𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃. korra

___ 𝟎𝟎𝟐. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

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CHAPTER TWO
( they're not there )
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BITING HER lower lip, Akuma scanned the map Koya had laid down on the table in front of them. She only recognized a few places but she had never seen most of them. It was like she woke up in an entirely different world.

Koya pointed at a marked circle at the south of the Earth Kingdom, the name Zaofu next to the dot. "So we'll go first to Zaofu and then through Republic City and end up in the Fire Nation." He explained as his finger pointed at different dots as he named their next stops.

Akuma nodded lightly, agreeing with the scheme. "Sounds like a plan. When are we leaving?" she turned her gaze to him, wondering when she'd be home again, back with her family.

"Tomorrow."

"Okay." She still didn't understand many of the places on the map, however. "One more question." she tilted her head, showing her curiosity.

"Shoot." Koya shrugged.

Licking her lips she spilled her question. "What's Republic City?" Since Republic city sounded quite important, she concluded it was smarter to ask what it was.

For a second, Koya's eyes widened in shock. "You've never heard of Republic City?" Akuma shook her head, confused why she should have. "After Avatar Aang established peace, he created a city where benders and non-benders could live together. See it as the capital of the world," he explained, a little uncertain why she wouldn't know that.

She nodded along, understanding what Republic city was now but not knowing its founder. "Another question. Who's Avatar Aang?" her head tilted to the side, not knowing what he was talking about exactly.

"Have you lived under a rock or something?" Koya was shocked. Aang was one of the most famous people in the world, therefore, he couldn't believe there would be someone who didn't know him.

She pressed her lips in a thin line, not sure what to answer. "I just seem to recall nothing." she eventually answers.

"But you remember where you live, right?"

"Yeah, here." she settles her finger down on the map, not far from the western Airtemple. "Not far from the air nomads." she pointed out, as she could recall meeting some of them.

Koya narrowed his eyes, confused by the fact she thought there were Airbenders there. "There are no air nomads there anymore. The only ones that are left alive here, on Airtemple Island." He placed his finger near Republic City.

"But I remembered them there," she muttered under her breath, frustrated by the feeling she landed in an entirely different universe.

At this point, Koya knew it wasn't the time to start an argument. It was late already and better for the both of them to call it a day. "You know what, get some sleep. It's late after all and we'll leave early," he suggested.

"Yeah, thank you, Koya." she agreed as she stood up from her chair. They said their goodbyes and went both to their separate rooms to sleep. This was the third day she slept in the guest room. Akuma was lucky they found her, she could've died out there in the cold. She was thankful for Koya and his family.

Akuma changed into her pajamas and headed for her bed. She laid down in her bed and pulled the blanket over her body. Slowly, she drifted away in a deep sleep. The last thought being about the fact she would be on her way tomorrow again.

SURROUNDED BY the flames there was no way out, Akuma could see that too. She had no idea where was but recognized it, her skin was on fire but didn't hurt. It rather felt known, not safe but familiar. The flames enclosed and she was all there was.

Also, the smell of burning wood filled her nose. She remembered the smell. It was a forest and she was supposed to find a way through but she failed.

"You will not leave your mistake." that voice and its echo, she'd been here before. "You will live alongside it for the rest of eternity." It was an order, a spirit telling her what she should do.

That same moment felt Akuma her body separate from her spirit; she wasn't human anymore. All that was left was her spirit on fire, forced to wander the flaming forest.

AKUMA SHOT up in a sitting position on her bed, her breath hitching as she gasped for air. Her hands were trembling out of fear. She pulled up her knees, hugging them for stability. A tear rolled down her cheek, realizing what had happened in the dream.

However, her thoughts had been spinning too because of the dream. Had she died? That was the first question that came to her mind. She now remembered what had happened, she remembered how her spirit was peeled out of her body.

All her memories had come back, she died and became a spirit. The spirit who was in front of her punished her into wandering the forest for the rest of eternity.

However, something had changed. She was in a physical body on the South Pole after all.

The door to the guest room opened and Koya walked in. "Hey, you okay? I heard you yelling." He started as he rubbed his eye, clearly still half asleep.

"Did anything special happen to the spirits?" Akuma asks, instantly changing the subject.

Koya was of course confused by the sudden question but answered it anyway. "Harmonic Convergence was like a week or two ago," he recalled as the only special thing that had happened with the spirits.

"What's that?" Akuma tilted her head.

"The Avatar opened the spirit portals again after some years and freed all spirits," he described. He didn't know the exact details but he knew some of it since it was so close to his home.

"Okay, thank you." she shot him a warm smile, signaling she was satisfied with his answer.

"You okay?" He repeats as he'd never got an answer earlier. He cared for her since she'd lost her memory and home. All he wanted was to help her as much as he could.

She nodded her head lightly. "Yes, it was just a nightmare." she clarified, a half-smile painted on her lips as she didn't want him to worry.

"Okay. Good night then." He said walking out and closing the door behind him.

"Good night." She whispered right before the door fully closed. She then went back to sleep again.