There's nobody around.
Normally the streets of lower ring Ba Sing Se would be bustling at this hour, but there's not a single person in sight. You squint up at the sun, which is positioned in the middle of the clear, blue sky. Where is everyone?
You switch your attention back to eye level, only to find yourself directly in front of a building.
The tea shop.
You're unable to see through the windows; they've been boarded up. Now that you mention it, all of the surrounding buildings have been blocked off and abandoned, as if the entire district had up and left the great city. You find yourself stepping towards the front doors of the tea shop.
Before reaching the entrance, the doors slowly swing open with a long creak, the only sound in the overwhelming silence. It sends shivers down your spine. From here you can see the lack of light in the building. The shadows of tables and chairs are barely noticeable as you narrow your eyes, attempting to focus your vision. Though every single thought in your head is telling you not to enter, the mystery grips you, tugging at every ounce of curiosity in your body.
You pass through the doors.
There's a faint spot of light coming from the rear of the restaurant; the wick of a lit candle flickers in the darkness. You find yourself drawn towards it, with its promises of warmth and light. You reach the back counter, the candle only an arm's length away. You reach out, and the flame seems to lean towards your palm, bathing your hand in its soft heat. As you go to grab the candle, the flame snuffs out instantaneously, darkness swallowing the room. You hold your breath, suddenly aware of how alone you are. Your chest feels heavy, and your breath is shaky. For the first time in a long time, you feel genuinely terrified.
The room suddenly illuminates. You snap your gaze to the source. The room is empty, except for the boy in the center, tied to a chair.
Jet.
You rush over to him in a flash, "Jet! Jet, are you okay?" You ask, tears threatening to spill from your eyes. He doesn't answer, his head hanging low. You crouch down behind him, keen on freeing him from his binds. To your disappointment, you can't. His wrists are bound with solid rock.
You curse to yourself. The Dai Li had done this. You stand up and walk around to the front of the seat.
"Jet, what have the Dai Li done to you?" You ask, concerned. You crouch in front of the unresponsive boy, trying to get him to look at you. Reaching one hand out, you gently touch his cheek. When he doesn't react, you tenderly lift his chin. A single tear falls from his downcast eyes. Your heart breaks when he finally meets your gaze, a tangible agony pouring from his glossy eyes. He utters a single phrase, barely audible with the hoarseness of his broken voice.
"Behind you."
Your heart drops. You slowly pull your hands away from your friend, draw your twin daggers, and stand up. You inhale deeply one last time before turning around.
Five Dai Li agents stand in a row, blocking off the exit to the tea shop. Only one faces you; the one in the center. You were already scared, but now you're absolutely horrified.
The agent is sporting your familiar, crimson mask.
The other agents turn around, one by one. They all wear the exact same mask, the mask of the Red Spirit, or the Dragon Empress, as you've recently learned. The center Dai Li agent takes a step forward. Your eyes are glued to him, trying to make sense of this puzzling situation. He raises his arms, pointing them at you.
Assuming he is going to arrest you, you prepare to duck out of the way to avoid the impending rock cuffs. Only he doesn't shoot at you; he lifts his arms towards the ceiling of the shop.
Bright orange flames burst from his palms, licking at the wooden supports of the roof.
Your mouth hangs open.
Fire benders.
You barely manage to duck out of the way of another fiery burst. You feel the heat as it rushes by you, the floor where you once stood a black scorch.
Now all five of the Dai Li agents are taking aim. You scurry away, dodging the blasts to the best of your ability. The whole tea shop has been set ablaze, the wildfire spreading and devouring every flammable object it comes in contact with. Smoke begins to fill your lungs and sting your eyes. Your throat tight, you get low to the ground.
Remembering your friend, your eyes whirl around the room, frantically looking for your friend. He's nowhere to be seen. You crawl across the floor, the parts untouched by fire getting exponentially smaller. Breathing is getting hard, and you can barely see three feet in front of you.
A shadowy figure stands in the smoke. Hopeful, you drag yourself towards it, praying for it to be Jet. A cough attack sets over you, immobilizing you for the time being. The silhouette draws closer, seemingly unbothered by the suffocation of smoke. You reach an arm out, desperate for whatever help you can get. The shadow draws a sword. Every hope you had had now vanished.
The dark outline steps into your area of visibility, revealing not a Dai Lee officer, but a woman in a flowing, red robe. Her long ebony hair has been pulled back, each silky tendril waving with the flames that burn the tea shop to the ground. The Red Spirit mask covers her face, its ominous stare piercing through your soul. The woman lifts the weapon; the firelight glinting off the sharp, silvery blade. You close your eyes, your tears evaporating as they trickle down your cheeks.
You hear the wind whistle as the sword slices through the air on it's way down.
Then you wake up.