Yuji's eyes fluttered open again, a dull headache pounding against his skull as he tried to shake off the remnants of his dream. But even as he sat up, the heavy weight in his chest, the numbness in his limbs, told him that it hadn't been just a dream.
His surroundings were unchanged, the quiet hum of the train still filling the space around him. He could hear the occasional murmur of voices from other passengers, but everything felt distant. Like he wasn't truly here—like he was a ghost drifting through a world that didn't understand what he'd been through.
His gaze fell to his hands, still trembling slightly, the dampness of his cheeks still fresh. He wiped his face again, his fingers brushing over his skin as if to make sure the tears had truly stopped flowing. He didn't remember when he'd fallen asleep—had he cried himself to exhaustion, or had the emotional toll of the day finally knocked him out? Either way, he felt drained, the weight of everything still heavy on his heart.
And yet, despite the overwhelming grief that threatened to swallow him whole, something had shifted inside him.
The conversation with Gojo—Had it really happened? His sensei was dead, wasn't he? The memory was blurry, but the words were clear. It's not your fault, kid... You gave it everything you had. You kept going.
Yuji clenched his fists tightly. His chest tightened, but this time, instead of the all-consuming guilt, he felt something else stir within him. A flicker of something that had been buried beneath the pain—strength. Not the strength of a jujutsu sorcerer, not the power to fight back against curses, but the quiet kind of strength that came from simply surviving. Living.
For the first time in weeks, Yuji didn't feel like giving up. He still couldn't understand why everything had gone so wrong, why those closest to him had been taken, but Gojo's words kept echoing in his mind. They fought for what they believed in. And so had he.
The train moved again, and Yuji slowly stood up, swaying slightly as he found his balance. He looked out the window at the passing landscape, his reflection fleeting in the glass. The world outside was still turning. People were still living their lives.
But Yuji wasn't sure where he fit into it anymore.
He wanted to shout at the world, Why? Why did they have to die? Why was he still here? The ache in his chest made it hard to breathe, but somehow, in that quiet moment, Yuji understood. It wasn't about answers. It was about what came next. What would he do now?
Keep going.
The thought was simple, but it was the only thing that made sense. He had to move forward. He had to keep moving for them—because they couldn't anymore.
Yuji closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself. His heart still hurt, still ached for the people he'd lost. He would never forget them. They would always be a part of him.
But he couldn't let their deaths be the end of his story.
A soft, sad smile crossed his face, though he didn't feel like smiling at all. "I'll keep going, guys. I'll make sure it's not for nothing."
The train continued to its unknown destination, but Yuji no longer felt completely lost. The road ahead was long and uncertain, but as he stepped off the train at the next station, the weight in his chest felt just a little bit lighter...
Yuji stumbled back, his feet sliding on the smooth surface of the train platform as the towering figure of the curse loomed before him. Its grotesque form twisted and pulsed with dark, writhing energy, its skin a patchwork of jagged black lines and throbbing veins, as if it were a physical embodiment of pain itself. The thing's mouth stretched wide in a cruel grin, the twisted syllables of its chant ringing out with an eerie resonance.
"eMotIOns... SSAdnESS... rAGe... GriEVe..."
The words felt like an attack on his very soul. It wasn't just the sound; it was the weight behind them, the oppressive pressure in his chest that made it hard to breathe. Yuji's heart raced, the overwhelming grief that had been gnawing at him now manifesting in the form of this monstrous, nightmarish creature. His hands shook as he gripped his jacket, the curse's presence sending a cold shiver through his spine. And with an understanding look he says.
'I created this?'
The realization hit him like a thunderclap, sharper than anything he had felt before. This wasn't just some random curse—it was the result of his own pain, his sorrow, his fury at the loss of everything and everyone he had cared about. His emotions had festered, coiled in his chest, and now they had taken physical form. The curse was a manifestation of everything he was trying to outrun, everything he couldn't escape.
But Yuji wasn't ready for this.
The curse raised one massive, clawed hand, its long fingers twitching before it slammed down toward him with terrifying speed. Yuji barely had time to react, his reflexes still sluggish from the emotional weight dragging at him. The curse's hand struck the ground with a force that cracked the stone beneath his feet, sending a shockwave through the air that sent Yuji flying backward.
He hit the ground hard, gasping for breath as the curse's chant continued to echo in his mind, louder and louder with each passing second.
"eMotIOns... SSAdnESS... rAGe... GriEVe..."
Yuji's vision blurred, his body screaming in protest, but somewhere deep within him, something stirred. His will to survive, his sense of responsibility, the small flicker of strength that Gojo's words had rekindled—it was there, buried beneath the exhaustion and grief. He couldn't let this curse, this monstrous embodiment of everything he feared, take over.
No… I won't let it win.
With a grunt, Yuji forced himself to his feet, his breath ragged, his body aching from the impact. He could feel the curse's oppressive energy closing in on him, could sense it getting closer, its presence suffocating, but he knew he couldn't just stand there.
"Keep going," he whispered to himself, the words feeling like a lifeline. He had no choice but to fight. He had no choice but to keep moving forward.
He steadied himself, focusing on his breathing, on his body. He felt the familiar rush of cursed energy swirling through him, building up in his core. But this time, it wasn't just the usual focus on fighting—it was something more primal, more desperate. His grief, his rage, and his sadness became fuel, channeling that raw emotion into the power he needed to survive.
The curse's chant faltered for a moment, as if the curse itself recognized the shift. But then it raised its head to the sky and let out a bone-chilling screech, its voice warping into a twisted cry of pure agony.
Yuji's cursed energy surged in response, his fists crackling with raw power as he launched himself toward the curse, no longer just reacting, but acting—not just to defeat the curse, but to confront the emotions it represented. His sadness, his grief, his rage—they were all a part of him, but they wouldn't control him. Not anymore.
His fist collided with the curse's chest, a burst of cursed energy exploding from his palm, knocking the creature back. But it didn't fall. Instead, it staggered back, only to rise again, its arms reaching out hungrily, desperate to drown him in its oppressive influence.
Yuji's heart hammered in his chest, the weight of his own emotions almost too much to bear, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move again. "This is my fight!" he shouted, the words burning with the heat of his resolve. "I'm still here, and I'm not giving up."
With a scream that came from the very pit of his soul, Yuji gathered every last ounce of strength and cursed energy he had left. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but the fire in his heart burned brighter than ever. He wouldn't let this thing control him. He wouldn't let it win.
In one final, desperate attack, Yuji thrust his palm forward,
"BLACK FLASH!!" unleashing a wave of cursed energy so powerful it shattered the air itself. The force of the explosion ripped through the curse, breaking its form apart piece by piece until it disintegrated into nothingness, its screams fading into the silence of the empty train platform.
Yuji stood there, panting heavily, his body trembling from exhaustion, but he had done it. He had faced, the monster born from his grief, and won.
The platform was quiet again. The world seemed to hold its breath.
For a moment, Yuji closed his eyes, letting the silence wash over him. The weight in his chest had lightened, but he knew it would never truly disappear. His grief would always be a part of him. But now, it was something he could carry. Something he could live with.