-New beginnings- BOOK 1: THE ORIGIN OF DARKNESS

CHAPTER 2: THE SPLIT

The cursed energy swirling around the portal was thick, oppressive. Itadori Yuji stood with Megumi Fushiguro at the entrance to the realm known as The Origin of All Darkness. The portal itself was a swirling vortex of inky blackness, pulsing with a malevolent energy that seemed to reach out, tugging at the two friends inviting them in with a dark promise. "I still think this is a bad idea," Itadori said, gripping his fists tighter than usual. His voice held a tremor—an understandable one, given what they were about to attempt. Megumi, standing beside him, his expression stoic as ever, shot Itadori a glance. "We don't have another choice, Yuji. This place might be the only way to force Sukuna out of you without killing you."

The mention of Sukuna's name made Itadori tense. He could feel the King of Curses stirring deep within him, as if Sukuna was aware of their plan and mocking it from within. "You think this will work?" Sukuna's voice echoed in Itadori's mind, low and venomous. "The Origin of All Darkness... it's not a place you step into lightly. You might not come back at all." "Shut up," Itadori muttered under his breath, as though the cursed spirit could be silenced with just words. "You ready?" Megumi asked, his voice cutting through the tension. He knew what this meant for Itadori. If they succeeded, Yuji would finally be free of Sukuna. But if they failed... it could mean the end of both their lives—or worse, the unleashing of Sukuna's full power on the world. Itadori nodded, though his hands trembled slightly. "Yeah... let's get this over with."

Without another word, they stepped forward into the swirling darkness. As soon as they entered, the air around them shifted—cold, sharp, almost biting. It was like the darkness itself was alive, pressing against their skin, seeping into their bones. The ground beneath their feet vanished, and they found themselves floating in a vast, formless void. There was no sky, no horizon—just endless black stretching in all directions. "It feels like... the curses are watching us," Itadori said, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes darted around, but there was nothing to see. Only the sense of being observed, as if the darkness had eyes of its own. Megumi was silent, focused. He could feel the weight of the cursed energy here, denser and more oppressive than anything they'd encountered before. This was the place where curses were born, the primal source of all negative energy. And somewhere in this abyss was the key to separating Sukuna from Itadori. "We need to find the core of this place," Megumi said, his voice steady. "That's where we'll be able to perform the ritual."

Suddenly, the darkness around them shifted. It wasn't subtle—something massive moved through the void, causing ripples in the air. Shapes began to form out of the black, formless shadows taking monstrous, grotesque shapes that slithered and crawled toward them. Megumi's eyes narrowed. "Stay close," he warned, already forming the seals for his shikigami. "We'll have to fight our way through." Itadori gritted his teeth, cursed energy flaring in his fists. "So much for a peaceful walk."

As the shadow creatures lunged, Megumi summoned Nue, the great winged shikigami diving down with crackling lightning, scattering the first wave of darkness. Itadori charged forward, meeting the next creature head-on, his fists crashing into the formless mass with explosive force. But no matter how many shadows they destroyed, more kept rising from the depths. "They're endless!" Itadori shouted, his voice straining with effort. "They're just manifestations of this place's energy," Megumi replied, his voice calm despite the chaos. "We're getting closer. The deeper we go, the stronger the darkness becomes." With every step forward, the void seemed to thicken, resisting them, pushing back. The whispers grew louder, unintelligible voices rising from the shadows, scratching at their minds. But they pressed on, cutting through the darkness, their eyes set on the distant point of energy that pulsed like a black heart at the center of the realm. As they approached the core, the air around them grew even colder. The ground beneath their feet solidified into something rough, jagged, like the surface of broken obsidian. And there, in the center of the darkness, stood a towering, grotesque figure—its form made of twisting shadows, shifting and writhing, as though it could never truly hold a shape. The creature's eyes glowed with a sickly red light, and its presence radiated a power so ancient, so malevolent, that even Itadori could feel it pressing down on his soul.