Jujutsu Kaisen : The Hidden Gojo Sister/ MEGUMI FUSHIGURO X OC

chapter 29 - tomb of the stars

The room was still, the soft hum of the night wrapping Saori and Megumi in the warmth of sleep. The moonlight cast gentle shadows across the bed, filling the room with an ethereal glow. It was quiet—until Saori stirred.

She blinked awake, her brow furrowed in confusion as strange voices whispered through her mind. She sat up, her heartbeat quickening as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. There was something unsettling about those voices, something she couldn't ignore.

Megumi shifted beside her, awakened by her sudden movement.

"Saori... what's wrong?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

Saori turned to him, her eyes wide and alert. "Do you hear that?" she whispered, her voice low. "Those voices..."

Megumi frowned, listening. But the room was silent. "No," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "I don't hear anything."

Without another word, Saori slipped out of bed, her movements unnaturally stiff, like she was being guided by something unseen. She crossed the room in silence, her bare feet making soft sounds against the floor.

"Saori, wait..." Megumi called after her, worry creeping into his voice as he pushed the covers off and stood. "I don't hear anything."

She didn't respond. Her eyes were distant, unfocused, as if she was in a trance. Megumi's stomach churned. There was something wrong—terribly wrong—but he couldn't just let her wander off. He quickly followed her, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

The air outside was crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth of the dorm. Saori walked ahead of him, her pace steady and determined, as if she knew exactly where she was going. Megumi stayed close behind, his eyes darting around in the moonlit darkness.

They moved through the quiet grounds of the school, past familiar landmarks, until they reached a place Megumi hadn't visited in years—the Tomb of the Stars.

A wave of unease washed over him as they entered the ancient grounds, the memories of the Culling Games returning to him like an old wound. He hadn't set foot here since, and now, walking beside Saori, he felt the eerie weight of the place bearing down on him. The massive, ancient tree at the center loomed ahead, its roots twisting through the earth like the tentacles of some forgotten beast.

"Saori..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.

She didn't seem to hear him. Instead, she moved toward the tree, her eyes locked on it as if drawn by some invisible force.

"It's here," she murmured, her voice distant. "The voices..."

Megumi's breath caught in his throat. She was too close now.

Before he could stop her, Saori reached out and touched the tree. The moment her hand made contact with the rough bark; her body froze. Her eyes glazed over, and she gasped, her head jerking back as if she'd been struck by an invisible blow.

"Saori!" Megumi shouted, rushing toward her.

But she didn't respond. Instead, her body trembled as a flood of visions overwhelmed her mind—visions of the past and present colliding at once. She saw the origin of the first Six Eyes user, the wielder of the Limitless technique, and the creation of Master Tengen. Images of Riko Amanai's death over a decade ago flashed before her, followed by Sukuna's resurrection and Satoru Gojo's death. Ancient sorcerers long buried returned to life, and all of it—every single fragment of history—slammed into her consciousness at once.

It was too much.

Saori's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Saori!" Megumi dropped to his knees beside her, panic flooding his system. He gently shook her, his voice trembling. "Saori, wake up..."

Nothing.

Her breathing was shallow but steady, and though her pulse was faint, it was still there. But she wouldn't wake up.

Megumi clenched his jaw, gathering her limp body into his arms. His mind raced, but he knew what he had to do. Without wasting another second, he stood and made his way back to the school, moving as fast as his legs would carry him.

Inside the infirmary, Shoko Ieiri sat hunched over her desk, her eyes half-lidded as she fought off exhaustion. The smell of antiseptic filled the air, and the faint light of a desk lamp cast a warm glow on the paperwork strewn across her desk. She was about to take a sip of her coffee when the door burst open.

Shoko's head snapped up just as Megumi rushed in, carrying Saori's unconscious form.

"Megumi?" she gasped, standing quickly, her eyes wide. "What happened?"

Megumi laid Saori down on one of the beds, his chest heaving as he tried to explain. "She woke up in the middle of the night. Said she heard voices..." His voice shook, the words tumbling out in a rush. "We went to the Tomb of the Stars, and when she touched the tree—she just collapsed."

Shoko's expression tightened as she stepped forward, her worry turning into professional focus. She placed a hand on Saori's forehead, her brow furrowing.

"Calm down, Megumi," she said gently, but firmly. "I'll have a look at her."

Megumi stood back, pacing restlessly as Shoko worked. His heart pounded in his chest, and a deep sense of dread gnawed at his insides. He clenched his fists, trying to stay calm, but his mind was racing with fear and guilt.

Moments later, the door opened again, and Satoru Gojo entered, his presence filling the room. His normally relaxed demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his face was set in a grim expression as he approached.

"What happened?" Gojo asked, his voice low and serious.

Megumi turned to him, swallowing hard. "She heard something... I didn't hear it. She was in a trance, and when she touched that tree..." He paused, his voice trembling with frustration. "She collapsed."

Gojo's gaze flicked to Saori, his expression momentarily softening with concern. Then, he looked at Shoko.

"How is she?" he asked, his tone still calm, but there was an edge to it.

Shoko stepped back, exhaling softly. "Physically, she's fine. But her brain's been overloaded with... something. If it wasn't for her advanced Reverse Cursed Technique, she'd be dead right now." She glanced at Megumi. "She'll recover, but it's going to take time."

Megumi's fists tightened at his sides; his knuckles white. He stood rigid, his jaw clenched. The guilt weighed on him heavily. He felt like he should have done something more, should have stopped this from happening.

Gojo, noticing the tension in Megumi, stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Megumi," Gojo said, offering him a small, reassuring grin. "You did the right thing bringing her here."

Megumi didn't meet his eyes, his gaze still fixed on Saori's unconscious form. He felt helpless, and the frustration simmered beneath his calm exterior.

"I should've protected her better," he muttered, his voice tight.

Gojo's grin widened slightly, though there was an underlying seriousness to it. "You're too hard on yourself, kid," he said lightly. "She's tough. She'll pull through."

Megumi didn't respond. He just stared at Saori, the weight of everything pressing down on him, the heavy silence of the room filling the space around them.