The Bride Paradox

Dr. Vincent Torres was a brilliant but discredited scientist. For decades, people mocked his obsession with time travel. They said he was wasting his life — and ironically, that was exactly what he was trying to master. He worked alone, day and night, tucked away in a secluded mountain lab. And now, at last, his creation was ready.

He had calculated every variable, fine-tuned every energy field, tested every theory. He knew the only way to prove his machine worked was to use it himself. His destination? Fifty years into the future. Before entering the capsule, he left behind a secure encrypted message in a trusted bank, with clear instructions and a well-crafted investment portfolio. If everything worked, his wealth would be waiting.

He set the date. Took a deep breath. And activated the machine.

A flash. A hum. Dizziness.

When he opened his eyes, it wasn’t what he expected. The place was strange — soft colors, floral wallpaper, an elegant yet old-fashioned room. And more disturbingly, something felt… off. A lightness in his body. A strange new awareness.

He looked down and froze.

— What the…? — he whispered.

He was wearing clothing he’d never imagine choosing: all lace, bows, and fine details. But the real shock wasn't the outfit — it was his body. He was no longer himself. He was young. Very young. And clearly female.

Confused and unsteady, he rushed to the mirror. And there she was. A woman he didn’t recognize, staring back with the same dazed look he felt inside.

On the vanity, an old newspaper caught his attention. He picked it up with delicate fingers and scanned the date. Instead of fifty years into the future…

…he had landed fifty years in the past.

How? Why? There wasn’t even enough technology back then to begin a project like his. Could it be that in the jump, his consciousness had been sent into another body — at the wrong time?

Theories swirled through his mind: quantum slipstream, vector distortion, energy preservation... None of it fully explained this. But one thing was certain: this was now his reality.

Then he heard footsteps approaching from another room.

— Everything okay in there? — asked a friendly male voice.

Vincent froze. He had no idea who the voice belonged to, or what was expected of him. All he knew was that, in this world, he was now her. And from the tone, someone quite close was about to walk in.

Trying to keep calm, a crucial question suddenly struck him:

“If I traveled back in time and took over this body, why didn’t I ever meet my past self to warn him what would happen?”

And then, a sobering and surprising thought: maybe he never returned because he didn’t want to. Maybe, deep down, this new life — strange, unplanned, and completely off the charts — was exactly what he needed.

As the bedroom door slowly creaked open, Vincent didn’t have all the answers. But one thing was clear: science had changed his life.

Literally.

And he still had a lot to discover — about time, identity… and himself.