𝕊𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 | 𝚂𝚞𝚔𝚞𝚗𝚊 𝚁𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚗, 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚞 𝙶𝚘𝚓𝚘

𝟡.

I rushed through the castle staff entrance, panting.

"Why are you here ?" a butler inquired, agitating himself in utter panic as I ran across the hall to the stairs.

He was yelling at me to stop and turn back, but I barely looked at him and kept going. If he wanted me to get out, he would have to run.

I thought hard about the time Gojo carried me to Sukuna's room. It was pretty far away from where I was and I think I had to... go up two floors ? Three ?

"Arrgh !" I groaned out loud, as I climbed the stairs as fast as I could until I reached the third floor. I could hear the butler's fast step closing up on me. That bastard wasn't going to let this slide.

I stopped running and fast walked in the corridors to scan my surroundings. I knew what I was searching for, a big door with golden markings on it.

I saw it when I came around the corner.

"Stop right there !" the butler yelled, almost grabbing me by the hem of my blouse.

I rushed to the door and pushed it open before I even thought to knock.

He was lying on the couch, his right arm was hanging on his side, his hand resting on the ground. His other arm served as a cushion for his head as he was staring at the ceiling. His beautiful white and crimson haori was laying on the floor along with his kimono. He was left with an all black light outfit, tighter to his elongated yet chiseled figure. 

"What are you doing here uninvited ?" he muttered, lifeless. He kept staring at the ceiling.

"Just..." I didn't actually come with anything to say to him. What should I tell him ? That I've been nosy and went to check what was in that shrine ?

I started to stutter and mumbled nonsense. I've always been bad at lying. He looked at me from the corner of his eye.

Fuck it.

"I went to the shrine..." I whispered, ashamed of my indiscretion.

He sighed and sat down, looking at his feet.

"And ?" he pressed me.

"I saw..." he got up at my words and motioned toward me.

"Tell me, what did you see ?" he kept insisting.

I looked down. I knew that I shouldn't have seen it. I started playing nervously with my hands.

"The painting on the altar."

He passed his arm over me and locked the door behind me. The Sukuna I knew would have pinned me against the wall and hurt me for what I've done. But he just turned around and went back to sit on the couch.

"So ?" he said, looking at me, crossing his legs and leaning on his knuckles.

"I know what happened to you...thousands of years ago." my voice started to get shaky. "The painting... Is it your late wife and kids?."

His gaze, so intense, made me weak on my feet. I didn't know what to do with the silence that followed between us. 

So, I asked.

"Is today the day ... -"

"Yes." he cut me. "Again, why are you here ?" he shifted his gaze back at me.

"Several reasons." I said evasively, before gathering the courage I had in me to be honest with him.

"When I saw the painting, I instinctively ran until I got to you."