Whisper Of The Midnight Lantern

The night Arwen Hale left the city behind the sky was stretched with clouds that held the color of deep smoke as if dusk had been burned and smeared across the heavens. She drove farther than she ever had before chasing a silence she hoped would settle the noise clawing in her mind. Her heart had grown too heavy with unfinished conflicts and memories she wanted to escape. But she never imagined that Hollowreach Village the place she had chosen for her retreat would be unlike anything she had known. It felt like the world stepped aside and somewhere older darker and lonelier took its place.

The cottage she rented stood on the edge of a wild forest. Twisted trees leaned inward as though whispering secrets to each other. A lantern hung from a crooked post outside though Arwen had not lit it. Its glass shimmered faintly on its own casting an otherworldly glow that seemed to breathe.

Inside the cottage the air carried the faint scent of cedar and old books. Arwen set her bags down and rubbed her temples. The silence she had come for pressed in around her but instead of soothing she felt watched. Not by anything malicious but something patient.

She stepped to the window and froze.

A lone figure stood not far from the lantern near the tree line. His posture was still almost statue like. Moonlight cast over him though the moon remained behind clouds. He was tall with shadow dark hair and a long coat that moved gently though the air was still. She could not see his face clearly but she sensed his eyes on her.

Arwen blinked and the man vanished.

She gasped stumbling back. Her pulse hammered through her body. But then she breathed slowly. It was probably just her exhaustion. Her mind conjuring shapes in the dark.

But deep inside she felt certain he had been real.

That night dreams dragged her into a world where pale blue flames drifted like lost souls and the forest whispered her name over and over. A pair of soft gray eyes pierced through the dream pulling her forward with a gentle sorrow that did not feel threatening. She reached out but her hand passed through smoke.

She woke covered in cold sweat.

Morning sunlight warmed the furniture and made the cabin appear harmless. Birds chirped loudly as if trying to drown the memory of the night. Arwen brewed tea then stepped outside to breathe the forest air. Her eyes lifted to the lantern which now glowed faintly even under daylight.

Strange she muttered. She reached for it but a voice stopped her.

I would not touch that if I were you.

Arwen spun around.

The man from last night stood near the trees hands in his pockets shoulders relaxed but gaze sharp. He was breathtaking up close. His hair fell in soft waves framing a chiseled face. His eyes a stormy gray were filled with ancient weight. Not old in age but old like a forgotten winter.

Who are you Arwen asked stepping back instinctively.

A hint of a smile touched his lips though it was tinged with melancholy. My name is Rowan.

Rowan what

Just Rowan he replied softly as if the rest of his name had long been buried somewhere unreachable.

Arwen swallowed. Why were you watching my cottage last night

He looked away briefly at the lantern. I was not watching you. I was watching the lantern.

She frowned. That makes even less sense.

Rowan took a slow breath as though deciding how much truth he could afford to speak. The lantern marks a threshold. The boundary between your world and the Midnight Crossing. It is a place where spirits wander when they cannot let go. The lantern signals when the veil is thin. You should be cautious.

Arwen blinked. Spirits Veil Midnight Crossing This sounded like something from the folklore books she used to read as a child. Are you saying ghosts walk around here

Rowan stepped closer the air around him cooling slightly. Not all spirits are the same. Some linger with intention. Some with longing. Some with hunger.

That sounds bad.

His gaze darkened. It can be.

Arwen crossed her arms suddenly defensive. And what does that have to do with you

Rowans jaw clenched imperceptibly. I keep watch. Especially when outsiders arrive.

Outsiders like me.

Yes. Because they are the easiest for the wandering to reach.

Arwen felt a chill. But something deeper something she could not name tugged at her. A strange familiarity stirred within her chest as if she had spoken to him before in a forgotten dream.

Have we met she asked before she could stop herself.

Something flickered in Rowans expression. A memory perhaps. Or regret. No. But you remind me of someone.

She felt heat creep into her cheeks though she did not know why. Well thank you for the warning. But I do not believe in ghosts.

Rowan held her gaze with such intensity that her breath hitched. You will.

Days passed with Arwen exploring the forest taking notes for the novel she had always dreamed of writing. But strange things followed her. Whispers in the wind calling her name though no one was there. Cold drafts sweeping through rooms that had no broken windows. At night she heard soft footsteps outside though the snow showed no tracks.

And each time the lantern glowed brighter.

She began to see Rowan more frequently. Sometimes he appeared near the trees watching with concern other times emerging silently from behind the cottage as if he had been standing there the entire time. He was distant yet protective. Detached yet quietly aching.

One afternoon they walked through the forest as snowflakes drifted gently. Rowan guided her down a narrow path between frost covered branches.

Arwen asked Why do you always appear when the lantern glows

Rowan looked up at the soft swirling snow. Because that is when the boundary weakens. And because the lantern responds to you.

To me Why

Rowans voice softened. There is something in your presence. A resonance. The veil reacts to people who carry deep unresolved emotion. Your heart has cracks in it. And the veil can sense that.

Arwen felt exposed as if he had read her private grief. I came here to get away from my problems. Not attract spirits.

You cannot run from what lives inside you Rowan murmured. But you can face it. Not alone.

She hesitated. Are you saying you will help me

Something like a smile touched his lips though fragile. If you will trust me.

And she did. Against every ounce of logic she trusted him.

But she still did not know why Rowan watched her with the kind of sorrow usually found only in ancient portraits of forgotten kings. She wanted to ask but feared breaking something delicate between them.

One night the lantern blazed bright blue the color of moonlit ice.

Rowan appeared instantly breath sharp. Arwen get away from the window.

Before she could react shadows swarmed across the ground rising like smoke. A figure materialized from the air its face hollow its eyes empty holes of night. Its movements were slow but deliberate as if it tasted her fear.

Arwen stumbled backward. Rowan stepped between her and the specter hands glowing faint silver.

Stay behind me he ordered voice firm but gentle.

The specter screeched silently the sound echoing inside Arwens mind. It lunged. Rowan thrust his hand forward sending a burst of silver light that sliced through the spirit. It recoiled screaming again before dissolving into mist.

Arwen collapsed onto the floor shaking uncontrollably. Rowan knelt beside her placing a cool hand near her shoulder without touching.

It would not have reached you he whispered. I would not let it.

Arwen breathed unevenly. What was that

A Hollow. A soul that lost its name and its past. They follow the pull of the lantern. And the lantern follows you.

Why me

He hesitated. Because you carry the same wound I carry. A wound that binds souls to the veil.

Arwen stared at him. Rowan what are you

Silence stretched between them. At last Rowan rose slowly and turned away his voice so soft it cracked.

I am one of them. But not yet lost. Not Hollow. Not whole. Bound to this world by a mistake I cannot undo. I am a spirit Arwen. A ghost tied to this place.

Arwen froze. Her body trembled but her heart ached deeper. A ghost. The thought made sense in a painful way. The sadness in his eyes. His sudden appearances. His cold touch.

But he seemed more alive than anyone she had known.

She whispered How long have you been like this

Rowan closed his eyes. Over a century. I was once a guardian of the village. A protector of the veil. But I made a choice that cost me my life. Now I walk between worlds saving others from my fate.

Arwen stepped closer despite fear and something deeper overwhelmed her. A longing. To understand him. To free him. To hold him even if he could barely feel her touch.

You are not alone anymore she whispered.

His eyes widened with emotion so raw it shook her. Arwen you cannot care for me. I am not meant to be touched by the living. I draw danger to those I protect.

I do not care she said voice trembling. Let them come. Let the veil break. I am not walking away.

Rowan stared at her long enough that the lantern dimmed to a soft pale glow.

And then everything changed.

The next night the lantern erupted in blinding blue fire. Rowan appeared instantly but this time he looked afraid.

No. Not now. Not tonight.

Spirits poured from the forest dozens of them swirling like a storm of frost and shadows. They surrounded the cottage reaching for Arwen.

Rowan shouted Arwen run

But she did not. She grabbed his hands though they passed through hers. Rowan listen to me If these spirits are here because of me then I refuse to run from them.

Arwen stop He pleaded. You will die.

Then let me die fighting for you she cried. For once let someone fight for you Rowan.

Rowan stared speechless as though no living soul had ever spoken such words to him.

Then everything exploded into chaos.

Rowan attacked the spirits with powerful waves of silver light. Arwen dodged shadows and icy grasps while shouting his name. The air screamed with ghostly wails.

A Hollow latched onto her arm dragging her toward the lantern. Cold pain shot through her body. Rowan roared with fury and launched himself at the Hollow. His form glowed bright blue brighter than the lantern itself.

Arwen reached toward him. Rowan

Rowan reached back his eyes filled with desperation and love he could no longer hide.

You gave me life again Arwen he whispered. For a moment you made me feel alive.

His body burst into radiant light enveloping the Hollow and all remaining spirits. The forest shook and the lantern shattered.

When the light faded Rowan was gone.

The ground was silent.

Arwen collapsed tears streaming uncontrollably. She cried until dawn broke and frost melted around her.

The village returned to normal. The veil sealed. The hauntings ended.

But Arwens heart remained cleaved open.

Months later she returned to the broken lantern now nothing more than shards of glass. Snow fell gently and the air grew colder. She closed her eyes.

A soft breeze brushed her cheek. Then a whisper echoed faint and tender.

Arwen

She gasped eyes filling with tears. Rowan

The wind circled her like a gentle embrace.

I am still here he whispered. Watching. Protecting. Always.

Arwen smiled through her tears.

Then I will return to you every winter. Until the day the veil lets you come back to me.

And deep in the forest beneath the fading moon a faint silver light flickered as if answering her promise.