C64 The Dream-Stitched Flame

That night, no torches were lit in the village.

Only the lantern.

It sat at the center of the circle of sigils, burning gently beside the old fire pit. The villagers gathered without summons. Parents sat beside children. The copper-banded woman stood behind them, arms folded, her eyes wet with the shimmer of things long hoped for.

The children spoke first.

Not in chorus, but one by one