Chapter 11

"So where is the gal?" Tyron asked.

"Which gal are you referring to?" Fina asked back bluntly.

"You know who I'm inquiring about, Fina de Glaze. Don't act so blunt. I have ears and eyes. And I've known for years that you have the gift of vision. I know what's impossible and not," sarcasm was laced on his tone. It was a miracle that he did not roll his eyes.

"You're asking about Ashnah Hiraya, aren't you?" Said the city branch manager, Riohan. He dropped a folder in front of Tyron.

Fina's eyes flew to Riohan. 'The nerve of this sucker!'

"Wonderful!" Tyron said, delighted of Riohan's obidience. "I never thought the day would come when you're more useful than Fina."

The smile on Riohan's lips began to loose its genuineness. But still he smiled with all that he can.

Tyron flashed an edgy glance at Fina. "And I never thought of such perfidious act from you, Fina." He said before flipping through the pages of the folder.

Fina's grip on her sleeve tigthened.

"Where's Jin?" asked Tyra, Tyron's granddaugther.

"He's out in the training ground," Riohan rushed in answering before Fina can say anything else.

'Really?! Such a Jerk!' Fina's hand is itching to knock Riohan's head off. But she just gritted her teeth and satisfied herself with the thought that it will do them better to hold back than to do otherwise.

"Well then. We should go and see our special little girl," Tyron stood and buttoned his suit. He flashed his smile yet it's nothing to be glad about. They walked out of the room.

'I don't feel good about this.' Fina nervously shifted the reports on her hands before following them out of the room.

***

All of the trainees on the ground froze when the surroundings suddenly turned black and white.

"A Warp?" Ashnah asked.

Murmurs whirled.

"What's going on?" Monette asked. All are perplexed of what's happening. If warp was established inside the organization, it means to say that the campus was invaded.

"Did someone invade the training grounds?"

Before anyone could utter any word, something glinted from afar. A loud crack echoed around. The next thing she knew, Cale's back is on her face. "What's going on?" She peeked on the left of his torso. Jin was in front of Cale, something akin to a lightning bolt was shaking ferociously in both of his hand's grip.

Ashnah gasped. "What's that?"

She saw a silhouette of a girl from a distance before it disappeared and appeared in front of Cale.

"Step aside!" She shouted to Cale.

Cale barely barricaded himself with his forearms, protecting Ashnah who's on his right side. It went on too fast. Cale was not able to stood his ground and flew a few feet from where he was standing.

"Stop it! She can't block your attack!" It was Jin. "Tyra!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs.

A fist stopped just right in front of Ashnah's eyes, whooshing away some of the hair touching her face . Ashnah was not even able to bat an eye when it appeared.

"Oh Jin," the gorgeous girl laughed. "You know I intended to listen to you. But you're too close to her. I just want to check what's so special about her." She glanced at her direction briefly, then her eyes went back to him. She flung herself to Jin.

Jin looked at Ashnah. His eyes were worried and relieved at the same time, but he didn't utter any word.

Ashnah was left speechless of what just happened. 'Did I just almost got punched?'

"Ash? Are you alright?" Cale was able to get back to his side. But his forearm was slightly bruised. If he was not trained, the damage would be worse than it is.

"Yes, I'm fine. But I think you both should go to the infirmary," she said worried now as she was able to check both of their conditions. Jin's hand were slightly burnt and bleeding. While the attack from the stranger left Cale with some reddish grazes which could later on turn to bruise. Some of those already were starting to darken. Ashnah balled her fist. All of those happened because they protected her. But the one at fault is this doll-like creature who just appeared out of nowhere.

"Fuming, little gir?" The barbie doll arched her brow in challenge. "You should know how to fight if you're labelled as someone special." she smirked.

"Ignore her. One should not pay attention to someone like her," Cale barricaded himself in between her and barbie doll.

Barbie doll rolled her eyes, irritated by Cale's notion.

"Cale William. You should know how to assess people. You, afterall, was raised as one of the elder's son," said the raspy voice. An old man, probably on his late seventies appeared. He have the same profile as barbie doll. His stance is eminent despite his seemingly age.

Cale did not replied, but his face was grim.

"Cale, take Ashnah out of here," Jin said in low voice.

"Oh, no, no, you won't. We came here for a differnt reason. But it's good to get to know someone who's rising like a star in our field," the old man grinned. But nothing about it denotes friendliness. "Now, don't you stop us from getting acquainted. Kindly introduce yourself, little missy," his words might appear friendly but it was released in a commanding matter.

Ashnah's fury over the injury inflicted on both of her friends still have not yet dissipated. "Old man, I bet you already know my name and identity. Should you not, I doubt you'll lock your target on me."

"You should be warned, little lamb, of the possible result of a fool's insult to my honor. I was only simply recommending a new acquaintance's introduction."

"So should harm be done whenever you introduce yourself?" she bickered.

"Ash, stop." Fina barely made it before Ashnah could further counter. "Elder, I do apologize. She has not yet been fully educated of the organization's heirarchy and system. She was recovering from the terror of their first mission."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It baffles me why such gifts are wasted on such type of people."

'I could say the same to you.' Ashnah would like to say to him. But she held her tongue since she saw fom Fina's face that that's the least of the thing that they would need.

Jin took off barbie doll's arms nonchalantly. Her eyes sharpened with anger when he did.

"I heard that despite your ability classified in the lower bracket, you're someone considered to have a compacted Spirit energy."

'Is his eyes glowing?' Ashnah wondered. It was just as Uncle Arnold's when they first met.

"To see is to believe." He paused or a moment. "Such amount of spiritual energy is wasted."

'Why does he keeps poking on my nerves?' Ashnah was tempted to roll her eyes on his special nonsense.

"You should have been assigned to the main office for further checking," he said, his shady eyes unreadable of what he's thinking.

"I've already done the checking, Elder Tyron. I am afterall raised with honed skills. I am fully confident that she should remain here," Jin spoke. He walked towards Ashnah and stopped in front of her. "You know that this area holds the record for the abundant amount of demonic energy. She should be kept here as Arnold had done."

"What is so special with having such compacted spirit energy when she could not even fight with it and control it?" Tyra smirked.

"She's just new here and still in training. Giver her time to prove herself. I've already seen she's a great potential," Fina interrupted.

The pair of silver heads' eyes went to Fina. They didn't even bother hiding their displeasure for her statement.

"Is that so?" Tyron sniggered. "Then I shall wait and see for your... development if I may say." He looked towards his granddaughter. "We've got a lot to do, Tyra. Spare your reunion time with Jin for the moment. We still need to get things done."

"Yes, grandfather," she answered in dismay. She turned to Jin and winked at him. "I'll see you around."

"That was nerve-wrecking," said Monette. It looks like she was holding her breath since the two came.

"I thought an enemy was able to get passed the organization."

The whispers were buzzing around.

Fina clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, you may continue with your training." She gestured towards Jin and Cale,"You two should go to the clinic. I'll need to talk to Ashnah first."

Both of them agreed and went their way, bickering at each other still.

"Ash, follow me. We need to talk."

***

They were alone in the cafeteria. They sat in the hidden corner to avoid any attention if ever someone walks in.

"Am I in trouble?" Ashnah asked.

"You barely escaped it. But one thing for sure, they'll be watching you closer."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it through."

"No, it's not entirely at fault. Tyron and Tyra afterall did attack first. We can use that fact to our defense at least. But..." Fina trailed off. Her eyes dulled and she just stare at nothingness.

"Fina...?" Ashnah called out. Ashnah remembered that Fina has the power of vision. 'Is she seeing a vision right now?'

A tear dropped from her eye. When a sobbed escaped her throat, she was pulled back to reality.

"Fina?" she slowly asked. "You saw something terrible?"

She wiped her unshed tears away. Fina had her emotions checked and controlled "I...I need to go. So I'll try to make this quick as possible."

"Arnold tasked Jin and Cale to guard you. But we need to change the plans. Tyra is obsessed with Jin. We need Jin to be far away from you as possible."

Ashnah nodded, "I understand. I've got no problem about it."

"You've got two more days to prepare for your next assignment. I've heard you're going to be alone during this time?"

"Yes. That's what we were informed of."

Fina sighed. "I never thought they would proceed with this assignment. That's the usual second assigment for the new trainees. But I thought they intend to make some consideration provided what happened before is still afresh."

"It's okay, Fina. This might help me in increasing my knowledge about my gift. I want to learn and explore this faster."

Fina looked at her suspiciously, "Why are you so eager to learn so quickly?"

Ashnah froze then took the strength to gaze onto Fina's eyes. 'Should I? Should I tell her?' Since her interrogation was held up because Uncle Arnold pleaded to give her time to gather her emotions, she was not able to tell anyone what really happened. And she's reluctant that it may cause a huge uproar once she'll say it.

"Tell me, Ashnah. I was not given the vision for when that unfortunate incident happened. Let me help you," she encouraged.

Ashnah sighed. "I think they were after me," she observed Fina's reaction. She began to tell Fina about the pyscho's hesitation when she was abducted. How he was planning to keep her and why.

She saw her trembled but it was controlled briefly. Perturbation briefly touched her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it was detected.

"Fina, is it related to what you saw?" Fina's eyes were unsettled. Then it dawned to her. "It is." Ashnah said in confirmation. "He will be back. That psycho will be back."

Fina would like to deny it but she can't. Ashnah have grasped the situation.

"Tell, me, Fina. What exactly did you saw?" Ashnah was scared. But the very least that she can do is be prepared for it. Fina's predictions sometimes change as what Uncle Arnold stated. She doesn't believe that it is only a coincidence that Fina's gift prompted this very moment as they talk.

"Arnold. He would be in danger. That psycho will be back and something dark will be triggered. Arnold...He...He'll lose his life," tears sprung in her eyes. She wiped them away briefly.

'No!'Ashnah felt her eyes warmed up, not wanting to believe what she just heard. "No, we can still make it. We'll save him. We can't... We can't loose him." She felt her tear trickled down her cheeks. She angrily brushed them away. "There's a reason why you're given that vision when we talked. We can do something. We just need to find it--how we can save Uncle Arnold. "

Hope began to shine in Fina's eyes. "That's right. But right now, we need to keep things first to ourselves. We're still on the blindspot. We still do not know how things got out of hand. And more likely know, we don't know whom to trust."

Ashnah nodded in agreement. "Yes, we'll need to wait and select the people that we can trust."