I could hear them.

      The ocean was vast, expanding into the horizon in a fluid palette of gold and cerulean as the sun bounced off the waves. I had never seen a body of water this big before, nor had I expected it to feel so strange. It had a large concentration of salt, which made my sore feet sting whenever I stepped in it. The other group members had brought nice walking shoes with them, but I had been dragged out of my home in the only pair of shoes I owned. They were the flats I'd worn since I was twelve, and they were made with the purpose of walking around town. One didn't need nice shoes when they sat and swam for a living.

      The ocean reminded me of the lake, but I knew they weren't the same. Songdragon Lake was always singing, always swirling with the life that lived beneath the waters. The lake was a divide between two worlds; the lake was the barrier keeping the good things in and the bad things out. The ocean, though, was expansive and wide. Possibility lurked wherever its playful waters decided to touch the sand, and it offered many more secrets than dragons.

      Yet, the more time I spent watching the ocean, the more I could hear them.

      The Songdragons were still there, singing beneath a new set of waters.

      Their voices were far away, as if they lived too far out to surface. The waters carried their voices to me, faint yet saccharine. They were out there somewhere, which meant they didn't just exist beneath the lake.

      Somewhere inside of me I wanted to sing back, but my own fear stopped me. That screech I made when I was taken away, that was the only noise I'd ever allow myself to make towards them. I wouldn't sing for them. I wouldn't sing at all.

      I was so focused on the ocean that I didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

     "Hey."

     I looked over to see Morro. His lanky, salt-white hair partially obscured his face. He lowered himself onto the sand beside me (far too close for comfort), reclining against one of the tall boulders that I was sitting next to. We sat for a second in silence, watching the crests and troughs of the water.

      "Greetings and salutations, Mr. Garmadon," I said.

     A ghost of a smile flitted across his lips. "You don't have to call me that, remember?"

     "My deepest apologies." I lowered my head. "Greetings and salutations, Mr. Morro."

     He shook his head at me. I believe he thought me either too formal or of a jesting manner. 'Greetings and salutations' was one of the few ways one was allowed to address a companion, which I supposed Morro was. He appeared to enjoy spending time with me, despite my colder demeanor towards him.

     He shifted in the sand, his blue-green gaze flickering between me and the ocean. He was uncomfortable, which I suppose was a normal reaction after the attack. However, discomfort shouldn't have been the only emotion I was picking up on. I would think he'd be like his brother, who was absolutely devastated by everything that had just taken place.

     "H-how are you doing?" Morro finally said.

     "I do not believe I am the one who should answer that." I didn't take the bait. It was best he stopped caring about my well-being. It would make things less painful for both of us.

     Now he was confused.

     "It was your sister who attacked you. I do not know her, nor do I care about her, begging your pardon. The attack meant nothing to me. You, however, have a familial connection to this girl. I should think you would need to evaluate yourself first. Blood, as they say, is thicker than water."

     "That's the thing." He grasped handfuls of the sand, letting the grains slip between his fingers. "I can't help but feel... indignant... about all of this."

     "Indignance is a normal reaction for those who have lost a loved one."

     "No, it's not like that. I saw this coming, Noria, but no one believed me."

     It was my turn to express confusion.

     "The signs were there. She left with her favorite clothes, a bunch of her personal belongings were gone, even a katana was missing. Ver had been acting weird before she disappeared—she hallucinates, you see, and she wasn't really yelling at them as much—so I thought the clues were too obvious to ignore. She probably hadn't been kidnapped. I told this to Shade, but he shut me down. After that, I was too... too scared to... to tell anyone else. They'd probably think I was a crazy traitor or something." Morro clenched his fists.

     "I believe you."

     "I know you do, but you've just met us. Shade was horrified when she left; they were close. He always saw the best in her, and she betrayed him. I'm her family. I should be devastated."

     "Grief takes many forms," I commented, thinking of the many grieving families I had encountered over my life. No one was ever okay when the guards came to drag the rule-breakers away, but it was simply protocol. Why should they argue against the Grand Master's wise judgement? The grief usually came in a brief spout of tears, then the families would never speak of it again. Grief was not productive, so it was always pushed aside. "Though I am no expert on the subject, so I apologize since I cannot be of much assistance."

      He almost smiled again, though his eyes were sad. "It's nice to have a new point of view. If I... if I told anyone else this... they'd probably think very badly of me. I love my family and all, but I can't help but feel..."

      "Ignored?" I murmured, not wanting to watch his expression.

      "Yeah," he offered halfheartedly, throwing his gathered sand back onto the vast beach. The temperature fluctuated with each throw, almost as if his released emotions were controlling it. I had seen these people use elemental powers during the fight. It was more than possible that Morro was the one controlling the temperature. I suppose that would explain why I also seemed to feel so overheated around him.

     "Perhaps this is a good thing," I finally said, still not looking in his direction. I kept my voice plain and lifeless, like always. Yet, despite my best efforts, he still appeared interested in what I had to say. "If you are less grieved, then you can fulfil your role as the son without much interference."

      "But I'm not the son," he argued. "It has to be Shade. I'm not... I'm not Shade. I can't take my brother down in a fight, so how could I even stand a chance against the literal manifestation of darkness? It'd be a suicide mission."

      "Can Mr. Shade handle a battle at the moment? Is his mind clear enough to make wise decisions?" I reached up to where my shoulder wound was, just to make sure the scabs were still there. It had been aching, though I doubted anything had happened to it. Mother had always told me enough paste made out of anything would clot a wound.

      "I... I don't know." Morro scooted closer, reaching out towards my injury, then hesitating. "How's that doing? You never really let Father look at it."

      I slid over to put more space between us. "I am stable, Mr. Morro. That is all you need to know about me. Focus on your mission."

      "I hate focusing on the mission!" he exclaimed so suddenly I flinched. "I didn't even want to travel across the mountains in the first place. Focusing on the mission means I have to face Shade, Mother, Father, Aureole, and everyone else. They're all a mess, Noria. You're the only sane one left. If I focus on the insanity, the only thing I'm going to feel is hopeless."

       "I am not far from your companions," I whispered. "I am grieving too, just in my own way. Do not look for comfort in me. It will be easier for both of us."

       "I'm so sorry any of this had to happen." His fingers clenched and unclenched, as if he needed something to hold onto. He looked as if he just needed to lean on someone for a few minutes to let go of the storm he was holding in. He needed a companion to share his struggles with, and for some reason, he thought I could be that companion.

       Tears burned behind my eyes. Why did I have to be dragged into this? These poor people had to deal with so much trauma, and then they'd have to deal with killing me on top of it. Even this boy—Morro—he was so kind. It would destroy him when he had to sacrifice me. I had been desperately trying to detach his interests, but all of my attempts were futile. He had thought he'd found a legitimate companion, yet all he'd found was the face that would probably haunt him for the rest of his life.

       It wasn't fair he had to kill me. It wasn't fair that any of them had to endure this.

       But here we were.

      A large gust of wind blasted over our heads, instinctively causing both of us to flinch as we looked to the skies. A large ship was approaching from the sky, spluttering with poor mechanics. Morro got to his feet as soon as recognition passed over his features. I could tell he wasn't going to run off without me, so I made my way to a standing position.

       We jogged back to the camp as the ship descended and warm air blasted in our faces. All around the camp the other group members were gathering, shouting with joy as the structure landed on the sand.

      Yet, as the engines turned off and the figures flying the ship appeared, the joy quickly dissipated. Of the two people who appeared, one looked grim, and the other—he looked angry enough to kill.

      He stepped forward, thrusting a finger out towards Morro's mother.

      "You dirty liar. I should have known you'd never changed."

I should have seen this coming. Kai kept muttering to himself while he was fixing the Bounty, and he had been in an irritable mood for the past week. We kept getting constant messages from Lloyd as he sent us his location, along with hope-filled messages that they had retrieved the voice that sings. Kai became more and more bitter as each of his frantic replies failed to go through. After nearly a week of repairs, he finally announced that the Bounty was in a 'good enough' state to fly.

      I was too afraid of what would happen if he snapped to do anything but agree.

      Sure enough, the very first thing he did upon seeing the others was verbally attack Harumi.

      "You dirty liar. I should have known you'd never changed."

      Harumi took a step back, her momentarily shocked face turning red with anger. "What in the living Ninjago—"

      Kai swung himself over the railings, landing perfectly in the sands below. He pulled out a bowie dagger, pointing it at the white-haired woman. "YOUR DAUGHTER TRIED TO KILL US!" he roared, closing in quickly. "Or should I say, Morro's daughter?"

      Harumi pushed the blade away from her as the rest of my friends started to murmur at Kai's words. "How dare you?" she hissed quietly.

      I jumped over the side as well, inching as close as I dared to the confrontation. No one ran to greet me, or did they spare me a second glance. They were all too stuck on 'Morro's daughter.'

      "Don't even pretend you don't know!" Kai yelled, his face turning a splotchy eggplant purple. "You went behind our backs and fooled us yet again! I should have known you'd never changed!"

      "Kai, back down." Lloyd stepped between the two. There was warning in his eyes, one too desperate to ignore. There was something about Kai's words he needed to stay hidden. "Ver's condition isn't Harumi's fault."

      "Harumi brainwashed you, just like she brainwashed all of us before. I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for it again."

      "I know I'm the father, Kai! Back down now," Lloyd boomed, but it was too late. Aureole had already stepped forward with a similar rage on her face. It was an unfamiliar sight to see her so mad.

      "What does my father mean?" she demanded. "What does he mean when he said Harumi brainwashed people? In the past, right? Are there more things you're hiding from us?"

      "Kai's just grieving—" Harumi attempted to cut in.

      "OH NO, WE ARE NOT COVERING UP MY BEHAVIOR WITH LIES. I AM DONE WITH THE LIES." Kai jabbed a finger in Harumi's chest, knocking her back a few steps.

      The punch happened so fast I didn't even realize it had happened until my brain saw Kai reeling in shock. The sound echoed through the clearing, turning everyone's faces white with shock. Kai spit blood onto the sand as Lloyd stood over him.

      "Don't you dare touch my wife." His voice was so cold I shivered.

      "She's not your wife, and she never will be," Kai hissed. "She'll always be the Quiet One."

      Lloyd paled at the words, the rage draining out of his face and into the people around him.

      "HARUMI IS THE WHAT?" Aureole roared.

      "I thought... I thought you had decided to not keep any more secrets from us," Storm said, circling the two.

      Lloyd spluttered for a reply, but his attention was quickly turned to a very shaken Shade as the air dropped to a freezing temperature.

      "I can excuse a few lies," he whispered, visibly trembling. "But this is too much. You're meaning to tell me my mother is the Quiet One. You're meaning to tell me I'm the offspring of the Quiet One. You're meaning to tell me my mother is one of the evilest villains Ninjago has ever faced."

      "Shade wait—" Harumi reached out to him, but he was already backing away.

      "No wonder Ver felt betrayed!" Shade cried out. "All you've done to us is lie and lie and lie. I-I don't... I don't know if I can take this anymore!"

      He turned around and ran off into the thin trees behind the camp, the air getting colder with each step he took. Everyone's eyes turned to Morro next as the silence thickened.

      The white-haired boy was also shaking, but there was no warmth coming from him at all.

      "What's next?" he forced out the words through gritted teeth. "How many lies are we going to have to endure before we can finally find the truth? You wanted us to be strong to fulfil a prophecy. But all you're doing is tearing us further apart."

      He left without another word. The blonde girl next to him watched him go, looking almost as if she wanted to follow. She turned back to the stuttering parents along with the rest of the staring teens.

       Lloyd buried his face in his hands, while Harumi reached out to comfort him. Kai pulled himself to his feet, muttering very angry words towards the sand. Only then did Aureole actually go over to her father, and Storm actually look my way. His face was betrayed and hesitant.

     Everyone looked like they wanted to die on the spot, save the blonde girl, who was merely confused by everything that just happened. I had seen this type of reaction before. When my Father had told his friends why the triplets and I needed to stay out of the house, all of them had been devastated.

      Aureole opened her mouth to yell at the disgruntled parents, to which I interceded.

      "Enough arguing!" I called out, holding out my hands to get a grip on the earth below the sand. "I think we all need to sit down like adults, and have the parents explain everything. No more lies. No more deceit."

      All of them looked like they wanted to argue, but I ignored their faces. "It's the only way we're going to move on. Did I ever want to learn my mother was dying? No, but I'd rather know the painful truth than be complacent in a lie. It's time to stop with this manipulation, and tell us what's really going on, not what version you want us to believe."

      "But Morro and Shade—" Harumi started, looking off in the directions they had fled.

      "They'll be fine," I said, allowing the earth to ripple beneath her feet. If anyone tried to run, I would make sure they stayed to hear the story. Harumi nodded slowly when she felt the vibration while Lloyd gave me the death glare.

      Slowly everyone made their way to the makeshift fire, where I instructed the adults to tell us the tale from the start. What we learned was difficult to process, and several shouting matches started when Kai corrected the version Lloyd and Harumi were telling. I still couldn't really believe what I was hearing.

      Harumi had been the Quiet One. She severed Lloyd's heart, enacting the beginning to the end of the world. She was returned from death alongside the Ghost Ninja—Morro—because of the prophecy that was created to stop the 'son of darkness' heart' from destroying Ninjago. Morro had died to save her life, and she and Lloyd had gone on to raise the potential sons of Oni and Light.

      So my suspicions were correct. Morro did have a larger role in all of this, as did his relationship with Harumi. They were both bitter villains who teamed up to escape death. Over the course of said adventure they both must have had a change of heart.

      I couldn't help but feel like the whole story was incredulous. Harumi had always been kind; she'd always been the image of a loving wife and doting mother. It was hard to imagine her cheering for the destruction of an entire city. It was even harder to come to terms with the fact she (along with my parents and practically every adult I trusted), had been wearing a mask well enough to fool us all. I had been living a false reality for so long.

      Heck, my mother had even known about this, and she never told me.

      I still cared for all of them... but it would take me a while to finally be able to accept their profuse number of apologies for ever keeping this secret. All I wanted to do now was sit down somewhere private and think for a good long while.

      Kai calmed down after the session; he and Lloyd went into the Bounty talking in a somewhat civil manner. I guess forgiveness came easily to brothers. Harumi had gotten up soon after their story was over in search of her missing children. Lloyd had wanted to go with her, but she had insisted this was something she needed to do alone.

      Everyone else was just as shocked as I was. Storm's mouth kept opening and closing as he blinked rapidly. Aureole just glared at the dead bonfire, flames flickering over her clenched fists. She didn't even acknowledge her father after the tale was over. She just sat there, bristling in silence. I didn't see Carmen anywhere, and the blonde girl was simply surveying all of us with a blank stare.

      None of us really wanted to spend any time together that night. We all went our separate ways, trying to find different private spots on the Bounty to process in. I found out Carmen had a terrible head concussion from Ver's attack, and that they'd lost the key to the prophecy. They knew Ver had turned to the Overlord, which meant Kai's anger might have been sedated had only the cellular data worked better out where no power lines were.

      The only time I could remember that had been similar to this was when Father first explained Mother's condition to me. He had only said that she had caught the virus, but it was enough to shatter my entire reality. While the virus was hard to catch, once someone did catch it, there was a fifty-fifty chance they'd die. He'd essentially told a young boy that he was about to lose his mother forever.

      It had taken me a whole day to finally get over my initial wave of shock and break down into tears.

      I assumed I would be like that now; once the shock of the truth wore off I'd finally be able to understand how I really felt about it. I found myself out on the deck that evening, sitting behind a pile of loose parts Kai and I hadn't gotten around to reattaching yet. The sea lapped gently at the shore, and all I could hear was the rocking motion of the water.

      Somewhere during that time Harumi returned. I heard Morro's voice through the fog, but it didn't sound like either he or Harumi were on decent terms. Aching footsteps followed, then a troubled sigh.

      Time passed, and the sun sunk into the waters, lighting the sky with thousands of stars. When the air finally became cold enough where I was forced to go inside, Harumi was returning with Shade.

      I started blankly at Shade rigid posture and Harumi's exhausted face. Shade, upon seeing me, smiled. He came over, clapped me on the back, and cheerfully wished his mother goodnight. I didn't have enough time to process before he lead me into the cabins and smilingly made small talk about his adventures while Kai and I were away. We visited Carmen (it was due to Shade's dramatic storytelling more than my good will) and she went back to her chattery state when she saw Shade's good mood. Even with my mind not working fully, I could tell something was off. Shade's smiles were too tight, his eyes too dark to convey true mirth.

      This was an act.

      He didn't drop it for the rest of the night. We all went to bed, none of us saying anything other than good words about how nice it was to shower again. None of us discussed what we had learned. None of us even wanted to acknowledge it happened.

      It was easier to pretend the grief away; it was easier to pretend for one more night that we hadn't been shattered by the unveiling. It wasn't until I curled up in my bed that the tears finally started to fall. These truths... they were breaking us apart. I'd promised myself that I'd bring us all back from this mission just to keep my father's grief at bay. My lying, untrustworthy father. With each passing day I became less and less sure that I could ever keep such a promise.

      Once upon a time I was worried that the deceit the parents were building would one day bite back.

      It seemed my gut was correct.

 I expected to be miserable on the ride to Dark Island. I was lucky enough to be seated inside one of the tiny cockpits, spared from most of the saltwater spraying everything outside. Still, being cramped right next to an ever-hissing soldier wasn't the most ideal place to be, and I spent most of my time trying not to heave from seasickness.

     I was cold, sore, and my head still ached. At least three other spots on my head had turned black during the course of the ride, which wasn't helping my mood at all. I knew the spirit wasn't far from me, but thankfully he wasn't speaking to me. I had no desire to even look at him at the moment.

     My name is Morro, and now you understand why your mother could never know I existed.

     Morro. The guy who saved Mother's life. The guy who possessed my father's body and released the Cursed Realm on Ninjago. The guy who somehow passed down his powers to me. He was the apparition who had haunted me my entire life.

     He was the ghost of both my parents' past.

     Judging by Mother's reaction when she saw me using the wind, I was pretty sure I understood why he never wanted her to know he was still here. She had almost collapsed in an angry grief just because of the possibility that he might still be alive. To hear that he had been following her daughter around for years would utterly destroy her.

     I snorted. I guess I had one more surprise to stun them with.

     Maybe I could be documented as the hero who finally took out the Quiet One.

     When I was told it would take about a week to get the Dark Island, I wasn't expecting us to ride all day every day. We only stopped once a day on a random island (or even a tall pile of ocean rocks), to make sure the fuel supplies were doing okay and to give the humans a bathroom break. Even then the breaks lasted all of ten minutes. After ten minutes to heave out what remained of my stomach and wash off my grimy face with saltwater, I'd get the pleasure of being stuck in a teeny-tiny cockpit with a hissing snake soldier for another twenty-three hours and fifty minutes.

     Sometimes I'd fall asleep. Other times I'd fiddle with the key until I started hallucinating fake blood. I was wet and miserable after the first few hours, and after the first day I was begging for death. Anything had to be better than this.

     I thought I just might die of relief when an enormous island finally rolled into sight. The winds rolled through the soft beaches with a playful hello as I tripped out the cockpit and collapsed onto the ground.

     "I love you so much," I moaned, despite the grains of sand that were making my face itch. "Never leave me again."

     Krux snorted as he walked by, but even he stumbled onto his knees as he tried to adjust to being on land. I stood up, wiped the sand off my face, and relished every second of the air around me.

     The island was abloom with various wildlife and plants, creating a lively atmosphere of peace. There was no stinging saltwater, nor was there the possibility of running into relatives who were probably mourning over a totally-not-dead body. The bright skies helped banish the thoughts of living in a stuffy cockpit, and I actually found myself smiling at all of it.

     Ire led our small group down the beach, towards the mountains that piled up towards the exterior of the island. General Boisterous had been left on the mainland to spy on my parents (much to my dismay), so I had to watch the sickening sight of Acronix helping his brother across the beach. He was so pathetically kind to his relative, then a disrespectful traitor to everyone else. I wished the Overlord would just rid us of him; he literally had no use.

     As we trekked across the smooth sands, I started to notice tension in the air. Ire and the other soldiers were stepping in perfect unison, like robots instead of living creatures. Krux and Acronix had straightened their backs and were making their way along very stiffly. Only I was still adjusting to the land; only I had no idea what they were all preparing themselves to face.

     Then, I noticed the sky wasn't bright at all. No spots of blue poked through the thin clouds. Off in the distance, thunder clapped, and I could feel the gentle storm winds press against my arms. Thunder wasn't the only sound I could hear. There was a constant banging in the air, like one hundred hammers somehow not being able to strike in unison. Shouts and hisses greeted each other as we approached the hidden camp.

     Ire and his soldiers trotted through the trees and into the camp beyond them. My jaw nearly dropped open at the sight of it.

     The camp was massive, taking up more space than I could see. Hundreds of snake-soldiers were working on various scattered vehicles, though most of them were swarming around a massive structure in the middle of the camp. The muted tents were being knocked over, entered, and exited as the creatures moved about to do several tasks. I had never seen that many snakes in my life.

     The sky above us flickered, and before I could look up, something massive blocked my entire view of the camp.

     "Greetings," it hissed, meeting my eyes for the first time.

     My knees nearly buckled from the weight of my fear. His voice had always been soft in my mind, like an older, gentler scholar who simply wished to have an intelligent conversation with someone. However, face-to-face his voice leached into my brain, spreading its darkness down every nerve that was forced to process it.

     He was bigger than a two-story building, with scales as black as night and eyes as lifeless as a corpse. Simply the way he studied us, simply the way he moved, simply the way he breathed sent shivers down my spine. I suddenly had the desire to run as far as I could.

     "It's always nice when I hear you all have succeeded." The Overlord played with his claws, which appeared way too sharp for my liking. "Krux, you need to go survey the building projects. Acronix, we need more food."

     Krux dipped his head in a modest submission, while Acronix merely rolled his eyes and led his brother into camp.

      I was left alone, trying my best not to let my buckling knees be the end of me.

      "So, we finally meet." He grinned at me. "You look different than I expected."

      "A-a-as do y-you," I coughed. His movements were silent, and he wore no armor. Despite his massive form, I had no doubt he could sneak up on a lot of people. "It's uh... it's nice to finally see your true form."

      "Ah, yes. My true form. I am quite satisfied with it." The Overlord stretched his wings, which looked powerful enough to knock over buildings. "Little Ver, I told you long ago that where I was, the wind thrived. I will take you to that place now. I'm sure you have many questions."

      He lowered the wing in my direction, as if to gesture I should climb on it. I wasn't about to say no to something who could probably eat me before I summoned the wind, so I hesitantly climbed onto his back. His scales were rock hard against my hands, like slivers of cut diamond.

      "You feel their strength." The Overlord waited until I had a grip on the large, twisted horns on his head. "No weapon or elemental power works against my shell."

      He stooped low, then flapped into the sky so fast I couldn't contain a screech of surprise.

      "I tried to use other forms, but none of them have ever been as strong as this one," the Overlord sighed, cutting through the air as cleanly as a knife through butter. "This was the only one the First Spinjitzu Master couldn't beat. This was the only one that stands a chance at keeping the balance."

     We soared high over the camp, where I was able to see the other islands stretching off into the sunset. The 'Dark Island' wasn't actually one island after all. It was also untouched, in the sense that wildlife ruled supreme. There were no signs of life outside of the camp other than the calls of the birds and the rustling of the trees. Far into the horizon the blue-grey waters of the sea played with the waves, giving the whole island an air of serenity.

     The Overlord passed over many rocky plateaus before finally landing on top of a very tall boulder formation. "This is where the winds thrive."

     I slid off his back, making my way down slowly so I didn't cut myself. I lifted a hand into the air to feel the breezes, but they weren't much stronger than down on the mainland.

      "I don't feel it," I said timidly, still too scared to complain to the manifestation of darkness.

      He laughed, though it sounded less than jolly. "Do you see the Celestial Clock, little Ver?"

      When I turned around, I saw a massive decaying structure. It was once gold, but now the metal was flaking into a copperish hue. Various gears and cogs stood frozen in their place, though they looked like they should be moving around. Everything about this 'Celestial Clock' portrayed a mysterious majesty, as if it once were the key to the world's destruction.

      "It's fascinating," I said while making my way over to it.

      "The helmet that once stopped it is destroyed, yet it still refuses to move. The prophecies of old said it would signal the final battle." The Overlord flicked a part of the massive machine. Despite his size and strength, the clock stayed intact. "That battle has come and gone, yet both sides still stand living. They said the battle was decided the day the Golden Ninja killed me. But I am alive, and if the light really had won, then how is this world still standing?"

     "I... I don't know."

     "This clock thrives upon the winds of change. I have a feeling one day it will tick again, and this time to the true final battle."

      I reached out to caress the metal, but all I could feel when I touched it was the rusty exterior of the key. The smell of iron filled the air as I backed away from the clock. For as long as I remembered, the only 'hallucination' I'd ever had was the spirit. Why was it now that more phantoms started to fill my mind? Why was there always so much blood?

      "I am sure you wonder why I want the key to the prophecy. My mind is not simple, little Ver. I do not want it only to foil your parents. It serves a bigger purpose than they realize." The Overlord approached the edge of the cliff, staring hard at the ocean. His stance was tense; his eyes flashed with memories of a time long past.

      "I retrieved it for you." I procured the key from its hiding place, holding it out to the dark creature. The chain holding the key on the necklace was barely big enough to fit over the edge of his claw. He gently lifted it to his face, peering at it with a storm of expressions I couldn't decipher.

      "Do you know the tale of the First Spinjitzu Master and the creation of Ninjago?" the Overlord asked.

      "Everyone knows that story." I rolled my eyes, kicking the dirt. "It's used to make everyone worship my father and scare little kids into submission."

      "Then you know about the three things."

      "A key, a sacrifice, and a voice that sings," I quoted, trying to ignore the hallucinatory blood gathering on the pebbles below my feet.

      "No, little Ver, you are incorrect." The Overlord spun around so suddenly I stumbled over my feet in surprise. "The three things the First Spinjitzu Master used to fight me off when the battle became a stalemate."

     "Obviously no one knows that because no one was there."

     "Do not be cheeky with me, child. I can be much worse to you than you realize."

     "My apologies," I forced through gritted teeth.

     "The First Spinjitzu Master made three essential items. The first was when he crafted the Realm Crystal, a fragment to hold the light of each realm. It was an easy way for him to call upon allies, as well as escape the fight for a few days." The Overlord bristled. "The second object was the Golden Mech, a suit of armor created to give the idiot a power boost. If he were to be injured at any point, the mech would perform wonders to keep the fight going."

     He paused, holding up the key again. "The third object was the Cannon of Light. My darkness spread easily as more and more shadows arose. He needed something to cast light upon the world, something to create a haven for him to keep hope alive.

     "The Cannon worked wonders to his advantage. I could match a suit of magically enhanced armor, or cause destruction any time he left the realm. I couldn't stop the Cannon from destroying my darkness. For a moment, it seemed he had a chance at winning.

     "Then, like everyone who has been in my situation, I decided to... shuffle the deck. I took over the Cannon and changed it so it only spewed out my dark matter. The Cannon became the Cannon of Light and Dark, which I used to corrupt the First Spinjitzu Master's lands. Its darkness provided the base that I needed to create an indestructible army."

      "So, theoretically, this cannon could be used to maintain the balance?" I asked, quietly stepping away from the sticky, scarlet spots on the ground.

      "It can be used to tip the balance," the Overlord stated, his wings fluttering gently with his words. "When the First Spinjitzu Master found out how I could manipulate the Cannon, he created a safety measure to stop the production of the Stone Warriors. He made it so the Cannon could only operate under the person who possessed the key, the same key you have now brought to me."

     "But this is an ancient mechanism. It was probably destroyed years ago, just like the Golden Mech and the Realm Crystal." I stepped forward to the Overlord's side. "How is the key going to help us now?"

      "I am sure you have heard what happened when my Stone Army came after the First Spinjitzu Master. He split Ninjago in two, separating the light from dark forever. He was also able to split my soul from my body, trapping me for over two thousand years in this place. The last act, for significant things always happen in threes, that he accomplished was burying the Cannon inside of the mountains. Without a body, I would never be able to find it and dig it up. And since the Cannon and key were trapped on the Dark Island, no power-hungry mongrels from Ninjago could ever come and try to manipulate it to their advantage. It was a fool-proof plan.

     "You see, little Ver, my body and soul were reunited long before you were born. I have been alive and well for many years. Yet, your parents haven't been able to find me since the battle that killed the wind elemental. I have returned to my resting spot, rediscovered the Cannon of Light and Dark, and have been preparing it for use once again.

     "We have been able to fashion a false key that turns it on. However, it is not working as well as it should, which is why we need the real key to do significant damage."

     "Damage?" I echoed, suddenly feeling cold.

     "The Cannon will spew dark matter into the lands we command, shifting the balance in favor of the dark. Unlike the dastardly replica I created under Garmadon, this one will not need time to charge. This one will not need to be stocked, and it certainly won't need a pilot to make sure it does its job. Once the key has turned it on, it only listens to two people: me, or the pathetic chosen descendant of the First Master. And even then, it only listens to the one who has touched the key last." The Overlord clutched the key in his palm, a triumphant grin spreading over his twisted features.

     "Why do we need to shift the balance?" I gripped at my arms, my fingers running gingerly over all the cuts and bruises they had acquired. "I thought we were trying to keep the balance intact."

      "Because Ninjago is already on an imbalance." The Overlord's eyes turned to slits as he reeled on me. "It has been forever. Ever since the First Spinjitzu Master created 'helpers' to keep the realm running for him, they've successfully been able to stop every single evil that comes their way. Think of your parents' little tales. Do the villains ever end up winning in the end? No, they do not. Darkness never prevails over the light. And that light keeps growing and growing with each year. Soon, your brothers will come to destroy me and wipe out the last of the darkness remaining. Without me, this realm will collapse forever."

     "I... I never realized we were already on an imbalance. I thought balance meant the world was at peace—"

      "Peace is anything but balance! The only perfectly balanced realm in all fourteen that remain is the First Realm. The only reason, and may I emphasize the only reason, that it is perfectly balanced is because it is constantly at war. Neither side can triumph over the other, which means both sides are equal. Without equality, there is no balance."

      I stepped back, my mind suddenly rushing with an information overload. Keys, cannons, balance, war—it was all coming together. The prophecy was made to wipe out darkness forever. It was made to destroy the balance. But that didn't mean the world wasn't already falling. This had all been an elaborate plot from the beginning, long before the prophecy. This was the First Spinjitzu Master's way of securing victory for his side; this was the ultimate victory of the light.

      "Now you understand." The Overlord's voice turned softer, though there was little warmth to it. "If you allow your brothers to kill me, all of Ninjago is doomed. I am the last hope of this realm. Once I am dead, everything your great-grandfather put into place will succeed, and everything you've ever known and loved will fall apart forever."

     "I-I..." I couldn't help but see the girl's eyes flash wide open in shock as she slammed against the boulder. She was probably dead, and I was the one who killed her. Blood dripped down my arms in wet globs, soaking the pebbles and my shoes. I couldn't tell if it was fake or real. My worst hallucinations were becoming a reality.

      In order to preserve the balance, I'd have to start an eternal war. I'd have to kill more than just a replacement girl in order to keep the balance alive. But, if I stopped now, then all of Ninjago would fall due to the imbalance of light. The prophecy was put in place to end the world. I couldn't let Ninjago fall, no matter the cost.

      Even if that cost was thousands of lives lost to an eternal battle.

      Surely the couple thousand would be worth the millions saved.

     "I understand," I finally said, making my way back over to the Celestial Clock.

      "Good. I will escort you here every morning, where you will practice honing your power. After that, you will return to camp to help with the Cannon's preparations. We must do everything we can to set the plan in motion while your brothers still are ignorant of where we are." The Overlord lifted his wings. "I will stop by to pick you up soon. You need to get acquainted with your new training area."

      I could barely muster a half-hearted reply before he took off, soaring back down the mountain with enough grace to make a ballerina look sloppy. His dark form eventually blended into the foliage below, leaving me on top of a cliff with no way off.

      I was getting sick of the iron tang in the air, of the ever-heavy responsibility hanging on my shoulders. It seemed like no matter which path I went down, it would only lead to more suffering. I just had to fight for the better of the two evils; I had to fight for the path that would set the realm back on track.

      Steeling myself, I wiped the blood off my arms and approached the clock. It stood still, looming over me with a glaring sense of perfection. It knew when the final battle would start.

      This clock thrives upon the winds of change.

      The winds of change had come now. It was time to fight for the preservation of the realm, or for the end of it.

      I stuck out my blood-coated hands and touched the metal of the clock again. The key's legacy was empowerment, not guilt. The girl's sacrifice was not in vain. Her death would be the salvation of this realm.

       And as the hallucinations finally faded, a cog sounded, and the clock started to tick once again.