The air hung stagnant over the streets creating a stillness that was rarely felt in Republic City. Once bustling and vivacious with the sforzandos of voices and the humming basso continuo emanating from Satomobiles was now muted. Every step Jinora took had no echo. It was sharp and clear but with depth; self-contained. The city had never been like this. It was eerie to say the least.

Jinora looked up to see that dense, foreboding, stratocumulus clouds had completely darkened the sky. She held the book closer to her and quickened her pace. She knew that it probably wasn't going to rain immediately but there was no way that she was letting that book get wet.

At the end of the street she had finally reached the mansion. The rich, dark wood of the walls and the deep, lacquered green of the roof were still as striking as they were before but something was not right. In each of the windows, where there used to be warm, inviting, light there was now darkness.

Jinora deliberated as to whether she should knock on the door. Something was obviously very wrong here, but she didn't know if she wanted to find out what. She had heard what happened last night at the Championship Match with the Equalists on the radio and from her father and she knew that it would take a lot of time for the city to go back to normal and for her father and the members of the council to reverse the damage done to the Pro-bending arena. However, she had heard nothing about the Wolfbats.

They just seemed to disappear.

Well. Whether they like it or not, they are getting their book returned to them. Jinora knocked grabbed the dark green knocker and rapped on the door.

Silence.

An echoing, deep silence.

This was not good.

Jinora didn't even bother waiting for someone to come and answer the door. She turned the brass doorknob and pushed her full weight against the door. Surprisingly, the door opened, creating an elongated rectangle of grey light across the floor.

"Hello?"

Jinora's voice echoed off of the walls of the mansion and was lost somewhere in the corners of the high, sloped ceiling. She stepped uneasily inside the front room, hoping that someone would come rushing down the stairs to greet her. But she heard nothing but the echo of her own footsteps across the floor.

Jinora slowly ascended the two staircases until she reached the second floor of the mansion. This was it. All she needed to do was to go inside the library and put the book on the side-table. That's all. After steeling herself for a minute Jinora took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the library.

She saw a slumped figure sitting in the armchair in the middle of the room. His elbows propped up on his knees and his hands ran through his hair as he sighed. Jinora took another few steps towards him and he snapped upright.

"Who is it?"

Jinora felt her breath catch in her throat as he looked at her.

"Jinora?"

Jinora took another hesitant step toward him.

"I…I just wanted to return this book."

Ming nodded and slumped forward again, staring fixedly at a point on the wall in front of him.

Jinora tentatively walked towards the armchair and placed the book on the side table. She looked back at Ming again and asked

"Is it just you here?"

"Yes. Both Tahno and Shaozu left."

Ming turned to her.

"Would you like to stay and read with me for a while?"

Jinora took a step back. There was such a deep sorrow within him that echoed out through his eyes. Something had been taken from him. Something was missing.

"No. I…I really should be going."

Ming, taken aback momentarily, slowly nodded and looked away.

"I'm sorry."

Ming heard her steps as she descended the staircases and soon after the heavy clunk of the main door closing. He closed his eyes as the mansion filled with the echoes of his sobs.