Sensei Garmadon Kamiare was at the Temple of Resurrection—only he and Wu knew its location—wanting a moment for himself. He'd been through so much over the past several years and he just needed a break from everything and everyone. Now kneeling over the altar, he was unable to hold back silent sobs of overwhelming emotion. Everything was taking a toll on him.

Unbeknownst to the destruction elemental, however, Lloyd had followed him, curious as to where he was going, even though his father specifically told him not to follow. It took a few minutes but he finally reached the secret door. He went inside the door, climbing up the stairs, leading to the Temple. As he reached the top, he could hear his father sobbing uncontrollably. Then, there was silence.

"Dad?" Lloyd asked as he saw Garmadon kneeling over the altar, not making a sound whatsoever. "What's wrong?"

No response.

"Dad..." Lloyd softly spoke again, wrapping his arms around his father as he laid his head against Garmadon's.

"Lloyd, please... I want some time alone..." Gently pushing his son off of him, Garmadon shook his head and gestured towards the exit of the temple. "Please leave..."

"But–"

"Leave me..." the older man muttered.

"What...?" Lloyd tried to reason with him.

"Please...give me a moment alone..."

"But, Dad..."

"Just leave me, alright?!"

"Dad...please..."

"Stop this right now!"

"Dad, you don't really love me, do you?"

Garmadon just couldn't take it. His own child was bothering him. And then those words...

"ENOUGH, LLOYD!"

Crack...

The pedestal.

Garmadon's powers.

Silence.

Lloyd shook his head in guilt and turned away. "I'm so sorry... I was curious...but I shouldn't have followed you..." He glanced towards Garmadon, his emerald green orbs meeting his father's faintly glowing purple ones before turning back to leave the area. "I'll go now..."

What had he done? He should've never pushed his son away. Garmadon remembered how broken Yakunan was when Xenudah disowned him just years ago, and he didn't want to make that same mistake. "Lloyd, hold on!" he cried out. His voice then fell to a softer tone. "You can stay with me... It's okay... It's okay..." When Lloyd bolted to him, Garmadon caught him in his arms, running a hand through his child's soft hair in gentle consolation.

"Dad, I'm so sorry..." Lloyd finally couldn't hold his sobs back anymore and cried into his father's chest, too overwhelmed now.

"Don't apologize... This was never wholly because of you..." the sensei whispered.

"Don't leave..." Lloyd whimpered softly and tearfully. His breath shuddered as he leaned against his father, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I won't..." the older man reassured adamantly. "Not now, not ever, not for anything... I truly do not want to leave your side... I love you, my precious son. Never, ever forget that..."

Lloyd smiled. "I won't. I'm happy we're together." He cried out softly in delight. "Dad, please... Don't leave me..." the green ninja whimpered.

"Shhhhhhh..." the destruction elemental hushed, carding his fingers so gently through his hair, burying his face into it. "My baby, I'm not going to... I'll never let you go... I'm scared I'll lose you to Xenudah's wrath... But it'll be okay in time... I promise... You'll be okay... Everything'll be okay... Just calm down...calm down..."

Once again, silence fell amongst the two, the both of them relaxing at last.

"Where are we?" Lloyd asked, his curiosity emerging once more. "It's pretty cool."

Sighing, Garmadon took his son's hands, leaning against the cracked pedestal. "The Temple of Resurrection. However, in order for you to truly understand, I'm about to disclose things from our family's legacy I haven't told you about yet. Sadly, it's the reason why I became evil in the first place.

My father created this world, but was never from it. There are sixteen realms including Ninjago, one of which is known as the Realm of Oni and Dragons, formally known as Isharu. It's also the first realm that has ever existed. The Oni had the power to destroy, while the Dragons had the power to create, with the leaders being Tohakai and Sakusei respectively. Both were at peace, but one day, war broke out between the two races. Much like with the battle between my father and Yakunan, neither had an advantage over the other, and through this, my father was created with the power of both."

"Wait, then that means I'm part Oni and Dragon too?" Lloyd asked his father who nodded in confirmation.

"Yes. Now, both sides knew if they had my father in their possession, they would ultimately win the war in their favor. Of course, my father knew that as well, and so he left, creating Ninjago. You've heard about the battle between him and Yakunan, though there is more to that than you would initially realize. Soon after my father left, Tohakai was furious that he had left the First Realm."

"He would've gone after him, right?"

"Not exactly. He wasn't able to leave the realm, but dragons could. So he took one of the dragon's eggs and infused it with dark oni powers, and once it fully matured, he sent him through a portal with a legion of oni warriors."

"Wait, what happened to the Oni?" Lloyd asked. "I've never heard it mentioned that they were part of the battle against the First Spinjitzu Master."

"That was because Yakunan ordered them to not interfere with the battle. If they had, my father would have never stood a chance. In their grief when the land divided, they isolated themselves in Primeval's Eye, hiding the three Oni Masks there as well: the Mask of Vengeance, the Mask of Deception, and the Mask of Hatred.

Do you remember Mystaké?" Garmadon asked, pulling Lloyd against him.

"Yeah."

"Well, she's also an oni, the reason for why the both of us and Wu will live such long lives. Mystaké fell in love with the world my father created, and the two of them fell in love as well. But when Wu and I were born, everything changed, for better and for worse... Wu took on my father's dragon inheritance, while I took on his oni inheritance. Therefore, I was always destined to become evil one day; the Devourer's bite was only a catalyst...and as you know...I could have lost you for good, Lloyd Montgomery..." the destruction elemental choked out, his voice so quiet but enough for his son to hear. He buried his face into his son's soft mop of blonde hair, unable to hold a sob back. He started to cry uncontrollably once more.

"D-Dad...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." Lloyd leaned against his father's chest while closing his eyes in sympathy.

"It's alright...I'm here... You have saved me, even though it was just years ago... For that I am grateful... I've missed you dearly..." Garmadon smiled, despite the tears cascading down his face. "At last we are together, and it's been far too long..."