**Yuki. Northern Water Tribe.**
After calming my family, I was overwhelmed by both physical and mental exhaustion. The battle had been brief, but I'd had to focus on too many things at once. I had to keep Koh confined to our makeshift arena to avoid damaging structures and harming people. I constantly had to release the excess heavy energy of Tui and La outward. All the while, I had to track the enemy's movements.
The next morning, I woke to pain I couldn't pinpoint; it seemed to come from everywhere. For years, I hadn't pushed myself to such extremes. It was an interesting experience, as I knew that overloading the spiritual body weakens the wielder, leaving them unable to even get out of bed.
In my case, my mixed nature played a role. My channels and chi have long been merging with my physical body, so spiritual ailments affect me more profoundly. Plus, the channels run through nearly sixty percent of my body, allowing me to waterbend without relying on stances or movements. Still, some motions are necessary when creating and controlling the white flame or applying techniques to earth vibrations.
"Have you calculated the damage from our fight yet?" I asked my father, lying in bed. Beside me stood a tall table with documents that only the acting Chief of the Tribe could sign.
"Yes, we've tallied it all," Arnuk nodded, walking to the room's only window. It overlooked the square in front of the Palace, where several groups of waterbenders were now restoring the area. Even ice infused with energy couldn't compare to the power of an ancient spirit, whose mere presence could melt frozen water.
"So, why are you quiet?" I asked, glancing at him.
"I think I finally understand what you've been saying about spirits," he replied thoughtfully, turning to me. "Before, I didn't fully believe in their omnipotence—they always seemed so distant. But yesterday, I saw how one spirit could erase our entire history. It completely shatters my old view of the world," he finished with a bitter chuckle. "Sorry for doubting you earlier. Now I truly support all your reforms!"
Yes, my father hadn't opposed my policies, but he hadn't fully embraced them either, thinking I was too hasty.
"It's fine, Father," I shook my head. "What about the losses?"
"Strangely, only Tsumi was lost yesterday," he said. "Many were lightly injured—the battle's aftermath caused minor earthquakes, and people weren't prepared. Your quick actions saved countless lives. I'm proud of you!" Arnuk finished, his gaze saying, "What else could I expect from my son?"
"Have you found her body?"
"Yes, it was in a storage room," he sighed.
"I want to see her," I began to rise from the bed. First, my right leg slid unnaturally smoothly from under the blanket, then the left.
"You said even small movements caused intense pain…"
"I used chi to numb my nerves," I explained, carefully sitting up. "And I'm manipulating my blood with chi, which is now controlling my body."
"Better not comment on that," Arnuk thought to himself.
That morning, I'd recalled my early attempts at bloodbending. Back then, I'd created the "bloody puppet" technique, based on controlling rats, to manipulate my body. As I always say, everything has its use! But without a water chi source, bloodbending is impossible, and the channels won't allow it. However, achieving the same result through a different method might work. In half an hour, I adapted the technique to use chi, preserving my mobility.
On the way to Tsumi's body, my father filled me in on the situation. Aside from the square, several homes, one administrative building, and a massive hole in the Palace wall had been damaged. With a dozen free waterbenders, it could all be restored in a day.
Near the door where Tsumi lay, mournful wails echoed from someone who seemed to have lost a part of themselves. The servant's relatives and friends were bidding her farewell. Her only family, her mother, was weeping. She also worked in the Palace—would she want to stay in a place that reminded her of her only daughter?
Tsumi's face was covered with a cloth, hiding most of her head. We waited for the others to leave. During our wait, I caught several unfriendly glances, and my father noticed too.
"Don't take those looks to heart," he whispered. "Someone spread rumors that the spirits opposed your wedding with Kaya, sending Koh as punishment."
People tell interesting tales. I won't react—the more I fuss, the more they'll believe it. Besides, there's some truth to it—Koh came because of me.
"It's good we have the Great Spirits of the Moon and Ocean," I agreed. Without them, it would've been far harder. "You've spoken with them… Maybe you could talk to them again? Perhaps they want a bigger pond or something," my father scratched his head, unsure what omnipotent spirits, living as fish for millennia, might need.
"They don't need anything," I shook my head. "They just love peace and quiet. The only thing that would help is closing off the Spirit Oasis to visitors."
In my partial union with their energies, I understood their motives. They've been mastering the water element all this time. This place was chosen for its abundant spiritual energy; the moon's energy pales in comparison. Plus, they're disturbed less here than in the spirit world, where dark spirits seek fights. Well, at least until my birth at the pole…
Tui and La seem made for each other. They're like dual cultivators, helping each other grasp the mysteries of water. One controls water through the Moon, while the other is a purer elemental bender.
Thanks to that battle, I reached the mid-stage of the advanced level in minutes. Their energy forced me there, but I'm not complaining! It also deepened my understanding of certain processes I still need to unravel.
Later, only my father, Tsumi's peaceful form, and I remained in the room. Approaching her, I carefully pulled back the cloth. I flinched involuntarily, staring at her smooth, flawless face… but without eyes, mouth, ears, or anything—just skin. Honestly, even in a cartoon, the sight of a faceless monkey scared me, let alone in real life. It's psychologically jarring.
Probing her body with chi, I was horrified—truly horrified—by Koh's meticulous work. Inside her head, her tongue, teeth, and organs remained intact. It was as if someone had carefully removed everything from her face, then sewn it all back up… Tsumi died from lack of air; she had nothing to breathe with. If an experienced healer skilled in chi had been there, she might have lived. Over time, I could've restored what she'd lost…
"I can't even imagine what she felt in her final seconds…" seeing nothing, hearing nothing…
"Once I recover, I'll create a statue of her in the Palace's main hall," I declared firmly. "Her face will always be remembered. Maybe it's showy, but I want it. Her figure will remind me that my enemies aren't saints and could target my loved ones at any moment."
"Good idea, son," my father patted my shoulder.
Next, I visited Kaya, who'd also had a rough time. Naturally, who'd be happy when a powerful, malevolent spirit crashes their special day? And I'm sure those rumors about our union being unwanted reached her too.
So, I spent time with my wife, lifting her spirits with a gift—a ring with a chi crystal. I'd meant to give it yesterday, but events left me no choice.
The next day, I noticed something unusual. Almost all the masters were training. It's not uncommon, but usually, only a few train diligently at once. Many think they've reached their peak and grow complacent. Clearly, Koh's presence motivated them—their attacks were like tickles to him.
"Expect an exciting Masters' Tournament," I thought, and it's hard not to be glad. At least some good came from that insane spirit.
---
**The Fire Lord's Secret Chamber. Ozai.**
Once lavishly decorated, the room was now in disarray. Scorch marks marred the cabinets. Broken items littered the floor. The air was stiflingly hot and oxygen-deprived.
"Damn the Combustionbenders!" Ozai roared, sending another burst of compressed flame into the air.
His fury stemmed from a small scrap of paper with disjointed words, understandable only to him and a few trusted allies.
"Such a loss will be hard to replace…" Five minutes ago, he'd received grim news: contact with his personal servant had been severed. It was impossible. It meant they'd finally reached him.
Rubbing his temples, the Fire Lord took another sip of the mind-clearing decoction.
"Its effectiveness has dropped by forty percent," he thought, eyeing the greenish liquid. "Soon, I'll have to rely solely on my will…" He needed to accelerate his plans. Time to ally with Elder Jian's faction. A patriot to the core, Jian wouldn't wish ill on his country.
Many still believed the third force was led by Avatar Wan, not Jian. Ozai had suspicions, but no proof.
"Azula and Zuko's servants won't match mine for years," he shook his head.
As Fire Lord, he could claim his children's servants. Each required immense time, effort, and resources. First, they needed the right character—the most crucial factor. They must also possess firebending talent, with the potential to become masters. The third criterion was mastery of chi akin to the Yu Yang archers.
They were molded into ruthless killing and spying machines. No inhuman torture could break them. Their training zombified their minds worse than Long Feng's games. Not every psyche could endure it. The method was crude, so dozens of children were taken. In the end, only one remained—the best.
"You won't take my nation," he thought. The mere idea of the Combustionbenders ruling filled him with renewed determination, pushing him to his limits.
He'd noticed his face had grown gaunt, dark bags under his eyes.
"No, rest is vital too," he muttered. He couldn't afford a fatal mistake.
Continuing his internal monologue and plotting, he lay in bed. Even in sleep, he seemed to ponder something. Or perhaps he did? After all, even Avatar Wan didn't fully know the side effects of consuming so many herbs…