Chapter 14: Journal

I realized I shouldn't be too hasty, or I might really ruin everything for real. So I grounded myself in the present again and decided to research a bit more in the Dela Torre mansion library.

And for the first time, I noticed a small model of the clock tower here in the library...

A chill ran down my spine the moment I saw it. Had it always been here? Or had I just never noticed its existence until now?

Just like how I was late to notice Noelle's existence... Tsk.

Maybe it's not just the design of the clock tower or my family's history. Maybe this isn't just a teleportation device—it might actually be connected to time itself.

Then, while searching further, I found another journal—different from the records I had first discovered.

Unlike the previous records that only talked about the family's teleportation ability, this journal spoke about time travel. And it felt more personal.

My eyes widened slightly as I flipped through its pages.

I read words like seeking the past and seeing the future...

This is it. I think this is finally it. Although the full intent isn't explained yet...

Naghalungkat pa ako lalo sa loob ng library sa pagkakataong 'to.

And there, I felt like I had found everything. Alongside the journals, there were also diagrams of the clock tower...

The clock tower in this town was deliberately built at a location where natural forces converge...

A magnetic anomaly. A ley line intersection that might have amplified or distorted space and time, creating the perfect conditions for teleportation.

It made sense. My ancestors must have studied the area extensively, mapping out these forces before deciding to anchor the family's teleportation ability there by constructing the clock tower.

And the tower itself... it was made from specific materials, including rare stones and metals.

What the hell? Were my ancestors mages, too? Huh? Did they have magic stones in the past? Is this real? I've only ever heard about this kind of thing in online games.

Then, back to the journal I just discovered—my ancestor probably wanted to use his teleportation ability to time travel. And so, he embedded experimental technology into the clock tower's mechanism.

Which means... this clock tower wasn't just a teleportation device anymore. His experiments turned it into something else—something greater.

It now housed a device that manipulated space and time. Like a time crystal.

What the heck? Is this real? Were the Dela Torres some kind of ancient magicians? Oh, God. This is getting more intense. I had to shake my head a little to keep myself awake.

A time crystal in the form of a keepsake for his lost love? No—it was a locket that he used as a time crystal...

As I read further, I realized something.

He might have failed. His experiments were left unfinished, and he ran out of time. He grew old, fell sick, and died before he could complete them.

But unknowingly, it worked with me instead.

I was able to use it to time travel.

And midnight...

Midnight symbolizes a gateway between past and present.

It's the thin spot where the barriers between past, present, and future weaken, allowing time travel to occur.

The tower stands where the earth itself seems to ripple—and at midnight, that ripple sharpens. The mind can guide the leap.

And... time bends for those who dare to reach beyond its bounds.

Just then, my phone rang.

Mom.

I was still deep in research, but I answered.

"Mom—"

"Where are you, Julian? Nasa Pueblo del Tiempo ka raw, sabi ni Joey? Anong ginagawa mo d'yan? Your grandparents are already home. Didn't you say you wanted to talk to your lola?"

My eyes slightly widened. Napatayo rin ako.

Right. I should go now and talk to my grandmother. She was the last to carry the Dela Torre name. If anyone knew more about our ancestors, it would be her.

"Pabalik na po ako ng Manila, Mom," I told her over the phone.

She sighed. "What have you been up to, Julian?"

"I'll tell you next time, Mom..." I replied before ending the call.

It took a while before everything I had learned finally sank in. It wasn't easy to just believe it—especially since it all sounded like something straight out of a science fiction book or a fantasy movie.

But I knew it was real.

Because I had experienced it myself.

I sighed, then stepped out of the library. Binati ko lang uli sina Manang at nagpaalam na rin ako agad.

"Hindi ka na ba rito maghahapunan?" tanong sa akin ni Manang.

Umiling naman ako. "Thank you, pero hindi na po, Manang. Hinahanap na kasi ako ni Mommy sa bahay. Next time na lang po." I gave her a polite smile.

Ngumiti rin sa akin si Manang, then I headed out to meet my driver/bodyguard, Joey, who was waiting for me.

Pero bago pa man ako makalapit sa sasakyan, narinig ko si Rose na tinatawag ang pangalan ko. Binalingan ko siya, at nakita kong patakbo siyang lumabas ng Dela Torre mansion.

"Sir Julian, aalis ka na?"

I nodded and gave her a smile. "Yes, Rose. Pero babalik pa naman ako. May kailangan lang akong gawin."

Nakita kong may pag-aalala sa mukha niya. "Ayos ka lang ba? May problema ba? May nangyari?"

Bahagya akong natigilan sa sunud-sunod na tanong ni Rose. Did she notice it too? Napangiti ako sa pagiging observant niya. Hindi pa man kami ganoon katagal magkakilala, I could already tell how much the staff at the Dela Torre mansion cared for me.

I raised my hand and gently tapped the top of her head. "I'm okay, Rose. Don't worry about me and just focus on your studies, okay? Babalik din ako rito."

She nodded. "Okay po. Thank you din pala kasi nagpatulong ka pa pala sa pamilya mo para matulungan ako sa pag-aaral ko." Her voice turned slightly emotional.

Napangiti lang ako. "You're welcome. Study hard, okay?"

This time, she smiled back.

Pagkatapos, tumalikod na ako at dumiretso sa sasakyan. Joey opened the door for me, and I got in. Then, we drove back to the city.

Habang nasa biyahe, laman ng isip ko ang mga nadiskubre ko sa Dela Torre mansion library tungkol sa Pueblo del Tiempo at sa Torre del Tiempo.

I kept thinking—should I tell my parents about what I discovered? Would they even believe me? It sounded impossible, but I knew the truth. And I could attest to it.

But first, I needed to talk to my grandmother. I had hope that she knew something about our ancestors.

"Hindi ka ba nagugutom? Ano ba ang binabalik-balikan mo sa dating lugar ng pamilya n'yo? Hindi mo na naman kailangang manatili sa Pueblo del Tiempo. Ang sabi ni Mayor, pwede ka nang bumalik sa inyo o sa Maynila. Kung wala pa iyong pinal na resulta para sa World Cup, mag-aral ka na lang muna. Pumasok ka sa university."

Ang dami nang nasabi sa akin ni Joey habang nagmamaneho siya.

Bumaling ako sa kanya sa driver's seat.

I knew they were all worried about me. They probably didn't understand what I was doing or why I kept going back. Maybe they even thought I was feeling down because of the World Cup.

But that wasn't my concern anymore.

What mattered to me now was studying my family's inherited ability—understanding it, mastering it—so I could use it to save Noelle.

Especially now that a terrifying thought had crossed my mind...

What if there was a limit to how many times I could go back? What if, one day, the clock tower suddenly lost its power?

I had to be more careful from now on. If I really wanted to save Noelle, I couldn't afford to make mistakes.

I would not accept her death.

No—I refused to.

"I'm okay, Joey," I reassured him. "Ikaw ba, gutom ka? Pwede naman tayong tumigil para kumain."

But he shook his head. "Ayos lang ako. Ikaw ang inaalala ko... Pagagalitan din ako ni Mayor kapag may nangyaring hindi maganda sa'yo."

Napangiti ako.

I was starting to appreciate the people around me more. Before, all I ever thought about was myself and soccer. But now, I was realizing that there was more to life than just that.

I had parents who loved me, staff who cared for me, and friends who worried about me.

"Sorry for the trouble, Joey. But don't worry. May kailangan lang akong gawin kaya tayo nagpapabalik-balik doon sa Pueblo del Tiempo. Thank you for understanding."

"Wala 'yon. Basta mag-ingat ka lang at huwag mong pabayaan ang sarili mo, kung ano man 'yang kailangan mong gawin. Para hindi tayo mapagalitan pareho ni Mayora. Lalo na ako."

I smirked, then nodded. "Alright."

Pagdating namin sa bahay ng parents ko, agad kong nakita ang grandparents ko na kararating lang mula sa bakasyon nila.

"Mom."

"Julian, ano bang pinaggagawa mo, bata ka ha? Bakit ka bumalik pa sa Pueblo del Tiempo?" salubong sa akin ni Mommy.

Hinagkan ko siya sa pisngi bilang pagbati. Then, my eyes turned to the beautiful old woman standing beside her. She had followed my mom into the living room to welcome me home.

She smiled at me.

It was my grandmother.

The last to carry the Dela Torre name in our family.