The spirit vines shimmered under moonlight, glowing softly like veins of life through the frost-covered earth. It was the first time Kaiqok had seen the Spirit Wilds so close, and they buzzed with an energy that felt older than the elements themselves.
He knelt beside a particularly ancient vine, eyes narrowing. Something was off.
"You're frowning again," Korra said from behind him. She crouched beside him, arms crossed, eyes scanning the thick twisting branches. "That usually means you're either about to punch something or explain a theory that'll give me a headache."
Kaiqok chuckled, but didn't look away. "This… this isn't natural."
"You mean the glowing tree tentacles? Yeah, I figured that out."
"No, I mean this kind of growth. These vines are reacting to spiritual energy, but they're amplifying it. Something or someone has triggered it."
Korra frowned. "Spirits have been weird lately. Even Naga growled at the air last night."
He stood up, brushing frost from his gloves. "There's a presence here. Deep and ancient… like it's waiting."
As if on cue, the wind stilled. The glow from the vines intensified. A low hum began to pulse beneath their feet—almost like a heartbeat.
The air shimmered.
And the world around them shifted.
Korra gasped.
The forest was gone.
In its place stood a towering circular chamber of crystal and spirit flame. Symbols danced across the walls, flowing like liquid script. The floor beneath them was glass-like, showing visions of the past—Avatars long gone, bending the world into balance.
At the center stood a man cloaked in orange and black robes, with a long mane of silver-white hair that fluttered even without wind. His eyes glowed a deep amber, and on his forehead was a spiral mark that pulsed with energy.
Kaiqok stepped forward instinctively. "Who are you?"
The figure turned slowly, studying both of them.
"I am called Shen'lu," he said, voice echoing softly. "The First Sage of the Chakra Path. Guardian of the True Balance."
Korra blinked. "Chakra… like the energy Kaiqok uses?"
Shen'lu nodded. "You walk with one who has inherited more than you realize."
Kaiqok narrowed his eyes. "You know what I am."
"I know what you were meant to become," Shen'lu replied. "And what awaits you if you forget your path."
Korra stepped beside him. "What does that mean?"
The Sage raised his hand—and the chamber rippled with light.
A new image appeared: Kaiqok, cloaked in golden power, but twisted, monstrous, surrounded by fire and shadow. The earth cracked beneath his feet. Spirits fled from his presence. Even the sky itself darkened.
Korra inhaled sharply.
Kaiqok stared, unmoving.
Shen'lu's voice grew heavier. "Great power untethered by balance becomes destruction. The energy he commands, the transformations, the elements—they are tools of the divine. But wielded with pride or obsession, they become death itself."
Korra turned to Kaiqok. "Is this… what happens if you lose control?"
He didn't answer.
Shen'lu stepped forward. "You were not sent here by chance. The gods do not gamble. You were meant to protect the Avatar… but not just her life. Her spirit."
Korra met Kaiqok's eyes. "What does that mean?"
Kaiqok whispered, "It means I was sent to make sure you don't repeat the same mistake."
Shen'lu nodded. "The mistake that tears the world from its center."
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the chamber. The visions faded. The light dimmed.
Shen'lu's form began to flicker.
"The balance is already tipping. I have shown you what lies ahead if you stray. Your bond is your anchor."
Korra stepped forward. "Wait—what are we supposed to do?"
Shen'lu smiled, faintly. "You will know. When the ice breaks, and the first scream echoes from the void… you will know."
Then he vanished.
The chamber dissolved like mist.
Kaiqok and Korra found themselves back in the Spirit Wilds, surrounded by soft-glowing vines and falling snow.
For a moment, neither said a word.
Then Kaiqok sat down on a rock and exhaled. "Well. That was terrifying."
Korra looked at him, trying to process everything. "He said you were meant to protect me. That you… that your powers could destroy the world."
Kaiqok met her gaze, more serious than she'd ever seen. "I didn't choose these powers lightly. I thought I wanted strength to survive, to explore, to fight. But now I understand. I was chosen because I already knew what it meant to lose everything."
Korra took a seat beside him.
"And what if… what if you ever do lose control?" she asked softly.
He looked away, the shadows of Shen'lu's warning still clinging to him. "Then you'll be the only one who can stop me."
Her hand found his again.
"I won't let that happen," she said. "Because I believe in you. Even if the world burns, I'll drag you back from the flames."
He squeezed her hand.
Neither noticed the faint green light watching them from the treetops. Nor the cold pair of eyes that narrowed at the words "protect the Avatar."
Because something—or someone—had no intention of letting that future unfold.