A Beacon in the Dark

Night had consumed the pea-gravel garden, compelling my return toward the porch. Near the threshold, a solar ground lantern was embedded beside the lower slate riser, its round frosted face glowing with a cold, milky luminescence. I climbed the stone and approached the disc. The faint warmth of the solar diode radiated through the glass. Bracing my armored boots against the flagstone, I knelt and laid both gauntlets flat against the glowing perimeter. Its unyielding light broke the shadows across my breastplate, securing a steadfast beacon at the garden gate.