TEN YEARS AGO, 2008 –
KINZOKU KEISUKE PACED THE LENGTH OF THE ROOM, he'd already memorized every single detail: from the floor-to-ceiling stained windows to the expensive marble floor, yet none of it seemed to be enough to distract him from the truth. The man sighed, shrugging off his jacket before turning towards his friends, an expectant expression written all over his face.
"We've been waiting for hours, how much longer is it going to take?" Keisuke complained loudly, nearly lashing out when Ieiri Shoko's hand landed on his shoulder.
Ieiri was small, but as a second-grade sorceress, she was still strong enough to pull him back from whatever dark place he was currently spiralling down towards. The girl – because, at this point, she was nothing but an eighteen-year-old girl with a big fat crush on the golden boy – squeezed his shoulder, reigning in his anger, if only momentarily.
"I know this is hard, but you need to pull yourself together," Shoko pleaded, turning to share a look with Geto Suguru, who was currently leaning against a window, an unreadable expression on his face "we need to stay focused"
Keisuke swallowed but nodded, stepping aside so he was resting beside Gojo. The sorcerer was the only one who hadn't said a word since the invitation had been sent; while Keisuke, Shoko and Suguru scrambled to get their bearings, the Gojo boy had been silent, watching his friends struggle to pull themselves together for Mikazuki's sake.
Satoru would have laughed, expect he didn't have any amusement left in him, just a hollow space where his heart should have been. Truth to be told, he didn't know what he was feeling at the moment. Betrayal, hurt? None of those words seemed to be strong enough to explain it.
The bell tolled, and soon the double doors to the room opened, a small and scared Mikazuki tumbling through. The Window carrying the chains didn't budge, pushing the sorceress into the room with an annoyed expression. Mikazuki fell into her brother's arms, tears rolling down her cheeks as she attempted to take a deep breath. Keisuke hugged his sister tightly, her body flush against his chest as she continued to cry.
"Everything is going to be okay" Keisuke tried to reassure, cradling her face in his hands as he pulled her head up.
She was a mess, covered in blood from head to toe, her black hair matted and tangled. Keisuke didn't know how long his twin had been retained, he'd only gotten the call that morning, after which he immediately rushed to tell his father. Of course, Kinzoku Asahi already knew, he'd known since The Magistrate's goons apprehended her outside of Kansai. They took her weapons; her katana, her knives – evidence, he'd said, like that was supposed to mean something to him.
Evidence of what? He hadn't dared ask, and now that he was cradling his sister against his chest, he realized exactly what Asahi had meant. Still, Keisuke swallowed past the lump in his throat, holding her face up and smearing her tears away with his thumbs.
"I promise, nothing is going to happen to you" he continued chanting, hoping the words would eventually reach her.
Mikazuki didn't stop sobbing, her hand clasped around Kei's skinny arm, like she was holding on for dear life. Suguru and Shoko watched from the side-lines, teary-eyed as they watched the sorceress lose it completely. Geto's eyes followed the chains around her ankles and wrists; she was being treated like an animal, like some sort of plague that needed to be contained – cattle, she was being treated like cattle, and it broke Suguru's heart.
"Is this really necessary? She's harmless" he tried, gesturing towards the chains with an annoyed expression.
The Window grimaced, yanking on the chains until Mikazuki yelped, nearly falling backwards if it wasn't for Keisuke's strong hold around her waist. The older Kinzoku glared at the Window, the golden fury visible in his gaze, yet the man didn't seem threatened by the display.
"Harmless?" he parroted "Tell that to the thirty-seven sorcerers she just butchered"
Mikazuki started sobbing again, clutching her brother's arm desperately until Keisuke finally looked back down, taking in her sister's broken face and her anguished demeanour.
"Kei, you need to listen to me" she pleaded, her speech incoherent between the sobbing and the shock rippling through her body "I didn't do this, I swear to you, I did not do this. I didn't– I didn't do this" Mikazuki continued to repeat, like an endless loop in hopes he would understand.
Kei shushed her, hand caressing the side of her face. She was completely and utterly broken, not a single spark of the girl she used to be. The chains rattled behind her, and suddenly Keisuke's face turned hard.
"I know, I know you didn't" he said sternly, letting go of her hands and pushing the Window against the wall "This is my sister we're talking about, she didn't do this–"
Whatever else he said quickly got lost in the chaos, and suddenly Mikazuki felt another hand around hers. The sorceress blinked through the tears, looking up only to find herself face to face with Suguru. The man looked as dishevelled as her, if not more. Geto sighed, pressing his lips against Mikazuki's hands.
"Please" Mikazuki pleaded "Please, don't let them take me away"
Suguru nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
"I won't. I won't let them get anywhere near you"
The sorceress continued crying, her breath coming in gasps as she tried to regain her bearings. Everything was a mess, and the chaos of it all was beginning to become too much for her. How did she end up here in the first place? Mikazuki buried her face in her hands, chest heaving as the reality of it all crashed onto her like a truck. Suguru kneeled in front of her, his expression calm despite the inner turmoil.
"Hey, hey" he tried to reassure, voice shaking as he gripped her hands hard "Look at me, Mikazuki" he held her face in his hands, his bright eyes looking directly at her golden ones.
She was pale, blood splattered on her face and she smelled of rotting flesh and ichor. But even through all these layers, she was still Kinzoku Mikazuki, and Suguru could see it so clearly it hurt. She didn't do this, he knew she hadn't, but the truth didn't matter here, and they both knew it. For her, though, he would pretend.
"Everything is going to be okay"
Mikazuki tilted her head to the side, the feeling of Suguru's hand on her cheek keeping her warm even as her clothes were still drenched in rain and blood. The sorceress's eyes followed her brother, who was currently harassing the Window in the background, holding him up by his shirt while Shoko tried to keep him in check. It was then, with Suguru's' hand still on her cheek and with her eyes trained on Keisuke that it dawned on her.
"Oh my god, they think I did this, they really think I did this." she let out, like a gasp of surprise "They're going to kill me, Suguru"
Geto shook his head, one hand still on her cheek while the other hand clutched her wrist so tightly he could already see a bruise forming.
"You're going to be fine, they won't kill you, I promise" he leaned forward and kissed her forehead "I promise"
Mikazuki sobbed, and it nearly broke Suguru's heart all over again.
"I haven't even told you... I have to tell you, you need to know..."
Mikazuki's hand immediately left his, sneaking to her stomach instead. She hadn't even told him. Geto Suguru was going to be a dad, and she hadn't even told him yet. And now, The Magistrate was going to kill her, and then those babies wouldn't be anything at all, and neither would Suguru.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait" Geto reassured while hugging her tightly against his chest, yet Mikazuki's hand never left her midsection "Breathe, okay? Just breathe"
"I can't. They think I killed them all, but I swear I didn't do this. I didn't do this" Mikazuki looked up, her golden eyes briefly meeting Satoru's ocean blues "please, tell them, Gojo, you were there. Tell them I didn't do this"
Satoru remained impassive, his eyes just as dead and empty like she imagined that of the corpses she'd left behind were. The sorcerer didn't say anything, not a single word, instead, he averted his gaze, focusing on the stained glass of the window. Shoko pushed past the boy, kneeling beside Mikazuki and Suguru with a sad smile on her face.
The Window shuffled to their side, his expression solemn. Shoko swallowed past the lump in her throat before looking back at the sorceress.
"Look, they're going to ask some questions now, and you need to be honest, because if you lie they'll know" Mikazuki nodded, a terrified expression on her face as Shoko squeezed her hand "You have to plead guilty"
Mikazuki frowned, quickly taking her hand off and staring at her best friend with a confused expression.
"I didn't do this– I swear to God I did not do this, Shoko!"
Ieiri smiled, yet the gesture never reached her eyes.
"I know. I know you didn't. But The Magistrate doesn't care about truth, it never has" Shoko took a deep breath before sharing a quick glance with the boys "Look, we're trying to figure things out. Once you plead guilty, we'll get you out. I swear"
But Mikazuki wasn't listening, she'd stopped listening a while ago, her attention solely focused on the white-haired male who hadn't said a single word since she came into the room – the man she was supposed to marry, who was supposed to love her and cherish her. The sorceress rose to her feet, ignoring the painful tug of the chains as she wiped her tears and stood in front of Satoru.
The Gojo boy continued to stare out of the window, unwilling to meet her gaze even as Mikazuki stood in front of him. The sorceress took a deep breath, turning her hands into fists at her sides.
"You were there" she tried to speak, her voice broken from so much crying "you were there, you know what happened, why are you–"
Why are you lying? Why do you refuse to speak?
A single tear rolled down her cheek, although it was soon followed by two more and then a dozen and then she was full on sobbing again. Mikazuki pushed her fists into Satoru's chest, his Infinity stopping the blow right before her knuckles rasped against his uniform.
"I didn't do this! You know I didn't do this!" she screamed "Why are you doing this to me!? I didn't do this!" the Window approach from the back, tugging on the chains before he sneaked his hands around her waist, holding her off and taking her back to the room "I didn't do this, I swear to you, I did not do this. I didn't– I didn't do this"
The Window snickered, taking her away while Kei held her other hand for one last time. Mikazuki groaned, fighting the Window's hold the entire time, but she was already fading away. The Window paused at the door, his expression unreadable as he stared at the four sorcerers.
"The trial and sentencing will begin shortly, you're all expected to attend," his eyes landed on Keisuke "especially you"
Keisuke shook his head, feelings as Mikazuki's fingers finally fell out of his grasp and the door closed between the two.
"I swear, Mikazuki, we're going to figure this out" he promised, eyes gleaming with unshed tears "I won't let them get away with this"