A dimly lit room sat in silence, shadows stretching across the walls as a single lamp cast a faint amber glow. Furama occupied a large chair at the center, leaning back comfortably with his legs stretched out in front of him.
Between his fingers rested a robusto cigar, thin trails of smoke rising lazily toward the ceiling. In his other hand, he held a short glass of four-year-old whiskey, the amber liquid barely covering the bottom. He swirled it slowly, watching the light reflect off the glass.
The room remained quiet.
Then—
His phone rang.
The sudden sound broke the stillness. Furama lowered the glass onto the table and reached for his phone, bringing it calmly to his ear.
"Hello?" he spoke, his voice low and composed.
A muffled voice responded from the other end — a male. The man informed Furama about a new test subject they had discovered. Someone… unusually willing to undergo the alterations.
Furama's lips curled into a faint smile. A quiet chuckle escaped him as he leaned back deeper into his chair, the cigar still burning between his fingers.
They exchanged a few brief words, discussing the subject's condition and potential. The conversation remained short, precise, and deliberate.
Then the call ended.
Silence returned to the room.
Furama slowly lowered the phone, his smile widening slightly as he picked up his glass again. He took a slow sip before muttering under his breath.
"Don't worry, Avatar…"
His eyes darkened as smoke drifted across his face.
"You're not going to stand in my way anymore."
---
Jung Gyu sat quietly, his expression notably carefree — almost empty. Not a single emotion crossed his face as he sat beside Yuta and two young women at their table. The restaurant buzzed with life, warm lights hanging from the ceiling and soft chatter filling the air.
Laughter echoed across the table, but only Yuta and his partner, Ria, were involved. Their conversation bounced back and forth effortlessly, both clearly enjoying themselves.
Meanwhile, Jung Gyu sat across from his own partner, Kira. He looked elsewhere, his attention drifting far from the conversation. Kira idly pushed her food around her plate, equally uninterested in the entire outing.
After another round of laughter, Ria leaned forward, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"So… what do you guys do for work?"
Jung Gyu slowly turned his head toward Yuta. Yuta glanced back at him. Jung Gyu then looked away again, his gaze drifting into empty space before Yuta finally answered.
"We're detectives."
Ria gasped, her eyes lighting up. "That's so hot," she said, a playful smile forming across her face.
Yuta responded with multiple eyebrow raises, clearly amused.
Jung Gyu and Kira, however, remained largely unaffected. Kira calmly took a bite of her food before slowly sipping from her wine glass. She rested her chin on her palms, her posture relaxed but uninterested.
Jung Gyu watched a pair of flies chasing each other near a nearby light fixture. At this point, anything was more interesting than the date.
---
Two hours later…
Yuta and Ria were completely blacked out after multiple shots of wine and alcohol. Both slumped in their seats, barely conscious.
Jung Gyu took a small sip from his glass, his movements slow and controlled. Across from him, Kira also drank her wine — though noticeably more than just a sip.
"I see you can handle your liquor," Jung Gyu said calmly as he lowered his glass.
"Yeah…" Kira gave a short, awkward laugh before glancing toward Ria.
"Seems your friend here is pretty similar to mine… always meddling in my business."
"Trying to force me into things I don't want to do?" Jung Gyu asked flatly, his eyes slowly settling on her.
"Yeah—!" she turned toward him and continued, "Always getting in trouble which—"
Jung Gyu cut her off, finishing her sentence.
"—makes me have to get his ass out of it."
A brief silence settled between them.
They stared at each other…
Then both broke into small chuckles.
After the laughter faded, Kira looked down at her glass, gently tracing the rim with her finger.
"But I wouldn't want it any other way…" she said softly. "That's why I love her."
Jung Gyu turned his head, looking at Yuta's passed-out body. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…Yeah."
They sat in silence for a moment before Jung Gyu finally spoke.
"We should probably get these idiots home."
"Yeah… you're probably right," Kira agreed.
---
Jung Gyu supported Yuta's weight as he stepped outside and waved down a taxi. The cool night air brushed against them as the city lights flickered around the quiet street.
He gestured to Kira, who helped Ria stand and guided her toward the taxi.
"You sure?" Kira asked.
"What kind of gentleman would I be if I left before making sure you got home first?"
She giggled softly before carefully placing Ria in the back seat.
Kira then pulled out her phone and stretched it toward Jung Gyu.
"May I have your number, Mr. Detective?" she asked with a smile.
Jung Gyu hesitated for a brief moment. Then, a slight smile formed on his lips. He adjusted Yuta on his shoulder before taking the phone and entering his number.
He handed it back to her.
"I hope you'll actually use it," he joked, his grin barely visible.
"I will," she replied softly before stepping into the taxi.
The car drove away.
Jung Gyu's smile faded instantly.
His thoughts drifted…
To his late wife.
To his unborn child.
For a moment, the weight of those memories pressed heavily on him.
He quickly snapped out of it, adjusting Yuta again.
"C'mon, stupid," he muttered as he began walking, Yuta mumbling random nonsense under his breath while Jung Gyu carried him down the quiet street.
---
5:58 PM…
Rokan maintained his stance. His posture looked relaxed at first glance, but the tension in his shoulders and the sharpness in his eyes made it clear — he was completely on guard.
He stood opposite Jinrai, whose grin stretched calmly across his face, almost as if he were enjoying the moment.
"If you're not ready, then there's absolutely no need for you to do this," Jinrai said casually.
Rokan's eyes burned with determination. His teeth clenched slightly.
He knew exactly who he was facing — an experienced bender. Someone far beyond his level. He had barely trained for a month. But his goal wasn't to defeat Jinrai.
It was to land a significant enough blow.
---
5:59 PM…
Sumi and Rin sat at a considerable distance. The battleground remained the same cleared site, the scars of past destruction still visible across the ground.
The wind blew gently, yet the silence between them felt deafening.
Sumi clasped her hands together, almost like she was praying for Rokan.
---
6:00 PM…
A clock rang.
Rokan instantly charged.
His movements were swift and unpredictable. The earth beneath him trembled as he raised several boulders, sending them rushing toward Jinrai.
But Jinrai calmly evaded them, using wind currents to lift himself effortlessly away from the incoming attacks.
Jinrai responded immediately, sending a powerful gust of wind toward Rokan.
The blast pushed him back slightly, but Rokan dug his feet firmly into the ground, minimizing the impact.
Rokan retaliated, launching multiple blasts of fire toward Jinrai. But Jinrai's movements were too perfect — he evaded every strike with ease.
Then—
As Jinrai dodged, he noticed Rokan rushing toward him, fist already formed.
Jinrai barely avoided the attack in time.
Rokan slid forward from the force of his missed punch.
"…He divided my attention using fire… closing the gap because he knows I have the advantage at distance… If I hadn't reacted, he would've landed that hit…"
Jinrai thought to himself.
He turned—
Rokan was already reaching for him again.
Jinrai dodged, and the two engaged in close combat.
Rokan threw controlled, disciplined strikes. Jinrai matched them effortlessly with incredible reaction speed.
" …If I can't hit him because of how he moves… then I'll stop him from moving…"
Rokan thought.
The ground beneath Jinrai suddenly rose, wrapping around his feet and locking him in place.
An opening.
Or so Rokan thought.
He lunged forward, fist aimed at Jinrai's face.
But Jinrai ducked instantly and blew a powerful burst of air from his mouth. The ground cracked violently beneath the force, breaking apart the earth restraining his feet.
The blast launched Jinrai upward.
As he rose, the back of his head struck Rokan's jaw.
The impact sent Rokan stumbling back.
His stance shook, but his determination only grew stronger.
"Did you still take those martial arts lessons?" Jinrai asked.
Rokan nodded.
"It shows," Jinrai grinned. "But you'll still need a little bit more."
Rokan charged again.
This time, he used wind to force Jinrai backward.
But Jinrai controlled the very wind sent toward him. With an elegant spin and fluid arm movement, he redirected the attack — sending it right back at Rokan.
Rokan quickly anchored himself by gripping the ground with earth bending.
But the returning wind felt even stronger.
The gust overwhelmed him, breaking through his stance and sending him flying backward. He landed hard on his back, sliding across the rough ground.
His body was already bruised and weakened.
Still…
He stood.
Ready.
He charged again.
Another close-range exchange followed. Rokan's attacks were trained and controlled, but Jinrai's movements remained elegant and effortless.
It was as if Jinrai was barely warming up.
That thought irritated Rokan.
He threw consecutive jabs toward Jinrai's stomach, but an invisible wind barrier deflected each strike.
Rokan formed a heavier fist. Though it still didn't land, it came closer than before — nearly reaching Jinrai's abdomen.
Jinrai leaped backward.
---
Sumi and Rin continued watching.
Rin noticed Sumi's tense expression. He gently placed his hand over hers, trying to calm her.
They exchanged a brief glance.
Rin gave her a reassuring nod.
They turned back to the battle.
---
The fight continued.
Fast movements from both sides.
Rokan seemed to improve with every exchange, despite his stamina draining rapidly.
Ten minutes passed.
He showed no signs of slowing down.
"…What could possibly make him push this far…"
Jinrai wondered.
The battle dragged on.
Attack after attack.
But Rokan couldn't land a single blow.
His body was already battered, even without Jinrai directly striking him.
Every muscle screamed for him to stop.
But he kept moving.
"…I… I have… I have to land one… even if it's one…" he muttered, limping forward.
Jinrai looked at him.
"That's enough."
Rokan kept walking.
Painful steps.
Slow.
Determined.
"Stop!" Jinrai shouted.
Rokan continued.
"…Just one… I've gotta do this… I have to protect Sumi…"
His voice was barely audible.
Sumi's eyes grew wet.
Rokan finally reached Jinrai.
Jinrai didn't move.
He simply watched him.
Rokan stood there.
Silence filled the clearing.
Rokan slowly lifted his arm.
Painfully.
His head lowered.
The effort felt unbearable.
But he pushed through.
And landed a soft punch on Jinrai's chest.
The impact was barely noticeable.
Then—
Rokan collapsed.
---
6:48 PM…
The battle ended.
"…I landed one…"
Rokan thought, as his vision slowly faded into darkness.
... To be continued...