The waves crashed against the rocks beneath the old lighthouse, white foam spraying high into the evening air. Elara tightened her shawl around her shoulders, her eyes on the horizon where the sea bled into the sky in hues of lavender and gold.

Every evening, she came. And every evening, he did too.

From behind the weathered lighthouse door, Kael watched her.

He had been the keeper of the Bristow Light for five years now, a job he'd inherited from his father, and his father before him. The lighthouse was old, full of secrets, and the kind of place people visited once and never again. Except for Elara.

She first came two summers ago, drenched from a sudden storm, seeking shelter in the warmth of the lighthouse. She was quiet, at first, speaking only when needed, always looking out at the sea like she was searching for something-or someone.

Kael had offered her tea. She had refused politely, but her eyes had lingered on the rising steam.

The second time, she brought a basket of scones.

"I baked too many," she'd said, her tone as breezy as the wind through the coastal grass.

Kael didn't believe her, but he accepted anyway. That day, they talked.

From then on, she came often. Not every day, but often enough that Kael began to look forward to the creak of the old steps and the sound of her soft footsteps.

He didn't ask questions. She didn't offer answers.

That was the quiet magic of their bond.

Tonight, however, something felt different. Elara's shoulders were tense, her jaw set like stone.

Kael stepped out, the ocean wind tugging at his shirt. "You okay?"

She turned slowly, her long hair tangling in the breeze. "I'm leaving," she said.

He felt the words hit like a rogue wave.

"Leaving?" he repeated.

"My father's ill. He wants me home." She paused. "In Avemere."

Avemere. A city far inland, surrounded by iron towers and stone roads. A place with no sea, no salt wind, no lonely lighthouses.

Kael nodded, trying to keep his voice level. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

They stood in silence. The gulls cried above them, and somewhere far out on the water, a ship's bell tolled.

"You were never going to stay, were you?" he asked softly.

"I didn't plan to," she admitted. "But I didn't plan to fall in love either."

His heart stuttered.

"Elara..."

She took a step forward. "You once told me the lighthouse only shines for those who are lost."

He nodded. "That's what my father used to say."

"Well, I was lost when I found it," she whispered. "When I found you."

He reached for her hand, rough fingers grazing her soft palm. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either. But my family-"

"-needs you. I understand."

They stood, tangled in the wind and the weight of unspoken things.

"I'll come back," she said suddenly, fiercely. "When he's better. When I can."

"Will you?" he asked, doubt creeping in like the tide.

"I swear it. I'll come back. I'll find this place again, no matter what it takes."

Kael reached into his pocket and pulled out a small compass, its bronze surface dulled by age.

"This belonged to my grandfather," he said. "He used it when he was a sailor. It always points to the lighthouse. No matter how far."

He placed it in her hand.

"I'll be waiting," he said.

---

Elara left the next morning. Kael watched her from the cliff until she was only a speck on the winding coastal road.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months.

Seasons changed. The wind grew colder, the sea rougher. Letters came, now and then, brief and hurried. Her father was still unwell. She couldn't leave. But she missed him. She missed the sea.

Kael kept the lighthouse lit every night, even when storms raged and no ships were near. For her. Always for her.

Then the letters stopped.

---

A year passed.

Another.

Kael still watched the horizon.

He told himself he wasn't a fool. People moved on. People made promises they couldn't keep.

But he kept the light burning.

One spring morning, as dawn broke in hues of rose and gold, a figure appeared on the cliffs. She was older, thinner, but her walk was unmistakable.

Kael dropped the oil can in his hand and sprinted down the steps two at a time.

"Elara!"

She turned.

And then she was in his arms.

"I thought you forgot," he whispered.

"Never," she gasped, clinging to him. "My father passed. I had to stay longer than I thought. I tried to send letters-did you not get them?"

He shook his head. "None. But I never stopped waiting."

She pulled something from her bag-a small, battered compass.

"It brought me back," she said.

Tears pricked his eyes.

"Stay," he said. "For good."

She nodded. "If you'll have me."

"I'll always have you."

And that night, under the light of the beacon and the stars above, Kael kissed her-finally, fully-and knew that some promises, like the sea, are eternal.

---

The End