Midnight Angels

Chapter 21

'Upcoming Morgan'

ZIA

Responsibility. Burden. That's what Zeus gave me. I have to take responsibility for what I've done. I have to take responsibility and get rid of this new era because this all happened because of what I did to Team Alpha. I have to take responsibility because that's what they're expecting me to do.

It's a burden. A very big burden that I must carry alone.

Fighting Xions. Getting rid of all these creatures. That's what they want me to do. To help them protect this realm, that's what they want me to do until they find a way to wake the real guardians of this realm. I am a proxy. I am a replacement. I am receiving my punishment.

Because protecting this realm is a very hard thing to do. Especially if the creatures living in it do not acknowledge you as a protector but as a destroyer.

"Hindi ko alam na ganun pala ang dinanas mo doon." Celise cried for an hour now. Everyone left after they watched that dreadful footage. Everyone left after they agreed on the deal that I be a replacement for Team Alpha.

"And here I thought you were treated right in there... for three months." Wilder slid down the wall and sat on the floor, devastated.

"It doesn't matter." Tipid kong sabi at tumalikod sa kanila. If I'm going to be staying here again, I need to clear my mind. Burden. Responsibility. It's all on me now—natigilan ako sa paglalakad nang may humawak sa braso ko.

Nilingon ko si Kuya Ash na nakatingin na pala sa akin.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Everything they did to you back there, matters! Hindi na tama 'yong mga ginawa nila sa 'yo doon, Zia!" sigaw niya sa akin kaya tiningnan ko lang siya, sila. I gave him a quick look and shrugged his hand off.

"What's done is done." Tipid kong sabi at naglakad na papunta sa kwarto ko. Habang naglalakad ako ay bumibigat na naman ang pakiramdam ko. This place is giving me flashbacks of my once complete life but I shoved it to the back of my head and focused on what they gave me. A responsibility.

A burden. Nanginginig ang mga kamay ko habang nagpapalit ako ng damit. I heard Kuya Ash and Kuya Xy arguing about something. Binuksan ko ang shoe drawer ko at kumuha ng sneaker at saka na tiningnan ang sarili ko sa salamin.

"A replacement for Team Alpha," I said to myself while I slowly looked at my arm.

Kumunot ang noo ko noong makita kong may nabubuong simbolo doon. It was a wing symbol. What is this?

"We'll give you a symbol just to inform the creatures of this realm that you're the temporary replacement for Team Alpha."

I ran my hands over the glowing symbol. Mom and Team Alpha had letter A symbols on their arm. A for Alpha. Now what does this wing symbol stands for? Tinakpan ko nalang ang braso ko sa jacket ko at bumaba na at nakita kong parang kakatapos lang nina Kuya Xy at Kuya Ash sa pagbabangayan nila.

Agad naman silang tumingin sa akin.

"Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ni Wilder at agad siyang tumayo.

"To the lab." Tipid kong sagot at nakita kong parang naguluhan pa sila sa sinabi ko. Right, I've always told them that I don't want to see Mom and Dad's faces, everyone else's too but I figured that after I was named as a replacement, I needed to see them.

Paglabas ko palang ng bahay ay nakita kong may mga naghihintay nang rangers sa akin. It was already four in the afternoon but the sun was still beaming on them.