"Is Ryoko crying again?" I heard one of my classmates voices somewhere in the darkness I found myself trapped in, it sounded like Geto. The last thing I remembered was Shoko using tongs to hand me an ancient looking mirror.

"She's always crying." That one was definitely Gojo. Why did they sound so far away?

"Sh. Let her work." That was Shoko.

The darkness consumed me, it felt suffocating like a physical presence trying to smother me. I was in the mirror, or more accurately the memory that started the curse attached to it.

"Can we turn the light on, please?" A voice that wasn't my own escaped my lips.

"They are on." Geto noted.

"Shut up idiot." Shoko sighed.

"Why can't we just break the mirror?" Gojo pondered.

"Anyone who touches it dies." Shoko sounded like she was lighting a cigarette, it was a nasty habit and I had no idea how she'd already started it when we were only in our first year of high school.

"So why did you give it to Ryoko?" Gojo asked.

"Just shut up and let her work." Shoko was getting fed up.

My classmates' voices began to fade away as I fell deeper into the darkness. I could hear voices around me that weren't my classmates. I was holding onto someone and shaking like a leaf in the darkness.

"It's okay Chie, it's better with the lights off." A masculine voice sounded somewhere in front of me.

"I'm so glad it landed on you, Aoi-senpai." The voice that wasn't mine escaped me again.

I could feel a giddiness build up inside of me from a crush that had been growing for years. I was finally going to get to kiss him thanks to a party game.

"Ready?" I heard the masculine voice in the darkness and felt a hand brush my face.

Something pressed against my lips, it was cold and wet and a little bristly. I'd never kissed anyone before, I wasn't sure if this was how it was supposed to feel. Suddenly there was a flash of blinding light followed by the sound of dozens of voices laughing. I opened my eyes and saw a frozen pig's head in front of me, in the hands of Aoi.

Everyone from the party was pointing and laughing.

"Pig girl kisses pigs!" They all screamed before they all began oinking at me in the midst of their ridicule.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I fell out of the darkness and looked to the mirror in my hands. I hugged it close to my chest as the girl's pain still thrashed my heart. The cruelty of those who called themselves her friends and used her for her money.

"I'm sorry, Chie-chan." I breathed as I hugged the mirror. "They never should have treated you that way."

The mirror in my hands trembled as the curse tried to fight against me.

"Please, Chie-chan. Your pain is hurting innocent people. I know that's not what you want." I cradled the mirror gently. A girl about my own age appeared before us. She had long raven hair hanging in front of her beautiful round face and the prettiest almond eyes I'd ever seen. I opened my arms to her with a smile, "you're beautiful Chie-chan."

The girl fell into my arms with a sob and hugged me tight. "Thank you, Ryoko." She sobbed against me before exploding into bright white light. The mirror in my hands cracked as the curse was broken and Chie was finally at peace.

I felt cold and sick to my stomach. A shudder ran down my spine and I fell forward unable to keep myself upright. A strong arm reached out and caught me, saving me from cracking my skull open on the dusty marble floor. Geto steadied me. I turned to meet his dark gaze. He offered me a small polite smile as he lifted me into his arms. Of all my classmates, Geto looked like a delinquent, with the gauges in his ears, the long hair he wore in a man-bun and even his altered uniform with the flared out pants but he was also the kindest.

"Was that it?" Shoko looked from me to Gojo curiously. She and I were cousins on my mother's side and looked similar enough that people assumed we were sisters all the time. Since she looked after me like a big sister we stopped correcting people when they assumed. We both had short straight hair, her hair was an auburn tinted brown and mine was a paler strawberry blonde. Her eyes were a dark mahogany brown whereas mine were a sunset golden pink. Though our appearance was similar, we were nothing alike. Shoko had an effortless coolness about her. I was a bumbling mess who lacked any sort of coordination, sucked at physical combat and cursed techniques. Most days I had no idea how I'd even gotten accepted into Jujutsu High especially when my classmates were all so amazing.

I shook my head in answer to my cousin's question. I still sensed an overwhelmingly powerful cursed object nearby, but it had some kind of seal on it blocking me from connecting with it. I wasn't sure if I connected with it after exorcising Chie, if I'd survive.

"Nope, that one was a small fry compared to the other one." Gojo noted not seeming the least bit concerned about the very strong cursed object that we had still yet to locate. He tucked his hands behind his head of snow white hair and marched onward, deeper into the dilapidated manor.

"I don't think I'll be much help." I shivered, my breath visible in the air before me.

"That's not so different from any other time." Gojo shrugged, wounding me.

"...sorry..." I bowed my head.

"You did plenty." Geto assured me and carried me after the others.

With Gojo's six eyes he could easily locate the cursed object, they didn't even need me. My strength was sensing curses, cursed energy and cursed objects but Gojo could do that with his six eyes. My other strength was connecting with the curses, unraveling them by living through the experiences that caused them and healing the spirits trapped within and helping them move on peacefully.

As soon as Gojo and Shoko crossed the threshold exiting the ballroom and stepping into the hall, the set of worn double doors separating the rooms slammed shut causing me to let out a panicked squeal and cling to Geto.

"Ryoko!" Shoko yelled.

"We're fine." Geto reassured her calmly.

This way.

A voice drifted from the floor.

"Geto, did you hear that?" I asked shakily.

He shook his head.

A shiver rolled down my spine. Something about the voice terrified me, it belonged to something scarily powerful, maybe something even more powerful than Gojo.

THIS WAY!

The voice shook the entire building. I screamed and clung tightly to Geto.

"Ryoko?!" Shoko panicked, I heard her kick the door but it didn't budge, "kick this down!" She snarled at Gojo.

"She's fine. I have her. She's just hearing things." Geto stayed calm.

"Geto...I'm scared." I trembled as the ground in the center of the ballroom began to crack and break apart.

"Don't be." Normally I appreciated his ever calm and polite mannerisms but right now I needed him to be a little more worried. "Where's the voice coming from?"

"There, where the floor is breaking." I pointed to the center of the room.

Geto frowned, "the floor isn't breaking."

What? It was definitely breaking as if something powerful was punching it from above. The marble floor was starting to splinter.

"Sit tight, I'll get it." He set me atop a covered couch that still seemed sturdy despite years of neglect.

"A-Ah! D-don't leave me." I squeaked as he took a step away toward the center of the room. No! It was too dangerous. "Geto! Don't!" I panicked as he punched the floor hard enough to splinter it, just as I'd seen it splinter moments ago, a premonition.

Yes!

The voice was back and I felt an ominous chill run down my spine. Geto knelt down and picked up a small cylindrical wrapped object. The moment it came into my view I felt four strong hands grip me tightly, two encircling my neck, two gripping my shoulders. I tried to call out but my oxygen was quickly being cut off.

"G-Geto!" I managed to gasp out before I felt myself get pulled into darkness.