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◇ In which kazuha stumbles upon an unfinished poem in a bottle during a storm.

The wind tugged at Kazuha's hair as he leaned on the railings. The smell of the salty sea lingered in the wind. He took a deep breath, enjoying the calming wind while he stared at the patterns of the waves.

Something drops on his nose; he softly flinches, looking up at the sky. The clouds gathered, and the droplets of water dropped. He reaches out his hand to feel the droplets.

"Go in now! Take shelter; there's a storm comin' up!"

Just before he stepped along to go inside, his eyes lingered on the waves as he spotted something shiny. A bottle, yes, just a bottle, yet he felt so intrigued. What could possibly be inside?

"Kazuha, what are you doing—"

"Just a moment, Beidou."

He quickly climbed down the wet ladders, daring to fall. He reached out for the bottle, but it was out of his reach. The waves crashing against the ship's hull made it difficult to steady himself, but he was determined to retrieve it. At last, he finally grabbed it and claimed it back on the ship. Both Beidou and Kazuha went in:

"Archons… Your curiosity will be the death of you, boy." She leaned in to see what he was holding. "Say, whatcha got there? The sea is full of mysteries, huh?"

Kazuha opened the bottle, only to reveal a beautifully written poem on a beautiful scroll:

“The wind knows where my heart drifts, though my feet may never follow.”

The poem was incomplete. Kazuha was astonished; it's been a while since he's seen any good poets. As a poet himself, he was curious who the writer was. Such graceful handwriting, yet you could feel the passion from just the poem itself. Not only was there a poem but also a beautiful drawing that captured the essence of the poem perfectly.

A maple leaf falling, not on the ground but drifting across a far shore. In the scenery, there were unfinished footprints. It was as if the maple leaf was one's dream, and they never got to follow the leaf. Only the echoes of their footsteps remained.

"It's so beautiful, yet it's unfinished…" He whispered in awe.

"Why don't you just complete it? Aren't you a poet too?"

"This is different… This… isn't mine to finish but for someone else. I will find that someone."

Beidou stifled a laugh, laughing at the boy's delusions. Putting her palm on her forehead. 'He really believes he can find the missing piece to this poem,' she thought to herself.

Author's note: This was something in my drafts for a while, so I posted it! If I get the time, there might be a part II !