‍ ‍ ‍ — 𝑳𝑶𝑲𝑰

⠀ ⠀⠀“Now it's your turn. How would you like this story to end?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 #𝑩𝑬𝑨𝑪𝑯𝑷𝑰𝑬𝑪𝑬𝟑🏖 ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀【 TO BE CONTINUED ↴ 】 ⠀

⠀ His gaze went over the crowd of people, many of whom had duly earned his respect. If anyone could change the tides of history, he knew it would be them. His serious exterior gave way to a wide smile. ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“So keep your head held high! Make the most of the moment to make your future self proud! Proclaim your love, take that dance and leave your mark. Even if you are scared; there is no such thing as courage without fear.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“It hurts to let go, but the time arrives for everyone of us to take up the mantle. Only then can we transform from sprouts showered with greatness to the very clouds that nourish the next generation.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“As our memories become a part of us, as they shape who we are… so this ash filled with our hopes becomes a part of this world and feeds the soil of a whole forest to grow.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“And thus, once you all have placed your piece, so we shall burn this tree to the ground! Inevitably, our beautiful memories fade into the past just like ashes scatter in the wind.” ⠀

⠀ Eventually, he approached the tree and stuck the first piece of paper to its bark. Written on it: ‘May the whole world find a new dawn.’ 𝑺𝑴𝑨𝑪𝑲! His flat palm thundered against wood made to outlast the wild seas. ⠀

⠀ A bead of sweat rolled down his temple; all day he had contemplated on the words he would write to set an example. There were so many people his thoughts drifted to, so many wishes and great moments. ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“Channel that which fills your heart: whether it be a wish, a memory of this event or something important to you – and write it down.” With those instructions proclaimed, Denjiro led the way. With great focus, he guided an inky brush across his talisman. ⠀

⠀ Next, his arm swayed to point out a long, long table filled with blank strips of paper of various sizes for all attendees. ⠀⠀“These are known as ofuda; they are talismans used to evoke good fortune.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“Now, all good times must come to an end. It is what sets them apart from the mundane, the unremarkable. The sorrow that fills our hearts at this departure; we feel it in place of the joy we experienced… or the one we wished for.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“As for me, I stocked up on some much-needed beauty-sleep~” ✨ He winked and shifted focus to the final night’s farewell with a grateful bow. The tree creaked in the wind, gracefully awaiting the crowd of guests like a place of worship. ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“Do you know much about Elbaph’s history? Heh, well . . . Let’s just say that a certain man would likely have wept tears of joy seeing you all smile and laugh together.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀“You all gave this island a taste of what it means to be connected to the whole wide world. New perspectives, different cultures! And at the end of the day, we sit and eat around the same fires. That is what it means to 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭.” ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀. . . and in competition!” ⠀