Lin Xiao frowned and looked around again, his eyes scanning the horizon, but all he could see was endless beach and sea. There was something deeply unsettling about the place—peaceful, yet unnervingly empty.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiao decided to walk along the shore. Maybe there was something further down the beach, some clue or structure that could help him understand where he was or how to leave. As he walked, the sand crunched softly under his feet, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him from the sea.
He stopped and turned toward the water. The surface of the sea was still, but just beneath, shadows moved. They were large, slow-moving figures, far beneath the surface, too deep for him to make out clearly. Yet, there was no mistaking their presence.
Lin Xiao took a step back, feeling a chill creep up his spine. Whatever those things were, they were massive. He squinted, trying to get a better look, but the shadows remained elusive, their forms indistinct beneath the glass-like surface.
"Great… more mysteries," Lin Xiao muttered. He glanced down the beach, but there was no escape in sight. The shadows in the water seemed content to stay where they were, for now, but something told him it wouldn't be long before they took notice of him.
"Guess there's only one way forward," Lin Xiao sighed, continuing down the beach with cautious steps, his mind racing with questions. What was this place? Why had the river brought him here? And most importantly—how could he get back home?
As he walked further, the sounds of the sea started to change. The once rhythmic crashing of waves grew softer, almost like a lullaby. And up ahead, in the distance, Lin Xiao could see something. A faint light, flickering like a beacon in the twilight.
With renewed determination, he picked up his pace, heading toward the light. Whatever it was, it had to be better than wandering this eerie beach without a clue.
As he approached, the light grew brighter, revealing the silhouette of a small structure—a lone, weathered lighthouse standing at the edge of the shore, its beam slowly rotating across the strange horizon.
Lin Xiao took a deep breath. The lighthouse was old, its stone walls crumbling slightly, but it seemed like the only source of hope in this strange world. He walked up to the door, hesitating for a moment before reaching out to push it open.
The door creaked as it swung inward, revealing a dark interior lit only by the faint light from the spinning beam above. Lin Xiao stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind him with a loud thud.
For the first time since he arrived on the beach, Lin Xiao felt a sense of purpose. There was something here, something that might hold the key to unraveling the mystery of where he was—and how he could escape.
Lin Xiao took a deep breath and stepped further into the dimly lit lighthouse. The air inside was cool, carrying the faint smell of salt and something else—something ancient. The spiral staircase in front of him wound upwards, disappearing into darkness. As the faint beam of light rotated above, casting long, eerie shadows across the walls, he steeled himself and began his ascent.
The first few steps felt normal enough, though the creaking of the old wooden planks beneath him made him wary. The walls around him were made of rough stone, chipped and weathered with age. It was exactly what he expected from an old lighthouse—until he reached the tenth step.
Suddenly, there was a shift. The atmosphere around him changed in an instant. The stone walls became smoother, more refined, almost metallic. Lin Xiao paused, his hand brushing against the wall. It was cold, hard, and unnervingly sleek—like the walls of a futuristic structure. Glancing around, he realized the stairwell had transformed too. The steps beneath him were no longer wood, but some kind of advanced alloy, silent underfoot.
"What the…" Lin Xiao whispered, blinking in confusion. He glanced down, seeing the lower part of the staircase still made of wood and stone, as though the lighthouse had split between two different time periods.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether to continue, but curiosity got the better of him. He took a few more steps, and after another ten, the lighthouse shifted again. This time, the metallic structure vanished, and the walls returned to ancient stone—though not the weathered stone from before. These walls were covered in carvings and hieroglyphs, symbols of an ancient civilization, illuminated faintly by the rotating beam of light above.
Lin Xiao ran his hand over the carvings as he ascended, feeling their rough texture beneath his fingers. They seemed to tell a story—of ships, of storms, and of a figure standing at the top of a mountain, surrounded by waves. But before he could decipher more, the lighthouse shifted again.
This time, the walls turned smooth and white, with soft glowing orbs embedded in the ceiling. The stairwell now looked pristine, like something from a distant, utopian future. Lin Xiao's footsteps were silent as he continued climbing, the light soft and eerie, casting no shadows. He felt like he had stepped into a world so far removed from reality that it almost seemed like a dream.
Every ten steps, the time period of the lighthouse changed—sometimes to an ancient world, with cracked stone and flickering torches lighting the way. Other times, it became something completely alien, with advanced technology, glowing wires running along the walls, or screens displaying strange symbols and holographic images.
Lin Xiao's head spun as he ascended, unsure of what time or reality he was walking through anymore. He touched the wall, and it hummed softly under his fingertips in one version of the lighthouse, only to feel rough and ancient in the next.
"What kind of place is this?" he muttered under his breath. The lighthouse was a patchwork of times, realities, and civilizations—each one more baffling than the last. He felt like he was walking through fragments of different worlds, all converging in this one structure.
Despite the bizarre changes, Lin Xiao pressed on, his focus on reaching the top. He had no idea what awaited him up there, but he could feel something pulling him forward. The further he climbed, the more distorted the timeline became, as if reality itself was unraveling within the lighthouse.
After what felt like an eternity of climbing, the air around him shifted again—this time more dramatically. A low hum filled the air, and the walls around him pulsed with a faint light. Lin Xiao slowed his steps, feeling an eerie calm settle over him. He was close. Whatever was at the top of this lighthouse, he was about to find out.
The last few steps felt heavier, like the weight of the place was pressing down on him. And then, finally, he reached a landing—a door, small and unassuming, stood before him. It was made of dark, polished wood, out of place in the ever-changing landscape of the lighthouse.
Lin Xiao stood before it, his heart pounding. Whatever was behind this door held the answers he sought. He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, and placed it on the door's surface.
With a soft creak, the door slowly opened.