~𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆~

Chapter 7

Megumi's POV:

We were assigned another new mission to exorcise a curse in the nearby school. According to our information, there might be a special-grade curse. Our trio has been assigned to several missions together since Yuji revived from his death. Not to mention, we already completed our school exchange event before Ellie joined our team.
I saw Sensei and Ellie heading towards somewhere, most likely her training had started today. But what worried me was Gojo Sensei. He is way too reckless, and his teaching methods are dreadfully life-risking. Though I have no idea what he is going to do with Ellie.
Yes, I'm worried about her. Her life is way too valuable to me. I feel like I could even take down death to keep that smile on her face. Yes, I love her. But these are words I can't easily speak in front of her, especially since we haven't had enough time to interact.
Sighs Maybe someday later...

Ellie's POV:

It took about an hour or two to reach the hollow forest. I stepped out of the car with Gojo sensei, but what I saw in front of me was nothing but a normal highway.
"Where is the forest, sensei?" I asked.
"Right in front of you!" He replied, looking forward in the direction of the empty path ahead.
"But it's just a normal highway-"
"Take a step forward," I was cut off in the middle of my question.
Staring at him blankly, I dared to take a step forward, confident about my point that there was nothing but...
As I took a step, it felt like I passed through a layer of thick bubble in front of me, and the sight in front of me was completely dark. I could see faint, large trees, but most of it was completely dark.
I was lost in the darkness. My mind had already snapped out of my body, and what appeared before my vision was...
"Ellie-eeee!" The voice of my best friend, Mia, rang in my ears. She had been dead two months ago. I attended her funeral too, but now... she was right in front of me, completely bathed in blood. Her leg was twisted in a way that indicated it was broken into pieces.
It was the sight I always wanted to forget. Numbness ran down my spine. I saw Mia holding out her hands, asking for help. I wanted to run to her and hug her tight, but my legs... My legs weren't cooperating, as if I were stuck to the ground.
Mia was still screaming, screaming her lungs out for help. Her face was covered in blood that was continuously flowing from her forehead.
And suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped out of my place, hugging the person tightly with my arms and closing my eyes as hard as I could. I got the warmth I needed in that cold moment.

Gojo's POV:

She hugged me tightly. I believed she had her first terrifying vision, but the hug was kind of embarrassing. I mean, I wanted to hug her, feel her body, but the incident happened so suddenly that I couldn't react the way I wanted to.
Slowly, I placed my hand on her head, embracing her gently. "Don't worry. It's nothing real you saw," I said, trying to comfort her.
Ellie looked up at me with clear fear in her face. "B-but why didn't my legs move when I wanted to help her?"
"It's because whatever you saw was just a type of horror tape playing in your mind where you can't control your physical body. This forest has an aura that engulfs a person in their most unwanted nightmare, the things they always want to forget. And to gain your cursed power, you have to fight with your emotions first. Now take this toy and turn around. Don't worry, I'm with you," I explained the concept of her first day of training.
"But why aren't you facing any nightmares like me?" Ellie asked.
"It's because I already learned to control my negative emotions years ago," I replied with a smile.
She seemed satisfied with my answer and turned towards the forest again.

Ellie's POV:

I just hugged Sensei without giving a second thought, but somehow he provided me with the warmth I needed most.
I looked towards the forest again, taking the bunny in my hand. But it didn't take long before I again...
"Ahhhh..." I screamed out of pain. A group of girls pushed me behind, and I hit the ground hard.
"Those pretty eyes of yours... You must be proud to have those, receiving all the public attention you want, huh?" one of the girls said.
"But... having eyes like this is not in my control. I would have happily given them to you if it had been possible," I replied.
"Oh yeah, right! We should just take them from you. Those eyes... they are the main problem here," the leader of the girls group began to march forward, pulling out a sharp cutter from her pocket.
"N-no... Please... No... Please don't do this to me," I began to back away, but immediately my way was blocked by the wall behind me.
"Why not? You just offered your eyes to us. Let me have them," the girl said with a huge smirk on her face.
She sat down in front of me, holding my chin tightly with her hands. Her long nails pierced the skin of my neck. I saw the cutter being brought near to my eyes and...
"Oucchhh..." I screamed out of pain.
The bunny pinched me hard. Damn, that really hurt.
"I told you, whenever your negative emotions overtake you, the bunny will pinch you hard," the male voice spoke behind me.
"But that hurts a lot," I replied.
"If that bunny didn't pinch you hard, you would probably have lost one of your eyes," Gojo said, looking at me in silence.
"What do you mean by that? And how did you know that I had a vision about my eyes?"
"Nothing can escape my eyes, Ellie. Though these things are being played on your mind, they have a serious effect on your nerves, which can lead to damage to the organ you are having a vision of," he explained.
Though his explanation left me with several doubts, the look in his face didn't allow me to ask any further questions.
I turned back to my position when another vision engulfed me.
-The vision of getting through my first experiment with the doctors. A huge amount of unbearable light was thrown over my open eyes. It felt like my eye nerves burned. But the doctors said that my eyes absorbed the whole light energy.
Again, pinched out of my vision.
-Another vision.
Again, pinched out.
-Another vision.
Again, pinched out.
...
...
...
Like this, that day I had about 50 visions.
"Next one will be the last vision of the day. After that, I'll tend to your arms," Gojo said to me before I turned back to the forest.
I was exhausted. I had seen and experienced all the past situations I never wanted to face again. And now, the final one.
Entering the class with my friends, Mrs. Wilson standing in front of us, I sat in my desk listening to the algebra lesson she was teaching. Suddenly, the black hole appeared under my legs. Several hands came out of it, and...
Everything went black. This time, I wasn't pinched by the bunny. All I could see was darkness. All I could feel was numbness. My throat was sealed. I couldn't call out to Sensei for help.
Where am I? What is this going on?

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Written on: 20th June 2021
Edited on: 1st September 2024