****Next chapter unlocks when the story reaches 25 Power Stones****
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[Pov Ikari]
Mom ran through the trees, branches snapping beneath her feet. My fingers, still sticky with the soldier's dried blood, clung to the fabric of her dress as my heart pounded against my chest.
We had already gotten far from the village, but I couldn't calm down at the thought of the neighbors, friends, and my Grandpa we'd left behind. I shut my eyes, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall.
That's when I heard a metallic sound behind us. My body tensed, and I opened my eyes, searching frantically for the source. Then I saw it — two flickering lights between the trees.
We were being followed.
"Mom! They're behind us!"
She didn't answer right away, but her arms tightened around me and her steps quickened, nearly stumbling over the exposed roots. "It's going to be okay."
Those words didn't reassure me, especially as the soldiers were clearly closing in.
'They're faster…' Without thinking, I raised my hand, ready to bend the air. But then the image of the torn neck and bulging eyes of that soldier flashed before me, freezing me in place.
The forest seemed to close in, and the shadows stretched, swallowing the moonlight. The sound of the wind, the soldiers, Mom's ragged breathing — it all echoed in my head, loud and chaotic. 'I... I can't... think...'
Slowly, I lowered my trembling hand, unable to control the air. "M-mom, I-I c-can't—"
"Ikari, listen to me carefully," she interrupted, breathless. "Those monsters chose to hurt, humiliate, destroy. But you didn't. You just wanted to save me. What happened doesn't make you like or worse than them, do you understand? You're my hero—"
Suddenly, she stopped abruptly, her feet skidding on the dirt until she came to a halt at the edge of a cliff.
I looked down, alarmed, seeing how the steep drop led to a river below. 'We're trapped.'
"Okay... okay... okay," Mom murmured, staring at the fall with a distressed expression.
"YOU TWO! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
The shout made Mom turn toward the forest, where three soldiers were approaching. The leader, a burly man with a scar slashing across his face, pointed his blade at us. "Hands up or you'll die!"
!
That same wild heat I'd felt in the alley sparked to life in my chest. They were here to hurt us.
To hurt my mom—
No.
Not her.
Fear and hesitation gave way to anger, and without thinking, I slipped from Mom's arms in one smooth motion and stepped in front of her, facing the soldiers.
"LAST CHANCE! HANDS UP!"
I raised my arms, feeling the air buzz around my fingers.
The soldiers on the sides moved into position, likely preparing to firebending
I could take them. There hadn't been an airbender in years—they wouldn't know what to expect. I took a deep breath and braced myself.
But before I could bend the air, two hands grabbed my waist.
***
[Pov Hana]
My heart shattered as I watched my Ikari, my boy, my world, facing those soldiers to protect me. Every beat in my chest carried a suffocating guilt. Guilt for not being strong enough to keep him safe, for letting him bear the weight of a killing at such a young age, for failing to pull him out of this nightmare.
He was just a child, and now he was going to sacrifice everything for me.
If he fought, it would be the end. They would discover he's an airbender and hunt him like an animal. My son would never know peace again. He wouldn't be able to run free through the fields, laughing with that smile that lights up my world, or grow under the sun, unafraid.
He wouldn't know love, wouldn't find a gentle soul to share his life with, wouldn't hold his own children in his arms.
All of that would be stolen from him if they found out what runs in his veins.
He didn't deserve this. None of us did, but this world is cruel.
In a desperate motion, I wrapped my arms around Ikari's waist and took a step back.
The world slowed. The wind slammed against my back, cold and sharp, while the soldiers' flames lit up the place where we had been just a second ago. 'You will never be alone.' I pulled Ikari tightly against my chest, my body curling around his like a shield.'I'll be with you, from dusk till dawn.'
SPLASH!
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.