Kapitel 18: Chapter 18: Other Self - 96 AG
Passing the claw-like cliff and peering around the corner, a small camp came into view in the distance. Gradually, he approached the location, and after a few minutes of walking, he arrived there.
The place appeared deserted, though it was chillingly cold, and numerous ice statues littered the area, suggesting a child's handiwork. In one corner, there was a handcrafted water pond, clearly not a product of nature.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down Sozim's spine. In the spirit world, where he had no physical form, he couldn't bend or sense a threat from behind. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a shard of ice pointed at his neck.
"Who are you?" a boy's voice called out from behind him. "You smell like him."
"Him?" Sozim inquired. "You mean Chio?"
"You even know his name," the boy behind him clicked his tongue. "What's your connection to him?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," Sozim replied. "And you, what's your name?"
"You first," the boy retorted.
Sozim sighed. "I'm Sozim, but that's after I lost my memories. Before that, I think I was called Kavir."
"Kavir?" the boy mused. The ice shard that had been aimed at Sozim's neck suddenly melted, and the boy came into full view.
He saw a familiar face, the same as his current body's appearance but with darker skin, lacking the paleness of his current form.
"You... you're the original owner of this body," Sozim murmured.
"Owner of the body?" the boy questioned.
"I... I'm the one currently inhabiting your body," Sozim clarified.
"What?" the boy frowned. "So you're Chio?!"
"No," Sozim shook his head. "I'm not Chio. I'm Sozim, the soul currently inside your body."
"The soul inside my physical body is supposed to be Chio," the boy countered, water from the pond swirling around him, ready for battle. "That bastard tricked me!"
"But that's not the case," Sozim explained. "Calm down. If I were Chio, I would know about you and your abilities. Besides, I'm not in your body right now; as you can see, I'm in my original form."
The boy raised an eyebrow and simply hummed. "You said the body lost its memories? But you know my name."
"That's the only thing I remembered when I entered the body," Sozim replied.
"What was the body wearing when you woke up?" the boy inquired.
"Water Tribe clothing," Sozim stated.
"Who is my father?"
"I... don't know," Sozim admitted. "I was hoping you might have the answer."
"You... really are not Chio," the boy murmured, dropping his guard. "How is that possible?"
"What happened to you, or should I say us?" Sozim asked.
"It's your body now," the boy said calmly, his voice tinged with bitterness, as he turned away. "No need to say 'us.' Because we were separate people from the start."
"Don't you want your body back?" Sozim asked again.
"No," the boy shook his head. "I can't take it back. Because I've already died."
"I don't understand," Sozim said. "What happened? Tell me everything."
"I...," the boy, the original owner of the body, sighed. "I made a deal with a spirit. With Chio."
Sozim raised his brow. "How?"
"I was nine when it happened, and I guess you're about twelve now? That's not much different, to be honest," the boy stated. "The Fire Nation attacked our home repeatedly due to rumors of new waterbenders among us. They destroyed our community, interrogated everyone I knew. My father told me to run, but I insisted on fighting because I was one of the waterbenders, along with a friend of mine."
"So you didn't run?" Sozim questioned.
"No. I ran. My father forced me to," the boy said. "But someone saw me and chased me deeper into the wilderness. I eventually found a ravine in the middle of nowhere to hide, and that's where I started hearing voices."
"Voices?" Sozim asked.
"It was Chio's," the boy murmured. "He said he could help me stop those Fire Nation soldiers, and I was full of hatred and desperation. I said I would do anything to kill those Fire Nation soldiers."
Sozim sighed, massaging his temple. "You said 'anything'? Really?"
"As I said, I was young, desperate, and filled with hatred," the boy grumbled. "And... he did help me. He killed everyone who chased me, using my body. But after that, he didn't return it to me. He claimed that I had told him I would do anything, and that from now on, he would be the mortal boy, and I would be the spirit. After that, I ended up here, and I never saw him again."
"That's not helping my situation," Sozim murmured.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "What's your situation? Why are you here?"
"When I inherited your body, I gained some abilities," Sozim explained.
"Well, yeah, I'm a waterbender, so of course, you'd have those abilities too," the boy responded.
"No," Sozim shook his head. "I can't waterbend."
"What do you mean?" the boy frowned.
"I can't waterbend, but I can bend blood," Sozim continued, making the boy frown even more. "Every time I use it, it feels like something is chipping away at my consciousness, as if someone is trying to take over my mind, filling it with hatred, madness, and..."
"Bloodlust," the boy muttered. "That's probably Chio's power. I felt it too when he took control of my body. He turned the Fire Nation soldiers into puppets and made them kill each other. I could feel his satisfaction and craving for more. I asked around this place, and his neighbors said that he was the spirit of Bloodlust, an offspring of an ancient spirit. He gained a lot of power when the war in the physical world began, drawing on the emotion of bloodlust."
"Damn it," Sozim clicked his tongue. "Do you know how to solve it? Or even regain your waterbending?"
"I don't even know how you ended up in my body in the first place," the boy shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
The boy then walked away from Sozim, looking somewhat dejected but trying to maintain his composure. Seeing this, Sozim couldn't help but feel guilty. He had taken away this boy's life, albeit indirectly.
"Wait," Sozim stopped him. "Do you have any requests?"
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Requests?"
"Do you want me to do something in the physical world?" Sozim offered. "I have your body, and I can't help but feel a little guilty for taking your life."
"It's not you who did it," the boy reassured him. "Don't worry about me. Just enjoy your life."
"Hey, at least if you want me to do something, I'll do it. What about your family?" Sozim persisted.
The boy fell silent for a moment. "I have a father, as you heard. His name is Bato, from the Southern Water Tribe. Tell him that his son Kavir is dead. You have my clothing, right? The one you woke up in? Give it to him."
"Clothing?" Sozim thought for a moment. He recalled that the clothing was with Lo and Li and could only sigh at the thought. "Alright, I don't have your clothing right now, but I'll figure something out. Anything else?"
"Yes," the boy said. "If you find that Chio is taking over you to the point of no return, kill yourself. I don't want him to continue using my body."
Sozim chuckled. "I was planning to do that anyway."
The boy nodded before walking away again. "You should go. It's not advisable to stay in the spirit world for too long."
"Thank you for the information," Sozim said. "I'll make sure I won't tarnish your face. And I'll see you again, I promise. By then, Chio will be no more."
In an instant, Sozim's spiritual form slowly faded away, leaving Kavir alone. The boy gazed up at the sky and took a deep breath.
Finally, a faint smile graced his lips before he shook his head and continued walking toward the camp.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein