𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕 - 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄

KINZOKU HIDE STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR, her hands trembled as she walked the small path that lead to the entrance. The building was tall, its architecture different than the traditional Japanese. The style was European, the huge columns at the sides of the entrance a direct throwback to Greek architecture while the grey colour of the stones reminded her of the gothic constructions.

It was Wednesday, the campus of the school filled with students in their black uniforms even in the middle of summer. The gardens were big and well taken care of, the path that led to the entrance was lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and beautiful colourful plants that fit the colour scheme of the school.

Hide paid it no mind as she made her way. She was dressed in regular mortal clothes, and although it wasn't her preference, showing up at the school wearing her formal traditional kimono would have raised some questions she was not ready to face. The Window led her across the garden, his hand gently nudging her back as if this wasn't familiar territory for her.

Although Hide did not teach at the school, she was quite familiar with its layout. As the matriarch of the family, part of the duties included helping run the Kinzoku School for the Gifted, an institution devoted to teach future sorcerers, Windows and Doors the inner workings of the Jujutsu world and The Magistrate. As the headmistress, Hide was tasked with running the school and tending to all the responsibilities that came with that.

A few students paused, seeing their headmistress wander the gardens with purpose, yet none of them stopped to greet or acknowledge her presence. The news of Keisuke's passing had spread fast, and none of the students dare disturb a woman in mourning. Once they reached the main door, Hide paused, taking a deep breath before twisting the handle and stepping in.

They didn't linger in the hall for long, it was too loud and there were many unwelcome guests. Instead, the Kinzoku woman walked towards the staircase in the back, heading down to the underbelly of the school were only a handful of staff members were allowed.

The Window followed dutifully, momentarily scanning the scene in front of him; the joyful screams of the students as they played, their roughhouse training in the grounds that surrounded the school and the oddballs studying in the hall.

Like most of the sorcerers in Japan, he too had been brought up at the school under the watchful gaze of the Kinzoku family. It had been a while ago, now, but he would never forget those long years.

Hide's heels clicked in the distance, reminding him once again why he was here. The Window shook his head, descending the stairs and stumbling into the dimly lit hallway that ran underneath the great hall. They reached the laboratory not long after; Hide pulled out the key from her suit, this room was off limits to most employees, the chemicals kept were too dangerous to be handled by untrained hands.

Once the door opened, revealing what was on the other side, she faltered. The Window took a deep breath, stepping around the woman to turn on the lights. The lab on the basement was a bit old-fashioned, a reminder of the previous century judging both by the white porcelain sinks and the ugly green that covered the walls.

The Window ignored it, stepping towards the metal table at the centre of the room where Keisuke's body had been laid to rest. He was poorly covered by a sheet of black plastic, both his arms and feet peeking from under the blanket. The silence we deafening, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

Hide finally built up the courage to walk into the room, her trembling hands reaching out to stroke Keisuke's curls, the gesture both familiar and far more painful than she could have ever imagined. The Window remained silent, watching the interaction with a heavy heart. He too had kids, and he couldn't imagine losing one of them quite like this.

Despite the sheet covering the body, the deformities the Curse had caused could still be appreciated. The Magistrate's coroner had done her best, but putting Keisuke's body back together would be a huge endeavour, one that would take days if not weeks. Thankfully, the basement was bewitched, and so the body would not decompose as long as it stayed within the bounds of the school.

"When can I take him home?" She asked, her fingers still tangled in Keisuke's coal black hair.

The Window adjusted his position, the shuffling on his suit echoing in the otherwise silent room.

"The Magistrate is currently conducting an investigation and the coroner still needs to work on him. As soon as that is done, he will be transported to the Kinzoku Estate and you'll be able to prepare him for burial."

Hide nodded, her emerald green eyes falling on her son once again. She could still remember when he had first come into the world, covered in blood and gore, his screaming so loud and powerful while Asahi grinned happily, the sentence 'I have a boy' echoing again and again in the delivery room.

The clan elders had been pleased, after the birth of her firstborn, the clan had been eagerly expecting a male heir to have as a spare in case anything happened to her eldest. It was just their luck that not even twenty minutes after Keisuke came into the world, he was immediately followed by another child. Hide shook her head, dispelling these thoughts from her mind, she did not want to think about Mikazuki – not here, in front of her son's corpse.

She wouldn't dishonour him like that.

A tear ran down her face, and for once, Hide did not swat it away, too busy brushing the curls out of Keisuke's still covered face.

"What–" Her voice faltered and the woman pressed her lips before speaking again. "What happened? What did this to my son?"

The Window didn't move from his position, weighing in Hide's questions against his orders from The Magistrate. He had never been one to challenge authorities, especially one as absolute and unalterable as the Council of Magistrates, but the idea of a clueless mother didn't sit well with him.

He would probably be punished for this later, but at the moment, the Window couldn't care less.

"It was a Curse, Hide-sama." His tone remained neutral even as he watched her face crumble in front of him. "It's a special-grade vengeful spirit, it twists the bodies of its victims until they become unrecognizable. According to the reports..." He stopped, unsure on whether he should continue.

He had read the report made by Ijichi, he knew what had happened that day, but he found himself unable to speak it at loud. Not to her, to the grieving mother. She didn't deserve to hear it.

"According to the reports?" She pressed, tears now running freely down her cheeks.

"He offered himself up, ma'am." The Window looked down, not willing to face the woman's wrath, or worse, her sorrow. "They're dubbing it a suicide by curse."