VOID - The Fifth Element (Zuko)

2. Intro pt.2

"Up so early, Prince Zuko?"

I turn around to see my uncle standing on the other end of the hallway.

"Yes" I answered, hesitation lingering in my voice. "I was just about to uhm ... return these books to the library before the meeting." I lied.

My uncle started walking closer to me, clearly not buying the lie I just told him. I pressed the books and maps harder against my chest, hoping he won't see what I've been researching the entire night.

"Uncle, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to get ready." I said while turning around, opening the door to my room.

"I thought you were going to the library?"

"You kept me busy and the meeting is only in 30 minutes, I have to get myself ready."

"I can take the books back for you. I'm passing by the library on my way to the garden. I'm going to get some fresh flowers for my tea." He said while smiling, thinking about his tea.

"It's fine uncle, I'll bring them back after the meeting." My uncle nodded. "I have to get ready now, bye." I said hastily while closing the door. I sighed while putting the books down on my desk wanting to read all the books right now, but I really need to get ready and be on time for the meeting.

I must be at the meeting since many supplies are getting stolen from my people. It started with only some food but lately, there have been more complaints about things getting stolen from people in their homes. Hopefully, the guards figured out who has been stealing all these people their supplies.

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The meeting has officially ended. It went really well considering the lack of sleep I had, well no sleep to be exact. The guards still had no information on who might be stealing from all these people. I've put in some younger guards trainees, who just started their training, to train with the guards. This way, there will be more guards all around town. At the moment, this is the best decision since we don't know who we're looking for. After I bid my goodbyes to all the generals I rush back to my room to finish the books that I started reading last night.

Hours passed and I started to get frustrated. Nothing, I've found nothing. I start tugging at my hair in frustration until I hear a knock at my door. I walk to my door and open it to reveal my uncle standing in the doorway. He silently walks into my room with a little tray with food and tea. My room gets filled with the scent of food and my stomach starts grumbling, that's when I realized I haven't eaten for an entire day.

"You need to eat." My uncle said calmly while putting the food and tea on the table. I sit down in front of the food with a big sigh. I start rubbing my face with both of my hands suddenly feeling the tiredness hitting my body.

"Thank you uncle" I said while shoving the delicious food into my mouth. My uncle is staring at me with a blank face. Is he upset with me? I stop eating for a second to look him in the eye.

"What's wrong uncle? You're looking at me like I just spit into your teacup." I said trying to lighten up the mood, but my uncle keeps a straight face. "You need to pick your life back up Zuko, I feel like you're losing yourself again in an impossible search for your mother." He sighed and looked down before continuing "You barely come out of your room anymore, you don't go to see your friends and even Mai has left. What happened? I thought everything was going well?" My uncle looked at me with a worried look on his face.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said while folding my arms over my chest and looking in the opposite direction.

"I'm getting tired of getting that answer over and over again." He said, slightly raising his voice at me. "Talk to me Zuko, maybe I can help!"

"You can't help uncle." I said softly, closing my eyes. I turn my gaze back to my uncle. "I feel like something is missing and I just can't seem to fill this void I'm feeling." I said honestly. "I just want to know where my mother is. I want to know if she's safe. I want to know if she's happy. Just knowing if she's still alive would be enough for me. But I know nothing!" raising my voice at the end.

"Is that why you visited your father in his cell so many times?" He asked seriously and I nodded.

"He never told me anything though, he just sat there and smirked. Laughing at me." I said through gritted teeth, getting angry at the thought of my father sitting in his dark cell. It's like he still feels some kind of power over me by knowing more about the whereabouts of my mother than me. I hate feeling so pathetic, especially in front of my father.

"I've probably read every book in the whole damn library about tracking people, secret tribes, lost worlds,... but it seems like everything has already been explored. It was no use spending so many days reading those stupid books and maps." I said annoyed. I wasted so much precious time reading books while I could've been out looking for my mother.

My uncle let out a deep sigh and stood up. "Get up and follow me."

I did as I was told and we started walking out of the room together into the hallway. It wasn't long until we reached the library.

"Uncle I have already read everything in here! Have you not been listening to what I was saying to you 5 minutes ago?" I said angrily while turning around to storm away to my room, but uncle caught my arm.

"Will you stop talking and just follow me inside!" He whispered annoyed. He abruptly let go of my arm as I kept silent while walking into the library. I stood in the middle of the large room, that was filled with books and scrolls, folding my arms over my chest while curiously watching my uncle. He went to the back of the room and started shoving a big, heavy bookcase to the side. I saw him struggling so I decided to help him. Once the bookcase was successfully shoved to the side it revealed a little wooden door. It was closed with 4 different locks.

"What is this?" I asked curiously. My uncle ignoring me while he was opening all 4 locks and opening the little door.

"Get in Zuko, we have to be fast before anyone sees this!" I quickly bend down to fit through the little door and was met with complete darkness. The only light in the room was shining through the little door, but that quickly faded as my uncle closed the door behind him. He lighted a candle and I started to scan the little room. It was filled with all kinds of scrolls, very old books covered in dust, and handwritten notes that covered the walls.

"What is this place uncle?"

"It used to be my secret study, I kept all my research here." He said while studying the shelves for something. I turned around and looked at all the random notes sticking on the walls, one caught my eye.

"Uncle, what is a void bender?" I asked, turning around to face my uncle who froze by my sudden question.