守住的承诺

The villagers worked together to move the branches little by little. Water passed safely around the tree, and the dangerous wall no longer grew. Just before sunrise, the stranger appeared beside Mei. The green light rested in his hand.

He explained that the lantern could point toward hidden danger, but it could not provide courage. That part had to come from people. Mei feared that she had broken her promise because the door was opened. The stranger shook his head. “You promised to protect the lantern's purpose, not its glass,” he said. The villagers understood that a warning matters only when someone chooses to act. In the end, he left the jade lantern with the village, where its light returned whenever the river needed a careful friend.