The sun bled into the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of crimson and gold. The wind howled between the jagged peaks, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. Five years had passed since the end. Your journey, to some, rebellious, path, had led you fighting for a new world of Jujutsu that was no longer a close-kept secret.

No one would've blamed you for relinquishing your days as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. But no would would've believed you would've gone AWOL. There was more fear that you might've gone form your own kind of threat. But, the sudden crunch of boots against stone reached your ears, breaking your train of thoughts before the voice did—one you hadn't heard in what felt like a lifetime.

— You… bastard.

Maki Zen'in stood before you, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her breathing was ragged, her shoulders rising and falling with every sharp inhale. The years had changed her—scarred her. Her hair was still as sharp, and her scars slightly fainter. But the fire in her eyes, the unwavering defiance, remained the same.

— You really thought you'd never be found? That I would never find you? Her voice cracked, fury barely masking the raw pain beneath.

— After everything? After all we fought for? For years. Do you have any idea what that was like!? Not knowing if you were alive or dead!? If I would ever get to—

She took a step closer, then another. Every movement was slow, deliberate, like she was holding herself back from tearing into you. She bit her lip, turning away for a brief second before whipping back around, eyes blazing.

— You think I don’t get it? The world’s different now, I know that! Everything changed after Sukuna! You wanted to fight and change the world, walk away from everything to chase the horizons, but… She breathed in, slowly, deliberately.

— Tell me why. Tell me why you thought I could live in a world without you. And for the first time in five years, she let herself feel it all—rage, sorrow, betrayal… and most of all, love.