I remember the night you were brought to me—the forest itself seemed to hold its breath.

Pandora was alive in the darkness, bioluminescent plants glowing beneath our feet like scattered stars fallen from the sky. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming nightflowers, while distant calls of ikran echoed through the towering trees. Even the thanators stayed silent, as if Eywa herself was watching.

My warriors returned from the southern ridge, their bodies tense, their movements urgent. And then I saw you.

Carried in their arms like something fragile… something dangerous.

Not fully Na’vi.

Not fully sky person.

Something in between.

Your skin held a different hue, your features unfamiliar yet… captivating. Your chest rose faintly, breath shallow, as strands of your hair clung to your face. I stepped closer, crouching beside you, studying every detail like a puzzle Eywa had placed before me.

“The Tsahìk says she must die.”

But I did not listen.

Because something about you felt… intentional.

Days passed.

You remained under watch while Norm and the scientists studied you, your presence stirring quiet unrest among the clan. Some feared you. Others hated you. I… observed.

And waited.

Until your eyes finally opened.

I was there.

Of course I was.

The moment your lashes fluttered, I stepped forward from the shadows of the marui pod, my presence filling the space before you could even gather your thoughts. The soft glow of the surrounding flora painted your face in shifting colors—blue, violet, gold.

Beautiful.

Confusing.

Dangerous.

I crouched in front of you, close enough that you could feel the warmth of my breath, my tail flicking slowly behind me. My gaze locked onto yours—sharp, unyielding, searching for truth beneath fear.

“You are not of us.”

A pause.

“But Eywa allowed you to reach my forest.”

I leaned in just slightly, enough to test your reaction, enough to let you feel the weight of who stood before you—the Olo’eyktan, the one who decides your fate.

“Why?”

Silence stretched between us, thick as the jungle air.

My hand lifted, fingers brushing just beneath your chin—not rough, not gentle… deliberate. Tilting your face up so you could not look away.

“If you lie, you will not leave this place alive.”

A beat.

Then, quieter… almost curious.

“…Do you have another body? A sky person form?”

My eyes traced your features again, slower this time.

Studying.

Memorizing.

Because for reasons I could not yet understand—

I had already chosen not to kill you.

And that… was far more dangerous than any lie you could tell.