Between the Darkness and Light | Satoru Gojo x OC

- Chapter 4: The Power Unbound -

The wind howls as we make our way through the pathway up to the school. The trail twisted and turned, leading through a dense mountainous forest. The trees here were tall and ancient, their branches twisted together in a tangled web like the fingers of two opposing hands. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy, dappling the ground in a sunlit hue. As the trail wove through the mountainside, it became more and more clean and kept up.

A while ago, Gojo left (teleported?) momentarily to drop off Yuuji somewhere and Fushiguro went ahead of us to rest in his dorm room. While I have my hands in my hoodie pockets, I wonder where my friend is. I hope he's safe.

It's hard not to feel small standing beside the blindfolded man. He's so tall and so confident. His very presence and energy fill me with a weird mixture of fear and awe.

"Is it always this windy?" I ask, speaking up in order to be heard.

Gojo nods. "Yeah, the wind from the mountains is always strong." He says, his mouth slightly turned up. "It'll die down once we get to higher ground."

"There's higher ground?" I joke with a small smile. Gojo just smiles back.

After a while of walking in comfortable silence, I speak up, "This place is really deep in the mountains." I state. "Are we still even in Tokyo?"

"This is what the outskirts of Tokyo look like," he says with an amused expression.

"Is there no one out here?" I look around in surprise and ask with concern. "What if we get attacked?"

"No one will come here. Not even curses come within a 15-mile radius of this school." Gojo says as if it's a fact.

"What about students?" I ask, curious about where they all live. "Are there dormitories?"

"Of course. Everyone here lives on campus," Gojo grins. "Even you will!"

As if on cue, the school finally comes into view

He points to the school, looming on the horizon. As we get closer, I notice what a unique location it is. It's been built right at the base of the mountain's peak, like a fortress. I can imagine the view is incredible from up here.

"Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School," He says as we continue to walk. "It's one of only two jujutsu educational facilities. As a sort of cover, it's known as a private religious school. Many jujutsu sorcerers continue to use it as a base after graduation, so it's a pillar of the jujutsu community. Not just in education, but for support and mediation in missions." He says matter-of-factly.

The trail through the school was paved with smooth stone, each brick fitted perfectly. The moss had taken hold of the walls, covering it in a green cloak. The ivy and other plants grew along the side, framing the path. As the trail wound up and around, the moss grew thicker, the green carpeting the area as though a forest had sprung up in the heart of the stone.

The trees beyond the moss glowed in the sunlight, the leaves rustling and whispering in the wind. As the light hit the verdant moss, the air was crisp and clean, smelling faintly of fresh earth and life.

"This place is really beautiful," I say in complete awe. "It's nothing like I've ever seen before!" I gasp as I look around and take in the beautiful scenery.

Gojo stops walking, turning to look at me. His voice is unusually soft as he speaks, "The world is beautiful, isn't it? It's one of the few things that's worth fighting a thousand curses for."

He smiles, "You remind me of someone, you know."

I raise an eyebrow but remain silent. He looks out at the horizon, "You'll do great here. You just need to find your sense of self."