竟
jìng · HSK 7
unexpectedly
竟 = 音 sound + 儿 legs: the music ran to its very end, then unexpectedly stopped
Originally meant a tune reaching its finish (音 sound atop 儿 person/legs). That sense of arriving at the end shifted to the surprise of where things end up: 竟然 = who'd have thought, unexpectedly.
竟 — 音 (sound) + 儿 (person) below
Originally depicted a person (儿) finishing a musical performance (音), suggesting the end or completion of something. The meaning extended to 'finish,' 'in the end,' and 'unexpectedly.' The component 音 also hints at the pronunciation.