熄灭的灯塔

Mara, Theo, and Jin reached Mist Island as part of a school history project. Their plan was simple: interview the lighthouse keeper, photograph the ancient building, and return on the afternoon boat. Yet no light greeted them through the fog. The front gate stood open, and a cold cup of tea waited on the keeper's desk. His coat was gone, but his heavy boots were still beneath the chair.

Jin searched the room and discovered a message pressed into the dust: THREE SHORT, ONE LONG. Theo believed it described the lighthouse signal, while Mara noticed that the clock had stopped at 3:10. Outside, the tide was already covering the path back to the dock. They could ask for help by radio, but the radio required a code that only the missing keeper knew. A weather report on the desk predicted stronger winds before evening, and the emergency cupboard had been left open. Someone had clearly left the room in a hurry without planning to stay away. As a result, the three students made a decision to investigate before the island became completely cut off.