Forgetting the past and starting anew either it was nothing more than rumor, or it was a hidden thod unknown even to Iroh.
Beyond that, the most likely explanation was a spirit.
Spirits, the oldest and most powerful beings in the world, possessed countless strange and incomprehensible abilities far beyond the four bending arts mastered by humans.
According to ancient records, even the four elents themselves had once been bestowed upon humanity by the ancient spirits who protected them.
Returning to the matter at hand.
The possibility of a spirit's involvent introduced too many unknowns into the investigation of Forgetful Valley.
Kahn beca far more cautious.
With his current strength, wild beasts, unusual creatures, or even firebenders posed little threat to him.
But showing that sa confidence in front of a spirit would be nothing short of suicide.
He still rembered a record he had once read—a thick yet fascinating chronicle detailing the lives of past Avatars.
Within it was the story of an Avatar whose wife had her face stolen by a spirit, while he himself was spared.
After that, the Avatar spent the rest of his life searching for that spirit, hoping to reclaim what was lost.
He never succeeded.
A tragic tale.
But also a warning.
Even the Avatar—the strongest among humans—could be rendered helpless before a spirit.
Kahn had no intention of underestimating them.
It also reminded him of another truth.
Not all spirits were benevolent.
He would need to be extrely careful.
With that caution in mind, Kahn did not rush toward Forgetful Valley the next morning.
Instead, he sought out Noren's family again, asking about any local legends tied to the place.
Fortunately, there was one.
A story passed down in this town, which lay close to the valley itself.
It was said that deep within Forgetful Valley lived a spirit.
A being capable of altering people—erasing their mories entirely.
From ti to ti, that spirit would pass through the valley.
Those lucky enough to encounter it could beg for their pain to be taken away, their past wiped clean, and a new life granted.
That was how the valley earned its na.
But the place was also known to be dangerous.
The valley was said to be filled with vicious creatures—animals, insects, even plants—that would actively attack humans.
As if they possessed a will of their own.
Creatures with awareness…
Kahn frowned slightly.
That sounded eerily similar to the environnt of the Spirit World.
But that wasn't the most important part.
The important part was this—
A spirit did exist there.
Combining this with the clues he had already gathered, a thought began to form in his mind.
Perhaps Ursa had already encountered that spirit.
Perhaps she had truly cast aside her past.
And perhaps… she had begun a new life with Aiken.
…
Kahn suddenly felt a dull ache in his stomach.
The tangled stories he had uncovered over the past two days had already left him numb.
But the worst part was—
The people at the center of it all were the mother of two of his closest companions.
Every ti he thought about it, it felt unbearably awkward.
If he really did find Ursa…
And they t face to face…
Kahn didn't even want to imagine it.
His still-forming sense of the world couldn't handle any more of this.
He forcibly pushed the thoughts aside.
There was no point worrying about sothing that hadn't happened yet.
At worst, he could just keep his distance.
Returning to the present, based on the local accounts, the spirit of Forgetful Valley seed to be benevolent.
That alone eased so of his concern.
As long as it wasn't sothing malicious like the face-stealing spirit from the chronicles then his ability as a spiritbender might actually prove useful.
After all—
What was a spiritbender, if not a bridge between humans and spirits?
With his decision made, Kahn bid farewell to Noren's family.
He set out alone for Forgetful Valley.
Though the town wasn't said to be far, the journey still took ti.
Riding along winding mountain paths, it was nearly half a day before he reached his destination.
By the ti he arrived, the afternoon sun had already begun to fade.
Before him lay a forest nestled deep within a valley.
Hanging crookedly from an unremarkable tree was a wooden sign.
Forgetful Valley.
This was the place.
He could feel it.
The spiritual energy in the forest was noticeably denser than anywhere else he had been.
Though it was nothing compared to the Spirit World, it was still unmistakable.
He tied his mount to a tree at the forest's edge.
Taking a slow breath, he steadied himself.
Then, alone, he stepped inside.
His mastery of spiritbending was still in its infancy.
And while Iroh himself was not a master of the art, his understanding of spirits ran deep.
He had already passed that knowledge on.
Spirits reflected the heart.
Sincerity and goodwill were the safest approach.
As Kahn moved deeper into the forest, he stayed alert.
The stories spoke of creatures that would attack without warning.
Yet after walking for quite so ti, nothing happened.
No beasts.
No hostile plants.
No strange phenona.
Just a quiet, ordinary forest.
Too ordinary.
For a mont, Kahn even wondered if he had co to the wrong place.
Was that sign really pointing to Forgetful Valley?
Or had he misread it entirely?
Despite his doubts, he pressed forward.
If he found nothing soon, he would have no choice but to turn back.
Then—
The forest ahead suddenly opened up.
Light spilled through the trees.
A mont later, the path widened into a clearing.
At its center lay a lake.
Clear.
Still.
Perfectly reflecting the sky above, as though the heavens themselves had sunk into the earth.
But more importantly—
The spiritual presence here was overwhelming.
Dense.
Vivid.
It felt almost like standing within the Spirit World itself.
It wasn't the forest that held this energy.
It was the lake.
And from it, that energy spread outward, saturating everything around it.
If the legend was true—
Then this had to be the spirit's dwelling.
Which left only one question.
Where was the spirit?
Kahn scanned the lake carefully.
There was no sign of anything.
Perhaps it hadn't appeared yet.
Then again…
If eting a spirit were that simple, this place would have long since been overrun by people.
It wouldn't still be a legend.
Which ant—
This journey might end here.
Kahn let out a quiet sigh.
He hadn't expected it to conclude so abruptly.
Rustle.
A sudden sound ca from the undergrowth beside the lake.
Kahn's gaze sharpened imdiately.
From the trees, two figures stepped into view.
A man and a woman.
But their clothing—
"Waterbenders?!"
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