The Ember Leaf welcomed the morning with the scent of roasted chestnut and hibiscus tea. The wind chimes by the entrance clicked softly in the warm breeze, and Linya hummed a low melody as she arranged flowers in a clay vase near the window.
Alec was seated at the far end of the room, blindfolded as always, his fingers gently brushing the rim of a porcelain teacup. His burns had mostly healed, thanks to the ointment Zuko had given him. But inside, the restlessness hadn't.
He had returned from the Colosseum the night before, body sore and spirit rattled. His mind replayed every movement, every strike, every mistake. He had survived, yes, but survival was a temporary metric. Mastery demanded more.
The fan sat on the table before him, wrapped in a fresh cloth, waiting. He didn't reach for it yet.
The doorbell chimed.
Footsteps followed, two sets. Alec paid them no mind at first. The Ember Leaf received plenty of morning regulars—merchants, wanderers, performers, sometimes even military officers who preferred quiet places.
But then he heard it.
The second set of footsteps, a slight drag with one heel, then a sharper press with the ball of the foot. Familiar. Measured.
Zuko.
Alec didn't lift his head, but his senses perked.
"General Iroh," Linya greeted warmly.
"Ah, Linya! A beautiful morning as always," came Iroh's deep, friendly voice. "And I bring company today. Do you have your finest red oolong?"
"Of course," she replied, and Alec could hear her moving toward the teapot shelf.
Iroh's voice lowered slightly. "We'll be at the usual table."
Alec heard them walk, their steps circling the room until they were nearly opposite him. Chairs shifted, wood creaked. Cups clinked. The silence stretched just long enough for Alec to feign indifference.
Then Iroh spoke, louder now, addressing him directly.
"Young man. You look weary today. I hope the tea is treating you kindly."
Alec turned his head slightly. "It is. As always."
Zuko's voice followed. "Didn't expect to find you here this early."
"Didn't expect you to be back so soon," Alec said evenly, sitting straighter now.
"We came to see you," Iroh offered, his tone warm but earnest. "There is something my nephew wishes to speak with you about."
Alec raised a brow behind the blindfold. "I'm listening."
Zuko exhaled once, then leaned forward. "I want you to come with us. On a journey. We're tracking the Avatar."
Alec tilted his head. The word hung heavy in the room.
"Tracking him. To what end?"
"To capture him," Zuko said plainly. "To restore my honor."
Alec frowned. "You mean to chain the only person who might bring balance to the world? You want to use him."
Zuko tensed, but Iroh placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Zuko believes it is the only way his father will accept him again," Iroh said gently.
Alec leaned forward, voice low. "And what do you believe?"
Zuko hesitated. "I believe... that I need to see him. That I need him to get what I deserve. And maybe..." He paused. "But I can't walk it if I don't catch up to him first."
Alec let the silence sit between them for a moment, then said, "You think I'll help you bring him down."
Zuko shook his head. "I think you understand power. And restraint. I think you're searching for something too. Maybe we find it together. Or maybe we fight each other. But I won't lie to you. I need allies who aren't afraid of the dark."
Alec absorbed that. It wasn't a demand. It wasn't even a manipulation. It was... a request.
A real one.
Iroh poured more tea for everyone, filling the silence with steam and calm.
"Even the brightest flame can burn its own path," he said. "But it must leave warmth behind, not ashes."
Alec nodded slowly. "I won't join you. Not yet. I will tell you my answer later."
Zuko's jaw tightened but he nodded. "Then think on it. We leave in two days. You know where to find us."
Iroh stood first, bowing slightly to Alec. "Take care of your heart, young one. The world needs more men who think before they strike."
Zuko followed, pausing at the doorway. "Don't wait too long."
The door shut behind them.
That night, Alec lay still in his room.
The fan rested beside him.
The system was quiet.
But his thoughts weren't.
Zuko's words rang in his ears. The need for honor. The desire to find the Avatar. The potential path toward something more than survival.
Alec touched his ribs. The pain reminded him: he wasn't ready. Not fully. Not yet.
But he was close. With these thought he started meditating and practicing thermal reversal to an extent where it can help as a shield.
And in two days... he might just follow.
Two days passed.
The docks were misted in pale gold, the air thick with salt and engine smoke. Zuko stood at the end of the pier near a modest warship, arms folded, Iroh beside him sipping from a clay cup.
"He's not coming," Zuko muttered.
"Perhaps," Iroh said calmly. "Or perhaps he's simply choosing. The best paths are not forced."
Zuko looked out at the water, quiet. "I thought I saw something in him."
"You did," Iroh said. "But he has to see it too."
The ship's horn echoed.
Zuko turned to board.
Then —
"Wait."
They both looked back.
Alec walked across the pier, cloak brushing behind him, fan tucked under one arm. Still blindfolded. Still steady.
He stopped in front of them.
"I'm not here to help you capture the Avatar," he said. "But I am coming."
Zuko blinked. "Why?"
Alec tilted his head. "To see where your fire leads. And maybe to stop you from burning everything."
Iroh chuckled warmly. "A welcome voice on this journey."
Zuko didn't smile, but something in his shoulders loosened.
"Then let's go," he said.
The three of them boarded.
And the ship pulled from the harbor — toward destiny, danger, and flame.