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Nya shivered, clutching her arms around her torso. Her tunic and trousers clung to her freezing skin seemingly fusing the two. The mud squelched under her slippers with every weary step she managed. The rain made it hard for her to see but she continued in search of a shelter.

After what felt like hours, she spotted a rundown kiosk. Her aching legs provided a last spurt of energy to carry her over before giving way under the shed. Her teeth chattered as she fruitlessly tried to warm herself.

"B-bad idea," she mumbled, bending over and wrapping her arms around her legs. "So s-stupid."

Her stomach growled in response as if admonishing her for the spontaneous decision of running away. She had nothing to eat and, excluding the rain, nothing to drink either. Nor did she have any money to buy herself those things.

You could steal.

Nya looked down at her hands, wet and dirty. Hands that had failed her in everything except for the immoral art of thievery. She had never liked doing it when it was the only thing keeping her and Kai alive and she was grateful to avoid it when Kai finally began earning money.

No. Nya shook her head, refusing to let the thought come into consideration. But did she have a choice? It was either breaching her morality or starving to death. Going back to Kai wasn't an option. He thought her a burden and a failure.

"Stealing it is," she said, flexing her toes and getting them ready for a run. She had to survive. One thing she promised herself she wouldn't fail at.

. . .

Her hand closed around the biggest, reddest apple in the pile while her eyes kept tabs on the fruit vendor. He was busy tending to a handful of customers who were gathered on the other side of the stall near the peaches and mangoes.

She snatched it up and ran before anyone could spot her. Without a cloak to hide under, she couldn't take the risk of casually strolling away to seem inconspicuous. But the rapidly approaching night provided enough cover.

A laugh fell from her lips despite the earlier dip in her emotions. The thrill was the only aspect of stealing she enjoyed. She bit into the apple, smiling as the tart flavour satisfied her stomach. Slowing to a stop near the kiosk, she waited for her breathing to settle.

The apple would be all for tonight. Breakfast would be hunted early tomorrow morning after some rest.

Nya brought the apple to her mouth for another bite when she was pulled backwards by her collar. The fruit fell from her hand, rolling away as she was dragged in the opposite direction. She kicked and cried, resisting the pull. The force on her loosened as she was thrown against the back of the shed.

Nya grabbed at her neck and felt a cold, jointed hand just as it was pulling away. Heart racing, she looked up at the figure before her. It was pale against the dark shadows, almost white. Two points of red glinted above it, unmistakably the eyes.

More figures came into view, both of them the same faded white. Three pairs of eyes glowered down at her. It took everything within her not to scream. Skeletons. The same ominous creatures that had been following her.

The one in the middle had a large skull with deep sockets for eyes. The bones shaping its ribcage looked bigger and heavier. The upper spine was curved, giving it a hunchbacked appearance and making it slightly shorter than the other two. Four arms flanked either side of him. With no lips, its teeth seemed to be held in a constant grimace. Still, it managed a sinister grin.

"We've been running after you for quite some time, human," the skeleton spoke, voice raspy like a hundred nails scratching against concrete. "Slippery little thing you are."

"Please, let me go," Nya whispered, fear gripping her throat and making it difficult to breathe.

"Oh, but there's somebody very special we'd like you to meet," it said, ending with a scratchy laughter that made Nya shudder.

The skeleton on the right tapped the big one's shoulder. "Uh, I thought we were here to capture her and take her hostage."

The middle one rolled its eyes. "Yes, we do that after she meets him."

Nya didn't like the sound of that. She spotted an opening between two of the monsters and prepared to make a run for it. "Meet who?" She had no desire to know who they had planned for her to meet but she tried to keep them occupied with questions.

The big skeleton grinned again, red eyes trained on her. "The king of shadows."

Nya faltered, a chill running up her spine. The darkness in the space behind the kiosk seemed to grow but she couldn't tell if it was the night or something else entirely. Her petty escape plan crumbled when a deep voice sounded from behind her.

"You needn't be afraid, child."

That was impossible. Her back was pressed against the wall of the shed. There couldn't be a person behind her. But she saw the skeletons stepping back, looking at something above her. Before she could turn to see what it was, the shadows shifted.

Something dark moved in her peripheral vision, climbing on the wall to her left. It looked like ink seeping through, blackening the wood. Soft, echoey laughter filled the air, reviving the tremble in Nya's legs. The mass of shadows gathered on the wall in front of her. The skeletons had been following its course around the area and were now facing it.

Nya gasped as the shadow morphed into the shape of a man wearing a war helmet. It was a silhouette without any facial features except for the eyes which were the same menacing red as the skeletons'. The three of them took a deep bow.

"Lord Garmadon," the big skeleton said in greeting. Nya noticed a hint of disdain with which it said the words. The looming shadow did not, however.

"So, you've finally gotten hold of her, Samukai," he said, not bothering to acknowledge the salutation. Samukai didn't reply but turned his ghastly face towards Nya triumphantly.

Lord Garmadon scrutinized her for a moment, probably noticing her pale face. "I'm not going to hurt you." Unlike his skeleton soldiers, his voice was deep and smooth. It could almost pass as human, if it weren't for his nightmarish aura. Still, it did nothing to calm Nya's nerves.

"What do you want?" she asked, pressing her back against the shed behind her.

The shadow moved swiftly, disappearing and reforming on the wall adjacent to where Nya was. She cried out at the close proximity, inching away. Samukai and the other two watched in amusement, the former letting out a chuckle.

"I am in search of some very powerful weapons," Lord Garmadon explained, forming shadowy figures of blades and chains. "Weapons that have created the very land you live on. You and your brother are going to help me find them."

Nya felt goosebumps rising up her arms. "How do you know about Kai?"

The shadow had no mouth but Nya could tell that he was grinning. "I know of everything that's on the surface and everything that's below. I knew your parents."

"My parents are dead."

"A shame really. They would've been a lot more help to me. But then again, life's challenges are never simple."

Nya wondered what connection this demon and his bony troops had to her family. Did her parents broker a deal with him once? Did this have anything to do with their disappearance? Were they hiding from him?

Lord Garmadon returned to the front, addressing the skeletons. "Bring her and the boy to me. Make sure they have the map. Not only will we find the Golden Weapons but we can prevent my brother from fulfilling the prophecy. It would be useless if he doesn't have the boy."

Nya could neither make head nor toe of what was being said. She only knew that the skeletons were being commanded to hold her hostage. The shadow was too busy giving out orders and Nya didn't wait for him to finish. She pushed past the skeletons and turned the corner by the kiosk, running out onto the deserted village streets.

"Catch her!" the king of shadows yelled, the earlier calmness of his voice gone.

Nya could hear bones and armor clanking as the skeletal trio pursued her. Her legs ached from all the running she had done that day, clumsy feet splashing the puddles. Part of her wanted to stop and let the skeletons take her since she wasn't sure she could continue longer. Even her lungs protested, unable to accommodate her heavy breathing.

"She's slowing down! Grab her!"

Nya knew one of them was right on her tail and she was just a snatch away. She took to screaming for help but couldn't afford enough breath to do it. The streets were devoid of people and the darkness was growing solid. It was as if Lord Garmadon had drenched the world in his shadows.

She was beginning to feel dizzy. Her upper body fell forward, her legs getting caught in each other. Stumbling, her chin hit the ground first. Pain cracked through her jaw and up to her temples. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to get back on her feet. Her palms were scratched while her trousers were torn at the knee and staining red. The skin below her chin stung. She rubbed it and blood smeared across the back of her hand.

"Gotcha!"

She was yanked back and lifted clear off her feet. Bony fingers clamped across her mouth while an arm wrapped her torso. She could feel the skeleton's ribs poking her back, making her stomach clench. She tried to struggle but couldn't even muster enough strength for that.

"Don't lose her again," Samukai snarled, coming into view, glaring at her. "Tie her up if you have to."

Tears spilled down Nya's cheeks as the skeletons led her back down the lane. It was futile to cry aloud with her mouth held shut. It was surprising how strong their grip was considering they were nothing but bones. Or maybe Nya was simply too tired to resist.

The village seemed to be pulsing with darkness and cold and she wondered if the gateway to the Underworld had opened up then and there. But that wasn't right. The shadow king had specified that he required her brother as well.

Kai. Part of her regretted running away. But now she knew it wasn't safe back home either. Samukai would've tracked them down anyway. Nya feared what would happen to her once she was back in Lord Garmadon's clutches. He'd said he wouldn't harm her but it was becoming harder to believe him.

She'd promised herself she would survive. But here she was, being dragged into the claws of danger. Another failure to bear. Not again, she screamed silently, feeling her muscles tense up. Never again.

She felt something in her swell, like a balloon being filled. Her dwindling strength seemed to be returning to its full force. She called to that compelling force inside her, felt it answering. The darkened kiosk was looming closer, her momentary shelter now twisted by the shadows. A few more steps left. Three more. Two. One.

Nya let the storm loose. The skeleton holding her jerked backwards, crying out in its raspy voice. Nya didn't see what hit him but she did feel a spray of water. The skeleton's grip loosened and she tumbled to the ground. In seconds, she was on her feet.

Samukai and his cronies were all dripping wet, wiping water from their eyes. There was a faint splash and Nya turned to see the large puddle that lay a few steps from her, its surface rippling. Her memory cut to the stream back home, realization dawning on her.

I did that!

All the anger and frustration she'd endured since the fire had bubbled underneath, releasing in this new form of power. For the first time in a long while, Nya felt strong.

You will always be a failure.

If you'd just stayed put, none of this would've happened.

Run away! It's what you did back then, it's what you'd do now.

Nya was in control now. Not her brother, not the shadow king, not the world. The water was hers to command.

Before Samukai made a dive for her, she imagined swinging her leg beneath him and making him lose his balance. At that moment, a strip of water shot from the puddle and swiped at Samukai's feet, knocking him down.

"Woah, did you see that? That was amazing," said the one who'd held her. Nya almost smiled.

"Catch her, you fools!" Samukai screamed, his hands searching for his skull which had dislodged during the fall.

The other skeleton groaned. "I don't like this human at all. She's too much work." He stepped around his fallen comrade and made a run for her.

This time, Nya wasn't alone. She had only run a few metres when the surrounding rain water from the puddles and drains began collecting under her worn out slippers. It felt like she was skating, the water running below her feet, carrying her along. She sped through the streets, the wind whipping her hair.

She looked back. The skeletons were quickly fading from view, disappearing around a corner when the water steered her right at the crossroads. Nya beamed, wondering what the almighty Lord Garmadon would do to them for failing his orders.

She dashed through the archway which led out of Ignacia. The water gradually trickled away, finally leaving her feet on stable ground again. She didn't stop but kept on running, leaving her village, her home behind.

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