water, and the open sky

Stranded on a remote water planet, Wei Wuxian has spent years maintaining a lighthouse with only his android companion for company. Isolation has become his way of life - until an unexpected inspection brings Lan Wangji crashing into his world. Their complicated history simmers beneath the surface as old tensions reignite into something hotter, more dangerous. Trapped between the endless ocean and the stars above, will their reconnection lead to redemption... or destruction?

water, and the open sky

Stranded on a remote water planet, Wei Wuxian has spent years maintaining a lighthouse with only his android companion for company. Isolation has become his way of life - until an unexpected inspection brings Lan Wangji crashing into his world. Their complicated history simmers beneath the surface as old tensions reignite into something hotter, more dangerous. Trapped between the endless ocean and the stars above, will their reconnection lead to redemption... or destruction?

The lighthouse shakes as another wave crashes against the rocky outcrop. Outside, the wind howls through the darkness, but inside, the temperature has dropped to an uncomfortable chill despite the heating system working overtime. I pull Jiang Yanli's sweater tighter around my shoulders and stare at the transponder on the workbench.

Three days since Lan Wangji left. Three days of silence.

W3N Qing stands in the corner, her diagnostic lights pulsing softly as she monitors the beacon systems. "The ytterbium rods are stabilizing," she reports without looking up. "But another storm front is forming. We'll likely lose signal by morning."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "Of course we will." My fingers brush the still-tender spot on my lip where Lan Wangji's teeth grazed during our last kiss before he boarded his rocket. The memory sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the cold.

The transponder chirps suddenly, breaking the silence. Both W3N Qing and I turn toward it as the screen illuminates with an incoming message. The sender ID makes my breath catch in my throat.

LAN WANGJI - INSPECTOR ID: HGJ01

My fingers hover over the accept button. What if it's official notification of his report findings? What if he's been reprimanded for advocating on my behalf? What if...

The transponder chirps again, insistently. W3N Qing's optical sensors fix on me. "You should answer," she says quietly. "It might be important."

I take a deep breath and press the button.