When a seemingly lifeless boy is saved by a girl.
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Ma'vona was once a beloved member of the Kame'tire clan, known for their profound understanding of Pandora's flora and unparalleled healing skills. Their expertise was so great that they could heal...
♪ War by James Horner ♪ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Chapter Twenty-Four: The Devil in Blue
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I stirred awake, my eyes barely adjusting to the blinding whiteness that surrounded me. The lights above weren't warm or natural; they hummed with a cold, artificial intensity that pressed down on me, harsh and unrelenting. Every corner of the room seemed to reflect this sterile emptiness, the walls white and seamless, devoid of life. My heart slammed against my ribs as I realized where I was. The air was heavy with a suffocating familiarity-clinical, inhuman, and filled with dread.
I forced myself to focus, blinking rapidly until the blur cleared as I looked around, and then I saw him.
Neteyam.
He was slumped against the wall right next to me, his body heavy and lifeless like a discarded rag doll. Thick, unyielding metal chains bound his wrists high above his head, cutting into his skin, while similar restraints weighed down his ankles, rendering him motionless. His head hung low, his braids spilling over his face, shielding it from view.
"Neteyam..." I whispered, my voice cracking as panic surged through me. "Neteyam, wake up."
I tugged against my own chains, the metal biting into my wrists, but they wouldn't budge. My frustration boiled over as I leaned forward, desperate to see if he would respond. His head bobbed weakly, his eyes fluttering open for mere moments before they shut again. He looked so... broken. The fire in him was dim, but it wasn't gone. Not yet.
"Neteyam," I pleaded again, louder this time, my voice laced with urgency.
But nothing.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for anything-anything-that could help me break free. The room offered no solace, no hidden opportunities. Just that oppressive whiteness and the sound of my own ragged breathing.
And then I heard it.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, deliberate and unhurried. My breath caught in my throat, my muscles tensing as I turned toward the door. It opened with a slow, mechanical hiss, and there stood someone I'd have never imagined in a million years.
John Mercer.
But not as I remembered him.
The man who entered was Na'vi. At least, he wore their skin. Tall and broad-shouldered, his blue form radiated an unnatural vitality. He moved like he belonged in the body, but his presence reeked of something deeply wrong. His face was not much familiar, yet his eyes... they were the same. Cold, calculating, and dripping with malice. I could feel it radiating from him, infecting the air like poison.
