𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 - R. SUKUNA

PROLOGUE

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CHAPTER : PROLOGUE

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Ariel.

You've always been captivated by mermaids—their beauty, the mystery of their underwater worlds, and all the wondrous creatures that call the ocean home.

You've probably seen every princess movie out there, but something about Ariel always stood out to you.

Was it her adventurous spirit? Her fiery red hair? Or maybe it was the magic of the ocean she lived in. But deep down, you think it was her experience of love that resonated with you most.

As a child, love was what you longed for. Not the kind from parents—you had plenty of that. What you craved was the fairytale kind, the once-in-a-lifetime, soul-stirring kind of love.

Every girl, after all, had her own Prince Charming, right? At least, that's what your mom always told you. She found hers in your dad, and one day, she promised, you'd find yours too.

"You'll just know when it's him," she would say.

So, when Sukuna—your best friend's older brother, sixteen at that time, by the way—rescued you from the fire that broke out in your house, you just knew.

Knew, it was him. Your Prince Charming.

Well—maybe you hadn't always thought of Sukuna as your Prince Charming. In fact, if anyone were a calamity, it would've been him.

Starting off, you and Yuji were practically inseparable. Born in the same month, growing up as next-door neighbors, your parents were close, and that meant you spent countless nights sleeping over at his house.

The two of you shared everything—especially the TV, where you forced him to sit through endless Disney movies.

Yuji was your twin flame, the person you felt most connected to. You'd rush over to his house any chance you got, dragging him into your world of dolls and princesses. You even managed to dress him up as one once, convincing him to role-play your royal fantasy.

But it wasn't a one-way street. For every tea party and princess adventure, you had to endure his obsessions too—like his ridiculous car games. And when he dragged you into the woods by the forest lake to go frog catching, you couldn't say no.

Being close with Yuji meant you also knew his older brother—the problem child, Sukuna. And "problem" didn't even begin to cover it.

Sukuna was rebellious, loud, and downright mean. It felt like there was nothing he hadn't done yet to live up to his reputation as a total menace.

He seemed to take pleasure in tormenting you and Yuji. He'd rip apart your toys, hurling cruel insults in your direction. He once told you that you looked like a witch with all that "princess makeup" on, and that Yuji would grow up to be a "fat bald man" who couldn't even fit inside a car.