Midnight Angels

Chapter 42

'The gem of Ecclesia'

ZIA

"Ecclesia?" Tanong ni Audin habang lumalapit siya sa TV at tumingala siya dito. Tiningnan ko lang si Kuya Xy na naglalakad papunta sa tabi ko. "Team, suit up." Utos niya at agad na kaming pumunta sa mga kwarto namin at nagbihis na at tsaka dali-dali kaming pumunta sa training site kung saan naghihintay sa amin si Sir Grandpa Jez.

Tumabi naman si Blu sa akin habang inaayos niya ang suit niya.

"Do we really have to do this in the middle of the night?" Tanong ni Audin habang humihikab pa siya.

"We're taking something for the devil. Midnight is the only hour we can do it without getting in anyone's way." Sagot ni Sir Grandpa Jez at nagkibit-balikat lang si Audin at tsaka sumandal kay Atlas. Tumingin naman ako sa wall clock. It's still 10 PM though so I think we'll be discussing the mission first.

The floor then shifted and a set of chairs and tables formed in the middle of the training site.

Para itong classroom. Each table had our own names on it. Two rows with five chairs each. Nasa unahan ang upuan ko kaya umupo na ako pati 'yung iba at tiningnan si Grandpa Jez na pinipindot na ang remote para sa hologram sa harap namin.

"The gem of Ecclesia. Anyone knows something about this?" Tanong niya.

"Aren't we supposed to hurry?" Diretsong tanong ni Lucas kaya napatikhim nalang si Grandpa Jez. As much as I want to listen to Grandpa Jez's discussion, we really need to hurry on this mission.

"Okay, so uh.. the ecclesia was the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens. It was the popular assembly, open to all male citizens as soon as they qualified for citizenship. In short, it's a gathering of male citizens para lang mag-debate. It's popular in Ancient Greece." Pagpapaliwanag ni Grandpa Jez.

"And the gem?" Tanong ni Wilder.

"The gem is carried by someone that's attending the ecclesia." Sagot niya at tsaka pinakita sa amin ang larawan ng gem. It was a tear drop formed gem, black in colour. "Pero ang daming tao sa event na 'yan. Paano naman mahahanap ang gem?" Tanong ni Shinshi kaya tumingin agad si Grandpa Jez kina Kuya Xy.

"Men. Men can see this gem. Specifically, men from our realm can see this gem." Sagot ni Grandpa Jez at tumango agad si Shinshi pero nakita kong kumunot naman ang noo ni Kuya Xy.

"But the ecclesia happened in Ancient Greece. Tapos na. How are we even supposed to get this gem?" Tanong ni Kuya Xy at ngumiti lang si Sir Grandpa Jez at tsaka tinuro si Audin na napaturo naman agad sa sarili niya. "Time travel." Nakangiting sabi ni Sir Grandpa Jez at napangiwi lang si Audin.

"I can travel a few seconds into the future, not a thousand years into the past. My gosh." Sabi ni Audin at hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako sa sinabi niya o hindi. Natawa si Grandpa Jez sa kanya at tsaka niya tinuro ang pinto sa gilid kung saan nagbukas ito at pumasok ang mga Blue Scouts na hila-hila 'yung cabinet na kinalalagyan ng portal.

Kumunot agad ang noo ko dahil dito.

"The Dean will help you go back to this certain ecclesia. And in this mission, you only have an hour to complete this." Paalala niya at hindi ko alam kung bakit biglang akong kinabahan dahil sa sinabi niya. This is the mission in which Team Alpha's lives depends on it. Can we do this?