Ninjago:Rising

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Meanwhile, back in the city, Lloyd and Lyra were locked in their own furious battle. Dark clouds swirled above them as if mirroring the chaos between them, lightning crackling and casting a stark contrast between the two siblings. Buildings trembled as bursts of energy rippled out from their clash, scattering fragments of debris and dust with every collision.

Lloyd had always known Lyra's power, but this... this was something else. She moved with a ruthless precision, every strike aimed to weaken him, every move calculated to expose his vulnerabilities. He could see the cold determination in her eyes, the fury tempered by control as if every attack were as much about revenge as it was about victory.

"Lloyd, you really think you can stand against me?" she sneered, her voice carrying a venomous edge. "You still don't get it, do you? This world is broken, and it needs to be rebuilt from the ashes."

"Lyra, listen to yourself!" Lloyd deflected her next attack, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. "This isn't you. Whatever darkness is controlling you—it's twisting everything you believe in."

Lyra laughed, a hollow sound that echoed through the abandoned city square. "Is that what you think? That I'm some puppet?" She launched forward, her energy surging, and Lloyd barely managed to dodge, feeling the shockwave ripple past him. "No, Lloyd. This is me. And maybe it's time for you to see that."

Every time he tried to reach her, to find some trace of the sister he once knew, it seemed to push her further away. Her attacks grew fiercer, as if she were feeding off the hopelessness in his eyes. But he still held back, not unleashing his full power. Part of him knew that if he did, it would endanger not just her, but possibly half the city as well.

She noticed. Of course, she noticed. "What's wrong, Lloyd?" she mocked, twirling a dark blade between her fingers, an extension of the shadows that wrapped around her. "Afraid to hurt your little sister?"

Lloyd gritted his teeth. "You're still my sister, no matter what." He lunged forward, bringing his sword down with controlled strength. Lyra sidestepped with a smirk, effortlessly blocking his blade.

"You think that makes you strong? Pathetic," she hissed, lashing out with a blast of dark energy. Lloyd braced himself, skidding backward as the force hit him like a wave. He felt the ground crumble beneath his feet, but he steadied himself, unwilling to yield.

"Lyra, I don't want to hurt you," he said, breathing heavily, each word laced with desperation. "Please, we can still fix this. Come back with me. We can make things right—together."

For a moment, something flickered in her eyes. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but Lloyd saw it—a hint of hesitation, a glimmer of something human beneath the cold exterior. He held onto it, reaching out with his hand. "Lyra, you don't have to do this."

But just as quickly, the darkness closed over her again, and her expression hardened. "You're weak, Lloyd. This world doesn't need your mercy." She raised her hands, summoning a swirling vortex of energy that pulsed with dark power. "It needs strength. My strength."

The blast hit him like a sledgehammer, sending him crashing into the ground. He coughed, tasting blood, feeling the bruises forming beneath his skin. But even as the pain seared through him, he refused to let it deter him. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, eyes locked on her.

"You're wrong," he said quietly, his voice steady. "True strength isn't about destroying everything in your way. It's about protecting what you care about. And that includes you, Lyra."

She scoffed, though her eyes narrowed slightly. "You think you're the hero? The protector?" she spat, her words sharp with derision. "All you do is play it safe, pretending to be noble, while the world falls apart around you. You're a coward, Lloyd. Afraid of what you might become if you actually used your power."