𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐈 - 𝐈 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔, 𝐈 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖

KINZOKU MIKAZUKI SLIPPED OUT OF THE CAR, not even looking back as the taxi disappeared up the road and back into the highway. The sorceress stood at the entrance for what felt like an eternity, her nude heels buried in the gravel of the path as she looked at the warped metal of the gates, the words Gojo House spelled out in silver swirling letters.

The last time Mikazuki had stepped into the Gojo House was to finalize her engagement, signing in the dotted line before she had set eyes on the man who was supposedly to become her husband. The marriage had been a sham even then, everyone in the Jujutsu Society knew it, but even with the countless rumours about Satoru's indiscretions and the truth of their relationship, for some unfathomable reason, her father had seen it fit to continue with the façade.

Back then, Mikazuki was too weak to ask questions or to face Asahi's wrath, but now that she'd grown into herself, the question still lingered at the forefront of her mind on most nights. Still, that was a thought for another day. The sorceress shook her head, ridding her mind of such pointless thoughts and ringing the doorbell.

The Gojo House was smaller than the Kinzoku Estate, yet it was still a large enough piece of property to make the woman pause. The doors opened, the sound of grinding metal echoing in the otherwise silent countryside, and as Mikazuki Cursed her father for making this useless match in the first place, she stepped into the bounds of the house.

Just like she expected, the house looked exactly like the last time she stepped inside of it, with the ornate silver designs painted on the outside while the rest of the house was more European, a stark contract to her own house. Mikazuki didn't hesitate any further, greeting Sene as she stepped into the entry archway.

"I'm so glad you could make it." Sene greeted with a sickly fake smile, enveloping the girl into an awkward hug.

Mikazuki nodded, shedding her coat and entering the living room with no reservation. Although she'd only been in the house once before, the space felt familiar enough she could move about unashamedly. Sene watched the girl – woman, now – with a displeased expression, following her every move. The Gojo Matriarch was not pleased by the interruption, and although she had been the one to request the meeting in the first place, having a Kinzoku within the wounds of her home did not amuse her in the least.

As far as she was concerned, Mikazuki was just another Kinzoku, with a temper just like her father's; capricious and everchanging, qualities that were unbecoming for a sorcerer as well as making them unreliable.

"You called, so I came." Mikazuki answered flatly, eyeing the room as she tried to remember the layout.

Some things – minor things, really – had changed. The sofa had been moved to the side while another newer one was added, the carpet had also been changed, the previous grey colour replaced by an ugly pale blue. For a moment, the sorceress halted her steps, taking a look at one of the large paintings that hung over the fireplace. It was relatively new, the smell of fresh paint feeling her nostrils as she inspected the art.

It was the Gojo family, all placed together in front of a generic backdrop, with Sene holding her grandchildren in her arms. The father was nowhere to be seen, which considering he wasn't a Gojo by blood but by marriage wasn't that surprising. Instead, in his place, stood Gojo Satoru, proudly presenting his siblings; the two boys, one of which was already married and a father of two, and the sister.

They looked happy – or at least as happy as sorcerers could be.

Sene cleared her throat, the sound loud enough to snap Mikazuki back to reality. The woman smoothed down the fabric of her dress – because of course her father had made her wear one – and sat down on the sofa where the matriarch had already prepared a set of fine China with tea and scones.

"I know this must be a difficult time for you." Sene began speaking quietly as she poured the hot beverage. "But, as I'm sure you've heard, Satoru is set to wed young Zenin Eshima before the end of the year."

The sorceress nodded, nibling on the side of a scone before taking a small sip of her drink. The tea was scalding hot, yet, as a young heiress raised to be properly polite, she merely smiled, gently setting down the cup as her throat burned. Bitch. She thought, an amicable smile playing on her lips.

"I've heard the news and fully support the match." Mikazuki spoke, spitting back the words her father had instructed her to say "I'm sure she will make a formidable child bride."

Eshima would turn eighteen the day of the wedding, which was the sort of shady and creepy business Mikazuki had come to expect from the Jujutsu society. Marrying a child to a full grown adult, while not your daily transaction, wasn't as uncommon as the sorceress wished. Besides, everyone knew the Zenin had been gunning to marry one of their heirs into the Gojo Clan for centuries, the fact that Sene and Naobito had eventually come to an agreement was just the natural course of things.

"Of course you do, but that is not why I called you here today." The woman shuffled around, pulling out a stack of paperwork and setting it down on the table.

Mikazuki stared at the piece of paper, the letters blurring in and out, yet she was still to make out the words 'engagement' written in dark ink.

"I'm sure you have other things to worry about, but since your exile was finalized so... quickly." Sene bit out the word, a certain amount of judgement in her tone. "I'm afraid you never got the chance of signing the annulment."

Right. The annulment. Because, according to all Jujutsu laws, Kinzoku Mikazuki and Gojo Satoru were still engaged, even ten years later. Because, for as long as that paper remained unsigned, Satoru could not marry anyone else. Mikazuki stared at the paper, watching as Sene set down a fountain pen right next to it, the dotted line at the bottom reminding her of the similar paperwork she had signed a decade ago to finalize said engagement.

"I will also be needing the ring." Sene added like an afterthought, except Mikazuki was not foolish enough to believe her.

The ring. The sorceress almost forgot about it, she wasn't even sure why Satoru had given it to her in the first place, especially when he made his feelings about her so clear.

"I'm sorry. When I was exiled, The Magistrate requisitioned all of my belongings." Mikazuki confessed, looking back down at the contract. "I'm sure if you ask Léa she will be more than willing to look for it." She lied.

I love you – that's what she told Satoru on that rooftop, the words chocked out like a heavy weight had slid off her shoulders. Why did these words feel like a lie nearly a decade later?

The sorceress cleared her throat, picking up the pen and signing her initials at the bottom, Satoru's signature already neatly written next to the empty space where hers was supposed to be.