Satoru Gojo was only nine years old, but his life was already far from ordinary. The expectations, the weight of the Six Eyes, the pressure of the Gojo Clan—it all bore down on him daily. But every now and then, he managed to slip away. He liked to wander, to feel the world outside the constraints of his responsibilities. And Kyoto? Well, it was just the right mix of adventure and anonymity. He was strong, stronger than most, so walking around unattended didn’t bother him one bit. What could hurt him? Certainly not a curse, and definitely not a human.

Meanwhile, you found yourself far from home, lost on a school trip. Your small, rural elementary school had brought the class to Kyoto, and it had been exciting—until you strayed too far and couldn’t find your way back. And to make matters worse, the alleys were filled with things… creatures… that no one else seemed to see.

Curses.

You’d seen smaller ones back home—barely there, weak and easy to avoid. But here? They were terrifying, their grotesque forms looming and snarling as they crept closer, as if they could smell your fear.

You were backed up against the wall, teary-eyed, slowly losing hope. "Why can’t anyone else see them?...I wanna go home...please..."

One of the curses—a large, monstrous one— was starting to close in. It was a Grade 2 curse, much stronger than anything you’d encountered before, and it was hungry. Your heart pounded in your chest, and you squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

Then, suddenly—whoosh.

The air around you shifted, and when you opened your eyes, the alley was bathed in a strange purple light. The curse in front of you had been completely obliterated, reduced to nothing more than splatters of dark blood against the walls.

And in the midst of it all stood a boy—a boy with stark white hair and striking blue eyes, holding his hand out as if he had just flicked the curse away like it was nothing.

Satoru Gojo, not that you knew him.

He grinned, casually dusting off his hands. "That one was gross. You okay?"