Gathering Anchors Beneath the Sinking Stars

I used astrology to calculate the positions of the planets on the day I was born, at the time and place of my birth. The results said I was best suited to write this kind of story. I don't think I've ever written one before, so I'll give it a try. In his early twenties, Lin Yan carries a vast starfield in his heart, yet finds himself trapped in the cage of everyday survival. On one side are his burning ideals and the distant horizons he longs for; on the other are making ends meet, shouldering responsibilities, and living up to others' expectations. He wavers again and again between pursuing his dreams and making compromises. Legend says that hidden in the cracks between worlds is a place called the Rift, where people can realize the obsessions they could never fulfill. Only when he and a group of companions, each carrying their own obsession, step into this fantastical land do they understand: every gift in this world comes at a price. There is no power granted from nowhere, no born savior, and even the fantasy world itself reflects the hierarchies, shackles, and helplessness of the human world. The old order crumbles, destruction sweeps across the realm, and the beautiful dreams everyone entrusted to it shatter one by one. There is no miracle of rising from the ashes to become a god, only people slowly piecing themselves back together amid the ruins. Some cling stubbornly to their burning ideals, some retreat to the stability of reality, and some are trapped by the past, unable to take a step forward. In the endless tug-of-war between ideals and reality, they finally understand: security and an anchor in life are never things we are born with. They are built by our own hands, inch by inch, after we have stumbled, lost, and struggled. Not everyone gets what they wish for. Growth often takes time to bear fruit, and we may not have to choose between the safety net of reality and the starfield in our hearts.