The frozen lake sat like a mirror beneath the silver moon.
Still. Silent. Sacred.
Korra had never come here before—not alone, and certainly not with anyone else. The elders spoke of it in hushed voices, calling it the place where spirits once danced with the first waterbenders. A place of oaths. Of consequences.
But tonight, she stood on its icy edge, her breath fogging in the cold air, her hands stuffed into her coat sleeves.
Kaiqok stood beside her, quiet. His golden eyes reflected the moonlight like mirrors of their own.
They hadn't spoken much since the fight.
He had spent the day meditating by the cliffs, his animal chakra flickering like nervous lightning under his skin. Korra had spent the day pretending she wasn't sore—and wasn't scared.
Because she was.
That masked man… he'd known Kai. And whatever he was, he was dangerous. Not just to them.
But to the balance.
"Why here?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.
Kaiqok knelt and ran his hand over the frozen lake's surface. "Because this lake is older than your tribe. Older than bending. I felt it—after our fight. The spirits whisper through this ice."
Korra crossed her arms. "I still don't understand why he said he remembered you."
Kaiqok shook his head. "Because… maybe he's like me."
Her brow furrowed. "You mean… from another world?"
"Or another timeline," he said softly. "Or maybe just another soul that got too close to the spirit realm and stayed. Whatever he is… he doesn't want you to become the Avatar. That much is clear."
Korra glanced out over the frozen lake. "He's not going to stop, is he?"
"No."
A silence fell again.
Then, slowly, Kaiqok stood, golden cloak forming in a soft pulse around him. But this time, it didn't shift into an animal. It just hovered there—warm, steady, like a second heartbeat.
"I want to make a pact," he said.
Korra turned, surprised. "What kind of pact?"
"An oath." His eyes met hers, fierce and honest. "We train together. We protect each other. We don't keep secrets anymore. If we're going to survive whatever's coming… we do it side by side."
Korra blinked.
She didn't say anything for a moment.
Then… she smirked.
"You're so dramatic."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm serious."
She stepped closer. "So am I. I want that pact too. No more holding back. You train me in your weird animal-chakra-ninja stuff, and I teach you how to really firebend."
He laughed. "Deal."
Korra held out her hand.
He took it.
And for a moment, nothing happened.
Then the ice beneath them began to glow.
Light shimmered up through the lake—spiral patterns, glowing glyphs, ancient and beautiful. Spirit energy bloomed like petals under their feet.
Korra gasped. "Is this—?"
"The lake is responding," Kaiqok said quietly. "It's heard us."
Then—a crack.
The ice beneath their feet didn't break—but the air did.
A split formed in reality, just for a second. A vision flickered before them.
They saw themselves, years older. Fighting side by side. Wounded. Fierce. Closer than anything else in the world.
Then the vision shifted—Korra was alone, kneeling in a crater of shattered ice, tears streaming down her face.
Kaiqok was nowhere in sight.
The crack closed.
The light vanished.
They stood in silence.
"…What was that?" Korra whispered.
Kaiqok didn't answer right away. His face was unreadable.
"I think that was a warning."
She looked at him, voice barely a breath. "Do you die?"
He didn't answer.
She punched his shoulder—hard. "You're not allowed to die, you idiot."
He chuckled. "I'll try."
"No. Promise me." Her voice cracked.
He looked at her—really looked at her.
At the fire in her eyes. The tears threatening the corners.
And he placed both hands on her shoulders.
"I promise. No matter what happens—I'll always come back."
Korra exhaled shakily, then nodded. "Good. Because if you break that promise, I'm gonna march into the Spirit World myself and kick your ghost's butt."
He laughed. "Terrifying."
"You know it."
She turned and began walking away from the lake, but paused after a few steps. "Hey, Kai?"
"Yeah?"
She glanced over her shoulder, face flushed red from the cold—and maybe something else. "You said this lake was for oaths and consequences, right?"
"That's what they say."
"Then… one more oath." She walked back to him, reached up, and kissed his cheek. "I'm gonna be your first flame. No matter what else happens."
His eyes widened.
"Deal," he said, stunned.
She grinned and ran off toward the village.
Kaiqok stood there for a long time, hand to his cheek, warmth blooming in his chest.
Then he turned toward the glowing cracks beneath the lake.
Something was watching them.
And it was getting closer.