The dark shore was full of wet seaweed and smooth grey stones. Talis dug and pushed and pulled until something hard glinted in the moonlight. An old brass lantern, covered in sand and salt, sat half-buried in the wet earth. Talis lifted it free, and with a soft click, silver light flickered inside the glass.
The lantern tilted toward the ocean, and suddenly a shimmering path of moonlight stretched across the water like a road of glass. Talis gripped the lantern handle and took a step toward the surf. The silver light spilled from the lantern and danced across the dark waves.
Talis waded into the cold water and the moonlit path glowed brighter beneath their feet, each ripple turning to liquid silver. The water rose to Talis's waist, then to the chest. Halfway out, the path sputtered and went dark at a submerged stone. The lantern buzzed like an annoyed bee.
Talis held still, breath shallow, and waited. The lantern buzzed once more — then hummed with a soft chime. The light returned, steady and bright, pointing forward. Talis waded on.
The lantern revealed carved symbols on the water's surface — ancient marks that glowed gold when Talis touched them. Three patterns repeated, each one pointing in a new direction. The child followed the third, and the water grew shallower near a stone rising from the deep.
At the pedestal sat a small wooden box wrapped in kelp. The lantern flared so brightly Talis had to squint. The child reached for the box — and the lantern tipped, rolling away across the water in a silly zigzag.
Talis splashed after it, laughing. The lantern bounced and zigzagged, rolling across the water like a little boat. It came to a stop at the pedestal and pointed its beam straight at the box lid.
Talis lifted the lid. A rolled-up parchment unspooled itself in the lantern's light. It was a hand-drawn map of the coastline — and the village at the top was where Talis had begun.
Talis carried the box and the lantern back through the silver water. The moonlit path guided the way, bright and sure. By the time the shore appeared, the child's arms were full and the night was quiet.
Talis set the lantern and the box on the village stone marker where the journey began. The map glowed on the stone as villagers gathered around. The old lantern hummed a soft, steady song. Talis stood beside the marker and watched the path on the map pulse once — then go quiet.