The first thing I noticed upon falling out of my bed was that no one had yanked the covers from beneath me. The floor was cold and hard, instantly snapping me out of an exhausted haze. Yells echoed into the bedroom through the open door, along with the spraying sound of mist and rushing water. I scrambled to my feet, looking around to find no one else in the bunkroom. I forewent even attempting to put on ninja gear and rushed outside to the main deck.

     Almost immediately I was soaked by a giant wave.

     The whole Bounty was rocking with the stormy water, and everyone aboard it was trying to get the ship under control. I couldn't tell anyone apart through the dark outlines of drenched forms. Some of them were trying to keep the sails from flying up. Others were holding onto the railing for their dear lives as the waves threatened to throw them over. The taste of salt was in the air, a warning before another wave crashed over the side of the Bounty.

     The strangest thing of all was that there were noises in the air that weren't coming from the boat. They were distant but clear; they were songs. Loud, echoing songs that combined with the booming thunder to create a vociferous pop over our heads.

     "PEAK!" one of the wet figures trying to hold down the sails called. "WE NEED YOU OVER HERE!"

      I slipped on the wet wood, barely managing to tuck and roll to my feet before I went tumbling across the deck. More salty mist sprayed in my face as I blindly stumbled over to the rope and began to pull. The violent winds tossed the Bounty left and right. I had to use every ounce of my strength to keep holding on.

     More calls sounded around me; whether they came from the singing voices or from my crewmates, I didn't know. Everyone was yelling at each other as they attempted to navigate the powerful waves. I didn't understand how the storm had become so violent, nor did I understand why there was a storm at all. Yesterday the sky had been sunny, without a cloud in sight.

      I squinted at the main mast of the boat. It was rocking so fast my vision was starting to blur. Someone in front of me slipped, but somehow managed to regain their footing. The world was hot and cold and wet and chaotic. All I knew was that I had to hold on, had to keep tugging.

     And then it stopped.

     Everyone tumbled forwards as the waves just... disappeared.

     Sunlight broke through the clouds, streaming through the grey puffs in a magnificent golden mist. It was still raining, but now it was only a light sprinkle. Bruised, I pulled myself out of the mess of fallen bodies and limped over to the railing.

      The water was almost completely still, and the waves were so tiny I could barely feel the rocking of the boat.

     Within a couple seconds the storm had just vanished.

     Hesitantly, I looked around to see if everyone was alright, only to notice something in the distance. Mostly everyone who had fallen with the limp rope was sorely getting to their feet, those who weren't up yet were being helped to a standing position. I could recognize Kai's form helping Aureole to her feet by the helm, along with Carmen pulling herself up to the rails before heaving over the side of the boat.

     I gasped when I realized what I was seeing in the distance. I ran over to where Carmen was trying to regain her composure, pointing to the horizon like an animated adolescent.

     "Land-ho!" I shouted, unable to contain my excitement.

      Murmurs of confusion turned to enthusiastic calls as the others jogged over to the side. The darkened mess of bodies had turned to a mob of confusion, terror, and exhilaration as everyone began to process what they were seeing. I too had lost all thoughts of the storm and what this landmass meant for us in the relief of finally seeing dirt and soil again. We had been sailing for so long I had forgotten what it was like to feel the constant pull of earth around me.

      Slowly, the smiles turned tighter and tighter, until they faded completely.

      This landmass we were seeing, this was the Dark Island.

      This was the place where the future would be set in stone.

      This was the place of the final battle.

     Without someone to control the helm, the Bounty started to turn around in the water. I scrambled over to get a hold of the steering-wheel, while the others scattered to re-open the sails and prepare for docking. As I guided the ship back in the direction of the island, I realized that the only sounds I could hear was the gentle pattering of the rain and the creak of the helm. There was no clapping thunder, no rushing waves, and most importantly, there were no songs.

      The world was achingly devoid of them, like they had never happened in the first place.

     Though I wondered why I had heard them and why they had stopped, not once did I ever think to ask who were the voices that sang.

>(<>)<

By the time we were only about a half-hour away from landing on the Dark Island, the weather had mysteriously changed three more times. It had started to violently rain again, then the sky completely cleared, then it was back to a light mist. At some point we'd seen five different rainbows arching over the horizon.

      "There's an eeriness to the air," Aureole said from beside me. Everyone else was strapping on weapons and preparing for the fight of their lives. She, however, had decided to come watch the island drift closer. She described it as the 'calm before the storm.'

      "I can feel it," I said.

      "The strange storm, the even stranger weather changes—something's going on. I tried to ask Father about it but he's just as clueless as everyone else." She buried her face in her hands. "I... I'm just so frustrated. Either people don't know what they're doing or they're lying to us. We're walking straight into the Overlord's clutches without a decent plan and with a disunified unit. We're going to be crushed like little bugs."

     She drew in a few shaky breaths to steady herself, leaning against the railing for balance. I fingered the large double-bladed axe strapped to my back. It was a weapon I was surprisingly comfortable with. Its very usage was connected to the earth.

      "We've been training our whole lives for this."

      "Yeah," Aureole murmured, finally looking at me, "but what if that was never enough?"

      For the first time in my life, I started to doubt my purpose. Aureole had a point. We had always been told we were training to save the world, but experience was the best teacher, right? We never had experience other than sparring with each other. We had never faced the threats that the Overlord would bring. Sure, this was our lives' mission, yet, what if all our training would only delay the inevitable?

      What if this fight was, as Ver said, the beginning to the destruction of the realm?

      Time's Overlord. An overlord who held a place throughout time. The legends of heroes surely persevered through all ages, becoming the overlord of stories in their own way. We were supposed to be heroes. What if it was our time to finally be washed away?

      Ninjago was upheld by a balance. Perhaps it was finally time that evil conquered.

      Just then, a scream cut through my thoughts, sharper than a freshly crafted blade.

      Aureole and I reeled to see—Shade. He was clutching his head, dropping to his knees as more loud groans escaped his throat. Morro moved to help him, only for Shade to yell, "They know we're here!"

      Out of nowhere, a cannonball whirled through the air and shot straight into the main mast.

      It creaked once, then started to fall.

      Everyone was yelling as they scrambled to get out of the way. As they were running, more whizzing sounds echoed as multiple cannonballs splashed into the water around the Bounty. We were under attack.

      "How do they know we're here?" Lloyd yelled, running over the helm to start moving the ship away. "There aren't any encampments in sight!"

      Aureole started slinging fireballs at incoming cannonballs, being able to knock some out of their trajectory. Morro was attempting to do the same thing, though his energy-spheres were a bit less powerful. Everyone else was attempting to find some sort of weapon to help.

      "We need shields!" Shade called, tackling Aureole to the ground before a cannonball flew straight through where her head used to be. It crashed through the deck, causing wood to spring up at awkward angles.

      "We don't have shields!" Storm hysterically responded from the doorway into the Bounty's quarters, shielding the two non-elementals from the carnage.

       I made a run for the control room, where Kai and Harumi were frantically pushing buttons.

      "We need to get this thing into the sky," Kai said, pulling down the lever to the thrusters. Harumi responded by pushing more buttons that caused the Bounty to rumble in a way that didn't sound fully operational.

      "The main mast has been hit. We'll basically have no steering once we lift off." She read from the bright red error screen.

      "We can't lift off!" I exclaimed, drawing their attention to me. "We'll be sitting ducks for them to hit; and we need the Bounty to be operational so we can get back to Ninjago."

       "There's not going to be a 'get-back-to-Ninjago' if they sink us." Kai attempted to pull another level, but the Bounty continued to make error noises.

      "Is there a shield on this thing?" I asked Harumi while Kai kicked the control unit.

      "Not that I know of." She surveyed the blinking buttons with a grim expression.

      Screams echoed from outside the control room. I ran back outside to see water bubbling up through a hole in the floor. No one was trying to stop the cannonballs anymore. Everyone was taking cover as the merciless attackers continued to pound our ship back into the water.

      The weather was changing again; the storm was returning.

      Across the ship, I locked eyes with a very frightened Aureole. She was firm, yes, helping Storm shield Carmen and Nori from the wreckage. But there was a sadness in her eyes. A type of sorrow that was familiar.

      The same sorrow my mother had.

      Aureole thought we were going to die.

     What if that was never enough?

      I could feel it. Beneath the waters.

      The faint tug of the earth.

      I dashed to the broken mast, lifting up my hands as the rain soaked my arms. The Bounty continued to sink lower and lower as it rocked with the storm. I could hear the hisses of the flying cannonballs; I knew I was live bait out in the open. But I had to try. If only for my father's sake.

      I had to save my loved ones.

      The Bounty started to shake violently as I lifted the earth up from beneath it. I closed my eyes as the strain of my power took over, my knees buckling onto the ground. Even I knew that in this moment of desperation I wasn't strong enough. The earth was too far away, and I was too weak.

      In that hazy moment of life and death, I heard a shout.

      "Amplify him!"

      "I've never done it intentionally! I don't even know how to do it intentionally—"

      "MORRO YOU HAVE TO AMPLIFY HIM!" Shade bellowed, hysteria taking over his normally collected tone. Suddenly I felt warmer, and when I opened my eyes, Morro was trembling beside me. His eyes were screwed shut in concentration as he placed his hands on my shoulders.

      Warmth drifted through my muscles, protecting them against the strain of the earth. More dirt and rocks started to rise, lifting the Bounty entirely out of the water.

      We need a shield, I thought, struggling to my feet as Morro fueled me. He started to whimper from his own efforts, and then a large burst of power coursed through me. Morro was giving me energy. He was giving me enough energy to control the ocean floor.

      The Bounty shot upwards, rocks and debris raising in front of it. Cannonballs slammed into the earth, causing mud to spray all over the deck as we continued to ascend. The rocks twisted higher and higher, eventually curling over our heads like a massive semi-circle.

      The rain pounded into a waterfall over the open window, creating a rushing sound that drowned out all the others. The booming blows of the cannonballs didn't stop. They kept slamming against my rocky shield with full force. Fueled by Morro's energy, I held the wall steady, as attack after attack assaulted it.

      A few moments passed, and the cannonballs stopped firing.

      I sank back onto the floor, heaving for breaths. Suddenly everyone was around me, tangling me in hysterical cries of relief. Aureole was flat out sobbing into my shoulder, Shade was telling both Morro and me that we did an incredible job, and the adults were a bit more composed when they said I had just saved our lives. It was a blurry mess of faces and tears—even I felt tears leaking down my cheeks at the realization that we all could have just been killed.

      We could have just lost everyone.

      The fight could have ended then and there.

      Yet, fate kept us going another day.

      Why?

     We were sitting ducks now, trapped within the solid walls of stone. The only way we were going to get to the island was if we swam there, which was definitely not a good idea. If the Overlord knew enough about how we were coming to ambush us, then it surely wouldn't be long before he rooted us out and destroyed us. Sure, I decimated the threat now, but soon there would be a much larger one on our hands.

     Our situation was a ticking time bomb, and somehow, I knew that it was only going to get much worse from here.

I was shaking so hard I needed to sit down. Peak had gone into shock shortly after his feat of strength, to which he was immediately hustled to his bunkroom to rest. I was supposed to be dabbing water on his forehead until he came out of shock, but I was trembling too hard to properly administer care.

     We had almost died back there.

     Almost died.

     Why did I ever believe Morro when he said the sacrifice might not require death? We hadn't even reached the Overlord and we were already being pummeled. Even after days of studying with Morro and watching the others train, there was no way I was anywhere near ready to survive an attack. And the others were visibly rattled, like a lifetime's worth of training might never be enough. Now, we were trapped within the clutches of stone, awaiting the Overlord's cavalry to arrive.

     I was going to die; I was never going to see my family again.

     The others were off trying to assess the damage. I could already hear Kai and Shade wielding tools down below the bunkroom, attempting to plug the holes caused by the cannonballs. Every now and then Storm or Harumi would run by the doorway, their arms packed with various supplies.

     Halfway into the evening the power in the Bounty went out, so Harumi brought a few candles into the different living areas. I did not find it appropriate to stay in the boy's room once night fell, so I left Peak in Morro's care and made my way to the research room. Morro looked just as shaken as Peak when he entered. His glassy eyes were a clear indicator that his feats earlier had exhausted him. Yet, a silent understanding passed between us as he took the damp rag from me.

     I knew the minute I left the room that nothing in Ninjago could get me to go back in there. Though Morro had been a bit livelier since the dance (our sessions did often follow tangents about local wildlife in Ninjago, the prominence of technology, or the strange system of dances for young adults), I had started to feel rather shy around him. I was never shy before the dance. That must mean this was a side effect of intimacy. Shyness counted as being unsure, so I was doing my best to stay composed around him.

     I assumed this was why the Grand Master discouraged community and companionship. I had suddenly become quite worried about the smallest things every time Morro spoke to me.

      Much to my surprise, I found Shade in the research room. He was fiddling with the air-conditioning unit whilst referencing a crinkled instruction manual. His tall form was barely illuminated by the small candle sitting on the table beside him; he looked like a phantom rather than a human.

      I knocked twice on the doorway, drawing his attention away from his project. He didn't say anything; he just stared at me for a few moments. Shade and I had never truly interacted since I joined the group. He had always been busy with his friends.

      I couldn't deny that he was handsome. To do so would be lying. His shape and build were the epitome of perfect proportions, not a hair was styled out of place. There was an eerie air of perfection to him, as if he took advantage of the light everyone saw him in.

      But his nonverbal words, they told a completely different story.

      He was scared and struggling—he trembled when no one watched. There was a haunted look to his eyes, as if the perfection were an unstable mask he had to hide behind. He was too stubborn to let down his walls—no, he thought no one would understand. He didn't even understand what he was going through.

      "A sonic wave of sound could have stopped the cannonballs," he said slowly, narrowing his eyes. His voice had an edge to it, an edge that he never expressed to anyone else. I knew the boy resented me. That had been clear since the day I was swapped with one of his companions. His bitterness only grew as he noticed how much Morro took interest in me, then it multiplied when I refused to sing. He must have hated me now, though I was never completely sure. We didn't speak enough for me to properly read his verbal cues.

      "Yes, sir," I said, not sure what the proper response to his accusation was.

      "Why do you wish to be helpless?" He walked towards the door, his steps catlike and menacing. "Why are you sabotaging our mission?"

      I thought for a second, cowering back as he came closer. His eyes had hidden layers of grief behind them, a grief that had been bottled up for too long. "I do not understand your implications, sir. I have never actively sabotaged your mission."

      "We could have died!" Shade thundered, looking terrifyingly beautiful in the darkness. "This world needs the prophecy to be completed and we all could have died! Your elemental power could have come in handy back there, but no, you won't sing. Do you not care about the fate of the realm?"

      I started to shake as the air turned colder, crisper. I was too shaken to form a coherent sentence—until I looked up at his face. Morro's face. Morro would never yell. He always faced his grief silently, refusing to harm anyone else with his negative moods. Shade was also like that, but the burden he carried was much heavier than Morro's. I realized that unlike Morro, Shade didn't trust anyone enough to vent to them. Without communication, he could bubble into a ticking time bomb of rage.

      "Why are you not facing your demons?" I asked him, stopping the rant instantly.

      "What demons?" he questioned quietly, his voice going very still.

      "One day," I said, "one day your mask will crack. I hope you have the courage to face what is inside."

      "H-how—w-what...?"

      "I am the Master of Communication. I can understand many languages, including the ones you so desperately try to hide. Do not worry, sir; I will keep your secret. Just be warned that denying the truth can often lead to a tangled web of lies."

      He spluttered, sharply retorting that my readings were false. "I do not have a 'tangled web of lies'. I speak the truth, and the truth is that we need all hands on deck if we're going to beat the Overlord. If you had trained as I asked, then we could have been saved today. Instead, we're a bunch of sitting ducks for the Overlord to kill off, one by one." He paused, considered his words, then added, "And I'm not wearing a mask."

     "Not now," I said.

     He was already riled up, but I held my ground. If this boy were to strike me dead here, then it would be a swift end. I was ready; I had been ready since the day I left my home behind.

      Instead of attacking me, he released a large breath and smiled. "I hope my efforts to fix the air-conditioning unit have worked, Miss Nori. I'm sure we'll have the power fixed by tomorrow morning."

      Carmen walked past us, her head down and her cheeks purple with embarrassment. Shade waited until she was out of earshot to add venomously, "Maybe you can silently stare at a wall before the Overlord obliterates us. You know, since singing isn't an option."

      I nodded weakly, and after another second, he left.

>(<>)<

The rain battered against our rocky roof, creating the lulling sensation of slumber. I kept drifting in and out of sleep, never fully able to relax in the dark room. Shade's piercing gaze kept reappearing in my dreams, his accusations kept piling on my consciousness. I wondered if I could have stopped the cannonballs with my voice. I wondered how many people I could have saved if I'd only been willing to sing. Would I have been able to stop Ver before she tore her family apart? Would I have been able to save my hometown from some of the Grand Master's more awful constraints?

      Eternal Song, come to us.

      A sweet, melodic note echoed through the chambers, sinking into my half-conscious state like a seed thrown into fertile soil.

      He doesn't understand the burden you bear. He would rather kill you at his feet than listen to how much you've sacrificed to live this life.

      Groggily, I sat up, wondering if I was still dreaming. Another note sounded through the rain.

     We understand, Eternal Song. Come to us and sing. No one will hear you; no one will judge you. You can be free of them, and we can bring you back to your family.

      I stood up, my soiled socks pressing against the cold, hardwood floor. I could almost see the lake, vast and mighty in front of me, and hear the gentle songs of the Songdragons beneath the waters. They always had the most enchanting music. What I'd give to be able to sing back to them just one time.

      There is freedom beneath these waters. An opportunity to get away from intimacy, to bond with those you've always dreamed of seeing. Step onto the waters, and we will bring you home.

      I was dreaming. I didn't need a candle to find my way through the halls of—was this my house? It must be bigger than I remembered. The lulling waves of the lake sounded more like patters of raindrops, but that wasn't the matter.

      Eternal Song, come to us, they sang to me. They called me home.

      This surely was a strange reality. The lake was so far away. The beach felt hard beneath my feet as I walked closer to the water, and I wasn't even wearing shoes. I had dreamed of meeting the dragons many times before, but I always woke up before singing back to them. Mother forbade that I sing to them, so even in a fantasy I never allowed a note to escape my lips.

      My eyes snapped open when rain started pouring on my head. I instantly panicked, feeling my arms, my face.

      I was standing at the railing of the Bounty, staring down at the raging ocean below. My poor dress was soaked, and my hat was nowhere to be found. It must have fallen off my head when I feel asleep. That was why my shoes were missing. Somehow, I had sleepwalked all the way here.

      Eternal Song, come to us.

      Their voices were the most beautiful I had ever heard. They were calling to me, just like they called to my mother. They loved us, they wanted us to come home. They wouldn't sacrifice me for a prophecy. They wouldn't criticize me for not wanting to live up to a skillset I didn't even desire. All they wanted was to live peacefully beneath the waters, where no human could bother them again.

      Tears leaked down my face, mixing with the rainwater. My mother's warnings rushed through my head, but my fingers were already untying my high-necked overshirt. It dropped to the soaked floor, it's dark brown turning grey with all the water. Every part of me was shaking, every logical bone in my body telling me not to do it. But the dragons had been calling for me my entire life. Maybe... maybe it was finally time to sing back to them.

       I stripped off my grimy stockings, leaving myself dressed in nothing but my simple, patched dress. I wouldn't need to cover up my deformities under the water. The Songdragons would understand. Somewhere inside me I knew they already did.

      Eternal Song, there is rest beneath the waters.

      A world where no man has ever set foot.

     You'll be free to sing, just like we are.

     Eternal Song, come to us.

     "Yes," I whispered, climbing onto the railing. The ocean was over fifty feet below the rocky cliffside, but I trusted them enough to know I wouldn't fall and die. The storm was ferocious, yet they would save me. I knew they would.

      I glanced back once more at the Bounty in all of its damaged glory, then silently wished them all the best. Then, with a deep, guttural cry, I released a screech in the dragon's language, summoning them once again.

      I'm here, I called.

      Their jubilant whistles sounded in return, beckoning from beneath the waves. All I had to do was jump.

      Eternal Song, come to us.

      I closed my eyes, smiled, and leapt off the edge.

      The last thing I heard was another screech—a human screech—that had called out my name in the most desperate tone I had ever heard. But it was too late to focus on that now. My arms hit the water; the grey darkness swarmed my entire being. The ferocious storm tossed me in the waves, threatening to drown me in its rage. I stayed still, holding out my arms as my lungs screamed for oxygen and the fuzziness of unconsciousness began to creep into my mind.

     Right as I was about to drown, I heard their gentle whistles. Their arms closed around me and they dragged me away to the haven they had promised.

     Away from the storm.

     Away from the prophecy.

     Away from the burdens that had tied me down my entire life.

     I was finally free.

I had never been one to make rash decisions. It was Shade who normally made assessments on the fly, but that was because he was more well suited to working with other people. I had always been the indoor kid who would rather read something on geometry. My parents had figured out early on in my life that forcing me to get away from my books was the perfect punishment, so I quickly learned to be smart with my actions. Besides, I needed time to dwell on larger choices and list out all the pros and cons. I just couldn't make a decision without thinking about it and expect things to turn out alright.

     I might have called myself the biggest hypocrite in existence if I were in a better mood.

     Noria left Peak in my hands when I entered the bunkroom, not making much conversation before hurriedly scurrying away. She had turned from a cold and composed iceberg to a melting glacier that was anxious of fires. I wondered what made her so afraid. I'd told her my theories on what the sacrifice could be, and the weight on her shoulders had lightened. Despite this, while she was showing more emotion now, she was still closed off. It was almost like she was too terrified of becoming attached to someone.

     At least, that was what my muddled brain hypothesized as I helped Peak lay down for the night. I was just as exhausted as he was and frankly, I was much more surprised by the outcome. I had never amplified someone by choice before. Yet, in the life-or-death moment, something inside of me had clicked. It was like turning on a switch; suddenly energy was pouring out of me and into him.

     If I could amplify elemental power, then it could be easy to turn me into a weapon. My enemies could figure out how to force me to make them stronger. They could use me as an endless power source to fuel their wicked needs. I shuddered as I snuggled into my bed. This was why Shade was the better choice for the son. I would just end up making the Overlord overpowered.

     The first thing I awoke to was a single, pure note. It was a call, a call unlike one I'd ever heard before. It was the wind, the sky, the rushing waters—it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. The only thing I could compare it to was the noise from the dragons in Shadow Bay. Faint whistles followed the note, too far away to be heard unless you were really listening.

     That's when it hit me what was going on.

     The note was loud.

     Which meant it was coming from nearby.

     I scrambled out of bed, barely tugging on a nightrobe to cover my fluffy pajamas before making a run for the main deck. It was the only logical place a sound that majestic could come from. Surely none of us humans had made it.

      Lightning flashed as I stepped out of the barracks, highlighting a figure standing atop the railing. They were covered in the pouring rain, holding out their arms as if to hug the sky. The faint whistles sounded again, and I could see a grin cross the figure's face.

     No, not a figure.

     Noria.

     I cried out, running to stop her, but it was too late. She leapt off the railing in a perfect nose dive, plummeting through the storm into the deep waters below.

     No, no, no, no, no.

     I slipped on the wet wood, slamming my ribcage into the railing. Hissing in pain, I tried to find her among the battering, grey waves, but I could see nothing in the darkness of night. I didn't know what had possessed her to jump. She could drown down there.

     I had never made rash decisions. Those always ended up with a terrible outcome. But I promised Noria she would return to her family. I couldn't just let her die.

     I peeled off the dripping nightrobe and threw myself over the edge.

     The wind whistled in my ears as the storm thundered from above. The water was chillingly cold when I hit it, like I had just been doused in dry ice. I spit out the saltwater filling my mouth and swam up until my head broke free of the waters. Just as I gathered enough air to scream her name, a wave pushed me back under. The ferocious currents threw me back and forth, refusing to let me return to the surface.

     Somewhere in the dark, hazy waters my head slammed against something incredibly hard. I could taste the blood as a dizzying feeling began to take over. With a last push of strength, I broke free of the waves, shouting out Nori's name in a feeble attempt.

      I already knew the waves had swallowed her. It had taken every ounce of my strength just to break free once, and I had trained my entire life to be strong. She was weaker than the rest of us. Her training could barely fend off a five-year-old, much less a massive wave controlled by only nature itself.

     I wondered why she had done this. Was the grief of leaving Shadow Bay really too much for her? Did she hate us all that much to come to this conclusion? Was she truly hopeless enough to take herself out of the fight?

     And why had I been stupid enough to follow her?

     I slammed against another unknown object, which forced my mouth to fill with water. I knew the surface was too far away. I was sinking down with each toss of the storm; I was drowning.

     Perhaps I could meet the other Morro in the Departed Realm.

      And maybe, back in reality, my parents could find it in their hearts to forgive me for what I'd done.