Act I: Operation Arcanemesis (Completed)

Chapter 10: Be careful who you trust.

ATLAS

Habang naglalakad papunta sa klase, iba't ibang klase ng estudyante ang nakakasalubong namin, some of them know as by the group dahil naging isa narin sila sa mga natulungan namin dati. May ibang nagpapapicture at nagpapaautograph pa ng school paper nila. Every event ay nafefeature ang grupo namin sa school paper at nakaheadlines pa. We didn't chose attention, attention chose us.

"Guys, don't you think Cleophee's weird?", Morrigan asked.

"She is weird, matagal ko nang sinasabi yan"

"She already knew about Iliana"

"Wait, you told her?", Memphis asked.

"I mean, yeah"

"Uhmm, excuse me...", a girl interrupted our conversation. The way she looks, I believe she's a nerd. Taas kilay namang nakatingin si Memphis sa kanya. "Uhmm hi, I'm Tempest, I'm a fan of your group", she smiled.

"Well thank you but we need to g—"naputol naman ang sasabihin sana ni Memphis nang magsalita ang babae.

"Please don't leave yet", she pleaded. We exchanged glances bago nagsalita.

"We're late for class"

"I have a case for you guys"

That heightened my senses. "What is it?", agad na tanong ko. Ilang linggo na kaming walang nahahandle na kaso bukod dun sa kaso ni Aeris few days ago.

"Here let me show you...siguro naman okay lang inyo ang magskip kahit isang subject lang?", tanong nito.

"Better not waste our time then"

Ngumiti ito at nauna nang maglakad. Memphis grabbed my arm habang naglalakad, sa aming apat, sya yung madaling kabahan at madaming pangitain. She alerts us pag pakiramdam nya may hindi magandang mangyayari. We trust her instincts kaya lagi namin syang sinusunod. The girl went to the forest na nasa likod lang ng school, lumalamig na yung hangin at unti unti nang dumidilim ang dinadaan namin dahil sa dami ng matataas na punong tumatakip sa sinag ng araw. We don't know where exactly is she taking us.

"Guys, I'm scared", usal ni Memphis.

"Don't be...", nakangiting saad ni Tempest. Kalmado lang ito sa paglalakad namin, even Morrigan is starting to give me message with his eyes. Alaric continued following Tempest na parang wala lang sa kanya ang kaba na nararamdaman namin.

"Are you sure we're taking the right track?"

"Yes we are. Don't be scared, ganito lang talaga ang daanan papunta dun sa lugar na sinasabi ko. Natakot din ako gaya nyo, but nung narealize ko na wala namang dapat ikatakot, nahimasmasan din ako"

This is the first case we will handle outside the school. After a few minutes of hike, nakarating kami sa isang malawak na field. Parang biglang naging moderno yung lugar. Sino namang magtatayo ng modernong field sa gitna ng gubat?

"Malapit na tayo...", she smiled. Pumasok kami sa isang underground na kwarto. It looks like a laboratory, from different animal specimens na nakadisplay hanggang sa mga preserved na mga antique na kung anong buto. "Welcome to my boss' den"

"Your boss' den?"

"Yes, I am her long time assistant", she said, hindi parin nawawala ang matamis na ngiti sa mga labi nya.

"Why did you brought us here?", Alaric asked. For the first time simula kanina ay nagsalita nadin sya.

"A very prestigious item we found in Cebu was stolen... Matagal na kaming gumagawa ng paraan ni boss pero wala talagang otoridad ang nakatulong samin. Even the Philippine Geographic group can't help us", malungkot na usal nito "I was wondering if your group can help me find that item, for sure maraming magkakainteres don dahil antigo at malaki ang presyo sa bangko. We want that item para masimulan na namin ang matagal na naming plano na research"