Jujutsu Kaisen: The Forgotten Clan
Chapter 3
After running a Reverse-Curse for ten minutes, my body is mostly healed. Now to get back to shore without being sensed by Andy and Jane. I take a deep breath and back dive into the frigid water, the calm under the water brings me peace of mind. Andy and Jane, prepare yourselves to fight.
Back at the house, my parents have started making pizza dough and wondering when I will return home. My father is sitting at the kitchen table writing a report on his mission, while my mother fixes herself a cup of tea. After filling a teapot with boiling water and two bags of Earl Grey, my mum sits across the table from my dad. She breaks the silence first.
"I noticed the look on your face, Jorgen. Are you comfortable sharing what is bothering you?" Her eyes are gentle, her tone of voice soft and sweet.
"An anonymous phone number keeps leaving me vague messages. The calls started a month ago, after leaving for my mission. The mission was a nightmare in of itself." My father is not afraid of holding candied and uncomfortable conversations with my mother. Both have been through their struggles emotionally, physically, and mentally.
"What else is bothering you, my love?" My mum never misses a beat. When more information is to be uncovered, she encourages whomever she is talking with to speak their whole truth.
My father closes his eyes, rubs his temples, and lets out a long sigh before answering my mother.
"I am worried about Lithuila's and our family's safety. Zyler mentioned you sustained an injury during Lithuila's training and were knocked unconscious. What did she do to you?"
Now my mother has narrowed her eyes, a worried look occupies her face. Up until today, she felt I had been holding back during our training sessions or had not fully developed my technique.
"Her cursed energy output has grown exponentially, Jorgen. That and she released something that was not cursed energy." She takes a sip of tea after mentioning this.
A loud 'pop' sound coming from the woods directs my parents away from their conversation. They see the faintest glow of light near the lake. The lake is not close to my family's house, and deep into the woods. Their sorcery training puts them on alert. Suddenly they hear the front door slam open.
"Who is there?" My father yells as he rounds the corner of the kitchen. My mother walks closely behind him as a backup.
"It is me, mum and dad. I just got back from my walk in the woods. Is dinner ready?" My voice is starting to go horse and I am trying to hide the fact that I am out of breath. My body is cold, my hair is dripping wet and frizzy, and fresh cuts adorn my face. Andy and Jane were difficult opponents, but I persevered and came out victorious.
"Lith? What happened to your face? Why are you panting?" My father's brow is furrowed, and he is concerned. Mum has the same facial expression as him.
"Nothing, I just ran back from the lake to build up my stamina. I am going to shower. Bye." I dash upstairs before my parents can ask me more questions. I love them to pieces, and I don't want to add more stress to their lives by dragging them into my drama. Before entering my bedroom, I hear my parents talking with each other.
"Sharah, why don't we continue our conversation back in the kitchen. There is more I need to share with you."
My bedroom is right above the kitchen area and my hearing is strong. I shut off the water, place a towel over my body and slowly make my way out of the bathroom. Once situated, I look at myself in the full-length mirror hung inside my closet. The cuts above my left and right eye have
healed neatly, my left arm has a shallow cut in it still, and the back of my head is no longer bleeding. The headache I sustained during my fight has subsided. I hear the muffled sounds of my parents' voices coming through the wooden floorboards of my room.
"Jorgen, how many phone calls have you received? What type of mission where you sent on this time?"
"Fourteen Sharah and three of them were death threats. I already submitted them to Rene, but he has been swamped with work of his own."
"And your mission?" My mother's voice is low and serious. She is hiding something from my father. My father takes a sharp in hail and a sharp exhale.
"I was sent to retrieve a Special Grade Cursed Object. I was sent to retrieve it without many details. After locating the object, the phone calls started coming in. What are you trying to cover up, Sharah?"
"I received a note two days ago."
Dead silence falls between my parents. I stop listening to their conversation and try making sense of what I just heard. Something about phone calls, a cursed object, and a note. Then there is Andy and…. a knock on my door jolts me from my train of thought. I gather myself up, throw on a baggy shirt and pajama bottoms, then allow whoever knocked to enter my room. I see Zink's face emerge from behind the door.
"Mum wanted me to tell you the pizza is ready." Zyler is right behind him.
"Yeah kid, hurry along. We are hungry and tired of waiting for your slow butt to come downstairs." They close the door and run away. I am left standing in my bedroom, replaying what has taken place today inside my mind.
The smell of melted cheese and freshly baked dough welcomes me into the kitchen. I have a gentle smile on my face, covering up my guilt for having eavesdropped on my parents. I help myself to a slice of tomato and basil pizza, then sit across the table from my father. Zink and Zyler are chatting with my mother by the sink. I turn my gaze outside, towards the lake, wondering how long until Andy and Jane are discovered.
My father picks up on my mood and starts asking me questions. "How was your day, Lith?" He is smiling and trying to appear as though nothing is wrong.
"Uneventful, except for mum and I practicing this morning and my run from early." I take a bit of pizza and look at my plate, hoping it will console me from today's events. By now, my brothers and mother have sat down. The tone in my voice betrays me.
Once the dinner table is cleared and my brothers head upstairs, I remain seated per the request of my parents. They come over to where I am sitting, pull up a chair next to each other, and face me. My heart pounds loudly in my ears, I avert my eyes, but our conversation starts up when my mother speaks.
"Lithuila Balzertina-Croatia, what did you see this afternoon?" She used both of my middle names. This is not good at all. There is no point in lying. I clear my throat and give a direct answer.
"A 187cm tall sorcerer, I could not see their face nor gather more information on their physical appearance. I ran into two more sorcerers on my walk this evening. One presumed male, the other, presumed female. Both in their late teens to early twenties, they intended to kidnap or kill me." I take a deep breath before continuing my rant.
"I exorcised two curses on my walk as well. The injuries you saw when I came through the front door have healed. My Reverse-Curse technique is growing." I am smiling at this point and feeling proud of myself. Two years prior, my Revers-Curse technique was abysmal…I caused more harm than good during a training session that nearly cost my father his life.
"What is with the worried looks mum and pop? What is going on?" Both of my parents are staring at each other with pain in their eyes. Something is bothering them…is it uncommon for someone to have a strong reverse-curse technique?
"Has anyone else tried following you the last couple of months?" My mother asks me this.
"No, I do not need to leave the house unless it is for training purposes. During my training you or dad accompany me. I have not been enrolled in school yet, and I have not made any friends. What were you talking about regarding dad's mission? What is a Special Grade object? Is our family in danger?" After a twenty-minute back and forth asking the questions, I never get a satisfactory answer. I lose my temper and storm up the stairs.
"Lith, wait, come back here." My father's plea lands on deaf ears. I walk through my bedroom door and slam the door shut.
I throw myself onto my bed, pull the covers over my body, and force my eyes shut. I am exhausted and need to sleep. Why are my parents hesitant to disclose vital information relating to cursed objects? What are they afraid of…me? As questions keep roaming through my head, I slowly drift off to sleep.
The next day I am up before the sun and still thinking about yesterday. Noticing how quiet the house is, I get out of bed, put myself together, and head downstairs. On my way downstairs, I realize my brothers' room is wide open and so is the master bedroom. Odd, my family usually gets me up if there is an excursion planned for the day.
I go into the kitchen and search around for clues. Nothing out of the ordinary is seen, except for pancakes sitting on the countertop. A note is tucked underneath the plate holding the pancakes: I recognize my father's handwriting.
Dear Lith,
Your mother and I understand how stressful the move has been for you, and we understand how observant you have become. What happened to you yesterday is the reason why we moved to Canada...to keep you from being kidnapped. I went to the lake, after you stormed upstairs, and did not see the two sorcerers you described. As for the Special Grade Object, go into the basement if you wish to find out what it is.
Your mother and I have taken Zink and Zyler out for the day. We tried waking you up, but you were out cold. While we are gone, go ahead and practice your jujutsu. The barrier around the house has been updated and you should be safe. Of course, if anything goes wrong, we know you can handle yourself.
In a few months, you will be starting at a new school. I think it would be a good idea for you to mingle with your peers, make friends, and not focus on jujutsu training all the time.
Best,
Your Father
All I could think to myself is, great, my suspicions on why we moved have been confirmed. I eat the pancakes, drink some water, and head to the basement. There is no point in dwelling over things I can't control, and I need to get stronger. The moment I step foot into the basement, I am hit by an overwhelming amount of cursed energy that knocks me to the ground.
I sit up, rub the back of my head, and walk over to the chest my parents use to hold cursed items. Underneath the knives, daggers, and bow I see a new object. It is shaped like a sausage, or a finger and covered with seals.