Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 123. Under the Nose

*The North Pole.*

A dark sphere of energy, its surface marked with strange red patterns, traveled effortlessly across thousands of kilometers. Birds in its path veered sharply, their instincts urging them to flee the dangerous object.

As a tiny fragment of true Vatu energy approached the Water Tribe's territory, the spirits Tui and La in the Spirit Oasis grew uneasy. Their abilities were too limited to sense higher-order energy, but something still made them uncomfortable. Their peaceful life among humans no longer felt safe. Yet, the inertia common to ancient spirits prevented them from acting immediately.

The dark energy cluster hid beneath the city itself, nestled within centuries-old ice. It began to restore its strength, drawing power from the negative emotions of the capital's inhabitants. Every petty argument, fight, or betrayal became its sustenance.

Though only a fragment of the true spirit of darkness and chaos, it possessed enough knowledge and experience to learn from its failures. Its previous reliance on spiritual authority and aristocrats had backfired, and the islands would now be doubly vigilant.

Listening to conversations and observing local life, it continued to analyze. After weeks, a plan began to take shape...

"The Council and Chief focus too much on the benders! It's not fair! We didn't choose who we were born as!" a young boy protested angrily. On paper, the policies seemed fair—magi were more restricted than non-benders—but life rarely worked out as planned.

"Son, don't provoke the benders. Their words will always be stronger," his father warned sternly.

In Yuki's defense, he genuinely sought to end the centuries-long superiority of the magi. But many issues never reached him, as ordinary people feared offending those who could reunite them with their ancestors with a lazy wave of a hand. Many had grown accustomed to "swallowing" their grievances.

Having gathered enough "mass," the black-red sphere initiated the first stage of its plan. Smaller energy particles, about the size of small eggs, began to detach from its body. When their number reached a few dozen and the main "body" had halved in size, it stopped. In the next moment, the main "body" was alone again, while the smaller particles sought their targets.

The peacefully sleeping inhabitants of the northernmost city, unaware of the danger looming over them, continued to dream. One particle found its target: an ambitious non-bending girl striving to equalize women's rights in their society. Soon, the Vatu energy entered her body, lying dormant.

Several other promising young men and women unknowingly became carriers of the dark energy. The same occurred on the Fire Nation islands and in the Earth Kingdom. In an instant, dozens of young people switched sides. This time, the Vatu energy acted differently. It didn't forcibly alter their minds. Instead, it created a second, sleeping personality within them—one utterly loyal to Vatu. Even the individuals themselves wouldn't realize what they were doing. It was as if they wore special glasses distorting their reality.

The main energy particle had long since found its "host": a thirteen-year-old boy burdened by countless misfortunes. He tossed restlessly in bed, an ideal target. The boy was exceptionally gifted, though no one, not even himself, realized it. Typically, a source grows in proportion to one's channels, allowing benders to use magic without negative consequences. But the boy's source was abnormally vast, already filled with high-quality water energy. His channels hadn't yet developed the flexibility and depth to handle it, triggering a protective mechanism that prevented his awakening.

*

*Slightly earlier. Yakon.*

The situation unfolded in a recently opened school. Home schooling had been the norm, but due to population growth and a shortage of qualified teachers, general educational institutions began to appear. Based on various tests, incoming students were divided into different classes, with priority given to the most talented and diligent.

The top classes, reserved for true talents, typically consisted of privileged students: children of advisors, masters, and other prominent figures. The test's fairness was unquestionable, but not everyone could afford quality pre-school education.

"Our class doesn't need trash like you!" a handsome boy said harshly. "Right, guys?" His entourage quickly agreed. "You'll never become a bender! You should leave the class ASAP!"

Everyone in his class had already awakened their waterbending, leaving him the only non-bender. Only his intellect, beyond his years, saved him, earning him the highest grades each time.

"Just ignore them," Yakon repeated to himself like a mantra. The fresh bruises on his body served as an additional incentive to keep quiet.

"Look at this pretty handwriting, just like a girl's!" the local "alpha" said, his words accompanied by his lackeys' laughter. "This won't do," he shook his head, still holding Yakon's notebook. "Start over. It'll be a lesson for you," he said, creating a small icy knife in his hand and quickly slicing the notebook.

"What are you doing?!" Yakon couldn't hold back, trying to stop the destruction. But the other boy's grip was too strong, and in the end, Yakon's hands were cut mercilessly by the knife.

"Are you getting brave again?" the boy threatened, handing the bloodstained notebook back to its owner. "I can remind you of your place!" Yakon didn't escalate the conflict, limiting himself to a hateful glare. "Oh, I'm so scared. Look, little Yakon's so fierce, my hand's even shaking," the boy mocked.

"New notebooks won't be issued until next school year..." Yakon thought grimly, looking at the two halves of the precious tribal item.

"Come on, you'll buy a new one," the ringleader said with a smirk. "Oh! I forgot—you can't afford it! Though... you're smart, you can manage without notes," he added, seeing his usual tactics weren't working. Bored, he turned away. "Alright, let's go to the other building. The girls are there. Ayumi's probably missing me already."

Yakon still vividly remembered when they all followed him like puppies... How could they not, when he'd scored the maximum on the entrance exam? Rumor had it that Chief Yuki himself had designed the tests, proving their difficulty.

But time passed, and the teenagers began awakening their waterbending. Within a year, all pretense of politeness vanished, replaced by schadenfreude. The most promising child turned out to be a non-bender! Their accumulated envy and jealousy quickly became a catalyst for other negative emotions.

All day, Yakon was plagued by dark thoughts. He desperately wanted to beat up his tormentors. His immature mind wasn't ready to accept such treatment. Even the teachers, who once fawned over him, now barely paid him any attention.

"Yakon, there's soup on the table. Come eat!" his elderly grandmother, the only remaining family member, called out upon hearing him return home.

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"I'm not hungry, gran!" he shouted before entering his small room. Throwing his bag to the floor, he collapsed onto the bed, continuing to fantasize about how he'd deal with his enemies if he had the power. Perhaps it was this very thought that attracted the main Vatu energy particle to him.

An hour later, his mentally exhausted body fell into sleep. No sooner had he transitioned from REM sleep to deep sleep than the dark sphere appeared near his head. After observing for a moment, it began to merge with the boy's body. If one looked "deeper," they could see the thin channels encircling his body thicken by the second. The awakened source began pumping a flood of energy through him. The Vatu particle didn't discredit itself; the boy's abilities were enough to execute its plans. Besides, it wasn't worth risking exposure with the Moon and Ocean spirits nearby.

The next morning, Yakon woke feeling completely refreshed. Even the bruises, which without a healer should have lingered for a few more days, had mysteriously vanished. Each morning, he meditated before water, and this day was no exception. But today, for some reason, he was certain success awaited him.

"Yes! Yes-yes-yes!" he couldn't contain his joyous exclamation as all the water from the basin rose into the air. Still disbelieving, he continued to manipulate it. Unnoticed, his happy smile turned malicious. "Now I'll show you all!" he clenched his fists, recalling every moment of his humiliation.

"Don't act openly! Seek indirect opportunities!" a sudden thought entered his mind, immediately taking precedence. "Right, revenge must be perfect!" he agreed with himself... But was it truly himself?

Today, Yakon fully experienced the hypocrisy of this rotten world. As soon as he demonstrated half his true abilities, the attitude of the teachers and much of the class warmed significantly. Unable to hold back, during a basic waterbending lesson, he repeatedly disrupted his tormentors' techniques. Logical thoughts didn't enter his mind; instead, knowledge unknown even to many masters emerged.

Time passed, and his secret training brought him a colossal leap forward, but his character underwent an equally rapid transformation. On the surface, he remained a diligent and modest boy, his demeanor inspiring trust. But in his soul and mind, there was no room left for light. And all this without the direct influence of the Vatu energy—only through the introduction of the right thoughts at the right moments...

"Blood is a liquid, so it can also be manipulated!" the foreignness of some thoughts, which initially bothered him slightly, no longer troubled him. "I think I know what to do..."

The next month, he lingered near vagrants. Not that the tribe didn't help them—they had housing and food—but they'd chosen self-destruction.

"My hand twitched!" Yakon rejoiced, seeing a man lying in his own vomit slightly move his right limb.

Each time, he set more complex tasks for himself. With his vast knowledge, he knew the heart pumped blood. And the final test subject became the first person Yakon killed.

"He's a parasite on a healthy society! I did the right thing!" the guilt overwhelming him was immediately dispelled by a new thought. It seemed this moment marked Yakon's irreversible fall into darkness.

"Yakon, are you coming with us today? We're gathering at my older brother's house. Girls are invited too!" a person who'd torn his notebook just months ago patted him warmly on the shoulder... And this person was the grandson of an elder? "They're all there only because of their outstanding bending abilities!"

"Sorry, I can't make it today," Yakon shook his head, smiling warmly as if greeting his best friend. "Have fun while you can!" he added to himself.

Recently, he'd begun training in the Healing Huts, where he learned numerous ways to kill through blood manipulation. Next month, a school trip to a village beyond the walls was planned. Enhanced security was expected, but a qualified healer likely wouldn't accompany them—after all, only wild animals posed a threat, and even the teachers could handle those.

Counting the days, Yakon subtly introduced changes into the body of the person he hated most. He desperately wanted to settle scores with all his tormentors, but killing so many wouldn't go unnoticed by the authorities, who had a good chance of tracing it back to him. So this time, he limited himself to one person, but he never forgot who had opposed him.

The day of the trip.

One. Two. Three. A slight movement of Yakon's wrist, and in the next moment, several blood clots in the heart and vessels of the person walking ahead dislodged.

"I'll try to shed a tear at your funeral..." he thought, feeling malicious satisfaction. "I'm a healer! Let me try to help!" he feigned a concerned expression, pushing forward. Surrounding his hands with healing water, he began diagnosing his "friend," who'd just fallen from a polar bear-dog. "Something's wrong with the heart," he told the others. "I... just started learning healing, and I can't do anything besides diagnose..." He lowered his hands and bowed his head, his demeanor expressing helplessness. "And I needed to make sure he's really dead..."

"Don't blame yourself, Yakon!"

"Yeah, you did great!" the others consoled him.

"Children, we're returning to the city!" the grim teacher said, looking at the already cold body of his student.