𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐈 - 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒

MIKAZUKI PAUSED AT THE DOORWAY OF THE CHAPEL, hand clutching the wooden frame as her golden eyes travelled across the garden. The lanterns set at both sides of the path illuminated the space, a garland of lights climbing up the wooden posts set on each side of the lake like a trail of fairy lights looking at the sky. The crowd had already gathered around the wooden scaffold set on the shore, half of the thing submerged in the murky lake water.

The sorceress held her breath in an attempt to control the gold inside of her veins, watching as a group of overexcited kids ran through the garden, pulling at each other's hair before zigzagging between the guests and the catering tables. A small grin appeared on Mikazuki's face, the image reminding her of the old days when she and Keisuke would run around playing pranks on unsuspecting guests while grandma chased them around.

Those were the good old days, the same ones Mikazuki wished would have lasted forever. But, as the sorceress had come to learn in recent years, good things rarely last long, and on the rare occasions that they do, they turn sour just as quick.

Mikazuki shook her head, ridding herself of these useless thoughts before quickly glancing back towards the crowd. Some of them she recognized; the head of the Zenin Clan was quietly chatting with the Mistress of France while her father was having a somewhat heated conversation with the youngest of the Gojo heirs.

The sorceress's nails dug into the wooden frame of the door, a thin layer of gold spreading through the cracks before quickly melting into the wood like a river of molten gold. She could feel it burning under her skin, the desire to let go strong enough to rattle her bones and the cursed energy that inhabited her soul.

These were the same fifty nine sorcerers who idly stood by as her soul was ripped from her body. The same fifty nine who broke their oath, watching as everything Kinzoku Mikazuki was shattered into tiny fragile pieces until there was nothing but a hollow sensation left.

These were also the fifty nine lives the sorceress had returned for, so she could take them just like they took hers.

The rest were just a bunch of strangers who, lured in by her brother's death, had come to see the so-called traitor return. The cannon fodder who intended to sit back and enjoy the show, warming their hands while Mikazuki set the entire world ablaze.

But Kinzoku Mikazuki had no intention of making tonight about herself. No, this night was about Keisuke – his farewell, the days he would never get to live, the years he would never watch pass him by. It was about everything he had lost.

The sorceress stood there, eyes falling on the large crowd that could be seen from the inside of the building and suddenly realizing she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to say goodbye yet, especially in front of a bunch of strangers who probably didn't even know Keisuke, or at least as well as she had, back then.

Some of the people standing outside had never even met the man, they were just pretenders, taking the opportunity to lay their eyes on the future heiress, Keisuke's death of little to no concern to them. But Mikazuki would not hesitate to make them regret that – along with everything else they'd done.

Mikazuki held her head high, deciding to just stop thinking about it and to move on. She made her way across the crowd, the procession following closely as the sound of violins filtered through the air, the soft orange glow of the lanterns illuminating her path. The sorceress could feel multiple eyes following her, surprised gasps echoing in the night as her identity finally dawned on them.

To them, Kinzoku Mikazuki was a murderer, a traitor to the Jujutsu society who had been dealt with a long time ago. She was a sinner, a pariah – words which had once been used to describe her ancestor and that now echoed in the nigh with every step she made towards the shore of the lake.

They couldn't even begin to understand what she was doing there, so carelessly making her way through the crowd, unbothered by all their hate filled gazes. Kinzoku Mikazuki was a mass murderer, she should have been behind bars or still rotting on the Argentinian countryside, not confidently striding through the gardens of the Kinzoku estate like she owned it – and, in less than six months, she would.

The hateful words and hushed whispers thrown her way fell on deaf ears, Mikazuki could filter it all out with a mere flicker of her finger, putting the walls of her Eternity so high up no whisper would reach her aside from the ones she allowed to go through. Satoru watched her saunter off into the night, his shades lowered as his ocean blue eyes followed her every more. She was an impenetrable fortress, and he couldn't help but gape at it.

Once the sorceress reached the wooden scaffolding floating over the dark water of the lake, the voices quieted down, stars looking down at them, quietly awaiting the right moment as the moon hovered in the night sky. Soon, Keisuke would join them, watching over his sister for the rest of eternity – just like he always wanted.

A priest walked forward, the white of his ceremonial robes contrasting against everyone else's dark clothes. The man paused in front of Keisuke's body, blessing him while Mikazuki presided over him, her face completely expressionless. Once he was done with the eldest Kinzoku, the priest turned to the sorceress, who bowed her head forward, kneeling down until her knees hit the wooden deck.

They were twins, she bore a part of Keisuke's soul – just like he carried a part of hers, and as such, he could not make the journey to the stars without his other half. Mikazuki was meant to accompany him every step of the way, and yet, she was still alive and breathing while her brother's rotting corpse laid on a wooden plank in front of her.

The ceremony was primitive, yet beautiful in a sense only things born of sorcery could be. Mikazuki rose from the ground, the diadem of black diamonds feeling heavy on her head as she held herself high, turning towards the lantern that had been set beside Keisuke's motionless form.

The paper lantern lit up like a wildfire, and as Mikazuki watched it fly away into the stars, she couldn't help but shed one solitary tear.

This was it. Keisuke was gone, the body in front of her nothing but an empty carcass to a soul that was no longer among them, too busy floating among the stars. Mikazuki wiped away the tear, her face melting back into the mask of indifference she'd perfectioned for the last decade.

She wouldn't allow herself to cry, not here, in front of all these strangers who were still too entranced by her presence instead of mourning her twin. Instead, the sorceress remained deathly still, quietly feeling the golden cracks in her arm grow like a spider's web.

Her power kept on growing, and as soon as the two week mourning period was over, she would fully inherit her brother's potential. Then, and only then, would the Kinzoku Clan make it official.

And then, only then, would Mikazuki's true plans be set in motion.