When Alec opened his eyes, everything was overly bright and his back hurt like he slept on asphalt all night. When some more of his consciousness came back to him he realized that he was lying on something hard. He gently pushed himself up from the ground and looked around him properly. Nothing seemed familiar, except, on some way it did. The streets looked strange; the cars seemed ancient and everything around him looked like its stuck back in time for about forty-fifty years. Holding his head in his hands, which has been throbbing with pain ever since he woke up, Alec started to wonder if he's dreaming. But the soreness and aching of his body was a pretty big clue that he is in fact awake. Then where the hell was he?
He took a deep breath and sat back down on the ground. He could see the curious glimpses of people passing him by, but he couldn't really care for that now. Also, as much as he didn't care about fashion, he couldn't help but notice that they were all dressed very old-fashioned like. And that is when recognition finally reached him, it's not about where he is… it's more of a question of what year he's in? When exactly in time? And somehow he is pretty certain he is still in New York. Except not in his time.
With this final information, all pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. He remembers his rage when the Clave specifically ordered them to handle Lorenzo in the next 12 hours or so. He remembers calling Jace, trying to track him and take him with him to find Lorenzo, and Jace ignoring him altogether. Isabelle was also not there, she was on a mission to gather some information from the fairies, which ultimately led him to the idea to go find Lorenzo himself. He remembers laying on the ground and Lorenzo's voice over his head, telling him that he will not see his family again and then sending him through a portal… but back in time? As far as Alec was aware, warlocks don't have that power. No one does.
And yet the philosophy of whether warlocks have this power or not was utterly pointless, considering his current whereabouts. He was aware he couldn't remain on the street forever so he started to walk until he arrived at some park. He decided to stay there for a while and try to figure his way out of this. What could he do? It's not like he can go to the Institute and tell the Shadowhunters in there that he travelled back in time and ask them for a way to send him back to the future. They would, no doubt, count him insane and Alec wouldn't blame them. He still wondered himself if he is indeed, going insane. Still, being closed away as mentally unstable some fifty years in the past is not an option he's willing to consider. He needs to find a way back, somehow.
Since he landed in this new era, almost a week ago, there was only one lucky coincidence in Alec's life. While he lost his bow and arrow when he went through the portal, he somehow managed to hold on to his stele. So now invisible, he spent the entirety of his time in the park he first arrived in.
There was simply no way out of his situation. At first, hope still filling his heart, Alec was determined to discover a way out of the mess he stuck himself in. His two most obvious choices were to talk to some Shadowhunters and ask for their help (although he was not leaning too much on this choice, considering no one would believe his bizarre story) or find a warlock that can help him figure out how this happened and possibly reverse the process. The latter seemed smarter. He had no idea how he would pay for the warlock's favor, but it was his only choice.
However, his parent's view as Shadowhunters being a superior kind over any Downworlders, has left him clueless as to how to find a warlock in the first place. He knew none of them and couldn't even find any records about who the High Warlock is at the time he was in. Come to think of it, he wasn't really sure who the High Warlock was back home either. So desperation started slowly consuming him.
It took about five very long days for him to lose his hope completely and break down, understanding he'll never see his family again. He tried everything he could think of, but all his efforts were futile. He went to the Institute a couple of times. Afraid that he might not have another alternative he was determined to talk to the Shadowhunters and explain his situation as best as he could. But when he went there, the door didn't open for him like it usually did, and more so the entire place seemed abandoned. He had returned a few more times, but nothing changed. His warlock search made no progress either, of course, and when after a couple of days he was so starved out that he had to do something as atrocious and mundane as stealing, just so he can feed himself, he began to realize that there was no way around this. The only thing he had left now, was to pray to the Angel for some kind of miracle.
Alec was wandering around the city streets with no particular direction in mind. He was exhausted, physically and psychologically, and so terribly hungry and in a desperate need of a shower. He was homeless, alone and completely desperate for any kind of answers. He passed by a bakery on his way and as disgusted as he felt with himself for having to steal food again, he still couldn't help the delicious smell luring him inside. He needed to eat sooner or later, because as frightened as he was that he would never find his way back home, he still didn't feel like giving up all together.
He entered the bakery and since he was invisible it was pretty simple to steal one of the baked goods the second the baker's attention was drawn to something in the inside of his shop. He took one and put it inside his jacket. When he was ready to leave though, he heard someone clear their throat behind him, which made him instantly turn, forgetting for a second that whoever it was, they weren't able to see him. At his surprise, it seemed that the person responsible for the noise was staring directly at him. Or perhaps in something else his way, he reminded himself.
The man that made the noise seemed pretty unusual to Alec. He wasn't dressed as the majority of the people in this era were. He wore light, almost glittery blue shirt that cling tightly to his perfectly shaped figure, and dark pants that seemed glued on his very long legs. He finally glanced towards the man's face and felt a fluttering in his chest. This was the most beautiful man Alec's ever seen. He was very glad of his invisibility rune, because he's been staring at the man like some mesmerized pervert for a while now, but when he eventually caught his gaze, he could see the man's amusement in his eyes. Was he able to see him?
"If you finished inspecting what's in front of you, it's my turn to criticize you. Stealing is not a particularly nice habit, you know?" he said his eyes still shining amusedly.
"You can see me?" asked Alec, his voice unsteady with just a slight hope that this is actually happening.
The man looked at him with fascination. "Has that line ever really worked at anyone before?" At Alec's shocked expression, his gaze grew wary. At the exact same moment, the baker returned and stared apprehensively at the man. "Are you alright? Who are you talking to?"
The man turned toward Alec with a stunned expression and then comprehension filled his face. "Oh." he muttered and gestured to Alec to follow him outside of the store.
When they were outside and away from other people's gazes, he turned around and fixed him with an unimpressed glare, losing every trace of amusement that was present in his eyes just a few moments before. "Well hello there, Shadowhunter. I believe you have some explaining to do."
