CHAPTER 3: CURSE WITHIN

In a dimly lit room, faint orange sunlight bled through the cracks of the blinds, casting long shadows across the floor.

Yuji Itadori sat still in a wooden chair, fingers laced together, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes stared at the ground, unfocused. He was suited up, prepared to leave alongside Megumi—his partner for the Death Devil Game.

The quiet was heavy.

Then it broke.

"Where's Satoru Gojo?"

The voice came from within. Deep, cruel, unmistakable.

Yuji didn't lift his head. "...You're awake."

"Of course I am." Sukuna's tone was laced with mockery. "This body is mine as much as it is yours. You should know I'm always watching. But this prison thing… this new chaos… Gojo's absence… Tell me, brat—what happened to that blindfolded freak?"

Yuji clenched his jaw. "He's trapped in the Prison Realm. Kenjaku sealed him during the Shibuya Incident. We haven't been able to bring him back yet."

A low chuckle vibrated through his bones.

"Hah. That clown got sealed? Now that's rich. The one who thought he was invincible, locked away like an insect in a jar." Sukuna's voice paused briefly. "And you're playing a game now… risking your life to win a key?"

Yuji nodded once. "That key is the only thing that can get Gojo back. And if we don't get him out… you'll run free."

"You speak like you're in control." Sukuna's grin could be felt, even unseen. "But this game… it's interesting. Blood, legacy, death. It's been ages since I've seen such delightful carnage being prepared."

Yuji finally stood up. He faced the mirror in the corner. His reflection stared back—but there, just behind the glass, Sukuna's eyes burned faintly behind his own.

"I'm not playing this game for fun. I'm playing it because I still believe I can stop you," Yuji muttered.

"Belief is for the weak," Sukuna answered. "But I'll sit back and watch. Entertain me, boy. I want to see how far you're willing to bleed before you realize you were never the hero in this story."

Yuji turned his back on the mirror and left the room.

Megumi was waiting outside.