CATENATE. {Jujutsu Kaisen x OC}

-> prologue

September 2017

     "We're leaving, Ena" The girl brought her head up from her knees and looked up at her brother in confusion. Without saying a word Noritoshi held his hand out for his sister to grab. Reluctantly, Ena reached up and stood from her ball position on the floor.

    The past few hours had brought nothing but loud shouts, held back tears and words that had been left unsaid for so many years. What had started as an innocent reunion dinner, ended as a life changing dispute. What did she do that was so wrong? All she had said was that she wanted to be like her brother, to help people. If her brother could do it, why couldn't she?

    The higher-ups of the Kamo clan snapped at her, claiming that such beauty from the head family should be preserved. Ena didn't want that life. She didn't want to rot away in their family's estate for the rest of her life. She didn't want to talk only when spoken to or keep all of her opinions to herself. She did, however, know that she had no other choice. She knew that yet she still decided to voice her opinion just this once.

    "What happens if I don't want to be 'preserved'" She mumbled, using one of her chopsticks to poke grains of rice around her bowl. It was like someone had turned a nob making the tension in the room the highest it could go. She felt a small kick on her ankle from the left of her.

    "Don't." Was all her brother said when she turned her head towards his seat at one end of the table. She felt a pang in her chest at his voice. Shouldn't he be helping her? Didn't he want her out of here and at the jujutsu school in Kyoto as much as she did? She sighed, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at Noritoshi. She knew he meant well after all.

    "No, please Ena. What is it exactly that you think you could do outside of this clan?" one of the older men from the other side of the table said. She was quiet for a moment. Maybe this was her chance. Maybe they would listen to her.

    "Well, maybe, at the start of high school I could leave with Toshi-" Quickly she was cut off by her brother's voice.

    "Ena, lets not do this."

    "I could start training now. I mean Toshi does always tell me that I have a high-level of cursed energy. He could start training me while he's here on his break. I've already taught myself the basic techniques just by watching him! His second semester doesn't start for a few weeks after all and-" Again she was cut off, only this time it was a voice she wasn't often addressed to by.

    "That is quite enough Ena." Her father, current head of the family, had snapped towards her. Her excited eyes now faded to those of lost hope and sprinkles of fear. "You have no use outside of this family. Not even your brother could bring potential out of you." Right, of course. How could she even allow herself to have such hopes.

    "Father, if I may, I don't think that's necessarily true. I know you all can feel it, she does have a considerably high composition of cursed energy in her." Noritoshi calmly addressed their father, while Ena darted her eyes to him. She couldn't allow her brother to take the results of her words. After all he had done for her, she couldn't let him lose his spot of heir to the head for her silly dreams. She stood up quickly and her chair skidded back quite loudly as she did so. Once again, all eyes were on her.

    "Um, excuse my outburst, I will take my leave now. I'm sorry." Ena bowed quickly and ran out of the dinning building. Her breaths were heavy as her back slid down the side of the building she was seated at previously. She could faintly hear the voices of her father, brother and other high-ups of her clan from inside the building.

    "What would compel you to say such a thing, Noritoshi?" Her fathers vocal levels were rising. Ena's breath was continuing to quicken as she buried her head into her knees. She clenched her fists as she tried drowning out the rising voices and slowing her breaths. One breath in through her nose, out from her mouth. Her brother had taught her this breathing technique many years ago, after their mother had left. He told her that staying calm in situations you can't control is the only way through them.