12:55
We drag the soaked lifeboat up the rocks.
The silhouette of the lighthouse flickers in the night, like a lonely island.
Shen Yan walks ahead, holding the emergency light aloft, its beam dancing on the rocks.
Qi Si follows, his footsteps heavy and slow.
I look back; waves crash against the rocks, deafening.
"Round two begins now," I say.
13:00
We reach the base of the lighthouse. The door is shut tight, rusted.
Shen Yan knocks, the sound echoing in the empty night.
"Anyone there?" he shouts.
No answer.
I pull out the copper key Lin Yi gave me, slot it into the lock.
A click, and the door swings open.
We step inside, greeted by a narrow spiral staircase leading to the top.
13:05
We climb the stairs, each step a test of our limits.
Qi Si pants, Shen Yan's forehead beaded with sweat.
I trail behind, hand on the cold wall, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"Almost there," Shen Yan says.
"Hope there's no surprises," Qi Si mutters.
13:10
We reach the top. A massive light bulb rotates, blindingly bright.
The lighthouse keeper is an old man with white hair, sitting on a rickety chair, holding a tattered journal.
"Welcome to the lighthouse," he says, eyes calm and deep.
"I'm the keeper. Lin Yi told me to wait for you."
Shen Yan steps forward, voice low. "We know who Lin Yi is. Why did he send us here?"
The old man smiles. "He sent you because the truth is here."
13:15
He opens the journal to a page with a complex map.
"This is the final step to the truth," he says, pointing to a spot on the map. "There's a basement below, where all answers lie."
Shen Yan takes the journal, scanning the map.
"Where's the basement?" he asks.
The old man stands, walks to a hidden mechanism.
"Follow me." He presses the mechanism, and the floor slowly opens, revealing a staircase leading down.
13:20
We follow him into the basement, filled with ancient instruments and documents.
Shen Yan picks up a file, frowning.
"What's this?" he asks.
The old man replies, "Lin Yi's research on the experiment of human nature."
I pick up a photo of Lin Yi and me as kids.
"Why did he do this?" I ask.
The old man sighs. "Because he wanted to find the truth, just like you."
13:25
We continue exploring the basement, finding a sealed metal box.
Shen Yan opens it, revealing an old computer and a USB drive.
He plugs in the drive, and the screen lights up with a message:
"Welcome to the end of the truth."
Shen Yan operates the computer, and a video appears.
In it, Lin Yi sits in a lab, eyes resolute.
"If you're watching this, you've reached the final step," he says.
"The truth is, we're all part of an experiment to test the limits of human nature."
13:30
The video ends, and the screen displays a choice:
"Option 1: Accept the truth and end the experiment."
"Option 2: Keep exploring for more."
Shen Yan, Qi Si, and I look at each other, silent for a moment.
Finally, I speak: "We choose two."
Shen Yan nods, Qi Si agrees.
We choose to keep exploring, to find more of the truth.
Chapter 19, end.