The Fifth Order

3 | The UCA

Chapter 3: The UCA

A TIME GAP.

According to Sie, the girl in an orange cloak, we were currently enclosed in an odd phenomenon known as Time Gap. Everything comes to a temporary halt with a snap of the fingers, but only Ace—the man afloat on a green cloak with the ability to manipulate time—could do it since he's the first order.

And what do they exactly mean by "first order"?

"Teka, parang namumukhaan kita, ah?" ani Chase at kunwaring napaisip. Seconds later, his face lit up with recognition. "Takte, kayo 'yong nasa TV! Iyong sa UCA na nakadakip ng mga wanted na kriminal!"

Do'n ko lang napagtantong sila nga pala ang mga taong 'yon na nasabi kong mga detectives.

Napapalakpak naman ang babae. "Tama! Sinabi ko naman kanina, 'di ba? We're from the UCA and this was our next mission: to find the fifth and sixth of the Universal Order before the Ebon Society gets you two first."

"Society?" What society? "May humahabol ba sa 'min? Does this have something to do with our abilities?" usisa ko.

Noon pa lang ay ramdam ko na ang pagiging iba namin ni Chase mula sa mga ordinaryong tao. I mean, what ordinary human could read minds and hear other people's thoughts? What ordinary human could carry a whole car with only his bare hands?

Chase and I both have strange abilities that no mere human had ever possessed. It literally terrified us at first. He discovered his ability in sixth grade, while mine opened in high school.

We had no idea where we gained these skills. One day, it just appeared to us that we acquired these and eventually got used to it. Weird, it was, but I wasn't dumb to not ascertain that Sie and Ace's presence had something to do with what we uniquely have.

Seeing them possessed abilities, too, made me wonder how many people out there were like us.

I wanted to ask why. Why me? Why us?

I need enlightenment, and only they could provide me with valid and credible explanation to my long-timed queries.

"Sasagutin namin ang mga tanong n'yo mamaya. For now, we need to take you to UCA." Aya ng babae kaya wala sa oras na nagkatinginan kami ni Chase. His face instantly beamed in happiness, and in a split second, he was already walking beside the girl.

I frowned. Right, he's been dreaming of becoming a part of that agency, and these unforeseen turns of events just made it easy for him to achieve that ambition.

Sinundan ko ang lalake ng nagtatanong na tingin, pero itinaas-baba lamang nito ang kaniyang kilay. I did my very best to compose myself and not dart the guy a ridiculed look for not understanding what I meant with my stare. He seemed too preoccupied and overwhelmed!

Minsan talaga'y nais ko na lang itong itapon sa bangin dahil sa mga padalos-dalos nitong desisyon. Lola Elmira taught me well not to trust and follow strangers. Sumama siya rito kasama ako kaya siya ang malalagot kung sakaling hindi na kami masisikatan ng araw!

I had no choice but to pull my leg and trail behind them. Well, the only reason why I followed was because they possessed abilities like us, but that doesn't guarantee that I trusted them already.

Humabol na lamang ako sa kanila't hinarap si Sie. "Wait, what about these mess! Hindi naman siguro natin puwedeng iwan ang mga iyan nang basta-basta, hindi ba? And the time . . ."

My worried gaze shifted to our surroundings, which seemed to have been ravaged by a strong earthquake.

She giggled. "Don't worry, whatever happens in the time gap stays in the time gap. Everything that was destroyed within it will be rebuilt once the clock begins to tick again."