𝔸𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔸𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟: ℤ𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

Chapter 26- Day in Ba Sing Se

Aeyenna's eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred as the room slowly came into focus. She blinked, realizing she was lying down, her body heavy with exhaustion. Across from her, she saw Iroh kneeling beside the bed. He dipped a towel into a bucket of warm water and gently wrung it out before placing it with care on her forehead, the warmth soothing her pounding head.

"Iroh..." Aeyenna's voice was barely a whisper as she tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness hit her. Iroh's hand met her shoulder, gently pressing her back onto the bed.

"Shh," he murmured, his voice soft but firm. "Rest, Aeyenna. You need your strength."

Her breathing was shaky as her mind raced to piece together the events of the night before. Her memories flooded back all at once—each moment clearer and more terrifying than the last. Aeyenna's eyes widened in horror as she looked down at her trembling hands. "Iroh... what did I do?" Her voice quivered.

"I know," Iroh sighed, his voice heavy. "You and your rare abilities..."

Aeyenna's eyes darted around the room, her body tense, as if she expected someone to burst in at any moment. She leaned in closer to Iroh, her voice barely above a whisper. "Iroh, I'm a monster," she breathed, her eyes wide with fear. "Did... did you see what I did to Jet? Did anyone else see?" Her gaze flickered to the door, anxiety clawing at her chest.

Iroh reached out, gently cradling Aeyenna's trembling hand in his own. "You're not a monster, Aeyenna," he said softly.

Aeyenna's breath hitched as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I controlled someone, Iroh. Their limbs, their bones... I made them move like a puppet." Her voice cracked, the guilt pressing down on her chest. "What would you call that?"

Iroh sighed deeply, his brow knitting together in concern. He stared at the ground for a moment, lost in thought before looking back at Aeyenna. "I've encountered many things in my time," he began, "but this... this is different. The energy behind what you did—it feels unnatural, beyond anything I've ever known."

He paused, his gaze distant as if searching through his many years of knowledge and experience. "Whatever it is, it's not something I've come across in all my travels or studies." His eyes met hers again, "Do you think you can control it? Can you... do it again?"

Aeyenna shook her head vigorously, panic creeping into her voice. "On who?" she gasped, her breath quickening as fear gripped her. "No, I can't—I'm not doing that again." She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly as though trying to protect herself from the horrifying realization.

"It seems you have the ability to manipulate the water within a living being's body," Iroh explained, carefully choosing his words. "You can control their movements, bend their limbs against their will—perhaps even immobilize them entirely. By bending the water in blood, you can cause intense pain or force them to obey."

Aeyenna lowered her head, her brow furrowing as the weight of the realization sank in. "Is that... bloodbending?" she asked quietly, the words almost sticking in her throat.

Iroh nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "If that's how you choose to define it," he said gently, his voice carrying both caution and understanding. "But a name doesn't define what you choose to do with it."

The weight of everything hit Aeyenna like a tidal wave. She had barely come to terms with being a waterbender, and now, the unsettling reality that she could control the water within living beings flooded her mind. The very idea that she might even manipulate animals made her heart race with both fear and confusion.

A shaky breath escaped her lips as she mulled over the possibilities.  Perhaps this power wasn't inherently evil. If she could learn to control it with care, maybe she could do something good with it. Her mind wandered to darker memories—what if she had discovered these abilities sooner? Maybe she could have stopped the person who killed her mother. Maybe she could have prevented Ozai from scarring Zuko. Maybe... she could have defended herself from him, sparing herself the pain and violation that still lingered, haunting her every step.