"Haven't you noticed? As soon as the going gets tough, people turn on one another to survive... and if you fall behind, you're crushed." Lloyd's newfound happiness is short-lived when a misunderstanding turns the other ninja against him. Alone and vulnerable, he is taken hostage by Sleete and kept in the Dark Lord's clutches for weeks with no hope of rescue. While the ninja struggle to deal with the suspected betrayal, the war for the six Elemental Crystals grows more intense as the Sons of Darkness push harder to achieve their goal. With Clouse's experiment complete, the gang gains a new kind of strength, and the ninja struggle to keep up with their power. During the chaos, Kai's life is fading, and Lloyd spirals further into madness. Hope for victory is fleeting as mission after mission proves unsuccessful. The ninja reach out for new allies, but the Sons of Darkness do the same, and the heroes must sort out the deception Sleete planted in their team before he and his gang wreak terror on all of Ninjago. WARNING: This series contains dark themes and mature topics, such as mental health, abuse, death, and dark magic. Nothing should be much worse in terms of maturity than what was in Darkness from Within. -------- Cover by me. BOOK 7 OF 8 Updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday :3