Chapter 1
Rain pattered against the cobblestones of Alderwick Square, a rhythmic murmur that matched the steady beating of Alice Roosevelt’s heart. The historian’s boots splashed in shallow puddles as she approached the towering clock tower, its silhouette a sentinel against the darkening sky.
Alice wasn’t new to secrets hidden in plain sight. Her career revolved around uncovering them, dusting off layers of history to reveal truths long forgotten. But today, her hands trembled—not with the cold but with a strange anticipation. The inscription etched into the worn brass plaque beneath the clock’s face had stopped her in her tracks just hours ago.
When time reveals, love rewinds.
She had returned at twilight, carrying only her notebook and a relentless curiosity.
“Strange,” she murmured, tracing the words with her gloved fingers. “No record of this inscription exists in the archives.”
Her voice echoed faintly, as if the clock itself was listening. She glanced around, half-expecting someone to step out of the shadows with an explanation. But the square was deserted, save for the occasional gust of wind and the flickering streetlamps.
Curiosity gnawed at her, and before reason could stop her, Alice pressed her palm against the clock’s face.
Suddenly, the air shifted. The rhythmic ticking of the clock became a thunderous roar, and the hands began to spin backward at an impossible speed.
“What is this?” Alice gasped, staggering backward as the world blurred around her.
Her vision dimmed, and the next moment, she was standing on cobblestones that felt different—newer. The air smelled of coal smoke and freshly baked bread.
A man’s voice broke through her disorientation.
“Are you hurt?”
She looked up into a pair of piercing dark eyes. The man before her was tall, with windswept hair and a face marked by quiet intensity.
“I... I think I’m fine,” Alice stammered, clutching her head. “Where am I?”
“You’re in Alderwick, of course. But...” The man tilted his head. “You look lost. I’m Jeon Jungkook. And you are?”
“Alice,” she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
For a moment, time itself seemed to pause as their gazes locked. Neither of them knew it yet, but their story was just beginning.
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a golden glow over Alderwick’s cobblestone streets. Alice walked beside Jeon Jungkook, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and intrigue. She clutched her notebook tightly, the familiar leather binding grounding her in this unfamiliar world.
“You said your name is Alice?” Jungkook asked, his voice measured but laced with curiosity.
“Yes,” she replied, glancing at him. His presence was calm yet commanding, his sharp eyes observing her every move.
“You seemed... startled when we met. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
Alice hesitated. “I’m not hurt, but this place... It’s not where I expected to be.”
Jungkook’s brow furrowed. “Strange. You appeared out of nowhere, dressed in unusual attire. Are you a traveler?”
“In a way,” she said, avoiding his gaze. How could she explain that she’d touched a clock face and been transported to 1880?
The silence stretched, and Jungkook, sensing her reluctance, shifted the conversation. “You mentioned you were looking for something. What brought you here?”
“The clock tower,” she admitted. “I study history. I found an inscription—something I’d never seen before. And then...” She trailed off, unsure how much she should reveal.
“History?” Jungkook’s interest piqued. “That’s rare for a woman to pursue. Most focus on... simpler matters.”
Alice bristled but hid her irritation. “History is hardly simple. It’s the foundation of everything. Every decision, every invention—like the ones you seem to be working on.” She gestured to the leather-bound journal poking out of his pocket.
Jungkook stopped abruptly, his expression guarded. “What makes you think I’m an inventor?”
Alice met his gaze evenly. “Your hands,” she said, pointing to the faint ink stains on his fingers. “And the way you observe things, like you’re always calculating.”
A flicker of a smile crossed his lips. “You’re perceptive. But my work is... sensitive. Not something I share freely.”
“I understand,” Alice said softly. “But perhaps we can help each other.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “Help each other?”
“I need to understand this place,” she explained. “And perhaps why I’m here. You’re clearly brilliant—your work might hold answers.”
He studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Very well. But if I’m to help you, I’ll need honesty. What aren’t you telling me, Alice?”
She hesitated, torn between the truth and her instinct to protect her secret. Finally, she took a deep breath. “The truth is... I’m not from here. Not this time.”
Jungkook’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes darkened with intensity. “Not this time? Explain.”
Alice sighed. “I don’t know how it happened. One moment, I was in 2025, touching the clock tower, and the next... I was here.”
For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze fixed on her as if assessing the weight of her words. “2025,” he repeated. “An impossible claim. But if true, it would explain your confusion—and your clothing.”
“You believe me?” she asked, surprised.
“I’m a man of science,” he replied. “I don’t dismiss possibilities without evidence. And your presence here is certainly... unorthodox.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Thank you. That’s more open-minded than most.”
Jungkook began walking again, his pace slower now. “If what you say is true, then your arrival may not be random. There’s purpose in such phenomena.”
“Do you think your work might explain it?” she asked, her hope rising.
“Perhaps,” he said thoughtfully. “But my experiments are complex—far ahead of their time, even here. I’ll show you, but it requires absolute discretion.”
“You have my word,” Alice promised.
As they walked toward his workshop, Alice couldn’t help but feel that the threads of their fates were weaving tighter together. She didn’t know what she would find in Jungkook’s work—or in him—but she sensed that this journey would change everything.
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Promo for Chapter 2:
Jungkook reveals his groundbreaking experiments, but as Alice dives deeper into his world, she begins to see glimpses of the challenges that lie ahead. Will their connection withstand the secrets they uncover?
