Chapter 4: Cogs of the Past

The vortex swallowed Cogsworth whole, spitting him out onto a cobbled street bustling with horse-drawn carriages and gaslight lamps. Victorian London unfolded around him, a sensory overload of clanging bells, muffled shouts, and the faint smell of coal smoke.

Disoriented, Cogsworth stumbled back, clutching Amelia's locket. His monocle had popped out, hanging loosely by its ribbon. Where was he? How far had he traveled through time?

Panicked questions swirled in his mind, but logic soon reasserted itself. He needed to find Amelia, and to do that, he needed information.

Spotting a newsboy shouting headlines, Cogsworth adjusted his rumpled hat and approached. The boy, startled by his unusual attire, gaped at him.

"Excuse me, young man," Cogsworth inquired, his voice slightly hoarse. "What year is it, and what seems to be the news of the day?"

The boy blinked, then read aloud from his paper. "The year is 1888, sir. And the Queen herself is distraught! The Star of Albion, her prized jewel, has been stolen from Buckingham Palace!"

A jolt of hope sparked within Cogsworth. Could this be connected to Zeitgeist's plan? Could Amelia, somehow, be entangled in this Victorian heist?

"Can you tell me more about this stolen jewel?" he pressed, his tone urgent.

The boy, intrigued by the stranger's curiosity, launched into a detailed account of the robbery, mentioning a cunning inventor named Professor Farnsworth as the prime suspect.

Fueled by this information, Cogsworth knew what he had to do. He couldn't reveal his true identity or origin, but he could use his detective skills to blend in and uncover the truth.

He spent the next few days shadowing Farnsworth, observing his movements and piecing together the puzzle. He noticed the professor frequenting clockwork workshops, acquiring peculiar gears and conducting strange experiments. The evidence pointed towards Farnsworth using the stolen jewel for more than just personal gain.

One night, Cogsworth infiltrated Farnsworth's hidden workshop, a labyrinth of whirring contraptions and glowing vials. There, he witnessed the professor attempting to harness the jewel's temporal energy, aiming to create a device that could manipulate time itself.

Suddenly, a chilling realization struck him. Farnsworth's plans mirrored Zeitgeist's. It was no coincidence. Zeitgeist had orchestrated the Victorian heist, manipulating events from the future to obtain the jewel and empower his device.

A battle ensued, Cogsworth using his wit and agility to evade Farnsworth's clockwork automatons. He managed to disrupt the experiment, causing the workshop to plunge into chaos. In the ensuing confusion, he caught a glimpse of Amelia before she was swept away by a shimmering portal.

Determined to follow her, Cogsworth dove into the portal, a surge of temporal energy ripping him through the fabric of time. The Victorian world dissolved, replaced by another unknown realm.

Where had the portal taken him? Where was Amelia? And how could he, a man out of time, hope to navigate these dangerous temporal currents and reunite with his friend?