𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐋𝐈 - 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌

MIKAZUKI'S ETERNITY CLASHED AGAINST SATORU'S INFINITY LIKE A SILENT STORM, warping around each other in an eternal dance that could never end, golden swirling against the endless silvery clouds of raw power. The last time the sorceress had danced like this with someone – anyone, really – was far longer ago than a mere decade, this ball feeling like a small ordeal in comparison.

Mikazuki should have forgotten what it felt like, having someone so close while also being an eternity away, yet the feeling was seared into her mind, the familiarity of it haunting her even in the darkest of times.

Satoru led her to the centre of the room, tugging lightly at her hand while she simply followed. Mikazuki had been instructed in waltz at a very young age, but the sorceress was still surprised with just how easily her body fell into step with Satoru's as they glided across the dancefloor. The people around them became mere blurs as he twirled her around, his hand carefully draped over her waist while the other one led hers.

The moment should have felt magical – it was everything Kinzoku Mikazuki had ever wanted – yet something about it felt like a sacrilege instead. This was not meant for her, never had been in the first place, and as Mikazuki danced, for the first time ever, she realized she didn't mind. Some things were not meant to be, and this match had been doomed since the beginning, the fact their respective clans had tried to find a way around it and failed miserably was just another testament to how impossible it had always been.

If neither the driving forces behind the Kinzoku nor the Gojo Clan had been able to find a loophole behind the Cursed Energy that kept them apart, then surely it meant there wasn't one to begin with.

They danced like this for a while, tuning out the surprised gasps from the crowd and the hushed whispers from jealous suitors. Mikazuki didn't care, Satoru would never be hers and vice-versa, he was engaged to another, and she was a prisoner to her own bloodline. Her midnight black dress was a stark contrast against Satoru's grey one, why he had chosen to wear such a suit to a black tie event was something Mikazuki didn't understand, not that she minded. Besides, he'd always been the odd one out between the two.

Satoru continued to lead, directing her movements despite the fact she moved far more gracefully than he did. It was common for women to be instructed in these types of dances while men – particularly as powerful as he was – were taught other more useful skills, like combat training and Cursed Energy techniques. Satoru leaned in until their bodies were pressed together, the loud buzz of the Energy crackling in the air deafening while his lips nearly grazed Mikazuki's ear.

"Why are you really here?" He asked, continuing to twirl around the dancefloor before dipping her low to the ground, her updo coming undone as grey curls framed her face.

Ah. So that's why he had proposed the dance in the first place. Just as always, Satoru had no qualms playing with her heart. And just as always, Mikazuki had willingly fallen into his trap.

"You know why." She answered in a controlled tone as he pulled her back up. "My brother died, and the clan needed a new heir."

Satoru narrowed his eyes, scanning the woman in front of him as if he could see right through her and the web of lies she had draped around herself like a careful blanket.

"Is that all?"

Mikazuki caught a glimpse of something in his eyes, something she was familiar enough with to make her skin crawl. Even with the shades on, she was able to read him like an open book, those ocean eyes of him a pool of lies and deceit she was ready to unravel. The sorceress stepped right into his space, her chest pressed against his in what most people would consider to be an improper move, especially between two people who had been set to marry at some point.

"Tell me, Satoru." She spoke his name slowly, drawing out each syllable while tilting her head to the side, gauging his reaction. "How long have you been The Magistrate's bitch?"

Satoru stiffened, the words echoing in his brain like a ricocheting bullet, the bite in them hitting him just as hard. Suddenly, his stance changed, going from what she judged to be a somewhat ashamed look to something almost offended.

"I swore the same oath as you."

"Yes, you did." She answered in a taut voice. "Which is exactly why I don't trust you."

Their waltz had devolved into a different kind of dance, one that wasn't suited for their current position, the kind that was both dangerous and exhilarating to watch, the air around them shifting with charged Energy. Satoru stared at the woman with wide eyes, as if unable to comprehend the words that had just left her mouth. And, in a way, he didn't. How could he possibly understand Mikazuki, when he could barely understand himself?

Mikazuki halted her steps, stopping their dance as the violins in the background picked up, completely unaware of the conflict happening directly in front of them. She looked up at him, at those perfect blue eyes of him, expecting to see... expecting to see what? She didn't know, but whatever she was searching for in his gaze, she did not find. Mikazuki let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she prepared to step out of the dancefloor. Before she could go far, Satoru reached for her arm, clasping his hand around her sleeve in a rough manner and pulling her back in.

Mikazuki's Eternity reacted almost instantly, shedding golden sparks at the touch, though Satoru barely registered the pain. The sorcerer looked directly at her, the entirety of the intensity of his Six Eyes behind that stare.

"Did you kill Keisuke?"

Mikazuki dropped her arms at her sides, eyes open wide as she looked at the man in front of him, as if unable to recognize him at all. Satoru realized his mistake a second later, although by then it was too late.

"Did I– Did I murder my brother?" She asked, her voice rising far higher than she intended, the words sounding strangled. "How could you ask me that? How could you even think–"

Satoru reached out, fingers barely grazing Mikazuki's arm before she stepped back, looking up at him with teary eyes. The sorcerer paused, seeing both the hurt and the betrayal in her face – for a moment, it was as if he was looking into the eyes of poor little Mikazuki, the eighteen year old who confessed her love for him, the girl who would always smile and talk in a quiet tone, as if ashamed to take up too much space, but the moment was quickly over, and Mikazuki's sunset weeping eyes soon turned hard, a fire he did not recognize settling in her gaze while she stepped backwards into the crowd.

The light coming from the candles flickered, however, Satoru remained rooted to his spot, watching as Mikazuki ran through the parting crowd, the figure of her black dress disappearing among the mass of sorcerers, all of which soon directed their gazes towards him.