Jujutsu Kaisen: The Sorceress of Control

"I never said that," Makima responded in a calm voice. Megumi looked at her again, clinging to the hope that seeped through her words. She approached Tsumiki, her face impassive, but her eyes glimmered with intensity.

The first thing I noticed was a cursed mark on the girl's forehead. Calmly, Makima raised her hand and traced the mark with the tip of her fingers. Immediately, a golden chain emerged from her touch, piercing the air until it connected with the curse. "Mmmh... it does have some security," she remarked, almost amused, as she turned her gaze toward Megumi, who watched the scene with expectant eyes.

"It's connected to something," Makima explained, letting her words hang for a moment. "I can wake her, but I can't break that connection. If I do, she risks becoming a magnet for curses."

Megumi heard those words, but his mind clung to the essential: I can wake her. His eyes lit up immediately with a spark of hope.

"But..." Makima added, tilting her head with an air of deliberation. "I need something from you."

Megumi frowned, distrust showing on his face. "What do you want?"

"I'll make a vow. I will wake your sister and try to completely remove her curse in the future, in exchange for your loyal servitude."

Makima's words hit Megumi like a stone in his chest. He remembered what Gojo had told him days earlier.

"She's likely to ask you for something in return for helping Tsumiki-chan," Gojo had said while trying to make scrambled eggs without burning them. His light tone contrasted with the gravity of the situation, but that was typical of him. Megumi, sitting at the table waiting for breakfast, clenched his fists on his knees.

"And what should I do if she does?" His voice was tense, laden with a mix of frustration and desperation he tried to hide.

Gojo stayed silent for a moment, observing him. His eyes, usually playful, took on a deeper, almost serious hue. Then, he tilted his head slightly to the side, as if considering something important, and finally smiled.

"Do whatever you want," he replied, as if those words were the solution to everything.

Gojo's light tone returned, but there was a hidden weight in that smile, a warning Megumi couldn't ignore. It was as if the strongest sorcerer in the world was making it clear that, in the end, the decision was entirely his, no matter the consequences.

"That's it?" Megumi replied, looking up at his teacher with a mix of incredulity and anger.

"Yes." Gojo shrugged, as if the answer were obvious. Then he added, with his typical confidence: "Because no matter what you decide, I'll be there to fix things if anything goes wrong. But I trust you'll know what to do." He finished by placing a strange-looking plate in front of the boy.

Megumi averted his gaze but couldn't push those words from his mind. Do whatever you want. Were they reassurance... or a test? Gojo's voice echoed in his head even now, as if challenging him to make a decision that would mark his own path.

Back in the present, Megumi narrowed his eyes, trying to read Makima's true intentions. "What's the catch?" he asked distrustfully.

Makima gave a small smile, an almost automatic gesture for her. "Being my servant means everything of yours becomes mine: your loyalty, your life, your... power."

"...On the condition that nothing happens to Tsumiki and that she lives a happy life," Megumi replied firmly.

Makima couldn't hide her slight surprise; she wasn't used to anyone imposing conditions. Irritation briefly flickered in her gaze, but she quickly concealed it. "Fine. I'll make sure she lives well."

Megumi nodded without looking away, and Makima turned her attention back to the girl in a coma. She placed her palm on Tsumiki's forehead, her golden eyes shining like two torches in the dim light.

A murmur escaped her lips: "Fate is a thread tangled in my palm, a cycle I can unravel with my will. Those who defy the chain are destined to be subdued."

Golden chains emerged from her technique, wrapping Tsumiki in a glow that seemed ethereal yet solid. Makima raised her voice, now cold and sharp: "I subdue chaos. I break the yoke. Let your existence dissolve before my command."

The chains pierced through Tsumiki's body without leaving any physical trace, but Makima felt the resistance. More than that, she sensed a third party, something trying to reinforce the curse binding her.

"It's useless," Makima murmured, with a smile that was nothing but ice. "You neglected this body too much... it seems it wasn't that important to you."

Finally, the chains sank into the girl's soul. Makima sighed, feeling a significant drain on her cursed energy. Again... but not as much as with Rika. A faint bond with Megumi emerged in her mind, thin but noticeable.

Tsumiki's eyes contracted before slowly opening. "Tsumiki..." Megumi murmured incredulously.

Makima saw how the faint bond she had felt transformed into a solid chain.

"Megumi?" Tsumiki whispered, confused but conscious.

Makima felt a drop of sweat slide down her forehead. Sweat? she thought, amused, as she wiped her brow. Then, she clasped her hands together, forming a seal. "Divine Dogs."

From her shadow emerged two wolves, one black and one white, letting out a great howl.

"It works, hehe," Makima commented with a malicious smile.

"H-how...?" Megumi stammered, stunned.

"I told you," Makima replied with a wide grin. "Everything of yours is mine. You were a good boy. But don't worry; I'll keep my word. You and your sister won't say anything about what happened here."

Then, she looked at Tsumiki with a calculating expression. "And she has to stay close to me. There's something trying to possess her, but I'm restraining it with my technique. Anyway, I'll leave you alone. I'll be in the hallway; don't take too long."

Makima left with the same calm she had arrived, leaving the siblings in a silence filled with conflicting emotions.

"Did you do it?" Gojo asked, entering the hallway with a bag of freshly baked bread in one hand. The warm, sweet aroma filled the air, but the tension lingered. Makima, standing near the door of the room, didn't meet his gaze.

"She's awake," she replied, her tone neutral, almost cold. "Still cursed. I didn't want to risk destabilizing the curse or, worse, killing her in the process."

Gojo nodded slowly, as if considering her words. He took a small bite of bread, but his eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were clearly focused on her.

"She needs to stay close to me," Makima continued. "I still haven't mastered that aspect of my technique. I don't know if there will be short- or long-term side effects."

Gojo nodded again, his expression that of someone used to dealing with the unexpected. "Your energy feels different," he commented, breaking the silence with a casual, though observant tone.

Makima showed no visible reaction, keeping her gaze fixed on the doorframe. "It must be because of the consumption it requires," she replied indifferently. "Doing this drains a large part of my reserves."

A few minutes later, Megumi stepped out of the room. His expression was tense, but his gaze was firm. Seeing Gojo waiting for him, his face tightened slightly, reflecting mixed emotions.

"She's fine," he said finally, though his tone betrayed some doubt. "She's a bit confused but stable. I'll stay with her... until her rehabilitation is complete."

Gojo studied him briefly, as if searching for something more in his words or posture. Finally, he nodded, giving him a light pat on the shoulder before stepping aside to give him space.

Makima, paying no attention to the interaction, reentered the room. She approached Tsumiki, who seemed to be fully awakening. The young girl looked up at her, her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and gratitude.

"Oh... are you the one who healed me?" Tsumiki asked softly. "Makima Zenin, right? Thank you so much."

Makima didn't respond immediately. Instead, she pulled out a piece of paper and held it between her fingers. She infused it with cursed energy, her eyes briefly glowing as she worked.

"If anything happens," she said while handing the paper to Tsumiki, "tear it, and I'll know."

Tsumiki took the paper carefully, nodding with a faint smile. "Again, thank you... I know you didn't do it for me, but thank you anyway."

Makima didn't reply, simply turning and leaving the room. Gojo was waiting for her outside, finishing the last piece of bread from his bag.

"Ready?" he asked with a smile.

Makima nodded silently. He touched her shoulder, and the two vanished from the spot, leaving the siblings alone.