Butterfly's Curse: Prisoner Of The Unseen| Zenin Toji

Seiren's Confinement

Just like the chief had said, Seiren was confined inside the house of the Kamo family. One of the last places she saw before that was her home being burned completely to ashes, taking away all the memories she shared with Sukuna along with the smoke. But what remained the most in her memory was the Cursed Forest and how much she wished to know about the mystery behind the unseen beast. Of how the forest had managed to keep for thousands of years imprisoned a dangerous creature. But not only the beast, the curses as well, that one day replaced or devoured the animals that lived there.

Perhaps that was the reason of why the branches were twisted and bare of any foliage in every season. Their life force could have been drained away by the beast, or its malice had been so strong that every life had perished. What ever it was, this wasn't a sight she missed, since from the Kamos' house the dead trees still looked as tall as skyscrapers, like a castle reigning over a kingdom.

It was hard for her mind to not wander about the forest and the beast when the day of the offering was so close. For others, two years it's a long time, but for Seiren it wasn't. Because in two years she would lose everything, unable to stay by the side of her beloved Noritoshi. She was unaware of what kind of punishment he would receive, but it was a relief that both of his parents didn't stopped him from visiting her.

Both of them had spoken to him the same day they tried to escape, allowing him to get married to Seiren and let him pass time with her as long as he didn't try to leave the village again and accept their fate. Just like them, his parents were unaware of his punishment, but they didn't fear for his son's life. Sukuna was only confined inside the shrine and he had committed worst sins, so Noritoshi punishment couldn't be something worse than that. At least that's what they thought.

At the end, Noritoshi ended up obeying his parents' words, but not because he wanted to. Not having the help of Sukuna anymore, it would be even more difficult to leave. He doesn't know anyone from other villages or towns and they had been being watched by a few villagers for the past few days, so trying to escape was out of the question for the moment.

Although he was thankful that both of them had allowed him to visit his wife and pass time with her, and being the one to provide all she needed. Still, there was one thing that bothered him: Seiren being confined inside a room away from the rest, only being able to leave when it was necessary. Sadly, he could not do anything to change that.

As the time passed, Seiren ended up being pregnant with Noritoshi's child. The Kamo family did not take that long to know about this notice, yet they still didn't allow her to leave the room she was confined in. They were afraid that in someway the chief will find out, not having other option than to continue to follow his orders.

However, they promised Noritoshi that they would keep Seiren's pregnancy as a secret from the chief and the villagers, so that the baby can be born in this world to live a happy and normal life. And for that to happen, the child would be given into a adoption a few days before the day of the offering happens.

Noritoshi at first opposed, since he wanted to take care of his child even if Seiren wasn't present in their lives anymore, but he was reminded of his uncertain fate. Not knowing if he's going to face death as well, he ended up accepting and obeying his parents once again.

Both of them already had someone in mind, a young woman around the age of Seiren named Tsumiki. A few years ago she had moved to the village along with her mother, both of them ending up working for the Kamo family.

Tsumiki knew about the misfortune caused by a woman of red butterflies, since she had heard a few villagers talk about it, even about the unseen beast and the old stories everyone believed, yet she didn't really believe in anything of that. Because of this, she was the best option to take care of the baby. In fact, she is probably the only one in the village that would agree of taking care of Seiren's child.