A/N at the end
PROLOGUE
-Heian Era-
«Hey, did you hear the latest? Apparently, that disastrous fire has finally been put out… They stopped that monster's rampage!»
«Yeah, but there's more…»
«What do you mean?»
«Word is, the one who ended it all is-»
«Shh! Don't talk too loudly! If anyone hears you spreading those kinds of stories, you're dead.»
«But if it's true, he saved the world, right?»
«Not anymore. Whatever he did back then, now he's turned into our worst nightmare. Now, all he wants is to see the world burn.»
The Kujou clan, though small and now reduced in number, was an ancient and respected vassal of the Zenin clan, with roots stretching back to the golden age of sorcery.
They were renowned for their innate Cursed Technique, Divine Flame, a power that allowed the manipulation of regenerative and destructive flames.
But as time passed, the flames that once roared so fiercely began to flicker. The technique weakened with each generation, a shadow of its former self, much like the clan that bore it. In modern times, those few who inherited the Divine Flame could typically command only one aspect of its power—regeneration or destruction—and even then, the potency was diminished. This decline led to the clan's reduced status, their influence waning, though they never lost pride in their origins and history. This power, passed down through generations, was their most precious legacy, a dying ember of what once was.
Suzue Kujou was born on the night of the summer solstice, when the air was thick with the scent of blooming jasmine and the sky was painted with a deep, velvety blackness, studded with stars. Her birth was heralded as a blessing, a new spark in a lineage that had all but burned out. Surrounded by pure happiness and the affection and pride of the Kujou clan, Suzue was cherished from the moment she took her first breath. At just five years old, she demonstrated a gift so pure that it left even the most hardened elders of the clan in silent awe. Her presence was a bright, searing light in their fading world.
The discovery of her power was almost accidental. In the middle of a biting winter, while the wind howled outside and the world was blanketed in white, Suzue, feeling a chill, had absentmindedly set her bed ablaze. It was then that her family realized she could wield the destructive aspect of the Divine Flame with a potency unseen for generations. Even though she could only use the destructive aspect, it was enough to make her the pride of her family, their hope for a resurgence.
The following years were a golden age for Suzue, filled with joy, love, and learning. Under the watchful eyes of her parents and the clan elders, she trained diligently, learning to control and refine her power. Her abilities grew with each passing day, her control over the flames becoming more precise. Every time she succeeded in mastering a new technique, her family celebrated, seeing in her the potential to restore their clan to its former glory. It seemed inevitable that Suzue would one day become an extraordinary sorcerer, the one to carry the Kujou name back into the annals of legend.
But fate, ever capricious, had other plans.
In the late summer of 2007, the warmth and light of Suzue's world were cruelly snuffed out. Without warning, the Kujou clan was attacked by unknown forces—a Curse User, she would later learn. The flames, once symbols of protection and hope for the Kujou clan, now illuminated a scene of utter chaos and death. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and flesh, and the night sky was turned an eerie orange by the inferno that consumed her home.
Suzue, barely eleven years old, could only watch in paralyzed horror as her world collapsed around her. Her parents, her friends, everyone she had ever known or loved, were consumed by the very flames that were supposed to protect them. The screams of the dying echoed in her ears, a cacophony of pain and despair that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She was too young to fight, too inexperienced to oppose the overwhelming force that had descended upon them. All she could do was cry as she was dragged away and hidden, her small body trembling with fear, her tears flowing like rivers as the last remnants of her home were swallowed by the flames of destruction.
When the Zenin clan arrived, it was too late. The mighty sorcerers, one of the most powerful and influential in the world, found little left to save. The once-proud Kujou clan was reduced to ashes, its legacy nearly extinguished. The only survivor they found amidst the devastation was Suzue, huddled in a corner. The Zenin clan, seeing the potential in the young girl and her powerful technique, took her under their wing—not out of compassion, but out of cold calculation.
A child who retained only confused memories and deep trauma from that night.
What was supposed to be "protection" turned out to be a gilded prison. The Zenin clan's intentions were far from altruistic; once they realized the potential of Suzue's inherited technique, they began to see her not as a child who needed care, but as a valuable asset, a pawn in their power plays. Suzue's life within the Zenin clan was harsh and full of restrictions. She was never allowed to attend one of Japan's Jujutsu schools, remaining confined to solitary training within the clan's cold, imposing walls, relying only on her instincts and the harsh guidance of her keepers.
Despite her potential, Suzue was constantly belittled and humiliated, her achievements disregarded, her spirit slowly ground down by the weight of the Zenin clan's manipulation. They kept her rank artificially low, at that of a fourth-grade sorcerer, to prevent her from gaining independence and the freedom that such power should have afforded her. Her self-esteem suffered, eroded by the continuous belittling, the constant reminders that she was nothing more than a tool to be used and discarded. She was sent on dangerous missions alongside prominent clan members, missions where her power often saved the day, but no one would ever know. The Zenin sorcerers always took the credit, and Suzue was left in the shadows, her light dimmed by their greed.
In the back of her mind, Suzue knew what they planned for her. Sooner or later, she would be married off to secure her technique in their lineage, a living, breathing contract to ensure their continued power. Every day was a struggle for Suzue, not just against the external threats that came with her role, but also against the insidious oppression of the Zenin clan. But in the meantime, Suzue observed. And by observing, she learned. She learned the dynamics between clans, the power struggles, the mind games that defined their world. And as she grew, from a defenseless child to a young woman, the idea of finally freeing herself from the Zenin clan's control began to take shape in her mind, like the flicker of a flame that refuses to be extinguished.
-January 2018-
It was a special day, a day that Suzue had long anticipated. The Zenin clan was hosting a meeting between the Big Three Families and other prominent figures in the sorcery world, along with representatives from minor clans. The air was thick with tension and importance, though Suzue had been told little of the specifics. Something serious had happened a few weeks prior, something that had shaken even the most stalwart of the clans. But Suzue was rarely informed of such matters, her role in the clan being more akin to that of a caged bird than a respected sorcerer.
For the first time, she was allowed to attend such a meeting. Not as an active participant, of course, but as a silent observer, a decorative piece to be placed in a corner and forgotten. But to Suzue, it was more than that. It was a chance to observe, to learn, to understand the world she was a part of, but from which she had been so cruelly isolated.
More than ten years had passed since the destruction of her clan, since the night her world was consumed by fire. Suzue had grown into a young woman, marked by the scars of her past. These long years in the Zenin clan had shaped her. She was of medium-short stature, her once long black hair now cut just above her shoulders, framing a face that bore the red eyes of her clan—a constant reminder of what she had lost.
Introverted and naturally docile, Suzue had become a master of silence. She spent more time conversing with herself in her head than with others, her thoughts her only true companions. Outwardly, she was the perfect image of grace and composure, as required of the women in the clan. Never a word out of place, always obedient, always compliant. But inside her, the fire of her clan still burned, a flame that had not yet been extinguished. And now, after years of oppression and silent suffering, she was determined to free herself from the control of those who sought to use her.
And so, it all started with a water bottle.
A/N
Facts:
In the story, I'll be strictly using the English terminology from Jujutsu Kaisen, but just to give you a general idea, the innate cursed technique of the Kujou clan is called "Divine Flame" (竈カミノ, Kamino). I'll leave you with just this little piece of information ❤️