The Lighthouse That Waited

The lighthouse at Marrow’s Edge had not been lit in centuries. Its keeper was long gone, the sea had turned to mist, and the ships had forgotten how to sail.

Yet every night, the lamp flickered to life — a pulse of gold cutting through the endless gray.

They said the light waited for one man — Captain Oren — who’d vanished with his crew in a storm that tore the sea apart.

Centuries passed. Empires fell. The world quieted. But the light burned on.

One final night, in the middle of an endless fog, a silhouette appeared — a ship made of moonlight, its sails translucent, its flag tattered.

The climax: The lighthouse shone brighter than ever. When dawn came, it was gone — both tower and ship vanished into the mist.

All that remained was a single lantern floating in the tide, glowing softly. Inside it, carved in fading gold:

“You waited. I came.”