Avatar the immortal

There was nothing. 

No sound. No light. No warmth. Just an endless, inescapable void. 

Ash floated in the dark expanse, suspended in nothingness. He had no sense of time or direction, no understanding of how long he had been here. Days, months, years—it all bled together into a single, incomprehensible eternity. He couldn't even remember how he got here, or who he was before it all started. There were no memories, no past. His mind had become as empty as the darkness surrounding him. 

He could feel his body, or at least he thought he could. At times it felt distant, like it wasn't really there. His limbs moved, but not with purpose. They drifted, aimless, in the dark. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep. The void had a way of dulling everything—the senses, the thoughts, the emotions—until they were so faint he wondered if he was still alive. 

Was he even alive? He wasn't sure. 

There was no pain, no hunger, no thirst. Just… floating. Endlessly. For so long that even time itself seemed to lose meaning. 

Every now and then, stray thoughts would flicker through the blankness. Who am I? Why am I here? But the answers never came, and eventually, he stopped asking. There was nothing to ask for, nothing to search for. He was alone. Completely and utterly alone. 

And then, something changed. 

It was subtle at first—a faint tingle in the back of his mind, something stirring in the deep recesses of his consciousness. It was foreign, unfamiliar, but growing stronger. The feeling washed over him, like a tide slowly rising, breaking through the monotony of the void. 

Ash opened his eyes, not that it mattered. There was still nothing to see. 

But the feeling persisted, and now there was something more. A pull. A tug at his core, gentle at first, but steadily becoming more insistent. 

What was it? 

The void began to shift around him, rippling like a disturbed pond. His body, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, felt solid, tangible. The pull intensified, drawing him toward something—toward somewhere. 

What's happening? The question surfaced in his mind for the first time in what felt like forever, but there was no time to dwell on it. 

The darkness around him bent and twisted, morphing into something entirely new. Light burst into existence, blinding him, filling every crevice of the endless void. The pull became overwhelming, yanking him forward with an intensity that made his head spin. 

Move. 

He couldn't control it—his body hurtled forward, weightless yet forceful, through the blinding light. Everything was shifting too fast to understand. His senses were overwhelmed, disoriented. 

Suddenly, there was no more void, no more light. 

There was air. 

Ash gasped, inhaling sharply, his lungs filling with something cool and fresh. He tumbled, hitting the ground hard. Grass cushioned his fall, the shock of contact vibrating through his body. He lay there for a moment, completely still, blinking up at a sky he didn't recognize. A clear blue sky, framed by towering trees that swayed gently in the breeze. 

He was no longer in the void. 

Slowly, shakily, Ash pushed himself up to a sitting position. His mind reeled, unable to grasp what had just happened. He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. It was real. The world around him was real. 

But how? 

"W-Where am I?" His voice cracked, raspy from disuse. The words sounded strange, foreign on his tongue, but at least they came. 

As if in response, a strange, cold voice echoed in his mind. 

"Welcome, Ash." 

He froze. The voice wasn't his. It reverberated through his head like a gong, too clear, too mechanical to be human. 

"Who's there?" Ash scrambled to his feet, heart pounding in his chest. He turned wildly, looking for the source of the voice, but saw nothing except trees and forest stretching out endlessly. 

"There is no need to panic," the voice continued, its tone flat, emotionless. "I am the System. I have brought you here." 

Ash felt his head spin. The System? What was it talking about? And where was here? His memories were a blur. He had no idea where he had come from—he couldn't even remember his life before the void. 

"Where… what do you mean you brought me here?" he demanded, his voice shaking. 

"You have been chosen," the System said. "Chosen to exist in this world." 

"What world?" Ash asked, confusion mounting. 

"The world of the Avatar," the System responded. "You are now part of a place where great forces of nature—water, earth, fire, and air—are manipulated by benders. The current Avatar, the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds, is named Yangchen." 

Ash staggered back, his head spinning. Avatar? Benders? None of this made any sense. It sounded like something out of a storybook, not reality. 

"Why… Why me? What do you want from me?" Ash's mind raced, trying to make sense of the incomprehensible situation. 

"I have no further directives for you," the System said coldly. "I am here to inform you of your new abilities." 

"Abilities?" Ash's heart raced. "What kind of abilities?" 

"You are not a bender," the System informed him. "But you possess the power of Ki—a form of energy that exists within all living beings. It can be harnessed for combat, strength, and defense. Use it wisely." 

Ash stood in stunned silence. Ki? He didn't know what that was, but before he could ask more questions, a shimmer appeared in front of him. The air rippled, and suddenly, a mirror materialized out of thin air. 

Ash blinked in surprise. Slowly, he stepped forward, peering into the reflection. 

The man staring back at him was unfamiliar. Brown skin, black eyes, messy dark hair. He had a slightly toned build, though he seemed ordinary in most respects. His gaze lingered on his reflection, a frown tugging at his lips. 

Is this… me? 

"This is your new form," the System announced, its voice devoid of emotion. "This body is yours to inhabit for as long as you wish. You are immortal, though you may choose to disable your immortality if you so desire." 

"Immortal?" Ash muttered. His voice was weak, overwhelmed by the barrage of information. 

"Correct. And now, you will be given a tutorial on how to use your Ki abilities." 

Ash's confusion deepened, but before he could protest, a strange sensation began to wash over him. His muscles tensed, his breath quickened, and he felt a surge of energy building inside him—something foreign, yet natural, coursing through his veins. 

"This is Ki," the System explained. "It resides within you, and can be drawn out through concentration and will." 

Ash's body vibrated with energy as he tried to comprehend what was happening. 

"To control your Ki, focus on your core," the System instructed. "Close your eyes." 

Ash hesitated for a moment before doing as he was told. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, trying to focus on the strange power building inside him. 

"Now, concentrate. Feel the energy within you. It is waiting to be shaped, waiting to be directed." 

Ash furrowed his brow, searching for the source of the power. Slowly, he felt it—an intense, glowing warmth deep inside him. It pulsed, waiting for his command. 

"Good," the System continued. "Now, channel it. Use your will to direct it through your body. Focus on your hands." 

Ash swallowed, his heart racing. He took a deep breath, willing the energy in his core to flow upward. It moved slowly at first, uncertain, but as he concentrated harder, the power surged, flowing through his arms and into his hands. His palms began to tingle, growing warm. 

He opened his eyes. 

His hands were glowing faintly with a soft, bluish light, crackling with energy. His breath hitched as he stared at them, awe and fear swirling in his mind. 

"Ki can be used for various purposes," the System said. "Combat, defense, and other abilities that you will discover in time. For now, you have learned the basics of control. Practice will be necessary to master your abilities." 

Ash stared at his hands, the glow gradually fading as he relaxed his focus. His heart pounded in his chest, still reeling from the experience. 

"Wait…" Ash stammered, looking up. "How do I—?" 

The voice of the System cut him off. 

"This concludes your tutorial. The System will now be deactivated." 

"W-Wait! What do I do now?!" Ash called out, panic rising in his chest. 

There was no answer. 

The System's presence vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Ash alone in the forest, staring at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. 

He took a deep breath, his mind spinning with questions, fear, and confusion. 

Who am I? 

And more importantly… 

What do I do now?