"Aspen?" Satoru grumbles, his voice laced with exhaustion.The white-haired man rubs the sleep out of his azure blue eyes, blinking with a confused expression. The night sky illuminates his tall pajama-clad figure that leans against the doorframe, strong arms crossed over his chest."It's 2 in the morning, kid. Why are you even up at this hour?" he asks, tilting his head and furrowing his eyebrows.When he looked down at her, Aspen had collapsed into unconsciousness on the floor and was bleeding profusely from wounds that all but covered her body. He could barely see the rise and fall of her chest and was paler than usual, shivering against the wall. He also noticed she was skinnier than what was probably healthy for a girl her height and had dark circles under her eyes. He was the only one who knew just how strong she was, so it was either she did this to herself or a High Special-Grade Curse or a High Special-Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer who did this to her.Satoru's eyes widened, his muscles tensing on his lean body. He quickly walked closer, dropping to one knee as he looked over Aspen's form. A serious and intense gleam flashed in his gaze, his features twisting into a frown. He reached up to place two fingers on the girl's neck, checking for a pulse. His lips pursed together in a thin line, not liking what he found - the poor girl's heart had a weak beat.With a deep breath, he picked his student up in his strong arms. Satoru quickly brought Aspen into his private living area at Jujutsu High. He carried her as gently as he could, not wanting to worsen any injuries. Placing her softly down on his bed, he immediately began assessing her wounds. His azure blue eyes flickered up to her face, taking in the paleness and dark circles under her eyes.His fingers quickly reached up to check her forehead temperature, his expression turning into a scowl when he felt how cold she was. Satoru's features then hardened into a scowl, anger, and concern bubbling in his blood. She was severely underweight, covered from head to toe in scars and bruises. As he examined her body, he noticed several wounds that seemed self-inflicted. Clenching his fists, Satoru took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He had to focus on healing Aspen, not allowing himself to get distracted by his anger. He placed his hands on her head, immediately channeling his power to use Reverse Cursed Technique.Her eyes barely opened as she felt him trying to heal her. "It won't work..." She says weakly. "I already tried. He used a Curse Technique to prevent any Reverse Cursed Techniques from being used... He told me to tell you that 'this was a warning'. I'm going to die..."Satoru's expression darkened as he listened to Aspen explain the situation. The mention of a Curse Technique preventing the Reverse Cursed Technique caught his attention."Who?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with the underlying threat. "Did you get the name of the bastard who did this to you?"With a frustrated huff, he withdrew his hands from Aspen, balling them into tight fists as his teeth grit together."Suguru Getou..." She coughs up blood and groans in pain. "It's okay if I die... I won't have any regrets."Satoru's jaw clenched, his entire body tensing at the mention of his former friend's name."Getou?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low. "How the hell is that bastard even alive?"Hearing Aspen's words, however, caused him to go quiet for a few moments, a mixture of anger, concern, and frustration swirling in his piercing azure blue eyes."No," he finally spoke, his tone firm. "Don't say that. You'll be alright... I won't let you die.""It's okay... I'll... see you... in the next life..." Her body went limp and all life left her eyes."No! Aspen!"Satoru immediately called out, panic and desperation filling his voice. He grabbed Aspen by the shoulders, shaking her gently in a futile attempt to bring her back."No, no, no," he muttered under his breath, his eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't accept this. He refused to accept it. "This can't be happening. Wake up, kid. Wake up!"With a surge of determination, Satoru began to perform CPR on Aspen. Pressing firmly on her chest, he began compressions in an attempt to revive her. He repeated the process, desperation fueling his every action. As he administered CPR, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't lose her... There was no way in hell he would let that happen. He would do whatever it took to save his student."Damn it, come on!" he cried out, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He continued the CPR compressions, his hands shaking with intense emotions. He couldn't let her go, not like this. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Taking a deep breath, Satoru leaned down and placed his lips on Aspen's, initiating mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He hoped beyond hope that it would bring her back. Time seemed to slow down as Satoru waited for a response. He continued the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, desperately praying for any sign of life from Aspen. As minutes passed by, the silence grew more suffocating. Satoru could feel tears streaming down his cheeks, his heart sinking further into despair with each passing moment. Satoru's lips trembled, his chest tightening as he finally pulled back from the CPR. He stared at Aspen's lifeless form, his entire body trembling."No..." he whispered, his voice cracking. "I couldn't save her. I- I failed her...."He wrapped his strong arms around Aspen's motionless body, pulling her close to his chest as he broke down into anguished sobs. Satoru's tears continued flowing as he held Aspen tightly in his arms, grief and despair consuming him. He knew he had to call for backup, but at that moment, he couldn't bring himself to let go of her lifeless body. Minutes felt like hours as he clutched Aspen, his sobs echoing through the empty room. He had failed her, failed to protect her from Suguru Getou's vile attack.After what felt like an eternity, Satoru finally managed to compose himself, taking deep breaths to calm his shattered nerves. He carefully pulled out his cell phone, his hands still shaking as he quickly dialed for backup. The minutes passed by in a blur, as he waited for the other jujutsu sorcerers to arrive. Finally, after an unbearable wait, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the door to his room slammed open. A team of skilled jujutsu sorcerers and medical personnel rushed inside, their expressions filled with concern and urgency. Satoru stood aside as they took over, watching as they tried everything to revive Aspen. However, deep down he knew it was too late. The damage was irreversible. Tears welled up in his eyes once again, and he hung his head low, his heart heavy with grief and guilt.The medical team continued their efforts to revive Aspen, but no matter what they tried, there was no response. Satoru could feel the sorrow in the room growing heavier, as the realization sank in - Aspen was gone. He stood there, tears streaming down his face, watching silently as the team eventually stopped their attempts and declared her dead. The despair and sorrow hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him shattered and hollow inside.As the medics covered Aspen's body and prepared to take her away, Satoru couldn't help but remain in place, rooted to the spot. He couldn't bear to leave her side, even in death. It felt like a part of his soul had been ripped away, leaving an unbearable emptiness inside. Satoru sank to his knees, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs as the weight of his failure and grief consumed him.What felt like hours passed by in a haze of grief and despair. Satoru remained knelt next to Aspen's covered body, unable to move, unable to think. The weight of his grief was overwhelming, and he was drowning in a sea of despair and regret. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the medical team gently picked up Aspen's lifeless body, preparing to take her away. Seeing this, Satoru finally snapped out of his grief-stricken trance. "No..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. He couldn't let them take her away, not yet. With a newfound determination, he got to his feet and quickly approached the medics. They gave him a sympathetic glance, understanding the depth of his loss, but they began to insist that they needed to take her body to the morgue for further examination."Wait," hissed Satoru, a hint of anger in his voice. His normally steady hands clenched into fists, frustration and pain mixing in his azure blue eyes. "Please, just... give me a few more minutes." The medics hesitated, exchanging glances before reluctantly nodding. They knew better than to argue with a Special Grade Sorcerer when he was in this state.Satoru waited until they left before carefully uncovering Aspen's body, revealing her pale, lifeless face. A lump formed in his throat as he stared down at her, memories of her fierce spirit and unwavering determination flooding his mind. Grief and guilt consumed him once again. He reached out, gently brushing a strand of her cyan hair away from her closed eyes. Time slipped away as he knelt there, his gaze locked on Aspen's lifeless form. He desperately wished he could reverse time, and change things somehow, but reality was harsh and unforgiving. Eventually, the faint sound of approaching footsteps broke the heavy silence, snapping him out of his reverie.He looked up, seeing the group of jujutsu sorcerers standing just outside his room, their faces etched with sorrow and concern. A young man with spiky pink hair, Yuji Itadori, spoke up, his voice steady despite the heaviness in the air. "Sensei... We need to discuss-"Satoru cut him off with a wave of his hand, silencing the man's words. He slowly stood up, his eyes never leaving Aspen's body. Grief, anger, and disbelief swirled within him. He knew he had to hold it together, to be the strong leader the jujutsu world expected him to be. "Leave," he said quietly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "I need to be alone."The others hesitated for a moment, their eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. But they obeyed, silently leaving the room and closing the door behind them. Satoru stood there for a few moments, his shoulders rigid with tension. He carefully covered Aspen's body once again, hiding her from view. Then, he slowly sat down beside her, his head hanging low as tears silently streamed down his cheeks.As the night bled into the morning, Satoru continued his silent vigil. He didn't cry, didn't speak, just sat there in a state of shock and disbelief. How could this have happened? How could Aspen be gone, just like that?Finally, exhaustion overcame him, and he crumpled, his body collapsing next to Aspen's motionless form. As he drifted into a restless sleep, memories of his student flashed through his mind, each one a bittersweet reminder of the girl he had failed to protect.The following day, the news of Aspen's tragic death spread like wildfire. Satoru found himself drowning in a sea of people offering condolences and asking questions he had no answers for. He numbly accepted the expressions of sympathy, his mind still reeling from the previous night's events. He found himself seeking solitude on the school's rooftop, far away from the chaos and noise. Sitting alone in the crisp morning air, he stared vacantly into the distance, his mind haunted by images of Aspen's lifeless body.Days turned into weeks, and the grief slowly gave way to anger and determination. Satoru knew that he couldn't let Aspen's death go unpunished. He needed to find Suguru Getou and make him pay for what he had done. He wouldn't rest until he brought justice for Aspen and prevented any further harm to the jujutsu world. From that moment on, Satoru was on a mission. Every ounce of his being was focused on finding and confronting Suguru Getou. He vowed not to rest until he made his former friend answer for his crimes and avenge Aspen's death.