She sighed and found her lips naturally tipping downwards into a pout.

Earlier in the day, based on the order of awakening, the benders were put into pairs and shipped out into a nearby town an hour or so away in order to look for more food related supplies. Due to the fact there was an odd number of members, the last person to wake up was forced into staying at the lake and making sure that no people that posed a threat came by to steal their sleeping bags, medical stock, or personal belongings. Yoona was still able to keep the base hidden from view, so Jessica really had nothing to worry about unless someone of a higher power stopped by for an unwelcomed visit. Chanyeol and Yuri were the last members to leave the snow bender by herself and she surprisingly found herself a bit lonely with only the company of nature.

The girl usually grew tired of the constant chatter and noise that was frequent with the others, but the the silence she was plunged into was almost suffocating and Jessica found herself missing the others. It was easy to grow lonely where she was, just yesterday the environment was filled with laughing and splashing but now it was empty and void of her family. She realized that maybe now, since they were on a life threatening mission, she naturally became more defensive and protective of the other members. The female was able to convince herself that the amount of time they were apart would be short and she simply needed to relax and shake off any bitter thoughts plaguing her brain. They could all take care of themselves without her and soon enough they would be back with food and stories of their adventures in a new world.

After an hour and a half, waiting became a bit difficult.

Jessica knew what could easily wipe away any of her troubles, and soon enough the girl was removing her outer layers of clothing and neatly folding them on top of a stump before stashing them inside the hollow center. All of their posessions had been hidden away behind a large boulder so the body of water looked abandoned, not only that but the carved out core of the stump provided a perfect place to conceal her clothing. After looking over her new hiding spot to see if any fabric was visible, Jessica began to slowly approach the glistening shore with a broading smile. 

Her bare feet met the still water and a small squeak escaped as the cold liquid covered her toes and eventually lured her into the leaden water. A content sigh left her lips as she waded in deeper, eventually getting to the point where her body was floating due to the fact it no longer reached the ground. After inhaling a vast amount of air, Jessica slipped underneath the surface and swam towards the bottom in order to inspect the debris decorating the floor of the lake. The female wallowed across heaps of seaweed, dead leaves, and a few shiny coins and jewelry that had been forgotten from times long ago. For a while, she continued to sift through scattered fragments and materials, glowing with satisfaction at the new belongings the pads of her fingers discovered.

It was when she came up for oxygen with a piece of shell in her palm that Jessica noticed a figure on the beach. A relieved smile overtook her features and the girl was delighted to find that she was no longer alone, eagerly she swam forward with ease and stopped when she was in speaking distance of the male standing on the beach. At the time, she hadn't detected the fact it was strange he was ignoring her or wearing clothes she didn't recognize, her mind was clouded with joy at the thought of having a companion to share her findings with. Which member had come back?

The man was cloaked in a tan coat with a black raw edged fedora crowning his mop of dirty blonde hair. His large hands were shoved inside his pockets and he was quite taller than most individuals, the female noted as she continued to draw closer. Her smile was beginning to fade as she realized that she had absolutely no idea who the person was and her breath was beginning to get caught in from fear. Her heart was pounding like a hammer when the stranger ever so slowly turned to face her, his murky eyes stared deep into her soft ones and for a few seconds the two were frozen like that - but then she acted based on instinct.

Her skilled hands flew up and suddenly the liquid around her was in the air, the female then slammed the body of water down and it spun around her body in circles before creating a large and defensive sphere - which was then frozen into solid ice. The entire lake was surrounding her stopped in place, her breath could be seen and the only thing the girl could do was sit and attempt to relax. Who was that? The area was still mostly invisible and no normal being could simply enter and stumble across the beach, the man out there must have had some sort of power and that frightened her. It had never occurred to her that she would ever come across someone else with extraordinary abilites while on their quest to stop The Unforgivable. 

The female took a few deep breaths to relax herself, but they were useless when she felt a fist come in contact with her ice sphere that was protecting her.

-

It was quiet mumbles that eventually roused the male from his slumber inside the sleeping bag.

Kai had been awake for a good half an hour or so, choosing to lay silently with his eyes closed rather than awakening along with the other benders. It had been quite difficult to savor sleeping in late due to the fact they all had been quite busy and dedicated to their mission, so at this point the male was taking any chance he got to rise before the sun. It was a bit difficult lifting his body off of the ground after using his muscles so much inside the volcano, but his limbs were less sore than the day before due to the water and for that he was grateful. His hands reached up to his face in order to rub at his eyes so that the world before him would sharpen into focus and reveal Tiffany, Yuri, and Chanyeol staring at him.

 "What's up?" Kai's scratchy voice interrupted their soft whispers as he groggily ran a hand through his hair and raised an eyebrow at their mysterious appearances. All of them were wearing clothes that he didn't recognize and the members seemed to be almost covering up their faces with certain articles of fabric or accessories. Tiffany was wearing a blue coat with a pair of classic jeans complete with black boots and a pair of glasses. Chanyeol was wearing a pair of ripped jeans, a black sweatshirt, sneakers, and a red snapback that could shield most of his features. Yuri was showcasing a grey hoodie, brown khacki shorts, and green sneakers with her hair pulled back and her hood up. Kai simply itched his forehead and squinted his eyes in confusion while allowing a folded outfit to land on his stomach which had been tossed by Chanyeol.

"We're all going into town by pairs." Yuri announced as she glanced towards the other masses that were currently sleeping inside their packs, "You and Tiffany will be going into the western part of Estherpath to find some food, we'll meet back here at around 5 p.m. These are some clothes to change into, it'll help you guys blend in with the crowd." The female instructed as she stood up from her seat on a stump and brushed off her own modern clothes. Kai chuckled softly as he inspected his outfit and shook his head at the thought of his reflection, which would include skinny jeans, a leather jacket, and a beanie. Yuri then explained how they would have to be silent and keep the bending down to a minimum in order to keep the attention away, they didn't want to reveal their identites.

The male stretched and initiated small talk with the others before gathering his attire for the day and disappearing behind some trees in order to instill his privacy while swapping out his clothing. After a few minutes, Kai emerged from the woods with a few laughs once he noticed the expressions of the members as they clapped and stifled their giggles so that their actions wouldn't awake the others. After exchanging a few more safety rules and precautions that the pair would need to take, Tiffany and Kai bid their farewells and left camp to venture out into the unknown.

Kai honestly wasn't a tad bit nervous, he grew up on the streets as an orphan which led to the ability to easily manuever through crowds in a city and pickpocket like a pro. The male didn't exactly excel in academic education, but when it came to being street smart, the bender was the most brilliant out of the group of 9. Tiffany was certainly lucky to be paired up with him in order to fulfill the current mission they were given, for today she would be able to sit back and watch as her partner worked his magic due to the fact this was his specialty. She was nervous, however much more excited to see the city and come across people she wasn't familiar with. The benders had been locked up in an academy their entire lives and when they were suddenly given the world to explore, they couldn't help but be completely thrilled and curious.

Their base was only about an hour away from the bustling town so it wasn't long before they arrived and slipped inside the barriers. It was still quite early, however there were citizens roaming about. There were some dressed in work attire holding briefcases that cruised right on past the two benders, and there were others that seemed to be a little too tipsy while waddling about in their drunken state. Kai instructed that Tiffany merely stay close due to the fact some people could prove to be a threat, and she did so with widening eyes and swift turns of her head to inspect the people walking past. It was a bit comical to see how cautious she was being just because Tiffany was normally someone that jumped right into what they had to do, the male was honestly not expecting her to suddenly adopt a behavior like that. 

There was a clear difference in their attitudes based on the way they were walking. Kai had his chin up, hands resting comfortably in his pockets, and a relaxed expression resting on his face. Tiffany was walking a bit quicker than she normally would in order to keep up with the male, and since she was still adjusting to her new shoes, the female stumbled a bit and was more clumsy than she normally was. Her gaze was darting around, taking in the new sights with hushed breaths and slightly agape. It was as if the electricity bender had been introduced to a completely different world that she was an alien in, whereas Kai seemed to almost be at home.

The two had been given the western part of the city because it was one of the furthest locations they needed to reach and they had woken up earlier, which had given the pair more time to get to where they needed to be. Kai was beginning to calculate how long it would take them to arrive by foot using helpful signs posted around Estherpath, and eventually he came to a decision.

"Noona?" Kai asked as his eyes began to observe wagons and vehicles until he came across something that made him take her wrist in his hand and quickly begin to hurry towards it - train tracks. "Um..what's going on?" The female demanded as she hurried after him and attempted to see past his figure to where they had begun running towards. Kai had always been like a rebellious younger brother to her and after living with him for so long, she could easily tell when he had a bad idea clouding his judgement. There was something strange she could hear, it felt as though something huge was approaching and getting closer in a matter of seconds. "Kai?" Tiffany's voice began to show signs of anxiety and wariness but once a train whistle sounded, a scream of horror escaped her lips.

"Are you crazy?!" The electricity bender yelled over the loud and defeaning shrieks the train's wheels made with the medal tracks, gaping in shock as it finally made it's appearance whizzing past the two. Kai sharply turned left so that they were running alongside the vehicle as he was quickly scanning the outer layer of the railroad carts. "Hold on tight!" The male shouted as he redirected Tiffany's nimble fingers to his shoulder and once he felt them secure a grip, his own hands fastened tightly around the door handle of a train cart. He worked fast as he had trained himself all those years ago, both of his shoes found a footing on a ledge and after making sure that one of his hands was fixed, Kai removed the other and used it to fling the door open. Tiffany was breathing heavily as she clung to his back and tried to ignore the fact that if she let go, she would be roadkill. Swiftly, the male swung the two inwards and they landed in a heap inside before Kai quickly stood and closed the door with a sigh and a few laughs, remarking on how it felt like old times.

The train was moving in the direction of west which was a huge advantage for the pair, not only would they get there much faster than going by foot, but the two also didn't have to waste their energy. Tiffany was still a bit shaky, but Kai lulled her to relaxation with promises of sneaking into the kitchen cart and whipping together a nice and fulfilling breakfast for both of them. She easily transitioned from shocked to excited and soon enough her lips were tugging into a broad and enthusiastic smile. Kai returned the action but insisted upon the fact he needed a short break in order to stretch a bit more, but after around 10 minutes, he announced that he would return shortly with food.

Tiffany was beaming and thanking him as she watched the male disappear into another train cart that was connected to theirs, and it was then that she began to observe her surroundings. They must have entered a cargo cart because she was currently leaning against a sack of flour, and upon further inspection, she realized they had been sitting in a small room full of various ingredients. There were bags and containers of sugar, eggs, butter, and other baking ingredients but unfortunately nothing she could eat right away. Something that they could take back to base though would be the eggs, so the female made a mental note to remind Kai of that before they arrived at their location. The benders usually didn't have a lot of time to cook or bake meals that required a lot of preparation and waiting because they were on the road and didn't have the tools or a kitchen. Eggs however, were easy to cook seeing as Chanyeol could just ignite a few flames in his palms and someone could crack one onto a plate and hand it to him.

It was then that something strange caught her eye, and Tiffany's eyebrows furrowed together as she made her way over to inspect the object closer. After getting up and walking towards it, she bent down lower in order to pick it up and rub at the cloth in her hands. It was a lace black veil that certainly didn't fit with the cooking materials situated in the cart, not only that but as the female continued to touch it, a numb and depressing feeling overcame her senses.

She didn't like it.

The electricity bender wasn't comfortable with it in her grasp nor the room she was in, and she was planning on throwing it out of the train, it was beginning to fill her head with thoughts that weren't happy or healthy. The only problem was that she just noticed it trailed out of the opposite end of the train she was in. The girl gathered it in her possession and followed it to the door, it wasn't the one Kai had disappeared through, it was the door on the other end. When she had reached the opening, her hand hesitantly twisted the knob and finally swung it forward to reveal the cart that was adjacent to theirs, and the sole inhabitant of it.

The cloth dropped as well as her stomach.

A woman dressed from head to toe in a black gown was merely standing and looking out a window, her painted black lips matched with her hair that was did up in a bun. Tiffany was speechless and felt as though her limbs had completely lost the will to move or react to the situation she stumbled across, was dry and the mumbles she was producing were supposed to be words. Her hands went slack and the cloth that had been in her custody fell to the floor and grabbed the attention of the striking woman who had been previously ignoring her, the electricity bender realized that the scarf she had been holding was the stranger's veil. Her pale skin contrasted with the articles of clothing she was wearing, but the feature that stood out the most to Tiffany was her inky black eyes that resembled pure darkness.  

The door that Kai vanished through was opened once more and he sauntered in with two plates full of delicious looking food but was stopped in his tracks when he noticed his partner staring straight at a woman who looked like the grim reaper herself. His heart stopped in a mix of shock and pure fear when the woman turned to look at both of them. As if it was the most ordinary thing, the stranger faded to black and simply disappeared - leaving the two benders in a state of horror. The two abandoned the eggs they were going to take and instead left the way Kai had gone in order to find the kitchen, they found a booth in the dining cart and merely ate in silence. Kai then reassured her that they would put it past them and look forward to the day ahead, they must have hallucinated or seen something that wasn't there. Tiffany believed him a bit but found it easier to just drop the whole thing and take a few deep and calming breaths.

The images and things she saw in her mind while holding the cloth would never fade away though.