𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐋𝐈𝐈 - 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

MIKAZUKI FLUNG OPEN THE DOORS TO THE BALCONY, chest heaving as Satoru's words echoed in her head, the accusation turning her blood ice cold. The sorceress stumbled, her heeled foot catching on one of the loose stones that lined the floor. Thankfully, right before crashing down, the sorceress caught herself on the railing, nails scraping against the aged stone while she tried to regain her breath.

Mikazuki Cursed loudly, glancing down at her broken heel and taking another big gulp of air. The woman leant forward, her chest resting against the railing while she redirected her gaze towards the grandiose garden in front of her.

It was a quiet night, the lights in the garden resembling small stars in the distance an arranged into garlands that climbed up the trees and lined the fountain in the far back. The Kin House was truly a work of art, yet at that particular moment, Mikazuki found herself unable to enjoy any of it, the sour taste of Satoru's question still lingering in her mouth.

She could still hear the chatter filtering through the cracked door, the soft yellow light from the ballroom illuminating the floor and casting beautiful and strange shadows on the cobblestoned floor.

The air was cold and biting for a summer night, cutting across her face like delicate blades as her skin turned red.

Mikazuki paused, closing her palm around the railing as she settled in the space, looking up at the starry sky above. For a moment, she imagined one of the many stars to be Keisuke, looking down at her and probably shaking his head in disbelief, that stupid glib smile of his painted across his face.

Mikazuki used to hate that face along with the self-conceited attitude that always accompanied. Now, she couldn't help but miss it. She stayed like that for a while, chest still hurting and skin turning red at the harsh cold as she dwelled on the balcony, Satoru's cruel question haunting her like a ghost.

Did you kill Keisuke?

The thought alone was enough to make her come undone, the echo of the words resonating through her mind until it became a string of unintelligible sounds. Mikazuki closed her eyes, picturing the face her twin would have made upon hearing such accusation. She knew him so well she didn't even have to guess. The sorceress took another steadying breath, the sound coming out ragged and laced with an emotion she couldn't put into words.

How could he ask her such a thing? Despite their many differences and their complicated past, Satoru and Mikazuki shared a common life, and yet, it was as if he didn't know her at all. Mikazuki looked down at the large pool around the fountain, catching her reflection in the water.

She looked like someone else, and although that had been her goal since her father orchestrated her return, the sorceress couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had changed too much. So much, in fact, that she couldn't even recognize herself in the ripples of the fountain water.

Did you kill Keisuke? The question echoed once again, the sound of it nearly horrible enough to make Mikazuki gag. How could he ask such a thing? Mikazuki had never hesitated to kill anyone, be it a Curse or a sorcerer, but if there was one person she would never turn against, it would be Keisuke. He was her twin, she would never do such a thing.

Except, that was a lie, wasn't it?

She would, with no guilt and no remorse, because that was exactly the kind of person she had become. The truth tasted bitter in her mouth, like words turning into ashes, and, for a moment, the sorceress considered drowning her sorrows with one of still unopened champagne bottles on display, however, the idea quickly died out when someone won her to it, the familiar sound of clicking heels echoing in the balcony.

Mikazuki didn't even turn, simply putting on an acid smile as Ieiri Shoko settled beside her, naked arms brushing against the aged stone of the railing. She was wearing a beautiful navy blue dress, the fabric hanging loosely around her midsection before falling into multiple ripples of blue and aquamarine green. She was beautiful, and clearly Mikazuki wasn't the only one who thought so, as multiple sorcerers watched as she strode towards the sorceress, eyeing the woman with hungry stares.

"This is your party." Shoko started speaking, popping the bottle open and taking a long swig of it, immediately discouraging the band of suitors that had followed. "You don't get to ditch it."

Mikazuki chuckled, the sound far more honest than what she expected it to be at this point. She finally looked to the side, taking in Shoko's calm demeanour while said woman inspected the label on the bottle. It was a Dom Pérignon, meaning the doctor would probably wake up with a hangover the next day. Besides, Mikazuki was pretty sure you weren't actually supposed to drink directly from the bottle, not that she'd ever try correcting Shoko on such matters. If anyone could do it, then it certainly would be her.

"I'm sorry." Mikazuki answered tiredly.

Shoko paused, lips hovering over the opening of the bottle as she looked at her friend, a familiar look settling in her face. The two women had been friends long enough to be able to read each other like an open book, and despite the ten years they spent apart, it seemed Shoko hadn't lost that particular ability.

The doctor lowered the bottle, plopping it down on the railing and letting out a tired sigh, eyes now trailing across the beautiful garden below. The balcony had a nice view of it, and the estate around the Kin House was clearly large enough that she couldn't see the end of it, the faded trees in the distance only marking the beginning of another, larger garden.

"It's really pretty here." Shoko said after a while, goosebumps appearing on her arms almost instantly "Makes me think of Kei, you know?"

Mikazuki did know. These days, everything reminded her of him.

"Yeah, he always loved these things."

Kinzoku Keisuke had always been good at playing the game. As the firstborn male heir, Asahi had made very clear what he expected from the man, and like the conniving sorcerer he was, Keisuke had always made sure to deliver on that front. Sometimes, Mikazuki wondered about whether it was all an act or if her twin truly believed this was the best course of action. Did he really believe in The Magistrate, or was he simply playing the long game like her?

Shoko continued inspecting her friends, immediately recognizing the frown lines around her eyes and on her forehead.

"You seem upset, did something happen?"

The question was kind, but Mikazuki wasn't foolish enough to believe there wasn't an ulterior motive behind it. Shoko might have been her friend, and although the sorceress did trust the doctor, some things never changed, and the truth was that Ieiri would always be loyal to The Magistrate. Mikazuki didn't mind, but she surely wouldn't make the mistake of spilling her gust, not when she knew every single word would end in a classified report in some abandoned storage room so Madame Dubois could later use it against her.

No, Mikazuki would not make that mistake twice.

"Nah, just some dumb stuff." She lied easily, yet, upon feeling her friend's glare, Mikazuki realised the lie hadn't come out as convincing as she intended.

The sorceress sighed, playing with a small tendril of gold in her fingers before relaxing her stance.

"Satoru asked me if I killed Keisuke." She paused, the air in the garden turning heavy. "I don't even know why I'm mad, it's just another one of his stupid mind games."

A heavy silence settled in the balcony, and for a moment, Shoko considered ending the conversation right then and there. Except, if she did that, she couldn't really call herself the meddling friend, so she adjusted the straps of her dress before probing the same question, this time her tone indicating there was no room for refusal or whatever lie Mikazuki was already preparing in her mind.

"Actually, there have been a couple of rumours about that." Shoko confessed after a while, her expression nonchalant, yet Mikazuki wasn't fooled by it.