nya’s photo.

His body recoiled. He stumbled back and shoved her away, barely keeping his footing. His heart pounded in his ears.

“Harumi” he whispered hoarsely, and without another word, he turned and walked toward the edge of the ruined ship deck.

“Kaisei, calm down,” Cole said, voice firm but gentle. “Harumi is alright—she’s with Lloyd.”

The words didn’t register. They bounced around in Kai’s mind, unable to find a place to settle. Harumi…? Alright?

He pulled away, trying to move forward, but Cole didn’t let go. He pulled him closer instead, grounding him.

“Harumi is alright” Cole repeated, his eyes locked with Kai’s. “She’s alright.”

Kai froze, his breath shaky. The words started to pierce through the fog, cutting through the ringing in his head.

“…How…?” Kai choked, barely getting the word out through the tightness in his throat.

Cole hesitated, then gave Kai’s back a reassuring pat.

“Lloyd just contacted me” he said quickly. “No worries.” But something was off, his voice was too high, too forced. “They landed on the beach. Safe. We’re going to meet up with them in no time,” Cole continued.

Kai’s eyes looked back at him, searching for any crack in the truth.

“She’s… alright?”

“Yes…” Cole nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Harumi is alright. Your sister is alright.”

Kai stared blankly, the pounding in his head growing heavier, as if each heartbeat echoed painfully behind his eyes.

Cole must have noticed. Without a word, he gently guided Kai down to sit, crouching in front of him, keeping his voice soft and steady.

“But now, you need to take care of yourself too” Cole said, giving him a small nod. Then he glanced over his shoulder, toward the elder woman and man. Their faces were confused, overwhelmed, and yet filled with aching concern. The same kind of pain Nya always carried in her eyes when she looked at Kai.

“Just rest here for now, okay?” Cole added, before standing and walking off to speak with Zane and someone else.

Kai’s eyes drifted after them. The figure Cole approached had the shape of a woman, but something about her was… off. Something about her presence made Kai frown faintly, but before he could try to understand what he was seeing, the woman from earlier stepped into view, blocking it.

“Kai…” she whispered, kneeling beside him. Her voice was gentle, motherly. “It’s alright now. You are safe.”

Her fingers grazed his shoulder with such care, like he was fragile glass.

Kai didn’t answer.

Safe?
What part of him was left to be saved?

The salt smell from the woman hairs were still hitting his nostrils, making his head even more lighter and confused. Why did it hit him so hard?

“I will bandage you, now… It may sting a little” the woman said gently.

Kai closed his eyes, as the woman applied it. The woman was half-right about being safe. He felt… Safe.

And he hated how much that feeling scared him.

…

Kai sat still, knees pulled close, feeling more like a prisoner than a guest. His gaze flicked between the ninjas, moving, talking, fixing and then dropped again to his bandaged fingertips. The white cloth looked out of place against the grease-smeared deck and the chaos movement around him.

Despite being left alone, he never truly was. He could feel it, their eyes. Every few minutes, someone glanced his way, subtle but unmistakable. Watching.

They said it was because of the concussion. That he shouldn’t move too much. That he should rest.

But Kai didn’t believe that was the only reason.

His gaze wandered to Zane, who worked in perfect sync with the strange woman. Or… droid? She was not human—that much was clear. Her metal face shimmered in sun rays and her calculated responses felt unnatural. Even her movement was too exact. Yet there was a strange grace to how she moved beside Zane, as if she had always been a part of this place. Where did she come form? It was the first time Kai was seeing her.

Jay had thrown himself into the engine repairs, muttering to himself and groaning at each broken connection. Cole handled the heavy lifting, clearing shattered panels and bent metal with a strength that made it look easy.

While Wu… Was sitting beside the monitor, occasionally speaking into a device. Across from him sat her—the black-haired woman. She replied occasionally, speaking to device too, rather than Wu. Perhaps they were talking with someone.

He clenched his fists lightly. The bandages stung a bit. But he didn't mind.

It was easier than thinking.

The man sat beside him with a quiet grunt, settling heavily onto the deck. Despite the weight of exhaustion in his bones, he turned to Kai with a small, reassuring smile.

Kai stared.

The man’s face was worn, lined with time and hardship. Scars ran across his knuckles, up his arms, and one faint line trailed near his jaw, looked like memories of battles long passed. His beard, short and peppered with silver, matched the streaks in his dark hair. His posture was broad, strong even now, but it was the warmth in his eyes that struck Kai the most.

Kai’s breath hitched slightly. He couldn’t look away. Every detail was a mirrored echo.

He looked like…

Like him.

Kai swallowed hard, throat tight. The resemblance was undeniable. As if looking into a future version of himself.

Then, finally, in a voice low and a little hoarse from age, he said softly:

“…You’ve grown.”

Kai’s eyes widened. He quickly shifted his gaze back to the deck, staring into nothing.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about” he replied with cracked voice, fully aware he was only fooling himself.

The man chuckled bitterly.

“I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t admit to having such a poor excuse for a father either” he said, just as bitterly, his eyes fixed on the same empty space as Kai’s. Kai looked at him wordlessly. “…I always imagined what I’d say, if I ever got the chance to speak to you again. And now… now that the moment’s here… my head is empty.”

Kai looked back, staring at the deck. Wood splintered and charred from the crash, but it might as well have been a void for all he saw in it. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to say anything.

“But… we always—me, your mother, your sister—we loved you. We never stopped. Even when we thought you were dead all this time… We never stopped thinking about you.”

Kai’s shoulders tensed. His fingers dug into his palms. Anger and grief and confusion all twisted together in his chest. There was too much. Too much.

“…I don’t even know your name” he whispered, as if confessing something shameful.

The man’s breath caught.

“… Ray.”  he said softly. “My name is Ray.”

He should have ended the conversation the moment the man sat beside him. He shouldn’t have asked more—shouldn’t have wanted to know more. He had his own family now. He had Harumi. That should have been enough. It was enough.

And yet...
He couldn’t help but wonder.

What had happened? Who were they? What life could he have with them?

“…Was life for you… good?” the man asked eventually, breaking the silence.

Kai’s chest tightened. He didn’t answer, but somehow Ray new what kind of words were stuck in Kai’s throat.

Ray let out a long breath and shifted the conversation gently, almost mercifully.

“…Your sister… Harumi… she’s in safe hands.” He stood up slowly, his joints creaking with the motion. “There’s nothing to worry about. Lloyd is a capable young man. He’ll do everything he can to bring her back to you safely.”

Kai didn’t look up. His fingers were still clenched, his heartbeat uneven.

He opened his palm only after, the uninvited presence of the man was gone.

He looked at his hand.

The bandage around his fingertips had already darkened, soaked through with fresh blood.

He lift his gaze, when he heard sudden rumble in the jungle. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the same… Mech, that had dropped Harumi. Anger surged through him, and with it, the temperature around him rise.

He stood up, fists clenched and ready—
But the other ninja didn’t prepare to fight. Instead, they ran toward the mech with smiles on their faces.

Kai stood frozen, utterly confused. What the hell was going on?

“Pix! You found the mech!” Jay chirped, holding up a screwdriver. “Finally, we’re saved—If we can use the connection—”

“Yes. We’ll be able to purge the foreign code from the Destiny Bounty.” She said, leaping down from the mech. “It was my plan all along.”

“That looks… very close to something Nya would’ve built.” Ray said, a note of cheer in his voice.

“That’s because it was based on her schematics,” Pixal replied, little bashful “I should have—”

“Don’t sweat it, sweetheart,” the woman added. “Nya would’ve been flattered to see her work inspire someone else.”

Pixal smiled, not quite the perfect smile she used to wear. Kai frowned, trying to read the expression. He finally took a closer look at her.

Her pearl-metallic skin shimmered under the midday sun. She wore a form-fitting, futuristic suit that matched the colours of the mech. Several wires still connected her to the machine, which she was now carefully unplugging one by one.

So as Kai thought, his assumption had been right—another droid.

“Then what are we waiting for? Zane, get the connection—”

“Not so fast, Jay. I’d like to first run a tracing algorithm to identify the source of the foreign code,” Zane said firmly, helping Pixal unplug the last of the wires.

Kai tilted his head, watching the care Zane showed toward the female droid. A thought crossed his mind. Were they… siblings? Created by the same inventor?

But the thought vanished as the pair embraced. The embrace was too warmly to be mistaken for anything platonic. Flushed, Kai quickly looked away, suddenly feeling foolish.

“Something wrong?” Cole muttered, catching Kai’s awkward expression.

“Nothing,” Kai replied quickly, silently begging Cole not to press the issue.

Cole raised an eyebrow, then turned his attention back to Pixal.

“There was also a message left by Lloyd in the mech,” Pixal added. “He and Harumi were heading off in pursuit of the mask.”

The message felt… off to Kai. Hadn’t Cole just told him they’d been in contact with Lloyd? So why leave a note now?

“Good to hear that” Cole said quickly, trying to mask his confusion. “Anyway, let’s get back to work. Lloyd can handle things on his end while we fix the ship and get ready to leave.”

“Shouldn’t we go after them?” Kai finally voiced his concern, stepping into the conversation at last. He instantly felt the weight of every gaze turning toward him.

The woman took Ray gently by the elbow. Master Wu, standing beside them, just gave a subtle shake of his head—some unspoken code, as always.

Kai’s frustration simmered. Did anyone ever actually respond to what he said?

“Actually, sending a team to find them wouldn’t be a—” Zane’s sentence cut off abruptly. His eyes flickered with a sudden pulse of orange light, freezing him mid-motion.

Kai open his mouth to ask what was happening, but Jay beat him to it.

“Come on—are you seriously passing messages between each other while we’re standing right here?” Jay groaned, glaring first at Pixal, then at Zane. “Manners, people! Geez—”

“Not like you can resist a little PDA yourself, Jay,” Cole scoffed. Jay grimaced at the jab. “Even Nya’s had enough—”

“Hey!” Jay barked defensively.

“…Can we go find my sister?” Kai’s voice came out louder than he had intended. But how could he stay calm, when this whole group kept veering off course like a bunch of fools?

Zane’s artificial eyes changed to blue one, now locked onto him, and Kai instinctively flinched. It was hard to read his expression, but something in the air shifted.

“Repairing the ship should be our top priority,” Zane said firmly. “The second should be re-establishing communication with Lloyd. The Samurai X mech is not linked to his comm. Fortunately, these two goals are interconnected: if we fix the ship, we’ll regain contact with Lloyd. Please, get to work. Quickly.”

“Uh… Zane? What just happened?” Jay asked, clearly confused.

Zane didn’t answer. He turned and walked with quick pace toward the cockpit.

“Please focus on the task at hand” he added without looking back.

“Zane!” Jay called, breaking into a jog to follow him.

Kai stared, unable to believe what had just happened. What the hell did they mean—repairing the ship was more important than saving Harumi?

He clenched his fists, fury rising in his chest. Without another word, he stormed to the edge of the ship, gripping the railing, ready to vault over and go after her himself.

But a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

“What is Your Highness planning?” Master Wu asked calmly, stroking his long beard.

“Doing what everyone else seems to be ignoring” Kai snapped, shrugging off the hand and moving toward the ladder.

Before he could descend, Wu swung his bamboo staff with surprising speed and precision, striking the release mechanism. The ladder fell with a clatter, out of reach, cutting off Kai’s escape.

Kai’s eyes widened. He turned to Wu, stunned and furious, mouth half-open to protest, but Wu was already speaking.

“No one is ignoring anything” he said evenly. “Zane has presented a logical list of priorities, that should be followed.” Wu’s voice was calm, but firm, carrying command.

“What?” Kai narrowed his eyes.

“Um, Sensei—” Cole started carefully. “Maybe don’t be so harsh on him—”

“You are in no condition to rescue anyone.” Wu interrupted, his tone sharp as steel. “A rescuer who would later need rescuing is no rescuer at all.”

Kai’s blood boiled.

“Are you implying that I’m weak?” he hissed, stepping forward.

“Perhaps” Wu replied, his gaze steady. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Especially when it comes to your emotions.”

Kai felt like he couldn’t take another word. Without thinking, he lunged toward a second ladder a few steps away, but Wu was already there, blocking his path with his bamboo staff.

Kai blinked, stunned by the elder’s speed, then tried to slip past him. Again, the staff intercepted him.

Frustrated, Kai grabbed the stick, trying to wrench it from Wu’s hands, but the old master didn’t budge an inch.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kai shouted, anger boiling over.

“Adjusting to your level of communication” Wu replied calmly.

“Sensei—” Cole began, stepping forward.

“Hush.” Wu said without even looking at him.

Kai groaned in fury, pacing in a tight circle, while Wu mirrored his steps, never letting him pass.

With a burst of frustration, Kai rushed forward, trying to dart around him. Instead, he was tripped and sent tumbling hard to the floor.

“Wu, that’s enough!” Ray shouted, stepping forward to intervene, but the woman beside him stopped him with a hand on his arm.

Kai slowly pushed himself up, fists clenched, eyes fixed on the floor as he trembled with rage. His chest rose and fell with sharp breaths. Then he let out a roar.

Flames burst from his palms without hesitation.

Before reason could catch up, he grabbed the bamboo staff with burning hands, only to be swept off his feet by a swift, low kick aimed at his legs. He hit the ground again, harder this time.

Wu circled him, completely composed. His eyes were calm and unshaken.

Kai looked up at him like a cornered animal—wild, furious. He leapt to his feet, both arms ablaze with fire, and lunged.

The first strike, Wu dodged. The second, avoided just as easily. On the third, the master moved with precision, countering with a firm strike of the staff right to Kai’s forehead.

Not hard enough to injure.

Just enough to mock.

That was enough for Kai.

Kai spun around and kicked Wu with a swift half-turn. Wu stepped back, but Kai couldn’t believe what he saw, a mischievous smirk hidden beneath the white beard.

Fuelled by anger, Kai roared again, now fully focused on wiping that smile from Wu’s face. He lunged toward one of the cannons, using it as a springboard for a fiery kick. His leg ignited with flames as he spun through the air.

Wu blocked the kick, but Kai immediately followed up with a sharp elbow strike, driving forward with relentless force.

Then, Wu took the hit—his clothes at the centre of his stomach now smeared with black scorch marks, a small flame still flickering stubbornly.

But Kai didn’t stop. He unleashed a relentless avalanche of kicks and swings, each strike blazing with wild flames. Wu grew visibly wearier, his movements becoming sloppier as he relied more and more on the environment to keep himself upright.

Kai barely noticed how their fight spilled from the ship’s deck to the branches and the surrounding machinery. Everything became a battlefield, a blur of jumping, striking, dodging, and absorbing blows in turn.

Finally, Kai leapt at him, spinning through the air.

He felt as if a fire lived inside him, merging with his very being as he continued to spin.

It didn’t burn him or make him dizzy. Instead, the whole world blurred into shades of red and yellow.

But before he could fully grasp what was happening, the sensation suddenly stopped and with it, his spin ceased.

He landed on the deck, legs wobbling, and collapsed to his knees. Every muscle ached from exhaustion and strain. Breath ragged and energy spent, he sucked in air greedily, trying to cool himself beneath the sweat clinging uncomfortably to his clothes.

“You—” Cole struggled to form the words, eyes wide. “You know Spinjitzu.”

Kai looked up, exhaustion etched deep into his features. The world still spun and blurred around him, and the air in his lungs wasn’t enough.

Ray and his wife exchanged astonished glances, both struggling to catch their breath.

But Wu…

He stood above Kai, wearing a smile very different from the one during their fight, this one was softer, more caring.

“Are you still ‘Kaisei,’ Your Highness?” Wu asked, extending a hand to help him up.

Kai slapped the hand away.

“Yes.” he hissed, panting heavily.

“I see…” Wu closed his eyes briefly, as if weighing something deeply.

Cole finally broke free from his stunned stare and rushed toward Kai, clearly amazed by what he’d just witnessed.

“Sick moves, man—where—where did you learn all of that?”

Kai ignored him, struggling to stand. Cole reached out to help, but Kai rejected the offer just like he had with Wu. Instead, he leaned heavily against the mech, eyes fixed on his burned-out clothes and shoes.

The hoodie he had been wearing was riddled with blackened, burnt holes. His shoes—the last remnants from the Palace, the only piece left from his old life—were completely destroyed. Kai stood barefoot, feeling only charred scraps of leather clinging painfully to his skin. His pants were singed almost up to his knees.

He cursed under his breath.

“Kaisei?” Cole raised a cautious hand.

“Don’t touch me,” Kai hissed. “Don’t—just don’t come near me.” He lifted his eyes and shot Cole a glare full of warning.

“Kai... how? How did you learn it? It’s—it’s impossible to learn on your own—” Ray stammered, still struggling to grasp what he’d just seen.

The woman didn’t share her husband’s shock. Instead, she looked at Wu with a knowing expression, as if she understood something unspoken.

“He’s from the same world—the same timeline—as Nya… isn’t he, Wu?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Wu stroked his beard, as calm as ever.

“It appears so.”

“Wait, what?” Ray blinked, confused.

“Ray, remember when I explained what happened to Nya?” Wu said gently. “Her consciousness from her original timeline was brought here because of the Time Blade. Over time, her memories can be overwritten by the memories from this timeline.” He tapped his beard again, thoughtful. “The boy knows how to fight, how to harness his Elemental Powers, because he was taught—in his timeline. That training stayed with him as muscle memory. But the memories…”

“Could be overwritten by our timeline” the woman finished, her expression darkening.

“What?” Kai hissed, still weighed down by exhaustion, but his anger flared hotter than ever. “What the hell is your problem with me?!” he shouted. “You all—You all have a fucking problem with me! You beat shit out of me, out of nowhere— Why do you want—what—”

“Cole!” Jay shouted, running up to them. “Did Pixal tell you? Nya told her that Harumi—” He cut himself off mid-sentence, eyes wide with disbelief. “What the hell happened here?!” Jay barked, voice sharp. “We were supposed to fix the ship, not tear it apart!”

Kai glanced around, taking in the devastation. The deck was scarred with deep burn marks, everywhere as it was some kind of battlefield. It didn’t help that deck was already devasted by the previous battle, and now Kai add it more to it.

Jay turned sharply to Kai, searching his face.

“Oh shit” Jay gasped. “Uh—”

“Yeah, I know, Jay,” Cole cut in. “Kaisei is a Fire Elemental Master. And he knows Spinjitzu too—”

“Uh-huh. But—uh—” Jay fidgeted with his fingers nervously. “Uh—Lloyd. We need to contact Lloyd. ASAP. He’s in danger.”

Kai looked at Jay, fear creeping into his eyes. They were so sure, so certain that Harumi was safe with Lloyd. And now—what?

“What happened?!” Kai demanded.

Jay hesitated, struggling to find the words.

“Uh—um—” he stammered. “Nothing. Completely nothing. Danger? What danger?” He gave a nervous chuckle.

“Jay,” Wu said firmly.

“Fuck—sorry, Sensei,” Jay blurted out, “but this is really the best reaction here—” He glanced nervously at Kai. “Um—Kai—um—the prince shouldn’t listen to it—”

“…What?”

“Just—ugh—”

“What is it, Jay?!”

Jay hesitated, eyes darting away. “We know who the Quiet One is… and, um—you won’t like this, Prince.” He swallowed hard. “Especially what Nya has found out…”

“Jay, what the hell—” Cole cut in, already fed up with Jay’s evasiveness.

Jay looked like he was about to break. His eyes shifted nervously, fingers fidgeting like a stress ball.

Kai strode forward and grabbed Jay by the collar, his patience snapped. Any more time wasted here was driving him mad.

“Is my sister in danger?” he hissed, voice low and fierce, gripping Jay tightly.

Jay bit his lip, startled by Kai’s sudden violence. He swallowed hard, the gulp visible in his throat.

“The thing is—” Jay started, but never finished.

Suddenly, a wild roar echoed through the jungle, accompanied by the rumble of engines.

“Shit—shit—shit! They’re coming! They’ve found our location!” Jay shoved Kai away, breaking free. “Get ready! We need to move—now!”

“They know our location?” the woman gasped, eyes wide with shock.

“Ray, get Kai inside the Bounty!” Wu commanded, his voice rising.

But it was already too late.

The ship trembled violently as a grey mass of flesh, barley resembling the human, crashed onto the deck, surrounded by snarling bike gangs.

Chapter Text

Nya soared through the sky in her jet, frantically flipping through communication channels, trying to reach someone, anyone. Her first attempt was the Bounty.

Dead silence. Every channel was offline.

Frustrated, she slammed her fist against the cockpit.

“Come on…”

Next, she dialled Jay’s number, only to immediately regret it. She knew far too well that her clumsy boyfriend’s phone had a better chance of ending up in a toilet than in his hand. She scrolled through the contact list, heart pounding—Zane. No response. Lloyd. Nothing. Cole. Still nothing.

Were they in a dead zone?

Her eyes flicked to the corner of the screen as her thumb hovered over a contact that twisted her stomach just by looking at it: “Mom and Dad.”

She hesitated. Then tapped.

One ring… two… three—

“This is Maya and—” her mother’s voice sang through the speaker.

“—and Ray!” her father chimed in cheerfully.

“Mom, Dad, can you—” Nya started, desperate.

“Leave a message! Beep!” they finished in chorus.

Nya growled in frustration, gripping the controls tighter. Seriously? What even was that recording? Did they have no shame?

She scrolled through her contact list with one hand, while the other adjusted the autopilot, locking it onto the last known coordinates of the Destiny’s Bounty.

Misako? No… better not worry Lloyd’s mother. Not with a psychopath like Harumi by his side. At least, not yet. Not until the danger was contained.

But maybe… If she could connect to the Samurai X network, there was a chance she could backdoor into the Bounty’s systems. There should still be an old script saved, one she had written back when she tried outrunning the boys during their early ninja days. Risky and outdated, but it was something.

Even if the ship was out of signal range, it was worth a try.

She quickly tapped through the interface, switched channels, and activated the autopilot. Reaching to the side panel, she slid out the small, worn keyboard stashed under the nav console.

But before she could type a single command, her eyes caught the blinking green text on the terminal: CONNECTED.

Nya froze. Her frown deepened. Someone was already on the channel.

She tapped the audio line, heart pounding.

Please be a friend… not a threat.

“Does anyone read me?” she asked wary into the mic.

“Affirmative.” Nya jolted in her seat at the fast response. “This is Pixal.”

“Pixal?!” Relief burst out of her in a single breath. “Thank the First Spinjitzu Master. I can’t connect to the Bounty— What the hell happened?”

“The systems are offline because we were hacked,” Pixal replied calmly. “We are currently working on a full system reboot. However, due to the cyberattack, we were forced into an emergency landing in the Primeval’s Eye.”

“What? Hacked?” Nya frowned, her gut twisting. She didn’t need to think long to guess who was behind it. She bit her lip, frustration rising. One bad news after another. “I’ll be there in seconds. Send me the coordinates—” She stopped, shook her head, and rubbed her temples. “For now, just get Kai and Lloyd away from Harumi! She’s a psychopath! A murderer, she—”

“Nya. Please calm down.” Pixal’s mechanical voice cut through, smooth but firm. “Did you learn something? Were you able to retrieve the mask?”

“Yes! A lot!” Nya’s voice rose in panic. “She—she— First Spinjitzu Master, she’s psychopath! She killed her own sister, princess Kizuna—she—”

The words caught in her throat. Too much, too fast.

“Nya, please,” Pixal said again, more gently now. “You are still piloting a jet. Emotional overload while flying is unsafe.”

“But—it’s Harumi!”

“I acknowledge the urgency. There is, indeed, public record of Princess Kizuna’s death… However—”

“Kizuna is the ghost Zane met!” Nya shouted, tears streaking down her face before she even noticed. “She showed me her memories. Harumi pushed her into the well and left Kai there, rotting for days!”

“Nya.” She cut off her once again. “I will alert Zane to these… revelations. They are deeply concerning. I assure you, I will do everything in my power—”

“Separate Kai from that monster!” Nya yelled. “And don’t let Lloyd anywhere near her!”

Silence followed. Only static hummed through the channel. Pixal didn’t respond.

“Pixal? Do you copy?”

“Yes, I read you,” Pixal replied, her voice filtered but steady. “Nya, please come here immediately. If my analysis is correct… we may be facing a much bigger issue than we initially believed.”

Nya’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean? Is—Is Kai alright?”

“…He’s physically stable. However, his mental state…” Pixal hesitated for a split second, unusual for her. “Please, focus on returning for now. I’d rather not cause you further distress until my analysis is complete. Samurai X out.”

“Pixal! What do you mean—?!” Nya’s voice cracked, but the channel cut to static before she could finish.

Silence buzzed in her ears.

She gripped the controls tighter, jaw clenched, as her jet surged forward through the clouds.

Nya slammed her fists against the cockpit in frustration. She knew she wasn’t exactly calm right now, but shutting her out? That wasn’t helping.

Pixal’s voice had carried something different. As if Nya had unknowingly handed her the final piece of a puzzle. And now, while Pixal was already seeing the full picture, Nya was left fumbling in the dark.

She let out a groan, dragging both hands down her face before gripping the controls, turning on fully-manual piloting.

She add to the speed, focusing on getting as fast as possible to the beeping coordinates on the map.

Within minutes, Nya was hovering above the jungle. From above, it looked like something out of a nightmare. Dense, wild, and pulsing with an unnatural energy that made her stomach twist.

This place wasn’t just remote, it felt wrong, like the kind of jungle that clawed at your sanity the longer you stayed. Untamed wilderness and the kind of silence that screamed.

Her lips were dry. She licked them absently and started to descend.

That’s when the jet lurched violently.

Every warning light on the console flared red. Alarms screamed. The craft shuddered again, harder this time, as if something invisible had slammed into it.

“What the—?” Nya muttered, eyes scanning the dashboard.

Damage reports flooded the screen, pinpointing a direct impact to the undercarriage.

Then came the second hit. The whole jet buckled, metal groaning in protest as if the air itself had turned against her.

The jet shook again—this time violently enough to cut its engines.

A sharp, blaring BEEP-BEEP-BEEP flooded the cockpit. Nya didn’t need the system to tell her, that the jet was going down.

She bolted to the back, snatching the mask from its case and clutching it tight against her chest. Red warning lights flashed like sirens all around her.

Then came another impact, harder.

A burst of flame erupted from the engine, smoke curling through the vents. Nya hissed and quickly called on her elemental powers, cooling the interior just enough to delay combustion. She yanked a parachute from the seat and strapped it on.

Who the hell was attacking?
If she’d been hit, what about the Bounty? What about the others?

But survival came first.

She slammed the eject button. The cockpit glass hissed open and wind tore inside like a beast.

Nya leapt. The flaming jet roared behind her, vanishing upward as she plummeted, then she pulled the parachute cord. A violent snap jolted her body as the chute deployed just above the safe threshold. Wind howled around her, nearly tearing the mask from her grip, but she clutched it tighter.

Nya watched as her jet slammed into the jungle canopy, bursting into flames on impact. A violent explosion shook the treetops, sending birds screeching into the sky.

She muttered a curse under her breath.

How many busted vehicles is that this month? Third?

Well… maybe not exactly. The Time Battle never happened here, and she had landed now in some twisted version of the future. But if she counted from her original timeline, third vehicle this month, easily.

Before she could dwell on it, a burst energy hit through the air, zipping past her right side.

Nya swerved mid-air, barely saved by a misfire.

She was being targeted.

Her eyes narrowed, scanning the green chaos of jungle below, but the attacker was hidden somewhere in that thick snarl of trees and shadows.

Then something else caught her eye—

The Destiny Bounty.

It was wedged between massive trees, tilted but mostly intact. Not unscathed, though, she could see the signs of hasty repairs already underway. They were trying to keep it airborne. But that wasn’t the worst part. The ship was crawling with gang bikers.

Nya’s jaw clenched. She pulled down on the parachute strings, steering herself toward the chaos below.

She took the mask and tied it securely around her waist, praying the landing wouldn’t shatter it or worse, let it fall into the hands of the Sons of Garmadon. Even if it cracked, as long as it stayed out of their reach, it was a win.

With a sharp tug, she detached the parachute and dropped.

Wind howled in her ears as she plummeted through the air, until she slammed against a thick branch. The impact sent pain shooting up her arms as she caught herself, the bark scraping and bruising her skin. But the landing was too rough, her grip gave out.

She fell again, twisting mid-air, barely managing to grab a cluster of tangled green vines. They whipped tight against her hands, almost tearing loose under her weight and momentum.

She dangled there, breathing heavily, the vine groaning with strain. Slowly, cautiously, she glanced down.

Still a long way to the jungle floor.

She reached down to check the mask. Still there. No visible cracks.

With a soft exhale, she began climbing down the vine, easing her way through the dense green curtain, trying not to draw attention to herself. Every rustle and sway could give her away, but the mask was safe, and now she just needed to keep it that way.

Once Nya hit the ground, she wasted no time. Limping slightly from the rough descent, she ducked into the nearest thicket of bushes, trying to stay out of sight.

She glanced up through the gaps in the canopy. The branches were dense enough to move across them without being seen. If she wanted to reach the Bounty or at least get a better view, it was the best option.

What the hell did the boys do to get themselves ambushed like this?

She climbed up one of the nearby trees. Her muscles ached, but adrenaline pushed her through. She hoisted herself onto a thick branch and crouched low, scanning the forest floor below.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Bikers were already crawling in the jungle, fanning out in all directions. What a welcome party.

Nya frowned, rage tightening in her jaw. She could take a few of them, easily. But if one group was this close, others wouldn’t be far behind. Picking a fight now would risk everything, especially the mask.

She adjusted her grip on a higher branch, eyes locked on the distant shape of the Bounty, still nestled in the trees. She lumped quietly to the next branch.

A familiar low voice suddenly cut through the jungle’s hum.

“Turn on the engines!” The command echoed sharply in her ears.

Through the thick leaves, she spotted a grey, lumpy mass moving among the boys chained together. Nya didn't have to take a second glance at chains to know that it was Vengestone. The figure crawling nearby, barely able to hold his own weight, had to be Killow.

Three other goon leaders still remained to be found.

The ship rumbled as the engines started up, the sound reverberating through the trees.

Nya needed a stealthy route. She took a careful step back, then leapt silently onto a nearby pole of the ship. From her new point, she glanced down, searching for the identities of those imprisoned.

Zane, Jay, Pixal, and Cole looked unharmed. Nya smacked her tongue in frustration, they hadn’t even tried to fight back. Wu, Pixal and her parents were chained to another beam, though Wu had some bruises and the burnt one. She quickly scanned for any serious injuries, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But where were Kai and Lloyd?

Focusing her powers, Nya summoned a small drop of water beneath Jay. The blue ninja glanced upward, and she waved subtly to get his attention. Jay smiled and then whispered something to the others.

The ship rumbled, signalling it was preparing to take off. Nya clung tightly to the beam, steadying herself.

She reached into the pocket of her gi, pulling out a pocket knife, and carefully dropping it to the imprisoned group, giving them a chance to free themselves.

Then, without hesitation, she leapt toward the beam where the elders were chained.

"E! Did you download the map?" came the sharp shout from the cockpit. From the doorway emerged a figure clad entirely in black leather, helmeted with a sleek visor that gleamed like obsidian. Only two glowing red eyes pierced through the dark screen. The figure gave a slow, confident nod.

Killow let out a satisfied, cracking laugh.

"Guess our nindroid’s better than yours," he sneered. "Set course for the Oni temple!"

So this was Mr. E. If he really was a nindroid, things just got much worse. The Mask of Vengeance hung at his belt. It could grow a second pair of arms, making the wearer devastatingly strong.

Nya’s gaze flicked to the boys. Zane caught her eye and gave a quick nod—ready. He motioned subtly for her to create a distraction.

Nya glanced down at how high up they were and an idea sparked in her mind.

Timing it perfectly, she quietly dropped onto the deck just as everyone’s attention was elsewhere. She crept toward Mr. E, targeting him first to take out the biggest threat. Summoning water, she gathered it tightly in her palms and unleashed a high-pressure stream straight at the nindroid.

They barely had time to react before they were blasted off the deck. Their shocked eyes locked on her, but Nya was already spinning into Spinjitzu, knocking more goons off the ship with swift, fiery force.

Soon, the others rallied, reclaiming the ship and protecting Cole as he worked to free Wu, Pixal, Ray, and Maya.

But chaos wasn’t over. Killow charged with terrifying momentum, his powerful arms swinging down. Nya was slammed off her feet, crashing hard to the deck.

Nya groaned from the impact, her back aching and elbows stinging from the fall, but nothing felt broken, just bruised pride and bone.

The tide of battle, however, shifted the moment a new presence entered the deck.

From the lower chambers of the Destiny’s Bounty emerged a flamboyant figure, theatrical in every step. A woman with a high, violet ponytail, the sides of her head shaved clean, and her face painted in near-clownish makeup. But there was nothing funny in her eyes.

She strutted forward, dragging someone with her—pressing a gleaming dagger to their throat.

Nya’s blood boiled when she recognized the captive.

Kai.

He was held firm, his face expressionless but his jaw clenched tight. The blade at his neck left the skin barely marked, but it was enough. Enough to freeze her breath.

The woman’s grin widened, predatory and mocking.

"I see you brought the mask for us," she cooed, her voice like venom wrapped in sugar. "How generous of you." Her gaze flicked to the artifact at Nya’s side.

Kai didn’t flinch. He just locked eyes with Nya for a heartbeat, calm and burning all at once.

Nya’s breath caught in her throat.

Kai looked barely standing, his clothes scorched, half-burnt and clinging to his skin, smeared with smoke and streaked with sweat. For a moment her heart seized in panic, but she quickly reminded herself. He’s the Fire Elemental Master. That damage wasn’t from an enemy. It was from him. His own power.

She gritted her teeth, clutching the mask tighter against her waist.

 “Where’s Lloyd?” she hissed, voice low and sharp.

The woman, still holding Kai like some trophy, burst into another one of her unsettling, fanatical giggles. It rang across the deck like nails on metal.

Nya’s fists curled.

“Answer me.”

“Oh, the Greenie?” the woman drawled with mock curiosity, tapping the blade playfully against Kai’s neck. “Let’s just say… he’s about to fulfil his destiny.”

The tension snapped like a wire pulled too tight.

“Now…” the woman purred, her tone dipping into something darker. “Give me the mask.”

Her eyes narrowed, focused solely on Nya. Every breath Nya took felt measured, every twitch of her hand watched. One wrong move, and—

Jay took a step forward.

The dagger pressed tighter against Kai’s throat, drawing a thin red line of blood. He winced, but didn’t even flinch.

“Jay!” Nya snapped, fury flashing in her voice. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Jay froze mid-step, holding his hands up.

“…Nya,” he said under his breath, eyes not leaving Kai. “They won’t hurt him.”

The disbelief in Nya’s face was immediate, and sharp.

“And how do you know that?!” she hissed, glaring at him like he had lost his mind.

“Because he can work for them,” he said coldly, eyes locked on the woman. “Harumi is the Quiet One.”

The words landed like a punch to the chest.

Kai’s eyes widened, the confusion turning into something colder.

“What?” he breathed, like the word itself betrayed him.

Nya turned to Zane, stunned. Her heart skipped. Harumi… the Quiet One?
It all clicked—the Palace infiltration, the trap, the uncanny timing of the Sons of Garmadon… She’d been manipulating the board from the beginning. Every step. Every betrayal.

Kai yanked against the woman’s grip, only to be pulled back, the dagger pressing harder.

“Shhh… Firecracker,” the woman cooed mockingly. “Let’s calm down. You don’t wanna lose your vocal cords, do you?”

Kai’s fists clenched at his sides, and for a second Nya swore the air grew warmer. But he kept still, jaw clenched as he glared at the woman holding him hostage.

The woman’s smirk widened like she was in on a joke no one else understood.

Nya’s heart pounded, but her mind raced faster. Where the hell was Lloyd? And Harumi?

“Tick-tock, water girl,” she sang. “Every second you hesitate is another second closer to something very unfortunate happening.”

“Nya… she’s bluffing,” Zane said calmly. “She won’t hurt him—not if Harumi is obsessed with him. He might be… part of their plan.”

“How, Zane?!” Nya shouted, her voice breaking. “Harumi is insane—Kai’s not!”

Her voice cracked as it echoed across the deck. The others flinched, but Zane didn’t waver. He simply stared at her, calm as ever.

“Please… Nya…”

She turned.

It was her mother. Maya’s face was pale, streaked with tears, her wrists still bound, hands trembling as if she could barely hold herself up. Her gaze locked onto Nya’s with a quiet desperation that pierced deeper than any blade.

“I can’t lose my son… not again,” Maya whispered.

“I’m not saying he’s insane,” Zane continued on the other side , his voice unshaken. “But under Harumi’s influence… it’s possible he’s developed Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Stock—what now?!” Kai snapped, eyes wide with disbelief. “What the fuck are you even talking about? That’s—”

He lunged instinctively, frustration flaring, but the cold press of the dagger at his throat halted him mid-motion. His jaw clenched, and he froze, breathing heavy through his nose.

“The mask” the woman hissed, her voice sharp and poisonous. “Now.”

The ship landed with a jarring thud, and the impact made them all stumble slightly, but the tension in the air didn’t break.

“WATCH OUT!” Cole suddenly roared.

Nya felt a sharp pain as something pierced her back shoulder. She let out a scream, collapsing to her knees. Gasping, she turned her head. There it was, a knife embedded in her back shoulder.

Through the haze of pain, she looked up and saw who had thrown it.

Harumi landed gracefully on the edge of the ship, tilting her head with that ever-creeping, wide smile. Behind her stood Mr. E the same Mr. E Nya had just taken down.

The goons didn’t waste a second. They ducked low and grabbed the mask Nya had just dropped.

“Harumi!” Kai shouted.

Harumi met his gaze and gave him that soft smile. Releasing him gently, she whispered, “It’s alright now, brother. I’m here.”

She raised her arms, inviting him into a hug.

Nya could hardly believe it. Kai’s expression shifted from confusion to relief as he stepped forward and embraced the monster who had kept him on a leash for so long.

“No…” Nya groaned, trying to rise, but Cole held her down as Zane with Pixal worked to remove the knife.

“Hold still” Pixal said, voice steady. “Fortunately, it’s not too deep.”

With sharp pull, knife was removed from her shoulder.

Killow burst into laughter, the high-pitched cackle of Ultra Violet echoing behind him.

From her corner of the deck, Nya watched in horror as Harumi held the third mask aloft.

They had all three now.

Nya's heart pounded, not just from the pain, but from the dread creeping in.

Harumi turned slowly, cradling the third mask in her hands like a sacred artifact. The sunset glinted off its surface, casting eerie reflections across her face.

“All three,” she murmured, almost reverently. “It’s almost complete.”

Kai stood frozen beside Harumi, his eyes clouded. He looked between her and the others, confusion warring with doubt.

“Don’t listen to her!” Nya shouted, her voice raw. “She’s the mastermind—she’s behind all of this!”

Kai flinched, but Harumi reached out gently, tugging his arm. She rose onto her toes, leaning in close to his ear.

“Kai… you promised me,” Harumi whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. “You said you’d trust me. Always.”

“She’s the Quiet One!” Nya screamed, voice cracking with desperation. “WAKE UP, KAI! She killed your parents! She killed Kizuna!”

Harumi’s expression shattered in an instant. Her soft facade vanished, replaced by a venomous glare aimed straight at Nya.

Kai stood as still as ever, but at the name Kizuna, something in him broke. His pupils dilated. His breath hitched. He wasn’t looking at Harumi or Nya anymore—he was staring into something far away, lost in a storm only he could see.

"Kizuna—" Nya spun around, scanning the air for the familiar swirl of green mist. “She’s here… she has to be here—show yourself!” her voice cracked with desperation. “Show yourself before Kai!”

But nothing came. Kizuna didn’t answer her calls.

“KAI!” Nya screamed, her throat raw.

Harumi tugged him closer, pulling his head down until their foreheads nearly touched.

“I’m here, Kai” she murmured. “That’s all that matters.”

“KAI!” Nya choked through her tears. Her chest tightened. “Please—please listen to me! She killed Kizuna! She’s behind all of it—everything!”

Harumi said nothing back, at least, not to Nya. She calmly covered Kai’s ears and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Her lips kept moving, murmuring words that Nya couldn’t hear. Rage and confusion were consuming Nya.

What had Harumi done to him?
What was happening to Kai?

Somewhere behind her, Zane’s voice tried to break through the haze, calmly analysing the situation, suggesting retreat, something about regrouping, about Lloyd, about the mask, but it all blurred.

And then—

A green explosion of energy burst down from above, slamming into Mr. E and sending him flying.

Nya turned, shielding her eyes and felt a spark of hope ignite.

Lloyd descended from a spinning vortex of Spinjitzu, landing hard on the deck. His eyes locked on Harumi like a blade with unreadable expression.

And just like that, the fight erupted again.

Zane and Cole rushed to Killow, trying to wrest the second mask from his belt. Jay crackled with lightning, zipping through bikers with Pixal’s assistance. Wu joined the fray without hesitation, fending off attackers with precision. Maya and Ray hesitated, rushing to Nya’s side, but she pushed past them, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

Only three things were on her mind.
Kai.
Harumi.
The masks.

Nya launched herself into the air, using a high-pressured beam of water as a springboard beneath her feet. Adrenaline and fury coursed through her veins, masking the pain that throbbed across her back. She caught a glimpse of Harumi tossing the mask to the woman with the high violet ponytail, just before Nya could land her kick.

But she was intercepted.

Her strike collided with something hard, a wall of unmoving force that sent shockwaves through her leg, from her calf to her thigh. She leapt back, and steadied herself, reaching for the spear slung across her back. Pain flared at her shoulder, a stark reminder of the earlier blow, but it was drowned beneath a fresh surge of adrenaline.

She swung the spear with full force, aiming to cut through the stone-like enemy in front of her.

The woman was no longer human.

Once the mask covered her face, she transformed, her entire body encased in living stone, glittering with purple veins that pulsed with dark energy. The Mask of Vengeance. It had fused with her, forming a full-body amor that left no weak points.

Nya's blows bounced harmlessly off her armoured opponent, who blocked with ease using only her forearms. Every counterattack from the woman landed with jarring power, forcing Nya to stumble back. The impact rattled through her bones.

She ducked low, omitting another attack from the woman. Behind the mask, her opponent let out a sick, twisted chuckled. The mask not only enhanced her strength, it warped her voice, making her seem less like a person and more like a demon.

Nya scanned the chaos for a way out.

If only she could switch with Cole.

This was a battle made for him, his Earth powers could go toe-to-toe with a body of stone. But he was locked in his own brutal skirmish, struggling against a towering Killow that gave him no space to breathe.

Another strike came. Nya barely dodged, the dagger slicing the air inches from her ribs.

Nya desperately looked around her, trying to find a way back from the fight, to focus only for getting Kai back. And beating ass Harumi.

But they were no where to be seen, they disappeared in a thin air in the chaos.

Even Lloyd, fighting a short distance to her right, was desperately trying to break away from the four-armed nindroid that pinned him down. His eyes darted to hers just for a second, but there was nothing he could do. He was locked in his own fight.

Nya turned back to her opponent, who advanced like a living wall of stone.

The fight felt endless. Each second dragged like an eternity as Nya dodged blow after blow, her strength bleeding out with every movement. Her opponent was relentless, armoured like a living tank. Nya’s strikes with her spear grew weaker, her injured shoulder screaming in protest. Her grip was slipping, not just on her weapon, but on the edge of control. Her water blasts only glanced off the woman’s stone-covered form. Nya could only dodge, but there was no chance for her to win.

The Bounty’s deck echoed with the chaos of battle. The clang of clashing weapons, the spiraling sound of Spinjitzu. Sparks flew. The deck tilted with every impact, and smoke rose like a veil around them.

But then—

Time seemed to pause as the ship rumbled violently beneath them, not from battle, but from something else.

A low, guttural growl echoed from below.

The Bounty, still grounded near the lake's edge, tilted sharply as the water split open behind it and from its depths emerged a monstrous shape. An enormous crab-like creature, twice the height of the ship itself, claws raised high enough to block the sun.

Its chitinous body gleamed dark green, slick with lake water. Its pincers snapped in the air with cracks, ready to cleave the ship in half.

Then it moved.

Like a shot, the creature lunged toward the ship, claws descending like guillotines, intent on ripping through anything in its path.

The battlefield turned to chaos.

Nya stumbled backward, barely dodging a claw that slammed down where she’d stood a second ago. Her opponent had to leap aside too, the advantage of their fight abruptly shattered. Screams filled the air as allies and enemies scattered, some jumping ship entirely to escape.

One of the nearest bikers wasn’t lucky enough to run.

The monstrous crab lunged forward, its claw snapped shut around him. The biker screamed, stabbing desperately with a knife, but the blade shattered on contact, the steel giving way like glass against the creature’s armour.

The scream was short, as the body was cut in half with one snap.

Blood sprayed in a wide arc. Some of the other bikers froze mid-motion, struck still by shock and gore. Half a body slumped to the deck, the other tossed aside like trash. Entrails dragged behind like loose wires, one long strand of intestine swinging grotesquely from the claw. A puddle spread quickly beneath the remains.

Nya stumbled back, gagging as the metallic stench of blood mixed with bile and faeces punched her senses. Her stomach twisted.

The frozen moment shattered as the creature reared again.

“Get off the ship!” Zane’s voice cut through the chaos “We need to draw it away from the ship!”

Everyone moved off the ship, and the battle quickly shifted, from fighting each other to fighting the new threat.

Lloyd charged at the crab, blasting its legs with energy beams, while Jay struck it repeatedly with lightning.

Then, Mr.E leapt into action, slicing at the beast from above with four katana-wielding arms.

The woman with the violet ponytail rushed in next, her stone skin gleaming under the mask’s power, shielding her allies from suffering the same gruesome fate as the unlucky biker.

Nya joined the assault, pushing the crab back with a high-pressure stream of water.

Zane spun into his Spinjitzu, a swirling tornado of ice drawing the creature’s attention, it seemed momentarily entranced by the movement.

“Everyone! Join Zane!” Cole shouted, leaping in beside him. He struck with his elemental power, jagged rocks erupting from the ground toward the crab, but even those failed to pierce its armoured shell.

Nya followed next, then Jay, Lloyd, and even Master Wu.

The colourful tornados of Spinjitzu spun around the creature, drawing its attention away from the ship and everything else. The crab twisted and reeled, overwhelmed, as if it were suffering a seizure from the barrage of spinning lights.

Then, Zane broke the chaotic rhythm. He focused his Elemental Power and unleashed a wave of ice, freezing the beast from its legs up to its eyes.

Nya stopped spinning, gasping for breath. The adrenaline had burned out, and now the pain surged back, her shoulder throbbed, her body was bruised, and exhaustion pressed down like a weight. She glanced around, but the sudden alliance seemed to have vanished. Then she looked up.

All the remaining Sons of Garmadon were already escaping in the air—with the Destiny Bounty.

“They took the Bounty!” Cole shouted.

“Nya!” Zane called out and she immediately understood what he had in mind.

The ship was too high for a normal jump or Airjitzu, but still low enough for one last desperate charge.

Without hesitation, Nya drew water from the lake. Zane leapt ahead, freezing the liquid mid-air, crafting an ice path rising toward the sky.

She prepared herself, Spinjitzu spinning at her feet, but before she could launch, someone beat her to it.

“Lloyd, wait!” Wu called sharply.

But Lloyd was already gone spinning fast, rocketing up the ice ramp and leaping into the air. He reached the ship, catching hold of the ship’s ropes.

“Oh shit—he did it!” Jay gasped, amazed.

But Wu didn’t share the excitement.

Because a moment later, the Sons of Garmadon spotted Lloyd. In a swift, brutal motion, they dragged him aboard, capturing him with ease.

“Oh... shit…” Jay muttered again, this time far more grimly.

“Pixal, contact Dareth!” Zane ordered sharply, already adapting to the situation. “We need to get out of here—now! Maya, contact Misako in the meantime” he added throwing contacting device in her direction.

“What about Lloyd?!” Cole asked, his eyes locked on the receding ship. From her angle, Nya could just make out Lloyd’s silhouette, already trapped in Vengestone.

“They need him for the ritual,” Zane said, the usual calm in his voice completely gone. “Oni blood is essential—it’s the final piece. We have to go after them!”

Nya’s heart pounded as she looked around.

“Where is… Dad?”

Everyone turned their gaze upward, eyes widening in alarm, new fear settling in their expressions.

Chapter Text

Harumi tugged Kai under his arms and quickly led him below deck. He wasn’t resisting, but he wasn’t keeping pace with her either. One look at his face told her he was still in shock.

But that wouldn’t last forever. Sooner or later, the shock would wear off, and Kai would start throwing tantrums if she didn’t give him answers. That was a problem for the future Rumi.

For now, she had his promise that he would stay by her side, no matter what.

She pushed him gently into the small room and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. He didn’t flinch. His thoughts were elsewhere, drowning in a storm.

It was almost cute, seeing him like this, stunned, lost. He wouldn’t be able to fully grasp what had just happened. Which worked in Harumi’s favour.

She turned on her heel to leave, but something stopped her. A hand, his hand, clamped around her wrist, tight and trembling.

“…Are you behind all of this?” He finally asked, his voice hoarse.

Harumi’s face twitched, a flicker of annoyance slipping through, but she quickly masked it with a gentle smile.

“Oh, Kai,” she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

She guided him to the chair and eased him down, then settled onto his lap, arms slipping around his neck like vines.

“You’re the mastermind. You—you attacked the palace?” Kai said with trembling voice.

He was slowly sinking in the idea of what Harumi had done. Probably for a few hours he would remain in shock, then shock would shift in anger and finally into acceptance. As easy it would seem, Harumi lack patience.

It was irritating that Kai took so long to grasp reality, but if that was the price of his loyalty, Harumi was willing to pay it.

Kai looked her in the eye, his gaze glassy, almost pleading with her to deny it.

Harumi reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his face, making sure she stayed within his line of sight. Then she nestled into the curve of his neck, wrapping her arms around him in a deep embrace.

“You promised you’d trust me no matter what” she whispered.

She stopped, when she noticed a small cut on his neck, a wound left by Ultra Violet’s dagger. Her expression soured instantly, fury showing up behind her eyes. She had explicitly told them not to hurt him.

She ran a finger gently over the injury and Kai flinched at the sudden sting. His hand shot up, grabbing hers roughly and pushing it away.

“You killed them,” he said, voice trembling. “You killed them all.”

That was harsh from Kai.

Fine, she killed. But that was old news for both of them, wasn’t it? Kai was the one who had found her little Pet Sematary back when she was testing the rituals from ancient book she’d found. Kai was the one who had covered for her when she “accidentally” pushed Mrs. Jenkins—once she’d had enough of her preaching about the First Spinjitzu Master. Or when she had beaten a servant girl with a mirror.

It wasn’t too far off what she had done in the past. Yes, she had done it now for a greater scale, but still. It was the same old Rumi.

Normally, he would give her those puppy eyes, pleading Harumi that this act of maleficence would be the last. They never truly were, and they both knew it. Now, that pleading with the guilt of responsibility was gone, replaced by something else.

He pulled away from her and began to rise to his feet. Standing at his full height, he loomed over her, and Harumi could sense the anger building behind his eyes. He was moments away from erupting.

She rolled her eyes and let out an unimpressed sigh.

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

Kai stared at her in disbelief. And it was a perfect moment of hesitation. She took full advantage of it.

Without wasting another second, she turned and walked briskly to the door.

“I have things to take care of. Try to be a good boy and behave,” she said flippantly, tossing the words over her shoulder as she left the room.

In the hallway, she glanced around quickly, then grabbed a chair from across the corridor. She jammed it under the doorknob to keep Kai from getting out.

Not that it would do much — if he really lost it, he could blow the door clean off its hinges, not to mention what he could do with his Elemental Powers.

But it would give him a clear message that Harumi didn't want him to leave the room.

Harumi ascended to the ship’s deck.

The fight was over. They were already in the sky, hovering steadily. She gave a quick glance to assess the damage on her side — nothing serious. Seeing all three Oni masks secured in the hands of her chosen leader reassured her.

But her satisfaction wavered when she noticed three unexpected trophies sprawled on the floor. Three prisoners. One was already locked in Vengestone cuffs, second was still pinned to the ground by the sheer weight of Killow’s massive foot.

Harumi’s smile bloomed the moment her eyes caught a flash of green fabric of a certain ninja groaning in pain beneath Killow’s heel.

“Aww… Missed me already, Lloyd?” she cooed, crouching beside him with mock sweetness as Killow kept him pinned.

“Why…?” he gasped, struggling to speak through pain and laboured breaths.

Loosing interest in his struggle, Harumi turned her attention to the other captive. He stared back at her in the similar stunned silence.

Oh… it was him — that annoyingly smug, overly confident. One of the pair who couldn’t stop eyeing Kai like a piece of meat.

“What did you do to Kai!?” the man shouted, trying to rise, but a sudden push from one of Harumi’s men slammed him back to the floor, reminding him not to get bold.

Her smile faded, replaced by a subtle disdain. She gave a small nod to the biker beside her, who responded with a sadistic grin before driving his fist into the cuffed man’s stomach.

“RAY!” the Lloyd cried out, jerking forward as much as Killow allowed.

Ray curled in pain, groaning softly. Lloyd screamed in fury, but it was all futile.

Harumi rose to her feet and casually dusted off her clothes. She had already wasted enough time with this trash. Without a glance back, she walked away, ignoring the shouting and the screams of pain that followed as her men silenced the captives with more violence.

Ultra Violet followed close behind, unable to hide her twisted excitement. She let out a shrill, grating cackle.

“We got the assurance policy, too,” she said with a smirk, clearly expecting praise. “The temple will be ready by sunset, just in time for the ritual.”

“Good” Harumi replied, her expression unchanged, voice calm and flat. “Don’t let the Green Ninja slip through our fingers. The same goes for the others.”

Ultra Violet tilted her head, mockingly. “Even your brother?”

That was a step too far.

Harumi’s blood surged. Without hesitation, she turned and slapped Ultra Violet across the face.

The sharp crack of the slap echoed in the deck, momentarily silencing even Ultra Violet’s manic energy. She staggered half a step back, blinking in surprise.

“Know your place” Harumi hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Ultra Violet nodded, still in shocked. But Harumi didn’t waver. Her hand dropped back to her side with dead calm.

“Touch him again” she said icily, “and I’ll make sure you will be the next offering.”

Harumi glared at Ultra Violet, silently gauging whether this idiot truly understood something so simple. Far too often, Ultra Violet forgot herself, mistaking Harumi for a friend, an equal.

But they were nothing of the sort.

Harumi was the Chosen One of the Overlord.
Ultra Violet was merely a follower.
A tool. A disposable resource.

“Call me when we arrive.” Harumi said curtly, turning to leave, but paused, remembering something. “My clothes?”

Ultra Violet’s eyes lit up with hope, a false hope, that Harumi could crushed in any moment. But just enough to bring her back to her usual, eager self.

“In the cockpit” she chirped. “I chose them personally.”

Harumi resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the unnecessary comment. Still, she knew better than to crush the ego of a tool she couldn’t afford to lose. Rewards and punishment — that was the balance. Ultra Violet might have been disposable, but she was useful.

“Good. I trust your choice.”

…

Dressed in her comfortable black clothes, Harumi made her way back to Kai. As she walked down the corridor, she noticed the chair had been slightly moved. However, it still wedged under the doorknob. She smiled to herself.

She quietly removed the chair and stepped inside.

Kai was already standing, waiting for her. The moment she crossed the threshold, a wave of thick, dry heat hit her face like opening an oven. Then came the explosion.

“What the fuck, Harumi?!” Kai shouted. “What the hell is going on?! You locked me here while upstairs there are lunatics — murderers, kidnappers—!”

He didn’t finish. Harumi calmly placed a hand over his mouth, silencing him. But the second her skin touched his, she flinched and pulled back, frowning.

He was burning.

She reached up and touched his forehead, and that was all the confirmation she needed. Kai shoved her hand, from her forehead, almost opening mouth to say more, but Harumi was quicker.

“Lay down” she ordered, guiding him toward the bed.

“Wha—What?” Kai blinked in confusion, but found himself already sitting. He shot back up, more frustrated than before. “No, Harumi! Don’t change the topic!—”

“You have a fever” she cut in sharply. “Lay. Down. Now.”

She pushed him back onto the bed, then quickly disappeared into the small bathroom. A moment later, she was soaking a towel in cold water. But by the time she turned around, Kai was already on his feet again.

“For fuck’s sake, Kai, lay down! You’re sick!”

“I’m not! You are!” he snapped, slamming his fist against the doorframe. “What the fuck is going on?!”

Harumi shot him a cold glare. Kai’s fists tightened at his sides, his whole body tense with fury, his eyes locked onto hers.

Then Harumi scoffed and broke the silence.

“Lay down,” she repeated firmly. “Lay down, and I’ll answer everything.”

Kai exhaled sharply, standing rigid for a long moment before finally slumping onto the bed, clearly frustrated. Harumi, unimpressed by his resistance, leaned over and firmly pushed him down until he was properly lying back. Then she placed the damp towel across his forehead, humming a soft, familiar lullaby under her breath.

“Harumi.” Kai hissed through gritted teeth.

“What happened to you? Why did you suddenly fall sick? Did the ninja poison you?” Her eyes darkened as they fall on the small cut on his neck. The one left by Ultraviolet’s dagger. A flicker of dread crossed her face.

Did one of those damned Sons of Garmadon coat their blade with poison?

“No!” Kai snapped, bolting upright, but again, Harumi pressed him back down against the pillows. “I’m not sick! I’m fine! Stop changing the topic! Just explain — what the fuck is happening?!”

Harumi wasn’t listening.

No. Those idiots didn’t have the brain or subtlety for poison. They preferred chaos. Death that screams, not one that whispers. For Harumi death was death, and it didn’t matter how it was served.

Were it the ninja? Had they slipped something to Kai in her absence? Something to unlock or overload his powers?

No… It wasn’t poison.

It was the fire. His powers.

The realization struck her, just as Kai’s voice tore through her thoughts.

“HARUMI!”

She flinched at the raw edge in his voice, snapping out of her spiral.

“What?”

Harumi didn’t know if her eyes were playing or did she see correctly. But for a second, just a second, she saw a fire in Kai. Actual flames, shimmering deep in Kai’s eyes. She felt goosebumps rise at the sight of it.

Kai’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist tightly. His contact burned, as if she’d touched a hot kettle. She let out a short, startled cry, yanking her arm back.

He let her go.

Kai’s expression changed drastically. From the anger, to confused, to worried, to guilt.

“…I—I’m sorry” Kai whispered, pulling his hand away and hiding it in shame. “Is your hand?—”

“It’s nothing” Harumi hissed, massaging her wrist. Red marks were already forming along her skin, the shape of his fingers etched faintly in the burn. Probably a mild third-degree, maybe even less.

Kai stared at the floor, sinking deeper into guilt. The heat in the room slowly began to fade, the oppressive tension softening with it.

Harumi exhaled, a little more tired than before.

“It’s nothing” she repeated, this time, quieter, almost gentle.

But Kai didn’t move. His guilt still creped from him.

She sighed again. “You have your powers back, don’t you?” she mumbled, eyes narrowing slightly.

He didn’t answer.

“How long were they gone?” she pressed.

“…Since Kizuna… ” Kai murmured after a pause.

Harumi hummed, not surprised. She reached for the towel originally meant for his fever and wrapped it carefully around her wrist. The silence returned, broken only by the soft, repetitive sound of fabric brushing skin.

“…Nya said that… you killed—” he began, reluctantly.

“And you believe her?” Harumi snapped, cutting him off before he could finish. “Above me?”

Kai said nothing. She reached forward and took his chin in her hand, forcing him to meet her gaze.

“Do you believe her... and not me?”

Kai’s eyes were wide, pupils dilated, searching for anywhere to look that wasn’t Harumi. Trying to escape her gaze.

“…I don’t know” he admitted quietly, pulling away. “But you’re not telling me anything.” He added, but there was now a quiet stubbornness beneath the surface.

Harumi slowly let go of his chin.

“All I want, Kai… all I do, all I think about… is us” she said softly. “Everything I’ve done is for our best.”

Kai didn’t flinch.

“How is killing the Emperor and Empress for our best?” he asked, sharp and direct.

Harumi let out a short chuckle.

“Kai, seriously?” she said, tilting her head. “You’re stupid, but not that stupid. You can answer that yourself.”

His jaw clenched, and he looked away again.

“They deserved it,” she whispered sweetly, leaning in closer. “They deserved it, and you know it.” Her hand reached up, fingers gently running through a loose strand of his hair. “They treated us like trophies” she continued, her voice low, almost melodic. “Pretty little ornaments to stand beside them. Toys that were expected to smile, behave, and be so fucking grateful just to exist in their perfect little world.” Her lips hovered near his ear, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “And the moment we stepped out of line — even slightly — they reminded us. That we were disposable. That if we misbehaved, they could toss us back on the street.” She pulled away then, just enough to meet his gaze again, her eyes steady and cold. “But of course… they couldn’t really do that” she said, a slow smile forming. “Because then their carefully crafted public image would just crumble like a house of cards.” Her smile widened, more bitter than amused. “We both know the truth. The adoption wasn’t out of love. It was a PR stunt. A performance to patch up their already rotting reputation.”

“But killing them—”

“They treated us like shit!” Harumi suddenly screamed, her voice sharp enough to cut through the air. “Don’t deny it!” she snapped, venom thick in her throat. “You hated it. You hated it, Kai! You reminded them every fucking day how much you despised being their precious ‘Kaisei.’” Her voice dropped, but the anger only simmered deeper. “I hated Kaisei name too” she hissed. “... And me... They treated me like a ticking bomb, a lunatic locked in the attic — hidden from the world because I might ‘embarrass’ them.” Her eyes gleamed with fury as she stepped closer. “And you? You were never a son to them. Not really. Just a pretty face” She touched Kai’s scar and he flinched on it “Pretty face, that still required correction to hide ugliness that they had defined.” She scoffed. “A pretty face, a charming smile—” her voice broke into a dry, bitter laugh, “—a whore for Kizuna.”

Kai’s expression changed instantly. His eyes darkened.

“I would never—” he started through clenched teeth.

“You wouldn’t” Harumi cut in flatly. “But she would. In few years you would become her secret concubine, dare I say, without your consent” She scoffed, cold and cruel. “You were always her little toy. And don’t you dare pretend you didn’t feel it — the way she looked at you. It wasn’t sisterly. Not ever.”

Kai’s jaw locked so tight it almost trembled. She saw, how Kai’s brain was processing everything, sinking in each argument Harumi had said. He didn’t believe her entirely, but enough to question it.

Then she noticed a slight shift in Kai’s expression. Those sad, puppy eyes, with guilt, that meant only one thing. Harumi knew what the next question was going to be, but she also knew that Kai didn’t have guts to ask. Didn’t have a strength to handle the truth behind Kizuna’s death.

To know that his beloved little sister, killed another.

And Harumi wasn’t going to help him.

She pulled closer and wrapped her arms around him.

“Kai…” she whispered, running her fingers gently through his hair. “My sweet, big brother. You knew I’d snap eventually. You always knew. It was just a matter of when.”

Kai closed his eyes. He didn’t hug her back. But he didn’t pull away either.

“I knew” he said hoarsely. “But not like this.”

“There’s no turning back from it,” she said slowly. “What’s done is done—”

“Harumi, you—” Kai’s voice was resigned, tired. “You killed people. You’re a murderer” he said, each word drawn out on a breath.

“It’s not like you didn’t know that before,” Harumi hummed poutily.

Kai took a long breath and covered his face with his palms.

“You knew I have so-called…” she toyed with his hair, “…psychopathic tendencies. Conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder… all those fancy words. And we both know none of them are enough to truly describe me.”

Harumi felt his breath shudder.

“Kai… just accept it…” She hugged him tighter. “You love me too much to be bothered by this… Besides…” her voice softened to a whisper, “…you’re snapping too, aren’t you?”

Kai took a trembling breath, then slowly lifted his elbow to cover his eyes. He didn’t speak — just gave the smallest nod. But that was enough.

Harumi knew he was hiding the tears.

“Kai…” she murmured, voice soft, almost tender. “You don’t have to pretend with me.” She leaned in, resting her forehead lightly against his. “We’ve always been together. We will always be together. And the Dark Lord will make sure of that.” She paused, letting the silence linger between them like a secret. “He made me a promise, you know,” she said with a quiet smile. “This—” her voice turned dreamy, “—all of it. The Sons of Garmadon, the Masks, the plan… it’s just a favour. A tipsy-dipsy favour for Him.” She pulled back just slightly, watching his barely-visible eyes under his arm. “That’s all it is. Let me to this. Trust me… And let me do this all.”

He finally embraced her back.

Harumi felt it — a wave of warmth rushing through her chest. It wasn't the kind of embrace she dreamed of, not entirely. It carried the weight of guilt, the tremble of desperation… but that didn’t matter.

She had him on her side.

She didn’t know how much time passed with them like that, tangled in silence. Eventually, it was Harumi who pulled away first.

“Will you comb my hair?” she asked softly.

Kai nodded, his red, puffy eyes still heavy with emotion.

Harumi hummed, pleased, and lowered herself to the floor in front of him. Kai sat on the edge of the bed and gently gathered her silver hair into his hands. She passed him the brush, and he wordlessly began to work through the strands, slow and careful.

Harumi reached for an old eyeshadow palette — the same one she'd used in her princess days. She flipped it open, revealing a spread of reds in every. Kai glanced down, frowning in confusion.

But Harumi only smiled at him through the mirror.

Without a word, she began applying the colours to her all upper face, one by one.

...

“Spider's in the house,” Harumi sung softly “Sleep, sleep...”

They were back in the palace, walking up the spiral staircase toward the Temple of Resurrection. Her fingertips trailed along the smooth stone wall as she climbed, savouring every step. She had left Kai behind on the ship, he didn’t need to see this yet. She had decided it was better to present him with a fait accompli than to risk his soft heart flipping over the prisoners.

Behind her came the Sons of Garmadon, escorting the captives. The quiet display of power was enough to keep most of them subdued… Though not all.

“So this is your true face?” Lloyd asked, his voice still holding that pathetic sadness. He stumbled as Killow shoved him forward. “Without the mask? The one you wore when—”

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Harumi snapped. “Your fight is over.” She added calmy then.

“Where are you taking us?”

The bikers chuckled at the question, low and cruel.

“Trapped in the palace, drowning in luxury and silence, with nearly infinite money as my allowance… it gave me time,” she said airily, her voice suddenly light. “Time to make a few… alterations.” She threw him a sweet smile over her shoulder. “Honestly, that’s the only fucking thing I can thank the Emperor and Empress for.” She turned back toward the stairs and continued upward. “Yes, I destroyed the palace — but I was careful not to damage the Temple of Resurrection.”

When she reached the top, the sunlight was low on the horizon, washing the chamber in a deep orange glow. She shielded her eyes and smiled.

The runes, painted in vivid crimson, glowed on the wooden floor, encircling the raised altar at the centre. The symbols twisted like veins, pulsating faintly in the setting light.

A flood of memories washed over her — some tender, most cruel. One stood out in particular, etched into her mind as clearly as the red symbols painted now around her. The same symbols. The same air, heavy with anticipation and consequence. But that was the past, and the circumstances had changed.

The Temple of Resurrection stood isolated in the heart of the Palace of Secrets, encircled entirely by still water. Like a forbidden shrine hidden within a fortress, it rested on a solitary island of stone, unreachable except by underground passage— the only way in or out on foot. But such advantage wasn’t just for defence.

Built right along the inner shore was a towering mechanical lift system. Old, reinforced, now repurposed. It held two cages, one on each side, hanging like scales of judgment. Suspended by thick chains and steel frames, they hovered above the water, ready to rise or fall at a moment’s command.

Her men were already unpacking the lights, adjusting the lenses, cameras, testing the mechanisms. The ritual wasn’t quite ready yet. But soon.

Very soon.

“The ninja have survived, the Quiet One” Ultra Violet rushed to report as soon as she entered. “They’re already in the city.”

Harumi’s expression darkened at the news. Her frown deepened when she noticed the spark of hope flicker across Lloyd’s face. But it was Kai’s so-called ‘parent’ that caught her attention — the way he stared at the symbols. Like he recognized exactly what they meant.

Lloyd couldn’t help himself.

“What was that about the fight being over?” he asked, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

“Let them come!” Harumi raised voice, then straightened, regaining her composure. “If anyone wants to stop me—” she raised her chin slightly “I always have assurance policy.”

“Assurance policy?” Lloyd repeated slowly.

Harumi turned to face the elder man. For her dissatisfaction, Ray gave her nothing. He stood unfazed, ready to face the worst. Lloyd's face however, had drained of colour.

 “No. You can’t— You’re not—” he stammered, panic creeping into his voice.

She gave a simple nod to one of the bikers on her left. She disappeared without a sound and moments later returned, dragging someone who was clearly resisting, kicking, struggling against their captor's grip.

Harumi turned sharply to Lloyd, her gaze locked on him. She didn’t want to miss a single change in his expression.

From panic—
To horror—
To something close to feral desperation.

“No…” Lloyd whispered, before his voice cracked into a shout. “Mom!”

“Misako?!” Ray’s voice broke through next.

“Ray?!” Misako cried out, eyes darting between the prisoners. “Lloyd? Ray—what’s happening?!”

Before she could scream further, the biker yanked her violently, shoving her forward until she nearly tripped over the steps of the altar.

Lloyd thrashed, trying to break free from his captors. “DON’T TOUCH HER!”

“Careful.” Harumi said calmly, still smiling, watching him with twisted satisfaction. “You’re going to miss the ceremony if you faint from screaming.”

Her men dragged Misako toward the steel cage — custom-built from Vengestone. Without delay, they shoved her inside and slammed the door shut. Then came the sound of gears groaning as the lifter jolted upward, hoisting the cage above the temple.

It hung suspended over the dark lake. It was clear, just as easily as they’d lifted it, they could drop it, straight into the water. To drown.

Harumi didn’t need to say a word. The horror spreading across Lloyd’s face said everything.

“Lloyd, she’s insane!” Misako screamed, clutching the bars. “She wants to bring back your father!”

Harumi chuckled, delightful.

“I’ve been looking forward to this family reunion for a very long time.”

“Let her go!” Lloyd struggled, yanking hard against the biker’s grip. His voice cracked in desperation. “This is between you and me!”

“No, Lloyd…” Harumi said, and her voice turned sharp. “There was never anything between us.” The words hit like a dagger. Lloyd’s face dropped, and his eyes fell to the ground. Harumi leaned in slowly, tilting his chin up with her fingers with her touch deceptively gentle. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” she said sweetly. “But it’s going to hurt a lot more.”

Then, she released his chin violently, letting his head fall.

“You don’t know what you’re dealing with, girl!” Ray’s voice rose suddenly, raw with fury. Harumi turned, mildly surprised. She thought he’d already broken. Apparently, he still had some fight left in him. “This is an Overlord ritual—you’re summoning something that demands blood sacrifice!”

She gave a slight nod, and one of her men stepped forward, slamming a fist into Ray’s gut. He gasped, folding over, but stayed standing.

Harumi approached him calmly, almost amused.

“First of all,” she said coldly, “don’t call me ‘girl.’ Oh, I am so much fucking more— But I won’t spoil a thing” She took another step, lowering her voice as she got close enough for only him to hear. “Second, I know exactly what I’m doing.” She smiled. “This is not my first time.” Then she leaned in fully, her breath brushing his ear. “And third… you are going to be the sacrifice.”

She pulled back and raised her voice to the room.

“Prepare the altar. We begin at nightfall.”

“I won’t let you get away with this!” Lloyd shouted, voice cracking.

But Harumi didn’t even turn around.

He was already losing.

...

Night had fallen.

The temple loomed ahead, now cloaked in a far more sinister aura than before. Lit only by torches and scattered fire pits, the shadows danced with a life of their own. To Harumi’s taste, the place was still drowned too heavily in hues of orange and yellow — she would have preferred the elegance of purple flame. But there was no time to dwell on aesthetic details now.

She stepped beneath the archway of the entrance, gripping Kai’s hand tightly. In her other hand, she carried an ancient bowl, its surface etched with symbols she knew all too well. All of her people were looking at them.

Kai’s fingers clenched around hers, tense and sweaty. Seeing the Temple of Resurrection again twisted his gut. His gaze flitted nervously from one biker to another, eyes wide with alarm, the words fight or flight practically etched across his face.

“…What the fuck is this?” he whispered, voice pitched high. “This is fucking insane—” The last part he muttered more to himself than to her.

“Just a little ritual” Harumi said calmly, giving him a reassuring pat on the back. “No worries.”

Kai stared at her, blinking, struggling to process how off her mood was. She stood on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

“And remember” she whispered, her voice softer now, almost tender. “No matter what happens… trust me. Just me.”

Kai swallowed hard and let her lower their joined hands.

“This is sooo fucking insane.” He muttered under his breath, almost laughing in disbelief, shaking his head. Then he glanced upward. “Wait—did you… did you seriously lock the Green Ninja in a cage?! And this woman—”

Harumi gave a pleased little hum. Kai pushed her back, down the stairs.

“This is wrong. This is so fucked-up. You actually believe in all this crap—”

“Kai” she interrupted gently, sighing, “It’s okay. Nothing bad is going to happen to us. I promise.”

Kai glanced back at the altar, then at Harumi.

“You’re not going to kill anyone… right?” he whispered.

Harumi blinked, almost impressed. For once, Kai wasn’t pretending she wasn’t capable of it.

He had always known. Known about that sharp, quiet edge inside her. Her darker instincts. Her… urges. But he’d buried that knowledge, tucked it deep beneath layers of denial and hope, refusing to see her for what she sometimes was.

Maybe the pressure had finally cracked him. Maybe he had just stopped hoping in her.

“Kai…” Harumi began softly, her tone shifting. “That’s not what trust sounds like.”

Kai scratched the back of his neck, eyes darting away, landing again on the altar, carved with symbols. Harumi could guessed that, he was wondering if it was blood.

If he asked, the answer wouldn’t be a simple yes.
It would be: Yes. Human blood.

“Promise me” he said, voice tighter now. Commanding and scared.

Harumi let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes.

“I won’t kill anyone. I promise. Happy now?”

“Far from happy” Kai muttered, exhaling a shaky breath.

At those words, Harumi seized Kai’s hand and pulled him forward. His stress didn’t waver, still clinging to Harumi with tight grip, but at least he stopped questioning.

When they cross the archway again, Lloyd shot to his feet in the suspended cage, the chains creaking.

“Harumi… This isn’t you! Don’t do it!” Lloyd begged from his cage.

Kai glanced at Harumi, silent, but his eyes were full of questions. He wore the same controlled expression he’d perfected during his days as a prince, a well-practiced poker face.

Harumi stepped forward slowly, savouring the moment. Every eye was on her. It wasn’t time for the speech yet. But it would be delivered.

She released Kai’s hand and approached the mechanism. One of her men stepped forward and silently placed a sacrificial knife into her palm. Without hesitation, she tucked it behind her back.

She didn’t have to look to know Kai wasn’t pleased.

“What are you doing?” Lloyd hissed, his voice sharp with suspicion. The only thing separating them now were the bars of the cage.

Kai stood silently behind Harumi, like a shadow.

What an irony, how much their roles had reversed.

“Three Oni masks alone won’t bring your father back” Harumi said sweetly. “For the ritual to succeed, I also need a drop of blood from his… Son.”

And with one swift motion, she slashed at Lloyd’s arm through the bars.

He flinched back with a sharp cry, confusion flashing across his face. He hadn’t expected it.

“…And” Harumi added with a dark smirk, “from the wifey.”

Harumi looked up at the second cage, the one suspended above, then gave a brief nod to Mr. E standing beside the mechanism. He pulled the lever with a sharp clank.

Lloyd’s cage jerked violently upward while Misako's dropped down in its place. Both occupants staggered from the sudden motion, struggling to regain their balance.

Harumi turned and calmly walked toward the newly lowered cage.

“Don’t touch her!” Lloyd shouted, voice raw with fury.

Kai flinched at the outburst but remained composed, rooted in place, his jaw tight.

Inside the cage, Misako instinctively backed away, pressing herself against the far side. But one of the bikers stepped in, pulling her closer to the edge, close enough for Harumi to strike.

Harumi drove the blade forward with precision, digging it into Misako’s arm.

Misako gasped, clutching at her now-bloodied limb, pain twisting her features.

“You—” she hissed through gritted teeth, lips pale as she bit down against the pain.

Harumi hummed in satisfaction, unfazed.

“Aaand… it’s done” she said cheerfully.

She turned back to the ancient bowl and brushed the bloodied blade along its rim, letting the fresh crimson drip into the etched symbols.

Then, with deliberate cruelty, she licked the remaining blood from the knife — her eyes locked on Misako.

Misako recoiled, horror written across her face.

Harumi glanced at Kai. He just blinked at her, his expression frozen in a perfect, disgusted, what the actual fuck was that for?

Harumi made a mental note to later praise Kai for his behaviour. Truly, it was impressive how much restraint he was showing. Not a word of protest. She almost smiled. He was learning.

Above, Lloyd’s voice cracked with urgency.

“Mom! My friends are on their way — they’ll stop—”

“They try” Harumi snapped, cutting him off with a sudden yell, “and they’ll have to make a choice.”  Her voice dropped low on that final word, laced with threat.

“Choice?” Lloyd repeated, confused and breathless. “What do you—”

Clank—

Mr. E pulled the lever. The cage with Misako dropped like a stone into the water below, while Lloyd’s cage shot up in air.

“MOM!” Lloyd screamed, his voice raw with helpless panic.

Kai suddenly moved, stepping toward Harumi with fire in his eyes.

“Harumi!” he hissed, furious now, grabbing her arm.

Harumi sighed, almost bored, and lazily gestured toward droid.

“Bring back the damsel in distress” she said dryly.

Mr. E carried out the order without delay, and the cages shifted again, rising to the same level. Misako, soaked to the bone, gasped desperately for air, coughing and choking as she clung to the bars.

“Mom!” Lloyd cried out from his cage, voice cracking.

Harumi chuckled lightly. “Easy choice, I’d dare say.”

Kai had had enough. He grabbed her shoulder and yanked her around to face him.

“What the hell are you doing?!” he hissed, his voice sharp with rage and disbelief.

Harumi frowned, her expression darkening. She leaned in slightly, her voice low to match his intensity.

“Just… trust me” she whispered back. “I-“

Her voice was cut off.

“You sick fanatics!” Misako shouted through raspy breaths, still choking from the water. “Bringing back my husband will bring nothing but destruction!”

Harumi scoffed, clearly amused by the woman’s stubbornness.

“Kai! Please!” Lloyd cried, rattling the bars of his cage. “Do something! You are not like her, you-”

Harumi face instantly darken.

Kai appeared unmoved at first, calm, expressionless. But Harumi knew better. She could read through the cracks in his mask. He wasn’t unfazed.

“You’re both sick” Misako spat, her voice rising with fury. “Children, killing their own parents—dragging the living into this madness—” She coughed again, violently, then pushed forward. “Don’t you feel any remorse for the people you’ve killed? For the ones you will kill? You have no idea what kind of power you’re playing with!”

Kai turned to Harumi, his eyes narrowing. But Harumi said nothing. She simply turned back to the altar and gently tugged him along with her.

“Kai…” she murmured, taking his hand with surprising tenderness. “I need your blood.”

“…What?” he breathed, startled.

Behind them, Misako’s shouting continued — furious, helpless, echoing through the temple. And Kai drown in it. His mind was already cracking from too many things happening around him.

“Just a sting” Harumi whispered.

And before he could react, she slid the blade across his palm.

He hissed, flinching, jolted back to the moment.

Without hesitation, she cut her own hand next and together, their blood dripped into the ancient bowl, mingling.

Kai took a step back, eyes on his bleeding palm.

Harumi, unfazed, placed the bowl carefully upon the altar. Then she turned to face the bikers.

It was time for the speech.

She coughed once — soft, deliberate — clearing her throat and drawing every gaze to her.

“My beloved children of the Dark Lord…” she began, her voice calm, reverent. “Finally, the time has come. We will—” The shrill wail of police sirens sliced through the air, growing louder by the second. Harumi’s words faltered. Her jaw tightened, and she threw a sharp glare at Killow. “Check that out,” she snapped. Then, without missing a beat, she turned back to the crowd and forced her voice to carry. “We will still be able to welcome our Lord and Savior—”

“NINJAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT!” a voice boomed from outside the temple walls. “SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY OR WE WILL USE FORCE!”

Harumi clenched her fists, fury burning in her eyes.
Of all the moments—

She looked up and caught sight of Lloyd, grinning smugly inside his cage. Misako scoffed, clearly pleased.

Kai glanced at her, visibly unsettled now.

Her anger began to simmer.

“Go!” she shouted at her followers. “What are you waiting for? A fucking applause?! Stop them!”

The droid and bikers scattered into action, moving toward the exits.

“I’ll begin the ceremony,” she muttered to herself, turning back to the altar.

“…Harumi, this is getting serious” Kai said, stepping in closer, lowering his voice. “The police—”

“It’s nothing! It’s just the fucking police!” Harumi hissed through gritted teeth. Kai stared at her with jaw tight. His glare said everything he didn’t voice. Harumi scoffed, brushing off his silent judgment. “Bring me offering, now!” she shouted, pointing at one of the bikers who had paused, halfway toward the exit to join the fight. He flinched, then scrambled to obey.

“I get it!” Lloyd suddenly yelled from his cage above. “I hurt you—and you want to hurt me back. I get it!” He gripped the bars tighter, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “But this isn’t the way! You don’t have to do this! We will stop you!”

Harumi turned to him, her expression completely blank — unimpressed.

Honestly, it was one of his worst speeches. She could tell the stress was getting to him.

“But I want to” she said with a shrug.

And with that, she turned her back on him and returned to the altar, waiting for the offering. Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed Kai — still frozen, his attention not on her, but on Lloyd.

That was the final spark.

Her rage flared, and she yanked Kai by the arm, pulling him forcefully toward her, away from Lloyd’s influence.

“Trust me” Harumi whispered harshly, her eyes locking onto his.

The muffled sounds of battle echoed faintly in the distance — shouts, clashing metal, sirens growing louder, but still outside.

Kai swallowed hard, his throat dry. Then, slowly, he nodded.

There was no turning back now. He understood that clearly. Follow Harumi’s orders… or fall into the hands of the police.

Finally, one of the bikers returned, dragging the so-called offering.

He shoved the limp body onto the altar without ceremony. With practiced efficiency, he knelt and fastened thick leather straps around the man's wrists and ankles.

Ray.

Kai's breath caught.

The man was already bloodied, bruised. Signs of beatings both recent and cruel. He thrashed weakly against the restraints, but it was no use.

“Kai!” Ray choked out as soon as he saw him. “Stop this madness!”

Kai froze in place, the words slamming into him like a punch to the gut.

He turned to Harumi and grabbed her sleeve, his voice low, fierce, and trembling.

“What the fuck?!” he hissed. “What is this?”

Harumi sighed. She’d anticipated resistance, even hesitation, but maybe not this much raw emotion.

“Kai…” she began carefully, her voice low, deliberate. “This is our offering. Our sacrifice… for the Dark Lord.” She watched his face closely, making sure he understood every word. “We will… sacrifice him… to the Dark Lord.”

Kai blinked, jaw slack, eyes wide in disbelief.

“…What?” he breathed.

Harumi reached for the sacrificial knife without hesitation.

“Come on” she said softly. “It’s not so hard.”

But Kai didn’t move. He stood frozen, horror beginning to set in.

“Kai…” she pressed, glancing toward the altar, urgency in her tone. “Come on. We don’t have time.”

Slowly, mechanically, Kai lifted his hands to his head, fingers lacing through his hair.

“WHAT?!” he yelled, stepping back. “You—you—you—what is wrong with you?!”

Harumi flinched. The words struck her deeper than she had let anyone see. Kai had never said that to her before. Not even in their darkest moments at the palace.  And he knew how those words hurt her when everyone at the palace had been saying that.

“Don’t be a child” she snapped, her voice tightening with frustration. She grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer to the altar.

“Kai, please! You need to stop this!” Ray cried out, struggling harder against the straps. “She’s trying to bring back the Overlord!”

Before he could say more, Harumi seized a cloth from the altar and shoved it into Ray’s mouth, muffling him with cold efficiency.

“Overlord?!” Lloyd shrieked, panic breaking through his voice. “Not my father?!”

“You stupid girl!” Misako followed, shouting from her cage. “You have no idea what you’re doing!”

They started to scream at her, trying to helplessly stop her, but Harumi shut his mind for their voices.

She turned to Kai, her expression softening as she gently placed a hand on his cheek.

“Trust me, brother” she whispered. “Trust me.”

Kai shook his head, backing away slightly, trembling.

“You… you promised you wouldn’t kill anyone,” he stammered. “You told me—”

“And I won’t” she said calmly, placing the sacrificial knife into his hand. “You will.”

She curled his fingers tightly around the hilt.

Kai instantly recoiled, yanking his hand back, but Harumi caught his wrist, holding it firm.

“Harumi—”

Before he could finish, she wrapped her hand around his, forcing the blade down in a swift, controlled arc.

The knife struck.

Ray’s body jerked violently against the restraints. A muffled scream tore from behind the cloth stuffed in his mouth. His eyes rolled upward, sweat instantly beading on his brow.

Kai stared in horror.

The blood had already begun to pour.

“HARUMI!” Kai screamed, yanking the knife out in panic. Blood spurted, and he immediately pressed his hands against his father’s stomach, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HE’S MY FATHER!” he shouted, voice cracking as the first tears spilled down his cheeks.

“He’s not!” Harumi screamed back, eyes blazing. “I’m your family now! I’m the only one who ever was. UNDERSTAND IT!”

Without hesitation, she struck him — hard — knocking him away from Ray.

Kai crashed to the floor, breath knocked from his lungs.

Harumi turned back to the altar and plunged her fingers into the open wound, ignoring the way Ray shuddered violently. He screamed behind the cloth, body spasming, but she didn’t flinch.

Screams echoed from every direction: Misako’s fury, Lloyd’s panic, the chaotic clash of police and bikers outside.

None of it mattered.

She marched over to Kai, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him upright.

Then, slowly, deliberately, she pressed her blood-soaked fingers to his forehead and dragged them to the side, painting a crimson streak between his eyes.

Kai’s breath caught. He was shaking.

“…Now...” Harumi whispered, eyes locked with his “we match.”

Kai yanked her hand off him and staggered to his feet, stumbling back toward the altar.

Toward Ray.

Harumi screamed in fury behind him, her voice cracking with rage.

Kai dropped, hands pressing desperately against the bleeding wound again, trying to slow the flow.

“This is futile, Kai!” Harumi shouted, storming after him. She grabbed his shoulders, yanking hard.

He didn’t budge.

“THIS IS ABSURD!” she screamed, kicking him, throwing wild punches that struck his back, his arms. “I AM YOUR FAMILY! NOT HIM! NOT THEM!”

Kai trembled beneath the blows, sobbing, lips quivering, but he never looked at her. He never moved. His hands stayed locked on the wound, desperately trying to hold Ray together.

“He’ll die!” Harumi shrieked, almost hysterical now. “He’ll DIE — a sacrifice to the Overlord!”

Still, Kai didn’t respond. His body rocked with shallow breaths and silent grief, but he clung to Ray, refusing to let go.

Harumi stood there, panting, trembling from the outburst.
Then… she was done.

She reached for the ceremonial bowl, still half-filled with blood.

And without warning, she poured it—right over Ray.
Right over Kai.

Kai flinched but didn’t move away.

Harumi raised her arms, soaked in red, and began to chant — low, ancient words echoing with dark power.

The ritual had begun.

Oni Masks, suddenly lifted up, on their own, and then, hovered around her like a haunting spirits.

A violent burst of dark purple energy ripped through the temple, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Suddenly, flames of the same unnatural hue ignited in the air around Harumi — floating, pulsing, dancing like spirits unleashed.

And above her, the air tore open.

A swirling black void appeared. A hole that devoured every trace of light, every shadowless inch of space not claimed by the ritual.

All the torches were instantly extinguished. Darkness swallowed the room, save for two things: the distant, pale gleam of the city far below… and the eerie, mystical fire conjured by Harumi’s spell.

A bitter, howling wind surged through the temple. The cold struck like ice through flesh.

Harumi’s white hair whipped violently in the gust, lashing across her face. Her clothes flared around her, caught in the storm she had summoned.

But she didn’t waver. She didn’t stutter.

Her voice rose stronger, clearer — chanting in that dead, ancient tongue.

Lloyd and Misako still screamed in the distance, but they didn’t matter In the corner of her vision, Harumi noticed movement. The Sons of Garmadon had finally returned to witness the ceremony.

Only one figure remained out of sync with the ritual’s rhythm.

Kai.

Still standing in the blood, still clutching at Ray’s chest with trembling hands, refusing to look at her.

Then, chaos erupted.

A burst of motion shattered the edge of the chamber — colourful figures leaping from the shadows, blades flashing, voices raised in defiance.

The ninja had arrived.

Within seconds, the Sons of Garmadon clashed with them, weapons meeting in violent sparks. The sacred stillness of the ritual collapsed into battle shouts.

Harumi didn’t stop. Instead, she forced more power into her voice, her chant growing louder and faster.

She glanced toward the mechanism.

Good.

Killow had understood.

He rushed to the lift and pulled the lever. With a metallic shriek, Lloyd’s cage dropped, plunging him into the cold waters below.

Misako screamed from her own cage, her voice piercing even the din of battle.

Some of the ninja turned at the sound, faces flicking with panic, but only for a moment.

Then they snapped their focus back to Harumi.

The clash of weapons, shouts, and battle cries roared around her, the ninja forcing their way through her men, striking with skill and desperation. A few broke from the fight, trying to reach her.

But the ritual protected itself.

The moment they got too close, their strikes hit nothing but air, then snapped against an invisible barrier that sparked with violet fire.

They slammed fists, blades, even elemental power against it, but it held.

Harumi barely glanced at them.

Then —

A voice, cold but familiar, rumbled above her.

It didn’t echo from the walls — it pressed down from the void.

M̸̫͉̖͉̈́͆͗y̵͎̣̻͚͋̽͒̎ ̵͙͉̺̞̑̽́̊͘ͅd̴̈́̄̄̐́ͅa̸̗̬̎͆̆ͅu̴̝̚g̸̛̛̜̟̟̅̒͠h̵͚̠̹͛̎ţ̵̠͕̀̓͌́̿e̴̥̿͌̽̔̇r̵̤͐.̴̞̽͊͠.̴̧̧̛̉͊.̷̝͈͚́̆̑͜

Harumi’s lips parted, her eyes glinting with euphoria.

He was here.

The Dark Lord.

She pressed on with the chant, her voice cracking slightly from joy.

And then—

A scream.

Kai’s.

It pierced through the ritual’s rhythm, yanking her gaze sideways.

He was on the ground, curled in on himself, clutching his right eye, the one marred by the old scar. His body trembled, back arched, as if something was burning beneath his skin.

His scream wasn’t just pain. It was agony.

Harumi froze for a split second.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She bit her lip hard, drawing blood. She couldn’t stop now. Not when she was this close.

But still—

Kai’s scream didn’t stop.

Harumi didn’t have time to dwell. The green silhouette broke through the dark haze. Lloyd.

Soaked, bruised, furious and walking through the barrier.

Harumi’s breath caught.

How the hell—

He shouldn’t have been able to cross. The spell was meant to reject intruders. But Lloyd was pushing through. One slow, painful step at a time. Each movement dragged as if something was yanking him back, but he refused to stop.

Her mind screamed at her to focus.

Harumi’s voice stumbled, then surged faster, spitting the ancient words from her lips with raw desperation.

She looked up.

The black rift in the sky churned. the Overlord was coming, but not fast enough.

It would be fucking wonderful, if he didn’t take much more time arriving.

Lloyd collapsed again under another violent pulse of energy from the barrier.

Harumi allowed herself a grin. He wouldn’t make it in time.

But then he spun. A familiar green vortex of light burst outward.

Spinjitzu.

He spun through the wall like wind cutting through smoke.

And he wasn’t alone.

White. Blue. Black. Cyan.

The others joined him, whirling toward her, elemental storms crashing against the edges of the ritual.

Harumi’s voice rose, cracking from the strain. Her lips were dry, her throat raw.

Just a few more lines. A few more—

Behind her, Kai screamed louder, the pitch of it slicing through the ritual like a blade.

Still, she didn’t look back.

Almost there. Almost—

Then —

A blast of raw elemental power slammed into her chest.

Harumi was flung backward, the bowl of blood shattering against the stone. The altar cracked. Her voice silenced.

The spell broke.

The sky flickered — and the black rift above shivered. Not with triumph, but with hesitation.

And then —

It began to close.

“NO!” Harumi screamed.

The masks tumbled from the air, dropping with the echo of her defeat.

The rift above snapped shut. The purple fire died. Silence collapsed around them like ash.

“No, no, no—” she shook her head violently, voice cracking, each breath shallower, more panicked. “He was here! I felt him!”

But it was over.

A scream echoed.

“DAD!” Nya’s voice, piercing and terrified.

She dropped to Ray’s side, hands trembling as she pressed to his bleeding chest.

“Stay with me, stay with me—someone call for help!”

The others swarmed in — blue, white, black, voices overlapping in frantic panic. Someone was with Kai, who was still curled in on himself, shaking, holding his scarred eye like it was on fire.

“Kai, can you hear me? Kai?”

Harumi looked around while sitting blankly on the floor, unable to stand up. Her people, beaten, groaning, some fleeing, most already thrown to the ground, hands behind their backs, wrists zip-tied by the storming Ninjago police.

All her pieces, shattered.

All her power, gone.

Footsteps.

She looked up.

Lloyd was standing over her now.

But he wasn’t victorious. He wasn’t gloating. He looked... broken.

“...What did you do?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper, eyes brimming with confusion, betrayal, horror. “Why?”

Harumi snarled and lunged for him, fists clenched, hatred boiling over—

But arms locked around her shoulders, yanking her back.

“LET GO OF ME!” she thrashed, but the officers slammed her to the temple floor. Cold stone. Metal cuffs biting into her wrists. “LET ME GO, YOU PEASANTS!” she shrieked. “I AM PRINCESS HARUMI! THE JADE PRINCESS! I AM HIS DAUGHTER—” Her voice fractured. Tears and spit hit the stone as she tried again to stand.

The temple spun with the sound of emergency sirens and broken people.

She didn’t even realize when she was finally shoved into the police van. Still struggling all the way, screaming curses into the dark.

The Imperial Square was blacked out, bathed only in the flashing lights of sirens. A cold night.

She couldn’t process it.
How it had all fallen apart.
How she had been defeated.

How… she had lost.

And then—

Kai.

The thought stabbed through the fog in her mind.

Where was he?

She lunged toward the van’s small, barred window, eyes scanning the chaos outside. The Sons of Garmadon were being dragged to police trucks. Ambulances were parked in a line. Officers moved like shadows through the light.

But no sign of him.

The van door swung open.

And standing there, framed in the siren glow, was no one other than Lloyd.

“Please...” Harumi's voice softened in an instant, slipping effortlessly into her sweet, practiced tone. The mask of the concerned princess slid into place. Her eyes were wide with sorrow, lips trembling in apology. “You were right,” she whispered, a fragile smile touching her face. “This isn’t me...”

“Stop,” Lloyd snapped, his voice low and bitter. “Save it for someone who still cares.”

“…Then can I talk to Kai?” she asked, her voice cracking, reaching for anything left.

Lloyd didn’t answer. He shut the door without a word.

Harumi slammed her fists against the inside of the van, her voice rising in panic.

“Then what about my brother?!” she shouted. “What did you do to him?!”

Her scream pierced the night like shattered glass.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO KAI?!”

Chapter Text

Kai stared at the body, the world around him fading further and further away. All he could hear was the pounding in his ears. His heartbeat, desperate, as if it wanted to tear itself out of his chest.

No. Not a heartbeat.

Tapping.

The tapping of water dripping onto the surface below.

His breath came ragged from crying, emotions and the surge of adrenaline. His hands trembled as he pressed against the wound, hoping to stop the blood.

But he couldn’t tell if the man lying before him was already gone, or still clinging to life by the thinnest thread. Kai didn’t even know if what he was doing was saving him or hastening his end.

After all… Kai was his end. The end of them all. The end of Harumi’s parents, crushed beneath the debris because he hadn’t been able to save them. The end of Kizuna, and later, of the entire royal court.

But was it truly his fault? Was he really to blame for their deaths? Ignorance and silence, they too could be counted as accomplices.

He was drenched in sweat, tears, and blood. A grotesque mixture of everything. The filth clung to him, sinking past his flesh, rotting down to his very soul. A rampage of voices stormed through his mind, shrieking louder and louder, all merging into a single damning sentence:

This is your fault.

He could have stopped it.

Hands tore Kai’s arm away from the body he had clutched so desperately. Panic surged through him, and he lunged back toward the body, still pressing against the wound with trembling, useless hands.

But it was futile. In an instant, he was slammed to the ground, the impact driving the breath from him and the chill of the brick pavement pressed against his face.

His arms were wrenched behind his back, joints screaming in protest. He didn’t cry out, only a broken sob escaped, not for himself, but for the crushing stillness within him that had caused all of this.

He didn’t even try to see who it was. Police, ninja, the First Spinjitzu Master himself—it didn’t matter. His hearing was failing him anyway, leaving only the dull murmur of the world, broken by the rhythm of that same sound.

Tap.

Tap.

He didn’t resist as they dragged him away, his face scraping against the ground for every step of the path they forced him down.

First down the spiralling black staircase, then through dim corridors, darker than he remembered and finally into a vast, empty space.

Images slid past like smudged paintings. Flashes of red and blue lights smeared at the edges of his vision. The ground below was as filthy as he felt, damp with puddles that reflected only the ugliness of his face.

It didn’t take long before a sharp tug at his hair wrenched his head back, forcing him to stumble into a half-kneel before being shoved with brutal strength into a small chamber.

No—

A car. Kai was sitting back seat and the black partition separated him from the front.

He shifted his shoulders, searching for some angle of comfort, but the handcuffs allowed none.

The door slammed shut. Only then did Kai fully grasp what was happening.

He was being arrested.

“Calm yourself.”

The voice cut through his haze. Kai blinked hard, struggling to focus. Slowly, his ears and eyes seemed to return to him. He lifted his gaze toward the rearview mirror, meeting the eyes of the one who had spoken.

It wasn’t the driver who had spoken. It was the other one, seated in the front passenger seat.

The driver wore the standard NPD uniform. The other, however, was toe in black with a helmet masking his face. Special forces.

Kai felt the jolt as the driver slammed the gearshift into reverse and the car shot back before rolling into a sharp turn.

They drove off at a relentless pace, leaving behind the swirling red and blue lights. Only then did Kai notice how the sirens, fading into the distance, had been hammering inside his skull all along. He hadn’t even realized until they were gone.

“Do you understand what is happening to you?” The man in black broke the silence, his tone flat, mechanical.

Kai stared blankly out the window. Glass towers loomed above, gleaming beneath the artificial glow. He had never realized how close the Palace of Secrets laid to the futuristic heart of the city. Neon signs and headlights washed across his face, bathing him in shifting colours.

“Do you understand?” the man repeated, this time sharper.

Kai unglued himself away from the window and gave a small, silent nod.

“Good. You’ll hear the charges at the station. Though I doubt you need an explanation.”

Kai opened his mouth, then shut it again. His teeth pressed into his lip. Words were stuck in his throat, choking him with the questions he couldn’t let out. He coughed, forcing himself to speak, to at least ask one question.

“…Ray…” His voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. Another cough wracked his chest. “Ray. He’s…?”

The man in black glanced back at him with a faint frown, then turned forward again.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak with a lawyer before we question you.” The words came out flat, like a script repeated too many times. To Kai, it felt less like a warning and more like a command to shut up.

He swallowed hard and pressed his head against the window again.

It didn’t take long for the car to stop. First the special forces officer stepped out, then the driver, both of them keeping their eyes fixed on Kai. They opened the door for him.

Before Kai could even struggle upright with his arms bound behind him, the officer in black yanked him out, forcing him forward until his legs caught the rhythm of walking.

The night still hung heavy.

A blinding light cut into his face. Kai lifted a shoulder to shield his eyes, but before they could adjust, he was already being dragged elsewhere, toward the entrance of a building. A blue-uniformed officer, was standing already there, pulling the door open.

Shouts hit him instantly.

The corridor teemed with arrested Sons of Garmadon. They were cursing and thrashing against their restraints as officers shoved them along. Rage, chaos, and the stench of sweat were hanging in the air.

Kai wanted to vanish into the floor.

He was one of them now, at least in the eyes of the police.

His chest tightened.

The officer tugged him forward, pulling him through the doorway. Kai hunched his shoulders, shrinking into himself, desperate to avoid eye contact. He prayed his face looked unremarkable enough that no one would recognize the prince beneath the cuffs.

He was also conscious enough of the situation to know exactly what he represented—or rather, what he had represented—and what he had just destroyed.

To his relief, the chaos worked in his favour. There was too much noise, too many arrests, too much paperwork for anyone to care about one more captive.

And yet, whether it was because of his royal origins, or perhaps because of Harumi, he was dragged not into the main hall for open registration like the others, but into a private room.

“Bring Sergeant Atori with the papers to fill” the man ordered a passing officer in the corridor.

She glanced at Kai. He immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, heart sinking. Kai knew, she had recognized him. Even through the noise and chaos, he caught the faint hum she gave before walking off, her heels clicking sharply against the tiles.

The door shut behind them, sealing Kai in. The muffled chaos outside was cut away, leaving him with a fragile semblance of decency and a suffocating silence.

“Sit down” the man commanded standing behind the door, guarding them.

Kai drew in a shaky breath and lowered himself onto the hard plastic chair beside the table. The room was bare, stripped of anything human. Only the camera in the corner gave it purpose, its unblinking eye fixed on him.

The man by the door kept his eyes on Kai, his expression unreadable. His face was balanced somewhere between impatience at any sudden movement and quiet disdain, as if wishing Kai would drop the theatrics altogether.

Kai rubbed a finger across his palm, his bound hands straining awkwardly behind his back. His leg bounced restlessly against the floor, the nervous rhythm echoing in the empty room.

“LET ME GO, YOU PEASANTS!”

The shrill scream cut through the walls, making Kai flinch. His head snapped toward the door. He would always recognize this voice, this anger.

His breath hitched, his chest tightening until it hurt.

He couldn’t face her. He couldn’t see her. He didn’t want to be dragged into this.

But at the same time… it was her. His sister. His little sister.

“LET ME GOOOOO!” The cry tore through the corridor again.

Kai trembled harder, swallowing against the lump in his throat. He shut his eyes tight, trying to detach, trying to tear his mind away from this place, from her, from the weight of it all.

“I WILL KILL YOU ALL! YOU WILL ALL BE KILLED BY OVERLORD!”

The screams had shifted from cries to warnings, then to pure threats. Kai’s eyelids trembled closed.

He could have prevented this. He should have. He knew better than anyone who Harumi truly was. So why had he kept pretending? Kept covering for her? Begging others to understand?

No. He had only been trying to give Harumi a life. Without him, she would have been locked away, trapped in her own mind, left to her own demise. But if he had sought help… if he had suggested therapists, specialists, anyone to guide her—

He always thought he was enough for her. That she could speak to him about her thoughts, her perspective on the world, the ways she saw things differently from everyone else.

Where had he gone wrong in taking care of her? Where had the darkness come from?

He wasn’t like her. He wasn’t filled with hatred for the world, or the urge to destroy, to kill. Why? Why were they so different? What had he done wrong?

Why… Couldn’t Harumi be normal?

He should have stopped. Harumi was Harumi. She was just a kid. A troubled, traumatized kid, that had no one. No one beside him.

And yet… why did the thought of a “normal” Harumi—or worse, not having her at all—feel so tempting, like a forbidden sin he secretly craved?

Because of his sentiment, because of Kai’s love for Harumi… He had doomed everyone. The First Spinjitzu Master—

He had killed his biological father. Probably. He had probably killed his own father.

He could have shouted at her earlier. Taken the knife from her hand. Pacified her.

He could have done anything to stop it.

Instead… he had stayed still. An accomplice to this horrendous act.

The door opened. Kai didn’t his head up, still too much sunk in his guilt.

“We will be taking him from here.”

He didn’t recognize the voice and didn’t bother to try. He just wished to be left alone, to rot in his cell or better yet, to be executed on the spot.

Did Ninjago even have a death sentence? He didn’t know.

“What?!” the special forces officer shouted, his voice rising. “If you think you ninjas can—”

Ninjas? The word felt distant, alien. Absurd, even, if they had actually come crawling back for him.

“We’ve already spoken with the commissioner and the mayor. The situation is far too complex for the police to handle alone.”

“You and your… ninja party, crossing every line of the law!” the man bellowed. “No. I won’t allow it. This princeling won’t move an inch from this jail—”

The words collided, overlapping with shouts and commands. Kai’s chest tightened, his mind spinning. Kai didn’t hear any of it. His gaze was fixed on the floor, leg bouncing nervously.

Suddenly, he was yanked to his feet. He didn’t even flinch or resist. He let himself be shoved forward, feeling someone working at his wrists to release the cuffs.

He didn’t react, didn’t speak. His eyes fell on his now-free hands, trembling as he flexed them shakily. Then a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Kai…?”

He rubbed his eyes and immediately recoiled. His palms were smeared with Ray’s blood, which also streaked his forehead. Nausea hit him instantly. He needed to get rid of these clothes, this filth. Everything–

His breathing grew heavy again, rapid and shallow, until it was caught in a firm grip.

“…Your Highness Kaisei?” the voice repeated.

He looked up. The pale, crystalline face hovered close, worried yet uncannily detached. Kai jolted. It was the nindroid. A pure white contrast to his own bloodied state. Ice-blue eyes pierced him, like judgment sent directly from the First Spinjitzu Master for his sins.

The bile rose in his throat. He swallowed against it, tasting acid, coughing violently to clear his mouth.

Stop being pathetic.
Stop making them feel sorry for you. You don’t deserve it.

“…Yes.” He finally croaked, more a acknowledgment of his name than a response to Zane’s next words.

Zane scanned him with those unnatural eyes. Kai struggled against the urge to look away, to shrink back into his own shame. Yet something of the prince still lingered in his posture, a faint command buried deep in his bones to hold on to what dignity he had left.

“… I’m taking you to our secret base. You will be under our care.”

Zane guided him gently forward. Kai hesitated, then stepped across the threshold, and almost immediately felt every eye in the room locked on him.

It was as if Zane’s presence amplified their gaze, making him painfully visible to his own misfortune.

Police officers regarded him with hatred, or something closer to betrayal. Kai knew he should have been locked up like the others. He accepted their judgment. Bikers glared at him too with rage behind their eyes.

Kai closed his eyes, forcing himself to move in straight posture, walking through this walk of shame.

As he walked only a few meters, just around the corner, someone spitted out at him.

Zane immediately stepped in front of him alert, anticipating the start of chaos and he wasn’t far off. The spitting  was the first domino, setting off another fight for freedom.

Bikers struggled with the police, shouts and curses filling the air. Zane ducked low and shoved Kai outside the station, keeping him out of the fray.

Kai was surprised, how Zane didn’t help the police, and how it’s task was only focused on him. He didn’t know whether to feel special or something far worse.

Quickly through the door, they made it to the car and again, Kai was shoved into vehicle, going somewhere away from here.

…

When he stepped out of the vehicle, he was met with jiggling handcuffs in Zane’s hands. Kai froze taken aback, but he didn’t say a word. 

Why handcuffs now, when in the car his hands had been free?

This time, at least, the cuffs were in front, sparing him some of the discomfort he had endured at the police station.

Yet the handcuffs felt different in his hands. They made him… empty. Hollow. He was already drained by emotion and exhaustion, senses dulled to the point of near-numbness, but now? The numbness deepened. Not literal blindness or deafness, he could still see, hear, feel, but everything felt muted, distant and lifeless.

Even the world seemed colder to him now, shivering from the night breeze.

He lazily shifted his gaze from the new wrist accessories to the building before them. Kai didn’t recognize this part of the city. Still in the centre, yes, but some district too insignificant for any royal to bother with.

He glanced at the sign, lit weakly by the glow of the city lights, but it told him nothing. He followed Zane toward a shabby pub, its neon flickering, sign weathered with age, walls plastered with posters and graffiti long ignored.

A strange place to bring a patricide, dethroned prince.

The place was isolating empty. Perhaps it was the hour, or the grim night. Goosebumps prickled Kai’s skin as he walked through the silent space with only Zane beside him.

The pub looked less like a place to relax and more like a repurposed warehouse or factory smelter. Pallets served as tables, barrels as chairs, everything salvaged and re-used.

Kai didn’t bother wondering why they were here. The answer didn’t matter. Not anymore. Still, somewhere deep down, curiosity gnawed at him.

Zane led him up the open staircase to the second floor, toward inside balcony. From a nearby table stacked with drinks, he gathered a pile of towels and folded clothes.

“Here is the shower” Zane said, pointing at a door. “I suggest you… refresh yourself.” His voice was careful, but his eyes flicked over Kai, from head to toe, exposing. Kai didn’t need the reminder. He knew exactly how he looked.

His gaze dropped to the handcuffs. Zane caught the silent plea immediately.

“I’m sorry” he said flatly. “I cannot allow that. The bathroom door will remain unlocked.”

Kai only nodded in weary understanding and stepped inside the room.

…

Kai’s mind hadn’t registered what happened after the shower. When he opened his eyes again, he was in another room. Some kind of bedroom. Fresh clothes, provided by Zane, clung to his skin. The rest of the night had blurred together in fragments, his body moving on autopilot until sleep finally claimed him.

Slowly, he sat up at the edge of the bed. No, not even a bed. A couch, rather not meant for sleeping. Perhaps that explained the ache running along his back. Still, Kai didn’t mind the cracked pain. It felt deserved.

He let out a heavy sigh, glancing down at his wrists, still bound in the black-gold cuffs that jingled faintly with every small movement.

“You are awake.”

Kai jolted at the voice, his chest tightening. He hadn’t expected it.

Only now did he truly notice the state of the room. Messy, cluttered, carelessly lived in. Yet he didn’t bother to study it further. His eyes fixed only on the figure in the doorway.

It was Zane. Again.

“…Breakfast. Or perhaps late lunch, given the hour” Zane continued flatly, as though speaking more to the room than to Kai.

Kai lifted a hand to the back of his neck, scratching until the joints cracked.
“…I’m not hungry” he whispered.

Zane nodded, but did not abandon his line of thought. His pale, ice-blue eyes stayed on Kai with his blank expression impossible to read.

“Please refresh yourself again. After your morning wash, you will be questioned.”

A hollow smile tugged faintly at Kai’s lips, more a scoff at himself than a reply. He scratched back of his neck again, then rubbed at his temples before pushing himself to his feet.

“…Okay. Okay.” he repeated under his breath, as if trying to convince himself.

Zane guided him wordlessly back toward the bathroom. The door remained unlocked, just as it had the night before.

Kai looked at the mirror when, the door closed. The reflection staring back at him was a stranger. A hollow shell, stripped of every grace he once carried, stripped of a life he could have had. All of it… shattered in the name of his sister.

He didn’t need reminders of how he’d fallen here. Every choice was carved into him, every sacrifice made in her name. Harumi had been his compass, his burden, his reason.

And now it was tearing him apart.

His whole world had revolved around her and yet now, with every fibber of himself craving for her absence, for her to simply be gone, all that remained was an emptiness.

And still, despite it all, he loved her.
He wanted to save her.
He wanted her by his side.

But she was a fucking murderer. A chaos, deranged creature with no path to redemption.

And he hated himself for wanting her anyway.

He focused his eyes on the mirror.

And then, in the dim light, her shadow bled through his features. His cheekbones seemed sharper—hers. His mouth, downturned—hers. Even his eyes, hollowed and wild, looked like her eyes.

He blinked hard, splashing water on his face, but when he lifted his gaze again, Harumi was still there, sneering back at him from beneath the surface of the glass.

He was a murderer too. He had allowed her, given her the tools, to become what she was now. He was broken as well by too much trauma.

It was sickening how much of her he could already see in himself.

“Your Highness? My sensors detect accelerated breathing.”

The knock at the door jolted Kai back. He forced his fingers to release their grip on the sink’s edges, then moved to the door.

“It’s fine” he muttered, coughing clearing the throat.

Zane only hummed. Whether in understanding or in deliberate restraint, Kai couldn’t tell. When Kai walked out from the bathroom, Zane with a slight gesture, directed him toward the staircase leading to the pub’s main lobby.

Dragging his feet down the steps, Kai’s eyes landed on a table already crowded with people. It seemed like a strategic meeting of ninja rather than a ‘breakfast-lunch’ Zane had invited first.

He recognized them one by one: Nya, Cole, Jay, Wu, Lloyd… and the woman from the cage. Some scruffy, wiry man darted among them, adding noise to their focus.

But Ray and Maya were nowhere in sight.

They didn’t notice him first, Zane had to announce their presence.

“His Highness is here.”

Eyes shifted at him with mixed expression. Kai looked at each of them.

The elder woman with the long grey braid pierced him warily, her look edged with hostility. Lloyd, standing beside her, didn’t greet him with the easy smile he once always had. Instead, his gaze fell almost immediately to the table. Cole and Jay both stared in open confusion. Wu merely sipped his tea, his expression as unreadable as ever.

And Nya…

Her puffed eyes betrayed everything. Kai chest tightened. She didn’t flinch, didn’t soften. Her stare cut into him, raw with fury.

Zane gestured Kai to sit down, to join the table. Having no much other option he obeyed. He drew in a long, deliberate breath and held it, waiting for someone, anyone, to speak first.

“How much did you know about Harumi.”

The words cut across the table like a blade. Question or rather demand to answer belonged to Nya. For a moment, silence hung heavy. Everyone turned to her, as if she had broken some unspoken taboo by voicing it aloud. But no one raised a voice against her. Only she had the right to strip away all small talks.

Kai released shaky breath.

“I…” he started. “I didn’t know about… ritual.” He shook head. “Is… R—” His throat closed around the name he couldn’t bring himself to say.

“He’s in the hospital” Lloyd answered for him with crossed arms, his tone heavy. “He’s fighting for his life. He’s unstable.”

Kai lowered his gaze to the table, unable to look at a single one of them.

At least he wasn’t a murderer.

Yet.

“… What happened there?” Cole asked with much more soften voice than others.

Kai scratched his back neck, then let out another unsteady breath.

“I…”

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Nya hissed through clenched teeth.

Kai’s hands slid up to cover his face.
Why didn’t he stop her?

“Why?!” Nya’s voice rose, trembling with fury. She slammed the table with fist, causing glass on the table tremble.

Because he had trusted her.
Because he loved her.
Because he couldn’t abandon her.

But why should he say it out loud, when no one here would ever understand?

“Did you work with her?” Zane asked, his voice flat and cold. “Did you encourage what she did? Do you share her vison?”

Kai sank deeper into his chair, not able to say a word. Of course he was against her, against all of it. But…

The moment of hesitation was mistake. In a second, Nya was on her feet. She lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar, and in a single violent pull, dragged him out of his seat.

“Why didn’t you stop her?!” she repeated the question, burning in anger.

“Nya.” Zane raised a voice, putting a hand on Nya’s shoulder. She quickly shook it off.

“Why?! He is your father. Our father!”

Kai averted his eyes, staring down at the floor. Nya shook him violently, but the words he wanted to say stayed locked in his throat.

He could feel her breath hot against his face. And then, suddenly, she let go, shoving him back. He stumbled and crashed onto the floor, nearly knocking over a chair.

“He should rot in a cell” Nya spat “just like his beloved psycho. He’s not brother of mine.” She said last words coldly.

“Nya.” Zane’s voice cut sharp, a warning.

“What?!” she snapped, spinning toward him.

“…Zane is right” the older woman said at last, her tone measured. “Emotions won’t help us find answers.”

Nya groaned in frustration, her fists clenching at her sides, before she stormed out of the lobby, to the staircase.

Lloyd followed with eyes, until Nya disappeared on the balcony behind the door. Then, his eyes shifted again at Kai. His expression was stiffed like a poker face, not revealing any emotion.

“What does Harumi want?” Lloyd asked.

Kai didn’t answer. His lips stayed shut.

“You’d better answer this question, Your Highness” Lloyd pressed, putting a sharp weight on the last words.

Kai lifted his gaze, scanning their faces, unsure how to even begin. His throat tightened as he forced the words out.

“… She’s…” he hesitated, searching for a way to frame it. “She’s doing a favour.”

“Favour?” Zane echoed.

“… For the Overlord.”

The words dropped like a stone. At once, murmurs broke out among the ninja, a low ripple of unease swelling into anxious noise that pressed against Kai from every side.

“That’s impossible.” Jay shook his head, scoffing nervously. “He’s gone!”

“Are you certain, boy?” Wu finally spoke, setting down his cup of tea.

Kai nodded, not understanding why it brought such commotion. Overlord was a big name, but he was a myth. An old story, Harumi’s obsession and religion. Kai had never related to such things, tolerating them as one of her quirkiness. After all, in that time, what harm could it bring?

But, now… It seemed like another one of his sins. If he had stopped Harumi’s fixation, ritual wouldn't have been in the first place. Ray wouldn’t have fought for his life.

Did even Harumi mean all along the real Overlord? Or was it all along her psychological disorders? Psychopathic way, to explain all her horrendous acts?

“She told me… After doing this favour... He has to fulfil her promise.”

The woman exchanged a long look with Wu.

“Mom…?” Lloyd’s voice cracked as he turned to her. “If Harumi wants to bring back my dad… then why—?”

“Perhaps that was not her only goal” Wu cut in.

“What? Guys—” Jay burst out again, panic rising in his voice. “No. No, no, no. They’re called Sons of Garmadon, not Sons of the Overlord! Besides—he’s gone! The Overlord is gone! We defeated him!”

“No.” Zane interjected firmly, shaking his head. “It aligns with Harumi’s actions. The Quiet One led a cult, and what we discovered underground were ancient texts and magic… all connected to the Overlord.”

Lloyd’s face drained of colour.

“Uncle? Is it possible that—” his voice faltered, stuttering “That… that—”

“Yes, my son.” the woman said softly, drawing him under her arm. “She meant to use… your father’s body as a vessel. Just as the Overlord once intended.”

“What?!” Cole shot up from his chair, eyes wide.

“No, no, no!” Jay’s shrill voice cracked into a yell. “Master?! How is that even possible?! The Overlord is gone!”

Kai sank deeper into his chair, as if the wood itself might swallow him whole.

So… It was truth. Overlord. Harumi wanting to bring him back. The cult—

He knew he was the one who had unleashed this storm, the one who had lit the spark. But, now, everything came together, revealing even more dreadful situation, that Kai hadn’t know about.

The table erupted with chaos. All of them, shouting at each other, panicking, accusations flying toward Wu.

Kai clutched at his stomach, his body heavy with nausea, every part of him screaming to vanish, to dissolve into nothing.

Then—
His eye exploded in pain.

Kai crumpled to the floor, clutching at his right eye socket, fingers digging hard into his own skin as if he could rip the agony out. The fire burned deep, drilling into his skull, a hot spike stabbing straight into his brain. His stomach lurched, bile climbed his throat. He wanted to vomit from the sheer intensity of it.

The world around him vanished. No voices, no table, no chaos. There was only the scream tearing from his throat, only the agony consuming him.

And then, inside the darkness, there was a voice.

T̷̢̹̼̲̔̉͜ḩ̵̛̘̿̓͑͒a̸̫͋͠ņ̶̧͎̿̈̄k̶̦̺͖͘ ̶̫͙̣̂̆͜ẙ̵͚ǫ̸̖̺̮͊̆̐̋̚u̸͕͎͈͊̉̌ ̵̥̀̈͆͝f̸̘̯̮̖̒͑̀̈́͝ò̵̼̟̦̍̂ř̵̛̭́ ̵͓̹̼͈̖͊̽̌͘͠ṯ̵̞̈́̄͘̚͝h̴̦͉͋̿̽y̶̳͈͉̲̾͊̿͠ ̷̺̔̈́͋͝͠s̷̛̪̜͇̄ͅē̷̡̨̹̟͋͐r̵͐͆͜͠v̷͕̬̭̑́͒͊̆ì̴̥͇̞c̶͙͎̋e̴͙̰̹̟̓̉̈́…̴͉̺̓ ̶̺̠̀̇̑͊͋K̵̢̝̈͗̐̈́a̵̰̤̩͗̚i̵̖͈͋̂͆̽