⸻
The room was quiet, lit only by the warm orange glow of a shaded lamp and the sterile white buzz of a small desk light. The faint buzz of the tattoo machine echoed steadily, the rhythmic hum filling the air like a chant.
Lisa sat cross-legged in the center of her room, eyes narrowed in total focus. A compact mirror sat open beside her, used only for reference. The lines were almost finished now, sharp, delicate etchings forming an intricate circular pattern on her upper thigh. The mirror design was unlike anything she'd inked before: elegant, symmetrical, ancient-looking.
Her hand moved on instinct, guided by a strange clarity. She didn't know why she'd chosen this design. It had come to her in a dream, or something like it. The details had been seared into her mind when she woke up.
She dipped the needle again, her hand steady despite the weight in her chest. The moment the final line was etched, her machine fell silent.
Then something shifted.
A chill rolled down her spine like ice water.
Lisa blinked. The room felt darker than before.
She touched the fresh tattoo, fingers brushing over the still-warm skin, and the ink pulsed.
It shimmered. Just for a second. A faint, silvery ripple passed across the mirror etched into her flesh.
"What the hell…"
The air thickened, like something ancient had exhaled into the room.
Then came the pull.
It started subtly, her breath catching, her limbs tensing, but then the cursed energy surged from the tattoo, wild and raw. It wasn't coming from her. It was entering her.
"No—wait—!"
Too late.
A blinding light erupted from the mirror. The edges of the tattoo glowed with ethereal light, lines unraveling and reweaving themselves in otherworldly patterns. The mirror spun, not physically, but in her perception, as though a door was being opened in the fabric of her soul.
A pressure hit her chest like a fist.
Lisa screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the surge of cursed energy slamming into her core. Her body twisted, locking up as her vision went white.
The mirror, the one inked into her skin, shattered inward.
And something stepped through.
Not into the room.
Into her.
A whisper echoed in her mind. It wasn't in any language she knew, but she understood it all the same.
You opened the gate. You called me.
Lisa's back arched, her breath hitching. Her eyes snapped open, no longer their usual color, but flickering with a subtle glow, as if another presence now looked out from behind them.
Her skin burned with cursed energy, veins alight with power not her own. A second heartbeat thudded deep inside her soul, one that didn't belong to her.
She collapsed forward, catching herself with trembling hands, panting.
The tattoo had stopped glowing.
But she hadn't.
And now, she wasn't alone.
Of course! Here's the revised version with the em dash removed:
⸻
Lisa gasped for air, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, as though the very fabric of her being was being rewritten. She pressed a hand to the floor, her vision swimming as she struggled to hold herself up.
But then something caught her eye.
The mirror, the one she had tattooed onto her thigh, began to shift. The ink swirled and moved, the lines of the design rearranging themselves. The surface of the mirror rippled like water disturbed by an unseen force. It was as if the tattoo had come to life—alive and pulsing with a power that Lisa couldn't comprehend.
The ink turned solid.
A physical mirror, shimmering with ethereal energy, began to form before her eyes, hovering inches above her skin. It was a mirror unlike any Lisa had ever seen, the surface alive with a dark, swirling mist, as though the reflection inside wasn't meant to exist in this world. The edges of the glass were jagged, like broken shards held together by an unseen force.
Lisa's heart raced. What is this?
The mirror's surface rippled once more, and then something moved within it.
A figure.
Lisa froze. Her breath caught in her throat as the figure slowly began to take shape. A woman, tall and regal, with dark hair flowing like liquid shadows. Her presence was suffocating, ancient—old beyond measure. Her eyes, glowing faintly, locked onto Lisa's with an intensity that sent a jolt of cold fear through her spine.
The figure spoke.
"You have summoned me."
Her voice was like silk, but it resonated deeply within Lisa, a voice that reverberated through her very soul. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Her mouth was dry, her body trembling as the woman in the mirror stared back at her.
The woman smiled, and the air around them seemed to grow heavier.
"You are the one who broke the seal. You are the one who called me back."
Lisa's hand shook as she reached out toward the mirror, unsure if she was drawn to it or if it was pulling her in. Her fingers grazed the surface, and an electric shock coursed through her, the energy far more powerful than anything she had ever experienced.
"I…" Lisa stammered, still unable to make sense of what was happening.
"I am the First Daughter of Heaven," the woman continued, her gaze never leaving Lisa. "My prison was long forgotten. But now, I am free… or rather, I am bound. Bound to you."
Lisa's mind raced. "Bound?"
She could feel the words in her chest, deep within her soul. A realization dawned on her. She wasn't just summoning the curse. She had become the vessel, the binding object, the one to hold the curse. And in doing so, she had opened herself to something far darker, far older than she could have imagined.
"You are my vessel now," the woman said, her voice softening but still full of power. "I will reside within you, and you will bear the weight of my existence."
Lisa's legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees, her hand still pressed against the mirror. She could feel the presence inside her, not just in the reflection, but within herself filling her veins with cursed energy, her presence seeping into every corner of her mind.
"Do not fear me, child," the woman whispered. "You are not alone. We are one now."
Lisa's breath was ragged, her body trembling with the overwhelming presence of the curse. She wanted to scream, to run, to escape, but she couldn't. Not anymore.
The mirror's surface began to shimmer once more, and the reflection of the woman began to distort, slowly pulling back into the glass.
"But remember," the woman's voice lingered in her mind, "I will never be completely gone. I am always with you."
And just as suddenly as it had appeared, the mirror vanished.
Lisa was left kneeling on the floor, her hand still trembling, still pressing against her thigh where the tattoo remained. Her breathing slowed, but her heart pounded in her chest as the reality of what had just happened began to settle in.
"I've become the vessel."
Her mind swirled with fear, confusion, and a strange, eerie sense of connection to the entity now bound to her. She could feel it. The curse's presence, like a shadow that lingered just behind her own thoughts. And with it, the weight of something much, much larger than she was.
"What have I done?"
But even as the fear crept in, Lisa knew there was no turning back. The curse was within her now. And whatever happened next, she would have to face it.
The power surged through Lisa like a tidal wave, crashing over her with a force she couldn't control. Her body trembled violently, the tattoos on her skin glowing as though they were alive. The mirror was still there, its surface shifting and twisting, the reflection of the figure inside warping. But it was no longer just a reflection. The presence inside her had started to bleed into the real world.
Lisa's body spasmed, her mind unable to keep up with the immense surge of cursed energy. The ground beneath her seemed to tremble, as though the very earth was reacting to the power she had just unleashed. Her heart raced, the world around her spinning out of control. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to stay grounded, but the strength of it was overwhelming.
I can't… Her thoughts fragmented as the power consumed her. It felt like she was being pulled apart and rebuilt from the inside out.
Her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the floor. She could barely register the weight of her body hitting the ground, the coldness of the floor seeping into her skin as her vision blurred.
She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. A rush of energy flooded through her, as if the very core of her soul was being rewritten. Then, it all went dark.
⸻
The sound of footsteps echoed across the training ground, muffled by the distance. Gojo, Yuji, and Nobara were walking toward the area, ready for their usual training session. But as they neared the center of the field, something unusual caught their attention.
Lisa lay on the ground, unconscious, her body sprawled out like a ragdoll. Her tattoos glowed faintly, still pulsing with cursed energy. It was clear something had gone wrong.
Yuji rushed forward, his eyes wide with concern. "Is she okay?" he asked, crouching down beside her.
Gojo hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, though he kept his usual grin in place. "She'll be fine," he said, though his voice lacked its usual certainty. "Well, she's not in any immediate danger. But… this is unusual."
Yuji frowned, looking up at Gojo. "What do you mean? What happened to her?"
Gojo rubbed the back of his head, trying to mask the unease bubbling beneath his casual demeanor. "I'm not exactly sure. She's been doing a lot of experimenting with her cursed techniques recently. And I think this new tattoo of hers might have triggered this… episode."
Nobara crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "New tattoo? But I thought her tattoo technique was pretty well-understood."
Gojo looked down at Lisa's form, his expression momentarily serious. "Yeah, well, this one's different. It's recent. I'm guessing that's what did this to her." His gaze lingered on the glowing tattoos, his mind working quickly. "Her technique is powerful, but she's been pushing the limits lately. I think she might have overdone it this time."
Yuji looked at Lisa, concerned. "So, it's not normal for her to pass out like this?"
Gojo sighed, stepping closer to her. "No, it's not. Usually, her tattoos summon curses or bind them to her body, but she's pretty good at managing it. This, though? It looks like she summoned something… a lot stronger than usual." He hesitated again, glancing between Lisa and the tattoos on her skin. "I think that last tattoo might have been a little too much for her. I don't know exactly what it is yet, but it looks like she's bound something much more powerful this time."
Nobara raised an eyebrow. "So, she's basically made herself a vessel for this thing?"
Gojo gave a curt nod, but his face remained unreadable. "Exactly. And now, she's just… resting it off, I guess." He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "The good news is, she's strong. She'll recover quickly. The bad news is, whatever she summoned is a different kind of curse. I don't think I've seen anything like it before."
Yuji frowned, feeling the weight of the situation. "Do you think it's going to be a problem?"
Gojo didn't answer immediately, instead crouching beside Lisa. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his usual grin slowly returning as he stood up. "For now, she's out cold. But once she wakes up, we'll figure it out." His tone was casual again, though his eyes were still clouded with concern. "Let's not worry too much. She knows how to handle herself."
Yuji glanced back at Lisa, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. "Right… I hope she's okay."
Gojo clapped his hands together, breaking the tension. "Alright, enough about that. She'll be fine. Let's get started with training, huh?" He motioned to the training ground. "We've got work to do, and I'm sure Lisa will be up and about before long."
Yuji couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about this situation. Gojo's usual carefree demeanor had been tinged with concern, and Lisa's latest tattoo seemed like it was more than just a simple new technique. Something felt off, but for now, there was no way to know what it was.
Gojo glanced at the unconscious Lisa, still lying on the ground, her tattoos flickering softly with cursed energy. He stood there for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before turning back to Yuji and Nobara.
"Alright, so her name's Lisa Petrow," Gojo said, keeping his tone light but purposeful. "She's a 3rd-year student here. You'll be seeing more of her, so make sure to be nice. She's… kind of a big deal around here."
Yuji looked down at Lisa, clearly still worried. "She's a 3rd-year? But she looks so… out of it."
Gojo shrugged, his usual playful grin creeping back into place. "She has her moments. But trust me, you don't want to mess with her." His expression briefly hardened, though he quickly masked it. "She's been through a lot in her life. Don't go poking into her past, alright? She doesn't talk about it much."
Nobara, ever the skeptic, tilted her head. "What happened to her? Something bad, I guess?"
Gojo didn't answer directly. Instead, he gave them both a look that said everything and nothing at the same time. "She's had… her share of trauma, yeah. But that's not something she's gonna share easily. Just treat her with respect. She's one of us, and she's been through enough already."
With a final glance at Lisa, Gojo walked over and gently lifted her unconscious form into his arms, effortlessly picking her up as if she weighed nothing. "Alright, I'll take her to her room. You two can start your training." He looked back at Yuji and Nobara, his grin returning, though there was a trace of concern that remained hidden behind it. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. Let's keep our focus on your training for now, yeah?"
Yuji hesitated, watching Gojo carry Lisa off toward the building. His mind buzzed with questions, but Gojo's cryptic answer didn't leave much room for further discussion. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on here.
Once Gojo disappeared from sight, Yuji turned to Nobara. "Do you think she's really okay? I mean, she looks kind of… out of it."
Nobara shrugged, eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't know, but Gojo's not the type to worry about anyone too much, right? I'm sure she'll wake up soon. Let's just focus on our own training."
Yuji nodded, still feeling unsettled, but deciding to push his worries aside for now. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Training it is."
⸻
Gojo walked through the halls of the school, Lisa in his arms, and as he passed the dormitory hallway, he briefly glanced at her face. There was a heaviness to her expression even in unconsciousness, and for a split second, a flicker of something akin to regret crossed his mind. He quickly shook it off.
She was strong, and she'd bounce back. She always did.
Gojo opened the door to her room with one hand and gently laid her down on her bed. He tucked the covers over her, making sure she was comfortable before lingering for a moment, just watching her. He hadn't seen her like this in a long time.
"Don't make me regret this, Lisa," he muttered under his breath, a rare hint of concern creeping into his voice before he turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
As he walked back to the training area to find Yuji and Nobara, he forced himself to push any lingering thoughts of Lisa to the back of his mind. It wasn't the time to dwell on it. The students needed their training, and Gojo had his own way of handling things.
⸻
Author Note:
Actual person here :)
Okay so the two OC's appeared, I hope the fact it's not a 1:1 depiction of the Anime-Manga is not a problem. I've done that once with a draft and it was absolutely horrible to go into the Anime, search out every word said and all, and since the OC's appearance we're going off road anyways.
Hope you enjoyed reading so far, I'm not sure if I should upload the character sheet for my Characters or not, please be so kind and give me your opinion with your explanation for that opinion so we could have an actual conversation about it, have a wonderful day, and