IGNITE | Sukuna

Chapter 8: Ashes of Betrayal

Bam!

Subuhi went flying across the training ground, landing with a harsh thud against the weapon storage unit. Her back met the rough stone floor, the impact sending a jolt of pain through her body. She clenched her teeth, staring up at the wooden ceiling. It was the fifth time she had lost in hand-to-hand combat against Ryu today.

Damn it.

Sukuna had been gone for a few days, leaving her to train with Ryu and the other members of the organization. Though they were skilled, it wasn’t the same. Sukuna’s presence always made her push herself harder, made her more reckless, more alive. Now, without him, the days seemed to blur together.

After the incident in the market, she hadn't left the brothel at all. Kenjaku was still searching for more information about the prison realm, but the updates were scarce, and her mind was filled with anxious thoughts. But what occupied her thoughts the most was the very thing she didn’t want to think about.

Sukuna.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push the memory away, but it flooded her mind anyway—Sukuna, kneeling in front of her, forcing her to learn the reverse cursed technique through sheer will. She could still feel the pressure of his cursed energy, like a vice squeezing her heart. She knew she had far more important matters to focus on, but her mind kept drifting back to the smallest, most insignificant details.

The way his eyes had glowed, like molten gold in the dim light. The sharp cut of his eyebrows, a small slit she’d never noticed before. The touch of his hands, rough and warm, even when they gripped her harshly.

She hated it. Hated the way her stomach twisted at the memory, hated that she couldn’t stop herself from recalling every fleeting touch, every glance. But most of all, she hated the way a part of her longed for him to come back.

Her eyes drifted to a small shape lying on the ground nearby. It was a rat, its tiny body still and rigid, eyes wide open, unblinking, as if frozen in a final moment of terror. It didn’t move—couldn’t move. Her breath hitched as she realized it was dead.

A strange wave of sadness washed over her, an unexpected ache tightening her chest. It was just a rat, an insignificant creature that no one would even notice. Yet, in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pity.

She blinked, but the lifeless eyes of the rat seemed to dissolve into another image—the face of a man, twisted in fear, just before she ended his life. Her chest tightened, and a chill ran down her spine. It was absurd, really, to pity a dead rat when she had been the cause of far worse. She wasn’t allowed to feel sorrow. Not after what she had done.

She remembered the man’s horrified expression, the way his hands trembled as he reached out, pleading for mercy. He was no innocent; she knew what he had intended to do to Angel. She knew he deserved it. And yet…

If only she hadn’t lost control.

The thought clawed at her, whispering in the quiet corner of her mind where guilt had taken root. If she had held back, if she hadn’t let her cursed energy surge like a wild, untamed beast, perhaps she could have stopped him without taking his life. Perhaps she could have spared him. But she didn’t. She’d felt the raw power burst forth, driven by a fury she couldn’t contain.

“Oi! Did you hit your head or something?” Ryu’s voice cut through the haze of her thoughts.

Subuhi blinked, looking up at him, still disoriented. He was standing over her, brow furrowed in concern. She forced a smile, shaking off the lingering remnants of her memories, and pushed herself up from the floor.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, brushing dust off. Focus. She had to focus on training, on the present. There was no time for ghosts of the past.

They continued sparring, the familiar rhythm of combat helping her regain some clarity. Ryu’s hits were precise, his movements sharp, but she matched him strike for strike, using the brief reprieve to calm her racing thoughts. Just as she landed a solid blow against his side, they heard it—rapid footsteps echoing through the corridor.