They lit the lanterns together.
Not all fifty-two. Just twelve. The ones closest to the river. The ones the spirits liked best. The ones he once said reminded him of stars that refused to fall.
The girl didn't speak much that evening.
Not because she had nothing to say, but because every time she looked at him, she noticed something new. The way he leaned more heavily on his staff. The way his steps had grown slower, more deliberate. The way his breath paused just before he spoke, like he had to find it again before he could let it go.
But still, he smiled.
Still, he corrected her when she tied one charm too loosely.
Still, he hummed that same quiet tune that made the fireflies gather, as if even they didn't want to miss it.
The wind was soft that night. The kind that didn't interrupt. It carried the scent of rice paper and riverlight, and rustled the lanterns like they were listening in.
"Slower," he said, as she placed the tenth charm.
"I am."
"You're not."
She glanced up, and he was already beside her, adjusting the knot with those steady, careful hands. His fingers trembled slightly, but the ribbon still fell into place.
"There," he murmured. "Now it will hold."
She didn't argue.
She moved to the next.
They worked like two sides of the same breath, quiet and certain. And when they finished the last lantern, they stood side by side, watching the lights sway gently in the warm evening hush.
The river sang. The shrine felt full.
She reached for his hand. He didn't pull away.
"Will you tell me again?" she asked. "Why this one matters."
He nodded.
"The twelfth lantern guards the river gate. When it shines, the spirits know they are safe to cross."
She looked at it.
A flicker of violet glowed at the edge of the flame, small but steady.
"And if it doesn't?"
"They wander."
Her voice softened.
"I won't let it go out."
He turned toward her.
There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Not sadness.
Acceptance.
"Good," he said.
That night, she made his tea just a little sweeter.
He didn't complain.
And when he fell asleep before finishing it, she didn't wake him.