#caina

A narrow slit in the mew, which from me has the name of Famine, and in which others yet must be shut up, had already shown me through its opening many moons, when I had the bad dream that rent for me the veil of the future. 

When I awoke before the morrow, I heard my sons, who were with me, wailing in their sleep, and asking for bread.

Now they were awake, and the hour drew near when food was wont to be brought to us, and because of his dream each one was apprehensive.

And I heard the door below of the horrible tower locking up; whereat I looked on the faces of my sons without saying a word.

A dull ache throbbed through my skull when my eyes opened to reveal a blurred scene. My body felt heavy where I stood, muscles tightening as though of their own volition. A desolate landscape lay beneath my feet.

The fear that shot through my chest now settled comfortably in my gut. A white haired figure came into view, slightly obscured by dust still. Gojo-sensei stood proud. All would be right.

I tried to yell. My jaw locked shut. I stared until his eye shifted, gaze now level with mine.

I wept not, I was so turned to stone within. They wept; and my poor little Anselm said,'Thou lookest so, father, what aileth thee?'

Yet I did not weep; nor did I answer all that day, nor the night after, until the next sun came out upon the world.

Dust settled on his wrinkled brow, his stance still determined, though his pride faltering. His trembling hand swayed down beside his hip. My face remained still yet.

"What are you staring at? Gojo-sensei, what's wrong?" My teeth were glued shut as I called out to him, but not a word stepped past the threshold of my lips. I started towards him. His face was blank, then a horrible sense of dread closed my throat. The pit in my stomach spread its roots throughout my body and I could not stop moving. Gojo-sensei looked scared.

When a little ray entered the woeful prison, and I discerned by their four faces my own very aspect, both my hands I bit for woe;

and they, thinking I did it through desire of eating, of a sudden rose, and said, 'Father, it will be far less pain to us if thou eat of us; thou didst clothe us with this wretched flesh, and do thou strip it off.'

I quieted me then, not to make them more sad: that day and the next we all stayed dumb. Ah, thou hard earth! why didst thou not open?

Finally, I stilled before him. I could see he fought to keep his stare. My heart boiled over and my fingers clenched into my palm. He flinched, but stood his ground. And, for the first time, I felt imposing. I understood. My hand quickly loosened and I looked away.

I used to dream of such a face-off, picturing my noble stature matching his.

After we had come to the fourth day, Gaddo threw himself stretched out at my feet, saying, 'My father, why dost thou not help me?'

Here he died: and, even as thou seest me, I saw the three fall one by one between the fifth day and the sixth;

then I betook me, already blind, to groping over each, and two days I called them after they were dead:

I tried to fight it, call out once more. Then my hand raised, fingers twitching. I could feel his helpless eyes.

Today I know; my victory is but a symptom of my cowardice.

then famine did what sorrow could not do.

"You did well, Gojo Satoru."

Author's note: I know Count Ugolino is canonically in the Antenora (betrayal of political party or homeland) ring of the ninth circle, but I chose Caina (betrayal of kin) as the title of this story because it was more fitting for what I wanted to evoke and specifically how I wanted to tie Megumi to Count Ugolino.