Lost in Time

Chapter 6: Forgotten Memories

Alan and Babe walked into Jeff's apartment asking the tenant about him but they said no one resided in the apartment many years ago, his heart heavy with the weight of his loss. The tenant even let them look around the apartment and it was truly empty and looked abandoned for a long time now, Alan felt his hope starting to fade. Maybe this was a dead end. Maybe he would never find the answers he was looking for.

"Reed took the day before I created X-Hunter, which means I never met Jeff or you either," Alan says to Babe while looking around. "Oh no, he might still be trapped in the foundation," Alan muttered anxiously, his eyes scanning the sparse apartment for any clue. The walls and floors offered nothing but emptiness.

"I know everyone from the foundation, Khun Alan, but I've told you there's no one named Jeff around," Babe reassured him, equally puzzled as he surveyed the room. Spotting a bottle of unfamiliar medicine, Babe handed it to Alan. It looked identical to the ones Uncle Reval used to suppress Jeff's abilities.

That could only mean one thing—Jeff had been here, but he had left in a hurry to bring his medicines. The wrecked state of the apartment suggested he might have been fleeing, possibly from Tony's guards. Jeff wouldn't leave his medicine at all, not unless he was chased around. Alan seethed with anger at the thought of Tony's ruthless pursuit and worried for Jeff's safety, wondering where he could be now.

Just as he was on the brink of despair, Alan's phone buzzed with a notification. A news article had been sent to him by his crewmate—a new racing team had emerged, named Beyond Racing, established by Beyond Group, Tony's formidable rival in the business world. The team's star racer was none other than Charlie, Jeff's brother. "I know another place to look for him." Alan's heart skipped a beat; wherever Charlie was, Jeff couldn't be far behind.

Alan's heart raced as they made their way to the Beyond Group building.

"Pete!" Alan called out urgently. Pete, the owner of Beyond Group, halted his stride and turned to face Alan and Babe. Alan hurried over, prompting Pete to signal his assistant to give them privacy.

"Khun Alan, what a surprise. What brings you here?" Pete inquired, eyeing Babe with suspicion. Alan, aware of Pete's skepticism, cut to the chase.

"I know you know where Jeff is. If Charlie's here, then Jeff must be too," Alan stated, his tone more pleading than angry. Pete looked surprised, then motioned for them to move to a more secluded spot.

"How do you know Jeff? Are you Tony's spy?" Pete questioned, his concern palpable yet he regretted it once it came out of his mouth. After all, he doesn't know if these guys are to be trusted or not. Alan on the other hand felt a wave of relief that Jeff was apparently safe.

"Trust me, Khun, I'm no spy. I'm Jeff's husband but from another universe or something. I signed a magical contract with a guy named Reed. I've seen Tony's cruelty firsthand and want to help bring him down, just like before. We've succeeded once, at a great cost," Alan explained earnestly.

Pete initially remained skeptical, eyeing Alan with doubt until he heard Alan's story and his resolve for justice. Finally, Pete agreed to lend a hand. Alan was a known racer, and people only talked about how kind and grounded he was, none of them spoke ill of him at all. "And him?" Pete gestured towards Babe.

"He's my friend, he's also trying to escape Tony's hands," Alan replied, Babe, nodded in confirmation.

"I know who he is, but can he be trusted?" Pete pressed further, earning an eye roll from Babe.

"He's the only person I trust completely in this fight against Tony," Alan answered firmly, causing Pete to sigh in resignation before nodding his assent. He grabbed Alan's shoulder, "I hope you're telling the truth." Pete says while Alan looks at the man's hand and then back at him. "You can read that I told you the truth right?" Jeff has told Alan about Pete's power after the lonely man opened up more when Way died.