The story so far:

---- Aija and the others are on the South-Land. They are waiting for the Leadership to attack. Goldstar is alive. They lost the Premiere, Leigh, Tailyn, Arah Lin. Ze is getting better in his training. The war comes to an end when Iernei spaceships arrive. Aija finds her brother Rei and Vincent alive. Aija and Thieron tell Goldstar all that has happened with them. Aija and Thieorn want to go to Ierne to give Aa'di Irih'va the Avo. Luka didn't expect to survive this long. He now feels at home with Thieron and Nala. Zuri goes home. She asks her parents to go to the South-land with her. They refuse. Xan accepts Var-Inu's offer to get an Iernei body. Xan is now Iernei. Thieron talks to Aija; she says she's confused and needs time. They all go to Ierne. Zuri roams the Palace. She meets Ze, who tells her he doesn't like Nala and makes Zuri doubt her relationship with Nala. Aija asks Irih'va to remove her bond with Thieron. He agrees and accomplishes it. Goldstar gives Premier Zhaleh a plan to use against the Leadership. Thieron wakes after the bond is removed. He misses Aija. Aa'di Irih'va asks him to go home and then to join the Ithi'hra to work with him.

----Thieron convinces Nala to go home. Xan learns from Aija what really happened to him; he feels hurt. He wants to warn his family about the experiments to save his siblings. Goldstar finds out Vincent is Ytean-human. And that he was responsible for his reputation. He is upset. He chooses to leave behind 'Goldstar' and be Rei. It is Ze's wedding day. He's happy. Diya and Nova are present. Ruyanir's and Ze's wedding takes place. Ze challenges Na'thwir for the position of Zayr chief. Thieron goes to Zya'ara with everyone. Meets his family after years. The Company is on their way to attack again. Aija and Thieron fight with the Zya'araeans against the Wy'sith. Aija gets dragged away from Thieron. Nala and Luka struggle to shield Eiva and Afe. Nala is losing control over her shield. Zuri arrives to help.

----Thieron panics when he loses Aija. The ji'var attack him, but AIja finds him. Together they manage to kill the metal-controller, but when the Utzrn withdraw, Thieron realises it's to drown them. 

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****22.2 AIJA****

The water level within the dome surged rapidly.

Aija knew even if they'd had the ist'we stone, it'd take a lot of time and effort to get everyone out. They had to do something else.

Aija began cutting the shadows gripping her.

"Where are you going?" Thieron asked, apprehensive.

"To break the dome,"

Aija waded through the darkness, helped by her sword and reached a wall of the dome. It shimmered silver like the smoke it was forged from. She placed a palm flat on the dome; it rippled. But it was hard. Aija punched it once; it held solid like glass.

Thieron appeared beside her. "Together," he hummed, raising his sword.

Together, Aija and Thieron pierced the dome with their swords. They dragged the blades down, severing the dome. The dome reformed along the length of the cuts, faster than they'd made the incisions. They tried it a few times more, but the smoke retook the empty space and solidified; every time.

"It's useless," Aija murmured, disheartened.

Thieron huffed, lowering his sword. The shadows enveloped their legs, holding them in place. Aija took in everyone within the dome half-submerged. Water lapped at her chest, making her shiver. The water appeared black from the shadows swirling in it.

Was this how they died? Aija thought of her family, tears pricking her eyes. She gazed up at Thieron, who resumed driving his sword through the dome in vain. It didn't help.

The water reached her neck now. Aija placed a hand on Thieron's. Thieron stopped. He faced her, mournful. She wanted to say something, anything. But the words didn't flow out of her throat. Thieron took her hand in his and pressed it. He must have seen the desolation in her eyes, for he said, "I won't let you die. Ever,"

Aija gave him a half-smile. She cut the shadows at her feet and stepped closer to him. And against her beliefs, Aija hugged him. Thieron wrapped his arms around her. And despite the fact she'd drown in minutes, Aija felt safe. She closed her eyes, clutching him tighter, feeling the cold of water rise to her chin. Thieron picked her up; she put her arms around his shoulders, feeling his breath against her neck.

Aija put her sword away and remembered she had the Àvo in her pant-pocket. She couldn't use it, could she? Not without souls. And that was a dreadful plan.

Aija could see the Utzrn standing outside the dome. Watching, waiting for them to die. The Utzrn shadow-woman came to the dome, her image rippling from the smokiness of the dome. She smiled, watching Aija in Thieron's arms, water up to his chest now. If Aija weren't in his arms, she'd have drowned.

"Aija," Thieron whispered in her ear. "I don't regret meeting you or taking you. I hope you'll forgive me."

Aija locked gazes with him. She placed a hand over his cheek like he often did with her. It made him smile. They couldn't give up; shouldn't wait for the water to drown them. They needed to fight. But how?

'The universe listens in prayers and answers in miracles.'

Afè's words came to Aija. If only she knew how to pray. But she knew Gods existed. She knew of Spirits. She knew one.

Tai'un.

"Aija?" Thieron noticed the realisation in her eyes.

"I need you to trust me,"

"I do, Aija. With my life."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Tai'un!" Aija yelled. "Tai'un!"

He didn't appear. Of course, he only did when he wished to.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see," she told him. "Tai'un, please! I need your help!"

"And what will you do in return?"

Aija flipped around. Tai'un hovered above the water, wings splayed out gloriously behind him. And with him, there always came that white-glow, ethereal and entrancing. Thieron took in a sharp breath; he could see him too.

Tai'un observed them, so calm, it was hard to believe they were trying not to drown in front of him.

"Anything,"

"Anything?" Tai'un folded his arms across his chest.

"Anything, please,"

Tai'un watched her a few seconds longer. To Aija, it was a lifetime.

"Just do what's right when the time comes, vā xrough," he said, voice feathery as if he were speaking to a lover. "Give me the Àvo."

"How can you use it?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Aija did. She freed the Àvo from her pocket and threw it up for him to catch. She never saw if Tai'un caught it; it burst into light. Aija closed her eyes, holding onto Thieron tighter. When she opened them, the light had formed a Ro'ein and Tai'un had disappeared.

"Aija"?

"Ah'n, I think I did it."

"What did you do? That was a Spirit. What did he say?"

"You heard him."

"No, I didn't. What did you do?"

"What I had to,"

Thieron was about to say something when the Ro'ein spiralled the dome and melted into it, a surreal sight. The golden light of the Ro'ein formed honeycomb patterns over the dome.

Then, the dome shattered.

The water gushed out.

Thieron gripped Aija as they touched ground, the shadows gone. Thieron eased her down gently. She watched as a new dome of golden-light formed around them, blocking the Utzrn out.

The shadow-woman who'd been a foot away from them had disappeared. The Utzrn army fell like trees knocked down.

Aija felt a prick on her right hand. She pulled her coat-sleeve back; the Ro'ein mark glowed. Thieron eyed it, dazed. The Àvo floated down to Aija; she caught it.

Aija and Thieron stood.

He put a hand on her cheek; she put a hand over his. "You," he whispered, voice husky. He didn't say more, but he didn't have to.

You. Just a three-letter word. And yet, he'd woven a story he didn't say out loud; a story for her. A story that she saw shining clear in his eyes that made her heart full and soul at ease. You; a missed heartbeat, a stolen breath, an ocean of unsaid words, a universe of emotions; home.

"What did you do?" Thieron repeated, tone deep with worry.

What I had to, she wanted to say. But couldn't.

Aija felt the darkness washing over her like it had swallowed her under the shadow-woman's commands. 

"Aija?"

Aija acquiesced to the dark, falling as she did.

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