In a quiet home built from white concrete, the entire structure carried a clean, almost sterile brightness. The walls were lined with framed awards—each one representing a different achievement, carefully placed as though they were not just decorations, but memories preserved in physical form.
Near one corner of the room sat a large fish bowl.
Inside it, a single gold fish moved gracefully through the water, unbothered by everything around it. Its slow, effortless movements gave the room an unusual sense of calm.
Rokan stood in front of it, staring intensely.
His eyes were narrowed slightly, focused in a way that almost made it seem like he was analyzing it. Not admiring it… but studying it.
As if the fish held something important he needed to understand.
Across the room, Jinrai and Rika were engaged in conversation.
Rika's gaze shifted briefly toward Rokan before returning to Jinrai. The silence between them had already grown heavy, and she finally broke it.
"…So?"
Jinrai exhaled slowly.
"What are you doing here?"
Rika's tone remained calm. Not cold, not warm—just restrained. There was no hatred in it, but there was something else. Something wounded. Something that had not healed properly with time.
Jinrai couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes at first. But after a moment, he forced himself to look at her properly.
"I know I'm the last person you want to see right now…" he began quietly. "But I need your help."
Rika's expression didn't change much.
"Why are you so obsessed with this?" she asked. Her voice sharpened slightly, though still controlled. "Just give it up already… you haven't changed at all."
Jinrai stayed silent for a moment.
The air between them tightened.
Then he spoke again.
"Look… I'm only asking for a favor. I promise, I'll never show my face to you again after this. No matter what you decide."
Silence fell completely.
Even the sound of the fish bowl seemed louder now.
Rika stared at him for a long moment.
Then—
She shrugged.
"…Okay? Out with it."
Jinrai relaxed slightly, as though he had been holding his breath without realizing it.
"Thank you."
---
In another location, Rin and Sumi lay on a bed inside a quiet room.
Both of them were asleep, their breathing slow and steady after the exhaustion of the day. The mission had taken its toll on them more than they had admitted.
Sumi had unconsciously shifted in her sleep, her arm and leg draped across Rin's neck and stomach in a tangled, careless position.
Rin slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he just stared at the ceiling, completely still.
Then his gaze shifted to Sumi.
He blinked once, expression unreadable.
Carefully, he began to slide out from beneath her without waking her. Once free, he adjusted her posture slightly, making sure she was at least lying properly on the bed.
Only then did he stand up.
Without hesitation, he moved toward the window.
Rin picked up his binoculars and scanned the outside area again, his focus immediately returning to the mission.
The lab.
His eyes sharpened.
Outside, several heavy vehicles were now parked near the facility. They hadn't been there before.
Rin paused.
He lowered the binoculars slightly and rubbed his eyes once, as if confirming what he was seeing was real.
Then he looked again.
Still there.
More vehicles.
More security.
Something had changed.
Rin stood up immediately.
He pulled on his jacket, tightening it properly as his expression turned serious. Without wasting time, he walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped briefly.
His eyes shifted back to Sumi.
She was still asleep.
Completely unaware.
Rin watched her for a second longer than necessary.
Then he turned away and gently closed the door behind him.
---
Far away from everything else, inside a dark room, a man sat alone in the shadows.
His presence filled the space even without movement.
He had a muscular build and long messy hair that fell to the base of his neck. The lighting barely revealed his face, but the room itself gave away his nature.
This was not an ordinary office.
The walls were covered in pinned photographs.
Civilians. Targets. Faces frozen in time.
Across many of them, the word "EXECUTED" had been written in bold red marker.
On the table in front of him lay scattered documents, safety pins, and torn files.
Then the door opened.
A tall woman stepped inside.
Her hair was tied up in a bun, though loose strands fell across her face. She had a slim build, sharp eyes, and a visible tattoo shaped like a beast along her neck.
She walked forward and placed a flyer onto the table.
Two faces were printed on it.
Rokan and Sumi.
Below them were bounty values.
Three million.
One million.
"Sorry for the late news…" she said.
The man leaned forward slightly.
Now his face became clearer.
Strong features. A short goatee. And three distinct scars running across his right eye.
He stared at the flyer silently.
Then looked back at her.
"…News says they're benders," she continued. "But the boy… he's the Avatar. Both of them are currently on the run."
The man leaned back slowly in his chair.
"…Avatar, huh?" His voice was low and heavy, carrying something cold beneath it. "I've never seen one before."
The woman watched him closely.
"Are you going to take the bounty?"
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Then he stood up.
He picked up the flyer and studied it carefully. Not just the faces—but everything. The font. The spacing. The ink. Every detail.
His eyes moved slowly across it like he was memorizing it completely.
Then—
He laughed.
A short, sharp sound.
Without warning, he flung the flyer upward.
In the same motion, he grabbed a knife from the table and threw it with precision.
The blade pierced through the paper mid-air and slammed it into the concrete wall.
The flyer pinned itself firmly in place.
Behind it, the wall revealed dozens of other photos—each one marked with the same red "EXECUTED."
The woman glanced at them briefly.
Then back at him.
The man turned away.
"We begin the process tomorrow."
The woman nodded once and followed him out.
---
Back outside the lab, Rin sat on a bench at a distance, blending in as an ordinary civilian.
He held his phone loosely in his hand, pretending to text.
But his eyes never stopped moving.
Every few seconds, he glanced toward the lab entrance.
Watching.
Waiting.
For over twenty minutes, nothing changed.
Then—
Heavy movement.
A group exited the building.
Rin straightened slightly.
Furama walked out first, accompanied by several armed guards.
Rin subtly raised his phone and began taking pictures without drawing attention.
Then his eyes locked onto someone else.
Kenra.
Rin's expression froze.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
For a moment, memories flashed through his mind—sharp and painful.
Kenra's presence alone triggered them.
Rin's grip tightened further… then slowly loosened.
He exhaled.
"…Tch."
He took one final photo.
Then stayed seated as the group drove away.
---
"I want you to take Rokan to Rukia."
Rika frowned immediately.
"Why?"
The three of them—Rika, Jinrai, and Rokan—sat together in the living room, continuing the discussion.
Jinrai leaned forward slightly.
"I was hoping she could help him… teach Rokan the basics of water bending."
Rika tilted her head slightly.
"What? Why? I thought he was the Avatar. Master of all elements." Her tone carried sarcasm.
The words struck something in Rokan, though he didn't show it openly. His gaze dropped slightly.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "But he's tried everything. Everything except water… just doesn't work."
Silence followed.
Rika didn't respond immediately.
She studied them both quietly.
Trying to decide.
Then—
Rokan spoke.
"Please…"
His voice was low. Almost fragile.
"…I have responsibilities I'm not ready for yet. I need as much help as I can get… to get everyone I care about out of the mess I put them in."
He lifted his head.
His eyes met Rika's directly.
"Please… help me. Help everyone."
The room went quiet again.
But this time, it felt different.
Rika looked at him more closely now.
Not the news version of him.
Not the rumors.
But the real person sitting in front of her.
Kind.
Respectful.
And carrying far too much for someone his age.
She exhaled softly.
"…Fine."
Jinrai and Rokan both visibly relaxed.
"…She lives pretty far," Rika added. "So you'll have to stay there for a while."
Rokan immediately stood and bowed slightly.
"Thank you… very much."
Rika blinked once.
Then—almost unexpectedly—she smiled a little.
She doesn't respond immediately. She stares at him.
Admiring him.
The she responds as her smile softens.
"Don't mention it."
---
…To be continued…