Story Shorts: The Last Lightkeeper

The Last Lightkeeper

In the world of Aetheria, where darkness is a living, consuming force, the Lightkeepers are the guardians of the last bastions of light. These solitary figures tend to ancient lighthouses perched on the edges of the known world, their beams a shield against the encroaching dark.

Evelyn, the youngest Lightkeeper, tends to the Beacon of Eld, a lighthouse standing tall on a craggy cliff overlooking the Sea of Shadows. Her life is a cycle of routine and solitude, maintaining the beacon's flame, a magical fire that never burns out, fueled by the stars themselves.

But when a great shadow beast, a creature from the dark depths of Aetheria, attacks the Beacon of Eld, the flame flickers and dies for the first time in centuries. The protective light fades, and the darkness begins to creep in.

Determined to reignite the beacon, Evelyn embarks on a perilous journey into the heart of darkness. Her quest leads her to forgotten realms and brings her face to face with creatures of shadow and entities that dwell in the absence of light.

Guided by the ancient lore of the Lightkeepers and the mysterious Starlit Path—a hidden trail illuminated by the stars—Evelyn seeks the primal fire, the original flame from which all light in Aetheria was born.

Along her journey, she encounters other Lightkeepers, learning of their sacrifices and the heavy burden they bear. As she delves deeper into the darkness, Evelyn discovers a truth long hidden: the darkness and the light are two halves of the same cycle, each giving meaning to the other.

In a final stand at the Beacon of Eld, Evelyn must confront the shadow beast and the darkness within herself, understanding that to rekindle the light, one must first brave the dark.