Chapter 1:

Homeland

"Nilak" 尼罗河

I can't believe I'm actually here.

Nilak leaned on the railing over the deck of the Shànlián, eyes glued to the glistening, crystal-blue water that crashed on the peaceful docks of Republic City. The green mountains that towered behind the city had each peak covered in snow. It gave off a brilliant, yet unfamiliar radiance to Nilak when paired with the shining sun and calm sea.

And yet here it stands—right in front of me.

He pulled out the pocket watch he always kept inside his coat. It was almost ten in the morning when his four-day journey from The Northern Water Tribe had finally come to an end. Though Nilak thought the anticipation was over, he felt more restless than ever now that the lofty buildings and enormous docks surrounded him.

The normally disruptive and annoying voice on the intercom, had a pleasantly welcoming effect today. Just like the sea-leopards' squawks filling the bay.

"Ahem—Attention! Attention! This is your captain speaking, we have arrived at our destination and are scheduled to dock momentarily. Welcome to Republic City, everyone!"

It felt almost like a dream to Nilak. His face felt numb and strangely cold as if the announcement assured him that this was real in a way his eyes could not. His eyes squinted as the rising wind brushed against his face. I'm coming for you, father…

Despite the four days he had spent out in the ocean, docking in a port had to be the longest bit. Several times Nilak found himself pacing uncontrollably on the deck and checking his pocket watch unnecessarily. However, his legs stiffened once the flux of people around the harbor was accessible. Finally, he retained control of himself once the crew started to unload cargo.

He picked up his two, large bags from the pile laid out on the edge of the dock before going out into the inner market. It was loud and chaotic; for several if not most merchants sat shouting out certain sales and foods behind their respective stand. It was hard to survey everything while keeping with the tides of people steering him through the market and out to the first streets Nilak had seen in his entire life.

He couldn't help the stupid grin that no doubt was vivid on his face. The buildings! The streets! The lights and cars! It's just like Dad said! This place… It's absolutely amazing!

Several horns honked out in the street and the powerful sound of a construction site somewhere off towards his right.

"Er—Excuse me! I'm looking for someone who was on the Shànlián. You might know him, his name is Nilak," a peppy voice called to his left. He quickly turned and saw a small, bony woman asking a short, muscular man the question just inside the market, pointing at the tall Shànlián.

"Yeah I met him—but I'm 'fraid you're too late. He left the ship a few minutes after we unloaded," the man said. Nilak then remembered him as one of the crew he had seen on the ship several times throughout the journey.

"Okay, thank you!" She exclaimed, quickly dashing back out into the outer edges of the cove.

Wait! I'm over here! Nilak finally came back to his senses and chased after her. It was harder than he anticipated to keep up with her while holding the heavy bags in his hands. Gah! How can I get her attention? There's too much going on around here for her to notice…

Swiftly cutting through several small sea food stands, he saw the woman had started surveying the surrounding area. He caught up with her and gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"Wha—!" She spun around, quickly.

Regretting his reckless means of approaching her, he bit his lip nervously. Great, that came out a lot ruder than I imagined… How do I get myself tangled in these situations so easily?

"Um—can I help you, sir?" she said, clearly confused by his efforts of communication.

Feeling his face glow, Nilak tried to find a way to explain who he was. If only I had some parchment on me…

"You okay? Are you lost?" He shook his head awkwardly. Why am I such an idiot sometimes?

Feeling foolish, he dropped his bags to each side and tried to explain himself extremely slowly. 'I…. am….' He cut off. Letters were a lot harder for people to understand who didn't know the language.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Taige's brown eyes widened at him as if one of his arms had just disappeared. "You're—are you Nilak?!"

Relieved, he nodded.

"Oh!" She let out again, now beaming up at him. "I'm so sorry, Councilman Nilak! My name's Taige, I've been assigned as your personal assistant. You see, I'm a linguist. I'm supposed to act as your 'voice' for the council and other work-related things you may encounter."

Being addressed as "Councilman Nilak" made his stomach turn over a bit. When she explained who she was, though, he felt even stupider than before. He exhaled before he fluently moved his hands in an expression to say 'You know sign language?'

Despite her previously saying it, Nilak still felt dumbfounded at what Taige had said. "Mhm!" she emitted, happily.

Nilak covered his face with his hand, bashful at his foolish acts. He raised his eyebrows slightly before clamping his hands together. 'Nice to meet you,' he smiled reassuringly as he scratched the back of his head, nervously.

She giggled at him before he gripped the handles of the heavy bags in his hands. "Here, let me help you with that." He slung the bag on his right over his shoulder and moved a hand on his chin before extending it outwards, meaning "Thanks".

Taige nodded, briskly. She took the bag from his left hand and faced away from him. "It's a long walk through the streets toward your apartment and I imagine you're exhausted from the trip. We should get going—you ready?"

With a knock from his hand (Yes), they had went into the depths of Republic City.

Walking side-by-side, Nilak caught his assistant studying his face every couple minutes. Her glances made him feel uneasy. Has she never been around someone like me before, despite knowing my language?

Though his discomfort was soon forgotten as his focus shifted on the hectic city in front of him. It is so… foreign. His head was pounding, dizzy from all the harsh angles he crammed it, excited. Nilak could not help but stop every few minutes, fascinated by everything from the cars crowded in the roads, to the disruptive shouts people made while densely navigating through the street and sidewalk. He even heard a distant siren go off from a distance for a couple of minutes that was slightly alarming. Fortunately, Taige seemed to understand and waited patiently until he was ready to move on.

"So I take it this is your first time in the city?" She grinned.

He nodded vigorously.

"Ah, I see. They don't have Sato-Mobiles up at the Northern Water Tribe?"

'Nope, but my father has told me all about them…' He motioned fluently. 'I never got the chance to see what they looked like before though.'

Nilak's father, Onaruk, was the Councilman representing the Northern Water Tribe for most of his son's life. However he was declared missing only a few months ago; before Nilak was asked to take up the position in his absence.

With all the stop-and-go movement they had done, the already long walk was extended even longer. It took an hour and a half before Taige stopped him as they reached a towering building to his right and opened the door for him.

"You're on the ninth floor, Door 14," she said once they passed the receptionist who had a long, bulging stomach with a black handlebar mustache beneath his bald shiny head. He wore a strange hat and was eating lunch with his feet on the desk; paying no mind to them.

A door opened and she led them inside a small square room automatically. Taige pressed the button with a '九' underneath the glass.

What on earth…!?

Nilak immediately shot his arms out on two of the walls to steady himself as he looked around wildly in response to the harsh upwards movement. Taige covered her mouth as a fit of laughter ran over her.

"I—Haha—I'm so sorry! I shouldn't laugh, I'm terrible! Absolutely terrible…" She cut off for several moments, still grinning uncontrollably. "I had no idea—I guess it only makes sense—you've never seen a car before… it should've occurred to me."

Nilak gawked, bewildered at her murmuring.

"Uh—Councilman, sir, you see this is an elevator. It lifts up and down through the floors of the buildings here so people can—er—get around quicker." Taige explained, still trying to keep a straight face. "You see, I've lived inside Republic City my whole life and it's quite common in cities. It just seems so… natural to me that I guess I assumed everyone knew about it."

Nilak was at a loss of what to reply with, but the doors that soon opened interrupted his thoughts. He looked past them to see that they were indeed on a different floor than the last one. Strange… It consisted almost entirely of doors going down a single hallway. Each door had a brass number on the top, save the double doors that Nilak presumed to be the stairs.

"Right. So here is your key… Number 14 on the ninth floor you got that down?" Taige asked, placing a piece of brass in his palms. They had begun to sweat from the surprise in the elevator.

Floor 9—Number 14 He read back in his head before knocking his hand to respond.

"Good. Let's see seven…eight… Ah, here it is!" She turned to the other side of the hall and pointed at the door that said 十四.

He tugged at the door quietly while she faced away, slightly. "I'd assume you'd like to settle in after such a long trip so I'll—" she blinked as he struggled at the handle.

"Did you use the key?" She tried, quizzically.

Great… His face heated up as he felt more lost by the minute. Looking at the metal piece completely stumped, he shrugged at her, hopelessly. "Here—"

Taige took his hand and guided the length of the key through the slit in the door knob before forcefully turning it. Afterwards a clink sounded inside the door and she pushed with her other hand on the door until it opened all the way.

The wooden floorboards creaked at his weight as he stepped inside the narrow, blank hallway. The entire apartment was visible as soon as the walls opened up a couple meters away. There was a small counter that separated the kitchen from a small living room. Behind him lay three doors that consisted of a closet, a bedroom and a small, cramped bathroom. All the furniture was stripped away with the previous owner's move.

"Well? How is it?" Taige looked at him, eyes lit up with excitement.

Pausing for a minute, Nilak chose his next words carefully. 'It's nice. Small, yet… cozy.' He answered with his hands.

"Oh good!" she exclaimed happily.

He slumped his bag off his shoulder and dropped it with a plop after looking at the large window on the back wall. Unbelievable… He gazed at the brilliant view of the small dots of people and cars far below with nothing short of awe showing on his face. Despite his glee at the view in his apartment, he was far too stunned at it to smile.

Footsteps approached behind him as the sun warmed his bare skin, now high enough to be seen through the skyscrapers amidst the city. "Yeah… The view is incredible." Taige said quietly.

Nilak grinned slightly. He didn't have to move his hands for her to understand him.

"Reiatsu" 金塔罗 蕾亚子

The loud clatter of an old bell brought Reiatsu Kintaro to his senses with a jolt. Everyone stood up and began to vacate the classroom, anticipating the noise. Once he got his bearings straight, he too did the same.

While exiting the classroom, he found Tàitai Hitomi scowling at him once he also left his seat. I wonder if she saw me daydreaming again. It was a bad habit of his. Luckily, as he left the classroom, she decided to let him be. She probably just gave up on me months ago. Though she wasn't the only one who took the time to glare at him as he walked through the crowded halls and the school yard of Kotai Academy. Almost every kid in the academy hates his guts solely for the blood that runs through his veins.

It was common knowledge not to befriend a nobleman in the city of Kotai. Mostly for the fact royal etiquette was no longer as naturally respected at this day and age. It was more of a barrier that had created a lot of social conflict. They likely felt victimized while the highborns pranced around emitting vanity. Or at least that's how they just love to see us.

It did not help that they were in an extended period of war with the Beijia Kingdom and United Republic of Nations. War never made times easier for the common houses. It also makes us, 'pride of the kingdom', look selfish because it looks like we don't make any sacrifices, no matter how terrible the economy gets.

Reia was the youngest son of Admiral Zeke Kintaro, one the most acclaimed war heroes in the Adrian Kingdom. Before marrying Murasaki, Zeke's older sister wed the youngest brother of King Haroon. Or was it the second youngest brother? After marrying Mura, Zeke eventually retired from the military and became an equally famous political figure in Ekta, the primary capital of Adrian.

To Reia's satisfaction, Zeke normally stayed in Ekta which was half a kingdom away. He never got along with his father because of his different attitude towards the weak or the minority. When Zeke found out Reia would never bend anything, it was the last straw. He transferred his son to the public education system, forever killing any mutual respect they once had. He knew… He knew this is how they would treat me. This is my punishment for being weak and rebellious I suppose.

No matter what he seemed to do in the years since he was thrown into this cage, his class always pushed him around and humiliated him. It made the dilemma worse knowing that they truly didn't know a thing about him excluding his lineage.

Reiatsu took a deep breath as he left the academy's grounds. Kotai was always lively once on the streets where vintage cars navigated past the cluster of people shouting and conversing around the cramped intersection.

"NEWS ALL OVER ADRIAN! MARCH 13TH, 246 ASC: BATTLE OF MO CE SEA! THE NORTHERN WATER TRIBE'S WEST FLEET RAIDS NORTH EKTA! SEVERAL ADRIAN VESSELS SINK! ESTIMATED TO HAVE SUSTAINED NO LESS THAN 50 CASUALTIES!" Newspaper headlines were being called out amongst the chaos, normally containing articles about the war or other major political issues.

Buildings all across the streets ahead stacked high and squeezed together, tightly. He aimlessly wandered around a bit with the flow of the crowd passing several homes with lights lit all over each door.

Reia felt that the hours of sleep he had while in the school only added more exhaustion now that he was up and moving around.

Despite considering to head back to the Dimm Rosè Palace and sleep, he continued to press on Cai e' Dan Street. More often than not, Reia would try to kill as much time as possible before going back to Dimm Rosè. Even without Zeke around most of the time, his younger brother, Kenji, and his younger sister, Qinna always bothered him, one way or another. He never liked staying inside the palace if it could be helped, even in his own room.

He stopped momentarily when he heard the train tracks on the roofs of the buildings on the right rattle over the commotion of vehicles and pedestrians alike. The train station isn't too far from here now that I think about it. It was still conflicting inside him but he resist the urge yet again.

Reia tucked his hood over his head, wishing not to be recognized in such a popular center. Within twenty seconds a train had come into his field of vision and smoothly followed through the smoke spewed out of the fireplaces of each edifice. Sparks flew out as the brakes pressed onto the wheels, clearly nearing their destination.

After resuming his walk, the Zhēnx Triangle finally came into his view making the normally cramped city very widespread. Reia came to Zhēnx Triangle every day, yet he never ceased to be impressed by the size and architecture that was Kotai's core.

There were markets spread out amongst the three major roads that connected the Triangle, along with all kinds of shops and restaurants. He even saw some beautiful brass pillars encasing a sign that appeared to be in front of a bank next to Jièyì Library, which towered over most of the other buildings. Along the sidewalk, a musician or two would play an assortment of different and, at times, unorthodox instrument every night to get some extra cash inside the case they left open while playing. It came to a point that he was familiar with all the seasoned street performers around the area.

Reia's sightseeing quickly came to end when a waft of some barbequed meat hit him up ahead. His stomach growled enough to persuade him. Once he located the source and looked at the display dishes, his mouth began to water as well. He opened the crooked, wooden door and approached the counter.

"Could I have some roasted duck?" He nervously tugged his hood further down, looking at the ground.

"That'll be seven copper pieces, kid," the man said. Reia's face heated up after being addressed in such a way. I look like a child to him… Even without trying to conceal his face, it would've been hard to see the cashier's face without looking foolish. His was the shortest height of most of all the other grown men he met to his dismay.

"Uh—will this do?" He placed four bills on the counter. He could feel the tall body sneer to his side. It was considered fairly snobbish to use paper money in Kotai, as commoners rarely possessed any bank funding ties that printed the paper bills.

"Two will cover it just fine."

"Oh—okay." He retrieved two of the bills and stuffed them in the inside pocket of his coat.

Once he was handed the stick of meat, he decided it was best to head back to Dimm Rosè before he worried Murasaki. It's not anything new…I'm always out this late—I'm sure she's used to it by now. Nevertheless, he took the North road, starting to tear bits of the warm duck from the stick; savoring every bite.

"Oi! Zhur Reia!" His enjoyment quickly turned to dread as he glanced around horror-stuck and sped up his pace. How do they know it's me?! An audible pair of footsteps were coming behind him. Reia skirted around individuals and quickly cut into an alley before adjusting to an all-out sprinting down it.

After getting some distance, Reia looked behind him to see if his pursues were on him when he hit right into someone and recoiled onto the floor with a groan, knocking his hood off his head. "H—Sorry about that," he looked up at a fairly plump body. "I'm in a bit of a—" He flushed, this wasn't a stranger.

"Oh? What's the rush, Zhur?" Yunsa smiled menacingly. She was one of his so-called peers. "GAH—!"

Instinctively, he sprang back up and quickly jabbed at her right ribcage, pelting upwards to her arm. It drooped, flimsily to her wide waist. "YOU—!" She cried out, angrily, before shoving him into a wall with her left hand. Reia kicked and yelled out muffled screams, but no one either heard him or cared enough about the struggle to interfere. Something told him it was mostly the latter, being how populated the streets were at this time of the day.

His breathing became very jagged and strained. "Nice one, Yunsa." That voice… It was the same one that called out to him up the road. There were two boys now walking towards them. She smirked as a response to the appreciation. "Now—Zhur Reiatsu, what should we do with you?"

"I got half a mind of killin' him." She tightened her grip on his neck after the suggestion. "It'd show them royals how much power they truly have over us."

"Don't be ridiculous," her companion snapped. "he's not worth the risk, just take his stuff and leave him. 's not like he'll need it, anyway."

Yunsa sighed and gave a mocked pout. "Ugh—fine. Just make sure I get the mo—"

A small block of cement hit her in the jaw. Caught off guard, she released her grip around Reia's throat and fell to the ground, sluggishly. He took a large intake of air as he followed her to the stone floor.

"Wha—" her companion said, befuddled before a brick from the building behind him shot him in the back of the head. The last guy quickly tried to bolt out of there, though his legs soon sank, ankle-deep into wet cement. As hastily as it liquified, the concrete solidified once more.

"H-hey!" He quickly lost his balance and fell on his back, knees bent up.

A stiff, sturdy hand touched Reia's back as he coughed his throat sore.

"You all right, Reia?" Avani asked. He shook his head, still feeling nervous.

"I—ahem—I think so." She lifted a hand above his head. "Thanks," he muttered, grabbing it and being practically propelled upwards by her strength. When he release his grip, his knees began shaking, uncontrollably. The fact that it was so obvious made him feel embarrassed at his cowardice.

"Let's get moving—don't really wanna stay for another round." she said, stiffly. He nodded rigidly and followed her lead.

He was a head shorter, and much scrawnier than her thick muscled body. Alongside her tall, thick body, she had brown hair normally covered in dirt, green eyes, and pale freckles surrounding her wide nose.

Avani was three years older than himself, making her 19. Despite her easily an intimidating figure, she was the only person he could honestly call a friend. As a result of the age gap, he saw very little of her inside the academy during the day time hours.

"How did you know where I was?" Reiatsu asked, curious.

"Oh please, you're always around here." Avani answered.

"At Zhēnx Triangle, yeah, but I meant here—like in this alley." It was a bit sketchy to him.

"Well… Let's just say, I'm a good listener." Avani smiled toothily.

Reia decided to drop the questions, despite feeling more confused than when he started. If Avani didn't tell him immediately, she wouldn't change her mind. She is a stubborn one, I'll give her that…

"Avani" 阿瓦尼

The chilly air whistled in her ears, making the hairs stick up on the back of her neck. The sun had now completely vanished from the sky with only a faint glow of red still visible at the base of the horizon.

They walked quietly along Serenade Park as Reiatsu looked along Port Ichiro in the large lake towards their far left.

Reia's scruffy, silver hair blocked the side of his face while facing away from her. Avani would never dare to tell him, but she had to look down to see his face so much so that it used to really stiffen her neck. However, her spine was used to it by now. I feel kinda bad for him…

Even while being in a different year entirely, there was friction between Reia and the seniors of the Kotai Academy. It was a frequent, negative topic for her friends and peers to delve into. They learned quickly to do it behind her back, after she knocked Huan, one of the school's Redemption jocks, into the Adryan flagpole in the schoolyard and wrapped the pole around his body. What'd it take? Three hours to untangle him? She smirked at the glorious memory of his fuming crimson face once people started exiting their class.

Lake Bayani's harsh tides against the dock brought her back to her walk. She notices Reia biting his lip nervously.

"All right, spill it," Avani stated bluntly, stopping at his right shoulder. It was easy to read Reia's face when something bothered him.

He shot up quickly and looked up at her. "Hm?" His magnificent maroon eyes twinkled in the new-found moonlight. Those eyes always fascinated Avani, for some reason. It was like his eyes gave off some heat of their own.

"What's up?" Avani persisted with a hint of anger in her voice now. "You think I'm stupid enough not to notice something's bothering you?"

"I—it's nothing. Really," he added at her obviously unconvinced expression.

"You're a terrible liar, you know?" she pointed out bluntly as she kept walking. "TǔGuǐ Station is up ahead."

The magnificent walkway came into view and led to a wide flight of stairs with brilliantly polished brass handrails. Equally shiny brass handles outlined with ebony wood were on the heavy glass doors. The entrance was just outside the north market of Zhēnx Triangle. Reia looked over to the right with the swarm of people as he got out a small slip of paper from his pocket and read over it again.

Avani felt a bit of regret at separating on such a bad note when his back faced her as he started moving ahead into the crowd.

"Hey—uh— Avani, I—…" Reia turned back around. "Thanks, back there." He scratched the back of his head guiltily as he gave a reassuring smile afterwards.

"Don't mention it." She returned the smile, feeling a bit lighter.

Once Avani lost sight of Reia, she headed back south west towards the second home district where her apartment was. Must be a pain, getting on a train twice a day for five days a week. She loosely deduced, absentmindedly. Kotai was a far smaller city than most of the other Adryan strongholds. It was partially because a trench known as Courier's Trench split off the westernmost side of the city. Though smaller, it was referred to as High Kotai because of the wealth it took to live there. All of the noble families of Kotai lived within High Kotai to Avani's knowledge. But for some reason Reia is in the common academy. The only ways past Courier's Trench was through the TǔGuǐ railroad, or driving through the three-bridgeway. Well, except flying above it I suppose.

It was a long walk back to her home, covering almost half the city's distance, but Avani's legs were well trained for endurance.

She was the best earthbender in Kotai; officially mastering the advanced art of metalbending only a month ago. It was the same week as my birthday. In traditional teachings within the Earthen Empire, mastering earthbending meant advancing on to the sub-art of metalbending. She had mastered the rudimentary element of earth at the age of eleven, before spending the next seven years on learning the proper techniques for metalbending. It was rare that a metalbender achieved the title, Shī, before 25. The master title, however, wasn't the biggest thing that made her so excited.

When a pupil ascends to a Shī, they would now be qualified for a whole range of different things to continue on in their adult life. Shīs most commonly join the military, the Adryan Dial Guards, or Avani's personal favorite, duel professionally in the popular Adryan sport known as Redemption. Cu-Fe was easily the largest tournament in the world that hosts a Redemption bracket. She had already signed up for the local preliminary matches for a chance into the competition.

Crossing Hea Road, her body shivered a bit. It was hard to admit, but Avani felt antsy thinking about the qualifiers. It had been her lifelong dream to be a star redeemer, yet she was nauseous now that it was so close to reality. Have I registered too soon? She considered, horror-struck. Avani jerked her head harshly, trying to shake the thought out of her mind. No. I'm practicing hours a day on my bending and have beaten every person I've faced in Redemption. Get a grip. I'm ready for this.

Avani's muscles relaxed for the remainder of the walk into the familiar Second District pocket of buildings. Her home was in one of the many identical, three story, brick buildings that stood in her sight. The trees that split the lanes of the middle of the road were almost as tall. Each building held roughly six apartments and had an outside light bulbs that hung over individual doorways. She could understand why people find the structures indistinguishable from one another, for there was only a number on the outside wall for assistance. Though Avani had been in the run-down neighborhood her entire life. It was automatic for her to go past the third parking lot on the right side and up the four cement stairs into building number 74. Inside was a narrow hallway, her door was the second floor on the right. The hinges shrieked when she pulled the door open and peaked inside.

The television's black and white screen was the only light in the small, dimly lit room. A large, hairy body was snoring heavily on the closest chair. The man had a bottle cupped in his right hand.

She tiptoed her way past the family room and into the kitchen where she saw a plate of chicken and rice sitting on the counter, unscathed. She grabbed the chopsticks next to the dish and leaned on the counter and started eating the cold meal.

Kitchen lights suddenly turned on. "You're late… again." A familiar voice said. Her body jerked a bit at the abrupt end of silence.

"I got held up," Avani muttered thickly with food stuffed in her mouth. "I got back as soon as I could."

"As soon as you could?" Xia snickered. She had greying, short black hair, green eyes, and a long face. "It's twenty minutes to midnight. What 'held you up'?"

"It's got nothing to do with you, Mom," Avani stated curtly.

"Yes it does!" her mother retorted angrily. "You don't know how dangerous Kotai is at night and staying out so late isn't helping my nerves."

"Well quit worrying! I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself." Avani glared up at her, feeling her appetite dissipate for the second time tonight.

"That attitude of yours only makes things worse!" Xia exclaimed.

Unbelievable! She dropped her chopsticks in frustration.

"What are you talking about? I'm one of the best earthbenders in the city! I think I can take on a few street thugs who try to mess with me…"

Xia sighed. "You just don't get it Avani—the world doesn't revolve around you." She sat down on the far side of the counter and clamped her nose with her fingers in frustration. "You don't pick a fight just because you can win it… Following such logic is stupid and dangerous." She took a deep breath before looking up at Avani. "You're my daughter… I don't want to fight—"

"Then why are you?!" Avani demanded. Her mother's stern, wrinkled face slackened at the comment. Avani was taken aback from the reaction considering her harsh tone.

"Because you need to realize that there will always be someone more capable than you and if you don't learn to stop handling things from arrogance and brute force—" Xia broke off with a shiver and broke eye contact, looking at the table.

Avani found herself at a loss for words to respond with, so she filled her face with rice, as if to justify her silence. However the dead air remained in the room, bleak and miserable. It broke when the wooden floorboards creaked against the base of the wood and she heard her mother's footsteps distance themselves.

"Just… Be careful. A little submissive behavior can avoid a world of trouble." Avani turned back around. Xia was standing in the doorway, head turned back at the kitchen.

"Mm," Avani mumbled back to Xia, incoherently. It was more of a gesture of comprehension rather than agreement, however, Xia seemed satisfied with the response all the same. She left her daughter to finish her meal in peace.

Though Avani could not rid herself of the distaste in her mouth. Ugh—Why does she always barge into everything? She only had a few small bites of the chicken before throwing the rest of the food in the trash and putting the plate on the counter.

She passed the family room, again, feeling a consuming emptiness within. I guess this is just not my night.

"Reiatsu" 金塔罗 蕾亚子

The train trembled after a sharp turn, bringing Reiatsu back to his senses. His head was tilted back on the head of his chair while he had slept. Once awake, the position made his neck stiff with pain.

What was that dream? He thought, gazing at the cluster of buildings in High Kotai. It felt so recent and yet indescribable mental barriers blocked every detail from his consciousness. Reia was used to dreaming so much in his sleep, but it always annoyed him if he couldn't remember the dream afterwards. Instinctively, Reia bit his lip as he tried to push the topic out of his mind.

Though there was little else to focus on. He was on one of the last train stops of the night in a near empty car with three teens whispering quietly in the corner and a formally-dressed, middle aged man shuffling through some papers in the briefcase on his lap. He could've sworn he felt the small group staring at him a second before he looked at them. Reia tilted his head back again, trying to ease his impatience.

It was a long trip out of the station, but once he finally left, the Dimm Rosè Palace was just down a long, prestigious, street, inside the Wuyi Causeway.

He walked across the long yard before reaching white gates, which were blocking his path into the driveway. He pressed on the button of the intercom. "Kuji, it's me." He said blankly looking over the large gates, into the enormous and glorious garden as if it were a patch of grass.

"Yes, Zhur Reiatsu," the usual, old, raspy voice came from the speaker. After a few moments, the gates welcomed him in and he walked across the excessively large yard. He opened a heavy front door with some effort and slipped inside the well-kept house.

The grandeur of the open staircase spiraling around an elegant, tan, ornamented ceiling was profound. Outside of the glossy, black stairs was a great amount of outlined art on the white walls. In the center of the room a glamorous chandelier twinkled up above. The entrance was practically made to intimidate those seeking business with Zeke.

"Welcome home. Would you like something to eat, Zhur?" Kuji walked down the stairs, making sure not to break eye contact with Reia. He had short, greying hair and wore a black suit, with a dark green tie to match his eyes. His wrinkled, pale skin was hard to notice at first, but became apparent once he covered most of the distance.

"I'm fine." Reia answered, automatically. "Is Murasaki awake?"

He felt the piercing gaze of disapproval Kuji gave. It wasn't proper etiquette to call his mother by her name. As if being formal to family members isn't stupid enough in the first place. "I'm afraid she already retired. She has a business meeting to attend tomorrow, so she isn't to be disturbed." Reia doubted Murasaki asked to be left alone, herself, and assumed Kuji was being a bit snobbish.

"A business meeting?" Reia felt lost. "Murasaki doesn't work."

"Hmph!" Kuji twitched his head away at him, as if Reia was being inconsiderate of her. "If you must know, she is appearing in place of your father, Seigneur Zeke, for matters that are neither your place nor mine to know of."

"Oh, most certainly!" he announced, venomously, with a mocking bow to Kuji. The butler's face contorted with rage at his imitation. It wasn't like Reia to be so blatantly aggressive, but he was too fed up with Kuji's implications. He was tired of Kuji, tired of these games of etiquette, and tired of this miserable day. He stormed up the stairs, to the third floor, not waiting for a response.

He heard a habitual voice talking down the hallway, across from his own room. "Yeah, it can get hard sometimes. All right, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Lien." Reia's angst dissipated quickly by his new-found curiosity. He followed the sound until he was in the doorway. "'Night."

Reiatsu's fraternal twin, Keito, was sitting on the side of a bed placing the rotary phone back on the bedside. Keito had grey eyes, sleek, black hair, and a broad, stiff jaw line. "What do you want?" Keito asked, noticing Reia's presence after turning around. His tone gave the impression he was both annoyed and exhausted, but his younger brother didn't hesitate.

"Nothing really… Who's Lien?"

"Mind your own business. Now get out of my room." Keito demanded, glaring up at him.

The brothers eye's connected for a second before Reia turned away. He exhaled and started back out into the large hallway. Why do you hate me so much, Keito? He was used to Keito's routinely malicious behavior towards him. Even Murasaki, who he always could talk truthfully to, would uncomfortably dodge any questions about him if he brought it up. He clenched his hands, absentmindedly. It felt so frustrating… not being able to be just as cold-hearted back to him.

"HEY!" A loud, obnoxious voice practically shouted at him. "What are you doin' here!?" A small figure, roughly a hundred centimeters quickly stormed over through the hall as if in a track course.

"Shh." Reia responded, assertively. "Quiet, Qinna! It's nearly midnight—people are trying to sleep! What are you doing up anyway?" he asked, agitated.

"Nunya beezwax!" Qinna continued, in her boisterous tone. I sure do seem to be hearing that a lot today…

"You're five." Reia said bluntly. "I think me being up this late pales in comparison. Besides I have a sc—"

"Hey! Listen!" She interrupted mindlessly. "You're—You're not the boss of me! I'll go to bed when I wanna!" How does Kuji find her adorable and me the discourteous one?…Really?

"Suit yourself." Reia shrugged. It suddenly dawned on him how stiff and aching his muscles felt. "I, for one, need all the sleep I can get, so try to quiet down for my sake."

"Do you need to regoovinace your no-bending energite?!" She blurted out, behind him as he turned around.

"I… what?" What crazed dimension does she come from? "Eh, first of all, it's rejuvenate and second of all… My 'no-bending energy'?"

"The energite that makes you a nonbender!" She rolled her eyes. "Sheesh! Read a book!"

"That doesn't even exist!" Reia argued, hotly. "And again, seeing as you can only read eight words—!"

"Twelve!" Qinna interjected.

Reia glared at her silently, feeling no amount of words could explain his annoyance with her. To his amazement, though, Qinna giggled at the silence.

There's no winning with her…

"Kuji!" He finally called out, losing the last of his patience.

It took only a few footsteps on the stairs and into the hallways before he was visible.

"Yes Mister Reiat—? Qinna! What the devil are you doing up at this ungodly hour?!" He looked down at her, horror-struck. "Back to bed, Missy!"

"No! I don't wanna! Ah!" She struggled in Kuji's firm grasp as he carried her down the stairs. You'd think she's being abducted…

Though Reia felt his lips tense into a smile for the first time. She's the only one I know who admires me… But it's that very appraisal I can't stand about her.

Reia walked quickly back into his room, threw off his shirt, and fell onto his familiar, oversized bed. It wasn't long before he entered another dream to be lost in the morning.