The story begins as Fuwaad ibn Abbas stands before the leader of the City of Peace, attempting to tell His Majesty the story that brought Abbass to stand before him now. Abass says that one day, while looking for a silver gift for one of his business partners when Abass was still a wealthy but grieving merchant, he met an alchemist. The alchemist, Bashaarat, showed Abbass a gate that allows customers to travel twenty years into the past, or twenty years into the future. Abbass was persuaded to step through the gate after hearing the stories of other customers—some of who flourished and some who didn't after meeting their future selves. Abbass decides to travel back in time to save the life of his wife, who was crushed under a mosque after they had had a terrible fight. After entering the gate, Abbass travels for months to reach his late wife before the day of her death, but he arrives too late. However, while standing at the steps of his former house, Abbass is approached by the nurse who treated his late wife while she was dying. The nurse tells Abbass that his wife's last thoughts were of her love for him, and Abbass finally feels free of the guilt of her death.