WellSpring of Curses - Jujutsu Kaisen

Cherry Blossoms on a Fateful Heian Night

It was a cool spring night in Heian era Japan. The full moon hung high in the sky, casting its luminous glow over the land. It was the perfect night to sneak out.

Haku was on the precipice of her 18th birthday, and the Namikaze clan had decided Haku would not be the generation of Wellspring sealed. The Sealing Technique was just not refined enough to assure a near permanent seal. As such, Haku was to be married to a man named Kenjaku.

It was common for a secretive clan like the Namikaze clan to bring in outsiders and grant them clan status so they could marry other clan members. It helped avoid excessive interbreeding, but allowed clan secrets, and most importantly the Wellspring, to remain within the clan.

Kenjaku was a mysterious figure who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Charismatic and egotistical, he easily swayed the favor of the Namikaze clan. When he offered a fair amount of wealth to add to the clan, he was offered Haku's hand in marriage, which he accepted.

Haku didn't like the man. There was something completely inhuman about him. His cursed energy culminated in a way that felt like a curse, not a sorcerer, but the man's body was undoubtably human.

Tonight was a celebration of their impending union, as well as of Haku's 18th birthday. Haku wanted nothing to do with any of it, so she feigned illness and retired to her room. Only, she didn't remain in her room.

The cherry blossoms. Haku heard stories of how beautiful the blossoms on the nearby mountain were, but she'd never been allowed to leave the clan estate, had never been able to see their beauty. All Haku wanted, before she was forced into a cage within her cage, was to see those blossoms. The only blossoms she'd ever seen were those of her cursed technique, the few branches her brother had brought her from a cherry blossom tree, and the delicate cherry blossom pattern on her kimono.

It had taken years, but Haku had honed her cursed energy, practicing in the silence of her confinement, day and night, to be able to pass through the clan barrier.

Typically, the barrier would alert members of the clan that maintained it the moment anything attempted to pass in or out of it, and it would prevent them from passing through without permission from the casters. But Haku could now pass through without ever setting it off. As if she became the barrier itself and then emerged on the other side. And tonight, she would have her one act of rebellion and sneak out to see the cherry blossoms.

Slipping through the barrier was surprisingly easy, and Haku emerged on the other side, free for the first time in her life. She set out towards the mountains where the blossoms were said to bloom, hoping she didn't attract too many curses along the way. As the Wellspring, it was something she couldn't prevent, but Haku was confident she could handle a few curses.

And she did. A few stray curses here and there were attracted to her, but nothing she couldn't handle. That was until an overwhelming presence appeared behind her. The cursed energy was stiflingly dark, heavy, more intense than anything she had ever felt before aside from her own cursed energy.

Haku froze, heart clenching in rising fear. This was something she couldn't handle. She didn't think anyone could handle this cursed energy. Her body twitched, preparing to bolt, when a slash of cursed energy cut close enough to her to tear the sleeve of her kimono. Somehow, she managed to see the slash, a mass of black cursed energy.

"Don't bother trying to run. I'll cut you down before you even make it an inch." A deep voice warned, laced with authority and malice. "Mind telling me what a little girl is doing running around at night? The night is ruled by curses."

Haku swallowed the lump in her throat, clenching her fists at her sides. She slowly turned towards the man, eyes widening when they met his. He was a massive figure, towering over her at easily 7 feet. Four arms were crossed across his broad chest, and four eyes narrowed into a scowl as he studied her. This appearance... Was.... This Ryomen Sukuna? She'd heard the rumors. This was bad. "The.... Cherry blossoms...." Haku stammered out.