𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑴 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐕 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑

MIKAZUKI DIDN'T MOVE TO CATCH HIM, watching as Satoshi held himself upright by gripping the stone structure of the gargoyle that stood at the door. He was being utterly ridiculous, but his mind didn't seem to catch up to his body as the alcohol burned in his veins. Mikazuki rolled her eyes, smoke puffing out of her lips.

"You truly are a wretched soul" he slurred "showing up to the funeral of one of your victims" Satoshi stumbled forwards again, yet this didn't seem to be enough to stop his rambling "Do you really expect me to believe you have nothing to do with this?"

Mikazuki sighed, pulling her hair away from her face before looking back at the boy.

"I don't know what to tell you, Satoshi" she let out tiredly "I didn't kill Moriko, just like I didn't kill Saito or any of the other sorcerers that have died"

Satoshi huffed out a laugh, and for a moment, Mikazuki could see it all clearly. So so clearly. She was trapped, and no matter what she said, the truth would be whatever Satoshi said – whatever The Magistrate believed. She understood, now. What Suguru had been trying to tell her in that rooftop... it all made sense. She was a fool for believing anything would have changed. No one was going to believe her, just like no one believed her ten years ago. Satoshi glared.

"And am I supposed to believe you?" Satoshi asked, leaning close she could smell the rancid scent of alcohol coming from his mouth "You're a practiced liar. I don't care what The Magistrate says, I know you're guilty" he paused, eyes turning sad "I know you killed them"

Mikazuki held her head high, molten gold eyes turning sharp.

"If you're so sure, then why don't you do something about it?" she challenged, and when Satoshi didn't say anything, Mikazuki continued "You said it yourself. I'm a murderer, a liar"

The sorceress stepped into his space, taking his hand and placing it over her heart. Satoshi's fingers traced the edge of her breast, ghosting over the jagged line of the scar that ran vertically through her skin. It didn't hurt – and even if it had, Mikazuki was not about to show it. Instead, she tilted her head to the side, her gaze filled with anger and something akin to a challenge.

"Go on, kill me"

Satoshi hesitated, hand still glued to her chest while Mikazuki's gaze turned dark.

"Kill me" she commanded again.

This time her tone was sharper, nails digging into Satoshi's hand before she pushed him away violently, a snarl leaving her lips while she watched him. Mikazuki chuckled, pulling away from the Gojo boy and looking at him like he was some sort of moron, the harsh lines around her eyes carrying the full danger of her gold, the warning in her gaze just as treacherous.

"Next time you issue a threat like that..." she began, stalking over to the terrorised boy before leaning to his ear "...be prepared to carry it out. Otherwise, these are simple empty words"

Mikazuki stepped away while Satoshi gulped, yet fear was not what filled his expression as he looked at her.

"Do not mistake my hesitation for weakness" he said coldly, the words almost sounding like a warning "Whether I kill you or not, it won't change the truth. You are a murderer, and people are starting to catch on" he tilted his head to the side, a challenge in his eyes "They whisper about you, you know?"

The sorceress stepped back, pleasantly surprised by his reaction. Maybe Satoshi wasn't just Satoru's shadow – maybe he was a man in his own right, one bold enough to defy her. Gojo boys... always filled with surprises. She could easily tell him the truth, explain everything that had happened so his suspicions would be put to rest. But just as she was about to open her mouth, her father's words echoed in her mind.

There is power in fear, darling.

Mikazuki took a deep breath, adjusting the straps of her dress before setting her golden gaze on the Gojo boy.

"Let them whisper about me" she said slowly, her red lips parting as the words left her mouth "Let them think whatever they want, I couldn't care less" the sorceress paused, her eyes turning hard "I am what they made me, Satoshi"

A murderer. A ghost... a Queen of Nightmares – and as such, Mikazuki would eventually regain her kingdom.

Satoshi scoffed, far more sober than what the state of his clothes and the stank of his breath suggested.

"And what is that? A killer?" he asked, stumbling towards Mikazuki with the bottle in his hand before swinging it down hard.

It was less than a second, but that was exactly how long it took for Gojo Satoru to materialise out of thin air, hand closing around the glass bottle of Grey Goose before flinging it to the side. The glass shattered against the wall, the sound echoing in the empty street while Satoshi stumbled back and Mikazuki simply took another hit of her cigarette, fumes rising in the air and mixing with the gold that had instinctively risen around her.

"For the record, I didn't need your help" Mikazuki mumbled, the tendrils of her Eternity wrapping around her body like a cocoon

Satoru straightened his jacket, turning towards his younger brother with a disapproving expression. Satoshi paled immediately, hanging his head down while his brother patted him on the shoulder. It was a soft pat, yet strong enough to push the younger Gojo into the wall behind him.

"You've had enough of that" Satoru commanded, taking one last look at the shattered glass before straightening his brother's shirt and tossing him a mint "Go back inside before you tarnish the name of our clan any further" he kept his tone cold, watching as Satoshi quickly recomposed himself, running back towards the church.