Lantern of Hope
What a father is willing to give up to save the one person he loves?
Photo by Leon Contreras on Unsplash
Countless paper lights drifted through the cold night air.
Matsu tightened his grip on his daughter’s hand, her steps unsteady beside him.
On his other side he clutched the katana, generations of service notched into the blade’s edge.
It had been his honour to wield it since his father passed.
Now he would relinquish it, in the hope of protecting the frail body pressed against him.
The coin in his pocket was simply not enough.
Matsu looked at his daughter, her face looking up to the sky, “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
The decision was clear.
He unsheathed the katana, its blade shimmering in the faint lantern light.
He handed it to the man lurking nearby, taking the vial of liquid he offered in return.
“One dose will see her healed,” the man said before disappearing into the night with the blade.
He held his daughter tight, knowing the sacrifice would be worth it.
