The Overlord wasn't dead. His body may have been lifeless, but his soul still remained. Father had once told me the story of the first epic battle between the Overlord and the First Spinjitzu Master. Neither side could gain the upper hand until the Overlord created an indestructible army. To counter this, the First Spinjitzu Master split Ninjago in two, along with the Overlord himself. The Overlord's body fell away to a place no one could find it. His soul remained, haunting the Dark Island for over two thousand years. It was only when Garmadon came and united with the Overlord's soul did the Overlord have a body to inhabit once again.

     Mother had said that the Overlord was able to regain a body after his second death due to a being named Malevolence, but she and Father had not gone into much more detail than that. It was in the Overlord's early days returning to a body when the old Morro was killed.

     I should have known a snap wouldn't be the end of the Overlord. I watched his form shrivel and fall; I watched Morro scream like someone was flaying him alive. I stood in front of it all, knowing that I had done this, that I had voluntarily taken the life of not just one, but two beings. I was a killer, and for a second, I thought my brother was gone as well.

     But then the voices started again.

     That was when I knew that I had been wrong. The Overlord wasn't dead, and his soul was inside of me.

     "Hello Morro," a voice unlike my own came out of my mouth, seeping with bitterness and hatred.

     Suddenly, the view of my brother shifted. Morro was lying in the cracked, dry dirt, attempting to move around face me properly. Blood was leaking out into the dust as his face contorted with anguish. I was sure he had broken at least one rib.

     He was the image of helplessness.

     The lone sparks that were lighting up the dome extinguished.

     When a single spot broke open in the dome above, and light filtered in, I no longer saw a helpless brother.

     I've been talking to him too, you know. He's been fine. He's always been stronger than you.

     My fingers clenched into fists as the Overlord's thoughts purred on.

     He's more beloved, of course. It took him all of a few weeks to find someone who loves him for him. You've been searching your entire life for true affection and it was never granted to you. You had everything he didn't. So, why does he get everything you want, and you get none of it?

     While only pale beams of sunlight were breaking through the top of the dome, suddenly my vision became clearer. The pain from being tossed around faded away with each heartbeat. Each thump in my ears removed the guilt, the freezing cold, the suffering. I was gathering power, but the power was not my own.

     You know how this story ends. He's already dying. You'll be the only one to emerge from this battlefield, and there will only be weeping. Your victory will be overlooked because of him. You were always overlooked because of him.

     I stepped forward, a bitter laugh slipping through the sanity I was trying to hold together. The worst part of the voice was that he was right. I knew he was right. It didn't matter who was the son of Oni and Light. All that mattered was who came out of this fight alive.

     And if he doesn't die, then they'll flock to him. You're too much like your sister for them to ever love you again. If 'love' is even what they feel towards you. He's the beloved; he's the firstborn. You'll always be a shadow.

     "I'll always be a shadow," I repeated, hearing his voice come out of my mouth. The words were hollow, empty. Just like my body. Just like my soul. I was a killer. I was a monster.

      Morro's face twisted when he heard the words. He reached out to me, struggling harder to get to his feet. "Shade! No! He's in your head!"

      Isn't that why they named you 'Shade'?

      There was so much cold in the dark. I had already drained this place dry, but I knew I could drain it more. I could drain it until the earth became nothing but flimsy powder, threatening to collapse into the world's core. I could drain the energy out of my weakened brother until he was nothing more than dust.

      Would anyone grieve for dust? Or would they walk over it to finally see the light shining on me?

      Do it, the Overlord—my mind—commanded.

      I raised my fingers, latching onto the cold surrounding my brother. I knew now he could survive one snap, but how many more could he take? He was weak, pathetic, lying on the ground because he didn't even have the strength to get up. I'd done most of the work during this final fight. I'd done everything, and he'd just sat on the sidelines. He was useless.

      Rage bubbled beneath my skin. Morro's eyes widened in shock as he cried out one last time—

     I snapped.

     And I snapped again

     And again.

     And again.

     And again.

     I snapped until my fingers threatened to fall off with the frostbiting cold, I snapped until the click of my fingers was the only sound echoing in my ears. I was laughing through it all, I knew I was, laughing as my brother crumpled beneath my chill. To think, we once judged Ver for her insanity.

     When I was done I dropped to my knees, laughing so hard my sides hurt. Everything hurt. Everything was so freaking cold.

     "Hello Morro," I guffawed into the dead air, "hello dead brother. Let's see them worship you now."

     Warm arms pulled me into an embrace. I sunk against them, sniffling and sobbing into whoever was holding me.

     "I love you, Shade," the embracer said. His skin was losing heat at a rapid pace. In less than a minute he'd be as cold as me. I would drain him dry. "Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

     "You're dead," my voice cracked, that wild grin still plastered on my face.

     "You are my entire world," Morro responded, holding me tighter, "You were the one person that was there for me when I felt alone; you were the one person who was compassionate towards me when I felt so left out of life. You helped me back up every time I was knocked down in our duels. You're my brother, Shade, and we'll always be family."

      "You don't even care about me!" Blood was getting all over my armor. I pushed him back, causing him to gasp in pain. Triumph fleeted through me, and I staggered to my feet to snap at him again. "Everyone ignores who I truly am behind the mask! They take me for granted!"

      "I love you," Morro repeated vehemently, "I will always love you. Even when you're gone, I will pray every day that we can be joined in the afterlife. You're my brother, Shade; you're the only person who's ever understood."

     I raised my fingers, looking the rotten boy dead in the eyes.

     "He's in your head, Shade. You're the only one who can cast him out. Once he's gone, he'll be gone forever. You have to kill him, Shade. Kill him for... for m-m-me. For me."

     I wondered why he stuttered.

     I wondered why Morro wasn't dead yet.

      Yet, his words kept ringing in my ears.

     You're my brother, Shade, and we'll always be family!

     "No one is dying except you," said my mouth, but they were the Overlord's words.

     I pressed my fingers together, looking at Morro, looking at my older twin.

     We'll always be family!

     Pain, regret, grief—they would always be a part of me. Even with the Overlord's possession I knew he was only amplifying hatred that already existed. I was jealous of my brother. I hated him for being everything I'd always wanted.

     But I loved him too.

     Morro would always be my worst enemy and my greatest friend.

     But he was my brother too.

     He was my family.

     You have to kill him, Shade. Kill him for... for m-m-me. For me.

     Then I knew why he stuttered.

     I knew exactly what driving the Overlord out of my head required.

     And Morro's words gave me a split-second of strength to break free of the Overlord's hold.

     And they gave me a split-second of courage to do the deed.

     Trembling, I pressed my palms against my head and prepared to snap away all the life inside.

     Don't do this, Shade! Don't do thi—

      The Overlord ripped himself away, leaving me without any strength to keep standing. The Overlord's soul floated in midair, scurrying back and forth once before screeching, "If you won't kill him, then he'll kill you. I've always wanted to have control over my enemy's famous power."

     He dived straight at Morro—and hit Morro's energy bubble.

     The Overlord's soul ricocheted back, shrieking from the pain. It floated above our heads, avoiding every ray of sunlight that was breaking through the holes in the top of the dome.

      Morro's face twisted inside his force field and he closed his eyes to block out whatever he was hearing. The bubble flickered with each word the Overlord said to him, weakening with Morro's resolve.

      "Morro," I said suddenly, feeling starting to leak into my hollow voice. "Morro, he's lying to you."

     "I'm worthless," Morro blankly replied, his eyes opening to stare at the floating soul. "I'm going to die here—"

     "You can't die here." I pulled myself towards the weakening bubble, "Think of Mother, Father, Noria."

     "Promises unfulfilled," the Overlord hissed from above us, unable to hold his connection to Morro's brain. "You'll never be able to complete them, you worthless, stupid boy."

     My fingers passed through the thin, golden field and touched Morro's hair. His head snapped up, suddenly turning his attention back to me. I fumbled for the right words. My head still ached and my heart felt colder than I'd ever been. Yet, staring into my ever-faithful brother's eyes, I could feel the words rising.

     "We'll find a way. We can take on any challenge, complete any prophecy, fulfil any promise. We're brothers, Morro, and as long as we have each other, I think we'll always be okay."

     The tips of Morro's lips twitched up, the grin appearing on his paler-than-healthy skin.

     "Once that energy field drops, you have no idea what I can do," the Overlord hissed, zooming above our heads. "I'll rip you both limb from limb until you join your ancestor in the afterlife."

     Morro's smile turned to a grimace. "Shade," he whispered, "I... I don't think I can last much longer."

     "Hold on, brother," I pleaded with him. My desperate eyes scanned the sky, awaiting a miracle. I knew nothing was going to be able to help us now. The minute Morro passed out from blood loss the Overlord would take him over. We'd be stuck in a continuous cycle of trying to fight off invasion, whilst Morro slowly died from his wounds.

     It was up to us to come with something to kill the Overlord's soul, but how?

     I looked at said soul, which was waiting eagerly to push itself into its new prey. Then, I looked at Morro's weakening bubble, the only thing that could withstand my snaps.

     The only thing that could withstand my snaps.

     My snaps.

     I quickly asked my twin if he could make one last force field. He clenched his fists and nodded. There was only one chance to get this right, but it was the best shot we had.

     Morro's field dropped, and the Overlord rushed to inhabit his body.

     And Morro cried out, extending his fingers to give out his final bit of energy.

     A bubble of golden energy surrounded the Overlord's spirit.

     Before it could screech, I stuck my hand through the energy--

     And snapped one final time.

     Life-containing energy and life-destroying energy.

     Creation and destruction.

     Two brothers, twin brothers, two halves of the same whole.

     The son of Oni and Light.

     The bubble exploded, the force from it sending me flying back into the darkness. Holes were quickly tearing themselves through the dome, making my blurry world a mix of light and dark. I wondered if my plan had backfired. I wondered if I hadn't taken the life from the Overlord's soul while he was incased; I wondered if I was soaring to my death while he emerged victorious.

     Most of all, I was saddened when I thought of how much Morro would miss me.

     Then, I hit the ground too hard for something not to be broken upon impact.

     The pain was the only thing I could fixate on until the darkness of unconsciousness came to swallow me whole. 

I'll take her.

    That's exactly what he said. The moron himself, the only man stupid enough to look after me, he told my family that he could take me on. He was powerless. He stood no chance.

     And then the wind died before it reached him.

     Even before I was knocked down I knew it was a futile fight. I was weak, practically the walking dead. Everything hurt so much that I think I started to become immune to pain. It didn't matter how many gashes were torn in my skin, or how many bolts of lightning came from above to strike me down. Nothing could make my misery worse.

     Still, staring into the regretful eyes of the man who's acted like a father to me, I regained my familiar fire. How dare he. How dare he manipulate me like this? Was every single person in my life only there to twist me to fit some narrative?

     My parents didn't care about me because I wasn't a son. The Overlord didn't care about me because I was powerless. And Acronix didn't care about me because he didn't want to get stabbed in the back when my brothers came to doom the entire realm. I should have known better than to put my faith in those people. When I left my parents' house on that fateful night so long ago, I should have just ignored the Overlord and left for good.

     He's a traitor, the Overlord whispered into my head for what seemed to be the first time in forever, Kill him. Make him suffer just like he made you suffer.

     I bounced back to my feet, directing the wind to help smooth my actions. Acronix's grip whitened on his shurikens as he prepared to attack. All around us were the sounds of stinging steel swords and the blurs of color-coded ninja fighting for their lives.

     Power, the wind reminded me, you are Power.

     When Acronix lunged forward, I used the wind to move me aside, my feet skimming the ground as the wind helped lift me into the air. I had no weapons, so I shot more blasts at his face, hoping they'd be strong enough to knock him back. He lifted his arms to block them, then threw his second shuriken at me.

     It caught the edge of my cheek as it flew past, spilling a thick line of warm, scarlet blood.

     You don't have to do this, a third voice said. He never talked inside my head unless it was 'necessary'.

     You are Power, the wind countered.

     You can make him suffer, the Overlord said.

     I hissed, not at the pain, but at the voices. They were all chiming in, talking over one another, each of them fighting for control of my brain. I barely had space for my own thoughts.

     Acronix lunged again, this time trying to land a well-timed kick to knock me to the ground. I boosted myself higher and delivered a swift blow to his jaw. He stumbled back, only rubbing the sore spot once before coming at me again.

     Engines roared to life in the distance.

     Acronix was stronger than I was, both mentally and physically, but I had a drive no one could ever match. I had been beaten, sleep-deprived, and struck by literal lightning, yet I pulled myself out of bed and stumbled down to fight back the assailants. I would give up everything I had left to make sure my family didn't succeed, because it was the only thing I had left to fight for.

     So when Acronix moved to attack me, I scurried away and tried to hit back.

     When he avoided my attacks, I'd clench my fists and keep going.

     My fingertips were blistered and bleeding from where the lightning had torn itself out of my body. Every time I swung at Acronix, little droplets of blood would fly through the air, mixing with the wind blasting at him.

     We moved in an intricate dance with intense focus.

     I couldn't stop to assess how my family was doing. The minute I averted my eyes, Acronix would land a blow. All I could understand about the outside battle were the squelches of snakes and the squeals of fast-moving tires. Then there was the smoke drifting into the air, but suddenly I was in the forest, unable to see where the fire was coming from.

     Acronix had been herding me out of sight from the rest of the battle.

     I swiveled to see how far away from camp we were—

     And was hit in the gut.

     I stumbled onto my bleeding feet, crashing into a tree. I was barely able to latch onto it before I tumbled to the ground.

     Acronix didn't take the offensive for once. He was panting, staring at me to judge my next moves. We watched each other, neither of us having enough breath to talk.

     "You..." Acronix took a deep breath to finish his sentence, "You continue... to surprise me."

     I didn't answer; I just focused on regaining my breath so I could take a hold of the wind again.

     Power! the wind eagerly agreed.

      His dark eyes focused on my bleeding cheek. "You... you really care about the cause you're fighting for."

      "You're a moron," I spat, trying to grab the faint traces of wind that remained in the air. I was too weak to create my own. "A... a stupid... t-traito—"

     "Pray tell, what exactly is the cause you're fighting for?"

     "The realm will end if the prophecy is completed!"

     "And are you really stupid enough to believe that the Overlord will not use the Cannon of Dark to completely tilt the balance of this world in his favor!" Acronix yelled back, raising his voice at me. It felt like a slap in the face.

     Acronix, the man who'd taken care of me when I was running a fever, was yelling at me.

     Scolding me.

     For doing the right thing.

     I bared my teeth. "Are you stupid enough to believe that a shift in the direction of light will not end this realm? It's already imbalanced—and you know history better than I do. Thus, you must have heard about the destruction of Djinnjago."

     Acronix did not falter. He straightened his shoulders, looking stronger than I'd ever seen him. "Every realm's balance is tied to its sister realm. Ninjago's sister realm is a realm called the Realm of Madness. It's been completely taken over by the Overlord. Ninjago is on an imbalance of light because if it isn't, both realms will fall."

     The thin strands of wind slipped through my fingers. I shook my head, "You're... you're lying. You made this up!"

     "Why else would Ninjago be on an imbalance unless its sister realm had something to do with this?" Acronix countered, "If the Realm of Madness was balanced, then the prophecy wouldn't exist in the first place."

     "How do you even know this—" I gasped, short of breath, "—you're just making this up to fit your narrative."

     "The land missions, Ver! I stole a crap ton of books while we were plunging Ninjago of its resources. I refused the let the Overlord bully me into a blind submission. I would follow my brother to the grave, but only if I knew what we were getting int—"

     "If the Overlord is dead—" I desperately pulled at whatever counterarguments I could think of, "—if the Overlord is dead, then the Realm of Madness will stop being imbalanced. Ninjago will end up..." I looked up at him, my knees weakening, "Ninjago will end up dying anyway."

     At his saddened stare, I bristled, "So this is all for nothing! You're saying everything we do will end in destruction. I went through all of this for NOTHING?!"

     "The world isn't always a set standard of good and evil," Acronix's voice softened when he saw the angry tears leaking from my eyes. I was tired. Tired of this world, tired of my pain, tired of everything. I wished I could fall unconscious and never wake up. Death had to be better than the misery of life I was living. "Sometimes the choice becomes to choose between the lesser of the two evils. Or you could choose the third option. You could walk away from both."

     Which side will prevail and which side will divide, the spirit whispered softly into my head.

     "You want to walk away," I realized.

     "Yes," Acronix suddenly looked really old, his face a plethora of lines and shadows. "I want to be free of this fight. I know how it ends, and I'm tired of choosing sides."

     "I-I can't just stand here and... and let the world die." I punched the tree, sucking in a tight breath when the impact broke open a barely-healed wound on my hand.

     "It doesn't look like you have much of a choice," Acronix said. "If you choose to go back and fight for the Overlord... well, you've seen the way he treats everyone. He won't cry when you die. He didn't even look at his wife after she spent thousands of years trying to bring his soul back to life. If you choose your parents, then you know you'll have to live a life of paranoia and distrust. You've betrayed them, and they'll never forget that."

     He was right; I knew he was right. The Overlord didn't respect me. My parents didn't listen to me. There was no lesser of the two evils when both options were equally horrific.

     Still... "I can't let the world die. I gave up everything because I thought I was doing the greater good. I did so many terrible things, Acronix. I can't let the realm die because it's the only redeeming quality I have left."

     He didn't cross the threshold to help me. He stood, so achingly far away, watching me finally succumb to the weaknesses that had been plaguing me since day one. I finally fell to my knees, moaning at the pain I was enduring. The cut on my cheek stung like fire. The rest of me protruded a steady, hollow ache, like an ever-constant bruise that acted up whenever something brushed against it.

     "Even you look at me like a villain," I spat in the dirt, somehow not caring that there was blood mixed with the saliva. Why should I care when I had bled much worse before?

     Acronix didn't move. For a second I thought he was going to walk away, but he stayed.

     "Ver," he said quietly, "you aren't who you think you are. I did terrible, horrible things that I do not wish to relive. Yet, I'm still sane. I'm still functioning, and I'd say I have a decent heart. Just because you've done terrible things doesn't mean there's no hope for you."

      His words echoed into my brain, temporarily blocking out the rest of the noise. When I looked up at him again, it was as if a new light was shining over him. Strangely enough, the sounds of battle had faded behind us, leaving only the crinkle of dying flames and the softness of nature.

      "You could come with me," Acronix said. He held out a hand, "I'm bad at building or making fires, but I can promise I'm good at hunting. You've got enough willpower in you that we could make something work..."

      "How can you so... so casually suggest... this?" I struggled to find words. "I was literally trying to kill you five minutes ago, and now you want me to... to go camping?"

     He laughed, and finally crouched down to meet my eyes. "The battle's over, Ver. It's time for me to head out and try to start a peaceful life. I can't promise you everything, but I can promise that I'll try my best not to judge you for your family, you trying to kill me, or how you have four horns poking through your skull."

     I found myself growing indignant, "How can you so easily believe that I won't kill you when you have your back turned? How can you so easily believe that I'm not going to march straight to the Overlord and have him send the Vermillion after you? How can you... how can you believe that there's still good in me?"

     "Because I've seen the way you live," Acronix retorted, almost with a grin. "You still cared about your family, even though they posed the greatest obstacle to your goal. You hurt when you thought you killed someone. You even care about how your actions are affecting your life, whether you choose to acknowledge that or not. You're not evil, Ver, you're just... misguided. I think if you could turn that determination towards a beneficial cause, then you could do so much good in this broken world."

     I stared at him like he was a complete stranger. Acronix pulled himself back to a standing position, turning himself to face the trees. There was a wistful longing hidden beneath his grief. He was sad to be leaving, but he was relieved to be free.

     When he took a step towards the woods, I called out, "You're just going to leave with nothing? No supplies or anything?"

     "Nah," he smiled, "I built up a stash of essentials somewhere. I'm going to go gather those, then get lost... literally. And if you do end up wanting to join me... well, I'm sure you'll figure out where to look."

     He waved once, then set off into the foliage. My chest twinged like something had just been ripped off of it. Acronix had been there in my darkest hours. We may not have had the healthiest relationship, but there was familiarity there. I knew he was being honest when he offered a life of freedom and no judgement. Like my mother, I guess he just wanted to retire from the drama of elemental life and relax in peace.

     It was a strangely tempting idea.

     I should have pulled myself to my feet and followed him.

     But for some reason, my feet were glued to the ground.

     I think if you could turn that determination towards a beneficial cause, then you could do so much good in this broken world.

     What if he was right? What if there was some way out there where I could fix these broken realms? What if there was a way to save them, but no one was courageous enough to try it? I could be that person. I could still save everyone. There had to be a way.

     Or I could leave it all behind. I could retire with the closest person I had to a father on this dingy island, and live out a steady, tranquil existence with him. We'd hunt, make fires, and stare at the stars until he grew old and died. I would live on in his memory, soaking in the smell of fresh pine, the roughness of the dirt beneath my feet, and the cool mountain air that always brought a chill. Was it really so wrong to want that, even if it did mean leaving the entire realm to collapse?

     Everything was oddly quiet. The Overlord was no longer speaking to me, and I couldn't hear the spirit. That left me with only one whisper running through my mind on repeat. The sound of swords and shouts in the background had died down. Acronix was right. The battle really was over.

     One side had prevailed... and now... one side must divide.

     Acronix had left us. He had put everything he knew and loved behind him to be able to live out his last years in peace. No more powers, no more war. He had divided from our side. Now, it was my turn.

    I still couldn't move. I recognized that a good amount of time had passed since I watched Acronix disappear into the vegetation beyond our battle, but I was stuck. I still couldn't make myself follow him. My heart was too conflicted, and my mind was too divided for peace.

     And just like that, a sudden pain shot through my whole being.

     I knew I wasn't the only one crying out.

     Something was being ripped from my soul. Something firmly attached to my identity was being stripped away. It was like someone had grasped my heart and yanked it out of my bleeding chest.

     I collapsed to the ground, blood and tears mixing with the dirt. I was too tired to scream. I had endured too much pain to writhe against it again. As I stuttered each breath in and out, one thing became breathtakingly clear.

     Everything was completely silent.

     Black hair fell into my eyes as I slowly raised my head. I could still hear the faint noises of animals scurrying about in the woods beyond. I could still detect some sort of talking from the camp below. But the air had gone quiet.

     There was no more wind.

     I couldn't hear its whispers.

    There were no more voices in my head.

     I cried out in shock, the call echoing throughout the area. Shaking, I lifted my hands into the air, trying to feel it, trying to control it. It was all silent. It was completely lifeless. I focused on the stillness, trying to shake a breeze into the area. Nothing happened. That's when it hit me.

     I could no longer control the wind.

     I could barely breathe I was shaking so hard. Everything I thought I knew had been stripped away from me. I thought I could stop the prophecy and bring peace, but that was a lie. I thought I could prove myself as an elemental master, but my powers were gone. All that was left behind from this bitter battle was a sobbing girl not even old enough to stand as a legal adult. I had nowhere to go, nothing to believe in anymore. The only thing left was Acronix's last offer, but even then I wasn't sure if I had the will to stand up and follow him.

     A faint light started to shine in the corner of my eye.

     Trembling, I used my blistered hands to pull myself to my knees.

     The spirit stood a few feet away, his face in a gentle expression. He didn't say anything to my weakened form; he simply held out his hand.

     I stared at him as he softly smiled at me. Like the guardian he was. Like the guardian he was always supposed to be.

     I wasn't sure why the strange threads of my life seemed to converge with him. I wasn't sure why I was overwhelmed with comfort, with relief, at seeing the spirit who had haunted my life. He was the only voice left, the only person still there after everything was said and done.

     He was beckoning for me to come home, and for the first time in my life, I was ready to follow him there.