Eight-year-old Katara wandered near the edge of her small village, playing alongside her brother Sokka and a few other kids in an energetic snowball fight. They darted behind igloos and small canopy tents, ducking and weaving through the village folk and elders as they launched snowballs at one another, their laughter carrying through the crisp air.

Drifting away from the group, Katara slipped through the village, giggling quietly to herself as she hid, enjoying the game even on her own. That was until a sudden thwack jolted her— a snowball smacked into the back of her head, the icy cold seeping through her hair and making her small frame shiver.

She spun around, expecting to catch one of her friends sneaking off. But there was no one. No giggles, no crunching footsteps in the snow—just silence. Her brows knitted in confusion.

Then, without warning, another snowball struck her, this time hitting the side of her head.

Katara gasped and whipped around to face the direction it had come from. Her heart thudded in her chest as she scanned the small clearing. Still, no one.

Backing up until her shoulders touched the icy wall surrounding the village, she clutched her hands close to her chest, her frown deepening as her breath misted the cold air.

“Wh-Who’s doing that? Show yourself!”