The afternoon was falling over the sea, painting the sky a soft orange that filtered through the clouds. The wind was humid and warm, a clear sign they were approaching a tropical zone. Aang sat near the bison's head, leaning forward, his eyes squinted by the wind and a wide, childishly excited smile on his face.
—"Katara, do you really think it's still here?" he asked, barely turning. "They say the Unagi is huge. Enormous huge."
Katara, sitting right behind him, held the map she had barely managed to keep dry during the flight. She reviewed it with a mix of concentration and resignation.
—"Aang, we don't know for sure if this is an inhabited island… or if the Unagi is still here. The southern maps aren't that accurate," she replied affectionately, though with a hint of warning.
—"Besides," she added as the wind whipped her hair, "you said you just wanted to 'see it.' I don't want you trying anything crazy."
Aang raised his hands in a gesture of innocence, though the smile on his face gave him away completely.
—"I won't do anything crazy! Just… observe up close. Very close."
Sokka, lounging at the back of Appa's fur, let his head fall back with an exaggerated groan.
—"Can we talk about the fact that we're heading to an island that barely shows up on the map just so Aang can go say hi to a giant fish that probably wants to eat us?"
Sokka raised a finger, solemnly:
—"This, Katara, is exactly what adults call a bad idea."
Aang laughed.
—"Come on, Sokka! The airbending masters used to say that adventuring is a way to grow."
—"And did they also say 'please jump into the mouth of a sea monster'?" the boy grumbled, crossing his arms. "Because if they did, I'm starting to understand why there are almost none left."
Katara gave him a gentle nudge to stop exaggerating.
—"Don't be dramatic. Aang's not going to stick his head in anything's mouth. Right, Aang?"
Aang looked toward the horizon with a smile that was too innocent.
Sokka muttered something about "inevitable disaster in progress."
A short while later
The sea stretched in all directions, vast and silent, save for the distant squawks of seabirds. Appa descended a little, just a few meters, enough for the smell of salt to be more evident. Katara put away the map after confirming the approximate point where the island should be.
—"If we keep going straight, we should see land soon," she commented, running a hand through Appa's fur. "Maybe we can rest for a while there. Sokka and I could look for fruit or some fresh food."
—"And I could look for giant fish," Aang said with an enthusiastic glint in his eyes.
—"Zero surprises," Sokka replied without looking up.
Aang stood up with impeccable balance on the bison's saddle, taking advantage of Appa's smooth glide. The boy extended his arms and let the wind hit his body.
—"I can feel the ocean's energy!" he exclaimed, a mix of excitement and tranquility in his voice. "It must be the Unagi," he added with a smile. "Big animals always have huge vibes."
Katara sighed with a mix of fondness and worry.
—"Just… promise me you won't try to ride the Unagi like he's a sky bison."
Aang opened his mouth to reply, but then his eyes widened.
—"Land! There it is!"
Appa let out a loud "Auh!" and descended a little more to let them see. Through the sea mist, a deep green line first appeared; then, clearer details: tall trees, wide beaches, cliffs covered in vegetation, and a narrow path ending in a simple wooden pier.
Katara leaned forward.
—"It looks quiet… I don't see any smoke, or boats, or people."
—"Perfect," Sokka said. "An empty and mysterious place. Yeah, I'm sure nothing dangerous lives here."
Aang, without wasting a second, made an elegant leap from the saddle and glided through the air, using a soft current of wind to land seated right on Appa's head.
—"Let's go down, Appa. I want to investigate."
Appa responded with an affirmative grunt and began to descend toward the beach.
The first invisible tensions
As the island grew in size before them, a strange silence settled between the three. It wasn't fear, exactly… but an instinctive sense of alert. As if something in the atmosphere was slightly out of place.
Katara noticed it first—an absolute calm in the bay; the water without visible currents, the wind stopping at moments, the sound of the jungle muffled, as if the birds were watching them instead of singing.
Sokka narrowed his eyes.
—"... this is too quiet."
Aang just smiled, not imagining anything sinister behind the silence.
—"Maybe everyone here likes peace. Let's land!"
Appa touched the sand gently, kicking up a small swirl of golden grains. Katara got down first, feeling the warm ground under her feet. Sokka descended after her, inspecting with a suspicious air. Aang made an acrobatic leap that landed perfectly with his arms open.
—"Ready to meet a giant fish?" he asked.
Katara was about to answer when she heard something. A sudden snap. A movement between the trees. A whisper of agile steps.
Sokka immediately spun around.
—"What was that?"
But before they could react…
Four figures in intense green emerged from the trees, moving with perfect precision, fans in hand, in a defensive but silent posture. Their white masks gleamed for an instant under the sunlight.
The Avatar Team tensed, not knowing who they were or why they were being surrounded.
Aang took a step back, surprised.
—"Uh… hello?"
But the warriors didn't respond.
The leader advanced, fan held high.
And without Aang or the others knowing…
Far away, Ren Yang had already prepared the perfect web for this moment. The island was not as empty as it seemed. Nor as quiet.
And by the time the Avatar Team understood what was really happening… it would be too late.