Chapter Text
The summer was in full swing, the air thick and pressing down with heat. The sun hung high in the sky, with barely any clouds to provide shade. The forest around you, still lush and full of every shade of green, swayed lazily with the occasional breeze.
Everything had settled into a comfortable silence where life itself seemed to pause, smothered by the heat.
You were on your daily stroll through it, quietly breathing in the scent of the forest around you. Warm moss, rich soil, and fallen leaves that softly crunched beneath every few steps.
This was the quiet you had grown accustomed to throughout your entire life, living deep within the forest, far away from society, rules, and politics.
Some might say it’s a lonely way of living, but solitude had always been your best friend.
It never asked for anything, and it never offered anything in return. It simply existed, bringing the quiet and steady comfort of your own thoughts.
You continued your stroll through the familiar paths between the trees, enjoying the distant chirp of a bird or the lazy hum of an insect. You veered left, following the trail that led to the small berry patch you had tended over the years, wineberries and raspberries.
It had been a while since you treated yourself to something sweet and refreshing.
The thought of shaved ice covered in fruit syrup made your mouth water, but getting ice in the middle of nowhere during summer? Fat chance.
Maybe you could make jam instead, saving it for winter or using it later as a filling for desserts.
You hummed quietly to yourself as you began picking the plump, colorful berries, carefully placing them into the basket you had brought along. Their juice quickly stained your fingertips a faint shade of pink.
You brought one raspberry to your mouth, popping it in and letting out an appreciative hum.
This season you had been especially diligent, clearing away weeds, watering the patch whenever the weather stayed dry, and making sure nothing crowded out the growing canes. The extra effort had paid off, each branch heavy with ripe fruit.
You continued humming some offbeat melody you’d heard somewhere before while going through your mental checklist of things that still needed to be done.
The weekly merchant had passed by three days ago, which meant you still had enough supplies for now.
A sudden rustle behind you pulled you from your thoughts.
Your eyes snapped up as you turned around.
And there it was.
Long ears that twitched every few seconds. Its eyes were enormous, dark, and fixed, seeming almost too large for its narrow skull. It looked less like a gentle woodland creature and more like a bundle of nerves wrapped in fur.
Hares were common around here. You often spotted them alongside countless other animals.
But hares always managed to creep you out, if only a little.
Maybe it was those large, void like eyes that never seemed to blink, or the impossibly long ears, or the way they could stand perfectly still one moment before exploding into motion the next, startling anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.
The hare’s nose twitched once, then twice.
Balanced on its hind legs, it remained perfectly still, silently scanning its surroundings.
You quietly stopped plucking the fruit and observed the creature.
Its nose twitched again.
And as if completely unbothered by your presence, not even sparing you another glance, it hopped off into the forest.
You returned to picking berries.
Once the basket was filled with wineberries and raspberries, you took a step back, rolling your shoulders and stretching until your bones cracked and popped, your muscles just a little sore from hunching over and crouching for so long.
You straightened up, picked the berry filled basket off the ground, and continued your stroll.
By the time you arrived back at your little cabin, dusk had already begun to spill into the late evening. Dark oranges melted into soft pinks and deep purples, painting the woods and the worn wooden walls in warm colors that seemed to glow for just a little while longer.
The heat of the day slowly loosened its grip. The air carried a pleasant chill, drifting between the trees and rustling the leaves overhead.
Long shadows stretched across the ground, the forest around you darkening as the sun continued its slow descent beyond the endless sea of branches, quietly signaling the end of another day.
You set the basket of berries inside before making your way to the small garden beside the cabin.
Rows of herbs swayed gently in the breeze, their scent filling the air the moment your hands brushed against them.
Tomatoes hung heavy from their vines, beans climbed neatly along wooden stakes, and broad squash leaves spread across the earth, catching the last bits of fading sunlight.
Tiny insects buzzed lazily from flower to flower while a lone cricket had already begun its evening song somewhere in the grass.
With a small watering can in one hand and a trowel in the other, you moved from bed to bed out of habit, pressing loose soil back around roots, plucking stubborn weeds that had dared to return, and pinching away yellowing leaves before they could spread.
It was quiet work, the kind your hands knew without your mind needing to follow.
Your robes clung uncomfortably to your back from the lingering warmth of the day, the fabric damp with a thin layer of sweat. Strands of hair had escaped and stuck to your forehead and temples, tickling your skin whenever the breeze failed to reach you.
Somewhere in the distance, an owl called once, answered only by the chorus of insects hidden beneath the undergrowth.
You finally straightened up, a soft ache running through your back as you stretched. Your eyes wandered over the little garden one last time, taking in the neat rows and healthy plants bathed in the last golden light.
Satisfied, you brushed the dirt from your hands, loose soil falling back onto the well trodden path at your feet.
The sun had already begun its steady descent, the air slowly filling with the familiar scent of a summer night. The warmth of the day still lingered against your skin, but the occasional breeze carried the promise of cooler hours ahead, rustling through the leaves and stirring the tall grass beyond the cabin.
It was still too early to retreat inside and call it a day.
Instead, you decided to make yourself some tea, homemade and brewed from herbs you had planted, tended, and picked with your own hands.
The water had barely stopped simmering before the leaves released their fragrance, earthy and floral, filling the little cabin with a gentle warmth that had nothing to do with the weather.
You poured the steaming tea into a worn ceramic cup, its surface chipped in a few places from years of use, and stepped back outside.
You settled onto the wooden porch in front of your cabin.
By now, the forest had been almost completely swallowed by darkness.
It was a familiar sight.
The open fields in the distance still held onto the day’s final streaks of gold and orange, while the dense woods surrounding your home had already dissolved into an endless mass of black. The ancient trees stood like silent silhouettes, their branches weaving together high above until they blocked out nearly every trace of the fading sky.
The line where sunlight ended and shadow began had always fascinated you.
It didn’t make you uneasy.
You knew every path, every crooked root hidden beneath the moss, every stone and every tree within walking distance of your home. You had wandered these woods for so many years that you could probably find your way through them with your eyes closed.
And even if something did appear, perhaps a wandering cursed spirit drawn out by the night, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.
You lifted the cup once more, blowing gently across the surface before taking another careful sip, making sure not to burn your lips.
The tea carried a subtle sweetness beneath its herbal bitterness, warming you from the inside despite the cooling air.
For a while, you simply sat there.
The forest, so quiet beneath the afternoon heat, had come alive again. Crickets chirped without pause, unseen insects buzzed through the undergrowth, leaves whispered together whenever the wind slipped between the branches, and somewhere deep within the trees, a fox called into the darkness.
You listened without thinking, quietly enjoying the slow transition from evening into night as the familiar chorus settled around your cabin like an old friend.
By the time you finished your tea, the moon had climbed into the sky, bathing the clearing in a soft, pale light. Silver spilled across the porch, settled over the roof of your cabin, and clung to the leaves overhead until every branch seemed dusted with frost instead of summer warmth.
The shadows had softened beneath it.
Where daylight drew sharp edges, the moon blurred them, turning familiar trees into quiet silhouettes and the forest floor into a sea of shifting shades. Every breeze sent ribbons of light dancing through the canopy, and the nearby stream reflected the sky so perfectly that it looked as though another moon rested beneath the water.
Even as a young child, you had always admired the moon.
There was something comforting about it.
So impossibly distant, forever beyond reach, yet close enough to watch over every night without fail. Kingdoms had risen and fallen beneath its light, countless travelers had found their way by it, and poets had spent lifetimes trying to capture its beauty with ink that never seemed enough.
For some reason, you had always imagined the moon as a woman.
Elegant and impossibly patient, beautiful not because she demanded attention but because she never did. She simply existed, wrapped in silence, quietly watching over the world below with an expression no one could quite understand.
Never lonely, but never truly accompanied either.
The sun, in your mind, had always been her unyielding companion.
Brilliant where she was gentle, warm where she was cool, loud where she was quiet.
They followed the same endless path across the heavens, chasing one another day after day, century after century, yet never once walking side by side.
You remembered a story someone had told you when you were little.
Long ago, before people learned to count the years, the sun had fallen hopelessly in love with the moon.
Unable to bear their endless distance, he made her a promise.
“The next time our paths cross, I will marry you.”
The moon accepted without hesitation, carrying that promise through every night as faithfully as she carried her light.
But the sun already knew the truth.
If they were ever to meet, if day and night truly became one, the balance of the world would shatter. Oceans would forget their tides, stars would vanish from the heavens, and the earth itself would come undone beneath the weight of two skies becoming one.
So, before beginning his endless journey, the sun forged two golden rings from the first fire that had ever burned.
He entrusted them to Saturn, the oldest wanderer of the heavens, asking the silent giant to guard them until the promised day arrived.
And Saturn waited.
Year after year, century after century, wearing the rings around itself so they would never be lost.
Some said the bright bands circling the distant planet were nothing more than dust and ice.
Others believed they were still waiting.
Waiting for the day the sun and moon finally crossed paths, keeping a promise that had outlived empires, mountains, and the memories of those who first told the tale.
You smiled faintly at the thought.
It was only a story, one passed from parent to child until no one remembered where it had begun, but it still brought a smile to your face every time your mind wandered back into the past.
You glanced up at the moon again, your gaze lingering as it hung steady in the sky, unwavering and calm. Its pale surface was marked with faint shadows and soft, uneven patches, like brushstrokes left behind by something far older than memory.
Even from here, it felt close enough to study yet distant enough to never truly understand.
Eventually your knees began aching from sitting too long, your back sore and muscles protesting in quiet reminders of the day’s work.
You slowly got up, carefully lifting the tray with your empty tea cup, and rose to your feet.
As you took a slow step forward and turned your back toward the cabin, a cold chill settled against the back of your neck. The sensation was immediate, sharp enough to make your skin prickle, goosebumps rising along your arms as if the air itself had shifted.
You paused.
Not fully turning at first, only tilting your head slightly, as if movement alone might confirm what you were feeling wasn’t real.
You turned ever so slowly, glancing over your shoulder.
The thick line of trees stood in front of your cabin like a wall, dense and unmoving, branches tangled together so tightly they seemed to swallow what little light the moon gave. Shadows pooled beneath them in layers, deeper than they should have been.
How odd.
You can’t help but feel the unease of being watched.
The feeling crawled up your spine and settled behind your ribs. Your stomach tightened in response, a quiet, involuntary twist that made the air feel suddenly heavier in your lungs. Your eyes moved carefully across the treeline.
Slow. Deliberate. Searching.
You tried to make sense of the darkness, to force shapes out of it the way your mind usually could when staring long enough. Branches, trunks, the usual shifting illusions the night played on tired eyes.
Nothing.
Not even a twitch or a sound.
The entire forest had gone unnaturally still, as if something had reached into it and pressed down, silencing everything at once. The kind of silence that appeared when something or someone was lurking behind the shadows.
Your grip on the tray tightened slightly without you noticing.
Still, there was nothing to see.
As if whatever that is sneaking in the forest knew you could see it, but hid itself on purpose.
Like a predator stalking prey.
You exhaled slowly through your nose, forcing your attention away from the treeline.
It was late.
You were tired.
And whatever it was, if it even was anything at all, it would leave eventually. That was how the forest worked. Everything either moved on… or revealed itself in time.
You turned away again and took another step toward the cabin.
Snap.
Your entire body froze and turned around so fast you nearly gave yourself whiplash.
The sound of a twig snapping echoed through the forest. It was sharp in the silence, too loud, too clear, like it didn’t belong there at all.
It didn’t sound like an animal stepping wrong.
It sounded… careful.
You stared into the treeline immediately.
Nothing moved.
But the silence felt different now. Heavier. Like something had settled into it.
You slowly set the tray down onto the low table, the cup giving a soft clink as it touched the wood. The sound felt out of place in the quiet that followed.
You took a careful step forward to the edge of the porch, eyes narrowed as you tried to see past the dark line of trees.
Still nothing.
But it didn’t feel empty anymore.
It felt like something was there, just out of sight, staying perfectly still.
Watching.
Your shoulders tensed without you meaning them to.
Whatever it was, it didn’t feel like an animal anymore.
And it definitely didn’t feel like something that had just wandered in by accident.
You stayed still, staring into the trees, waiting for something to move first.
Your jaw tightened slightly.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t wandering.
It wasn’t lost.
And it certainly wasn’t an animal that had simply wandered too close to the cabin.
It was deliberate.
Intentional.
And it was aware of you being aware of it.
A slow, uneasy realization settled in your chest.
Something was there, holding itself perfectly still, just beyond the reach of the moonlight. Not hiding in panic or fear. Watching. Waiting for you to make the next mistake, to shift your attention at the wrong moment, to turn your back for even a second too long.
The boards beneath your feet creaked softly, each sound suddenly amplified, each movement feeling too exposed, as if the forest was listening closely enough to count them.
Your eyes narrowed as you scanned the dark line of trees again.
Still nothing.
But now you were certain it was not absence you were looking at.
Two possibilities came into your mind.
It was either someone passing by. A traveler, maybe lost. It wouldn’t be the first time. It was easy to lose your sense of direction in this forest if you didn’t know it well. The trees could swallow paths whole, turn familiar ground into something unrecognizable in a matter of minutes.
Or…
The more likely option.
A curse spirit.
They weren’t common out here, not really. Not this deep in the woods. But they still appeared sometimes. Lingering things. Weak ones that slipped past attention or drifted in from somewhere worse.
Normally, they weren’t much of a problem. Barely even worth calling it a fight. Just something you cut down and moved on from.
But this didn’t feel like that.
This didn’t feel weak.
Your expression tightened slightly as you stood there, eyes still locked on the treeline.
There was something wrong with the air.
You could feel it now.
The cursed energy wasn’t just present, it was pressing in. Heavy, dense, like the space itself had become too small to hold it. It settled in your chest and under your skin, a low, constant hum that made the silence feel worse instead of better.
You exhaled slowly through your nose.
Definitely not a low grade curse.
You straightened your back and clenched your jaw.
To most people, walking toward whatever was hiding in the darkness would seem foolish.
But you knew this forest like the back of your hand.
Every path, every crooked tree, every stream hidden beneath the brush. You had wandered these woods since you were a child, long before you were old enough to understand what lurked beyond them.
It wasn’t that you lacked any sense of self preservation.
Quite the opposite.
You simply knew there wasn’t much out here that could truly frighten you.
The forest sat far away from the nearest village, isolated enough that few people even knew it existed. Anyone with common sense would turn back long before reaching this deep into the trees.
And if it wasn’t a person…
You knew how to fight.
It wasn’t like you had never exorcised a curse before or crossed blades with someone who wanted you dead.
You had survived every encounter until now.
Another breeze slipped through the clearing, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves.
The pressure of cursed energy was still there.
You took another step.
Then another.
You were inches away from the line where the clearing blurred into thick trees and absolute darkness.
Holding your breath, you narrowed your gaze, searching the shadows for whatever uninvited guest had intruded on your grounds.
“Foolish woman.”
You took a swift step back the moment that gravelly, low voice hit your ears. It didn’t sound like a curse, it sounded human.
A sorcerer, maybe? But what would a sorcerer be doing out here?
Your thoughts cut short as a tall shadow shifted within the tree line.
Found you.
Your eyes locked onto the silhouette. “I’d advise you to stop hiding in the shadows and step out.” Your voice was steady and calm, betraying only a slight hint of irritation beneath the surface.
Of course you were irritated. Who wouldn't be? It was late, you were exhausted, and you wanted nothing more than to sleep. You had zero interest in chasing some weirdo sneaking around your woods.
The voice spoke again, still deep, but now dripping with amusement. “Ordering me around, woman? You really are stupid.”
Suddenly, a disgusting chuckle echoed through the trees. It was a second voice, but it didn't sound human at all. It sounded like gravel scraping against raw bone, and the grating noise set your nerves on fire.
You opened your mouth to snap back, but the words died in your throat.
The shadow shifted, stepping forward.
Your mind first registered the sudden, suffocating wall of heat, and then the sheer, crushing weight of cursed energy as the figure finally revealed itself.
It was like something torn straight out of a nightmare.
A man?
He had four eyes, deep, dark crimson pools that seemed to ignite the darkness. He had four arms, each thick and massive enough to crush human skulls like glass. As all four of those eyes locked onto you like a sniper pinning a target, your blood ran cold.
Could it be…?
No. You tried to dismiss the thought instantly.
You had heard the legends of the monster who rained terror upon villages, slaughtered entire clans, and burned history to ash. The Disgraced One, who fed on human flesh to satisfy his own whims, leaving nothing but destruction and misery in his wake. A demon with four arms and four eyes.
But those were just legends. Myths passed down by travelers and merchants to scare children and fools.
You had always dismissed them.
But now, with him standing right in front of you, the reality of your mistake crashed down with a sickening weight.
“Who… who are you?” You tried desperately to keep your voice steady, but the suffocating pressure of his gaze made it impossible.
His nose scrunched up and his brow twitched in sheer irritation, as if he had just tasted something vile or heard the ultimate insult.
Which, to him, it probably was.
Then, his lips split into a feral, jagged grin. He barked out a loud, booming laugh, and a second, monstrous mouth tore open across his stomach, cackling in tandem as if you had just told the funniest joke in existence.
Your gaze snapped downward. Your blood turned to ice as you locked eyes with the maw on his abdomen. Its teeth were jagged and sharp, stained with dried, dark blood at the corners. It was a truly grotesque sight.
“You really are an idiot,” he rumbled, his chest still vibrating with dark laughter. “I should rip your limbs apart right now for the sheer idiocy bleeding out of you.”
He took a heavy step closer and leaned his massive frame over yours, ensuring you felt every ounce of the catastrophic power radiating from his skin.
Before you could flinch, one of his massive hands shot forward, gripping your jaw. Sharp, black claws dug mercilessly into your skin as he cranked your head to the side. The movement was brutal and entirely devoid of gentleness, like the careless inspection of a butcher looking at a piece of meat.
“I wonder how your flesh would melt and taste on my tongue…” his voice scraped like gravel, while the maw on his stomach licked its lips, salivating at the thought.
You opened your mouth to finally speak, trying to break away from his grip, but that only caused his claws to dig further into your skin. A slow trail of blood began to pool and trickle down your cheek.
“You—” your voice cracked as you tried to wrench away from him, but it was completely futile. “You’re…”
“Ryomen Sukuna, yes, yes,” he cut you off. His tone was dismissive, dry, and blunt, like he was already growing impatient and tired of getting the exact same reaction every single time.
“What the hell are you doing in my forest?” Your voice finally snapped. You glared up at him, ready to fight even if it was a suicidal move.
His gaze flickered away from you for a moment. He looked almost bored, as if whatever small entertainment you had provided a second ago had completely vanished.
He let out a dismissive grunt and suddenly yanked you by your hair, pulling you upward before tossing you away like a ragdoll. Your body slammed hard against a thick tree trunk.
The sheer force of the impact made it feel like your head was splitting open. Hot blood already dripped from your temples as you stared ahead, your vision blurring and fading out at the edges.
Through the haze, you could see him still standing there. He lazily rolled his shoulders, not even sparing you another glance as he turned and began to walk away.
You forced yourself to your feet, standing up so fast your head spun.
“Hey! What the hell!” you snarled after him.
He paused.
“Silence.”
With a careless flick of his wrist, he sent an invisible slash tearing through the air toward you. The brutal cut sliced deep into your arm, and it would have severed it entirely if you hadn't thrown yourself out of the way just in time.
You hissed through your teeth, clenching your bleeding arm tightly as you practically glared daggers into his retreating back.
You were quick on your feet and immediately activated Reverse Cursed Technique, pushing out just enough energy to stop the bleeding and force the torn flesh on your arm and head to knit back together.
The moment the skin sealed, you did not hesitate to unleash your own cursed technique.
You extended your arm, fingers aiming directly at him as your power flared to life. Your technique allowed you to instantly analyze and observe the movements of your opponent, predicting their next step to expose their absolute weakest point. Locking onto the side of his neck, you compressed your cursed energy into a singular, guaranteed-hit attack.
You released the strike, and the air crackled with a sharp zap, sounding like a blade whistling through the wind. You were entirely certain it would bury itself into his throat.
He dodged it.
Impossible. This should not have happened.
You gritted your teeth and raised your arm again, desperately trying for a second shot.
“And here I was, letting you live another day,” Sukuna rumbled. His voice echoed through the trees, his tone completely bored and unamused as he turned to face you once more.
“Utterly reckless. That is what you are,” he said with deep disgust, all four of his eyes judging you from above.
Without warning, he sent another slash tearing towards you. This time he aimed directly for your head, intending to put a permanent end to this annoyance. You barely managed to throw yourself aside in time. The invisible blade grazed the side of your face, and you bit your lip as a sharp bolt of pain shot through your jaw.
Sukuna tilted his head in slight curiosity, clearly not expecting you to dodge his counterattack.
“Pathetic,” he exhaled sharply through his nose, his eyes watching you the way a predator watches an ant try to fight off a lizard.
His scrutinizing gaze locked onto you as he watched you heal yourself with Reverse Cursed Technique.
“How interesting…” he murmured, taking another step closer, his eyes never leaving your face. “That a pathetic little human like you possesses the art of Reverse Cursed Technique?” He cocked his head to the side, observing you like he was recalculating your worth over. “And living all alone out in the middle of nowhere…”
You glared deep into his eyes, refusing to falter as you stood your ground.
“Enough of this. State your purpose here,” you demanded, your tone firm and unyielding.
Sukuna raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, clearly finding your complete lack of fear rather amusing.
“You are either incredibly brave or recklessly stupid, I cannot quite decide which,” he said, dismissing your question completely.
“Answer me.”
Sukuna only gave another dismissive grunt as he scratched the back of his neck, seemingly weighing his options, debating whether he should actually indulge you or just kill you off for good.
He shifted his weight and crossed his upper arms, while his lower pair rested lazily at his sides.
“How about this,” he said. “We play a little game of chase. If you manage to entertain me, I will indulge your curiosity. You lose, and I will devour you.”
He added that last part almost absentmindedly. Right on cue, the maw on his stomach let out a hungry, low growl at his words. The thing was truly insatiable.
Your eyes narrowed in sheer suspicion and annoyance. What was wrong with him? Did he seriously think you would just run off and let him hunt you down like some animal?
Before you could even open your mouth to protest, another invisible slash tore through the air, striking the ground right next to your foot. It was an intentional miss, a blatant warning shot.
"Start running. Let's see how much entertainment those extra limbs buy you before I peel them off." Sukuna said. His voice dripping with sick amusement that made your stomach turn.
You quickly weighed your options. Running was the smartest move available. You knew this forest inside and out, you knew the uneven terrain, the hidden paths, and the layout of the grounds. You could easily use the terrain to try and throw him off your scent.
Yet, your pride held you back. No way in hell did you want to give him the satisfaction of watching you flee. But you also knew a direct confrontation was suicide. You could hold your ground for a little while, sure, but you could never actually kill him. You would be turned into his next meal before you could even formulate a proper strategy.
With a sharp, bitter exhale, you spun on your heel and bolted, darting deep into the thick, dark canopy and the treacherous terrain of the forest.
You ran deeper into the forest, easily navigating the uneven ground and dense thicket. You vaulted over rotting logs and tore through briars, entirely ignoring the sharp bite of thorns scraping against your skin.
You needed to get away from him. Fast.
Your muscles already screamed in protest. Your thighs trembled and burned with every heavy slam of your feet against the earth, but your mind pushed a single, desperate command: Faster.
You need to be faster.
Inhaling sharply through your nose, you forced your legs to pump harder. Your lungs felt like they were lining with ash, your throat was bone dry. But as you pushed further into the dense canopy, you felt the suffocating weight of his presence begin to lift. The air was no longer buzzing with that static, nauseating pressure of his cursed energy. It was finally easing up. You could breathe again. Somewhat.
Dodging a low hanging branch, you used your raw agility to pivot, leaping upwards to catch a thick bough. You hauled yourself up into the trees, deciding to use the high canopy to your advantage.
He might be a living natural disaster capable of making grand clans kneel, but there was no way in hell a man with his massive body weight and sheer muscle mass could effortlessly maneuver through a fragile, tangled web of branches.
The thought brought a grim, sudden grin to your face. Your mind conjured the ridiculous image of the legendary King of Curses clumsily snapping branches and struggling to climb a tree like a frustrated bear.
You let out a quiet, breathless snort, swinging your body forward and leaping from limb to limb with practiced ease.
By the time you stopped, you were miles away from your cabin, far enough to finally risk a small break. Landing on a thick, stable branch, you leaned your back against the trunk. Your chest heaved violently as your lungs desperately fought for oxygen. Your heart hammered like a trapped bird against your ribs, blood rushing so loudly through your ears that it muffled the natural sounds of the night. Your head felt light. Your legs throbbed with agony.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale—
Your entire body locked down. The air in your lungs instantly turned to ice.
The forest grew dead silent. The crickets cut off. And then, the temperature didn't just drop, the very atmosphere thickened, turning heavy, suffocating, and dripping with an ancient, malicious pressure.
The hum was back.
No way in hell he was that fast.
Adrenaline surged through your veins, wiping away the exhaustion as you snapped onto your feet, instantly dashing through the branches again. Your teeth gritted. At least you had the high ground. At least you were safe up here.
Or, at least, you hoped that was the case.
You continued leaping through the trees, desperately trying to weave a chaotic path to lose him, even though a sinking feeling in your gut told you it was close to impossible.
And then, your luck ran out.
The dense woven canopy abruptly snapped open. You violently jammed your heels down, your momentum nearly throwing you off the limb as a massive, empty clearing loomed ahead. With a sharp gasp, your arms flailed, your fingers clawing into a rough branch just in time to stop yourself from face-planting headfirst into the forest floor below.
Your chest heaved violently as you clung to the bark, gasping for the air that felt trapped in your throat. You looked down at the drop, then risked a frantic glance back into the shadows behind you.
The forest fell unnaturally still, the kind of silence that smothered every sound until it pressed against your skin and settled deep within your bones.
"And here I thought you knew these woods. You've run yourself right into a dead end."
His voice echoed from somewhere behind you, vast and suffocating. You could hear the mocking venom dripping from his tone, carrying a cruel amusement that made your stomach twist with unease.
“It seems your time has run out.”
He was savoring this.
Enjoyed it even.
Enjoyed toying with you.
Herding you into a corner with the patience of a predator that already knew its prey had nowhere left to run.
You could feel his overwhelming presence shift behind you as he took another step closer, the ground vibrating with the low hum of cursed energy. The air grew impossibly heavy, forcing the breath from your lungs.
Cold sweat pooled and trickled down your neck. Your tongue felt like lead, your heartbeat pounded so violently it drowned out your own thoughts, and every nerve in your body screamed at you to run, to flee, to get away before this ended in blood.
You looked down at the drop, then risked a frantic glance back into the shadows behind you.
Nothing. There was nothing there.
“You ran yourself ragged just to hit a dead end,” a voice dropped smoothly from the branch directly above your head. The wood groaned under a sudden, massive weight. “Disappointing. I expected a better chase before I started breaking your bones.”
You snapped your head upward, your entire body seizing with primal terror. The sudden, violent motion sent you stumbling backward, your heels slipping entirely off the rough bark.
Instantly, you felt nothing but empty air beneath your feet.
Your eyes slammed shut, your shoulders bracing for a brutal impact against the forest floor—
Thwack.
A sudden, violent jerk whipped your spine as a massive hand clamped around your throat. Fingers dug mercilessly into the sides of your neck, cutting off your air supply. A weak, choked gasp tore from your lungs as your eyes flew open.
You were suspended entirely in mid air. Your legs dangled helplessly over the drop as you clawed and tore desperately at his thick wrist, but he didn’t even budge. He held your entire weight with a single arm.
His face was inches from yours, all four eyes locked onto you with a sickening, predatory gaze.
"Look at you, sweating and shivering. I wonder if your marrow is as sweet as the rest of you, or if I’ll have to snap your bones open just to get a decent taste," Sukuna rumbled, his hot breath smelling faintly of rot and iron against your skin.
The expression on your face could only be described as sheer horror and disgust. The overpowering stench of stale blood and things you refused to name engulfed you.
The casual, bored way he uttered such crude, twisted words without blinking, the way he looked at you as nothing more than a scrap of raw meat, made your stomach violently churn. Sour bile rose in the back of your throat.
“You ran beautifully just to get your blood pumping,” Sukuna continued, his grin widening into a grotesque, jagged line.
From this position, your dangling legs brushed right against his torso. You tensed until your muscles felt ready to snap as the sharp teeth of the massive maw on his stomach parted. A thick, slavering tongue slithered out from his midsection, trailing a long, heavy lick up the bare skin of your trembling thigh.
“Good,” he purred, his grip on your throat tightening until your vision began to blur into black spots. “The meat always tastes better when the heart is still thrashing.”
He leaned even closer, his jaw brushing the shell of your ear as a wet, mocking chuckle vibrated against your skin.
“You lost the game.”
Before the words could even register, Sukuna drove his teeth deep into the meat of your shoulder.
There was no hesitation, no clean cut, just the savage, primitive violence of a predator feeding. His jaws clamped down with bone crushing force, easily puncturing skin and violently ripping backward to tear through the dense muscle and tendons.
Your entire world narrowed down to a single, white hot point of agony. Your body spasmed violently, a raw, blood curdling scream tearing from your throat with enough agonizing force to send a flock of nearby birds fleeing into the night sky.
Tears instantly flooded your vision, spilling down your cheeks as the pain consumed everything. You felt the horrific, pulsing heat of your own blood erupting from the wound, cascading down your chest as your entire right side went completely, terrifyingly numb.
Your left hand flew up, fingers bent into desperate, trembling claws as you scraped uselessly against his face and jaw, fighting a losing battle against a monster that didn't even register your blows.
Sukuna didn't pull away. He drank in the sound of your agonizing shrieks, his stomach mouth emitting a low, rumbling purr against your leg as he chewed, the copper stench of your blood completely filling his senses.
Swallowing the mouthful with a sickening gulp, his four eyes rolled down to meet your tear blurred gaze. His lips curled back over stained, crimson teeth.
"Cry louder," he whispered, his grip on your throat squeezing just enough to trap the next scream in your chest. "Let me hear how much it hurts before I take the next bite."
The next tear didn’t come from his face.
Before you could even process the mutilation of your shoulder, the massive maw at his stomach clamped its jaws against your lower body. With a sickening, wet crunch, it buried its jagged teeth deep into the meat of your thigh and violently yanked backward tearing your leg completely clean off at the hip.
Your voice went entirely raw, a broken, guttural shriek fracturing in your throat as the sheer shock of the amputation hit your nervous system.
The world tilted.
Your vision began rapidly strobing, fading in and out of blackness as you felt the torrent of your own lifeblood erupting from the stump, rushing out of your body to drench the forest floor below.
This was it.
There was no surviving this.
There was no miraculous escape.
This was how you met your end, slaughtered like cattle in the deep canopy of the woods you used to call home.
The last thing you saw through the suffocating darkness was the flash of his four eyes, gleaming with absolute hunger.
