The cell was cold and cramped, almost as if the walls were closing in on her from all directions. Numbness had long since claimed her feet and arms, and despite her best efforts, summoning a little spark of flame now and then, she was freezing, shivering. The warden had put her in the cold room again, the same claustrophobic pit that would turn even the most rebellious prisoners into subdued puppets.
But she wouldn't let it get to her. She had seen what happened to those who had lost the will to fight the warden. She would be strong. If not for herself, then for her family.
Suddenly, the door jerked open, and Korra raised her arms to shield herself from the blinding light, backing herself against the wall.
"You've disobeyed me Korra." The Warden said, his tone dripping with relish, which sent a jolt of fear through her spine. The warden was a cruel man, who would take pleasure in inflicting brutal punishments on his prisoners.
But Korra held strong, whatever he planned on doing to her, she would brave it. Whether it be Fire Lashes, or another week in the Pit, this place wasn't going to break her.
But this time, the warden had a different expression on his face, almost one of relish. The look of a predator swooping over its prey. "I think it's time your parents learned first hand. The price of YOUR failure, of YOUR disobedience."
To Korra's horror, she saw that behind the warden, stood two black and red armored soldiers, each one holding tightly onto a tied up prisoner. Both her parents were bruised, battered, and forced to kneel down onto the ground in front of their daughter, their heads hanging low. Both the Fire Nation guards were faceless, wearing the dreaded skull masks that were the nightmare of any prisoner, but what frightened Korra the most was the glint of steel that came from the blades that were held at above her parent's necks.
"Korra!" Senna cried out in shock and despair, tears trickling down her eyes. She was not frightened for herself, but for the fact that their own daughter had to see them in this state.
"Don't worry about us Korra!" Tonraq said defiantly, his eyes focused and strong. "Live on!"
And just like that, Korra found that her will to resist had broken, as she heard the Warden say the words she feared the most. The only reason he had allowed them to live outside the prison was because of her cooperation, without that...It was so simple, yet so effective. Before she knew it, Korra already found herself down on her knees.
"Don't...please... Please don't do this!" Korra hands clasped in desperation. "Please...don't hurt them."
The warden however, seemed deaf to her pleas, instead, he gave off a dark, malicious smile.
"Keep begging my dear, it'll only make this last."
Then, with a gesture from the warden, the swords went swinging down.
And Korra screamed.
______________________________________
"GAH!" Korra gasped as she sprung upright from her cot, sweat and tears running down her face as the flurry of thoughts subsided from her mind. She wasn't in the prison, but instead, in the sleeping quarters of the submarine's hull. The crew's quarters was simple enough, with several cots and bunk beds cramped into a tight metallic space, and as she gathered in her surroundings, the sights and sounds of the submarine came to her, from the snoring of the still-asleep crew members, to the gentle rocking of the ship as it was caressed by the waves of the ocean.
"A dream..." Korra breathed a sigh of relief, before lying back down on her cot, sweat running across her face. "Just a dream..."
She gave herself a minute or two to settle down, calming herself with a few deep breaths before scanning around the room. The rest of the crew around her were still asleep, thankfully.
