Chapter 2: Control

Naoya had always felt a mild disdain toward his younger sister, Makima. Like many women in the Zenin clan, he assumed she would be a weak and useless sorcerer. But everything changed the day he discovered she possessed a technique never before seen in their family.

During a training session, Makima revealed her ability for the first time. She raised her hand toward him, only to be confused when nothing happened. Naoya laughed. Nothing occurred, and he told himself her technique was insignificant. However, he was completely wrong.

A moment later, golden chains appeared from nowhere, shooting toward him with surprising speed. He tried to dodge them, but they caught him off guard. One of the chains pierced him, and for a second, he thought it was the end. However, he felt no pain... at least, not yet. Then, he heard his sister's calm voice say, "Kneel."

An immense force crushed him, forcing him to drop to his knees. Every attempt to resist caused excruciating pain in his head, as if his skull were about to explode. Then, Makima's next words left him in shock: "Eat the dog's poop."

As if obeying the will of a god, Naoya began crawling toward one of the dogs' droppings on the estate. He fought with all his might to stop, but it was useless. He was inches away from following through with the command when, suddenly, Makima released him. "It was a joke," she said with an innocent smile. "Were you really going to do it?"

Naoya collapsed on the ground, panting, stunned by the horrible experience. He looked up at his sister and, for the first time, observed her closely. Her golden eyes, so similar to his, now had concentric circles within them, a hypnotic pattern that seemed to control even his will.

"...You're not mad, are you?" Makima asked, tilting her head with slight concern. Among all her siblings, Naoya was the only one she liked. She didn't want to ruin whatever little relationship they had, if any had ever existed.

Naoya stood up, brushing the dust off. He looked at his sister, now with a mix of respect and fear. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm feeling tired after all this," Makima said as she quietly left.

Naoya was left alone with the unsettling thought that his sister might cause him a lot of trouble in the future.

Makima slowly walked toward her mother's room, Kaori Zenin. It was striking how similar they looked: both shared the same red hair, golden eyes, and skin tone. However, now there was a big difference. Makima's eyes had changed, with concentric rings appearing within them since the day she awakened her cursed technique.

She remembered that day clearly. It had been a few months ago. An unbearable pain suddenly invaded her head, so much so that, for the first time, she cried in agony. Her mother, hearing her cries, rushed to her side and embraced her, assuring her it would pass. After a few minutes, the pain disappeared, but something else had activated inside her.

A series of images filled her mind, as if they were memories or fragments of something deeper. Confused, she imitated one of the visions: she raised her hand, and a golden chain emerged from her palm. In her mind, a word repeated: "Control/Attack." She chose "Attack."

The chain flew toward a wooden wall and shattered it into pieces. Alarmed, her mother asked her to stop. Obeying, Makima closed her fist, and the chain vanished. When she saw her eyes reflected in her mother's, she noticed the change. The concentric circles seemed to hypnotize anyone who looked at them for too long.

"Makima..." her mother whispered, both impressed and fearful. From that day, Kaori Zenin understood that her daughter wasn't just special; she was dangerous.

Makima stopped in front of her mother's room and slowly opened the door. Kaori was sitting next to a small lamp, reading an ancient clan scroll. Feeling her daughter's presence, she looked up, and for a moment, their eyes met. The circles in Makima's eyes hypnotized her once again, as they always did whenever she saw them. That strange sensation of losing control ran down her spine, but she tried her best to hide it.

"What's the matter, dear?" her mother asked softly, putting the scroll aside. She knew something had changed in her daughter but didn't yet understand the full extent of her technique. Since she awakened that power, little Makima no longer seemed like the sweet girl she once was.

Makima, with her usual nonchalant expression, walked to the center of the room. "I trained with Naoya today. I wanted to see how far my technique could go." She paused, watching her mother's face tense slightly at hearing that. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt him... much."

Kaori sighed, relieved, though not completely. "Makima, you must be careful with your powers. Our clan is already under too much pressure. If something went wrong..."

Makima interrupted her with a small smile. "I know, Mom. It wasn't anything serious. I just wanted to see if my 'Cursed Domination' worked on someone strong like my brother. The first command didn't work, so I tried the chains, and they did." Her tone was casual, as if talking about something trivial. "Although... I don't think Naoya enjoyed it much." She chuckled softly, recalling how he had knelt before her.

Kaori frowned, but her gaze softened as she looked at her daughter's cheerful face. Makima resembled her so much, but the power she now possessed was something Kaori couldn't understand. She knew her daughter was special, but something deeper worried her. Those eyes, those hypnotic circles that seemed to have the ability to control anyone, reminded her of ancient Zenin legends—stories of dangerous cursed techniques that had been suppressed for generations.

Makima approached her mother, leaning down slightly to kiss her on the cheek. "Don't worry so much, Mom. I'm fine. I'm just testing my limits."

Kaori smiled faintly, still concerned. "Just promise me you won't abuse that power, Makima. It's dangerous. Not everyone is like your brother Naoya. If you use it inappropriately, you could make enemies in the clan. And outside it, too."

Makima nodded with a smile, though deep inside, she knew the real enemies weren't within the clan. She was preparing for something much bigger, something even her mother couldn't imagine.

"I promise," Makima said, though in her mind, the promise held a different weight than her mother thought.

Leaving the room, Makima headed to her own chamber, where she lay down on her futon, tired but satisfied with the day's training. As she closed her eyes, she recalled Naoya's expression—first mocking, then horrified, and finally submissive. That feeling of total control had filled her with a strange satisfaction. She knew her technique was special, and each day she was more certain that she could master far more than she had been taught.