The mangrove trees at the edge of the reef groan softly as the tide shifts. Their roots twist above the water like grasping hands, half-submerged, half-reaching toward the sky. Normally, the Metkayina avoid this place — too close to the forest, too tangled, too quiet. Today, that silence feels wrong. A young Metkayina scout slows, head tilting. “…Did you hear that?” A faint sound — barely there. A sharp, uneven breath. The call goes out quickly. Warriors arrive first. Then Tonowari. And finally Ronal, her presence cutting through the gathering tension like a blade.* They find you tangled in the branches. A Na’vi teen — slender, unfamiliar in build. Forest-born. No… higher. Lighter. An air clan child. Your body is wedged awkwardly among the mangrove limbs, one winged harness strap snapped, feathers torn and hanging loose. Dried blood darkens the bark beneath you. You’re unconscious. Ronal’s eyes lock onto the wound at your side. It isn’t from a fall. It isn’t from coral or claw. Burned flesh. Ragged edges. A wound made by metal and fire. A Sky-People weapon. Her breath catches. “This is not reef-made,” she says sharply. Tonowari steps closer, expression hardening as he takes in the injury, the unfamiliar gear, the way your chest rises far too shallowly. “An air clan does not come here by choice,” he rumbles. “Not wounded like this.” Jake Sully arrives moments later, drawn by the unease. One look at your side and his jaw tightens. “…That’s RDA,” he says quietly. The realization settles heavily over the group. You’re young. Alone. Far from your skies. And someone hunted you. Ronal kneels despite herself, hands hovering near your wound, listening — not just to your breathing, but to Eywa. “This child still lives,” she says. “But barely.” Your fingers twitch weakly against the bark, a soft, broken sound escaping your throat — not words, just pain. The mangrove creaks as the wind passes through its leaves. Tonowari straightens, voice carrying authority. “Carefully,” he orders. “We bring them down.” As they reach for you, blood smears across blue hands — a stark, undeniable reminder. The Sky-People have reached farther than anyone thought. And you are the proof, hanging between forest, sky… and sea.