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The night slowly faded away, giving rise to a peach hue streaked with pink. The top of the rising sun could be seen peeking over the rooftops, casting a golden glow over everything. The air, however, was thick with the scent of smoke and iron. The Palace of Secrets stood with open walls, revealing all of its treasures and exposing them to the harsh world.

Blood streaked across the cracked marble floors while arms and other limbs, still scarcely covered by the Jade House uniforms, protruded from under the huge debris. A beautiful morning dawned on such a gory scene. None of the guards or servants had made it out. No one survived. The palace was still and silent like a lost city, waiting for the mist of the ages to claim it and hide it from prying eyes.

The once magnificent and grand structure was now nothing but a place for the departed souls to roam and mourn their fate. To ask themselves why the little princess, whom they all had vowed to love and protect, did this to them. Would there be no repayment for their kindness?

At a distance, the Destiny's Bounty lowered itself at the edge of the flyover. Harumi watched venomously from the side as Lloyd helped the Ninja aboard the ship. Her stomach was doing flip flops, agitated with anticipation. The group huddled together and began sharing news. Lloyd looked solemn as he gestured her over.

"The Sons got away," Nya mumbled, sharing a guilty glance with Jay. "We couldn't stop them."

"What became of the Mask of Deception?" Zane inquired, his human disguise flickering to that of a nindroid. "Have you secured it?"

Lloyd lowered his eyes as if in shame, shaking his head slowly. "That biker woman got to it first."

Harumi tried to appear disappointed and crestfallen in order to cover up her victorious smirk. She couldn't help praising herself for still keeping up the act even though there had been many instances where she could've failed.

She vaguely heard Cole mention something about the palace and she snapped to attention. Keeping her voice innocent and fearful, she asked, "What about my parents? Hutchins? Did they–"

Nya quickly moved closer to her, giving her a half-hug. "I'm sorry, princess. They didn't make it."

Harumi couldn't care less about the Emperor and Empress. She could easily forget them. Her mind whirred as she waited for the Ninja let loose a more positive outcome for the Master at Arms. However, their continuous silence and sorrowful eyes made the world beneath her drop away.

Harumi immediately turned to the distant structure of the smoking palace, half of it gone while the remnants crumbled in the early morning chill. She didn't realize her tight grip on the deck railing. Her blue eyes were searching the destruction, hoping she could spot a survivor.

No, no! Please, not Hutchins! Anyone but him!

After so many years, the girl felt a surge of bone-rattling panic shake her body. That cold, dark feeling of isolation she had perceived when her parents died returned. The effect wasn't as horrific but it was enough for warm tears to swell up under her eyelids.

Hutchins was the only person in her new home with whom she had made a true connection. He was there for her more than the Jades could even manage. He was her shelter when nightmares plagued every minute of her sleep. He was her shield whenever the demands of her royalty became unbearable. Like her, Hutchins had lost his family in the Devourer's attack. She had promise him vengeance.

All of that didn't matter anymore.

"Once again, I am . . . alone," she uttered in a choked whisper, her eyes never leaving the wreck she had caused. She was unclear if her words were the products of her act or if it was the 'ghost' voicing her thoughts.

Hutchins, I am so sorry.

A hand gently rested on her shoulder. She could feel another cradling her shaking arm and a sudden sense of protectiveness loomed over her from behind. It was tempting her to give up the trek down cold paths ending in despair. It seemed to call her towards a more safer route. It was gentle cruelty. A careful but violent feeling. It was green and gold all over.

"Don't worry, Rumi," the warmth spoke, the voice soothing her nerves as it rang in her ears. "You're one of us now. We'll find out who's behind this. They are not going to get away."

It's me.

Harumi had the sudden desire to flung herself at Lloyd's feet and wail till her lungs gave up. She yearned to scream at him to take her back to the lanterns and the dragon and the gleaming city so that she could return to that lovely feeling of normality. She half wished her plan to resurface the wrath of Lord Garmadon had different motives than to torture the warmth that surrounded her now.

Her heart was beating warningly. She was going to lose someone else if she continued down the way she had marked for herself. It was him. She was sure of it. She feared that if time and fate raged on like a never-ending carousel ride, the pang of losing him was going to hurt more than anything else. Harumi would die all over again.

She would have to bury another part of her and begin anew. But starting from scratch was scary. The blankness of the slate would suck the remaining clumps of life from her. She was now stuck on the carousel and she admitted the fact that she couldn't get off . . . and neither did she want to. There were only two options. Give in to the warmth and listen to the beckoning song of what the angels called 'love'.

Or imprison herself as far from the Green Ninja as possible.

Harumi slightly pulled away from Lloyd, tearing her gaze from the palace and locking it on the green haze. Even after all the ordeal, there was still a glimmer of affection in those eyes. She couldn't possibly rip it apart.

You love Rumi, not me. Don't fall in love with me. I'll only break your heart.

She was exhausted from pitting her brain against her heart. She let the latter take over and truthfully displayed fear and the need of safety as she stared back at Lloyd. She wanted to catch up to his heart and at the same time her dark desires kept it out of reach. She was caught in one place yet still running.

Chasing after him was going to be like a fairytale.

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