Fantasia worked tirelessly in her laboratory, her alien hands moving with mechanical precision as she adjusted the glowing apparatus before her. A swirling vortex of energy shimmered within a containment field, casting erratic shadows across the room.
She stared at the portal, her mind racing. "If I did it once, I can do it again," she muttered to herself.
The memory of the time portal she had inadvertently created to save Elusona burned brightly in her thoughts. The mechanics had been accidental—a perfect storm of alien technology and desperate intent. But now, with intent guiding her hand, she believed she could recreate the anomaly.
And this time, she had a target: Christopher, the World-Shaman.
Fantasia convened the Vanguard in Camelot's war room, her eyes glowing with excitement.
"I've done it," she announced, gesturing to the holographic display of the time portal. "The portal is stable. We can use it to bring Christopher back."
The room fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in.
Bandruí was the first to speak, her voice laced with caution. "You're talking about altering time. The risks—"
"Are worth it," Fantasia interrupted. "Christopher died to save us, but what if he didn't have to? We can pull him out moments before his sacrifice. It changes nothing about what he accomplished, but it gives us back one of our greatest allies."
Arthur frowned, his expression grave. "And what of the consequences? Tampering with time has a cost, Fantasia. Are you prepared for that?"
The Vanguard erupted into a heated debate.
Firebrand slammed his fist on the table, his flames flaring. "This is madness. You think you can just pluck someone out of time without consequences? That's not how it works!"
Pepsi's luminous form flickered faintly as she spoke. "I understand the desire to save him, but the timeline is fragile. If we change one moment, we risk unravelling everything."
Bandruí's voice trembled as she addressed Fantasia. "He made his choice, Fantasia. As much as I want him back... we have to respect that."
Fantasia's gaze hardened. "And what if he didn't have to make that choice? What if we could give him a second chance? Wouldn't he do the same for us?"
Later that evening, Bandruí confronted Fantasia in her lab.
"Do you even hear yourself?" Bandruí asked, her voice raw with emotion. "You're playing with forces none of us understand."
Fantasia turned, her expression resolute. "I understand them better than anyone here. I know what it's like to lose someone you can't replace. Elusona is here because I dared to try. This portal can save Christopher. I won't let fear stop me."
Bandruí stepped closer, her voice breaking. "And what if it destroys the world he gave his life to protect? Would he want that?"
Fantasia hesitated, her resolve faltering. "I just... I can't stop thinking about the 'what if.' What if we could save him? What if we could undo the pain?"
Despite the division among the team, Fantasia activated the portal to prove its stability. The swirling energy coalesced into a vision of the past: the moment of Christopher's sacrifice aboard the Nightrender.
Bandruí watched in stunned silence as the portal framed her father, his glowing form standing defiant against the High Matron.
"This is madness," Bandruí whispered.
Fantasia's hands hovered over the controls. "One step, and I can pull him through."
Arthur entered the lab, his voice commanding. "Stop."
Fantasia froze, her eyes meeting his.
"This isn't just about Christopher," Arthur said. "It's about the world he saved. If we bring him back, we risk losing everything he fought for."
As the team gathered, the portal began to destabilise, its edges rippling with uncontrolled energy. Fantasia worked frantically to contain it, her expression a mix of determination and panic.
"It's now or never!" she shouted.
Bandruí stepped forward, her voice firm. "Shut it down, Fantasia."
Tears streamed down Fantasia's face as her hands trembled over the controls. "I can't."
"You must," Bandruí said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We have to let him go. For all of us."
After a long, agonizing moment, Fantasia deactivated the portal. The room fell silent, the weight of what could have been pressing down on them all.
In the days that followed, Fantasia retreated to her lab, consumed by guilt and frustration. Bandruí visited her, her presence calm but resolute.
"You did the right thing," Bandruí said.
Fantasia didn't look up. "Then why does it feel so wrong?"
"Because letting go always does," Bandruí replied. "But you gave us something precious, Fantasia—a reminder of who he was and what he stood for."
Fantasia nodded slowly, her resolve returning. "Then let's make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain."
The Vanguard emerged from the ordeal more unified, their bonds strengthened by the shared pain of what could not be. Bandruí embraced her role as protector and leader with renewed determination, carrying her father's legacy forward.
Fantasia, though haunted by her failure, redoubled her efforts to protect the world he had saved, vowing never to let grief cloud her judgment again.
And as they stood together on Camelot's walls, gazing at a world still struggling to heal, they knew that Christopher's sacrifice had not been in vain.