It felt like hours before they confirmed that the prince was alright. It wasn't that bad of a wound, and once he was bandaged properly, he was escorted to his quarters to rest. Milo accompanied him by request. Logan and Patton waited in the hallway outside for a chance to speak with the prince while he wasn't bleeding out. 

"I want to know more about this masked person," Logan said to his boyfriend while they waited. "It sounds like something we should investigate."

Patton scowled in confusion. "What do you mean? You were the one that said we needed to go home as soon as possible," he pointed out. "But now you want to investigate an attempted murder on Prince Namor's life?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it feels like something I have to do," he replied. His eyes were filled with determination as he stared into Patton's. "There's something in the back of my mind... It's demanding that I look into this. I can't explain why I feel the need to do this, but I can't just leave knowing there's something that needs to be done."

His boyfriend looked at him with concern. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that..."

Logan opened his mouth to continue, but frame of light appeared next to them. It seemed to open up a window into another world, but when they peered inside, they saw the magnificent interior of the castle that they had originally ended up in upon opening the watch. They both blinked in surprise and shared a look. 

"What are you boys waiting for?" a voice said from inside. 

Logan could've sworn he'd heard that voice before. He took Patton by the hand and put his hand through the picture frame. With a flash of light, they were back in the strange castle with blue orbs and floating pictures. 

"Well, did you two have an adventure?" an old man said, making them jump in surprise. The man had long white curls and a beard that reached the floor. He wore a suit with coat tails that dragged behind on the floor. When they looked closer at the fabric, they could see the patterns moving. Logan looked up at his face and thought hard. "Surely you're clever enough to remember me, young man."

"You're the owner of the jewelry shop," he recalled. "You gave me the watch."

He nodded. "Yes, I did, free of charge might I add," the old man chuckled. "You're lucky, there are people who would pay anything to get their hands on a Commodity like that; to be able to manipulate time is a very sought after ability after all."

The man began to walk away, leaving the boys no choice but to follow him like lost ducklings. Logan took out the watch, inspecting it as they walked. His boyfriend just looked at the old man in confusion. "Excuse me, but who are you, sir?" Patton asked, raising his hand as though he was in school.

"Why, I'm Father Time," he told him with a kind smile. 

The two boys froze in their tracks, their jaws hanging open in awe. "Wait, the Father Time?" Patton repeated with wide eyes. "Like, the being that created the passage of time and the process of aging in general? Wait, we're not dead are we?"

"No, no of course not," the old man said with a laugh. "Logan is very special, that's all."

"I'm sorry, what?" Logan interjected, looking curious and confused. 

Father Time looked between the two boys and then gestured for them to sit down. They had found themselves in a spacious living room with sofas and a coffee table. They took their seats and waited patiently as the old man started pouring tea for them. 

"Logan, you've been chosen for a very special task. You are now a Holder," he began to explain. "There are six core principles of our universes. There's Time which is the most ancient and arguably the most powerful; it's the key to opening the doorways to other realities. There is our Minds, which can be powerful but also manipulative. There's our Hearts, which can uplifting and optimistic, but also conflicted and emotional. There's the Elements that make up our physical worlds; they keep us from losing our way in fantasies and potential scenarios. There's Creation and its twin, Destruction. There cannot be one without the other."

Father Time looked up toward Logan as he sipped his tea. "Each of these pieces of our reality has a guardian, referred to as a Holder. You are now the Holder of the Watch of Time."

"I'm sorry, did you say realities? As in plural?" Logan asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Time works in three main phases. The past, the present, and the future," he told him seriously. "However each of those can be changed when you ask who, where, when, why, or how? What if human beings had grown to except others long before the invention of modern technology?"

Logan's eyes widened in realization. "Namor's kingdom... that's not part of our real history, it's part of a different history of the same world."

"Precisely," Father Time agreed with a nod. "There are many different versions of ourselves in many different versions of our world. It is the Time Holder's job to ensure that each of them progresses as it should."

"But why would you chose me for Time?" he demanded. "If our Minds are an option, surely I would've been better suited for that."

The old man shook his head. "No, Logan, you merely think that. However, the mind can always be persuaded one way or another. There's much more Manipulation involved in our brains than you'd assume. Besides, I need you to watch over Time because someone like you will not abuse it's power. You will not try to rewrite history. You will not needlessly reveal the secrets of the future even if it prevents emotional pain."

"I don't understand," Logan said

He sounded more lost than Patton had ever heard him in his life.

"Once you've mastered the powers that accompany being a Holder, you will," Father Time said solemnly.