A scientist discovers a time-travel portal in a cave, but when a government agent tries to use it for their own agenda, he must outsmart them and ultimately destroy the portal, only to learn that it was the key to saving humanity, leading him to rebuild it while evading the agent's control.
Protagonist: A scientist who wants to study the portal and its effects on time; Antagonist: A government agent who sees the portal as a threat and aims to shut it down to maintain control over history.
The government agent captures the protagonist and attempts to use the portal for their own agenda, leading to a high-stakes battle of wits and wills as the protagonist must find a way to escape and protect the portal from falling into the wrong hands.
The protagonist outsmarts the government agent, escapes captivity, and destroys the portal to prevent it from being misused. However, he manages to keep the knowledge of its existence a secret, knowing that the world may not be ready for such power. The novel ends with the protagonist quietly continuing his research, hoping to one day find a way to use the portal for the betterment of humanity.
Twist: Just as the protagonist destroys the portal, a message from the future reveals that the portal was the key to saving humanity from a catastrophic event. The protagonist now must find a way to rebuild the portal and use it for the greater good, while staying one step ahead of the government agent who still seeks to control it.