♰ ͲᎻᎬ ᎻᎬᎡϴ ᏆΝ ͲᎻᎬ ᎠᎪᎡᏦ ♰

Chapter 3: The Spark

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Zuko sank to the ground, his breath uneven as the last of the shadowflames flickered out around him. The cold night air bit at his skin, but the storm inside him raged hotter than ever. His father's voice echoed in his mind-disappointment, weak, useless.

Zuko clenched his fists against the earth. He hated the power his father had over him, the way a single word could send him spiraling into doubt. No matter how hard he trained, no matter how much progress he made, it was never enough. The darkness seemed to close in around him, suffocating, reminding him of how small he felt in his father's shadow.

But then, another voice broke through the haze. "Zuko?"

It was soft, tentative-familiar. Zuko blinked, shaking himself out of his thoughts as he looked up to see Denki standing at the edge of the clearing. His blond hair caught the dim light of the moon, and his usual bright expression was dimmed by concern.

Zuko hadn't heard him approach-hadn't even realized how far he'd wandered into the woods.

"Denki," Zuko said, his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

Denki took a few cautious steps forward, his eyes scanning the scorched ground around Zuko. "I... I was worried. You were supposed to meet me hours ago. And then I saw the flames." He glanced at the burnt trees with a frown. "What happened?"

Zuko looked away, shame tightening his throat. He didn't want Denki to see him like this-broken, raw, still reeling from his father's words. He didn't want Denki to know just how much control he'd lost.

"It's nothing," Zuko muttered, forcing himself to stand. His legs felt heavy, like they were weighed down by the shadows still clinging to him. "Just... training."

Denki wasn't convinced. He stepped closer, his voice soft but firm. "Training doesn't leave you looking like you've been through hell." He placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, the warmth of his touch cutting through the cold. "Come on. You don't have to pretend with me."

Zuko's shoulders slumped, the weight of everything crashing down on him. He didn't have the strength to argue, to keep up the façade of strength any longer. Not with Denki. Not when he was the only one who saw past the fire and shadows, past the expectations that suffocated him.

"It's my father," Zuko finally admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "I just... I can't keep doing this. No matter what I do, it's never enough for him. He hates my quirk, hates that I'm not like him."

Denki's eyes softened, his grip on Zuko's shoulder tightening. "Zuko, you don't have to be like him. You're not him."

Zuko shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "That's the problem. He'll never see me as anything but a failure until I'm exactly like him. And I don't know if I can be."

Denki frowned, stepping in front of Zuko and meeting his gaze head-on. "You shouldn't want to be like him. You're better than that. Your quirk-it's not weak. It's different, yeah, but that's what makes it strong. You can do things he can't. You're not a failure, Zuko. Not to me."

Zuko's breath hitched, his chest tightening at Denki's words. For so long, all he'd heard were his father's criticisms, the constant reminders of his inadequacies. But standing here, in the quiet of the forest, with Denki's unwavering support, something inside him shifted.

Maybe Denki was right. Maybe his quirk wasn't a failure, wasn't something to be ashamed of. Maybe he didn't have to live in his father's shadow.

Zuko closed his eyes, letting the silence between them settle. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to believe it.

When he opened his eyes, Denki was still there, his expression full of quiet determination.

"Thanks," Zuko said, his voice soft but sincere. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Denki grinned, his usual playfulness returning. "Well, lucky for you, you don't have to find out. I'm not going anywhere."

Zuko chuckled, the tension in his chest finally easing. Denki always had a way of making things feel lighter, even when the world felt like it was collapsing around him.

As the night deepened, the two of them stood together in the clearing, the remnants of Zuko's shadowflames glowing faintly in the dark. And for the first time in a long while, Zuko didn't feel quite so alone.

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