~*~

 I couldn't keep track of how many weird stuff that has happened lately, but Victor saying that we are related... is beyond weird.

I broke the the eye contact and laughed in a joking manner, "stop."

I stopped my laugh when I saw that he wasn't laughing with me.

Victor opened a drawer under the table and put a picture in front of me.

It was the funny-looking woman that Jennie and I saw at the main hall. I recognised her by her hair and her pointy outfit that is now coloured red. Standing next to her was a man with the same pointy outfit but a manlier version. They both were wearing the same fire hairpins on their mini buns on their heads.

Sitting in front of them, were two children. They both seemed to be laughing out loud when they clicked the picture. They both looked like at least between the ages of two to five. One was a girl who looked obviously smaller than the boy.

It was a portrait of an ordinary happy family.

"Why are you showing me this?"

Something didn't feel right. Ironically, looking at the family picture made me uncomfortable. I just couldn't bare staring at it for more than three seconds, like as if I was cursed to get sick if I looked at it.

"I don't know how else I'm gonna tell you this, but I might as well get to the point." He said. "This is a portrait of your family, and I am your father's younger brother."

....

....

Victor looked at me with pity eyes.

"What happened to them?" I asked.

It took Victor a few seconds to answer, "they fought a war no one saw was coming. They defended the land of the Fire Nation—" he paused before continuing, "but unfortunately didn't win the battle."

I stared at the picture blankly, my eyes suddenly was feeling hotter and hotter. "And the boy in the picture?"

"That's your brother, older brother. He was a fire bending prodigy even when he was still so young. He was the pride of the family."

There was a chaos going on in my brain, there was no memory, not even a slight short moment of anything in my mind. I don't know the people in this portrait. This is even the first time seeing a picture of what my childhood me looks like.

Suddenly there was a stinging pain in my head, like a giant needle piercing through my skull into my brain. I naturally held my brain in pain.

The pain won't stop.

"Juli, are you okay?"

I never had this kind of headache before. I grunted, "what is... happening... to me?"

Victor nudged my shoulders. 

"Make it stop!"

"You have to relax!"

"How?" I replied, annoyingly.

My arms were getting hot. I knew this feelings, my curse is reacting. 

"How do I make it stop? Get away from me I don't want to hurt you!" I shoved Victor away.

"You can't hurt me, Juli. You have to think about something else! Stop looking for your memory that isn't there! Focus on your current self. Think about the new friends that you've made! Think about Hendery, Jennie, and how you are all going to school together— think of how you're going to school for the first time in your life, without having to be different from the other kids. You are one of us, you are welcome here, your gift is embraced here."

To my surprise, focusing on Victor's voice worked. The pain dissipated into a throb as quick as it came. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

But my hands were still hot. There was mild strong wind going around the room, making the curtains move. 

"Take deep breaths, Juli. Imagine all the power that you're releasing going back to you, imagine drawing your power back to you. Focus on your breath, the key is breathing."

I did exactly what he told me.

The wind faded and my arms were cooling down. I curled my fist. It felt good. For the first time it stopped and didn't destroy anything.

"It's stronger than I imagined." Victor said and walked back to his seat.

"What? What's stronger?"

"The block in your mind."

"What do you mean? From what?" I said as I frowned.

"From your own memory. Tell me, do you even recognise, or think that you know anyone from this picture?" Victor tapped on the family picture.

"I don't even recognise myself, if that's supposed to be me." I said.

"Do you know when's your birthday?" He asked.

"I don't know when's my real birthday, I just know the one that we— I mean Mai and I made up."

"Oh my gods, Jun really didn't leave anything behind for you to remember."

"Jun?"

"Your mother," Victor told. "You have to be careful. There's a defensive spell against your own will to try to remember the things from your past.If you try to remember any of it, you will obliterate your own brain."

My mouth slightly gapped open.

"I don't know how she managed to do it, I don't even know how she had the time to make a witch block your mind, but she did. And it looks like she didn't want you to remember your past."

"There must be a way for me to unblock it, right?" 

Victor squinted his eyes to me, like he was thinking so hard about what I've just said, "I know a way, but it's very very tricky, because of the complicated histories about the witches. We have to find the witch that casted the spell on you, or a very high level witch."

"I'm sure I can do that if you tell me how to find them."

"The problem is, witches almost went extinct for decades now. Even if you try t