The sun was still low, casting long pale beams through the city, but Roy didn't have the chance to complain about waking up so early.
He was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when Gojo had practically barged into his new room, tossed him a set of clothes, and dragged him out before he even got a chance to properly stretch.
"Morning, sunshine!"
Gojo's voice was far too cheerful for this hour.
"Come on, you'll thank me later."
"I seriously doubt that,"
Roy muttered under his breath, yawning as his long bangs fell into his face.
By the time he realized where they were heading, the large stone steps of Tokyo Jujutsu High were already in sight.
Unlike the time he'd been here with Gojo before, today's destination was deeper inside.
A short walk through shadowed hallways and sliding doors eventually led them to a dimly lit chamber.
Roy's brows furrowed.
The air here felt heavy, dense with something unseen, a quiet pressure crawling across his skin.
He turned to Gojo with a small frown.
"…Am I being locked up or something?"
Gojo smirked, pushing his tinted glasses higher on his nose.
"If I wanted to lock you up, you'd know it. This is just a special room. The walls are layered with seals and Jujutsu tech. It's designed to amplify cursed energy inside. Kind of like…a speaker system, but for ghosts."
"That sounds horrible,"
Roy said flatly.
Gojo chuckled, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Relax, it's to help you. If you're surrounded by cursed energy, your innate technique should stir awake, like shaking a tree to get the fruit to fall. All you gotta do is sit, focus, and let it happen."
Roy's gaze shifted to the lone cushion in the center of the room, a simple, round pillow that looked oddly inviting given the ominous atmosphere.
"Wait, wait. You dragged me out of bed at 7 a.m. for a…nap session?"
"Not a nap. Meditation."
Gojo wagged his finger.
"Big difference. One gets you stronger, the other makes you lazy."
"That still sounds like a nap."
"Kid, just sit."
Suppressing a groan, Roy dropped onto the cushion and folded his legs.
The floor was cold, the room too quiet. His fingers tapped nervously against his knees before he finally closed his eyes, taking a breath.
At first, it felt ridiculous.
His thoughts ran wild, about how stupid he must look, about how Gojo was definitely smirking at him from the corner, about how he could be training his body instead of sitting like a monk.
But Gojo's calm, almost uncharacteristically steady voice guided him.
"Don't fight the noise in your head. Let it pass, and just sink deeper. Focus on your center. Think of cursed energy like…breath. In and out, through every part of you."
Roy's breathing slowed.
His shoulders loosened.
For a long moment, the darkness behind his eyelids shifted, and then suddenly expanded.
When he opened his eyes, the world around him was gone.
Everything was black.
Not empty, but endless, like he was standing in an infinite void.
His body felt weightless, yet solid, as if every part of him was buzzing faintly with power.
"...Whoa."
His voice echoed, bouncing infinitely into the abyss.
Outside, Gojo leaned against the wall, hands casually in his pockets.
His usual grin had softened, but his eyes hidden behind the tinted lenses, were sharp and calculating.
Roy's body sat perfectly still on the cushion, but from head to toe he was shrouded in cursed energy.
Thick, concentrated, flowing like an aura that pulsed with life.
It wasn't wild or chaotic like a beginner's usually was, it clung to him tightly, as though it belonged there.
Gojo tilted his head, genuinely impressed.
"Dense already, huh? Guess the rumors were right…this kid really is interesting."
He smirked, though his tone dipped into something quieter, more thoughtful.
"Looks like it's finally begun."