Tides Of Flame : Avatar The Last Airbender

The priest's face changed instantly. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with hesitation. After a few tense seconds, he finally nodded.

"…Follow me," he said.

He turned and led the group — Alec, Zuko, Iroh, and two Fire Nation guards — down a side corridor away from the main temple hall. The deeper they went, the hotter the air became. The walls were made of old, dark stone covered with Fire Nation symbols. The floor was smoother now, polished by years of footsteps, but cracks ran along the edges.

"We're going underground," Iroh noted calmly.

They moved down a long staircase carved into the rock. The heat was intense, like standing too close to a bonfire.

"This temple sits on the edge of a dormant volcano," the priest explained. "The energy here has always been strong."

Finally, they reached a large stone door at the bottom of the stairs. It was round, with carvings of dragons circling around a glowing red gem in the center. At the base of the door were five small circles arranged in a star pattern.

"This is the Sanctuary," the priest said. "Avatar Roku used to meditate here. Only the Avatar could enter — or five skilled firebenders working together."

Zuko looked at the door, then at the priest. "Why hasn't anyone told us about this before?"

"This place is sacred," the priest replied. "Not even royal visitors are normally allowed to enter."

"But we're not here for tradition," Zuko said. "We're here for answers."

The priest nodded slowly. "To open it, five firebenders must hit the circles at the same time with steady, controlled fire — not just strength, but focus."

Zuko glanced at Iroh, then Alec. "We'll do it."

Everyone took a position. Zuko and Iroh moved to two circles, Alec to another, and the two guards took the remaining spots.

Iroh gave instructions calmly. "Focus. Don't force it. Match my timing."

They all inhaled together.

"Now," Iroh said.

Five controlled streams of fire hit the stone at once. The circles glowed red, then yellow. The heat surged, and the door began to move. Rings within the stone spun slowly, unlocking with a loud hiss and releasing a rush of hot air.

The heavy door slid open.

Inside was a large circular chamber. The walls were smooth and dark, carved with glowing red lines that looked like veins of fire. Massive dragon carvings wrapped around the walls, their eyes made of ruby. At the far end stood a tall statue of Avatar Roku in a powerful bending pose. Behind the statue, a huge red crystal glowed brightly.

"This is the Hall of Solstice," the priest said. "During the winter solstice, sunlight passes through the crystal to light the statue. Avatar Roku's spirit can only be reached through this chamber, and only by the Avatar."

They stepped inside. Alec walked carefully, feeling the heat under his feet. It didn't burn — it pulsed like it was watching him. He didn't show it, but something about this place felt different.

Zuko walked over to one of the walls. "It's the Avatar cycle," he said, touching a mural. "Fire, air, water, earth. But something's missing."

Iroh studied nearby writings. "This shows Roku's life, warnings he gave before his death… but wait — here." He pointed to a lower section of the wall. "It speaks about the next Avatars."

Alec stepped closer. "What does it say?"

The priest read the ancient words slowly. "After Roku, there would be an Avatar born of air, and after him, one of water. But the writing stops here. It's unfinished."

"They thought the Avatar cycle would continue," Zuko said.

"They feared it might not," Iroh added.

Alec didn't say anything. He just listened, quiet and focused. He knew there was more to find.

Suddenly, the ground shook.

A deep rumbling echoed through the chamber. Small rocks fell from the ceiling. The heat grew stronger.

"Is it an earthquake?" one of the guards asked.

"No," Alec said calmly. "Something's stirring. The volcano… or something inside it."

Cracks spread across the floor slowly. The ruby above the statue began to glow brighter. The air grew heavier.

"We need to leave," Iroh warned.

"Not yet," Alec said. "Take the scrolls. Anything useful."

They grabbed what they could — firebending scrolls, stone pieces with carvings, and small tools left behind.

Alec's gaze was drawn to a side alcove where the torchlight didn't reach.

There, almost forgotten, was a single scroll half-covered in ash. Alec moved toward it and brushed the dust away.

As he picked it up, he felt the subtle heat on the parchment — still warm after all this time. The script was faded, but the diagram was clear: a spiral motion, fire drawn inward instead of pushed outward.

A reverse form.

Alec's breath caught. This wasn't for attack — it was for absorption.

Without a word, he slid the scroll into the inner folds of his robe.

As they turned to leave, Alec paused.

He looked back at the statue of Roku. Though his eyes were covered, something told him he wasn't alone. A feeling — like someone was watching.

A voice almost whispered in the back of his mind.

But it was gone before he could understand it.

Still, Alec knew one thing for sure:

This place wasn't just a temple.

It was a warning for them not to meddle with what's not theirs.

Just as Alec slipped the old scroll into his robe, the ground gave a deep, strange rumble.

Zuko froze, looking around. "Did you hear that?"

"I felt it," Alec replied, his voice calm but alert.

Iroh's face turned serious. A crack slowly split the floor at their feet. Thin red light shone through it, pulsing like the heartbeat of the island itself.

"The volcano…" one of the temple priests whispered, eyes wide.

Then the floor shook hard — a violent jolt that threw everyone off balance.

"Out! Everyone, get out now!" Iroh ordered, voice firm and loud.

The group ran. Alec and Zuko followed Iroh down the long hallway they came from, the heat rising with every step. The air smelled like ash and stone. Old murals on the walls cracked and shattered. The temple groaned all around them.

The stairs began to crumble. Alec grabbed Zuko's arm, helping him leap over a falling piece of stone. Behind them, fire sparks burst from new cracks in the floor.

"Faster!" Iroh called from ahead. He pushed open the tall stone doors at the entrance. Sunlight poured in.

But just as they reached the open air outside, the ground shook again — harder than before.

Then it split wide.

A huge crack opened up between Iroh and the rest of the group. Alec and Zuko were on the wrong side.

"Alec! Zuko!" Iroh shouted.

Zuko's foot slipped on the broken ground. "Agh—!"

Alec grabbed his arm, trying to steady him. Their hands locked for a moment.

But the earth broke again, and the ground gave out from beneath them.

"No!"