𝔸𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔸𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟: ℤ𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙- ℝ𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤

The Agni Kai begins, and the two firebenders face off. Zuko stands by shocked he would be facing his father and pleading to spare him, but the power of Fire Lord Ozai overwhelms him. The final strike sends a searing flame towards Zuko, and he tries to block it, but it's too much. His face is burned, and he falls to the ground in agony.

Aeyenna rushes to Zuko's side, her eyes filled with concern. "Prince Zuko! Are you alright? Let me help you."

Zuko grimacing in pain. "Aeya...It hurts... My face... I've failed. I'm a disgrace."

Gently, Aeyenna cradles Zuko's face, her touch as soft as her words are soothing. "You are not a disgrace, Zuko. Your worth is not determined by a single battle. Let me tend to your wound and ease your pain."

With the aid of servants, Zuko is carefully carried back to his quarters.

Aeyenna carefully tends to Zuko's injuries, cleaning the burns and applying soothing ointments.

Zuko winces, a whisper of gratitude escaping his lips. "Thank you, Aeyenna."

She frowns softly, her voice laced with sadness. "I wish I were a waterbender. If I was, I could heal your wounds properly. I'm so sorry."

Zuko offers a weak smile. "Aeya, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have challenged my father in the war council meeting."

"What you did was brave, Zuko." Aeyenna leans down, her lips pressing gently against the throbbing burn under his left eye.

Aeyenna tried her best to not cry, how could Firelord Ozai do this to his own son? While Zuko had always faced his father's harshness, but to snoop so low into inflicting such physical pain and burning towards Zuko, deeply disturbed her.

Zuko shut his eyes accepting her confront.

"Your bandages are bleeding through, hold still I'm going to change them okay? Everything will be okay."

"Really?" An unexpected, dark voice interrupts the moment from behind.

Startled, Aeyenna turns, feeling the heavy presence of Fire Lord Ozai.

He advances, his breath hot against her ear as he speaks. "Do you think it's that easy to save him?"

Aeyenna awoke drenched in sweat, her heart racing wildly. Her surroundings slowly registered: the ship's cabin.

The memory of the day Zuko was banished and marked with his scar replayed in her mind—every single day since she, Zuko, and Iroh had left the Fire Nation on their futile quest for the nonexistent Avatar.

The day Zuko changed was etched in her memory. He had transformed from the sweet, innocent boy she had known into something unrecognizable. While he treated Aeyenna the same, he grew cold with everyone else, even to his uncle.

Zuko's three-year search for the Avatar had consumed him, his obsession spiraling out of control. His anger had become an uncontrollable force, and his demeanor had grown darker.

Emerging from her room within the catacombs, Aeyenna ascended to the top deck, meeting with the others. As she stepped onto the deck, a radiant beam of light illuminated the sky, reflecting off Zuko's swaying ponytail fluttering in the wind.

Walking over to Iroh, Aeyenna took a seat beside him.

"Finally!" Zuko exclaimed, turning to face Iroh and Aeyenna at a small table. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?!"

Iroh, engrossed in a card game, responded calmly, his gaze shifting from his tile to his nephew. "I won't get to finish my game?"

Zuko's attention returned to the celestial light. "It means my search is about to come to an end."