I awoke with a gasp. I could still see vivid slashes of purple flickering beneath my eyelids. My only friend, falling, his sleeves billowing out like wings. Blood pooled on the floor, shockingly red against the light-coloured wood. I heard the hollow clunk of his Vision striking the ground, saw the Shogun's face, set in determination as she raised her blade-

Just a dream. I let out a shaky breath.

I stared up at the ceiling, blinking away tears. One still manages to escape, tracking a line down my cheek. Sitting up, I glanced around. Due to the unpredictable weather on the journey, Beidou had insisted I stay belowdecks in case of a storm. It felt strange, somehow. I looked out the small porthole. I

t was still dark, but I could see land looming up ahead. It seemed unlikely that I would be able to get any more sleep, so I changed out of my sleepwear and put on my haori. As I made to leave, something made me hesitate by the door. I turned back and put my sword into its sheath, feeling the familiar weight on my hip. Satisfied, I slipped outside.

The night was cold, and my breath steamed in the air. Here and there, groups of sailors were drinking wine and singing. I walked to the head of the ship and watched the moonlight dancing on the waves. A cool breeze whispered around the flags.

A slight commotion to the left drew my attention. A couple of the crew were hauling heavy-looking crates across the deck. We hadn't arrived at Liyue yet, so what were they doing? I drew closer, curious. "Why hello, Kazuha!" came an exclamation. I turned around to find Beidou was behind me, smelling strongly of alcohol. She took a few clumsy steps forward, throwing her arm around my shoulder. I smiled a little. 'What are they moving those crates for?" I asked, nodding in the direction of the crewmates. I didn't remember ever having a stop before Liyue.

"Oh, those?" Beidou chuckled. "This new customer ordered a whole shipment of rare ores, and since their stop is en route to Liyue, I said yes." My mind wandered back to when we were loading the ship at Inazuma. A whole stack of covered crates was packed. I'd wondered at the time, but now I understood. "Anyways, what are you doing out here so late?" she asked. "We're still an hour or two from Liyue,"

"I couldn't sleep..." I mumbled.

"Well, in that case, care to share some sake?" She asked, grinning. "We should be docking in a minute or two," She held out a small stoppered vessel, which matched the one in her other hand. I reached out and took it.

"Sure, why not-"

I heard the woosh before I saw it, gleaming like a falling star as it shot across the deck, heading straight for Beidou. "Look out!" I yelled, shoving her aside.

"Kazuha, what..." she managed as she fell. I turned back, but it was too late to dodge. The metal tip of the arrow buried itself deeply into my left shoulder.