章 1: The Birth of the Cursed(Edited)
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**Chapter 1: The Birth of the Cursed**
In the dim, flickering light of the hospital room, Haruto Takeda came into the world with a cry that echoed off the sterile walls. The doctors and nurses bustled around, performing their routine checks, oblivious to the storm of destiny that had just been set into motion. His mother, Ayako, lay exhausted yet relieved, unaware that the tiny life she had brought forth was already marked by an ancient and malevolent power.
Haruto had always been different, even before he drew his first breath. In the dark, quiet sanctuary of his mother's womb, he had not been alone. There had been another—his twin. But something had gone terribly wrong. Haruto's consciousness was not just his own; it was a fusion, a devouring. In the silence of their shared existence, Haruto had consumed his twin, absorbing not just flesh, but essence. This act left him with a profound sense of power and a gnawing void, as if a part of him was eternally missing.
From the moment Haruto opened his eyes, he was acutely aware of his surroundings in a way that no newborn should be. Memories of a past life, one filled with late-night anime marathons and the vivid worlds of My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, flooded his mind. He knew exactly where he was—the universe of Jujutsu Kaisen. This was no dream; it was his new reality.
In his first few months of life, Haruto rarely cried. Instead, he watched the world with a predatory intensity, his eyes following movements with a precision that unnerved those around him. His mother, Ayako, noticed quickly that something was off. She would hold him close, singing lullabies and rocking him gently, but Haruto's gaze never softened. It was as if he was constantly calculating, constantly analyzing.
As Ayako's health began to deteriorate, the doctors were baffled. She had been perfectly healthy throughout her pregnancy, but now she was growing weaker by the day. She attributed it to the stress of new motherhood, but deep down, she sensed that something was terribly wrong. Haruto, with his unsettling awareness, seemed to draw energy from her, leaving her drained and fragile.
By the time Haruto was six months old, Ayako's condition had worsened significantly. She spent more time in bed, her skin pale and her body thin. Haruto would sit beside her, his tiny hand gripping hers, his eyes locked onto her face with an intensity that belied his age. She would smile weakly at him, whispering words of love and hope, but her voice was growing fainter.
One night, as the moon cast a silvery glow over the room, Ayako took her last breath. Haruto watched as her life slipped away, feeling an odd mixture of detachment and curiosity. He did not cry. Instead, he sat silently, observing the stillness that followed her passing. He was an orphan now, left to navigate a world that would never truly understand him.
Placed in an orphanage, Haruto quickly realized that he was alone in more ways than one. The other children played and laughed, blissfully unaware of the dark energy that simmered within him. Haruto, on the other hand, found solace in solitude. He preferred the quiet corners of the orphanage, where he could focus on the swirling power that lay just beneath his skin.
At the age of one, Haruto's cursed energy began to manifest in subtle ways. He would reach out to touch a toy, and it would crumble to dust in his hand. The caretakers were perplexed, attributing the incidents to faulty materials or clumsy accidents. But Haruto knew better. He could feel the power coursing through him, a dark and dangerous force that he was only beginning to understand.
Haruto's days were spent in quiet contemplation, his mind a constant whirl of thoughts and memories. He remembered the stories of sorcerers and curses from his past life, using that knowledge to guide his training. He would sit for hours, focusing on controlling his cursed energy, willing it to obey his commands. It was a slow and painstaking process, but Haruto was nothing if not patient.
By the time Haruto was two years old, his cursed energy control had improved significantly. He could now manipulate the dark, swirling energy with a precision that belied his age. His cursed technique, Decay, had fully manifested, and he had learned to harness its destructive power. He remembered vividly the first time he had used it intentionally.
It was a sunny afternoon, and Haruto was sitting in the orphanage courtyard, watching the other children play. A small pebble lay at his feet, and with a concentrated effort, he focused his cursed energy into it. The pebble disintegrated, turning to dust that was carried away by the breeze. Haruto felt a twisted sense of joy in discovering his power, a thrill that coursed through him like a dark current.
His interactions with the other children were minimal. They sensed something different about him, something unsettling. Haruto did not seek companionship, nor did he crave acceptance. He was content to observe from the shadows, his eyes cold and calculating. He was a predator among prey, biding his time until he could fully master his abilities.
Despite his antisocial tendencies, Haruto's mind was a strategic one. He knew he needed to blend in, to bide his time until he could fully master his powers. He was cautious with his abilities, using them only when he was certain he wouldn't be discovered. But the joy he felt each time his Decay technique worked was undeniable. It was his secret thrill, his proof that he was destined for something greater.
The caretakers at the orphanage were wary of Haruto. They often found him unsettling, his intense gaze and eerie silence unnerving them. He rarely spoke, and when he did, his words were sharp and to the point. His eyes held a wisdom far beyond his years, coupled with a chilling detachment. He was not like the other children. He was a predator, a lone wolf among sheep.
Haruto's twin's lingering presence, the shadow in his mind, was a constant reminder of the darkness within him. Sometimes, in the dead of night, he would hear whispers—echoes of a life he had consumed, a life that could have been. But Haruto did not dwell on these thoughts. He embraced his power, the void within him driving him forward with a singular purpose: to become the strongest. The vow he made in that silent womb, to sacrifice his twin's soul for the enhancement of his cursed technique, was a secret he held close. It was a binding vow, a pact that gave him power but tethered him to a destiny steeped in darkness.
Haruto's journey had only just begun. He was an anti-hero in a world of curses and sorcerers, a bearer of a power that could both protect and destroy. At the tender age of two, he was already a force to be reckoned with, a predator lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike.
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**To be continued...**
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