𝔸𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔸𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟: ℤ𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

Chapter 28- The War Between Right and Wrong

When Aeyenna woke up, the space beside her was empty. She turned over, frowning as she called out, "Zuko?" Her voice echoed softly in the quiet room, but there was no response. She tried again, her concern growing. "Zuko?"

Aeyenna decided to check on Iroh, hoping to find Zuko there. As she stepped into the living room, she glanced around, perhaps they had left together early in the morning. She tried to convince herself that they would be back soon.

After tidying up the apartment and preparing for the day ahead, Aeyenna returned to the living area just as the front door swung open. Iroh stepped inside, effortlessly hoisting Zuko over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Zuko's limbs dangled limply as he groaned.

"You did the right thing. Letting the Avatar's bison go free," Iroh said as he closed the door behind them.

"Excuse me, did you just say 'Avatar'?" Aeyenna asked, her eyes darting between Iroh and Zuko. She noticed Zuko's face had drained of color. "Hey, Zuko, are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry as she stepped closer to him.

"Aeya, I don't feel right," Zuko said, his voice shaky as he reached out to grasp Aeyenna's arm for support. But just as he did, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Zuko!" Aeyenna gasped, as she dropped to her knees beside him. Iroh quickly followed as he positioned himself at Zuko's other side, both of them desperately trying to assess what was wrong.

Aeyenna pressed her fingers to Zuko's neck, feeling the steady thrum of his pulse beneath her touch. Relief flooded through her, and she let out a shaky breath before turning sharply to Iroh, her eyes wide with worry.

"Is he okay?" she demanded, her voice edged with panic. "Where were you two? What happened to him?"

Iroh let out a heavy sigh, his gaze settling on his unconscious nephew. "The Avatar and his friends are in Ba Sing Se, and Zuko found out. He went after them but never got the chance to confront them. Instead, he stumbled upon their bison—imprisoned deep within the city's walls. There was a struggle between us, a push and pull between his duty and his conscience. In the end, he chose to set the bison free, hoping it would find its way back to the Avatar."

Iroh's gaze softened as he looked down at Zuko, his expression laced with quiet understanding. "He's at war with himself, Aeyenna. His mind and body are struggling to reconcile the choice he made. He knows it was the right thing to do, but that doesn't make it any easier for him to accept."

He turned his attention to Aeyenna, studying her carefully. "And you... your presence in his life, your influence on him—it's affecting him more than you realize. Whether he admits it or not, you're part of the reason he's changing. This struggle... it's weighing on him."

Aeyenna gazed at Zuko, disbelief washing over her as she struggled to process Iroh's words. The idea that making the right decision had pushed Zuko's body into such a state—leaving him unconscious, his body shutting down under the weight of it—was almost too much to grasp.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to push past the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume her. Looking up at Iroh, her voice came out unsteady. "Is he going to be okay?"

Her gaze remained fixed on Zuko, worry tightening in her chest as she anxiously awaited Iroh's response.

Iroh gave a solemn nod, his eyes flickering between Aeyenna and Zuko. "Yes, he'll be fine physically," he assured her. "But this is a battle he must face within his own mind."

Aeyenna gazed down at Zuko, her fingers grazing the rough edges of his scar. With a soft sigh, she murmured, "Oh, Zuko... what am I going to do with you?" Her voice was laced with worry and tenderness as she leaned in, studying his face, hoping for any sign that he could hear her.