The sky turned gray as Lin Che, Su Qing, Xiao Ya, and Mo Ying traveled west, away from Pine Hollow. The wind picked up, blowing pine needles across the road, and distant thunder rumbled— a storm was coming.
"We need to find shelter," Su Qing said, closing her Arcane Manual and tucking it into her bag. "That storm looks bad. If we get caught in it, the cart could get stuck in the mud."
Mo Ying nodded, squinting at the horizon. "I saw a sign back there— said 'Cove Point Lighthouse, 2 miles.' Lighthouses are sturdier than shacks. We can wait out the storm there."
They hurried along the road, the wind growing stronger by the minute. Xiao Ya clung to the cart's side, her hair whipping around her face, as she talked to the trembling grass. "The plants say the storm's angry," she shouted over the wind. "Lots of rain. Strong winds. It'll last all night."
They reached Cove Point as the first raindrops fell— fat, cold droplets that soaked their clothes in minutes. The lighthouse stood on a rocky cliff, its stone walls weathered by years of wind and sea spray, its light tower reaching toward the dark sky. The door was unlocked, hanging slightly ajar, and they rushed inside, slamming it shut behind them.
The ground floor was dry, if dusty— lined with old crates, a rusted lantern, and a wooden table. Mo Ying lit the lantern, its warm glow chasing away the darkness, while Lin Che and Su Qing wiped rain from their faces. Xiao Ya sat on a crate, hugging her knees, as she listened to the wind howl outside.
"This place is old," Su Qing said, running her hand along a wall covered in faded maps. "The maps— they're of the coast, from decades ago. Look— there's a mark here, by the lighthouse. It says 'storage cellar.'"
Mo Ying raised an eyebrow. "Storage cellar? Might have supplies— canned food, blankets. Let's check it out."
They found the cellar door under a loose floorboard, hidden by a rug. Lin Che pried it open, and Mo Ying lowered the lantern— the cellar was small, but dry, with shelves lined with canned beans, dried fruit, and a stack of woolen blankets.
"Jackpot," Mo Ying said, grinning as she grabbed a can of beans. "We'll have a warm meal, even in the storm."
They spent the evening eating beans by the lantern light, listening to the rain pound against the lighthouse walls and the thunder roll across the sea. Xiao Ya fell asleep on a pile of blankets, her small chest rising and falling softly, while the others talked about their journey— the villages they'd helped, the friends they'd made, the adventures still ahead.
"I got a letter from Jax last week," Li Wei said, his voice soft. "He said the slums are doing well— he's expanded the scrapyard, hired a few kids from the streets. He wants us to visit, when we have time."
Su Qing nodded. "We will. And Ma Lan's village— I miss the garden. The tomatoes we planted must be ripe by now."
Lin Che smiled. He missed it too— the quiet mornings, the sound of the village waking up, the taste of fresh tomatoes from the garden. But he also loved this— traveling, helping people, being with his family.
As the night wore on, the storm grew stronger. The wind howled through the lighthouse's cracks, and the floor shook as waves crashed against the cliff below. Suddenly, the lantern flickered— then went out.
"Power outage?" Mo Ying said, fumbling for a match.
Xiao Ya woke up, her eyes wide. "No," she whispered, her hands glowing faintly green. "The plants in the walls— they're scared. They say something's outside. Something big. Not the storm."
Lin Che's hand went to his knife. "What do you mean? A person? An animal?"
Xiao Ya shook her head, her voice trembling. "I don't know. The plants say it's 'cold'— like the shadow in the mine, but bigger. It's walking along the cliff. Heading for the lighthouse."
Su Qing pulled her Arcane Manual from her bag, flipping to a page marked with a warning symbol. "My grandmother's notes— she wrote about 'sea shadows.' Creatures made from dark energy, born in the ocean's depths. They're drawn to light— like the lighthouse's beam. If the lighthouse was working, it would have kept it away. But now…."
The door to the lighthouse slammed open, and a gust of wind blew in— cold, wet, and carrying the smell of salt and rot. A dark shape stood in the doorway— tall, shapeless, made of swirling black mist, with eyes like glowing red embers.
"Sea shadow," Su Qing whispered, her hands glowing green.
The shadow lunged, its cold touch reaching for Xiao Ya. Lin Che stepped in front of her, swinging his knife— but it passed through the mist, doing nothing. Mo Ying grabbed a wooden crate, throwing it at the shadow— it shattered, the pieces passing through.
"The light shard," Su Qing shouted. "Lin Che, the light shard! It can push it back!"
Lin Che remembered— he'd left the light shard in the cellar, tucked into his bag. He ran to the cellar door, grabbing the bag, and pulled out the crystal. Its silver light flared, pushing the shadow back into the doorway.
"The lighthouse," Mo Ying said, her voice loud over the wind. "If we can turn on the lighthouse's beam, it'll destroy the shadow! Sea shadows hate bright light!"
Lin Che nodded. "Where's the lighthouse's control room?"
"Upstairs," Su Qing said. "The stairs are by the door. I'll go with you— I can use Arcane magic to fix the generator. Mo Ying, keep the shadow back with the light shard. Xiao Ya, stay close to Mo Ying."
Lin Che and Su Qing ran up the stairs— narrow, winding stone steps that led to the control room. The room was small, with a large generator in the center, its wires frayed and rusted. Su Qing knelt beside it, her hands glowing green, as she chanted a repair spell. The generator sputtered— then roared to life.
"The beam," Lin Che said, pointing to a lever on the wall.
He pulled it, and the lighthouse's light flickered— then burst to life, a bright white beam cutting through the storm, sweeping across the ocean.
The shadow screamed, a high-pitched sound that made their ears ring, as the beam hit it. It began to fade— the mist dissolving, the red eyes dimming— until it was gone, vanished into the storm.
The wind died down, and the rain slowed. The lighthouse's beam continued to spin, sweeping across the ocean, keeping the sea shadows away.
Lin Che and Su Qing walked back down the stairs, the light shard still glowing in Lin Che's hand. Mo Ying and Xiao Ya were safe, sitting by the lantern— which Mo Ying had relit.
"The shadow's gone," Xiao Ya said, smiling.
Lin Che nodded, sitting beside her. "Thanks to the lighthouse. And the light shard."
They spent the rest of the night watching the lighthouse's beam spin, listening to the storm fade into a light drizzle. By dawn, the sky was blue again, and the ocean was calm— just a few waves crashing against the cliff.
They left the lighthouse that morning, the light still spinning, a silent guardian against the sea shadows. The road ahead was clear, and the sun was shining.
"We should visit Jax," Lin Che said, as they walked. "And Ma Lan's village. Then… we can keep traveling. Help more villages. Stop more shadows."
Su Qing smiled, taking his hand. "Together."
Mo Ying grinned, slinging her wrench over her shoulder. "Count me in. More repairs, more adventures— that's my kind of life."
Xiao Ya skipped ahead, her hands glowing green as she talked to the flowers that had survived the storm.
The Star Marrow on Lin Che's wrist glowed faintly, a warm reminder of their journey. It wasn't always easy— storms came, shadows threatened, dangers lurked. But they had each other. And together, they could face anything.
They walked forward, toward the horizon, the cart rolling behind them. The future was bright. And they were ready for whatever it brought.