The Lighthouse of New Paths

The elder whispered in his ear: “Your secret name is Calibán…”

The staircase inside the lighthouse had collapsed years ago. Everyone in the harbor knew there was no way to reach the lamp.

The boy tried anyway.

The first route failed. So did the second. By the fifth attempt he could cross a beam that had frightened him that morning. By the tenth, his hands seemed to know where to go before he did.

When he finally looked down, the boy realized that the path had not been there when he began.