The journey westward took Fang Yuan deeper into the wilds, away from the roads, into the untamed territories that separated the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Nation's borders. He moved swiftly, his feet barely leaving a trace, his senses alert. The days blurred together, marked only by the gradual change of landscape and the occasional encounter with travelers who offered little more than empty glances. It was how Fang Yuan preferred it. Silence was his ally, solitude his only companion.
As night fell, he set up camp beneath the cover of a thick grove, the smell of pine and wet earth clinging to the air. A small fire crackled in front of him, just enough to cook a modest meal—a rabbit he'd caught earlier in the day, a luxury after days of foraging. The flames danced with a gentle, flickering heat as he ate, his eyes scanning the forest around him.
'Man I'm getting too use to this' he though
The moon was a thin sliver in the sky, casting a pale light on the world. The distant hoot of an owl echoed in the stillness. Fang Yuan remained motionless, savoring the calm.
For a moment, he allowed himself to forget the feeling of eyes upon him—the girl from Dalu, Mei Lin, the mysterious watchers who had seen more than they should. It was all so tiresome. So predictable.
He closed his eyes for a breath, allowing the flicker of the flame to settle in his mind. The fire spoke to him in its way—its warmth, its life, its chaotic hunger. A primal thing that could burn everything, devour it all. He could feel it through his fingers, in the back of his mind, pulsing like a heartbeat. A part of him had always been drawn to it, to the raw power that crackled in his veins.
'The feeling of each element crowing deeper every time I'm close to them is very addictive, is this how the Avatar feels? To be one with the elements?' he asked himself as he watched the fire
But fire, like all things, was a double-edged sword. He could control it. He could make it bend to his will. But that didn't mean it wouldn't consume him, given the chance.
The warmth of the flame did nothing to quell the gnawing feeling in his gut—the sense that, like a ripple in a pond, something larger was stirring beneath the surface. The world had always been this way. A quiet chaos, barely restrained.
As if on cue, the wind picked up, howling through the trees. Fang Yuan's gaze snapped to the edge of the camp, where the shadows grew longer, thicker. It was no longer just the wind. Something had changed.
A rustle. Then another.
Someone was here.
Without a word, he rose, his movements swift and fluid. His hand moved to the hilt of the blade at his side—a piece of weapon he'd come across in his travels.
The presence in the woods was growing nearer. Fang Yuan's heart beat calmly as he dropped into a low stance, waiting.
Then, a figure emerged from the shadows—a tall, lean man, cloaked in dark, tattered robes. His face was hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat, but the air around him seemed to hum with an unnatural energy. He moved with the grace of someone accustomed to the shadows, his eyes glowing faintly with a golden hue.
It was a spirit
Fang Yuan didn't speak. He didn't need to. His instincts told him everything he needed to know.
The figure stopped just out of reach, tilting his head. "I thought you would feel it," he said, his voice soft, but somehow carrying an unshakable authority.
Fang Yuan's hand tightened on the sword hilt. "Feel what?"
"The shift in the balance," the man replied, his lips curling into an eerie smile. "The winds of change"
"Well, I don't play with fate," Fang Yuan muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Ah, but fate plays with you," the man countered. "You've already caught its attention, haven't you? The other spirits... even the Avatar . You are an anomaly, And you will be hunted. For what you are. For what you can become."
Fang Yuan's eyes widened for the briefest moment before he reigned in his reaction.
'I had a hunch that the spirit knows about me, guess I was right'
The man laughed softly, as though reading his thoughts. "You think you're hidden, don't you? That you're safe. But the world is small. And you have made quite an impression. There is no hiding from the future, boy. Not when it's already seen you. All the spirit possess eyes that can see the real soul, we can feel the change "
Fang Yuan stepped forward, his blade gleaming in the moonlight. "To be honest, I don't know what I got myself into but I can't just let things go the way you guys want it to go, seeing just how much you guys hate my presence kinda makes me irritated and angry to the point where I wish I could just make you all dissappear "
" See! Spoke like a true form of darkness, while the Avatar the one who weild all four elements with we could coexist, you on the other hand wishes for our destruction "
" I never said I wish for your destruction, all I wanted is for you guys to stop following me and leave me alone" With that said Fang_Yuan dashed toward the spirit that was possessing the old man with his sword.
Fang Yuan's sword met resistance, not flesh, but something far more difficult to cut—an invisible barrier, made of pure will. The force of his strike reverberated through his arm, sending a shock through his body, but he held his ground.
"Impressive," the man said. "But not enough."
In a blur of movement, the man vanished from his spot, reappearing behind Fang Yuan, his foot hitting the ground with a soft thud. His hand reached out, fingers brushing the edge of Fang Yuan's neck, sending a pulse of cold energy through the air.
Before the man could react further, Fang Yuan spun, his blade cutting through the air in a sweeping arc. The man dodged just in time, but not without a small grunt of surprise. The edge of Fang Yuan's sword had grazed his cloak, leaving a thin cut in the fabric.
"You're fast," the man said, his tone dark with amusement. "But you don't understand. You're only delaying the inevitable."
"And what's that?" Fang Yuan demanded.
"The end of all things," the man whispered. "You were never meant to live this long. The balance must be restored, and it will be, with or without your consent."
Fang Yuan paused, something flickering in his mind. The words—the way they rolled off the man's tongue .
His grip tightened on the sword.
"I don't care anymore let it come," Fang Yuan said, his voice cold.
The man's golden eyes gleamed with an unsettling light. "It will. Soon enough. But until then, remember this—there are forces in this world far older, far stronger than even you can imagine."
With that, the man turned and melted into the shadows, his presence vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Fang Yuan stood alone, the remnants of the strange energy in the air still lingering, almost tangible.
He sheathed his sword and looked toward the forest, a deep unease settling in his chest.
Whatever this was... it wasn't over.
And the game had just begun.