The Lantern That Refused to Go Out

A traveler carried a lantern that never extinguished, no matter how fierce the wind. Villagers begged to know its secret, but he only smiled, saying the flame burned for what he loved. When the traveler grew old, the flame weakened. Before dying, he gave the lantern to a girl who loved nothing deeply yet. Strangely, the flame brightened. People realized the lantern did not burn on love alone—it burned on the possibility of love. A flame fueled by hope glowed stronger than one fueled by certainty.