The door to the isolation chamber shuts, and Gojo locks it before turning to the old man standing there next to him.

He had just arrived after the first year sensei had properly eliminated the danger.

Fortunately, the conflict was resolved discretely, and no one other than the first years and Gojo saw anything. There was no damage to the property (other than the hole the girl made through the ceiling of the crypt), and nobody was injured.

The worst Fushiguro may have would be a bruise, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary for him.

"She should be unconscious for another hour or so." Satoru says while holding a blank expression on his face. He dusts his hands off and shoves them in his pocket, gazing down at the Kyoto Jujutsu school principle.

The old electric guitar player was visiting Tokyo for a regular meeting he had with some of the higher ups at the school here, when he got caught up in this mess.

"That should be enough time to seal h-"

"-So, old man." Satoru interrupts with a bit of a sneer, his voice was laced with passive aggression, "When were you going to tell me there was a Six Eyes and Limitless user sealed here in the crypt?"

The principle was a bit taken aback by Gojo's sudden interjection, but at this point he was pretty used to the sorcerer's rudeness. Though regularly the rudeness came from his childish and condescending personality, not from frustration.

"...The identity of those sealed in the crypt is a topic strictly forbidden to be spoken about. I myself knew very little." The higher up explains with a sigh, "They were sealed just over 400 years ago now, but we've only had it here for about 300. The infamous sorcerer Kenjaku had possession of the sealing realm before that."

Satoru leaned against the door to the crypt room and crossed one leg over the other, listening carefully to the old man's words. He gestured his head for him to continue, almost as a threat.

The two of them stared each other down like two dogs about to get into a fight, but neither of them - especially the older higher up - had any intention of letting things get unprofessional.

"You likely recall the invasion some years ago, when the star vessel was assassinated." The Six Eyed sorcerer clenches his jaw subconsciously but nods in response, "Fushiguro Toji was tasked with not only that assassination, but was also hired by a disguised Kenjaku to try and retake the sealed box. He retrieved it, but as you remember, his plan failed."

"Why did the seals come undone now?" He asks, nearly cutting the old man off.

With another sigh, Yoshinobu continues, "We're not entirely sure, but believe that the means of Fushiguro Toji's death could have been what weakened the seals of the realm. As your technique essentially could target things on a molecular level, the seal itself could have been damaged without us knowing."

The tension between them only grew, and Satoru tips his head back, letting it fall against the one way entrance to the execution room.

"You think I was the one who caused this?" He scoffs, pressing his palm against his forehead while letting out an overexaggerated and irritated sigh, "I better not be chastised for this. You self-righteous higher ups love to put the blame on me when you're too pretentious to admit responsibility."

Principle Gakuganji scrunched his wrinkly forehead into a bit of a frown. He knew that the majority of the unbalance that led to events like these were in fact caused by the cocky sorcerer himself.

Gojo's a risk taker. He takes in students like Itadori Yuji or Okkotsu Yuta - both of which have the potential to become catastrophic. Even Fushiguro Megumi and his technique was risky, but at least he wasn't harboring some world-ending cursed spirit.

"You won't bear the responsibility of this event." He finally states. He knows that they weren't sure whether or not the situation was actually caused by Gojo. "But it doesn't matter right now. All that matters now is that we learn how they are connected to Ryomen Sukuna, and if they have any information about Kenjaku."

Satoru clicks his tongue and sighs, uncrossing his legs and standing up straight. "So, you want me to interrogate her then?"

The old man clutches the handle of his cane in both hands and looks past Gojo and down the hallway that lead back upstairs. "That's correct. But once you've done that, you must seal them." Yoshinobu pulls out the cursed realm in which the curse is to be sealed in, and presses it firmly against the powerful sorcerer's chest, "But if you fail to do so... you execute them."

***

"Rise and shine, sleepy head...~"

My head pounds violently, and the voice isn't making anything better.

I knew exactly where I was, and after feeling the slight sting of the coarse rope against my skin, I knew I was right back in the same tied up position I was in before. However, now my cursed energy was also being constantly nullified by this Gojo sorcerer as well.

I suppose that's fair, considering how I broke out and threatened to kill one of the residents here.

"Ah, good morning!" The mysterious man cheers obnoxiously, waving a hand in the air, "My my, don't look so glum!"

My eyes look around the room, this one seemed just as reinforced as the other, but its definitely a different room than before. This one was set up like it was meant for situations just like this.

We sat in a talisman-decorated chamber, lit by small paper lamps scattered around the cobblestone floor. It didn't look like there was any door to enter or exit the room either.

There didn't seem to be any escaping this time.

"If you don't know already, my name is Gojo Satoru. I'm a teacher here at Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School. You tried to kill one of my students earlier." He salutes two fingers with a friendly smile, "It's lovely to meet you.~"

He was sitting on a backwards facing chair, with his arms crossed and his chin resting on them. He looked a lot more laid back than he did before but he still had his blindfold off, revealing his endless eyes.

"And... what's your name?"

I don't reply, I simply stare down at the stone floor of the room lit by nothing but the dim lights. I keep my mouth shut, instead just thinking of a possible way to get out of here.

"Why haven't you tried to break free yet? I would have at least expected some sort of rebellion from you." He speaks again, but I once again don't reply. To this, he sighs, "Listen dove, unless you work with me here, I'll simply have to seal you back up and leave you here for a few more centuries."

I clench my jaw, but don't give in quite yet. I know that the second I speak, is the second he'll be able to get out any information he wants from me. Once that happens, he'll have no reason not to seal me.

Gojo frowns, then sighs dramatically, reaching behind him and pulling out the accursed box. "Well, at least I can say I tried." He twists the lid and opens it, and already I can feel the pull without him even putting any cursed energy behind it.

"W-WAIT." I shout, flinching and retorting my face away from the box.

The sorcerer lifts his eyebrows and clicks his tongue, "Ah, willing to cooperate now?"

I nod my head, fearing the box more than any other consequences. Once I hear the lid being closed, I relax my squeezed eyes, looking up at the man.

"Well?" He gestures his head expectantly.

"Y-Yūrei.." I say hesitantly, "Gojo Yūrei."

"Hm. So Sukuna wasn't just using a nickname for you, your name is actually Yūrei." He taps his chin while he thinks, "I suppose it suits you, especially now that you've been reawakened."

I swallow strenuously, pushing back any thoughts threatening to flood my head and instead just tried my best to focus on the task at hand; finding any means of escape before he decides to reseal me.

"So, Yūrei, what's your connection to Sukuna?" Gojo asks, obviously satisfied that I'm now willing to give him the info needed.

I look to the side, grimacing at the mention of the name, but I answer regardless, "...A binding vow."

The room echoed quietly and the air was muggy and smelled of nothing but dust and the faint residual smoke from burnt sage.

"A binding vow?" He repeats, his curiosity now spiking, "What kind of vow? Oh- and... go into a bit more detail. These simple answers won't get us anywhere."

A moment passes where I just stare at him, both terrified by the danger he poses, but also intrigued to see another person like me - someone with the same eyes.

"...A vow... that pledges my life to him." I let out a pained breath, "A right hand of sorts - working under him as both servant and apprentice."

Gojo leans in a little more, listening closely to my words, beckoning me to go on. The ropes wrapped around me were really starting to hurt, and I felt like my wrists were being rubbed raw.

"He was the one who cursed me. The day I took that vow, he turned me into this in order to properly monitor me. He is the King of Curses after all..."

"That's one hell of a vow." My captor begins, tapping his fingers against the forearm beneath them, "You literally sold your soul to the devil. Why though? What did you get from it?"

Those thoughts that I was trying to suppress come pouring in, causing me to wince in physical pain. The thoughts alone made me nauseous.

"Well?"

"M-My... brother..." I choke out, "S-Sukuna guaranteed his safety so long as I was faithful to my vow, so I did... horrendous things just to ensure he lived a long, happy life."

Now that I think about it, I feel a lot more cursed spirit than human in me. If I were to guess, it could be because of all the time I spent in that damn box, simply soaking in the hate for Sukuna and Kenjaku.

I notice Gojo's attire. It's similar to what his students wore, and the style reminded me vaguely of what Toji wore. I suppose this is the style of this century.

This century...

The fact that I had been sealed for multiple centuries hits me like a truck. I will never see anyone I ever knew again. In fact, even my brothers grandkids - if he even had any - would most definitely be dead, so would their grandkids.

It's one thing to ponder about time when you're trapped in a box, but actually being faced with the reality was worse than I had ever anticipated.

A single tear fell from my eye without my permission, but when I went to wipe it, my hand was obviously restrained by the ropes holding me in place.

I snap my head to the side and away from Gojo in an attempt to hide my vulnerable state, hoping that maybe the stream would dry on it own.

However, he stands, walks around his chair, and crouches down in front of me just like before.

My heartrate speeds up, as I know that if we were to fight right now, he'd most definitely win. I'm so weakened from before, and the disorientation of being reawakened was really starting to hit me.

The fact that I had even managed to escape the first crypt room was entirely a fluke, but I sacrificed nearly all of my energy on that alone. I was running on fumes now.

He grabs my chin and turns my face toward his. My heart pounds harder, nearly becoming audible. I was terrified of what he might do, but my fear settles just a bit when I see his eyes again.

They were different. They were so soft, genuine even? I didn't know what to think. This man was about to reseal me, and yet he seemed like he peered into my soul with sympathy.

Something clicked.

"You're crying." He furrows his brows, adjusting his gaze from my eyes and then down the single tear that had run down my cheek. He lifts his other hand to swipe it away, but he only manages to get so close before I pull my face out of his grasp.

"F-fuck off!" I snap, and he only sighs, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Sheesh relax! I wasn't trying to hurt you. It's just weird to see a cursed spirit cry."

His words only enraged me further, causing my eyes to glow a bit brighter in the dark room. "I'm not a damned cursed spirit." I spit at him, but realized the falsity of my words immediately, "...not.. entirely."

Satoru sits down on the floor with me, crossing his legs and leaning back on one of his hands. I could just see how much those eyes were analyzing me from behind that confident expression.

I swallow, averting my gaze and taking a deep breath.

"409 years." I said quietly after doing a small amount of math in my head, "People think that when you're sealed, you fall into some kind of drunken stupor. It's nothing like that. I think I was completely conscious for more than four centuries."

I knew the truth of the situation; that he was going to seal me again. But... I'll be honest, having this company was nice. It was sobering - just being able to actually hear my own voice and feel breath in my lungs. Everything felt like a dream, and I knew I was about to wake up, so I really wanted to savor these moments.

I laugh in a pained way, looking up at Satoru. "Hell is better than being sealed for that long. I could feel everything going on outside the box, I could see it, hear it, at times I could even smell the fresh air. But those times were mere moments in the seemingly endless time I spend here, with nothing but my thoughts and the darkness." I look down at the ground in front of my knees, "But there's only so many thoughts a single person can have, y'know?"

Gojo's expression sunk into a softer one, and he lifted himself off of his hands and rested his forearms on his knees, all while he leaned forward.

"Yūrei.." The mere sound of my name on someone else's lips was euphoric, "You do know I will have to reseal you right? It's either that or I kill you."

I sigh, lowering my head a bit, but sort of smiling regardless. "Yeah, I assumed so. But I'll be honest it was sort of nice getting to see the outside world for a brief while before being sent back."

Gojo is silent for a moment, staring at my face while he thinks to himself.

A light growl rumbles from his chest when he thinks about the Jujutsu system, and how inhumane and unfair it is. He knew that if he wasn't so buddy-buddy with the school and wasn't as cooperative with the system as he was, he would be the one in my shoes, he would be the one in the box.

Simply because he's strong.

This girl was really strong, and granted, she worked with Sukuna and helped him with his bidding for who knows how long. She was also a cursed spirit - or, half cursed spirit. Even if she wasn't a Gojo, or even powerful at all, she would have to be exorcised according to jujutsu regulations.

Satoru thinks of Yuji. He's very similar to her; half cursed spirit half human, and he's been greatly misunderstood by a lot of people. Recently the higher ups even sent him on a suicide mission while his sensei had his back turned, all in an attempt to kill him.

As you can imagine, Gojo was already quite frustrated with the system.

He was thinking this girl could likely be the same. Attacking one of his students isn't entirely justified, but it's not surprising considering she had been sealed for so long and was given a chance to escape.

Though, that doesn't exactly answer why she attacked Fushiguro in particular, he thought.

"Why did you attack Megumi?" Gojo asked me, and my eyes flicked up to his, giving him a confused look.

"Megu..mi...?" I tilt my head to one side, "Oh, the darked haired boy?"

Satoru nods, keeping his eyes on mine. My answer is what will decide if he makes a crucial decision or not.

"I..." I begin, swallowing and lowering my head in shame, "I'll be honest, I mistook him for someone else..."

"Who?" He asks immediately.

"Zen'in Toji." I shifted a little, I was really starting to ache from these ropes, "Apparently he was hired to retrieve me for Kenjaku years ago, but he died in the process."

I take a deep breath, trying to control the thoughts circulating in my head. "When I thought I sensed him, I knew my best option would be to take him by surprise, so I didn't think things through." My fingers fiddle with themselves behind my back, "...I now realize that was your student, I.. hope he's not injured too badly."

Gojo clenches his jaw subtly when he feels his heart sting, but he wasn't exactly sure why. "Damn, why the hell is she getting into my head so much?" He thought to himself.

Actually, now that he really thinks about it, why was she sealed in the first place? Because she was working for Sukuna? Maybe because she was a powerful cursed spirit?

Given the proper tools, it may be easier to seal someone than to kill them... so that's probably it, but even still, he couldn't help but wonder.

Then another question shoved itself into his brain.

"400 years between each birth of somebody who possesses both the Six Eyes and Limitless, and 409 years of being sealed... that means..."

"You're only nineteen?" Gojo says while scratching behind his ear in a relatively casual manor.

I pause, then sigh into a soft but somewhat sad chuckle, "Yeah, wow I guess you're right... I was sealed when I was nineteen. I've only been 'alive' for nineteen years."

Silence blankets the small room once again. The only sound was our quiet breathing, or the sound Gojo's uniform made while he shifted his position.

"Yūrei." He says plainly, folding his hands in front of him, "End your pact with Sukuna."

These words confuse the hell out of me, I simply stare and blink a few times. "H-huh?"

"I'm sure you know by now, but your brother is dead. There's nothing left for Sukuna to revoke if you end the binding vow." He explains.

I knew he was right, but I quickly push away the fact. I couldn't accept that truth - that my brother was dead.

I made a promise to him. I promised him I'd find him but look at me now; sitting here 400 years in the future as a guilty oath breaker.

"Why does it matter anyways? I'm going to be resealed." I quickly pipe up, distracting my brain with the sound of my own voice.

Satoru's eyes delved deep into mine for a while before he spoke up. He tipped his head back and that confident smile returned to his face.

"You're gonna make a pact with me instead."

I stare at the man, eyes wide. "...I... I don't understand..."

"As long as you swear not to harm anyone, not to cause calamity, and to obey what I say no matter what, I will revoke your containment order. I'll have to keep you here at the school for a while, but if all goes well, I'll take you up as one of my students."

His words echoes in my ears, and I was speechless. Was he... actually offering this?

Silence fills the room and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heart pounding in my chest rapidly.

I was hesitant. I didn't know what his intentions were with this, but all I knew that this was the only other option to being locked away in a cursed realm for another uncertain amount of time.

Satoru looked at me with a serious expression, but it wasn't emotionless. Instead, his eyes were full of emotion, and even seemed hopeful.

"I-I... accept...-"

I'm barely able to say the words, but the second I finish the first couple coherent words, the ropes come undone. They fell against the ground of the stone room and instant relief washed over me as the throbbing pain of the cursed restraints subsided.

My weakened body began to tip over without me even noticing, but Gojo caught me by the shoulders and moved me to lean against one of the talisman covered walls.

My eyes grew even wider, tears once again threatening to fall. I barely just agreed to his terms, and I'm still technically a threat, but he just... trusted me?

Maybe he could just tell that I was so weakened, so he didn't see me as a threat much anymore.

"Repeat back to me the terms of our pact, just so we're on the same page." He asked while leaving one hand on my shoulder to be sure I didn't fall over again.

I hadn't even noticed before, but he radiated something that only drew me in more. Something I hadn't felt in so long, I had completely forgotten the sensation;

Warmth...

Those tears that were threatening to fall finally fell, but at this point, I was too distracted by the present situation to care.

My hand slowly reaches up to the wrist of the hand he held on my shoulder, and I grasp it subconsciously. I don't pull it away or anything, I just needed to remind myself somehow that things might actually be okay.

"Come on now dove... Pacts require spoken wor-"

"I accept your terms. I swear to not cause any harm or calamity and to immediately obey whatever you ask of me." My eyes squeeze shut and my voice begins to break, "B-but please stay true to your end Gojo... Please don't put me back in that hell..."

I don't remember what happened after that, all I remember is him nodding as well as the warmth he radiated, and then the feeling of drowsiness that set in shortly after.

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[3672 words]