Chapter 14

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Cole drew in a sharp breath as he reached the bottom of the staircase. Finally, he thought. I thought those steps would never end! Straightening up, he headed into the kitchen.

Wu was there and he turned as Cole walked in. The sensei eyed him and noticed how exhausted he looked. "What are you doing up so late, Cole?" he asked.

Cole shook his head and went over to the refrigerator. "I'm famished!" he exclaimed. "Any leftovers from dinner?"

Wu rubbed his beard. "I guess you might as well be since you weren't hungry for dinner," he murmured.

Unease flashed in Cole's eyes for a moment. "Uh... yeah," he mumbled. Then he faced the refrigerator and grabbed the handle. With a grunt, he tugged at the door, but it didn't open. He struggled with it a moment longer before stepping back, panting for breath.

Wu raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, opening the refrigerator with ease.

Cole blinked. "Thanks," he breathed. He stared at the full gallon of milk inside the fridge and took a deep breath. Then he grabbed the gallon and pulled it off the shelf. He gasped as the weight pulled down on him and he staggered on his feet. With another grunt, he swung the milk around until it landed clumsily on the counter. Panting, he leaned over the counter and glanced sideways at Wu. "Milk is... heavy," he chuckled nervously.

Wu stared at him suspiciously. "Apparently so," he murmured.

He watched as Cole poured the milk into a glass. The black ninja held the gallon steadily, but Wu noticed his legs were shaking from the weight of it. The sensei frowned and rested his hand on the milk gallon. "I'll put it away," he told him.

Cole's body slumped weakly as he turned toward the sensei. "Thanks," he repeated.

Wu stopped him as he headed out of the kitchen. "Are you going to be okay going up the stairs?" he asked with concern.

Cole gave a curt nod. "Of course," he said quietly.

Wu watched as the ninja went over to the staircase; Cole took a deep breath before heaving himself up the steps. The sensei could see the strain it took for Cole to reach the top floor, even though the ninja was obviously trying to hide it.

Shaking his head, Wu put away the milk and shut the refrigerator. What happened to Cole? he wondered. He's so unsteady, so... weak. He thought back to his earlier conversation with him in the black ninja's bedroom. Nya must've noticed it, too, he thought. But whatever happened, Cole is refusing to admit it.

Wu rubbed his beard, troubled. Maybe this has something to do with his visions, he mused. He didn't know a lot about Cole's evident new power, but he did know it could have fierce side effects. I'll talk to Kai about it tomorrow, he decided. Maybe Cole told him something.

* * *

That morning, Lloyd picked at his breakfast. His eyelids drooped sleepily and his chin rested on his hand. Kai noticed this and asked, "Lloyd, are you okay?"

Lloyd didn't respond.

"Lloyd?" Kai repeated.

Lloyd shook his head and turned to the red ninja. "Oh—were you talking to me?" he murmured. He rubbed his eyes. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Nya, who was sitting beside Kai, glared at Lloyd from across the table. Her eyes blazed and she turned her head away. Although Lloyd didn't seem to notice, Kai definitely did.

"Hey." He nudged his sister. "What's up?"

Nya didn't meet his gaze. "Nothing," she said hastily. "I'll... I'll tell you later."

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