The Forsaken Hero

"Whoa, slow down there," Korra said, holding up her hands with a playful grin. "You’re talking about the Heart Crest, right? I could tell the moment you succeeded; all the soldiers stopped fighting. It was just like when you freed the Last Light Company!"

Her eyes shone with excitement as she spoke, gesturing animatedly with her hands. I opened my mouth, tears still brimming, but in the face of her joy, I closed it again. A part of me wanted to break down and sob on her shoulder, tell her how everything had gone wrong and how much it had hurt, how close I’d come to surrendering to the darkness. But I didn’t.

I had finally proven I could stand on my own, and I didn’t want to undo all that progress by seeking comfort now. Because, in the end, that’s precisely what it would be. I wanted to show myself that I could overcome this trial without relying on anyone else, and if she knew about my ordeal, it would feel incomplete.

Something must have flickered across my face, or perhaps the constant pain kept the tip of my tail twitching because Korra’s smile faltered and her eyes filled with concern. "Is everything alright? You look a little tired."

I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve, trying to hide the gathering tears. "I-I’m fine. Just... relieved it’s over. We should get back to the others."

She studied me for a moment longer, her brow creased with worry. "Are you sure? Did something happen?"

"N-no!" I squeaked, shaking my head, my tail growing more agitated. "I’m fine, really."

I took a few steps back, nearly bumping into Fable. Using the opportunity, I clambered onto his back, avoiding Korra’s gaze. "I’m going to find Bethiv," I said, my voice tight. "He should know what to do next."

Fable, sensing my unease, took off at a brisk pace. I risked a glance over my shoulder to see Korra watching us depart, a frown tugging at her lips. As we left, her eyes swept over the space where the cathedral had stood, only now seeming to register its absence. Her gaze then fell upon the scattered corpses, quickly finding the two children amongst them.