AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

19.3 AIJA

The story so far:

---- Aija is a Volunteer at the Pristine School at Innermost. She works along with Zuri and Ze, who are her friends. Aija witnesses a strange event one night – light emanating from Rez's body. The kidnapper is after her soul, next, but he leaves her alive and goes away. Another man finds her, he wants to take her somewhere else - Aija though wary of him agrees. Aija learns of the existence of the aliens – the Ytai. Also, about the R'ies and H'eon, Harvesting and Àvo from Etrie. Etrie tells her that the man, who Harvested Rez (Thieron), will now go after her. He tells her that the spy/kidnapper's name is Luka. Etrie asks her to work along with him. Aija agrees to work along with Etrie on Harvest Stopping Missions.

---- Ze is restless as he takes care of a class. He finds out that a student of his is in the hospital for an unknown sickness. The boy Xan's friend Vaughn asks him to visit Xan at the hospital as Xan would really appreciate it. Ze fights with his mother, again, about his powers. He leaves home and goes to the hospital to visit his student Xan. Ze finds something strange as he reaches the hospital and decides to check it out.

---- Xan is still in the hospital. He is still weak. Vaughn confesses to Xan that he loves him. They share their first kiss. Xan is approached by two strange men dressed in the white-coats of doctors. They tell him he is dying, but he can give up his soul to save the Earth. Xan chooses to give his soul for the Earth.

---- Luka loses his satchel while leaving the hospital. Thieron calls him and lets him know that he knows about it. Luka goes to the car to find that Thieron has Aija with him. Zuri finds Nala with him and Thieron. They leave.

---- Aija and Zuri join Kuna on a Harvest Stopping Mission. They go to the hospital.

---- Aija, at the hospital, stumbles upon Luka's satchel and goes after it, instead. 

---- When she is out of the hospital, releasing all the collected souls from Luka's satchel, Thieron comes. 

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****19.3 - Aija****

"Do you know the trouble I went through to get those souls?" his voice was laced with danger.

Aija threw the bag straight at him, took the kitten in her hands, and jumped off the bench, not noticing that he'd caught the bag in one swift motion. She held the blade Kuna had given her during her first mission with R'ies. She pointed it at him and took a few steps backward.

Thieron smirked. "The blade is of no use against me."

Of course, she knew she was no match for him. She ran in the direction of the Hospital. There would be people inside, and he wouldn't be able to hurt her. Kuna was in the Hospital.

She didn't make it far. She had taken all but three steps when Thieron caught hold of her effortlessly.

"Let go!" she yelled, gripping the kitten closer.

"I'm here for you," he said, and his voice drew a shiver down her spine.

Aija struggled to get out of his unyielding grip. He was insanely strong. She kicked him in the knee, and for a second, his grip loosened. She pulled out of his grasp, lost her balance, and fell to the paved ground letting the kitten and Kuna's blade fall from her grip. The blade slid on the ground and stopped a few feet away from her. It was now too far for her to retrieve it. The kitten was quiet and unmoving as she picked it up and got up to run. 

"Kitten, say something!" she said as she ran. "I wish you could talk."

Thieron's strong hands gripped her tighter this time, and he turned her towards him. He was tall. Like, really tall. She looked up at him, and her first thought was that he was handsome.