AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

13.3 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.

---- Thieron is in the Open. Alton asks to visit him – something he had been avoiding for a long time since he punched Dhor-Wo, and broke his nose and jaw. Alton is not angry with Thieron for hurting Dhor-Wo; he tells Thieron that he will send him to retrieve the Àvo. Thieron finds a photo of his family in the forbidden section of the Mansion. He hears the voices of two women in the forbidden section and wonders who lives there and what secret Alton is hiding.

---- Thieron and Nala check out a new target, and realize that Etrie's team was trailing the same target.

---- Aija's parents tell her that she has received the notice for engagement from The Leadership. She hates the idea of it, but there is no escape.

---- Aija meets Quinn and likes him.

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****13.3 - Aija****

"So, how was it?" Rei's voice sounded serious.

"Good," Aija answered as she walked across her Apartment at the school housing. Her parents had let her go early, pleased with her easy acceptance of Quinn. They were probably expecting another rebellious tantrum from her, and seeing Aija and Quinn having fun was perhaps a great relief for them. Avi and Asahi, however, hadn't been pleased.

"Really?" he sounded suspicious.

Aija laughed. "Yes, Quinn is genuinely nice. I can see things working out for us."

"Well, you sure sound happy," Rei observed, still a little suspicious of her. "I hope you're not doing anything you don't want to."

They were having a voice conversation, and she wished she could change it to a video call so that he could see that she genuinely was happy. But, Rei was in school, taking extra classes and was walking from one to the next.

"No, I won't ever have to do anything I don't want to. Quinn's assured me of that," she said, entering her apartment.

"Alright, send me his number. I need to speak to him."

"You mean - scare him."

"That too...yes"

There was a knock on the door. "I think it's Zuri. I'll call you later."

"Okay, stay safe."

It wasn't Zuri, but she didn't want to tell that to Rei. Zuri had access to her Apartment, and her door would auto-unlock for her like Aija had access to Zuri's Apartment. Could it be Ze? But why would he come?

She looked at the lock screen and saw Kuna's face. He knocked again, and Aija wondered what had made him come all the way to her place. He had never done it before. She opened the door, and he walked in before she could say anything.

"Hi?" she croaked in surprise as she closed the door.

He looked all over the place and finally settled on a chair.