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When Krux woke up, Mel was already gone. He was still drowsy, and forgetting for a moment that he was in someone else's bed, Krux took the opportunity to wrap himself in all the blankets and fall back asleep.

He woke up again to a knock on the door. "Sander? You feeling any better?"

"What?" Krux said.

The door opened. Mel walked in, raising an eyebrow at Krux's blanket cocoon. "Already took the whole bed, huh?" he said with a smile. "Glad to see you're awake. How's the poison situation?"

Krux sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I feel better," he said. "Thank you again, Mel."

Mel nodded. "You up for breakfast? Dareth's already eating. He's gotta leave soon, so you'll have to be quick if you want to say goodbye."

"Oh, sure. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

He got out of bed and squinted at himself in the mirror above the bathroom sink. The makeup for his disguise was a mess. Krux shrugged and washed the rest of it off. If Mel was going to recognize him as the Master of Time, it would have happened long ago.

Mel was waiting when he emerged. "Huh," he said, looking over Krux's face. "Y'know, if you want to reapply, I've got some makeup in there."

"Oh, really?" Krux raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Why do you have yours?"

Mel laughed while Krux frantically searched for an answer. "Just teasing," Mel said. "A lot of us like to play around with gender norms, y'know? You should see me in a dress one of these days, ha!"

"A dress?" Krux pictured Mel in a dress. The resulting image wasn't unappealing. He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. "I suppose I can understand that," he said. "Even if it's not something I've, ah, had experience with…"

Mel snorted. "You're fine," he said. "I know you've got no interest in this."

"Right, right." Krux thought of his disguise, of how it would look to apply makeup like a woman. He pushed those thoughts down. "Regardless, I'll be fine without my disguise for the time being."

He only realized what he said after the words came out. "Not disguise," he said quickly. "Just, ah, a sort of… persona? Or…"

Mel just shook his head with a smile. "Relax, Sander," he said. "I've met a lot of people in all sorts of situations. I'm not gonna pry, alright?"

Krux relaxed. "Alright," he said. "Thank you."

"You getting breakfast or what?"

They went downstairs. Dareth was standing at the sink and scrubbing a plate. Mel knocked on the doorframe, causing him to jump and nearly drop the plate. "Whoa!"

"Sorry," Mel said. "You about ready to go?"

Dareth nodded. "Thanks, Mel. Sorry for taking the couch."

"Hey, no problem. Get moving, we don't want you late getting home."

Dareth put the plate away and gathered up his clothes. "Bye, Mr. Saunders," he said, and darted to the door. Krux barely had time to raise a hand in response.

"He has a hard life, doesn't he," Krux said.

"You're not wrong." Mel went to the stove and scooped rice out of a large pot. "Could be worse, but that doesn't mean much when what you're going through is bad enough. How much do you want?"

"Not much. I'm not very hungry."

Mel put the plate in front of him, with more rice and vegetables than Krux thought appetizing. "Eat as much or as little as you want, but if you've got a long walk back, you'll need the energy."

Krux smiled and shook his head. "If you say so."

He ended up eating most of it without pausing to talk. Mel sat with a book and read quietly until Krux decided the food had stopped tasting edible and swallowed what was left in his mouth. "Thank you again, Mel," he said. "I owe you."

"You probably owe Sable more," Mel said without looking up. "She's the one who had to come over here on short notice."

"And you're the one who took care of me for a day and night." Krux sighed. "You say it's no trouble, but I hate to be a burden on someone. I will repay the kindness you've shown me, I swear it."

Mel put the book down. "Sander, really," he said with a smile. "I'm just glad you're alright. You feel up to leaving, or do you want to stay longer?"

"I should go. My friends–" Krux hesitated. "–the people I'm staying with… they don't know where I am. I hope they aren't too worried."

Mel nodded. "Take some water with you. I'll see you later, alright?"

They dragged out their goodbyes. Krux washed his plate, accepted the water, and lingered at the doorway. "I'll see you soon," he said, one hand on the doorknob. "Hopefully under better circumstances."

"Yeah," said Mel, and he hugged him.

Krux tensed for a moment, but soon relaxed. It took a few more moments to return the hug and press his face into Mel's shoulder. He smelled nice. Krux didn't want to think about what he himself smelled like.

Eventually, Mel released him and took a step back. "Take care," he said.

"You too," said Krux, and he finally left.

---

As much as he wanted to pretend otherwise, the poison hadn't worn off completely. Krux made it to the monastery, but by the time he reached the gates, his whole body ached with the effort of each step. Once in the courtyard, he took a moment to lean against the wall and take a few deep breaths before crossing the final distance to the doors.

He was immediately spotted by Nya. "You're back!" she said, and darted away before he could respond. Krux heard her shouting as she ran: "Mommy! Daddy! Krux is back!"

Krux shook his head and went to the kitchen.

Maya rushed in shortly, with Nya a few steps behind. "Krux! Where were you? We thought something had happened!"

Krux shook his head. "I'm fine," he said. "I'm sorry to have worried you. I mixed up some leaves while making my tea yesterday and made myself sick."

Maya sat at the table across from him. "And you spent the night outside?"

"Thankfully, no. I've told you about Mel, correct?"

"Your friend in the village? Did you stay with him?"

Krux nodded. "He offered, and, well, I was in no state to refuse. What happened here?"

Maya shook her head. "Nothing good. Wu woke up."

Krux's eyes widened. "He did? How is he? Bad, I assume."

"He claimed Garmadon tried to kill him."

"What?"

Nya walked back in, dragging her sibling behind her. "We heard it all," she said seriously. "Wu shouted a bunch of stuff, and then he threw up, and Garmadon got really mad."

Krux abandoned his half-made meal and stood up. "Where are they now?"

"Wu's room," said Maya. "Ray's trying to calm them down. Wu is in bad shape, and Garmadon getting angry at him isn't helping any."

"I'm going to see what's happening."

Maya nodded. "I'll keep the girls out of the way."

Krux saw Ling frown at Maya's words. He didn't dwell on it. Still, he gave the child a pat on the shoulder as he rushed by.

Closer to Wu's room, Krux heard Ray, Garmadon, and Wu's voices; presumably they were trying to keep quiet. Krux stood in front of the closed door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

"Oh, good grief!" Garmadon snapped when Krux entered. "We don't need more people involved!"

Wu pushed himself up in bed, his face pale and covered in sweat. "Krux," he said, and took a shuddering breath. "Krux, you have to help–"

"He needs to leave is what," Garmadon said.

Ray put his hand up. "I think Krux ought to hear this," he said, his voice low.

"Ought to hear what?" Krux said. He closed the door behind him.

Garmadon glared at him and crossed his arms. "I have some questions, first," he said. "Did you drink the tea I prepared, Master of Time?"

"The tea you–" Krux narrowed his eyes. "My friend informed me that I had poisoned myself," he said. "I assumed it was an accident."

"You see!" Wu cried. "He was trying to kill me!"

Garmadon spun to face him. "I did no such thing!"

"Enough!" Ray snapped. "Garmadon, you need to tell us everything."

"Absolutely not!"

He raised his voice. "Garmadon, my wife and I will be killed if we are discovered, our children only kept alive long enough to be bred like animals! The secrets you are keeping concern us all! Now tell us the truth, or else–"

Garmadon pulled a dagger from his belt. Krux and Ray tensed, but all he did was brandish it in front of them.

"Do you think you can bleed the truth out of me?" he snarled. "You have no idea the power I wield!"

Ray didn't back down. "If it's to protect my family–"

Krux turned to the bed, where Wu gripped the blankets and took deep breaths. "Wu," he said, "what happened when you were injured?"

Garmadon opened his mouth, his face twisted in fury. Krux raised a glowing red hand and froze him in time.

Ray gasped. Wu looked up and smiled, just barely. "How long do we have?" he said.

"I can hold him for a minute, not much longer." Krux knelt next to the bed. "What happened?"

Wu took another breath and didn't speak for a few, precious seconds. "Aspheera called me to meet with her," he said. "She said it was urgent, but… we were ambushed."

"Both of you?" Krux asked.

He nodded. "Yes. Most were serpentine–Anacondrai, I believe. I tried to defend Aspheera and was stabbed. Aspheera–" His voice caught. "She was captured. They left me for dead. I do not know what became of her."

They didn't have much time left before Garmadon was released. Krux spoke quickly. "And you're sure she did not go willingly?"

"I am certain. She…"

An odd expression crossed Wu's face, and he trailed off. Krux glanced at Garmadon. "What is it?"

"There was a human with them," Wu said.

Krux's heart jumped. "Who–"

Time resumed for Garmadon. He lunged at Krux and knocked him hard against the wall. Krux raised his arms to shove him off–and froze when he felt the dagger at his throat.

"Listen to me," Garmadon hissed. "You fled from your responsibility to search for a family you never had. You know nothing of the empire, of the war, of what is to come." He pressed the blade hard enough to sting. "Run away, Master of Time. Find someone else to burden, because you are no longer welcome here."

"That's not your decision to make, brother!" Wu cried.

Garmadon didn't look at him. "I am allowing Ray, Maya, and their twins to stay," he said. "Be grateful for that."

Krux found his voice. "Fine."

"You will leave?"

"I will leave, yes."

The dagger was removed. Krux rubbed his throat. "Before I go," he said carefully, "I need to know. The human, the one with the Serpentine–"

Garmadon snorted. "Not your brother," he said. "She was a woman."

"Then I have no reason to stay."

Krux got to his feet. He didn't meet Ray's eyes, said nothing to Wu as he left, brushed past Maya on his way to his room–he had so little, just his dwindling money and a few clothes. He gathered them all and shoved them into a bag.

"Where are you going?"

Ling stood blocking the exit of his room. Krux sighed and straightened up. "I have to leave," he said. "Tell your sister I said goodbye."

"You're leaving?" Her eyes widened. "You can't!"

He crouched down to be at eye level. "I'm sorry," Krux said, "but I have no choice. I have my own journey to take."

Ling shook her head. "No! You have to stay! You're the only one who calls me Kai, 'cause you promised, and Nya said she promised but she keeps messing up, and–"

Krux put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine, alright?" he said. "Your parents love you very much, even if they don't use the name you want. Your sister loves you, too. Maybe when you get older, you'll go back to your old name–"

"No!"

"–but I'll tell all my new friends about the child I knew called Kai, alright?" Krux smiled. "Maybe you can change the reputation of the name."

She rubbed her eyes and said nothing.

Krux stood up straight. "Goodbye, Kai," he said. "I hope I'll see you again."

Kai sniffed. "You better."

No one else stopped him on his way out. Midway down the mountain stairs, Krux heard the gates of the monastery slam shut.