An ancient race that never lies writes a legend: “This relic will allow one to undo any mistake in history. All it requires is a true sacrifice.”
They define true sacrifice as giving up that which you value most. They define what you value as something you’d protect above all else. This race never had any time travel research; they just presented this concept of “true sacrifice” as a joke and a thought exercise.
In one story I thought up, this is a plot point.
An ancient race that never lies writes a legend: “This relic will allow one to undo any mistake in history. All it requires is a true sacrifice.”
They define true sacrifice as giving up that which you value most. They define what you value as something you’d protect above all else. This race never had any time travel research; they just presented this concept of “true sacrifice” as a joke and a thought exercise.