Edward's heart raced as he stepped out of the time machine, the air crackling with temporal energy. He had embarked on this journey to uncover the truth about his parents, but nothing could have prepared him for what awaited him in 2024.
Arthur, his mother's enigmatic friend, stood beside him. His eyes held secrets, and Edward wondered how much he truly knew. The landscape around them was unfamiliar—a blend of futuristic architecture and ancient ruins. Arthur adjusted his sleek glasses and gestured toward the horizon.
"Welcome to Independent Country A," Arthur said, his voice echoing with mystery. "Your birthplace."
Edward squinted at the skyline. There were no familiar landmarks, no childhood memories. Just a city that seemed to defy time itself. He exchanged his old-fashioned attire for modern clothes—jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. The fabric clung to him like a second skin, a reminder that he was out of place.
Arthur led him through bustling streets, neon signs flickering above their heads. Edward's frustration grew. He hadn't traveled through time to attend an engagement ceremony. Yet, here he was, surrounded by strangers celebrating love in a foreign culture.
"Why are we here?" Edward asked, his patience waning.
Arthur's eyes twinkled. "Because sometimes, answers lie in unexpected places."
They arrived at a grand hall adorned with crystal chandeliers. The air hummed with anticipation. Edward's annoyance deepened. He didn't care about love stories; he wanted facts. But Arthur insisted, pulling him toward the center of the room.
And then he saw her—the woman in the blue dress. Her eyes held a storm of emotions: defiance, hurt, and determination. She stepped forward, interrupting the engagement ceremony. The crowd fell silent.
"This man," she said, pointing at the groom, "was my childhood friend. How can my cousin marry him?"
Her uncle scoffed. "You're nothing but a beggar we took in."
Edward watched, captivated. The woman—Elsa—was no ordinary guest. She radiated strength, her blue dress a beacon of defiance. But it was her eyes that held him spellbound. They mirrored someone he knew—a woman whose portrait hung in his study, next to his father's.
His mother.
Arthur leaned in. "She is your mother, Edward."
The revelation hit him like a lightning bolt. Elsa, the woman who defied convention, who fought for love against all odds, was the missing piece of his past. Tears blurred Edward's vision as he realized that his journey through time had led him not only to answers but to a family he never knew existed.
In that moment, as Elsa confronted betrayal and Edward grappled with newfound kinship, the boundaries of time dissolved. Love, loss, and longing intertwined, binding them across centuries. And Edward vowed to protect this fragile connection, even if it meant rewriting history itself.