Outbreak: Ninjago's Dark Dawn

Chapter 1 - A Day Like Any Other

The sun was slowly descending behind the spires of Ninjago City, casting a warm orange glow over the bustling streets. It was an ordinary day. The kind of day that the ninja had long fought to preserve, filled with the rhythm of normal life—people working, children playing, the hum of city life undisturbed by chaos. For once, there were no serpentine uprisings, no ancient evils lurking in the shadows. The world felt at peace, and the ninja could finally catch their breath.

Kai leaned against the edge of a rooftop, his dark red gi blending with the setting sun behind him. He watched as people below moved through their daily routines, unaware of the warrior perched above. His eyes scanned the horizon with a practiced sense of vigilance, even on a day like this. Yet, beneath the surface, he itched for action. The calm always felt too brief, a fleeting moment before the inevitable storm.

Behind him, Nya approached quietly, her steps as measured as her breathing. "It's quiet today," she observed, standing beside her brother. "Almost too quiet."

Kai smirked, a flicker of flame dancing around his fingers as he absentmindedly played with his element. "You'd think after everything, we'd get used to days like this. But it always feels like something's coming, doesn't it?"

Nya nodded, her gaze falling on the skyline. The Tower of Elysium stood tall in the distance, its shadow reaching across the city like a sentinel. "We've been through too much not to expect the worst. But maybe, for once, we can just... enjoy it."

The thought lingered in the air, but neither of them truly believed it. A city that had seen as much chaos as Ninjago City didn't stay peaceful for long.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the heart of the city, Jay and Cole were wandering the streets, trying to blend in with the normalcy around them. Jay, always full of energy, kept cracking jokes about the street vendors, making Cole groan and roll his eyes at each punchline. Still, there was an ease between them, the comfort of being home after so many battles fought and won.

Cole stopped at a small stand, grabbing a snack. "We should do this more often, you know? Pretend like we're just normal guys, no ancient prophecies, no wars."

Jay grinned. "Yeah, I mean, it's nice not having to worry about getting swallowed by a giant snake or crushed by some stone monster for once."

As they walked, the streets began to darken, not just from the setting sun but from something else—a shift in the atmosphere that both ninjas felt, though neither could put their finger on it. The air was heavy, almost oppressive, and a low hum seemed to reverberate through the ground.

Cole stopped, frowning. "Do you feel that?"

Jay's laughter faded as he, too, became aware of the strange sensation. "Yeah... weird, right? It's like the air is buzzing."

Before they could speak further, the ground trembled beneath their feet. Not a violent quake, but a deep rumble, like something stirring far below the surface. The people around them didn't seem to notice, too engrossed in their routines, but to the ninja, it was unmistakable.

Cole narrowed his eyes, his voice low. "We should check in with the others."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, at the monastery on the outskirts of the city, Zane sat in the courtyard, eyes closed, his metallic body perfectly still as he meditated. His sensors were always alert, even in the deepest state of calm. But today, something was different. An anomaly. His internal systems picked up on subtle changes in the environment, readings that shouldn't exist. A spike in energy that didn't correlate with any known source in Ninjago.

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Something is wrong," he whispered to himself.

Lloyd, standing at the doorway, overheard Zane's words. The Green Ninja had spent most of the day training alone, but there was an unease in his heart, a gnawing feeling that today wasn't like the others. He walked over to Zane, his brow furrowed. "What is it? You sense something?"

Zane stood, his eyes scanning the sky, as if trying to decode some hidden message. "There's an energy fluctuation. It's subtle, but... significant. I cannot trace the source, but it's growing."

Lloyd felt a chill run down his spine. The peace they had been enjoying suddenly felt fragile, like glass ready to shatter. "Let's gather the others."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time the ninja reunited at the monastery, night had fallen. The sky was darker than usual, an unnatural blackness creeping across the heavens. Thunder rumbled in the distance, though no storm could be seen.

Kai was the first to speak. "Anyone else feeling like today just took a really weird turn?"

Nya nodded. "Zane picked up something strange. An energy spike. But it's not elemental."

Zane stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "It's something new. I've never seen readings like these before. The energy is foreign, almost alien in nature."

Lloyd crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Could it be another realm? We've dealt with interdimensional threats before."

Zane shook his head. "This isn't like anything we've encountered. It's not from this world, or any realm connected to ours. It feels... invasive."

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the courtyard. The ninja immediately went into defensive stances, weapons drawn, but what appeared wasn't an enemy. It was a meteor, small yet glowing with an eerie green light. It had landed just outside the monastery, sending dust and debris into the air.

The ninja rushed to the site, their faces tense with confusion. The meteor pulsated with an unnatural glow, the green light reflecting off their faces as they stared at it.

"What the—" Jay started, but before he could finish, the meteor cracked open, revealing something inside. A strange, viscous substance began to seep from its core, dark and oily, but it moved with purpose, as if alive.

Lloyd took a cautious step forward. "Don't touch it," he warned. "We don't know what it is."

But it was too late. The substance moved on its own, spreading across the ground, splitting into thin, snake-like tendrils that slithered toward the monastery's entrance. The air grew heavier, the oppressive feeling intensifying.

"We need to contain it," Nya said urgently, summoning her element, but as she raised her hands, the substance suddenly surged toward them, faster than they could react.

Zane's eyes widened as his systems began to overload with new data. "This... this is a parasitic lifeform," he said, his voice filled with both awe and horror. "It's feeding."

Kai unsheathed his sword, fire erupting in his hands. "Then we destroy it before it spreads."

But as the tendrils of the substance reached the stone walls of the monastery, they began to multiply, creeping ever faster, and the ninja realized—they weren't dealing with an enemy they could simply defeat. This was something far worse.