[Ayane's POV]

Rubble, debris, decaying.
The smell of burning.
Corpses.

Same nightmare as always.

My eyes were going together, vision blurry.

"Huh?"

I tried to focus on anything, but it was too dark.

"Where...what?"

My head was spinning. I felt like I was floating.

"Ah, you're awake!"

I lifted my head as high as I could, fear-stricken, looking to see who the voice belonged to.

"Ayane, my little dove."

. . .

"Who the fuck are you?"

The etching of a shadow of a man loomed before me, his face half hidden in the gloomy moonlight of whatever room I was in. "Now, now," he said sweetly, "I don't like that kind of language. It's not very becoming of a young lady like yourself." He inched closer to where I was sitting. It was just then that I'd realised my hands and feet were bound to the chair by rope. I tried pulling them on instinct, but it was to no avail. "That won't get you far," he smirked with a creepy laugh, "I need you to trust me."

Trust him? I'm literally tied to a fucking chair right now...

"You are joking, right?"

"Quite the contrary, dove. I'm fully serious." I had a better view of him now. The side of him that was previously sheltered from view revealed itself and by god was it a sight. He had some sort of tumour like bulge pushing out of his shoulder, his face and neck covered in a dark red scarring, his body pulsating. He looked like...

A curse?

"What do you want?" I asked, I tried to prepare myself to fight, but the strangest sensation had been rifling through my body since the second I opened my eyes. I felt like I had absolutely no energy, nor cursed energy circulating around me.

"Silly question. But then again, you can't always have brains and beauty. A shame, really."

How eccentric and original of him.

"I am after one thing, dear Phoenix," he purred, "That power of yours. It'll come in handy to my master. I'm planning to be employee of the month."

Huh?

"Huh?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he laughed maniacally, "Seriously, your face! It's like a painting!"

Yep, for sure dealing with a manic. Potentially a curse. A maniac curse. Just what I need on my birthday.

"Come here and untie me and get a closer look at the face that's so funny to you."

"Oh my, I do love a veiled threat. However, I've drained you of your cursed energy, so there'll be no use in trying to fight with me." I panicked, trying to flare up, but I couldn't, "A shame, really. I would've loved to see your pretty flames up close and personal," he was coming way too close for comfort.

In this light, he looked terrifying. Putrid, disgusting, he smelled. His calloused hand brushed past my cheek, stroking it in the most sickeningly-soft way.

Drained me of my energy? This had to be the same guy that sent the birds with no trace of energy, then.

"Fuck off," I exhaled under my breath.

"You don't mean that, birdie," he smiled, almost like he was convincing himself, "I've waited so long to get this close to you." The pet names did nothing to help ease the pit in my stomach I'd felt since I opened my eyes.

"So it was you, then?" I closed my eyes, ignoring his finger tracing over my face, down my neck, lower.

"When, little girl? Use your words, I can't understand you," he cooed, taking his hand off of me, only to cup my chin and force me to look at his hideous face.

"The flock of birds."

"Ah, yes. Quite the flamboyant choice, no?"

I tried to remain calm, breathing in and out slowly, praying to any god or demon that would listen that he wouldn't touch me further than what he had already.

Surveying my surroundings now that I was fully conscious, albeit electrified by terror, I attempted to think of any way I could get out the small room. There was one window that faced another building and what I assumed to be fire door stairs off of a balcony. The door was locked shut as far as I could see, and even if there were to be keys in sight, there'd be no telling if I'd be able to knock the guy out without any cursed energy in order to buy me time to figure out which key to use and unlock the door in time. There was always the option of smashing the window and jumping, but I didn't know how high I was and most importantly, I didn't know if my wings would take.

I'm fucking stuck.

The strange man turned his back, heading over to a kitchen bench and pulling something out of a black bag. That's when I spotted it, a knife rack. Sitting out in the damn open.

Realistically, if I manage to jump with my legs and hands bound to this chair at a certain angle, I could break the chair and set myself free. But I'd need to do it quickly. I'd then charge for the knife rack, picking up any one and I could stab him as many times as I liked, I could always wait for my cursed energy to come back and heal him just to the point of life again.

"You seem to be in distress, Phoenix."

"I can't imagine why."

"You jest, you protest this lucrative career venture, you award my propositions with dismissal. Did no one ever teach you to respect your elders, hm?"

He was back over at me, although this time he had something hidden in his hand. I tried to make out what it was but he got way too close.

Make him talk, he clearly likes to monologue. Distract him.

"What do you mean when you say 'lucrative career venture'?"

"Well, lucrative mean-"

"I know what the word means, dipshi-"

SMACK!

My cheek was stinging, my ears ringing. I blinked to try and get my vision back to normal, but god damn did he hit slap me hard! The burning re-affirmed the notion that my mouth would truly be the death of me one day.

"Fuck!" I shouted, "Why?!"

"Because you're insolent. You deserve punishment."

I receded into myself, truly wanting to cuss him out more, but it didn't seem like that would be the best option.

"Good," he went back to smiling after he realised I was done talking, "Let me be frank, Phoenix. You're merely a cog in a machine that is going to aid in creating the new world. Think of me as the man who is going to liberate you from your role as a pawn in Gojo Satoru's game of chess!"

Huh? What did Gojo have to do with this?

"The new world?"

"Yes, yes. Curses and humans, living together, symbiotically! Haha!"

His laughter returned, this time it struck fear into my gut.

All the curses I'd been pit against since starting Jujutsu High, the incident with Megumi, my bracelet...?

"Is that what you are?"

"Be more clear."

"Are you a half-curse, half-human?"

He turned around, placing his hands spread out on the kitchen counter, staring up at the ceiling dramatically, "You noticed, Phoenix? You can see the art? The art that my master has created?"

I stared at him completely blankly.

"Don't you see it?!" he screamed, running up to me and squeezing my shoulders together, eyes boring into my soul, "I am the creation! The first perfected infliction! The one who will gather the army to create the new world!"

Yep...fucking insane.

"I have been watching you. Your incredibly stupid caregivers opting to not put cameras outside of your window was the final piece of the puzzle I needed."

"Huh?"

He's been watching me all this time...

"Your training was very lax for a long period of time. Even with that boy, you could barely get a hit in. But this morning when you donned your wings perfectly, I knew it was time."

I remained silent, letting him continue.

"First order of business is getting you to heal me. Master claims that your regeneration technique would be able to solve my...aesthetic demeanour."

How eloquently said of him.

"After, we'll take you to master. He has other plans for you. Then, the new world shall be born."

He seemed so proud of himself after his speech.

"World domination?" I laughed, "You look like you'd burn up in the sunlight. Can people even see you?"

Something in his eyes changed after my facetious rhetorical question. Before he seemed jagged, frayed, but now...

"Scoff all you want, Phoenix," he growled, grabbing my neck, "I'm very visible. That'd pose a problem to your little Jujutsu community, now wouldn't it?"

Shit! This is bad!

"What...d-o you w-ant...from me?" I choked in between breaths.

"You realise you possess one of the most ancient inherited techniques, yes?"

I couldn't even make out what he was saying. I could barely breathe. He swung the chair around so now I was facing directly the fire exit balcony window.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE ABOVE ALL THIS?!" he screamed, spitting in my face, "YOU THINK YOU'RE HIGH AND MIGHTY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A TECHNIQUE? LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, YOU'RE NOTHING," his grip got stronger and stronger, my vision began to fail me as I choked, I could see stars, "YOU'LL ALWAYS BE NOTHING. YOU'RE A COG. A MEANS TO AN END. A DEVICE."

I was fading fast. I could've sworn I was seeing things, an illusion of a person outside the window.

His grip had loosened on me, but I hadn't noticed, I was numb, my body desperately trying to heal itself. There was vague shouting in the back of my brain, I assumed it was just him.

Tilting my head up, I came to find it wasn't me he was screaming at any longer.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Red."