The Lighthouse Without a Beacon

On a rugged coast stood a lighthouse that emitted no light. Still, ships never crashed. Sailors insisted they felt a calm certainty when sailing near it — as if the structure itself steadied their hands. When a storm destroyed the lighthouse, panic gripped the coast. But the next ship sailed smoothly through the tempest. The sailors said the same feeling remained, guiding them. The villagers rebuilt the lighthouse anyway, knowing its power had never come from a flame, but from the knowledge that someone — or something — stood watch.