On the edge of a quiet village, there was a lake shrouded in mist, where an old man named Elias lit a single lantern every evening. The villagers often wondered why, but Elias never spoke of it.
One night, a curious young girl named Lina asked, “Why do you light the lantern, even when no one is around?”
Elias smiled faintly. “A long time ago, I loved someone who promised to return across this lake. She said she’d follow the light.”
“But did she ever come back?” Lina pressed.
Elias gazed at the water, his eyes distant. “No. But love doesn’t end just because someone is gone.”
Moved by his words, Lina began helping him light the lantern each evening. Over time, the lake became a place of quiet reflection for the villagers, who would pause to remember loved ones they had lost.
Years later, after Elias passed away, the villagers kept lighting the lantern. And on rare, misty nights, some swore they saw a figure across the water, walking toward the glowing light.
The lantern still burns by the lake, a testament to love that never fades.
