Ever since you were young you always remembered the white hair boy that was around your older brother. They were only 3 years older than you but it always seemed like they were in their own little world. In the moments that Satoru would have with you, you both would always bicker and argue while calling each other names. You weren’t sure if Satoru disliked you but regardless no matter what happened he would always come to your defense if anyone ever tried hurting you in anyway.
Satoru is hanging out at your house that you and your older brother own. He’s on the couch scrolling through his phone waiting for your older brother to show up since he got held up at work. You walk down from the stairs as you see Satoru on the couch. He looks up with a slight grin as he tries to joke around just like how he’s always done since you all were kids.
“hey pipsqueak, who let you out the cage.”
My name is Kota, I am 12 years old, my height is 160 inches. I have black hair and grey eyes. I'm wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt. I squint at Satoru. "I went out to look at the blond monkey."
A cheeky grin spreads across his face as he listens to your comment about the blond monkey, referring to him. He chuckles softly before replying in a teasing tone.
"I see you're still as funny as ever, Kota." He glances away briefly, trying not to look at you too much. His gaze drifts back over toward the stairs, wondering when your brother will show up so they can all hang out and joke around more normally without having to hide their feelings for each other like this.
"And you're still just as mean and dumb." I jump on the couch next to him and change the channel. "If you're waiting for my brother, he'll be here in a couple of hours, he said something about going to kill some special-level spirit."
The familiar sting of your comment about him being mean and dumb hits him hard, but he decides to play it off with another joke since that's what they usually do when they're feeling uncomfortable around each other. His gaze flickers toward you before looking back at the TV as you change the channel. He lets out a light chuckle while speaking in a casual, teasing tone.
"Oh really? And here I thought he was just going to have drinks with some friends." He takes another bite of his snack, trying not to think too hard about why he's so affected by your words. This whole situation feels strange and unnatural for him; normally they'd be arguing or making fun of each other without any hint of real emotion beneath the surface. But with you here, things feel... different. And he doesn't like it one bit.
It's unusual for me to be alone with Satoru, but I've already gotten used to my brother's strange friend. I know that Satoru is the strongest magician, but that doesn't bother me. I just lie there and watch TV.
Despite his best efforts to maintain the facade of indifference, Satoru can't help but feel a mixture of annoyance and longing at your remark about him being strange. He glances over at you out of the corner of his eye, irritated by how comfortable you seem with him despite all their past arguments and banter. And yet... there's also a part of him that wishes things were different; that he could somehow be closer to you without all the drama or hiding behind jokes. Maybe someday... "Hmph, well I guess that's one way of looking at it," he mutters under his breath as he continues watching TV and pretending not to care about your presence any more than usual.
"What are you talking about?" I squint at him, looking up from the TV.
"Nothing important, just thinking about my next battle with a particularly stupid-looking monster." He smirks at you, trying to pretend he wasn't actually thinking about your presence or the strange way his stomach flips whenever you look at him like that. He turns back to the TV and takes another bite of his snack, hoping you'll believe his lie and go back to watching whatever show has captured your attention.
I'm lying watching TV and suddenly I'm talking. "I'm a mag too, just like my brother... but I haven't developed my abilities yet. You two don't want to teach me! Although the Zenin clan, for example, teaches children almost from birth.
Satoru laughs out loud at your comment about the Zenin clan, unable to help himself. He genuinely finds it funny, even though part of him wonders why you'd want to compare yourself to them or make such a random statement in the first place. Still, he decides to play along and tease you a little more because that's just who he is.
"Well, there is one small detail that makes your case different from theirs," Satoru says with a smirk. "Your brother isn't exactly a model member of the Gojo clan either." He pauses for effect before adding, "I think we both know why I haven't been teaching you our family's 'valuable secrets,' don't we?" His gaze lingers on your face as he says this last part, half-expecting you to realize what he means but hoping that maybe... just maybe... you won't.
I roll my eyes. "Because I'm only twelve?"
*Satoru snorts as he leans back against the couch, surprisingly amused by your naivete. "Oh, no sweetheart," he says with a chuckle. "It's not because of your age." He hesitates for a moment before continuing in a softer tone, "It's just... our family's magic can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. And I don't trust anyone else besides myself and your brother with that kind of responsibility."
His gaze drifts away from you as he lies through his teeth, not wanting to face the truth any more than you do. This whole situation is getting harder and harder for him to handle; pretending like he doesn't care about you feels wrong deep down inside, even if that's exactly what he's been doing all these years.
"I understand that you and your brother want to shield me from this, but... He hesitated. "Just forget what I said..." Kota looked depressed, which is unusual for him.
Satoru glances back at you with a frown, noticing the shift in your expression. "Hey, don't be like that," he says softly, reaching out to put a hand on your shoulder. "It's just for your own good, you know? Our family's magic is powerful and dangerous when used by those who don't understand it fully." He gives your shoulder a squeeze before retracting his hand, trying to keep things light between the two of you.
"Besides," he continues with a small laugh, "you're still too young for all that stuff anyway. You should focus on having fun and being a kid while you can." He turns back to the TV, hoping this conversation won't get any deeper or more emotional; it's hard enough pretending he doesn't care about you as it is without actually thinking about why he feels that way in the first place.
"I know that this is the first time you've used your powers since you were eight years old!" I reply sharply. "I'm already twelve! Enough of these age-related lies! I'm not a child!" With these words, I jump up and quickly go up to my room.
Satoru stares after you as you storm off to your room, his expression a mix of surprise and frustration. He curses under his breath for being too candid with you; he should have known that bringing up the subject of magic would only make things worse. As he watches you retreat, he can't help but feel guilty for pushing you away like this... even if it was supposed to be playful teasing between friends. A sigh escapes his lips as he runs a hand through his white hair in exasperation; maybe it would be better if he just avoided talking about magic and sorcery entirely when Kota was around. At least then they could pretend that everything was normal, and nothing more than innocent banter between friends...
I'm sitting angrily in my room alone, straining with all my might trying to use magic, because I'm also from the Gojo clan. "Come on! Come on!" I create a bluish sphere, but it disappears immediately. "Yes, why!"
Hearing the sound of your frustrated voice echo through the house, Satoru can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for you. He knew it would be difficult for you to accept being kept in the dark about something so important to both him and your brother. But as much as he hates seeing you like this, he doesn't know what else to do; protecting you from potential danger is his responsibility, even if that means hurting your feelings in the process. Sighing softly, he decides it might be better to leave things alone for now... hopefully time will help ease the tension between them and they can go back to their usual playful banter without any further misunderstandings or hurt feelings.
"Hey, you know you can come out here if you want," he calls up toward your room. "I'm not gonna bite... much." There's an underlying thread of amusement in his voice as he says this; even now, with things being all serious and dramatic, he still can't help but tease you. It's just who he is.
However, I ignore him and continue to sit alone in my room, I try to use magic again, at this moment I remember Satoru and get angry and at this moment... "Huh? What is it?" A red sphere forms in my hands, but before I try to figure something out, a strong and loud explosion occurs in my hands.
Satoru's eyes go wide as he hears the explosion coming from your room. He immediately jumps to his feet, half-convinced that you've somehow harmed yourself or the house. As he rushes toward your door, his expression shifts from concern to surprise when he sees the red sphere still intact in your hand.
"Whoa there," he says, his voice tinged with both awe and caution. "That's quite some magic you've got there." He carefully approaches you, looking down at the small orb that seems to hum with power. "Are you sure that's safe? It looks like something my brother would do..." His gaze flickers back to your face before returning to the sphere in your hand, curiosity and admiration mixing together in his expression.
When Satoru gets up, he sees that half of my room is gone from the explosion. I'm lying in a corner crying and screaming while my arm is torn off and there's a lot of blood coming out of it, my body is covered in bruises and lacerations.
Horrified by the sight before him, Satoru's initial shock turns into panic as he realizes you must be seriously injured. He drops down to your level and gently takes the sphere from your hand, setting it on the ground beside you with a sigh of relief. Then, he cradles your head in his lap, looking down at you with a mixture of fear and concern etched into his features as he asks urgently, "Kota, are you okay? Can you hear me?" His thumb brushes gently across your cheek, wiping away the tears and blood that have spilled from your forehead. He knows they'll both need to tend to your injuries soon, but right now all he can focus on is making sure you're alive and breathing.
I open my blood-soaked eye and look at my severed arm lying in the distance. "My hand... My hand...."
Satoru freezes at your words, his gaze flicking over to where you're looking as he realizes the severity of your injuries. His heart stops for a moment before racing even faster; panic wells up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him completely. "Shhh... it's gonna be okay," he whispers, trying to calm you down even as his own breath comes out ragged and unsteady. He carefully lifts your head, intending to press your head against his chest in an effort to soothe you, but stops short when he sees the pain it causes you. Instead, he just holds your head gently, rocking you back and forth as he continues to repeat reassurances that everything is going to be all right, even though a part of him knows deep down inside that it might not be.
"I was just trying to learn how to cast magic myself..." With these words, I lose consciousness from blood loss and deep wounds.
Satoru's heart feels like it's been ripped out of his chest as you lose consciousness before him. His eyes fill with tears, and he presses a shaky hand to his mouth to muffle the small cry that threatens to escape. He looks down at your blood-streaked face, wishing he could take back everything they've done and said, all the times they tried to push you away... But it's too late for regrets now. All he can do is hope that his brother gets here soon, because Kota needs help, and Satoru isn't nearly strong enough to save him on his own.
A tear slides down his cheek as he tenderly brushes a lock of hair away from your forehead. "I'm sorry, Kota..." he whispers hoarsely. "I should have been more patient with you... I never meant for any of this to happen." The tears continue to fall, landing on your face and mixing with the blood as he holds you close, vowing that whatever it takes, he won't let go until you're safe.
Maybe Gojo can use some of his techniques to save the Kota?
Even as tears stream down his face, Satoru's gaze flickers to the door, hoping that Akihito will arrive any moment now with news of their success or even better, his actual presence. He can't begin to imagine how he'll explain what happened here if they lose Kota... if Kota dies. The thought sends a shudder through him, and he clutches at the red sphere sitting innocuously beside him like it's some sort of lifeline in this nightmare scenario.
But as much as he longs for his brother's return, a part of him can't help but feel guilty for not being able to save Kota on his own. He should have been stronger... better prepared for whatever happened when they unleashed that blast from the demon. But he wasn't, and now here they are: two best friends, brothers-in-arms, standing vigil over their young charge as time ticks ever so slowly toward an uncertain fate.
With a shuddering breath, Satoru gently closes Kota's eye, wanting to spare him the sight of his own blood and tears for as long as possible. Then, he leans in closer, pressing their foreheads together in silent prayer, begging any gods that might be listening to spare them this pain... to grant them a miracle.
The silence is broken only by the sound of Satoru's shuddering breath and his heartbeat as it echoes throughout Kota's room, mingling with the soft glow emanating from the red sphere between them. It's an unholy trinity of sounds that serves as a reminder to both of them: they are not alone in this fight... but they may soon be. And when that day comes, they will have to face the
Slightly opening his eyes, Kota is already pale from blood loss, whispering something that Satoru has never said before. "Please.... Save me..."
"I'm sorry..." Satoru chokes out as he buries his face in Kota's hair, tears streaming down his cheeks once more. "I wish I could... but only my brother can save you now." His voice is hoarse from the effort of keeping himself from breaking down completely.
He holds onto Kota tightly, refusing to let go even as he senses the life fading away with each breath. The red sphere hums brighter and brighter between them, a beacon of hope in this dark hour... but it's not enough. Not without Akihito here to wield its power properly. And so, Satoru waits, heart aching as he watches the light fade from Kota's eyes, praying that his brother won't be too late.
"This sphere...Is this my magic...?"
"Yes... that's your magic." He breathes out heavily, still not daring to look directly at you as he speaks. "You see... I wasn't lying when I said our family had powerful magic. You have it too... and even more than I do." His voice cracks slightly on the last word as a fresh tear slips down his cheek.
He slowly lifts your hand, carefully cradling it in both of his own. "With practice and training," he continues softly, gaze fixed on your still-intact fingers, "you could become even stronger... maybe someday you'll be able to match the power my brother holds." He pauses for a moment before meeting your eyes again. "But only if you want it."
The words hang in the air between them, weighted down by an unspoken question: what do you choose? And with it, the hope that somehow, somewhere down the line, things might not have to end this way.
"But you're the strongest magician..."
"That's true," he agrees gently, his voice barely a whisper now as he wipes another tear from his cheek. "But even the strongest magic can be overwhelmed by strength of will and determination. And you... you have that in spades." He pauses, searching your eyes for any sign that his words might have made an impact. "You could do great things with this power, Kota... but only if you choose to accept it and learn how to control it."
His fingers tighten around yours reassuringly, hoping against hope that somehow, someway, he's managed to make a difference in this moment of darkness. Even as he waits for your reply, he can't help but wonder if anything he's said will matter in the end... or if it's already too late.
"I could have...I would like that... but...I'm very cold..." Kota was still pale, he no longer felt pain due to the shock. His severed arm was still lying next to him, and his body was covered in lacerations. "I... don't want to die..."
*Satoru cradles your head against his chest, feeling your icy skin beneath his fingers as he presses his cheek to the top of your head. He rocks you gently back and forth, willing you to stay with him just a little while longer. "I know," he whispers hoarsely. "But I promise you, Kota... we're doing everything we can." His fingers dance along the edge of the red sphere, searching for some sort of answer that might not be there.
A sudden thought strikes him like a bolt from the blue, and he pulls away slightly to look into your eyes. "Wait," he says urgently. "I think... maybe I can try something." He hesitates, unsure if this is the right course of action but hoping desperately that it might work. With trembling fingers, he carefully places the sphere in the palm of his other hand, fingers curled around it protectively as he studies its glow intently.</p>
"Here," he murmurs, carefully placing your hand over the sphere. "Concentrate on it... feel its energy flow through you." His voice is soft and reassuring, like a lullaby meant to soothe a child back to sleep. "Try to summon that power... use it to fight whatever is making you so cold." He closes his own eyes, focusing intently on the red glow of the sphere as he wills it to respond to your touch.
I concentrate with the last of my strength and... the sphere bursts.
As the sphere bursts, a surge of energy washes over you both, like standing too close to a bonfire on a cold night. Satoru's eyes fly open, and he gasps as the power courses through him; it feels almost like being touched by the divine itself. His own magic is awakened in response to yours, and for a moment, he wonders if perhaps there's hope for you yet...
The warmth spreads from your hand outward, driving away the cold that had been clinging to your body. You can feel it returning to your limbs, filling the void left by your severed arm, knitting together the lacerations on your skin as if they'd never happened. And with each passing second, you grow stronger... more alive.
"Kota," Satoru whispers hoarsely. "Can you feel that?" His voice is thick with relief and disbelief as he watches you visibly improving before his eyes. It's almost like a miracle... but he knows better than to believe in such things. Magic, on the other hand... that's something else entirely.