It had been a week since that horrible day, and the mood among them was heavy. None of them could shake the memory of Lyra's twisted laughter, the look in her eyes as she drained Harumi's powers without remorse. They had done everything they could for Harumi—hooking her up to Jay's medical equipment, monitoring her vitals in the lab. But she still hadn't woken up. The only comfort they had was that she was stable, though no one knew for how long.
The lab was in better shape now. They'd worked tirelessly to repair the damage Lyra had caused during her rampage, though the scars left behind—the scorch marks, the shattered glass, the deep gouges in the walls—still served as a grim reminder of the danger they faced.
Kai hadn't left Harumi's side since the incident, his expression dark and haunted. Every time Lloyd looked at him, he could see the worry eating away at him. And he couldn't blame him. Harumi was like family to them, and seeing her like this... it was a pain that cut deep.
Lloyd sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as he watched the monitors blink softly. The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the occasional hum of the machines. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the TV in the corner flicker to life.
It was the news. Normally, they kept it on for updates about what was happening in the city, but now... something was off.
"Lloyd," Nya called, her voice tense. She was staring at the screen, her face pale. He looked up, and his heart dropped into his stomach.
It was Lyra.
She was standing in the middle of a hijacked broadcast, her face splashed across every screen in Ninjago City. Her dark eyes glinted with malice as she smiled into the camera. It was eerie—so different from the Lyra they had once known.
"People of Ninjago," Lyra began, her voice smooth and dangerous. "I'm sure you've all heard of me by now. Some of you may even fear me. Good. Fear is the first step to understanding. You see, I've come to a realization. A New World Order is coming—one where the weak will bow to the strong, and power will no longer be in the hands of the unworthy."
Lloyd's blood ran cold as she spoke. She sounded nothing like the Lyra they knew—there was no hesitation in her words, no doubt in her voice. This was calculated, deliberate.
She continued, pacing slowly across the set she had hijacked, her hands moving with dark energy. "For too long, this city has been governed by those who don't understand true power. But that's about to change. I have power that none of you could ever comprehend, and now... I'm going to share it."
The shot cut to a live feed of her standing atop the tallest building in Ninjago City. Lloyd's heart pounded as he watched her lift her hand toward the sky, dark clouds swirling above her head. Her laughter echoed through the speakers as her power surged, and then it happened—dark rain began to fall, spreading across the city like a plague. He could hear the panic in the streets, people screaming as the rain touched their skin, their bodies convulsing as they were consumed by the power she was granting.
The chaos was instantaneous.
People were stumbling through the streets, their eyes glowing with newfound abilities. Some collapsed under the weight of the powers they couldn't control, while others reveled in it, their bodies crackling with energy. Lloyd could see people lifting cars with their bare hands, shooting flames from their fingertips, summoning ice from thin air. It was madness. Total madness.
Lyra's voice cut through the chaos, her words laced with dark amusement. "I've given you a gift. Now, it's up to you to decide what to do with it. But remember... only the strong will survive. Those who cannot handle their power will be consumed by it. This city will be reborn in fire and shadow, and I will rule it as its rightful queen."
She spread her arms wide, as if embracing the chaos below her. "Join me, or be destroyed. There is no middle ground."
Lloyd clenched his fists, anger bubbling in his chest. This wasn't Lyra anymore—this was something else. Something twisted and evil.
"We have to stop her," he whispered, his voice trembling with fury. "We can't let her do this."
Kai's eyes were locked on the screen, his expression cold. "She's building an army," he said darkly. "And she's using the entire city as her playground."
Nya cursed under her breath. "This is a nightmare. We're already stretched thin. If she keeps granting powers like this, we'll have an entire city of unpredictable superhumans running wild."
Jay shook his head, his face grim. "We need to get to her, fast. She's not just causing chaos—she's creating a war zone. And with these powers, there's no telling what these people will do."
"We'll need to find her, confront her," Zane said. His voice was calm, but Lloyd could hear the tension beneath his words. "But this time, we can't hesitate. She's far more powerful than before. We need a strategy."
Lloyd stared at the screen, his mind racing. Lyra had gone too far. She was no longer just a friend they had to save—she was a threat to the entire city. And if they didn't stop her soon, she would plunge all of Ninjago into darkness.
But deep down, a part of him still hoped they could reach her. That there was still something left of the Lyra they once knew, buried beneath all that darkness.
"We'll stop her," Lloyd said, his voice firm. "One way or another."
As he said the words, he wasn't sure if he believed them. But they had no choice. Lyra had declared war on the city, and now... they had to fight back.
But he couldn't shake the fear in his gut—the fear that they were already too late.
Hours had passed since Lyra's declaration of war on the city, and the weight of it sat heavily on all of them. The dark rain continued to fall outside the window, spreading more chaos by the minute. Every few minutes, the distant sound of explosions or people screaming echoed through the streets. They were all on edge, trying to figure out what to do next.
"We can't keep sitting here," Kai said, pacing back and forth. His fists were clenched, his fiery aura barely contained. "We need to act."
"Act how?" Jay shot back, his tone frustrated. "She's turned half the city into ticking time bombs. We're outnumbered and overpowered. We need a plan that doesn't end in us getting ripped apart."
Zane nodded. "Jay's right. Lyra's rain is spreading faster than we anticipated. If we go in unprepared, we risk escalating the situation."
Lloyd could feel the tension rising in the room. Everyone was on edge, and he didn't blame them. Lyra was far more dangerous than they ever could have predicted, and now she had the entire city at her mercy. They needed to act, but they also needed to be smart about it.
And then it hit him—something they hadn't considered.
"We need to evacuate our families," he said suddenly. The room went quiet, all eyes on him. "This city... it's about to turn into a war zone. If we go after Lyra, there's no telling what could happen. We need to get them out of here before things get even worse."
There was a moment of silence as everyone processed Lloyd's words. Then Kai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're right. We can't fight Lyra if we're worried about our families getting caught in the crossfire."
Nya stood up, her expression resolute. "We'll need to move quickly. If we wait too long, we might not get the chance."
The team nodded in agreement, and without another word, they split up to evacuate their loved ones.
Lloyd ran as fast as he could toward his house, the sound of chaos growing louder with every step. His heart pounded in his chest, fear gnawing at him. He hadn't thought about how this would affect his mother until now. The guilt weighed on him like a ton of bricks. How could he have let things get this far without telling her?
When he finally reached the house, he threw the door open, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Mom!" he called out, frantically searching for her.
When he arrived at his house, his heart was pounding. The city was in chaos, and he had only one thing on his mind: getting his mother to safety. As he burst through the door, the house was eerily quiet. He called out, "Mom! Where are you?"
In the living room, he found her sitting on the couch, her eyes red and tear-streaked. She looked up at him with a mix of hurt and anger. "Lloyd," she said, her voice trembling. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me what was going on?"
Lloyd was taken aback. The news was everywhere, but he hadn't realized she was so in the dark. His heart sank. He had been so wrapped up in the chaos of the last few days that he hadn't even considered how much his family must have been suffering.
"Mom, I'm sorry," he said, rushing to her side. "I should have told you. I didn't know things would get this bad. But right now, we need to leave. The city is about to become a war zone."
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "You've been gone for days, Lloyd. You never said a word about being a hero. I had no idea what was happening—only that you were missing and now... now everything's falling apart."
"I know," Lloyd said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the mounting pressure. "I should have told you everything. But right now, it's not safe. You need to get out of here, before it gets any worse."
Her eyes locked onto his, a mixture of fear and frustration. "And what about you? What if something happens to you? Why didn't you tell me you were in danger?"
"I didn't want to worry you," Lloyd said, his voice breaking. "I didn't want to put you in danger, but it's too late for that now. Please, Mom. You have to trust me. Get as far away from here as you can."
She looked torn, but the urgency in his voice finally seemed to break through her panic. "Okay," she said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I'll go. But you need to promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you."
"I promise," Lloyd said, pulling her into a tight hug. "Just go. I'll be fine. We'll fix this."
She nodded, gathering her things quickly. As she hurried out the door, Lloyd felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't just failed to keep her informed—he had failed to protect her from the fallout of his decisions.
As he watched her leave, he turned back toward the city, his mind racing. His mother was safe, but there was still so much to do. The others would be evacuating their families too, and once they were all safe, they'd need to regroup and figure out how to stop Lyra.
The weight of the task ahead felt heavier than ever, but there was no turning back now. They had to face Lyra, no matter the cost.