starter — @keyofhearts
muse — sakura
The waves whispered before she ever opened her eyes. A hush—like the whole ocean was holding its breath—curved around the small girl curled up in the sand. The sun was warm and golden above her, drenching the world in light that shimmered like captured stars. For a moment, she didn’t move, letting the breeze comb gently through her chestnut hair as the scent of salt and something faraway filled her lungs.
Then she sat up with a gasp. “…Kero-chan?” No reply. Just the distant caw of a seagull and the rustle of palm trees overhead. Sakura Kinomoto blinked rapidly, her green eyes scanning the unfamiliar shoreline—so soft and dreamlike it almost reminded her of the Clow Realm. But this wasn’t home. It wasn’t Tomoeda. It wasn’t anywhere she had seen in her dreams.
She stood shakily, brushing the white sand from her pleated skirt. The Key of the Star pulsed faintly against her chest, reacting to something nearby—magic, but not any she knew. It felt different. Like memories, like light, like sorrow tucked behind laughter. It was beautiful… and strange. A wooden bridge stretched ahead, leading to a little islet crowned by a crooked paopu tree. Children’s laughter echoed faintly in the distance, as if from another time.
Sakura clutched the key pendant tighter. “I didn’t use a card… So how did I get here?” Was this another test? Or maybe… someone needed help. She took a breath, lifting her gaze to the horizon—where sea and sky blurred into the same endless blue—and smiled with all the courage she could gather in her tiny frame.
“I’ll find out. I’m not afraid.” And with that, she stepped forward, her boots leaving delicate prints behind on the glistening shore—like stardust blown across a forgotten dream.
