Mistake

"The paths have changed, the waterfalls and rivers too..."
Sanji found himself walking along a winding path that seemed to shift with every step.
The rivers and waterfalls around him no longer followed their usual course, flowing unpredictably like the twists and turns of his own life.
The once-familiar paths felt distant and unfamiliar, just like the connection he longed to feel with his crewmates.
"The paths have changed, the waterfalls and rivers too..." The words echoed again, blending with the sound of rushing water.
He followed the rivers, but they led him in circles, taking him farther from where he wanted to be.
The natural beauty around him was cold and unreachable, much like the warmth he had once felt with his friends.
In the distance, the crew appeared—Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Robin, and the others—standing together on the opposite side of the river.
They were laughing and talking, just as they had done earlier in the day, but now, there was a chasm between them.
Sanji tried to move closer, but the river grew wider, faster, pushing him away.
"The paths have changed, the waterfalls and rivers too... even the stars and the moon have altered their course..."
As he stood alone on the other side of the river, he felt a deep ache in his chest, watching the crew enjoying themselves without him.
Nami glanced at him once, but quickly turned her face away, as if he didn't exist.
The sting of being ignored hit hard.
He lowered his head, accepting the loneliness that had become all too familiar.
But suddenly, a familiar voice pierced through the sound of rushing water.
"Oi, cook!" It was Zoro, shouting across the river with that usual gruff tone.
Sanji's head snapped up in surprise.
Then, slowly, Luffy turned to look in his direction, his face breaking into a wide smile.
"Sanji!" Luffy called out with his infectious enthusiasm, waving his arms.
One by one, the rest of the crew began to turn their attention to him—Chopper, Usopp, Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jimbei.
Their eyes now focused on him, and for a moment, Sanji stood frozen, unsure of what to say or 
do.
He had been so used to feeling invisible that the warmth in their eyes caught him off guard.
Luffy, still smiling, called out again, and as Sanji stood there,Luffy's voice echoed in the air, something strange began to happen.
A shimmering, invisible string—thin but strong—appeared between Sanji and the crew.
It wrapped around his body, pulling gently but firmly, drawing him toward them.
He could feel it deep in his heart, this invisible thread connecting him to the people he cared 
about the most.
The lyrics that had been buried deep within him, the unspoken feelings, rose to the surface as the string pulled tighter:
"Have you ever wondered who I am to you? Have you ever thought about it, what place you hold in my life? In my world, your picture is everything; in yours, was I ever missing?"
The words resonated in his soul, a reflection of all the doubts and fears he had carried.
But now, as the string of fate tugged him closer to the crew, it felt as if all those questions were being answered.
Even if he didn't fully understand it, this connection had always been there, binding him to 
them, even when he couldn't see it.
The river between them, once wide and impossible to cross, now had a bridge—a solid path leading him back to the people he loved.
The string that had wrapped around him pulled him forward, guiding him across the bridge.
His feet moved on their own, and before he knew it, he was running toward them.
As he reached the crew, they surrounded him, their laughter and joy filling the air.
Luffy pulled him into a tight hug, and the rest followed, embracing him with warmth and 
happiness.
Sanji, overwhelmed, let the tears he had been holding back fall freely.
But this time, they weren't tears of pain—they were tears of relief, of finally feeling like he belonged.
The string of fate that had pulled him toward them now wrapped around all of them, connecting them as one, as if saying that no matter what, they were tied together.
Their bond was unbreakable.
Sanji closed his eyes, the weight of loneliness lifting as the crew's arms held him tight.
He felt the warmth of their presence, the laughter ringing in his ears, and the relief of finally being seen.
When he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself back in his bed.
He could still feel the faint trace of tears on his cheeks, but for the first time in a long while, he was smiling.
The dream lingered in his heart, a reminder of something he hadn't felt in ages—connection, warmth, and hope.
"Maybe I'm not as alone as I thought," Sanji whispered to himself.
His smile grew as he wiped away the remaining tears.
He knew that reality was often harsher, but for now, the dream had reminded him of something precious.
He still had hope, and he still had the crew—even if it sometimes felt distant.
And tonight, for the first time in a long while, his sleep had brought comfort instead of pain.
***