‘That is what I am going to talk about. From now on,’ he turned towards Daehyun, ‘I am letting you guys on the plan that I’ve been devising and planning for a long time. Time waits for no one, yet it could be used as the ultimate weapon against everyone – that was the one and only answer to my painstaking research of Time Travelling. The reason that almost got me killed and left me this scar.’

He turned to Heejin before continuing.

‘I had Daehyun keeping a close eye on you to make sure that the Diary is still safe and that nobody could get hold of it,’ he exchanged glances with everyone in the room and sighed. ‘This is confusing isn’t it? Why was the Diary in my workshop in 2134 too, why the watch was the medium of Time Travel and why Heejin and Luhan’s memories of the first life wasn’t erased.’

He sighed again and squeezed his eyes shut. Seemingly searching his own memories for the best explanations.

-flashback-

‘Yeobo ah, after this I’m going to back out of this project,’ the younger Park said to his beautiful wife in the passenger seat. ‘We have two beautiful children back home and I think it’s time we spent more time with them. Right?’ His wife smiled lovingly in return and nodded in agreement.

The research had held them up too long. It was a top secret project and they were part of the team who first discovered that teleportation was possible in atoms. Following their findings, the government had contacted them to work on the distortion of Time and Space which could lead to possible Time Travelling in the future. Being science enthusiasts, the couple agreed immediately to the revolutionary project.

The fact of his decision lies within the pocket watch he’d brought back from the research centre and kept hidden in the inner pocket of his blazer.

‘I tried to combine quantum of elements together into a single microchip. But I got excited and dropped the chip into the electrical maze our team weaved together and it was immediately burnt from the electrical shocks. And I thought I had failed again so I put it into my pocket watch that had already stopped working, simply for memorial purposes.’

He stopped for a small sip of water and tapped the table top lightly, rhythmically as though mimicking the ticking sound of a clock.

‘As soon as I secured it the clock hands started spinning crazily like a broken compass and a wave of electricity jolted my hands free. I lost grip of it and watched as it fell but like a distorted motion blur, the watch vanished into thin air even before it hit the ground.’

‘It travelled.’ Luhan in a short breath, the tone in his voice wasn’t that of an excited student but as though he’d heard death himself. It was clear how that innocent mindset of a dedicated researched led to the unimaginable turn of events. But he remembered one important piece of information the boys back at EXOPLANET told him.

‘But Da-,’ he cleared his throat. Calling him Dad would be the ultimate awkwardness in this situation so he might as well skip the formalities. ‘You’re from the future aren’t you?’

Daehyun’s eye widened at this new piece of information and turned to Tiffany who looked unamused. She’d already know. Park smiled or Luhan thought he did. ‘So they’d let you guys in on this piece of information huh.’

There was a whole look of bewilderment on Heejin’s face. Her father was from the future? Would that meant she was from the future too? She was about to say something when Luhan cut in.

‘They?’ there was a frown on Luhan’s face at the way he addressed the information provider. The fact that this information was obtained by Baekhyun through a series of decoding, and was sent to them from the Planetary Association of GMIs further questioned his speculations.

Park ignored Luhan’s question and continued.

‘I am in fact, from the future.’ His eyes darted to the astonished Heejin, who was too lost for words. All these information was slightly getting even harder to sink in. ‘H..how-‘

‘I was working for the Association at that time and had already developed the technology to Time Travel. But they needed someone to test its credibility so my team and I volunteered for the sake of the future generations,’ He turned to Luhan but looked away quickly as if watching his expression was too painful. ‘Which is also the main reason why I gave you up to the GMIs. The Watch was the only thing I brought with me.’ He laughed bitterly at Luhan and gestured Tiffany to the white screen behind him. She pressed a few buttons of a small remote and the same picture of a group of people; that Baekhyun decoded appeared in black and white.

Luhan pointed at the person beside the young Park Dong Hoon. ‘Isn’t he the one who betrayed you, almost got you killed?’

The older man’s face hardened at once but didn’t answer his question yet again. Luhan began piecing up the missing puzzle pieces together in his mind.

‘The travel was successful but we soon realized our one biggest mistake; that we couldn’t travel back. Ironically, we stayed and attempted to survive by helping out with the very under developed technology here. We’ve known so much more in the future. But in order not to jeopardize our lives here, we have to learn to be more like the people here. I still remembered how we found cars to be so slow and hated traffic jams.’ He laughed and both Heejin and Luhan laughed too. That definitely reminded them both of the days when Luhan first came.

‘After that I met your mother at the research centre and decided to settle down, start a life, began an actual family here while hoping that Luhan will live a better life without me. There were nights I secretly shed tears thinking that I had to abandon Luhan yet again. I had brought you back from the Orphanage Downtown because of your eyes. Those bright eyes reminded me of my younger self and I signed the papers immediately. You were only two then, too young to remember anything.’ He glanced at Luhan, with those soft eyes that Heejin almost forgot; those eyes that greeted her whenever they came home from a long day at work.

‘That was when the whole research team got hired by the government. We got married afterwards but your mother didn’t know anything about where I came from, my past, the certificates were so easily fabricated, I had to protect her,’ he continued with a self-mocking scoff, ‘me who came from the future huh.’ his voice trailed off and everyone was silent for a while, no one interrupted.

‘I tried to develop Time Travelling as discreetly as possible. There were limited resources here then and that we had to make do with anything we can find. That was when the microchip happened. But the future us all agreed that it was too risky for this technology to be made known yet so I decided to keep it hidden forever while we continued our ‘faked’ research. But the explosion happened next. Just when I’ve decided to drop out of this ridiculous project, to live a peaceful life, to bury the fact that Time Travelling was possible.’ He lowered his head in remorse. Tears began forming at the brim of Heejin’s eyes. The truth was so much more than she could’ve ever imagined. To think that she’d led an ordinary life till she met Luhan, which in fact wasn’t any ordinary to begin with.

‘That explosion was a planned murder. To kill all of us that came here from the future. And the personnel who authorized it were none other than the Association themselves.’ His hands balled into fists, so tight that his wrinkled knuckles turned white. ‘Ever since then, I’ve been desperate. Till now.’

Both Luhan and Yongguk exchanged shocked glances at each other. They weren’t expecting that. ‘Does that mean our brothers back home would be in danger?’ Luhan asked.

Park shook his head. ‘I have a plan remember? That involves those kids back at home.’

Home seemed so far away. Ever since Luhan met Heejin, there were times he’d forgotten that he doesn’t belong here. She was too special, he was too in love. Maybe it’s time he should finally believe in ‘destiny’. That fate had brought all of them together here in this room listening to that one story that seemed to miraculously connect all their lives together.

‘The watch was what saved me from the explosion, only me.’ Park began again. The sadness from his one healthy eye only made Heejin guiltier. There was just too much her father she didn’t know of. The boulder he carried was too, too heavy for his weak frame. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand gently, hoping that one simple gesture could ease a little of his pain. He placed his other hand over hers and she realized how rough it felt against her skin, the undeniable evidence of age.

‘It was a short jump, merely only a 10 minute travel. But I was still too close to the flames. It got the whole side of my face and I suffered 3^rd degree burns. That was when ‘H’ dragged me away. I watched the car in flames and there was nothing I could do. He looked just like you or you, like him. Nonetheless, I was surprised when I found out how similar the both of you looked.’ He took a side glance at Heejin and patted her hand again, contentedly. He was glad the Watch brought Luhan here and even more amazed at how the theory of reincarnation happened right before his eyes.

‘H worked for the government’s Secret Service and was following me to pass an important piece of information that the government received from an anonymous source. – The Association had sent more people or Agents here and hacked into the national security threatening to invade the Top Secret Research Facility. When I regained conscious after my accident I had found out that everyone else was murdered by those Agents the Association dispatched. H too, had fought to protect me and had been in a coma since.’

Luhan remembered that Daehyun and Joonmyun was about to showed him the Confidential File (note: Chapter 33) before he travelled back to EXOPLANET. He was about to speak up when once again, Park was a step ahead.

‘I know what you are thinking.’ He looked at Daehyun then at Luhan. ‘I am now, still working for the government and this is a highly confidential department that little in the National Assembly knew of. Our main and ultimate aim is to destroy the Association. They have been creating too much havoc ever since my so-called death. The person you pointed at was my best partner, Ji Hyun Jin. This must be news to you because he is currently the Head of the Association. Ever since they found out about your Time Travel ordeal, they want you, Luhan. Because you are the second person in the world who could travel with this Watch, not counting Yongguk in. I had no idea it was possible too. Maybe, it has really become the key to opening the Time Portal.’

‘How did you..?’ Yongguk began but Park interrupted.

Park laughed again, but it sounded cracked and hoarse so he took another sip of water. ‘I’ve knew a lot more than you guys think I did.’

‘In addition, everything that we owned will be brought forward into the Future. This Watch,’ He finally took out the Watch he had found on Luhan the day he had them captured.  ‘-for instance had a certain frequency that made Time Travelling possible. Like I’ve mentioned, the Key to the Portal. The Association had found it by tracking the frequency in the future and handed it to you after announcing my so-called death. From what I knew, the Watch had long lost the ability since technically a hundred years had passed, thus giving it to you they were simply betting that the lie of my death together with an item would exchange for the devotion to your job. One day you could be useful to their plan.’

Something clicked in Luhan’s mind and he remembered a certain incident that happened. ‘So that’s why Chanyeol, the future one, got the Watch and that I have it here too. Technically they’re the same thing.’

Park nodded silently. Nobody spoke. Heejin didn’t quite understand. The whole thing was nothing but a world ending conspiracy. All she could really do now is to look out for information that doesn’t imply ‘costing lives’.

‘We found your Diary at your old workshop back in EXOPLANET.’ Yongguk suddenly said and there was a tint of excitement and enlightenment in Park’s eye.

‘It was the same theory for the Diary. A hundred years later I would have long passed away but that meant I must’ve have returned at one point of time which is why the same Diary was found at my workshop instead of anywhere else,’ he paused and took another big gulp of water this time. ‘Whatever we do now, affects the outcomes of our Future. It was too theoretical and I’m sure my baby girl is bored already.’ He winked a little at Heejin who looked away in embarrassment.

‘But there was something else I didn’t admit to.’ He said suddenly, gaining everyone’s attention.

‘That explosion and the 10 minute short travel seemed to have re-formed some of the molecular atoms in my body. I have been able to Time Travel frequently without a medium (i.e the Watch), which is the reason why I knew about many things that happened to you youngsters. However the distances of my travels aren’t controlled, they happened at random. There was once I stayed for a whole week before returning just to make sure Daehyun wasn’t screwing up but obviously he did.’

Heejin blushed. Does that mean he’d seen her kissed Luhan on the streets…? But Daehyun straightened up at once.

‘What have I done?’ he felt weird for that question to come out from himself. Like he had another life somewhere else he didn’t know of.  

‘I’ve been tapping on the frequencies of the Watch too which is why I’ve tracked you when you landed here at this Time. And coincidentally, you met Heejin first.’ He smiled at Luhan and the younger male nodded in response. ‘However, I didn’t invade any of your privacy, except for one thing. The thing Daehyun almost screwed up.’ He turned to Daehyun this time, his expressions hardened.

‘You were about to show Luhan the confidential file of H. I had to stop that. Joonmyun was an undercover Agent from the Association.’

Daehyun only gave another quizzical look for it was something that only Luhan remembered.

‘I tempered with the frequency of the Watch but it back fired. If I had known I would never have tried that. I had navigated to an alternate time line. Which means, this Daehyun isn’t exactly the same Daehyun you talked to. For example, there could be 3 different Time Lines with 3 different versions of Daehyun and each living a different life. In other words, the other Daehyun could still be finding the reason of your sudden disappearance, while this Daehyun still works under me but follows orders perfectly.’

Daehyun almost stood up, because that kind of sounded insulting.

‘And Joonmyun?’Yongguk asked.

‘There’s no such person in this Time Line.’ Park’s expressions hardened again. That could mean that the Association didn’t felt the need to place an undercover Joonmyun here in the government, or that there was just no such person here.

‘What I didn’t understand was how Heejin was affected too. The backfire caused you to bounce back to the future where nothing changed because Earth was still wasted and done with like it was meant to be. Yet the memories of the old Heejin collided with this Heejin.’

‘Dad, are you saying this is like some Déjà vu turned reality?’ Heejin interrupted and the older man laughed in amusement.

‘That is by far the most accurate explanation I’ve heard!’ his tone was no more than a very proud father boasting of his daughter’s wits.

‘So I am not the same Heejin that Luhan fell in love with? It was some other Heejin…’ her voice trailed off and Luhan cleared his throat.

‘Heejin will still be Heejin. You’re still the same.’

‘Technically, this is not my daughter but she is also my daug-’

‘Alright, let’s skipped this part because I do not like how that sounds.’ Yongguk suggested while Heejin nodded immediately in agreement. So maybe I really am in love with Daehyun?

‘Why aren’t there another you then?’ Yongguk asked.

‘The other me lives in Japan. You can say that I am his reincarnation.’ Park answered matter-of-factly.

‘This is getting interesting. You even googled about your other self.’ Yongguk clapped dramatically. Tiffany rolled her eyes at that and Yongguk stopped at once.

‘Google is too useless for that. I have better search engines.’

‘Alright, alright.’ Yongguk raised his hands in defeat.

‘Just like how Luhan is H’s reincarnation.’ Heejin added and the older man only nodded in joy.

‘So what do we have to do now to stop the Association? But first of all, what exactly are they planning? I’m sure they didn’t really want the research facility right since they sort of already acquired it years ago…’ Yongguk asked again and shot Tiffany another glance but the latter just ignored.

‘They’ve notice that the two of you disappeared from their Radar. This is an underground facility that I’ve built. The identical looking men you’ve seen are the Agents from Association that we’ve been talking about, they’re fully capable of Teleportation but not Time Travel. Not anymore. I’ve injected them with a mind control chip and removed their tracking chips embedded in their temples. So I made them my own.’ There was a self-contented smirk that crept up the corners of his lips when he said the last word.

Heejin felt herself cringing inwards at the sight of that, not because of his expressions but rather at the thought that he’d planned everything since his ‘death’. Nonetheless, without him mentioning, Heejin knew this was mostly about revenge. About the betrayal by Ji Hyun Jin that happened and that for the deaths of his most treasured teammates.

‘They will be sending your brothers here next. Without a doubt, they’ll be feeding them wrong information of your safety. They want me, and my research, in order to change the future with Time Travelling and constantly building the army of GMIs, but this is something that is totally wrong. I’ve tried to change it and looked what happened. I couldn’t risk it, the world couldn’t. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have even continued with this study. The different Time Lines would eventually collide and that maybe more will experience the more surreal déjà vu. That could pose a bigger threat next time and the destruction of Earth might just come earlier.’

That was the whole lot to take in, even for Luhan and Yongguk. That simply meant that they were created none other than the purpose to destroy. Their powers and enhanced abilities would eventually be a threat to the human race, not to mention, their own race of GMIs. To think that having strength and stealth was something Yongguk was so ever proud of, to think that he even used it to invade EXOPLANET. Doesn’t that make him a weapon? He’d almost turned himself into a weapon.

‘What do we do?’

‘I’ve injected a substance into your blood stream to counter the side effects of Time Travelling which is losing your powers. I’ve sent out news of my own existence, I can finally put an end to all these years of hiding. Ji Hyun Jin will definitely Travel together this time. This could be the final bet. It’s either success or failure. There won’t be a second chance.’

The people in the room exchanged glances with one another.

‘For now, we wait.’