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The digital clock on the bedside table flickered in the dark: 3:47 AM.
The private quarters of Satoru Gojo were completely dark and very quiet except for the quiet noise of the air purifier. On the mattress Satoru was fast asleep covered in a thick blanket with his white hair spread out on the pillow. His blindfold was somewhere on the floor. His breath was slow and steady.
Normally Satorus Six Eyes were always doing a low-level check even when he was asleep. His passive Cursed Energy sense was like a hum at the back of his brain keeping track of the campus the barrier and most importantly the specific steady feeling of Megumis Cursed Energy two doors down the hall.
Then in a single silent moment Megumis feeling disappeared completely.
Not faded. Not covered up. Gone.
It was like a candle had been put out in a sealed room.
Satoru didn't just wake up. He was suddenly ready for battle. Infinity surrounded him with a crackle. Before his eyes had even opened he was in the hallway. He didn't use the door. He ripped it off its track with a push of air running into Megumis room in a position that could crush a city block.
"Megumi!" Satoru said, his voice sharp like glass his eyes wide with panic.
The room was dark. Tiny dust particles floated in the air.
On the bed Megumi was wrapped in blankets. He wasn't breathing normally. He wasn't moving. Worst of all when Satoru looked with his Six Eyes he couldn't feel any Cursed Energy from him. It was the empty feeling as a fresh dead body.
"No, no no. Megumi!"
Satorus heart pounded like a hammer. He dropped to his knees beside the bed hard to break the floor his hands shaking as he reached out grabbing Megumis shoulders.
"Megumi wake up! Look at me! Megumi!"
Megumi moved a little as Satoru shook him his head falling back. His eyes were closed his face pale, his pulse not at all.
"Shoko. I need Shoko." Satoru said, his breathing getting worse. He reached for his phone with a shaking hand.
Then Megumis eyes opened.
Satoru stopped.
Megumi blinked at him his eyes tired and confused his brow furrowing like he had seen a thousand times before.
"Satoru?" Megumi said, his voice rough from sleep. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Satoru looked at him. His Six Eyes were spinning wildly trying to understand what he was seeing. Megumi was there. Megumi was awake. Megumi was talking to him.
"Your energy " Satoru said. "It was gone. I couldn't feel you. I thought you were dead."
Megumi blinked again slow and sleepy. "Oh. The meditation technique. I was reading about it in the Zen'in scrolls. It stops cursed energy. Slows the heart rate. I tried it before I went to sleep."
Satoru let out a breath. Relief flooded him, warm and strong. "You scared the hell out of me. Don't ever do that again."
"Sorry " Megumi said. He reached up his hand around Satorus wrist. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Satoru laughed, the sound wet and broken. He pulled Megumi into a hug holding the boy tight hiding his face in Megumis hair. "You're grounded. For a week. No, a month. No, forever."
Megumi huffed against his chest. "You can't ground me forever."
"Watch me."
They stayed like that for a time Satoru holding Megumi, Megumi letting himself be held. The room was quiet. The world was still.
Then Megumi spoke again.
"Satoru?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm hungry."
Satoru looked at him. "It's four in the morning."
"So?"
"So you can wait until breakfast."
Megumi pouted. Actually pouted. His lower lip stuck out his eyes wide and begging. ". I'm hungry now."
Satoru stared at him. In all the years he had known Megumi the boy had never pouted. Not once. Not even when he was a child. He had always been too proud quiet too determined to never show weakness.
Here he was. Pouting.
"Since when do you pout?" Satoru asked, his voice light but his eyes sharp.
Megumi shrugged. "Since now. I'm hungry. Make me food."
"Make it yourself."
"Don't want to."
Satoru. He was smiling. He stood up stretching his arms. "Fine.. You're helping."
Megumi sat up the blankets around his waist. "Fine."
They walked to the kitchen together Satoru leading the way Megumi behind. The apartment was dark light coming from the moon through the windows.
Satoru opened the fridge looking inside. "We have eggs.. Rice.. Some leftover curry from yesterday."
"Sounds good " Megumi said.
Satoru turned to grab a pan and when he turned back Megumi was standing directly behind him. Too close. Closer than he usually stood.
" space, kid " Satoru said, gently pushing him back.
Megumi didn't move.
"Megumi."
Megumi tilted his head. "What?"
"I said space."
"I heard you."
"Then back up."
Megumi smiled. It was Megumis smile.. Small and real.. Something about it made Satorus skin crawl.
"I don't want to " Megumi said.
Satorus grip on the pan tightened. "Megumi whats going on?"
"Nothing." Megumi stepped closer his chest almost touching Satorus. "I just want to be close to you. Is that so wrong?"
Satoru didn't answer. His Six Eyes were screaming at him. Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong.
"Megumi " he said slowly carefully. "Step back."
Megumi didn't step back.
Instead he laughed. A soft ringing sound that echoed through the kitchen.
"You're scared " he said. "I can smell it."
Satorus blood turned cold.
"What did you just say?"
"I said I can smell it." Megumis smile got bigger. "Your fear. It's delicious."
Satoru dropped the pan. It hit the floor with a clatter in the quiet room.
"Who are you?"
Megumi tilted his head the way. The movement was wrong. Too smooth. Too perfect. Like a snake moving.
"I'm Megumi " he said. "I've always been Megumi."
"You're not."
"I am." Megumi stepped closer. "I've been Megumi for years. You never noticed."
Satorus back hit the counter. He was trapped. Not physically he could destroy this building with a thought but something was holding him in place. Something cold. Something old.
"Where is he?" Satoru asked. "Where is the real Megumi?"
Megumis smile flickered. Just for a second. Long enough for Satoru to see something dark behind his eyes. Something hungry.
"He's here " Megumi said. "Hes always been here. Inside me. Screaming."
Then his voice changed.
It started small. A tiny distortion, like a radio losing signal. Then it grew. Deeper. Wronger. The words came out in layers like voices speaking at once all of them Megumis voice but none of them quite right.
"Hes been screaming for long Satoru.. You never heard him. You never noticed. You were too busy being the strongest. Too busy being the best. Too busy being the center of the universe."
Satorus hands were shaking.
"Let him go."
"I can't." The thing wearing Megumis face stepped closer. "He's part of me now. Hes been part of me since the day you found him. Since the day you brought him home. Since the day you decided he was yours."
Megumis eyes went black.
Not dark. Not shadowed. Black. Void. Empty. The kind of black that took in light and hope and everything else.
His mouth split open.
Not like a wound. Like a flower opening up. His jaw dropped open getting wider and wider his skin breaking at the edges showing rows and rows of teeth that should not be there. Teeth that were too long too pointy, many.. Blood, so much blood coming from the things mouth. His mouth was full of blood, ugly blood.
And from that mouth in that voice that was layered and wrong it talked.
"You are weak."
Satorus Infinity came alive. His cursed energy burst out breaking the walls breaking the windows. He moved forward his hand going for the things neck.
It was already disappearing.
The body melted, sliding off the bones like wax from a candle. It gathered on the floor, black and thick and wrong going into the shadows vanishing into the dark.
Just before it was gone completely it talked one more time.
"You couldn't save him. You couldn't keep him safe.. You never will."
Then it was gone. It melted into the floor.
Satoru stood in the kitchen his chest rising and falling his hands shaking, his eyes wild.
Then he ran.
He ran through the apartment opening doors looking in every room. He found nothing. No sign of Megumi. No sign of the thing that had taken his face.
Until he got to the bathroom.
The door was shut. He pushed it open.
And there curled in the corner was Megumi.
The real Megumi.
His skin was pale. His lips were blue. His eyes were closed. He was shaking, his arms around his knees his voice very quiet.
"Not real. Not real. Not real."
Satoru went down on his knees next to him.
"Megumi. Megumi it's me. It's Satoru. I'm here."
Megumi flinched. "Don't touch me. You're not real. You're another copy."
"I'm real. I promise. Listen to my heartbeat."
Satoru pulled Megumi into his arms pressing the boys face against his chest. Megumi struggled for a moment. Then he stopped, listening to the steady beat of Satorus heart.
"Satoru?" Megumi said.
"Yeah kid. It's me."
"You're real?"
"I'm real."
"You're not a copy?"
"I'm not a copy."
Megumi let out a shaky breath.. Then he broke. He cried into Satorus chest his whole body shaking his fingers holding onto Satorus shirt. Crying like he had never cried before.
"It was wearing your face " Megumi said. "It kept coming. Every time I closed my eyes it came back. It said it killed you. It said it killed everyone. It said I was alone."
"You're not alone. I'm here. I've got you."
They stayed like that for a time wrapped in each other the only sound in the dark bathroom the quiet sound of their breathing.
Later after Satoru had taken Megumi back to bed he sat on the edge of the mattress. Looked at the wall.
What the hell was that thing?
He had fought curses all his life. Special Grade curses. Ancient curses. Curses that could destroy cities and countries.. He had never faced anything like this.
His Six Eyes had not seen anything. No cursed energy. No leftovers. No sign of anything. The thing had worn Megumis face. Spoke in Megumis voice and Satorus eyes—the strongest sense in the world—had not seen it at all.
What was it? A spirit? A ghost? Something older? Something that lived outside the rules of jujutsu?
Satoru didn't know.. That scared him more than anything.
He looked down at Megumi, who was curled up next to him his face pale his breath uneven. The boy was still shaking, in sleep his fingers holding onto Satorus shirt like he was afraid he would disappear.
Satoru pulled him closer. As close as possible. He wrapped both arms around Megumi pressing his face into his hair.
"I've got you " he whispered. "I've got you Megumi. I'm not going anywhere."
Megumi stirred, his eyes opening a little. "Satoru?"
"I'm here."
"Don't leave."
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Megumi closed his eyes again his body softening a little. Satoru held him tighter.
He stayed like that for hours. Holding Megumi. Watching the shadows. Waiting for something to move.
Nothing did.
When morning came Satoru started working.
He went through the apartment. He walked in every room his hands glowing with energy cleaning every corner every crack, every shadow. He burned sage in the doorways. He put charms on every window and every wall. He drew signs on the floors and the ceilings.
He didn't stop until the whole apartment was full of his energy. Until there wasn't a shadow left untouched. Until he was certain as certain as he could be that nothing could get in.
Then he went to Megumis room.
The boy was still asleep curled up in his bed his face calm for the time since the event. Satoru stood in the doorway for a time watching him.
He thought about the thing. The thing that had taken Megumis face. The thing that had spoken in his voice. The thing that had called him weak.
He didn't know what it was. He didn't know where it had come from. He didn't know if it would come back.
He knew one thing for sure.
He would never let it touch Megumi again.
Satoru stepped into the room. Sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out gently moving a strand of hair from Megumis forehead.
"I don't know what that thing was " he whispered. "I don't know how it got in. I don't know how to stop it."
He paused.
". I'm going to find out. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to keep you safe."
Megumi stirred, his eyes opening a little. He looked up at Satoru, his gaze still sleepy.
"Satoru?"
"Yeah kid. It's me."
"You stayed."
"I told you I would."
Megumi was quiet for a moment. Then softly he said, "I was so scared."
"I know."
"I thought it was you. I thought it killed you."
"It didn't. I'm here."
"I know." Megumi reached out his small hand wrapping around Satorus wrist. "I know."
Satoru leaned down and kissed Megumis forehead.
"Go back to sleep " he whispered. "I'll be here."
Megumis eyes closed. His breathing got even.. Within minutes he was asleep again.
Satoru stayed by his side.
He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He didn't move.
He just sat by his sons side, for long as needed.