Heaven and Earth

Chapter 21: 29.160278, 70.719865

Above the Indus River, somewhere between the India and Pakistan

Your whole body ached as icy cold air whipped around your body, making visibility almost nonexistent. Your fingers dug into a stone cliff, your hands raw from climbing. The altitude made the air thin; your breathing was labored and shallow. You jaw was clenched down and tucked into your scarf which wrapped around your neck to shield yourself from the cold. You sighed, using every ounce of energy to push yourself up to reach the top.

'Maybe I should've stayed in Kyoto...'

You flash backed to your first and only day in Kyoto after returning from Tokyo Jujutsu Tech:

You walked into a dimly lit room that was the Kyoto principal's office. An elderly man with a goatee and multiple piercings sad at a desk. He looked up at you. "Ah, y/n. We are glad that you've returned to us." 

You dropped your bag on the floor and walked over to the couch across the desk. You plopped yourself down and crossed your legs, "Let's cut the bullshit, principle Gakuganji."

Gakuganji raised his face, giving you a piercing look, "I see being around Gojo made you almost as disrespectful as he is."

You grit your teeth, pointing to the old man, "You know damn well why I'm mad. I'm here because I was ordered to by the higher ups."

"And yet you're here, following orders." The man looked down, placing his hand to his tea cup and raising it for a drink. "Is it really that bad to be here? We housed you since you were orphaned, you should be grateful." You lowered your hand and stood up, looking at the principal's bookshelf. "If I can't be in Tokyo I won't stay here, either."

The elderly man dropped his tea, a deadly stare across his face.

"And where exactly do you think you'll go?"

You shook your head from replaying the scene in your head, 'I can't go back now.' Your nails look bloodied from scaling the cliff of the mountain. You finally pushed your body up and over, rolling to the side as you gasped for air. You noticed the air pressure had changed once you got to the top; you could hear birds in the distance and the temperature became much more temperate. You caught your breath and got up into a seated position, looking at your surroundings. To your surprise, there was a jungle looking forrest in the distance. 'How is this possible?' You trudged forward, feeling the fatigue from your journey. As you walked into the forrest, you noticed a familiar curse energy in the distance. You followed the trail until you found a ancient looking temple; the dilapidated entrance had vines growing within the cracks, the fauna living around the area seemed unfamiliar to the altitude. You walked into the temple assuming it was abandoned.

Light peered into the temple from the cracks in the ceiling; something about the energy of the temple felt almost familiar to you. You stepped into the middle of the temple sanctuary and into the light. Suddenly- you felt gripped by an invisible force; you contorted your body to break free, only feeling your body lift up in the air. 

"W-wait!" you choked out, eyes frantically searching for the source. You could sense the cursed energy coming from behind a wall. "I'm a jujutsu sorcerer-" you squeezed out those words as the air left your lungs, vision beginning to blur. Suddenly the force lessened it's pressure, you still were levitating, pebbles of stone sticking to your body like magnets. A figure comes forward from behind a wall.

"Why have you come here, Jujutsu sorcerer?"

"T-to search for my mother's home!" the force didn't let go, keeping you immobilized but steady above the ground. 

The figure walked closer, peering up at you from the shadows, "What is your name?"

"Y/n," unsure what giving your name would do any good in this situation. The figure stood in silence, you suddenly dropped to the floor like a rag doll. You coughed from the sudden release of pressure from your throat. A woman appearing from the shadows, revealing herself to you: she looked to be in her midlife, with similar hair and eye color as you. Despite her age, she looked ethereal in her age and beauty. 

"You look like her." 

"Look like who?" You continued to cough, almost unaware of what the woman said to you. You sat up, looking around to your surroundings. You sat in what appeared to be an interior courtyard, several carvings of ancient asian artwork engraved on the stone walls. A giant tree stood in the middle of the courtyard where the woman returned to sit, looking at you intently,

 "You look like my sister." 

Your eyes widened,"My mother was a jujutsu sorcerer, my father told me this was the place they met," you then looked down to your feet, "She passed before she taught me anything..."

"So my sister is dead?" The woman replied, eyes narrowing at yours.

"S-she died of an illness," you replied, looking down. The woman sighed and frowned at you, "She died of radiation."

"...What?"

The woman stood up, walking towards the wall engraved in artwork; carved into the walls were what looked like people encircling a large spiral. "People like us hold an immense energy- when we reach a certain point, it can lead to overall deterioration."

"Your mother left our ancestral grounds after meeting your father; he came here as an archivist to uncover the Buddha's history," she continued, placing her hand on her hips, "Despite our family's protest, she decided to leave here to go with him," she looked at you intently, turning to face you. "To think she'd even have a child."

The woman walked closer to you, revealing her eyes which seemed to almost glow. "Have you ever felt like your energy was not yours?" you nodded quietly.

"That's because it isn't: it's been passed down to you from the ancestors before us. You're energy is an accumulation of your forefathers, engrained in you at birth. You come from a long line of sorcerers that originate all the way to the Buddha's first followers... It's even said that we are the first people born from the earth, herself."

"You speak as if earth is a being," you chimed in, trying to processes all the information the woman was sharing with you.

"That is why our curse energy is unique. The energy passed down to us is as close to natural energy as the energy the earth radiates; western science calls this energy radiation. That is why your mother became sick; she was unable to cope with the energy that grew in her body."

You frowned, then looked at her inquisitively,"If that's true, then why are you still alive?"

"Because I found a way to live."

"What was it?" you eagerly asked.

"Abandon your life- give it up. Reach enlightenment." You sighed, feeling exhaustion in your body. She looked at you, noticing the glazed expression on your face. She knew that you had already experienced great loss in your life by the look in your eyes.

"Lately I've been feeling like I have given up everything," you replied. "My parents are gone, I started a new life and what I called home, I lost my best friend, left home... left Satoru."

"Who's Satoru?" The woman asked.

"No one." You quickly replied.

"A boy?"

You blushed, feeling embarrassed at your vulnerability. The woman smiled at you, crouching down to your eye level. "Enlightenment doesn't mean you have to give up on love. Enlightenment means rebirth; it means finding balance. Being at your weakest point can spark growth. And growth is not a gentle slope: it can involve risk, pain, and suffering. I can train you; but it will be difficult. With that being said; I will train you. Question is, are you up for it?"

You looked down at your hands; bloodied and calloused. You blinked a few times, taking deep breaths before looking up to your aunt and committing to your answer:

"Yes. Train me."