Mei Lian, a slender woman with ink-stained fingers and sharp eyes, bends over a half-finished lantern. She examines the delicate paper, tracing invisible lines before her brush touches down. Each stroke glimmers faintly in the lamplight, her concentration unbroken as she listens for footsteps.
"Tonight, the stars will guide more than dreams," she whispers, pressing a thin reed against the lantern’s frame.
Jin Wei, a young rebel with a worn traveling cloak, slips inside, eyes darting to the window. He studies the lantern Mei Lian presents, noting the subtle pattern embedded among painted cranes and clouds.
"Are you certain no one will notice?"
"Only those who search for stars in the dark," Mei Lian replies, her voice barely above a breath.
They reach a hidden courtyard, where rebels gather beneath a gnarled pine. Mei Lian hands out lanterns, her pulse quickening as hands grasp her creations. Flickers of candlelight reveal coded constellations, hope glowing in wary faces.
Old Liu, a grizzled strategist, unfolds a lantern, eyes widening as he deciphers the map.
"With these, we’ll find each other in the shadows," he murmurs.
Jin Wei meets her gaze, fear and resolve warring in his eyes.
"They’re searching every lantern,"
"Not these. Trust the stars," Mei Lian insists, her fingers trembling as she clings to hope.
The rebels move silently, guided by coded starlight. The city’s noise fades behind them, replaced by the soft rustle of bamboo and the distant cry of night birds. Mei Lian pauses, looking back at the city, her heart heavy yet fierce.
"We’ll return when the stars align,"
Old Liu lifts a lantern, its secret map gleaming in the dawn. The rebels draw strength from its light, a silent vow passing between them. Mei Lian watches the sunrise, her hope kindled anew.
"As long as lanterns burn, our path remains,"
