The possibilities

In a society full of sorcerers, there will always be a top-tier sorcerer that everyone idolizes and a forgotten one that everyone shuns and wants nothing to do with. In 1989, the Gojo clan welcomed twin boys into their world of the supernatural. The firstborn was Gabimaru, whose birth brought tears to everyone's eyes. Mr. Gojo held him tightly in his arms, but as the second baby emerged from the womb, an immense surge of cursed energy radiated out and psychically stunned all those nearby. It felt like time had stopped; they were frozen and unable to move or think. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be-forgotten son, Gabimaru, was dropped on the ground as everyone fixated on the future strongest sorcerer they had ever seen.

*Time skip 10 years later*

Gabimaru pov

(For nearly a decade, I have been disregarded and neglected by this clan. After the Gojo clan rose to power and replaced the Saito clan as one of the top three families of sorcerers, their main concern became protecting young Satou and ensuring he became the most powerful sorcerer in order for their clan to maintain their position above all others.)

" Gabimaru," a fragile sorrowful voice called out to him.

" Ms.Bushdia? Why do you look pale?" Gabimaru responded to her.

(Aiko Bushdia, or as I affectionately call her, Ms. Bushdia, has been a constant presence in my life since I was born. She is the closest thing I have to a mother, and I am grateful for her love and guidance. Through all the trials and challenges I have faced, she has stood by me and taught me everything I know. My loyalty and gratitude will always belong to her.)

" Your father has summoned you into his office Gabi," She gestured for him to follow her.

(As we walked, a million thoughts raced through my mind. Why did he suddenly want to see me? Was this the moment he was finally going to get rid of me? Is he going to let me be part of the family? There are so many possibilities that can happen during this conversation and soon I will find out. )

" No matter what happens young master, I'll continue to be on your side." Ms. Bushida grabbed his hand and continued to walk forward into his father's office.

As the door opens, a heavy pressure seems to descend upon his shoulders. The air in the room is thick with tension and almost unnaturally quiet. He can't help but feel like everyone present could hear his heart racing in his chest. Surrounded by esteemed sorcerers and his own father, all of his previously imagined possibilities now boil down to one inevitable outcome.

(I'm finally being kicked out of the clan.)

" You have summoned me, Father?" Gabimaru stood up strong trying not to show them weakness.

" Hearing you call me father irritates me because we both know I am not a father figure in your life but let's cut the small talk." Mr. Gojo leaned forward on his chair, "All the higher-ups agree to dismiss you from the clan."

(The realization hits me hard, and my heart aches as I come to terms with it. Despite everything, it still stings to know that I was never truly loved by the ones who gave birth to me...even though I despise them, there is a part of me that longs for their acceptance and recognition as their child.)

" You will drop the Gojo last name and go somewhere else." Principal Gakuganji spoke up.

" A strong clan such as the Gojo clan does not need a useless person taking up space." he continued, degrading him into dust.

" I also agree with what principal Gakuganji said, on your tenth birthday you will leave this family," Mr. Gojo said to Gabimaru.

" Why can't I leave now?" Gabi questioned his father.

" Because it's your mother's wish and I don't know anything more than that." Mr. Gojo replied.

(Why should I suffer even more, I want to go…. I can't wait for another week.)

"Where will I be staying? " Gabi was curious.

Leaving his seat, Mr. Gojo strolled by Gabimaru and came to a stop in front of his office door, "To put this as simply as possible, I really don't care where you are going to be disposed of." He departed from the room, leaving Gabi alone and speechless. He stood in the center of the empty room, feeling utterly miserable. The other executives followed Mr. Gojo's example and went without a second thought for Gabi's well-being.

Gentle hands were placed on Gabi's shoulders "Gabi, you will come with me. " Ms. Bushida's gentle tone calmed him and brought a smile to his lips. He didn't respond, but she could tell he was excited to accompany her.

******

As night begins to fall, Gabi sneaks away to the forest behind the mansion. But her plans are interrupted when he sees Satoru with family security. They make eye contact before he gives him a dismissive shrug and turns away. The twins had always been distant from each other, living in two separate worlds. Gabi continues on his way to meet his friend Sabishî in the woods.

" Hi,"A gruff voice called out from behind the towering ginkgo tree.

" SABISHĪ!" Gabi called out happy to see her.

Sabishī is a minor curse that poses no real threat. In the world of supernatural beings, curses are known to cause harm, but not all of them are malevolent. According to Gabi's knowledge, Sabishī simply longs for reunification with her family, an unattainable desire.

(It must suck being bound to a place far away from where your family lives.)

" As much as I want to leave this place, the sad part is that I will have to leave you here all alone." A tear escaped Gabi's eye as he averted his gaze, unwilling to meet the gaze of the cursed eyes.

"Be... hap..py Gabi," Sabishī said while patting his back.

" I wish the same for you.."

" Gabi….go …it's dangerous." Sabishī cut Gabimaru off.

" Huh, what do you mean?" Gabi is confused about Sabishī's sudden outburst.

" Hunt..ers," she warned Gabi.

Gabimaru scrambles to his feet and sprints through the dense forest, desperate to reach the safety of the mansion. But every step is a battle, as he stumbles over jagged rocks and dodges sharp tree branches that cut into his skin. Finally reaching the back entrance, he is horrified to find some of the mansion's helpers lying lifeless on the ground, their bodies brutally mutilated. Blood pumps in his ears as he realizes the danger that awaits inside.

(What… What's happening ?)

The bloodcurdling screams from inside the mansion jolted Gabi out of his distressed daze. Without a second thought, he sprinted into the house, heart pounding in his chest. As he turned the corner, his worst fears were confirmed - a masked man with a ruthless vendetta held a loaded gun to his mother's stomach. Panic and fury boiled within Gabi as he braced himself for the impending danger.

" Gabimaru, help me!" Mrs. Gojo crying out for help.

" Shut up!" The vendetta man roars to get dominance in the situation.

"What's going on?" the young boy stepped closer to the two.

"Kid, this can all end right now if you tell me where is Satou Gojo," The man in the mask speaks calmly, attempting to de-escalate the tense situation.

" DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING GABIMARU!" Mrs. Gojo yelled at her son.

" I don't know where he is, I was forbidden to be close to him," Gabi responded to the mysterious figure with a sense of panic.

" Why is that, boy?" The masked man's finger twitched on the trigger as he aimed the gun at Gabi, his other foot pressing down on the side of Mrs. Gojo's head. The metal barrel gleamed in the dimly lit hallway, and Gabi could feel his heart pounding against his ribs.

With his head hung low, Gabi's tears began to fall as he spoke. "Because…. I'm a disgrace to the family and they kicked me out."

The man took his aim off Gabi out of sympathy and focused on Mrs. Gojo. " Where is Satoru Gojo at, bitch?" he proceeded to kick her in the gut.

" Gabimaru, you are going to let this madman hit your mother! " she cried out, " Help me please!"

Gabimaru gazed toward his mother and took a few tentative steps toward her. However, his movement was halted as the mysterious masked man turned towards Gabi and shook his head, indicating for him to stop. " I know you're just a little kid but she manipulating you, boy." The man slammed his food on Mrs. Gojo's stomach, " If your mother loves you, in situations like this she will risk her life to save her kids, just like how she screamed at you to make sure you don't give me your brother's location, she should use that time to tell you to run away"

(He's right…)

" Gabimaru, help me you son of a bitch!! YOU USELESS WASTE OF TRASH!" Her voice reverberated through the empty hallways as she screamed at him in anger.

" You see? A real mother would not do that." The masked man stood over her, his shoulders hunched as he twisted his foot into her stomach. She could feel the weight of his boot pressing down on her, crushing her insides.

Mrs.Gojo is wiggling from under his grasp trying to escape his foothold and then looking at Gabimaru, "The reason why I wanted you to stay for longer is to show you that your life is meaningless and your brother will forever be the superior son…."

The masked man pulled the trigger twice, and sharp pain exploded in her leg. She couldn't move as he approached Gabi, his eyes cold and unfeeling behind the mask. " I can see that you suffering and I'm sorry that I probably traumatized you at such a young age but all I can offer you is that I won't kill you and you can talk to your mother for the moments she has left… goodbye." As the fog rolled in, the mysterious figure in black slipped away into the mist without leaving a single footprint behind.

Gabimaru's blood boiled as he strode towards his mother's frail and broken form. Rage coursed through his veins, igniting a primal instinct to lash out at the woman who had abandoned him. It was as if an uncontrollable force had taken over his body and he was merely a spectator to its actions. He leaned in close to her ear, his breath hot against her skin as he struggled with conflicting emotions. This woman once thought to be his supposed caretaker, now lay pitifully before him, evoking a mix of hatred, sorrow, and uncertainty within him. " I guess your life is more meaningless than mine." he bitterly chuckled at himself.

Gabi's once soft blue eyes began to morph into an eerie crimson, resembling the face of a ticking clock. Mrs. Gojo gasped as her son's hand brushed against her arm, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her as if her very energy was being drained away.

(Why do I feel like I'm getting so much energy and why is my eyesight red?)

" Gabi… you're killing me…. Get your hands off me. '' Mrs. Gojo gasping for air.

" Huh, why should I? This is the most I've been happy, I feel like my body is powering up with energy." Mrs. Gojo couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the smile on her son's face - it was unrecognizable compared to his usual solemn expression.

As soon as his fingers grazed her skin, it began to wither and peel away, revealing the white bones beneath. The foul stench of decay filled the room, making odor stick to the walls.

" I guess…I was wrong…." Mrs.Gojo took her last breath before she was nothing more but bones.

(Did I just kill her?)

Gabi's mind raced as he tried to process the twisted reality of his mother disappearing in front of him. A sickening feeling of satisfaction washed over him, but before he could fully indulge in it, his vision suddenly returned to normal. As he stood up, the familiar hallway turned into a black abyss, swallowing him whole. Panic flooded through Gabi's body as he realized he was trapped in this eerie darkness alone.

(WHERE AM I? WHY IS IT SO DARK IN HERE?)

" Hello…?" Gabi managed to gather up the courage to say something.

Without warning, flaming torches sparked to life, illuminating the surrounding area. In the center stood a group of skeletons bones, their bones rattling as they seemed to guard something. Curiosity overcoming fear, Gabi cautiously approached the source of the curse. As he circled it, he saw that it was small in stature with wispy white hair covering most of its body. Taking hesitant steps closer, he froze as the creature spoke to him in a raspy voice.

" Gabi…maru I'm ..so..rry" the cursed spirit panted after every syllable they said.

It dawned on Gabi that the source of the curse was his own mother. He gently placed his hand on top of her head and whispered, "You have little to no curse energy, you're so tiny and fragile." Once again, the same feeling of possession took hold of him as he crouched down to meet her gaze and began to speak. "But I'm not sorry." With a violent tug, he severed her head from her body and released her soul. The ethereal essence drifted down to the floor and merged with Gabi's shadow. Looking down, he realized that even though he had exercised the curses, they would always be a part of him. He could feel his mother's lingering presence within himself. Suddenly, the pitch-black room disappeared and Ms. Bushida's voice rang out for him to hear.

" Gabi,"

She had been sprinting towards him, but she abruptly halted her movements. She could sense the immense amount of cursed energy emanating from Gabi's body and wondered if it could rival or even surpass Satoru's. Filled with curiosity, she called out to him. "Gabi, are you okay?" He turned to face her and said, " I killed her twice and I don't feel bad at all."Despite his young age of only nine years old, Ms. Bushida was taken aback by the stoic expression on his face. She cautiously approached him, taking small steps to avoid startling him.

" I wouldn't do that if I was you. " Gabi looked into her eyes to warn her.

" Wouldn't do what?" Ms. Bushida is confused about his statement.

"Come close to me because I might kill you by mistake."He retreated in response to Ms. Bushida's objections, but she persisted and ran towards him, embracing him.

"You idiot boy, you can't kill me, Gabi. " Tears streamed down both of their faces as they held each other tightly. Gabi's voice choked with emotion as he spoke.

"She's dead." 

"It's not your fault Gabi, but we will have to leave this place and act like you were never here tonight." Mrs. Bushia tightly grasped his hand and hurriedly led him out of the mansion. She was aware that if anyone discovered Gabi's immense curse energy, he would be trapped there forever - and it must remain a secret that he was responsible for his mother's death.

******

Ms. Bushida pov

(I hope Mr. Saito can conceal Gabi's curse presence. He's probably the only one home knowing his wife took their daughter to the sorcerer gathering.)

"SAITO….KENJI SAITO '' Ms. Bushida yelled to get his attention.

A middle-aged man stumbled out of the building, his black kimono wrinkled and disheveled. His wooden sandals were scuffed and worn, making a scraping sound against the pavement as he walked. " What's all the yelling at 10 o'clock in the night? You do know magical girls is on" he said sarcastically.

" It's an emergency. " Ms. Bushida kept the conversation short and dragged Gabi with her inside the Saito home.

"I'm off the clock and…" Before Kenji can finish his sentence Aiko cuts him off.

"Mrs. Gojo is dead '' Ms. Bushdia gave him the raw truth leaving Kenji flabbergasted.

"What did you say.." she cut Kenji off again.

" Gabimaru activate his curse energy and it's something I have never seen before in my 45 years of living. "

Kenji sat on the floor to process everything that was happening." How did she die, Aiko? " Kenji asked swiftly while looking straight into her eyes.

There was a heavy silence following his inquiry, but Gabi abruptly interrupted it and strode towards Kenji, standing in front of him. " I killed her," Ms. Bushida was taken aback by the cold, emotionless tone in Gabimaru's words; it was unlike anything she had heard from him before.