Alright so I'm back I guess.

I hope everyone who celebrates it had a great Christmas, and that everyone has a great new year, but it's now 2021 so let's see if we can start this with a bang.

At least for this story.

Okay so I'm just gonna get straight into this.

Lloyd curls up tight, hugging his knees into his chest. His whole body shakes with each sob that escapes him. Pain envelops him, smothering every part of him. His arms, his legs, his torso, even his head pounds.

Steven hasn't relented in his torture, putting the blond boy through hell repeatedly for the past few days. Finally, the Green Ninja has let his emotions get to him.

His team, his friends, his siblings, have they even realised he's gone by now? Or is Chamille still hiding among them in his body?

Almost as if in response to his thoughts, three voices reach him through the darkness and silence that is the home of the Traitors. The three laughs mingle together, a concoction of hatred, anger and over-confidence, leaving the horrible taste of fear under Lloyd's tongue. He pulls his knees in tighter, his ribs pressing firmly against them, almost threatening to snap under the pressure. As three sets of footsteps get louder and closer, he quickly wipes his cheeks clean of his tears and forces himself up into a sitting position, his back leaning against the wall furthest into his roughly-carved cell. Small, uneven, sharp teeth of rocks dig into his injured skin, though he tries his best to stay strong and pay the spikes no mind.

Steven, Chamille and Claire stride into the room, single file, their steps matching almost perfectly. Lloyd's emerald eyes land on them as he sighs quietly, one eyebrow rising slightly.

The facade exhausts him, but he needs to stay strong.

For the others. For his team, his uncle, the fate of Ninjago as he knows it. For himself.

For his pride, his strength, his reputation.

The three Traitors stop outside his cell's door, which for once remains firmly locked. Instead, the three simply stare and sneer, turning their noses up in annoyance and disgust. Steven rolls his eyes even as the girls turn away and start to walk off into the shadows of the room, though he also sighs as he shoots Lloyd a dirty look through the thick, chipped, dull metal bars between them. Lloyd scowls back, his eyes narrowing. An idea sparks inside his head, and he holds back a grin as he raises his hand and points his open palm to Steven's face, causing the Traitor to recoil sharply. He had to learn the hard way a few days ago that Lloyd can still use his energy even when beaten near broken. Since then, the green ninja has had a thick, heavy, solid ring of vengestone clamped around his right ankle. With every movement Lloyd's leg makes, the ring tugs harshly at his skin, sending jolts of pain rippling through his already-aching nerves. Even with the vengestone however, Steven carefully watches Lloyd's every move, constantly looking over his shoulder to check for incoming glowing green balls of light. The Green Ninja can barely hold back a snicker every time, the joke acting like his only ray of hope, however bleak, in the darkness he is trapped in. Steven growls quietly once he realises what he has been victim to once again, before turning away to follow the girls, not even bothering to look back.

The three sets of steps fade into the regular near-silence inside the Den, as Lloyd has heard Claire, Chamille and Steven refer to the place, and Lloyd lets a single, shuddering sigh tumble from his lips, his eyes drifting shut as his breathing slows down.

He doesn't know how long he has been out for, but he knows it's not been long. The general noise of the rooms is still around the level it was earlier, and there's no way he would have been left alone to sleep for a whole day, meaning little time will has passed.

A small long-haired child pokes their head in, uneven bangs falling into their eyes. They stare at Lloyd as if in shock, like before now they didn't think he really exists. Their dark brown eyes seem to light up in the deep shadows, the small fraction of light that manages to survive the battle against the darkness reflecting in them, causing their irises to shimmer. They slowly step forward, from the corridor outside, possibly risking at least something to come so close to the prisoner.

"Did they find you? You look older than some of us. Your parents must have hidden you well." their voice is high, a spark of curiosity and awe burning bright from within.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd doesn't understand. Why must his parents have 'hidden him well'? Indeed, he had technically been found from the first and last time the team had slipped below the surface, though the child's tone and what they are implying both confuses and worries Lloyd, a knot tying tightly in his stomach.

The child lifts one hand, their left index finger pointed right at his face. "Your eyes."

Lloyd raises a single brow, his mouth thinning as his lips press together, his thoughts racing. What on earth do his eyes have anything to do with this? Before he can ask, however, the child cuts him off.

"They're green. Children with green eyes get hidden down here. To keep them safe. Verdant children who are found disappear. I don't know where they go. Have they taken you anywhere before now? Or- wait a minute. How can you not know that?" The child gets lost deep in thought, their brow furrowing as they focus on the uneven, dusty floor. "You're not from here, are you?"

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd shakes his head "I'm from the surface. The world above." Again, the child's face glows, shock and curiosity smothering them.

"World above? There's more than this?"

Lloyd feels pain and surprise ripping through his chest. This child... is the darkness below really all they've ever known? They seem to be about four or five, though their voice seems older, more sophisticated, than their face. He nods quickly, his emerald eyes widening, focusing closely on the child. Suddenly, as if lifted from some kind of trance, their head snaps up again and they stare back into the ninja's face intensely.

"What's your name again?"

"I'm Lloyd."

"Nice to meet you, Lloyd. I'm Celine."

The child smiles at him, then turns on her heel and leaves, her dirty blonde hair flipping through the air to follow behind her.

Hi everyone, I'm back! At least temporarily.

Online school is already a pain in the behind, mental health is a bitch, and I hate French speaking exams (sorry if that came out wrong, I just get really bad anxiety. Yeah no, it's not fun). Also I no longer trust ebay - why do so many people put fake images of what they're selling?

Anyway, I hope you all liked this little chapter and again, I'm sorry each chapter has such a long wait in between and most of them are so short. I am trying to update more often again, but life is generally painful right about now so I'm not too sure how much I'll be able to.

Also, I hope you all like Celine because she may be sticking around for a while.

For now though, that's all I have for you all.

I hope to see you all again sooner this time-

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon.

-PanicAtTheHere