The outskirts of Sina:
A month later…
Zuko sat down on the couch, restless.
"Is it like that stupid Leonidas' brain cells have started working? How did he even find one of our hideouts?"
Flora: "What should we do now? Damien hasn't awakened yet, and it's been a year already."
Zuko: "Oh please. That means everything I've done is just a waste of time. What did you expect from a half descendant anyway?"
Flora: "That means Damien is still dead?"
Zuko remained silent.
"You told me you had everything under control!"
She grabbed him by the collar as she started crying.
"You said he had a chance even though he isn't a true descendant! You left that innocent boy locked up there, covered with harmful toxins in the name of awakening!"
Zuko: "Let go of me, woman. I didn't know how weak he was, even though we shared the same blood. What a shame—even that useless Zanu girl is better than—"
Flora: "Don't you dare! We owe that boy everything. Do you even know what he went through because of us? If it wasn't because of Aruna and the pendant I gave him, then—"
Zuko: "It's all your fault. If you hadn't told Mauja's child we were researching what's forbidden, then none of this could have happened."
Flora: "Aruna didn't rat us out. Be grateful—because of her, our son escaped."
Zuko scoffed. "Grateful? That girl has Mauja wrapped around her. Anything she does, Mauja already knows—and you say we should be grateful?"
Damien walked down the stairs, his mind still in a daze. He had red hair and scarlet eyes. He saw the two people arguing downstairs and confronted them.
"Ughh…"
The two of them remained puzzled, looking at Damien in shock.
"Where the fuck am I?"
Flora gasped as she started crying. "Damien? You have awakened? See—he has scarlet eyes and red hair!"
She laughed.
"My boy isn't a true descendant but awakened. Isn't that good?"
Zuko stood there, shocked. "How… how can this be possible?"
Flora stared at him, confused. "How?"
Zuko: "No—stay away from him, Flora."
He brought out his gun and pulled Flora to his side.
"Who are you? I'm really sorry, Flora, but the truth is a half descendant can't awaken. I lied—I just wanted to continue the failed experiment my dad started. The person standing in front of us isn't the Damien we know."
Damien: "Where is he? Where am I? Who are you people?"
Flora tried moving closer. "It's okay. I know you're confused. We all are, so why don't—"
Damien grabbed her neck. Zuko's hand trembled against the gun.
He threw her across the room and grabbed Zuko's gun before he could pull the trigger.
"Where is he? Where is Alex?"
Zuko swallowed hard and stopped his men from coming closer.
"Alex is in Sumdem. Don't you remember? Why don't we—"
Damien grabbed his neck. "Why does everywhere hurt?"
Zuko: "It's the effect of the medicine. It's too much for you—that's why it hurts."
Damien: "If I meet this Alex person, would this pain go away?"
Zuko: "Yes… it's all Alex's fault. If you do meet him, then the pain would go away."
Damien threw him aside and exited. He held his neck, his entire body shaking.
"Flo… Flora?"
Flora slapped him.
"You used my son for an experiment? How dare you! You even gave him false information on Alex! How does he even know Alex?"
Zuko: "Maybe Alex was with him during his final moments, so now that he has awakened, he's the only one he can think of."
Flora: "This failed experiment of yours… how many days would it take again before Damien dies?"
Zuko sighed. "With the way he just reacted… maybe a couple of days. The drugs I used were too strong for him."
Flora: "He would kill Alex in seconds. Why is it that you only think for yourself? How would he feel when he realizes he ended his own—"
Zuko: "Look on the bright side. If Alex is gone, I'm one step closer to the throne."
Flora looked at him in disgust and left the room.
Zuko laughed hysterically. "Now that the throne is empty… let the game of throne begin. Who would become the King or Queen?"
Orahime Palace — On the balcony:
Asuna saw Manu standing there, holding the book in her hands, and approached her.
"Still deciding whether to open the book, Manu?"
Manu tried hiding the book. "You again? What do you want from me?"
Asuna smiled. "You know your mother used to come here often. Just looking at the beautiful scenery takes all her worries away."
Manu bit her lower lip. "What do you want from me? You already know everything, right?"
Asuna: "I don't judge people based on their actions. Some do things willingly, while others don't."
She pointed toward the rose garden.
"My favorite spot at the palace would be there. I want you to know everything—about Diego, Maria, and even me."
Manu: "You're still on about this Diego person?"
She saw her smile and exited.
"Just who are you?"
She stared at the book and sighed. She took one good look at the scenery before sitting down.
"I don't give a damn about Maria, but Diego?"
She opened the diary. Her eyes widened.
It reads:
Maria: "I saw her. She's different. She told me who she was and that no one believed her. She wants to accomplish her goal—the one her mother started decades ago. It can't happen now. Everything is broken. All is gone."
"Everyone wants power. They're all blinded by greed. The throne is evil, she said. It took many lives, destroyed many lives. It's hungry for more."
"Only a true monster could control it. The monster isn't born yet, so the throne continues to take more lives."
"I woke up and met her again—it wasn't a dream. She was real. She was leaving. She said she's looking for her parents."
"She didn't judge me when I said I kicked my daughter out of the palace. She said she doesn't judge people based on their actions."
"She's too kind… she praises me, or so what I thought."
"She said she woke up covered in dirt. She couldn't find her mom or dad."
"This girl… was the true descendant of Orahime?"
"Why? Because she's fucking Orahime's daughter—'Asuna the destroyer.'"
"She lived for decades. The flower of life was true? It's real. Everything is real."
"She promised she would look after Manu for me."
"I was a complete fool… at least I saved one of my daughters from all this."
"I lied to myself. I didn't tell her she had a dad… Diego…"
Manu threw the book into the fishing pond downstairs.
"Fuck this true descendant stuff. She must have had enough and started going crazy, that's for sure. You want me to believe that it's all true? They really exist?"
Asuna's voice came from behind.
"Of course we do."
Manu turned, her body shaking.
"You finally know everything? Then you must know my name… and the promise I made to your mom. I wanted to read what she wrote—why did you throw it?"
Manu: "How's all this possible? How can you look this young when you've lived for decades? As if staying in this place wasn't enough…"
Asuna: "Start packing. We set for Los Angeles this night. I made a promise to your mom—once you knew everything, I'll take you there to see him."
Manu was about to speak.
"Just get ready."
Asuna exited and met Zanu in the hallway.
Zanu: "Working for the enemy, I see…"
Asuna: "Manu doesn't deserve all the hate you have for her. That poor girl is broken."
Zanu: "That poor girl still has a father. He's alive out there without a care in this world, while my father… he has suffered all his life. He never got what he wanted, and yet he got killed…"
Her eyes turned red as she raised her voice.
"By that bitch—"
Asuna: "I did warn you, didn't I? No—you said you were good at multitasking. Guess your lessons failed, because your father's dead now."
Zanu tried to leave, but Asuna dragged her back.
"Your ignorance caused all this. You underestimated your enemies, still thinking the ball is in your hands. You knew all this would happen, yet you still brought her here?"
"You should go stay with your baby now before something worse happens to him. There are no words that can describe the loss of a child."
Zanu clenched her fists in anger.
"I brought the stray dog home, and now he dares bite me? You think you still have a place in this world? Nothing belongs to you, Asuna—nothing."
"Your actions have proved everything to me now. Now you and that bitch should just wait for me, and I'll show you what real power is like."
She turned to leave.
"And one more thing—no one gives a damn about any lost descendant shit. The throne has a new ruler now, and that's me."
"You should have just stayed hidden where you are. Old things stay in the past—don't intervene in the future you know nothing of."
She exited.