Instincts startled him awake, with a gasp, and he stared unseeing at the cloudy night, his hearing gone deaf to the sudden return of the noise that comes with a city; unable to connect from quiet, empty destroyed buildings and sensing the city springing to life once more.

His heart pounding as he attempted to make sense of what he was seeing – light pollution? Where are the stars? The number of buildings that had been destroyed during the... game caused most of the light pollution to drop to a pitch black during the nights, making it unsafe to tread outside if you weren't strong enough to fend off curses and humans alike.

He stares at the night sky, the moon shying behind clouds, the stars even more hidden outside a few that twinkle brightly, and he took in a deep breath before coughing; the stench of the modern lifestyle causing his throat burn and his eyes to tear up at the sudden onslaught.

Then – just as suddenly as he awoke – the sounds of a bustling city came back, causing him to wince; it was almost too much.

Yuuji froze.

"What's... going on?" he whispered out loud, disbelieving. Did I get caught by a technique? No. It doesn't feel like one. Surely?

Before he could continue that line of thought, he finally realized that he had just been on his back this entire time, so he carefully and tensely sat up; glancing around at his surroundings and just feeling even more confusion, squinting as he adjusted to all the lights of advertisements and shop signs.

He was on rooftop, but a rising sense of cold panic was filling his chest.

Why was he here?

Where was here?

What happened?

Swallowing thickly, Yuuji called out, would hardly even call it a whisper with how soft it was, but it would have been clear how frightened he was had anyone been there with him.

" Choso? "

White noise filled his ears – over taking even the near deafening noise of wherever the fuck he was right now – when there was no reply, when the one he called out for did not appear before him with a concerned frown and no soft question if he was alright, if he had a nightmare.

It certainly felt like one.

He...

No.

No, no...

Yuuji realized he doesn't remember what he was doing before; he doesn't even remember falling asleep nor if he was knocked out in a fight.

What was he doing before, what is happening? Where is this? Where is everyone else? Where is Choso?

Where –

Wait, no, he remembered now – hadn't he just been watching sensei fight Sukuna with them and the others?

"Ugh..." Yuuji clenched his eyes shut, bringing up a hand to his face and rubbing at his temple. There's such a heavy fog clouding his thoughts... but, but hadn't sensei been winning?

So why was he... here?

For a few precious moments, he just stared uncomprehending towards the tallest building, the red lights blinking were hypnotizing in his state of confusion.

However, there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind the more he stared – was it important somehow? Why would a building be important?

No. He should be focused on figuring out what was going on and how to find where everyone else was – surely, he wasn't alone, right? He was just with everyone, so surely?

Taking a deep breath, Yuuji closed his eyes, and – with both hands – gave himself a fierce slap to his face; he felt clarity ring clear through his mind once more.

He had to figure out where he was.

To do that, he needed to get off his ass and get moving.

He had to make it back to everyone else – no matter what – he had to find out what was happening with sensei's fight with Sukuna; he had to know if Megumi was...

The rooftop echoed the second, harder slap.

He needed to focus.

He cannot and will not fall back into despair – that's what Sukuna wants; enjoys. Determination fills him up once more, filling up where cold dread and loneliness had craved open another scar on his heart.

It may not be by him, but Sukuna will get what's coming to him – for all this pain and suffering, for running away and taking Megumi.

Standing up and walking towards the edge of the rooftop, he looked down and squinted at all the civilians walking about without a care in the world; laughing, smiling, scowling, and shoving at each other as they walked by due to the amount of people just... going about their daily lives apparently.

"For real though, what is this?" Yuuji mumbled to himself, "It's almost as if Shibuya never happened."

Actually – Yuuji snapped his head back towards the building before looking around much more closely than he had previously done.

"Huh?"

It's actually as if the incident never happened.

As if sensei hadn't been sealed before everything went downhill faster than Yuuji could run or faster than Choso could run a curse through with his blood.

Disbelief shook his heart, and he could not believe what he was seeing.

Quickly, he looked down at himself – wait no, that won't help; hands reached up to touch the facial scars and a chill ran down his back as he felt them. Yuuji isn't sure what he was hoping for there...

"Did I somehow get caught up in a domain or something maybe? But..." How and who? His memory continues to remain foggy and to his frustration, he slapped himself again in order to not freak out.

"Okay," Yuuji breathed out real slow, before reaching deep within himself, "... Sukuna?"

He's not sure if he should feel relieved or hollow when he received nothing but white static.

His body is still his own – has always been his own, but – he really isn't sure how he should feel about this outcome.

Okay.

Okay.

"Okay," he repeated out loud, confusion still there but his determination had finally won out against any and all negative and conflicting emotions that were clouding his thoughts and body.

He still needs to figure out where – no, he supposes the right thing to say is when .

The teenager stares down at the crowd of people once more before shaking his head and begins to hop and climb the roofs – just a bit aimlessly, since he wasn't sure where he should go, but also to try and get a feel for the area. Is this actually real? Or some kind of sick joke from... whoever he was fighting, he guesses. Was he fighting someone? Did he fight someone or was he just... caught in the crossfire?

As he does this, he has been keeping an eye out for anything suspicious; probably would not do him any favors to run into anything or anyone powerful while he is figuring out what kind of nonsense he was involved with this time.

Does he go to Gojo-sensei? Does Gojo-sensei even know him at this point of time?

What even is the date, if this is real.

He needs to know what the date is before he does anything.

Of course, just as he finally made a decision, just as he had hopped down and was heading towards the train station, the veils that started it all were being deployed.

Itadori Yuuji stopped dead and center amongst a crowd – the crowd parting around him; as if sensing something was not quite right with the teenager with vibrant hair – entering the train station, his heart pumping loud and clear in his ears, as he watched the night sky go from cloudy with a hint moonlight go even darker as ink smeared and consumed their light.

His fists clenched tightly, before relaxing at his sides.

Then he continued walking, going down, down, down...

He can't save everyone, but perhaps.

Perhaps he can help – save – prevent what happens to sensei.