The snowstorm came without warning.**
Wind howled through the Southern Water Tribe like an angry beast, rattling windows and slamming doors. The elders called it unnatural—a spirit storm. The White Lotus reinforced the compound's walls with ice and metal. And in the heart of the storm, Kaiqok sat in meditation, golden chakra cloak pulsing like a heartbeat beneath his skin.
He could feel it again.
That pull. That ancient whisper in his blood.
The spirits were calling him.
Outside the cave where he and Korra usually trained, the wind screamed, but inside, it was perfectly still. Kaiqok's Sage Mode eyes were open, glowing gold and silver, catching even the smallest ripple in the spirit-touched air.
Something was wrong.
He stood and summoned his chakra cloak—this time shaped as a glowing eagle, the wings stretching behind him. In a single beat, he launched upward, cutting through the storm like a blade.
He needed answers.
And the Spirit World would give them.
---
Back in the village, Korra stood by her window, nose pressed to the fogged glass. Her breath left little clouds on the pane.
She could feel it too.
A weird buzzing in her belly. Not hunger. Not cold. Something stranger. Something older.
"Where'd you go, Kai?" she whispered.
But no answer came.
---
Kaiqok landed near the oldest spirit tree south of the glacier—an ancient, hollow trunk etched with forgotten glyphs. The storm bent around it, refusing to touch it.
He approached it carefully, then placed his hand on the bark.
The world shifted.
His chakra cloak pulsed.
And reality split.
The sky cracked like glass. Trees twisted into glowing vines. The ice beneath his feet turned translucent, revealing rivers of light flowing below. He had entered the Spirit World.
This time, it felt different.
He wasn't just visiting.
He was being invited.
A low hum echoed through the dreamscape. Fireflies of pure spirit energy danced around him. He turned—and a familiar face stood before him.
The green-flamed spirit woman from before.
"You came," she said.
"You summoned me," he replied.
"You've stepped deeper into the river of fate than any mortal should," she said. "Even the spirits don't fully understand what you are."
"I'm just a guy with weird powers," he said, half-joking.
But she wasn't smiling.
"You are more than that. Your fusion of energies—chakra, Sage Mode, and spiritual force—it bends the natural law. Your presence here distorts the cycle."
Kaiqok frowned. "So what? I'm a walking paradox? Should I leave?"
"If you do, Korra breaks," she said simply.
That hit him like a hammer to the chest.
"She's not ready," the spirit continued. "Not for the future waiting for her. But you... you might be able to change it. At a cost."
He stepped closer. "What cost?"
The spirit turned away. "You may anchor her to this world. But in doing so, you'll sever your own ties to what you once were. Your powers will adapt. Change. And one day, you may lose the person you used to be."
Kaiqok clenched his fists.
He already had lost who he used to be. That life was gone.
But this one?
This one had her in it.
And that made it worth it.
"Tell me what I need to know."
The spirit raised a hand.
Flames danced, forming visions.
He saw Korra, years older, fighting against Unalaq in the Southern Spirit Portal.
He saw her light dimming, her connection to past Avatars severing.
He saw the chaos that followed.
"She was meant to fall," the spirit whispered. "So that something new could rise."
"But I can change that?" he asked.
"Yes. With guidance. With strength. With sacrifice."
Kaiqok narrowed his eyes. "Then let's get started."
---
Back in the physical world, the storm had begun to fade. Korra slipped out of her home, bundled in thick layers, and quietly made her way toward the cave.
She had a feeling she'd find him there.
Instead, she found a stranger.
He was tall, cloaked in heavy furs, but his white mask with red markings was unmistakable. The stranger stood in front of the cave, staring at the frozen waterfall like he'd been waiting for something.
Korra's gut screamed.
She gathered snow quietly in her palm, ready to bend.
The masked man turned toward her.
"You're early," he said.
"Huh?"
"You weren't supposed to find me yet," he said calmly, stepping forward. "But it doesn't matter. You're still growing."
Korra dropped the snowball and fell into a bending stance. "Who are you?"
He tilted his head. "A friend… of a future you'll never reach if the golden one keeps changing things."
She didn't understand, but her instinct told her one thing: danger.
She launched a quick blast of fire.
The masked man caught it with his palm—and extinguished it like a candle.
Then he vanished into the storm, his voice lingering like ash in the air.
"Tell him I said hello."
---
Kaiqok emerged from the spirit tree just before dawn, eyes glowing softly. The moment he returned, his body felt heavier. His power more dense.
But his mind was sharp.
He knew what was coming.
When he returned to the village, Korra ran into him, face pale, eyes wide.
"Someone found the cave," she blurted. "A man with a mask."
Kaiqok's face darkened.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No," she said. "But… he knew who you were. And he's coming back."
Kaiqok looked out toward the horizon, where the first light of day touched the ice.
"Then I guess it's time we stop hiding."