The Lighthouse Keeper's Last Signal

On a windswept cliff overlooking a raging sea stood Blackstone Lighthouse, a solitary sentinel that had guided ships to safety for over a century. The villagers whispered tales of its keeper, an old man named Walter Crane, who hadn’t left the lighthouse in decades.

Walter’s life was a mystery, and no one dared to approach him. Some said he was hiding from a crime; others believed he had a secret to protect. But one stormy night, as the waves crashed violently against the rocks, the lighthouse’s beam went dark for the first time in history.

A young sailor named Callie, drawn by the extinguished light, climbed the perilous cliff to investigate. She found the lighthouse door ajar and the interior in disarray. Dusty journals littered the floor, pages filled with cryptic sketches of stars, strange symbols, and notes about “The Signal.”

Walter was nowhere to be found, but a faint, otherworldly hum emanated from the top of the tower. Callie ascended the spiral staircase, her heart pounding, and discovered an ancient device connected to the light. It was unlike anything she had ever seen—glowing with an eerie blue energy that pulsed in rhythm with the storm outside.

The journals revealed a shocking truth: Blackstone Lighthouse wasn’t just a beacon for ships—it was a transmitter for signals from the stars. Walter had been secretly decoding these messages for years, fearing what might happen if they were ignored. The latest transmission warned of an impending catastrophe, a storm not of the sea but of the cosmos.

As the device began to hum louder, Callie realized it was up to her to send the final signal. But she didn’t know if it was a warning to save humanity or an invitation to something far more sinister. With the storm reaching its peak, she had to decide: trust Walter’s work and activate the device or abandon the lighthouse and leave the signal unanswered.