After the fight with the murderer, it was clear that they needed to get a better handle on Lyra's powers. The fact that she could both give and take power was something none of them had anticipated, and that made her abilities even more dangerous—and unpredictable.
Jay insisted that they run more tests, just to see what exactly she was capable of and to help her learn control. He set up a makeshift lab in the training room, surrounding Lyra with energy sensors, monitors, and various pieces of tech that only Jay could make sense of.
"This should give us a better idea of how your energy works," Jay said as he adjusted the sensors on her arms. "We need to understand the limits of your powers before something like that happens again."
Lyra nodded, though her expression was tense. "I don't want to hurt anyone else," she said quietly, her voice laced with unease.
"You won't," Lloyd said, trying to sound reassuring. "We're here to help you, Lyra. This is just so we can figure it out together."
She gave him a small nod, but he could still see the fear in her eyes. He exchanged a glance with Harumi, who stood beside him, her own worry clear on her face.
"Alright, ready?" Jay asked, adjusting the final pieces of equipment.
Lyra took a deep breath and nodded again. "Ready."
Jay started the test, and immediately, the energy in the room shifted. The sensors flared to life as Lyra's dark power began to pulse through the air. Tendrils of shadowy energy swirled around her, wrapping around her arms and legs like living things. The monitors beeped and hummed, displaying spikes of energy that were growing more erratic by the second.
Jay frowned at the screen. "That's... odd. Her energy levels are fluctuating more than they should be."
"Is that bad?" Harumi asked, her voice tight.
"Not necessarily," Jay replied, still focused on the readings. "But it's definitely unusual. Let's push it a little further, just to see what happens when she taps into that giving and taking power."
Lyra hesitated, but then she closed her eyes and focused. The tendrils of dark energy thickened, swirling faster now. The air around them grew colder, and the lights in the room began to flicker. Her breathing became more labored, and Lloyd could see the strain on her face.
"Lyra, you okay?" Lloyd asked, taking a step closer.
"I... I'm fine," she whispered, but her voice was shaky.
Jay pushed a button on the console, and suddenly, one of the machines emitted a sharp, high-pitched sound. Lyra gasped, her body convulsing as the energy around her spiked dangerously. The sensors went haywire, flashing red warnings on the screens. Her power flared out of control, lashing out like a wild animal.
"Jay, shut it down!" Lloyd shouted.
"I'm trying!" Jay yelled back, frantically pressing buttons on the console.
But before he could stop it, Lyra screamed in pain as a surge of dark energy exploded from her body. The wave hit all of them like a physical force, sending them stumbling backward. Lloyd slammed into the wall, feeling the chill of her power seep into his bones.
And then... something changed. Lyra stood there, trembling, her eyes wide and unfocused. She wasn't in pain anymore—instead, she started laughing. It was a soft, almost nervous giggle at first, but then it grew louder, more twisted, more manic.
They all froze, watching her. The laugh became a cackle, and her body shook with it. The sound was chilling, echoing through the room like something out of a nightmare. Lloyd felt a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach as her laughter grew louder and louder, reverberating off the walls.
"Lyra?" Lloyd called out, but she didn't respond. She just kept laughing, her head tilted back, her eyes gleaming with something dark and terrifying.
Jay shut off the machines, but the damage was done. The energy in the room was thick, oppressive. A deep, bone-chilling cold settled over them, and Lloyd could see the others shivering, their faces pale with fear. Even Kai, who was usually unfazed by anything, looked unnerved.
Harumi clutched Lloyd's arm, her voice barely a whisper. "Lloyd... something's wrong. This isn't her."
Lyra's laughter reached a fever pitch, echoing like the twisted cry of something far more sinister than they had ever faced. Dark tendrils of energy whipped around her, tearing through the room, and for a moment, Lloyd could swear he saw shadows flickering behind her—shadows with eyes.
"Lyra, stop!" Lloyd shouted, his voice desperate.
But she didn't. Her laughter kept going, growing more and more hysterical, more and more unhinged. The air felt thick with dread, like they were standing on the edge of a very dark abyss.
And then, in one sudden, terrible moment, she stopped laughing. Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket, the only sound the faint hum of the machines.
Lyra turned slowly, her eyes locking onto Lloyd. Her gaze was different now—darker, colder. Lloyd felt a shiver run down his spine as she took a step toward him, her expression twisted with something he couldn't place.
"Lloyd," she said, her voice unnervingly calm. "Do you know what it feels like? To have all that power inside you... waiting to be unleashed?"
He swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "Lyra... this isn't you."
She smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile—it was cruel, predatory. "Isn't it? Maybe this is who I've always been... maybe this is what I was meant to be."
Dark energy coiled around her hands, and Lloyd could feel it pulling at him, like it was trying to reach inside and tear something out of him. Harumi tightened her grip on his arm, her fear radiating off her in waves.
"Lyra, you need to stop," Lloyd said, trying to keep his voice steady. "We're your friends. We're here to help you."
Her smile faded, replaced by something cold and hard. "Help me? Or are you just afraid of me? Afraid of what I can do?"
The temperature dropped again, the air so thick with tension that it was hard to breathe. Lloyd could see Jay frantically working behind the console, trying to come up with some solution, but there was no telling what would work now.
"I don't want to hurt you," Lloyd said, stepping toward her, trying to reach the Lyra he knew. "You're stronger than this. You're stronger than whatever this is."
For a moment, Lloyd thought he saw something flicker in her eyes—something softer, something familiar. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by that dark, twisted smile.
"You should be afraid of me," she whispered, her voice dripping with malice. "Because this power... it's mine. And I'm done holding back."
And just like that, the energy exploded from her again, even more violent than before. They were thrown back, crashing into walls and equipment, the room erupting into chaos. And through it all, Lyra stood in the center of the storm, her eyes glowing with dark power, her laughter once again rising above the destruction.
This wasn't just a loss of control. This was something deeper, darker... and far more dangerous than any of them had anticipated.
As the room shook around them, Lloyd realized with a sinking feeling that they weren't just dealing with Lyra anymore. They were dealing with something far worse—something that might consume her entirely if they didn't find a way to stop it.
The room was in chaos, debris flying everywhere as Lyra's dark energy spiraled out of control. They were all on their feet now, trying to get to her, to stop her, but every time they got close, a wave of her power would send them crashing back into the walls.
"Lyra, stop!" Lloyd shouted over the roar of her energy, his voice strained with desperation.
She ignored him, her eyes glowing with dark power. Shadows danced around her like living things, lashing out at anything that got too close. Kai lunged at her, flames roaring to life in his hands, but a tendril of shadow wrapped around his wrist and threw him across the room like he was nothing. He hit the wall with a sickening thud and slid to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Lyra!" Harumi called out, her voice trembling. She tried to approach, but Lyra's energy flared again, the shadows forcing her back. "Please, don't do this!"
Lyra's laughter echoed through the room, cold and mocking. "You're all so pathetic," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "This is boring."
Jay and Zane rushed her together, trying to coordinate their attacks. Zane shot ice toward her, while Jay aimed a blast of tech-powered energy, but Lyra deflected both with a single wave of her hand. The dark energy around her surged, and before either of them could react, she unleashed a pulse of power that sent them both flying backward.
Lloyd gritted his teeth, gripping his saber tightly. They were running out of options. This wasn't just Lyra losing control anymore—this was something else entirely. Something darker. He knew they had to stop her, but he didn't know how.
"Lloyd!" Kai shouted, pulling himself to his feet. "We need to subdue her, now! Before she tears this place apart!"
Lloyd nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "Everyone, weapons out!" he called, steeling himself for what was coming next. This wasn't going to be easy—hell, it might not even be possible—but they had to try.
Nya was the first to act, summoning a torrent of water from the sprinklers overhead. The water swirled around her, and with a sharp gesture, she directed it toward Lyra, hoping to bind her with it. But Lyra just laughed, raising her hand and summoning a dark blade of energy. With a single swipe, she cut through the water, sending it splashing to the ground.
"You're going to have to do better than that," she taunted, her smile wicked.
Cole charged in next, his earth powers rumbling through the ground beneath them. He slammed his fist into the floor, sending shockwaves of stone toward Lyra, but she barely flinched. With a flick of her wrist, she shattered the rocks mid-air, the fragments crumbling to dust before they could even touch her.
Zane fired off a barrage of icy projectiles, but they melted before they even reached her, dissolving into steam as her dark energy consumed them.
Jay's blasts of energy sparked against her defenses, doing nothing but adding to the chaos in the room.
"Enough!" Lyra's voice boomed over the noise, her eyes blazing with fury. She raised her dark sword, and with one powerful swing, unleashed a wave of energy that sent all of them sprawling across the floor.
Lloyd pushed himself to his feet, his whole body aching from the impact. He could see the others struggling to stand as well, their faces etched with pain and frustration. This wasn't working. She was too strong, too fast, and nothing they did even came close to subduing her.
And then, she sighed, her expression shifting from rage to boredom. "This is disappointing," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I expected more of a fight."
She lowered her sword, her eyes scanning the room as if she was considering her next move. "I think I'll take my leave," she said with a smirk. "You're all starting to bore me."
Before any of them could react, she turned toward the door. But then she paused, her eyes landing on Harumi, who was struggling to stand. A slow, sinister smile spread across her face.
"But maybe I'll take something with me," Lyra purred, her voice soft and dangerous.
"No!" Lloyd shouted, trying to lunge toward her, but he was too slow. Lyra was already there, standing in front of Harumi, her hand raised.
Harumi's eyes widened in fear, and she tried to back away, but Lyra grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her close. "Don't worry," Lyra whispered, her voice sickeningly sweet. "This won't take long."
And then, with a chilling grin, Lyra placed her palm against Harumi's face. Dark energy pulsed from her hand, and Harumi screamed—a sound that cut through the chaos like a knife. Her body convulsed as Lyra drained her power, her energy being ripped from her like a lifeline being severed.
"Harumi!" Lloyd screamed, his heart hammering in his chest. He tried to reach her, but another wave of dark energy knocked him back, slamming him into the wall.
The room seemed to darken as Harumi's screams grew weaker, her body collapsing under the weight of the energy being drained from her. Her skin grew pale, her breathing shallow, and her eyes fluttered shut.
"Stop!" Nya screamed, rushing toward them, but Lyra simply turned and blasted her back with a wave of power. Nya crashed into the floor, sliding across the room as Kai and Jay rushed to help her.
Lyra finally let go of Harumi, letting her limp body fall to the ground like a ragdoll. Harumi barely moved, her chest rising and falling with weak, labored breaths.
Lyra stood there, her dark energy crackling around her, a twisted smile on her face. "That was fun," she said, her voice dripping with malice. She glanced at them, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "But now... I'm done with you."
With that, she turned and strode toward the door, leaving them behind in the wreckage of what used to be their training room. As she left, the dark energy in the room began to dissipate, but the damage had already been done.
Lloyd scrambled to Harumi's side, his heart racing as he lifted her head into his lap. Her skin was cold to the touch, her face pale and drained of color. "Harumi, hang on," he whispered, his voice thick with fear. "Please, hang on."
The others gathered around, their expressions grim and shaken. Lyra was gone, and they had no idea what had just happened—what they had just unleashed.
But one thing was clear: Lyra wasn't just dangerous anymore. She was something far worse.
And they had no idea how to stop her.