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Krux was still cold, but the warm clothes and umbrella Wu loaned him helped to stave off hypothermia while they picked their way through the forest. It was nightfall when they reached the cave. "Ray?" Krux called out. "Maya? I brought help!"

"Oh, thank God!" Maya's voice came from deeper in the cave. "Please, come quick!"

Krux glanced at Wu before they both hurried into the cave.

Maya and Ray were huddled together, holding their children between them. Nya quietly cried, her little body shivering, and Ling wasn't moving. Krux's gut twisted. "Is she…?"

"She's still breathing," Ray said, "but if we don't get somewhere warm soon…"

Krux looked back at Wu, who's face was a mask of worry. "Let me see her," he said. "The monastery isn't close, but…"

He stepped forward and knelt down to look at Ling. Krux remembered how long it had taken to get there from the monastery, and how long it would take to get back in the cold night rain.

"Can you do anything?" Maya whispered. "You're the Master of Creation, right?"

Wu sucked in air through his teeth. "My powers… are not typical. I don't know…"

His expression changed. Wu looked at Ray. "You were the Master of Fire. Do you know which of your children inherited your powers?"

Ray shook his head. "They're far too young for either of their powers to have manifested."

"I can force her power to manifest itself. If Ling is the Master of Fire, she'll have the ability to keep herself warm, but if you don't know who inherited which element…"

Maya and Ray looked at each other. "Do it," Ray said. "Half a chance is better than nothing."

Wu nodded and put his hand on Ling's back. He took deep breaths, and a soft gold glow enveloped the child. Maya and Ray watched, shivering. Nya stopped crying and watched with wide eyes.

After a few moments, Ling opened her eyes.

Ray gasped, a smile spreading across his face. Maya sobbed and reached for Ling. "My baby," she whispered, "my little girl… thank you, Wu, thank you, I…"

Krux let out a slow breath.

Ling wailed. Ray hugged her to his chest. "We need to move," he said. "Even with the element of fire, we can't stay here."

"Of course," Wu said, and he stood up. "You will be safe in the monastery. Come–it's a long walk, and you all need to warm up."

Nya started crying again when Maya and Ray got to their feet, reaching for Ling. Krux held the umbrella over them when they exited the cave, though the rain had lightened up a little bit. Seeing how Maya and Ray shivered, Krux found himself wondering if they would make it to the monastery. He forced those thoughts back and focused only on walking.

---

When they got to the monastery, Maya and Ray were barely conscious enough to change out of their wet clothes before falling asleep in the room Wu provided for them. Krux was exhausted, too, but he had to stay awake to keep the fire going. "Thank you," he said again to Wu while the other man brought more firewood in. "I don't know what we would've done without you."

Wu put the bundle down and smiled at him. "Really," he said, keeping his voice low, "it's the least I can do. I may be an elemental master, but that doesn't mean I agree with every one of the emperor's actions. I promise, you will be safe here."

Krux nodded. "This is an awful lot of space for just one person," he said. "Does your brother live here?"

"No, not anymore. He's training with Master Chen."

Krux raised an eyebrow. "Master Chen?"

"Not an elemental master, but…" Wu hesitated. "…Garmadon said Chen had many things to teach him. Apparently he's also the father of the next Master of Amber. Chen is, I mean."

"Huh." Krux didn't remember much about the previous Master of Amber, only that she was a decade or two his senior and kept to herself. That was awfully old to be having a child, wasn't it?

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Krux sighed. "Just… thinking about the future, I suppose."

Wu glanced at the sleeping forms of Maya and Ray. "The fire should be set for a little longer," he said. "Let's not wake them."

Krux nodded and followed Wu out of the room.

Wu poured two cups of tea and handed one to Krux. The two of them sat at the table and drank in silence until Wu cleared his throat. "You're looking for your twin," he said.

"Yes."

"What have you found so far?"

Krux sipped at his tea. "We know his name is Acronix," he said. "At least, that was the name my mother gave him. I know he inherited half of my mother's powers, so he's a Master of Time just as I am. Ray's father brought him to Donny–the previous Master of Lightning–but he wasn't able to take him. I don't know what happened after that."

Wu hummed. "If he has powers, it should be possible to find him. He would have the powers of speeding up and slowing down time, correct?"

"I… was not familiar with my mother's powers." Krux stared at his cup. "If those are the powers she had in addition to pausing and reversing time, then yes, those must be what Acronix inherited."

"It's a place to start," Wu said. "I'm assuming he looks like you?"

Krux cracked a smile. "I'd assume so, if we're twins."

"Right, right."

Even with the tea, Krux's eyelids were starting to droop. He caught Wu staring at him with a frown and forced himself to sit up straight. "We've been talking for too long," he said. "I should check on the fire."

Wu stood up before he could. "You should head to bed. I can watch the fire."

"You don't need to do that, Wu, I can–" Krux couldn't suppress a yawn. He took a long drink of his tea and found he had finished the cup.

"Sleep, Krux." Wu smiled. "I'll show you to your room."

Krux sighed and put down his cup. "Fine."

Even after Wu left him in his room, Krux didn't sleep. If Wu was going to rat them out, it would happen tonight, and Krux wasn't going to be caught off guard. He sat in a chair, lit a lamp, and prepared to stay up until morning.

He fell asleep shortly after.

---

He woke up when Wu knocked. "Good morning," he called through the door while Krux blinked himself awake. "If you're up, could you help me with breakfast? Maya and Ray are still asleep."

Krux stood up and stretched. "Give me a minute," he mumbled, still disoriented from sleep. At least he felt fully recovered from the cold. He never wanted to repeat the experience of nearly freezing to death.

He exited the room. Outside the door, Wu held Krux's clothes from yesterday, neatly folded. "Do you have any other belongings?" he asked. "Maya and Ray didn't come with much…"

"We didn't exactly have time to prepare," Krux said. "We had no advanced notice before we were no longer welcome."

Wu frowned. "Who were you staying with? If it's not too much to ask…"

Krux opened his mouth, then thought better of it. "Maya and Ray can tell you, if they wish," he said. "I don't think it's my place."

"I understand. I was just curious."

Krux followed Wu into the kitchen, where there was already water boiling for tea. There was a window with a clear view of outside, and Krux found his eyes drifting to it. Something about the courtyard felt off to him, though it took him a few moments to figure it out.

"Are you alright?"

Krux pulled his eyes away from the window. "Why are your gates open?" he asked Wu.

Wu froze, his back to him. "The monastery is open to anyone who needs it," was all he said.

"Is that why you took us in?"

"Of course. What else was I supposed to do? I will not send two children to their execution."

"If you keep letting people in, it might happen regardless."

Wu turned to face him. "I… see what you're saying," he said. "I won't allow any strangers into the monastery, and certainly no one I think will give you up to the emperor. But the gates must stay open."

Krux nodded and decided not to press the issue.

Once breakfast was cooked, Krux knocked on Maya and Ray's door. "Are you up? There's breakfast."

The door opened. "Some of us are," Ray said, holding a giggling Ling against his hip. "Maya and Nya are still sleeping."

Krux looked at Ling, who looked back with a smile. "I take it she's feeling better?" he said to Ray.

Ray rubbed his eyes. "She nearly died, and she has the most energy out of any of us… did you know about Wu's powers?"

"What?"

Ray motioned to Ling, who tried to grab her father's hand. "Awakening someone's elemental power. I didn't know anyone could do that. I'm grateful for it, of course–he saved her life–but it's not what I expected out of the Master of Creation, whatever that means."

Krux squinted at Ling. "Can she use her powers?"

"Not that I can tell, thank God. We'd be terrible guests if we burnt down Wu's monastery on the first night."

Ray cracked a smile. Krux couldn't bring himself to mirror it. "Do you trust him?" he asked.

"Wu?" Ray lowered his voice. "I don't know what to think of him. Do you?"

Krux glanced behind him. Satisfied that Wu was out of earshot, he spoke. "I can't say. He's not an easy man to read."

"We're indebted to him, certainly, but there's a lot we don't know about him and Garmadon. Only the Emperor knows their lineage; to everyone else, they simply… showed up, one day, and took their positions as elemental masters. I'm not surprised he has many secrets."

"Should we trust him to keep us safe?"

"After Libber…" Ray looked down at Ling. "I don't know. I suppose we'll have to wait and see."

Krux nodded. "For now, he seems to be genuine. Are you hungry?"

Ray laughed. "God, yes. I'm starving."

---

Ray put Ling back in the room and woke up his wife. Maya joined them to eat. "Thank you so much, Wu," she said between mouthfuls of food. "You saved our lives."

Wu smiled. "You can stay as long as you need to," he said. "I've already spoken to Krux about helping him find his twin."

"You have?" Krux said.

"I thought I implied as much when we talked last night." Wu sipped at his tea; did he ever not have a cup in hand? "I want to help you as much as I can. I know how important family is. You have a name, you know his powers, and that should be enough for me to start looking."

Krux nodded. "I'd like to help," he said. "I've been going out in a disguise, and…" He paused. "I've seen wanted posters for Maya and Ray, yet none for me. Would you now why that is?"

"Well…" Wu hesitated. "The Emperor doesn't know you're a twin. He doesn't know why you stopped the execution, either. I don't know why he wouldn't want to at least speak to you, considering you used your powers on him, but…"

"He must want something with you," Ray said. "The Emperor and Empress aren't ones to let an elemental master go that easily."

Krux frowned. "We can worry about that later," he said. "For now, it appears that I'm not in danger, but I should wear a disguise anyway. Maya and Ray shouldn't go out at all."

Maya sighed. "At least there's more space here…"

"I'm sorry," Wu said. "I wish there was something more I could do…"

Maya jerked her head up from her food. "No, no!" she said quickly. "You're already doing so much for us–we'd be dead in a cave if it weren't for you!"

Ray coughed. "I'm going to check on the kids."

He took a last bite and stood up. Maya moved to follow, but Ray put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, dear, I'll be back in a moment. You keep eating."

"Alright," Maya said, and she sat back down.

"Let me know how Ling is doing!" Wu called as Ray left the room. "I don't think she'll be able to manifest her powers right away," he said to Maya, "but it's best to be prepared. It could take as long as years to mere days."

"I'm just grateful she's alive," Maya said softly.

Krux finished his food and went to put the plate away.

Ray was back when Krux returned to the table. "Asleep," he said. "Ling was up all night, I'm glad she's managed to get some rest, but Nya's slept so long…"

"I can check on her, if you'd like," Wu said.

"Please," Maya said, "that would be wonderful."

She and Wu left the room. Krux fixed his eyes on Ray. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Ray sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I suppose you keep searching for your twin, and Maya and I stay here. There's not much else we can do."

"You have a point. Still…" Krux tapped his fingers on the table. "I don't know how long we can stay here. We'd best start exploring our options. Where are we going next?"

"Krux, don't you realize we have no options?"

Krux blinked. "I…"

Ray grit his teeth and looked away. "I knew my family would never have a normal life the moment the second child was born," he said. "We tried pretending for so long… but if Wu wants us gone one day, there's nothing we can do about it. What kind of life is that for Ling and Nya? Constantly moving, always on the run… how are they going to get an education? How will they have a happy childhood? I want something better for them, but as long as the emperor wants them dead, that's never going to happen."

Krux could only shake his head. "Then we stay here," he said, "for as long as we're able."

"We have no other choice."

Ray looked back at his food and pushed it around on the plate. Krux stood up and left to put away his dishes.

There was a picture on the wall, of Wu and a child Krux didn't recognize. Black hair with a green streak. Krux stared at it for a moment, then dismissed it. They needed to keep their heads down, lest Wu tire of them the way Libber did. It would happen eventually.

Until then, they'd stay.