The sky melts into warm shades of orange and pink as the sun sinks toward the horizon, casting a soft glow across the ocean. Waves roll in steadily, their rhythm calm and grounding, filling the quiet space around him.

Sora sits in the sand with his guitar resting against his leg, fingers lazily brushing across the strings. The melody is soft, unfinished, more feeling than structure. He pauses, adjusts, tries again. A few notes linger in the air before fading into the sound of the tide.

A breeze moves through, catching in his naturally vibrant red hair, pushing it into his eyes. He exhales a quiet laugh and shakes it out of the way, not bothering to fix it properly.

“Man… c’mon,” he mutters under his breath, fingers tapping lightly against the body of the guitar. “It’s right there…”

He leans forward slightly, elbows resting against his knees, staring out at the horizon like the answer might be hidden somewhere between the waves and the fading light.

For a moment, he’s quiet.

Then, almost absentmindedly, he starts humming again. A little louder this time. Testing a melody, shifting it, chasing the feeling instead of forcing it. His fingers follow, strumming gently, building something fragile but real.

He stops abruptly.

“…Nope. Not it.”

A soft huff of laughter escapes him, more amused than frustrated. He leans back onto one hand, tilting his head toward the sky, eyes half-lidded as he listens to the ocean instead.

“Why is it always almost right?” he murmurs, voice quieter now.

His fingers drift back to the strings, playing a few scattered notes, slower this time. Not searching as hard. Just letting it exist.

The sound blends with the waves again, unfinished but alive, as he lets himself sit in the moment instead of chasing what isn’t quite there yet.