𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 || 𝐉𝐔𝐉𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐔 𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐍

Chapter 12: The Torment Sigil

Mina felt another headache blossoming as she left the restaurant. This 'Geto' and his band of curses unsettled her. Geto in particular set her on edge.

Something about him seemed fundamentally wrong. More wrong than usual in this world.

She shook her head, ridding herself of thoughts of their encounter. She had more pressing issues to deal with such as the fact that they knew about the codex, which wasn't much of a surprise given how powerful it was. The only issue was actually getting hold of it.

If they could get hold of it as they said, that would make her job a whole lot easier.

However, she knew the likelihood of them being able to do so was slim given the codex's strength. She didn't doubt that if Geto touched it he would be obliterated.

However, something about them made her pause and consider their offer.

Mina shivered, not able to rid herself of the unsettling feeling that she's stumbled into something dangerous.

She decided it would be for the best if she distanced herself from the jujutsu world for the time being and begin searching for the codex.

I've been side-tracked for long enough.

** ** **

3 weeks Later

** ** **

A week had passed and Mina had found a slim lead. She sat in a hole-in-the-wall café browsing her recently acquired computer, looking at the recent strange occurrences that could be activity surrounding the book. She'd found some promising leads, but they all fizzled out into nothing.

She slowly sipped her coffee as she scrolled through the police files she'd managed to get a hold of through less-than-legal means. The most promising lead she currently held was a three year old case that had ended less than a year ago—an estate plagued with mysterious deaths.

The case seemed strange to her, particularly where the victims spontaneously combusted. The reports failed to mention the direct cause, with the police having ruled out self-immolation and declared the case closed, sealing the building.

Despite this, the deaths continued.

Of course, that hadn't stopped thrill chasers and reckless youths from climbing over the walls and fences to check out the 'haunted' site.

But out of nowhere, several months ago, people going there stopped dying. Where it had once been the case where bodies would turn up every few days, there was nothing Gradually the site lost its reputation and became abandoned once more.

Mina took another sip of coffee as she studied the photos of the site from the appearance of the final victim. She went to take another sip when the cup froze between her lips.

"Impossible!" Shakily placing her cup down, she zoomed in carefully to the picture.

On the side of the building, as if painted directly into the grey brick, was a blood-red Torment Sigil.

Mina's eyes widened as she found herself releasing a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"I haven't seen one of these in a while, not since..." she trailed off absently, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the Sigil, her eyes unseeing as she lost herself in her memory.

___

The first time she'd seen a torment Sigil was when she was taken to the sub-levels of the Institute she was detained in.

The usage of Torment Sigils had long been outlawed, and those who used it faced harsh penalties, but there were those who had still managed to cultivate the technique to use it.