Twenty-two years after Korra's passing, Republic City stood transformed. The city had grown into a beacon of modern technology, with sleek skyscrapers and bustling streets illuminated by Spirit Energy. Power flowed from devices and machinery that hummed with an otherworldly glow, harnessed from the very essence of the Spirit World itself. Yet, this technological marvel came at a price: the delicate harmony between humans and spirits was fraying. Strained by pollution and the loss of natural spaces, many spirits had retreated back to the Spirit World, leaving the human realm they once cohabited reluctantly behind.

Amidst this atmosphere of progress and tension, a young man named Saito—an ordinary, non-bending miner covered in the dust and grime of his daily toil—slipped into Republic City's grand library. It was a quiet evening, with only a few patrons scattered through the towering aisles of ancient scrolls and modern tablets. Saito's heart beat faster as he navigated the labyrinth of shelves. He shouldn't have been here; library access was restricted to citizens with permits, and those of his rank and status rarely had the privilege. But curiosity, a rare spark in his life of labor, had driven him here.

He finally reached a secluded room where a holo-projector sat idle. After a few moments of fiddling, he managed to bring up a documentary on the legacy of the Avatars. The screen flickered to life, and soon, the faces of past Avatars—Aang, Kyoshi, Roku, and finally Korra—appeared before him. The tales of their strength, their battles, and the way they had shaped history captivated him. Here were figures who could bend entire elements to their will, individuals who had changed the world with every action. Saito's eyes widened as he watched, mesmerized by the legacy of those he had only heard of in rumors and fragmented stories.

He leaned in closer as the documentary shifted to discuss Korra's impact on the city and her efforts to unite humans and spirits. But the narration turned somber, mentioning the unrest that had followed her death. Republic City had capitalized on her vision, but in ways Korra might never have foreseen. Saito couldn't shake the feeling of irony that lingered in every word—the very Spirit Energy Korra had wanted to protect was now exploited to fuel machines that left spirits displaced and resentful.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing here?" barked a gruff voice from behind him.

Saito quickly spun around, trying to hide his surprise. Two security guards were glaring at him, their expressions a mix of irritation and disdain. He put on his most innocent smile.

"Hey, fellas! I'm glad you found me. Can you tell me where's the exit? I must have taken the wrong route," he explained casually, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

One of the guards scowled. "Ugh, is that rebellious miner Seitu!"

"It's Saito, actually," he corrected, trying to keep his tone light.

"Who cares?" the guard snapped. "We told you to never come back here!"

"Why are we all yelling?" Saito asked with a shrug, feigning ignorance as the guards inched closer. He took a step back, gauging his options.

The other guard clenched his fists. "I'm gonna smash you!"

"Hold on, whoa, whoa—no need for violence," Saito said quickly, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "How about this: I run away, you chase me. We play that game. Huh? Come on! You're bigger, faster. It'll be fun."

The guards exchanged glances, smirking at his audacity.

"He doesn't have bending," one of them sneered. "Let's give him a head start."

"Why not?" the other agreed with a grin. "It's not like he can bend elements."

Saito's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Oh, yeah? Well, watch this!"

In a flash, he turned on his heel and bolted toward the library's maze of shelves, darting around corners and weaving through aisles. The guards shouted in surprise, but Saito had already disappeared from view, his footsteps echoing through the grand halls as he dashed toward freedom.

It was a risky game, but Saito couldn't help but smile as he felt a rush of adrenaline. The world may try to keep him down, but he was determined to carve his own path—even if that meant outrunning guards and slipping through the cracks of Republic City's rigid hierarchy.

Saito ducked behind a shelf, trying to catch his breath. Just when he thought he was in the clear, he heard a mechanical hum approaching.

"Something that flies. Something that flies," he muttered to himself, his heart sinking.

A sleek, Spirit Energy-powered drone hovered into view, its red lights flashing as it locked onto him. A cold, robotic voice crackled through its speaker.

"[Drone] Prepare to be detained! Halt, criminal! Prepare to be detained! Halt, criminal!"

Saito's eyes widened as he looked around for an escape route. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," he groaned.

The drone advanced, inching closer. Saito took a deep breath, adrenaline surging once again. With a quick pivot, he darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the drone's stun pulse as it zapped the space where he'd just been standing.

"Not today, tin can!" he shouted over his shoulder, sprinting as the drone whirred after him, its mechanical voice relentlessly repeating, "Halt, criminal! Prepare to be detained!"

Saito's triumphant grin faded as his foot caught on a loose tile, sending him plummeting through an air vent.

"Ha-ha! So long, suck…!" His victory cry was cut short as he crashed through the ceiling, landing smack in the middle of a bustling restaurant.

[Overlapping chatter]

Diners gasped and stared, some halfway through their Dragon Dumplings, frozen with dumplings on their chopsticks as they took in the dusty, disheveled miner who had just dropped in—literally.

Saito, brushing off some dust with a sheepish grin, looked around the room. "Ooh, Dragon Dumplings," he muttered, trying to play it cool. "Evening, everyone. Pardon me."

A waiter looked at him, utterly bewildered, and a few patrons stifled laughs, whispering to one another as he casually strolled through the tables, trying his best to ignore the curious stares.

With a quick wink to a nearby kid who seemed enthralled, Saito added, "Just, uh… testing the structural integrity. You're all good. Enjoy your meal!"

As Saito dashed out of the restaurant, he heard someone shout behind him, "[grunts] Hey!" But he didn't stop, weaving through the streets with a grin plastered on his face.

Ahead, he spotted a train rolling into the city hall station. With a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure the guards hadn't given up the chase, he sprinted full-speed toward the train and leapt with everything he had.

[laughs] "Made it!"

He landed on the train platform with a satisfied chuckle, catching his breath just in time to hear a groan from a nearby city official, who rolled his eyes at the sight of him. "Ah, it's Saito. Seriously, again?"

Saito flashed an unrepentant smile, tossing a mock salute as he hopped onto the train. "Just another day, my friend. Gotta keep you all on your toes!"

[chuckling] "Okay, fellas! Thanks for the head start. You want to give me another one?" Saito called out, waving mockingly as the guards closed in.

One of the guards snarled, "You're dead!"

Saito shrugged, grinning. "I'll take that as a no!"

With that, he turned and bolted, zigzagging through the crowd, his laughter echoing as the guards stumbled after him, cursing under their breath.

As Saito darted through the crowd, he collided with someone, nearly knocking them over.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Kiro scowled, then paused when he recognized Saito. "Oh… it's you."

One of the guards stormed up, glaring. "What did you say, no-bender?"

Kiro quickly backtracked. "Sorry, sir, I didn't mean you. I was referring to the guy who was behind you."

The guard looked around in confusion. "What? Where'd he go?"

Kiro smirked, crossing his arms casually. "The filthy, rebellious miner? Big mouth, squeaky joints, snores like a platypus bear?"

"Where is he?!" the guard demanded.

Kiro pointed down the street. "He went that way."

The guard clenched his fists, growling. "When I get my hands on that loser…" He and the other guards rushed off in the direction Kiro had indicated.

As soon as they were out of sight, Kiro glanced over his shoulder, spotting Saito peeking out from behind a stall nearby.

Saito grinned. "Thanks, buddy. I owe you one."

Kiro rolled his eyes, suppressing a smirk. "You owe me more than one, idiot."

Kiro crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as Saito tried to brush off the dirt on his clothes.

"Okay, Kiro, I may be a little muddy, but snoring like a platypus bear? That is too far," Saito muttered, giving him a playful glare.

Kiro smirked. "Oh, come on. It got them off your back, didn't it?" He then eyed Saito knowingly. "Let me guess… chased out of the library again?"

Saito sighed, shrugging. "What can I say? I was just doing some 'research.' You know, learning about the good ol' days of the Avatars."

Kiro shook his head, laughing softly. "You're gonna get yourself banned from half of Republic City at this rate."

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time," Saito replied with a grin. "Besides, someone's gotta learn this stuff. I'd say it's a noble cause."

Kiro chuckled, giving him a gentle nudge. "Just try not to get caught next time, hero."

Saito laughed, brushing off the last of the dust. "Yeah. I had to jump out of a window this time. Almost died." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It was wild."

Kiro raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-exasperated. "And digging through ancient history is worth dying for?"

"Yes, it is," Saito replied without hesitation, flashing a grin. "I need a new best friend," Kiro muttered, rolling his eyes.

But Saito's expression turned serious as he continued. "If there are clues in our recorded history that can help locate the Tree of Life, they're in the library."

Kiro scoffed. "Avatar Xiao Jun, the Avatar Xiao Jun, is outside the city right now, risking his life in search of the Tree of Life. What makes you think you're helping him by causing trouble in a library?"

Saito clenched his fists, determination flaring in his eyes. "That's exactly what I'm doing, Kiro. I'm trying to help him. Maybe there's something, some hidden detail, that could make a difference. It's not just his fight—it's all of ours."

Kiro sighed, his skepticism fading a bit as he looked at his friend. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Dead serious," Saito replied, his voice unwavering. "If Xiao Jun can risk everything out there, the least I can do is try to find answers here."

Kiro chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, okay." [laughs] "The sooner Spirit Energy flows again, the sooner we won't have to mine for it. Don't you want to choose your own path, do whatever you want?" Saito questioned "We're miners, Saito. We mine—that's all." Kiro responded his question.

Saito's face turned serious. "No, there has got to be something more I can do. I can feel it."

"Oh, yeah? Like the time you had a 'feeling' you could bend sand from a sinkhole?" Kiro smirked.

Saito groaned. "You said you were never gonna mention that again."

Kiro laughed, nudging him. "Took me three days to get you out from that sinkhole. Your 'feelings' get you in trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," Saito muttered, grinning despite himself.

"Just trust in Xiao Jun, Saito." Kiro said.

"I do trust in him." Saito replied.

Saito rolled his eyes. "Hey, if we did have elements…"

"I'd use Earthbending so I could beat you with rock fists," Kiro shot back, barely missing a beat.

"I don't like how fast you answered that." Saito raised an eyebrow, then pulled something out of his pocket with a sly smile. "But listen, if you did beat me, I couldn't give you this awesome Avatar Kyoshi thing I have here. It's cool. I'll give it to someone else."

Kiro's eyes widened. "What Avatar Kyoshi thing?"

Saito shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, it's nothing. Just a, you know, mint-condition Avatar Kyoshi sticker, first edition."

Kiro gasped. "What? If you don't want it, I can just throw it away."

"Throw it away? Don't—That's not funny. Let me see."

Saito laughed, holding it just out of reach. "Wait. Don't grab. You're gonna crease it."

As Kiro finally took the sticker with awe, he said, "You know, Xiao Jun says Kyoshi was the…"

"The strongest Avatar to ever live," Saito finished, smiling.

"I know, buddy." Kiro held the sticker carefully, glancing up at Saito. "Looks good on you." Kiro responded "Ah, it's really cool."

"Thanks," Kiro said, feeling the weight of the small token between them.

Saito patted his shoulder. "Always got your back."

Kiro looked at him, nodding. "No matter what."