A curious historian discovers ancient time-travel technology, but must make a difficult decision when they learn of its consequences, ultimately choosing to destroy it, only to uncover a warning of impending disaster in their own timeline, leading to a thrilling race against time and a new dilemma of whether to interfere with the future.
Protagonist: A curious historian who stumbles upon the ancient civilization's time-travel technology; Deuteragonist: A skilled engineer from the ancient civilization who helps the protagonist understand and utilize the time-travel technology.
The deuteragonist reveals the true purpose and consequences of using the time-travel technology, forcing the protagonist to make a difficult decision that will impact the future of the ancient civilization and their own timeline.
The protagonist decides to destroy the time-travel technology to prevent further damage to the ancient civilization and their own timeline. They work with the deuteragonist to dismantle the technology and ensure that it can never be used again. As a result, the ancient civilization is able to thrive without the interference of time travel, and the protagonist returns to their own time with a new understanding of the consequences of tampering with the past.
Twist: Just as the protagonist destroys the time-travel technology, they discover a hidden message from the ancient civilization warning them of an impending disaster in their own timeline. They realize that they must use the time-travel technology one last time to prevent catastrophe, leading to a thrilling race against time and a new dilemma of whether to interfere with the future.