As the Black Ark departed Meridale, the lantern outside The Open Table continued to burn through the night.
Its light was small.
Yet ships crossing distant seas began using it as a landmark.
Bram smiled as he watched them disappear beyond the horizon.
He never realized that a single welcoming flame had already become part of countless journeys.
---
Inside the Ark, Luma opened the Book of Forgotten Names.
Only two empty circles remained.
One slowly awakened.
Instead of a person, it displayed two mountain peaks separated by a deep chasm.
A thin silver line connected them.
Beneath the image appeared new words.
"Some bridges are built only after pride is laid down."
Rowan quietly folded the map in his hands.
"I know where we're going."
---
Their destination was the world of Kha
