Sorrow Lantern Novels & Stories

An orange spark rising from the streets. Then another. Then ten. Then hundreds. My breath catches in my throat so much so it hurts my chest. Thousands of sky lanterns rise from the city below us like rain falling upward. They drift higher, glowing warm gold against the black ink of the night. Because we are so high up, they don't just float above us, they float past us. We are suspended in a river of light as if Nero has reached into the sky and dragged us both into the center of the Milky Way.

I cross-questioned, feeling despondent hearing what she told me. Layla averted her gaze and looked at the ceiling of the hall. “Lantern means weak wolves who need time to shift thus your chances of survival after rejection are too low to even consider the idea. And your weak wolf is the reason behind your fainting, too. Whenever any changes happen in your body, your wolf isn’t able to bear it.” “What’s the solution, then?” I asked annoyingly, neglecting the pain in my chest which started like a fog.

**Daniel:** (softly) Maybe fate led us here for a reason, to share this moment together. The lantern festival became a symbol of their newfound connection, a shared memory that would forever be etched in the tapestry of their love story. As the night unfolded, they found themselves under a sky adorned with stars, the river reflecting the shimmering celestial dance. In that quiet moment, surrounded by the magic of Serenity Falls, Daniel and Lila realized that fate had indeed led them to each other, and their love story, like the lanterns floating in the night sky, was destined to illuminate the pages of their lives with warmth and brilliance.

, Andro signaled. I moved to my left feeling the paper-like thing in my hands. it stood vertically on the grass and it felt like a lamp. “What is it?” I asked. I heard Andro move before he knelt behind me, his hands hovering over mine. “It’s a lantern. A memorial lantern for your friend” My eyes welled with tears. He didn’t like ‘my friend’. He hated him. “Arturo Vasquez wasn’t my greatest ally but he was alright for a dude. He helped you with Bryant, he brought you to me and this is the least we can do for him”

Scared of not being able to see his face after I die. My heart hates me for loving him............ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I cried my heart out. My eyes are burning. Feeling dead left all alone in the dark long passage, in the cold starless night. My eyelids become heavy, mind not being able to process anything. The cold night breeze hitting my body made me shudder to the coldness. I hugged myself protectively from the cold breeze. My head slowly rested in the near wall, sleep taking its toll over me. "Hey! Wake up" I could feel a voice reaching out to me in the distance.

The pack gathered for the Lantern Walk, every soul clutching a paper lantern inscribed with a hope or remembrance. Torin began by lighting his lantern, inscribed with the name of a friend lost in the first siege. One by one, lanterns glowed to life. Ezra’s bore the single word choice. Alara’s read unity. Damien’s lantern sported a shaky heart drawn by Seren’s youngest apprentice, prompting Damien’s soft chuckle. Lucas proudly displayed an illustrated sword and spoon, earning head shakes all around. Seren’s lantern read healing; Eamon’s knowledge; Cassian’s legacy; and little Elira’s lantern, carried by Ezra, simply bore a handprint pressed in safe dye.

I breathed a sigh of relief when it got further away from me. Lantern Loiterings are bad spirits born from regrets; if you faced it, it would swallow your soul turning it into fireflies imprisoned in its lantern. You can’t mess with the dead. I climbed a tall tree and made myself comfortable on a branch. I missed my bed, next to my sister.

I have yet to lay eyes upon anyone else but her and the purple flashes of light. " Sarah, what do you mean disappear like the others?" urgency laced in my voice. I couldn't lose her now after all this time. " The purple light will take us soon just like it did the others," she spoke so quietly I barely heard the words leave her lips. " Do you know what the purple flashes of light are?" I asked softly. " Unimaginable Pain," she tells me with a tone so sharp, my body felt like she had stabbed me. After she spoke those words the darkness seemed to grow darker consuming us to near blindness, the deafening ring of silence embedding deeper into my eardrums as it waved on.

Xena replied. "Ah!" Clover said in realization. "It's lantern celebration in two days time." I tilted my head. "Lantern what?" "It's the day the souls of the lost warriors are remembered. Lanterns are lit in the sky to honour their passing." Dandelion explained. "What lost warriors?" "The lost warriors in the great war with tye white witches." Clover said sarcastically and I scoffed. Lost warriors indeed. Are they even worthy of being celebrated? Those murderers.

Following her lead, everyone released their lanterns simultaneously, creating a mesmerizing display that none had ever witnessed before. As Amani watched the lanterns dance against the night sky, she felt a profound sense of release. Letting go of those lanterns symbolized letting go of the grief she had held onto since her parents’ deaths. A serene smile spread across her face, and Malakai couldn’t help but be captivated by her. The light show was enthralling, but nothing compared to the breathtaking sight of Amani, radiant under the lantern-filled sky.