Thanks for all the love on the third chapter! I'm actually very happy to know that even though some of you are scared, you're also looking forward to know what's going to happen hehe. Also, if you're on AO3, this story is also there!
I guess the same warnings apply from the last chapter: we will see *questionable* (aka bad) moral decisions unfold.
"Vogel im Kafig" is again the anthem for this chapter. Happy reading!
"Eren!"
The sun rises high above them, the rays beaming on this lovely spring day. Mikasa waves enthusiastically at him when she catches him riding up to the entrance.
Climbing off his horse, he gives her a small, tired smile. Nevertheless, Eren appears happy, his eyes never leaving her. She catches subtle appreciation in his eyes as he takes in the Paradisian-style skirt and shirt on her physique. Delight passes through her as she remembers the same admiration in his expression when she wore these clothes to the lagoon.
Hurrying over to him and hugging him, she breathes in his familiar, husky scent. Immediately, his arms wrap around her securely, enveloping her in a relaxing home.
Mindful that her family is now watching curiously, Mikasa reluctantly pulls away and takes his hands in hers. Looking up to him, she softly asks, "Is everything all right with your family now?"
A little over two months ago, he told her that he had to go back home to Paradise for a family emergency. She wasn't sure what it was, but she suspects it had something to do with the way he'd been acting for the past few months.
His face still looks weary but tender as he gazes down at her. Nodding, he answers, "Yes, it is. Thank you."
Beaming up at him, she traces the back of his hands delicately with her fingers. Glancing around, he steps closer to her before inquiring, "Is everyone here now?"
"Most of my father's side is already here but my parents will come tomorrow afternoon. They're feeling a bit under the weather."
For a moment, she thinks relief falls over his face. Tilting her head, she's about to open her mouth to ask something. However, she quickly disregards it when she sees a familiar figure approaching.
Beckoning her cousin closer, Mikasa says brightly, "Levi, come meet Eren."
Underneath her touch, she feels Eren stiffen and grip her hand more strongly. Tension begins emitting from his stance. Attributing it to nerves, she soothingly rubs his knuckles and gives him a gentle smile. His hold loosens, but he still maintains an inflexible posture.
Levi says nothing as he gets closer, only observing the dark-haired man by her side with narrowed dark-silver eyes. As her cousin scans him up and down, Mikasa notes that he's turned his normal, perpetual scowl into a more intimidating one. Peeking at Eren, she bites her lip in amusement as she watches him hold Levi's stare.
Finally, her cousin lazily turns to her, tucking one hand into the pocket in his trouser and declaring, "Tch. You could do better."
Eren's expression takes on shock and then a hint of indignation. Restraining the smile that tugs at her lips, Mikasa instead brushes the back of Eren's hand. However, the action doesn't escape Levi's attention, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her. Ignoring her cousin's reaction and the flush that rises in her, she replies playfully, "Thank you for your input, Levi."
"Oi, has anyone seen my midget nephew?"
Said nephew makes a revolted sound and rolls his eyes.
"Yo, there you are. Didn't see you over all the taller ones in this group," her uncle drawls with a wicked grin as he saunters over to the three of them.
Mikasa giggles while Levi aims a kick at Kenny. Her uncle easily dodges and cackles delightfully. He finally directs his attention toward Eren, who is staring at this interaction dumbly. With a smirk, Kenny goes up to the young man next to her and tips his fedora teasingly. "So, you're the one who caught my niece's heart."
Abruptly leaning toward Eren, her uncle studies him with a more-serious-than-usual expression while putting a toothpick into his mouth. However, a crude look morphs onto his face. Glancing between the two, Kenny asks with a gleam in his eye, "Have you two done the d—"
"Thank you, uncle! Eren, let's meet some others, shall we?"
Mikasa immediately drags him away, hearing Kenny roar with laughter while Levi disgustedly chides, "Oi. Old man."
Her uncle was ridiculous. Of course, they haven't —
Searing heat floods her face; she doesn't need to look into a mirror to know that her face is embarrassingly red.
"Don't mind my uncle, he's just—well—like that," she lamely stammers. Her heart is beating erratically against her rib cage. She clumsily smooths down her hair, suddenly needing something to do with her other hand.
Unable to meet his gaze, Mikasa continues towing him along. Nevertheless, when she doesn't hear a response from the young man behind her, she peeks back at him from the corner of her eye. The color on his face is also a bright red and he's rubbing his neck awkwardly. His forest-green eyes are fixed on the dirt ground, avoiding her stare as well.
Despite what just happened, she has to repress the laughter that wants to bubble out of her. He really seems out of element right now. For all the confidence he puts on around her, it was entertaining to see him act like this around her family.
Pulling him forward with a little smile on her face, she can't help but think this is an endearing side of him that she hasn't seen before.
As she holds his hand, she flexes her hand in his, the pleasant heat a reminder of his presence by her side.
Then why does it seem like he's far away from me?
Her pace falters. That thought immediately jolts her, causing her spine to become taut and unyielding.
Eren's here with me now… right?
"Well, judging by your faces, my older brother must've said something incredibly distasteful." A gentle voice sounds to her right. Partially rotating her upper body, she sees her aunt come up to them with a teasing tilt of her mouth.
Thankful for the needed distraction, she lets go of Eren's hand to give Aunt Kuchel a hug. As she releases it, Mikasa notes the quick absence of satisfying warmth. Faintly, she thinks she hears Eren make a little noise — as if he didn't want to let her go.
Another rush of heat goes through her at the thought. Without warning, her aunt brings her hand up to her face. Immediately, the cool touch provides some much-needed relief. However, when she peers up at Kuchel's subtle smile, Mikasa can't repress the embarrassment that courses through her again.
Finally, the older woman shifts her sight to the young man in front of them. In a soft, friendly tone, she says, "I'm Mikasa's aunt and Levi's mother, Kuchel. What is your name?"
He stares at them with another dumb expression, prompting Mikasa to repress another giggle. Catching himself, he clears his throat speedily and composes himself. Extending a hand to her aunt with a polite, friendly smile, he answers, "The pleasure is mine. Eren Kruger."
The smile on Kuchel's face grows as she steps forward to him and shakes his hand lightly before taking his arm. He looks down at the hand on his forearm, surprised. Patting his arm placatingly, her aunt gently leads him to walk to another group of people, asking, "Tell me, how did you come to meet my niece?"
And so, the afternoon goes on like that.
Eren meets more members of the family, flitting from one person to the next. Gradually, he begins to relax: his posture visibly loses any prior strain and gains a more casual, easy-going air. He loses any semblance of the rigid man that first arrived, instead settling back into the young, charming man from the tea shop that she grew to love.
All the while, he holds onto her hand, not letting go of her.
The males in her family give him appraising looks while the females give her more knowing smiles. Mikasa only blushes and ducks her head, hiding the shy upward curve of her mouth.
Soon, night falls over them and the family is gathering around a bonfire. Mikasa is leaning against a tree, watching the smoke rise higher and higher to the sky. The orange light from the flames is shimmering and reflective, creating a small island of color in the darkness around them. Music fills the air while some of the older members dance around the fire. Chatter is abuzz around them, people laughing loudly and merrily. The children run around eating sweets, their shadows flying from one part of the ground to another.
Everyone is content and the coziness makes Mikasa let out a little sigh.
"Come with me."
A familiar voice whispers into her ear. She twists abruptly to her left and sees Eren's face mere centimeters away from hers. Their faces are close enough where she can see the teal flecks in his green eyes, staring at her attentively. Her heart stutters and beats rapidly as she nods hastily.
Eren grabs her hand and leads her through the trees amid the darkness, taking care to avoid tripping over rocks or fallen branches. After a few stumbles and muffled curses — to which Mikasa holds back her giggles — he brings them to a clearing.
Mikasa's breath hitches. A lake is in front of them, almost glittering underneath the moonlight. The expanse is open, giving her a complete view of the night sky where the stars glow vibrantly. The sweet aroma of flowers is carried by the gentle breeze, causing her to close her eyes and take a deep breath.
It was such a beautiful sight.
She turns her head to the young man by her side. But in that instant, everything about him is a contradiction.
Part of him is obscured by the shadows but part of him is illuminated by the moon. His features are like fire and ice. The lines of his face are rough and defined, but soft and youthful. His eyes are both bright and dark as they stare at her.
He looks like an angel that came down from the heavens and a devil that crawled out from the remnants of this earth.
Yet, the juxtapositions only serve to make his expression more intense as his gaze locks onto her.
It's like he never wants to let her out of his sight. It's like she is the dawning light from the sky. It's like she's the most beautiful person on this earth. It's like she is the only thing that exists on this earth — like she's his everything.
A blush spreads on her cheeks and she quickly averts her eyes.
Immediately though, he pulls her toward him with one hand and the other reaches up to stroke the back of her head. He rests his chin on top of her head, covering her entirely with his intoxicating scent. The shape of his hand on her waist seems to melt through her clothes. His touch provides a familiar, calming heat that makes her lightly sigh and inadvertently lean more into him.
Mikasa peeks up at him and her heart beats even more irregularly when she notices Eren staring at her with such devotion and adoration. The teal specks reflect vividly and make her knees weak. His eyes seem to smolder when they drink her in, as if he's engraining every detail of her in his mind — like he's imprinting the very image of her onto his heart.
Yet, there's something there that Mikasa can't place. It makes her shiver as she studies his face. He now seems incredibly older than how he normally appears.
She wonders how it'd been for him the two months being back home with his family. From what she knows, he didn't have an easy childhood. A pang flows in her and she wants to soothe him.
Thus, Mikasa entwines her arms around his waist and rests her head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. The feel of his body beneath her cheek is a stark reminder that he's here right now. Taking a deep breath, she asks, "Are you enjoying the time here?"
Eren chuckles, responding, "Yes. Your family is quite interesting, especially Levi and Kenny."
Mikasa laughs as well, revealing her dimples. Comfortable silence follows them momentarily. They can still hear the distant sound of music from the campfire. Unconsciously, they start swaying from side to side to the rhythm of the singing. His body against hers is like a cozy furnace, lulling her to sleep. His scent surrounds her, making her satisfyingly light-headed. She shuts her eyes, reveling in the serene moment.
This is what she wants from her life.
However, he breaks the respite by asking unexpectedly, "Would you marry me, no matter who I was?"
She stills in his arms. The princess's gaze veers up to his. Mikasa discovers he's watching her reaction with a strange expression. A variety of sentiments oscillate across his face. Yet, she doesn't have time to decipher all of them. Tilting her head, she asks, "Why are you asking this?"
For a second, she thinks she sees agony leak through his appearance. But she blinks and the emotion is gone. His voice sounds croaky as he replies, "I'm not someone you deserve."
Mikasa's chest clenches, prompting her to immediately shake her head. "No. You make me laugh and smile. You make me feel relaxed and at home. You don't treat me as someone different or special. You see me as me."
Reaching up to hold his face, she brings him down until she can see the faint freckles on the bridge of his nose. Her thumbs graze his arched cheekbones as she stares into his green eyes with sincerity. She wraps her hands around his shoulders, feeling the muscles constrict underneath her touch. With a beautiful, soft smile, Mikasa asserts with emotion, "You're my beloved."
Eren closes his eyes, shutting them so tight that his forehead crinkles. Letting out a heavy breath, he finally opens them and his expression changes. There's a doting intensity that makes her knees feel like they'll cave from happiness. It feels like the sun is illuminating the night sky, showering her with lingering kisses. It feels like the sun is shining down on her, enveloping her with heated touches.
Yet, she can't help but think there's also something that makes her spine tingle with danger.
Leaning in until his forehead rests against hers, he asks, "Do you remember I once said I would give you three wishes?"
Brows furrowing with some confusion, she replies breathlessly, "Yes."
"Tell me one," he states. There's still a scrunch in his forehead. Mikasa reaches up with her hand and smoothens the lines. Eren welcomes the touch and leans into it even more, almost nuzzling against her hand.
"Tell me how I can please my most valuable and favorite customer," he says softly. She's unable to repress the little giggle that leaves her mouth. Instantly, Eren's demeanor also becomes lighter upon hearing that sound. He shifts his head towards the hand brushing against his cheek and kisses the inside of her wrist.
Mikasa's hands still for a second as an even stronger blush fans on her face. Her heart thumps unevenly against her chest, prompting her to shyly smile.
"I want…"
Eren steps even closer to her, his legs becoming somewhat intertwined with hers. His expression still carrying such raw affection and tenderness. His hand reaches up to stroke her cheekbone lovingly. His aroma and body heat encompass her senses, prompting her to feel very faint.
In some corner of her mind, she notices he's looking at her as if this is the last time he'll ever see her.
"I want you to be my frontier that protects me and makes me feel at home," Mikasa states gently, her fingers intertwining around his neck.
Suddenly, Eren's face flickers with something. But then it vanishes when he intakes a large breath and clutches her waist a little more strongly, pressing her even closer to him — as if he were scared that she would slip right through his fingers.
Bending forward, his nose lightly tickles hers, causing her lashes to flutter against her skin. In a voice that carries fierce determination, he vows, "No matter what happens, I will love you. I will always love you. I will always protect you and be your home."
In that second, Mikasa knows her peaceful life has been achieved.
Softly beaming up at him, she fondly touches the curve of his jawline.
Then he presses his lips to hers with so much passion and urgency that she's glad that he's holding her up — otherwise, she would've fallen to the ground. Therefore, Mikasa wraps herself around him more snugly, feeling like she's weightless, soaring through the clouds and ascending to the heavens.
Somewhere, in a crevasse in her mind, she recognizes how he kisses her as if she is a fountain in the middle of the desert and he is devoid of water. He kisses her as if she is oxygen and he is drowning. He kisses her as if she the only light in this world and he needs an anchor in this dark world.
He kisses her as though he is about to head off to war and he will never see her again.
They were all normal people.
This thought stays with him when he leaves the village before dawn, riding out to the entrance of the mountain. Floch and a company of soldiers with horses are already waiting.
When they see Eren, they bow and pay their greetings. "Your Highness."
A wailing erupts in his ears from the little boy confined in the cage. The metal makes a painful clanking sound as he slams against the bars, bruising and hurting himself in order to break free. The little boy curses at him, screaming and howling to stop.
Nevertheless, he ignores the sounds, nodding to the soldiers in front of him. "How did the infiltration go?"
"Smoothly, as we expected. Hizuru's military wasn't prepared, and Paradise pulled their reinforcements," Floch reports, giving Eren armor to change into and weapons to wield.
They were all normal people, living their own lives.
The little boy pleads with Eren to turn back.
But a shadow emerges, looming over the cage ominously. It looms over the cage with ferocity and anger because Eren can't turn back in this world. It hovers threateningly because Eren needs to continue stepping toward his goal.
It looms over the cage desperately, needing to build a world where he's free.
"The King and Queen aren't here, which will make this easier. Don't harm any of the women, children or elderly," Eren orders with ice in his tone, indicating if anyone disobeyed, there would be consequences.
The men nod before saddling up and beginning to march towards the opening of the valley.
He can only pretend he's not being inwardly being scorched and torched to ashes.
The little boy screams and cries that he doesn't want to be a monster.
The thing is, Eren doesn't want to either.
"Mikasa!"
Blinking her eyes hazily, she makes out Levi hovering over her. In the darkness of the cabin, she can only rub her eyes as she gets forcefully dragged out of her bed.
However, when she exits the doors, she notices that his face is smeared with blood.
Clarity rapidly overtakes her when she can hear people yelling and children crying. Hooves beat distinctly on the ground as she catches a few men riding out the entrance of the valley with weapons strapped onto their bodies. Glancing around in horror, she gasps when seeing some cabins have smashed doors and windows, and some are on fire.
Suddenly, she's shoved onto a horse. Frantically swiveling her head, Mikasa meets Levi's urgent gaze. "You need to leave. We've been ambushed."
Ice freezes her veins. Her mouth opens to ask more, but her cousin barks, "You know the back route. Go!"
"Wait, what about Eren?" she blurts out, fear instantly filling her. She grips the reins so firmly she's sure they'll rip.
Something extremely dark falls over Levi's face. Her heartbeat falls flat upon noticing his expression, stopping her breathing. Her lip trembles as she tries to ask again but her cousin repeats vehemently, "Go."
He smacks the horse, and with a jolt, it begins galloping towards the back entrance. With a half-cry, half-gasp, she twists over her shoulder to see Levi shouting something before he also climbs onto a horse and takes off towards the front of the village.
She rides for a little bit, but her heart immediately stops when she goes over the hill towards the palace. From this distance, she can see the foreign soldiers gathered at the front of the valley. Something catches her eye. When she squints, she can see the Eldian flag being carried by the soldiers.
Her throat clogs. With dread sinking in her stomach, she sees the number of Eldian soldiers clearly outnumber her family members. Most of the soldiers in her family are unbelievably skilled, but with those many soldiers —
Instantly, the urge to vomit overwhelms her.
And then, at the front of her mind is whether Eren is safe or not.
The mission is a success, by his father's standards.
Most of the targeted threats have been removed. The only notable exceptions are that Kenny and Levi Ackerman have escaped. But Eren knows that both have been wounded; from what he remembers, Kenny more so.
As he walks around the area, scanning the destroyed cabins and rubble on the ground, the prince hears the little boy crying and howling. The little boy curses and flails against the bars, threatening to beat him into lumps of flesh. The little boy futilely attempts to grab him and claw him to scraps and bits for what he just did.
But it doesn't matter because Eren is already being carved open, bit by bit.
"Your Highness," a scout greets, bowing before him. "I saw some members of the family leave through a back route. Should we do anything?"
Alarmed, Floch faces Eren and comments, "Our original plans must've missed this part of the village layout. We should give chase."
However, the prince raises his hand, effectively stopping anyone who dared move a step. In a stony tone, he orders, "This part of the mission is complete. Head back to the ship. I'll meet Armin and Zeke at the palace."
They dip their heads in acknowledgement and bow in partings. Before Floch leaves, however, Eren states without glancing at him, "If we need resources for the trip back home, pay the merchants. Don't take the items by force."
Floch rotates with bewilderment on his expression. Eren knows that the lieutenant wants to question why, so Eren immediately snaps his head to shoot him a warning look. The action successfully closes Floch's mouth. A shadow falls over the prince's presence as he hisses, "That was an order."
Pausing for a moment, the red-haired soldier's face schools into a blank expression. Finally, Floch nods before bowing and taking his leave.
As the soldiers prepare to exit the village, Eren rotates his head to the direction of the place he took Mikasa last night.
The place where they lived in that peaceful and free world that he yearns for so badly.
"You're my beloved."
Eren clamps his fists and grits his teeth. Tiny hot needles prick his skin, the phenomenon feeling like little firestorms hitting him and scorching him. The lines of his face quake, but he restrains them from contorting because he can't show anything.
"I want you to be my frontier that protects me and makes me feel at home."
The wails from the boy in the cage only grow louder, echoing and burning in his ears.
But Eren can't massage his temples, even though it feels like his skull is being split open. He can't knead his chest soothingly to ameliorate the sensation of a spike stabbing him through his chest. He can't hunch over to show that his insides are ravaging and tearing themselves apart.
He can only wonder.
He wonders if she saw him commanding the soldiers that attacked her family. He wonders if she saw him transform from the young man she loved to a devil that crept out of a cleft. He wonders if she knows that he took her heart and crushed it with his own bare fist.
Eren wonders if she can still —
"Your Highness, we're ready to leave," a soldier reports, snapping him out of his haze. His horse is brought over to him, reminding the prince of what else needs to be done. Eren uncurls his fists, the nails having left crescent-shaped dents in the palm. Schooling his expression and composing his thoughts, he gets on the saddle. His features appear like hard ice when he signals the company to move out.
Nevertheless, the entire ride to the palace, he has to tell himself to take deep breaths to calm the storm that's pushing him under and under and under.
Eren wonders if she can still love him, even after all that he's done.
She's pacing back and forth in her room, waiting for news from anyone.
Her arms cross and uncross, as if covering her in a protective shell. Her fingers fiddle with one another and rub the base of her throat until the skin becomes a soft pink. Every so often, a maid will come in with a fresh teapot, but she can't bring herself to sit down and drink; Mikasa will immediately get up, needing to do something to keep her active.
The door slides open. She immediately twists her head, pausing in her steps.
Remnants of battle still linger on Levi. His face and armor are both smeared with soot and dried blood. As he walks forward, she notices he's limping with a grimace. Instantly, she rushes forward to help him into a chair. With a grunt, he tries raising a hand to stop her, but she pays it no mind.
After he settles down into the seat, he leans his head back and groans. She quickly goes to the table beyond the divider, pouring him a cup of tea. Attempting to keep her hands steady, Mikasa uses both hands to make sure she doesn't spill the drink when she gives it to him. "It may not be warm, but drink."
With a wince, Levi accepts it and downs it in one gulp, uncaring of the lukewarm temperature. Finally, he exhales tiredly, dropping his head. His body radiates abrasion and agitation. For the first time, Mikasa sees the war general and not her cousin in front of her. Her spine is rigid with anxiety. She clutches onto her skirt, feeling the material bunch.
Levi stares at his lap while he quietly says, "Almost all the ones who stayed to fight are gone."
A half-cry, half-gasp comes out of her mouth. She takes a shuddering breath, bringing her arms around her body. She massages her upper arms, trying to bring some warmth and safety back into her world.
How could this happen, she wants to ask. But the words are stuck in her throat.
"Mostly everyone else is safe though. My mom's shaken, but fine. Kenny, the old prick"—Levi grounds out his teeth as his features distort in bitterness and anger—"got a slash across his body while fighting. Then he got burned trying to get some younger ones out of the village. I don't know if and how long he'll last."
Mikasa screws her eyes shut and kneads her arms more harshly. Yet, no matter how direly and urgently she does so, her body can't feel any heat. Even though her hands are beginning to scorch from the friction, she can't feel secure enough to be sure of what just happened. She can't feel protected enough to confirm her existence in this world. She can't feel grounded enough to determine whether this is a nightmare or a terrible reality.
With a jolt, she opens her eyes and asks, "Where's Eren?"
Her cousin promptly stiffens at the mention of that name. The pressure and distress roll off him even more. But he doesn't look at her; he doesn't say anything, keeping his stare trained on his lap.
It can't be.
She needs to know.
An unconscious stuttered gasp comes out of her mouth. Her knees feel like jelly. She stumbles forward to him. Gracelessly crouching down on her knees, she reaches for his shoulders with trembling fingers, attempting to look at his face.
Yet, for some reason, his jaw is angrily clamped down and his features are deformed. He looks as if he ate something absolutely disgusting and wants to spit it out. Levi resists her touch, avoiding her inquiring gaze.
But Mikasa needs to know. She shakes his shoulders as best as she can, disregarding the soot and blood that stains her hands. His body is tense and unyielding, as if it were a taut bow about to snap any minute.
Desperate, she finally asks with wide eyes and hysteria, "Levi?"
Snapping his head to her, Mikasa's taken aback by the steel in his dark-silver eyes. His features are still convoluted, like he swallowed something vile and horrible. A muscle ticks in his jaw, making his facial structure appear sharp and severe.
In a low, but deadly, tone, he finally says, "Eren led them to us."
The words echo in her ears.
On. And on.
And on.
It's like she's in a cave and that sentence is the only thing she can hear over and over again.
A chillness overcomes her. Her hands loosen their grip on his shoulders. Distantly, she realizes they're wobbling. The nerves in her face feel extremely lax. Her tongue feels heavy. When she tries to move her mouth to verify what he just said, the muscles won't budge.
She heard wrong.
However, her cousin seems to have read her mind. Clasping the chair handles until the veins in his hand protrude against his pale skin, Levi immediately repeats in a poisonous tone, "He led them to us."
The ground changes to liquid.
Suddenly, Mikasa's sinking into the depths of the ocean. Except, there's nothing bright, warm, or beautiful about this water: this water is dark, dreary and dim. It's freezing and she can see nothing around her. This water doesn't make her feel serene and joyful; this water makes her feel scared and panicked. The more she tries to swim up for air, the more she's dragged and weighed down by the waves on top of her.
All she can hear is her heart pounding loudly and erratically against her rib cage. All she can hear are those words, dulling and muffling her senses.
She heard wrong.
"He's from Eldia," Levi spits out, his eyes narrowing into slits. His expression is still unchanging, holding the same amount of hatred and revulsion. His hands look like they're going to rip the chair apart. "That bastard is one of Grisha Jaeger's sons."
Abruptly, she's thrust forward onto land.
The words hit home.
Her hands drop from his shoulders. They're convulsing as she brings them to her sides. Standing up hurriedly, the blood instantly rushes to her head. Staggering backwards, she's vaguely surprised she doesn't fall on her butt.
Mikasa's legs feel like they've been swimming for miles and miles to reach a shore that is only a mirage in the middle of the ocean. She tries to suck in a gulp of air, but her lungs won't work. She tries to swallow, but her gag reflex comes out, prompting her to choke on her saliva.
There must be a mistake.
"He snuck into this country and got close to you for the sole purpose of bringing Hizuru under the Eldian Empire," her cousin says with deadly conviction. Fury emerges in the blue specks in his dark-silver eyes, blazing vibrantly and fiercely. The dried blood on his face only serves to heighten his incensed appearance.
Concentrating, she's finally able to take in a breath of air. Moisture forms in her vision. A sting erupts in her skull, which is aggravated when she uncontrollably jerks her head from side to side.
No.
"He lied to you and used you." Levi's last words pierce through her like a knife through her chest. His aura radiates deadliness and it's clear that he would love nothing more than to drive his sword through Eren.
But that thought only serves to heighten the cutting sensation in her head.
This can't be happening.
Mikasa shakes her head frantically again, a gasp coming out of her mouth when the ache in her head becomes almost unbearable. Her tongue is heavy and dry. With difficulty, she manages to force the muscles to move as she croaks, "No… No, no… he wouldn't… He's not—"
He's not a liar. He's not someone who would do this. He's not someone who would take her heart and crush it with his bare fist. He's not someone who would forgo his promises to her.
He's not a devil that slid out from the darkest parts of hell to wreak havoc upon her world.
"Eldia is in negotiations with your father right now. We need to —"
She doesn't stay and just sprints.
"Mikasa!"
Please.
She ignores Levi's shout and his subsequent groan of pain as he tries stopping her. As Mikasa runs out the room in a frenzy, the wind causes stray hairs to fall from her ponytail. The sound of her feet hitting the ground reverberates in the air. Her breaths come out in broken pants as she races from the eastern quarters to the center of the palace. Running up the flights of stairs, she sees the door to the throne room get closer and closer.
Please.
Her skirt gets caught around her feet, causing her to fall on her knees. However, she barely feels the impact, getting up and continuing to dash up the steps.
Please let this not be real.
The doors are just within reach.
Please let this be a terrible nightmare that she can wake up from soon.
Sliding the doors open with a resounding bang, Mikasa sucks in air raggedly. However, she immediately stops breathing at the scene in front of her.
The people in the room all turn their sights toward the entrance, wondering who's arrived.
Her father is sitting on the throne, hints of weariness and burden in his appearance. His advisor is next to him, frustration and anxiety conveyed in his demeanor.
There are also two men with blond hair. One of them is older, with a beard and glasses. He glances at her with an indifferent curiosity, scanning her form up and down. The other is younger, with blue eyes. This person studies her with traces of sadness and seriousness.
But Mikasa can only focus on the young, dark-haired man beside them wearing the emblem of the Eldian House of Jaeger on his battle armor.
At first glance, this person looks like Eren. They have a similar facial structure. His eyes are a vibrant forest green. He looks to be a similar height and build. His hair is fashioned in a similar updo.
Yet, this person also doesn't look like Eren.
This person doesn't have soft, beautiful green eyes that express his happiness and mischief. This person doesn't have tender features that are youthful and prone to laughter. This person doesn't lovingly look at her like she is his world and everything.
This person has cold, icy eyes with dark circles that are blank and empty. This person's features are incredibly rough and jagged, making him look older and wearier. This person looks like he doesn't know the meaning of laughter.
This person looks at her with nothing.
"Mikasa."
Hazily, she registers her father calling out her name. Unconsciously, one hand on the door loosens, while the other falls limply to her side. Her knees feel wobbly and unstable. Her body seems like it'll fall apart at any second.
This person isn't her beloved who promised to be her frontier and protect her from sorrow.
Suddenly, it's like she's being pushed deep into the depths of that bottomless, dark ocean. The strange thing is, she doesn't try to resist the tide pulling her down. She feels weightless in the water, her limbs almost floating as she gets yanked lower and lower. Everything around her feels muffled and remote.
"I presume this is the princess of Hizuru?" The blond man with a beard and glasses inquires, giving her another impassive onceover and turning back to the King.
Everything feels disassociated.
Neither her father or advisor respond, only appearing steadfast and unyielding. Nevertheless, the silence confirms the man's question.
In a cool tone, the blond man asks, "So, do we have a deal?"
Everything echoes around her.
"Do you really think I'd agree to those terms?" her father asks in a controlled voice.
But the longer these words reverberate faintly around her, the closer and louder they get. Gradually, she realizes that this voice is familiar.
She realizes that it's the same voice that always used to read her bedtime stories. It's the same voice that always laughed and played with her, making her the happiest person in the world. It's the same voice that always swore to protect his beautiful daughter from the monsters in this world.
"You don't have a choice," the man replies calmly, as if they were discussing the weather.
In a tight voice, he responds, "If you think I'd essentially sell my daughter just so you can conquer this nation —"
"Paradise won't help you and your military is severely weakened now. The only options you have are to either promise your daughter to Eldia for a peaceful transfer of power or face the threat of our forces," Eren intercedes smoothly.
Suddenly, that voice propels Mikasa briskly to the surface where she finally breathes.
However, the problem is that when she sucks in air, she's allowed a moment of respite before she's instantly shoved beneath the waves again. Flailing around in the water, she tries to breach the surface again but there is a raging typhoon in the ocean that attempts to drive her down again.
"You are very mistaken if you think the people will subdue to the rule of a dictator who slaughtered a family for their own gain," her father asserts, latching onto the armrest of the throne until his knuckles turn white.
The blond man gives a slightly amused, yet chilly chuckle as he drawls, "You are even more mistaken if you think the people will remain obedient when they find out it was all because of their beloved princ—"
"Silence," her father hisses. He immediately moves to stand up, fury radiating in large waves from his posture. His advisor steps forward to calm him down, but visible pressure also emanates from him.
Just like that, Mikasa is ruthlessly forced back to reality with the violent urge to double over and throw up the empty contents of her stomach.
Yet, she can only clutch the side of the door for support until she's sure her fingers will penetrate the wood.
"You will still rule under Eldia's governance," Eren steps forward with a composed aura, attempting to placate the King. "You get access to a breadth of resources that will no doubt please your merchants, bringing in revenue and diversification. I doubt they'll complain too much as long as they get their fair trade — seeing as how this only started because your supposed ally started secretly undercutting prices."
His frosty and cold voice is like a shard to her heart.
In that second, all Mikasa wants to do is crumble to the floor. All she wants to do is curl up into a ball. All she wants to do is wail at the top of her lungs, opening her chest. All she wants to do is gingerly stroke her heart and pick out the pieces of sharp ice that have damaged it.
All she wants to do is grab the nearest sword in the room and drive it through —
Her father emotionlessly chuckles. "So, you aim for me to be your puppet."
"Call it whatever you want. But the deal we offer you is more favorable than taking your nation by force," the blond man says lazily. "You have three days to decide."
Everything begins to hurt.
The twinge in her head grows worse. Her lungs have stopped working properly, causing her to inhale a quaking breath. However, this action only serves to make her lungs feel like they're on fire, exacerbating the distress. Her legs feel like they'll collapse any moment. Her muscles feel like they're smoldering the longer she stands by the door, trying to appear as composed as possible.
With that, the three men bow and prepare to leave. Mikasa tries to move, but her body won't listen. The nerves are screaming in protest, unable to budge because of the agonizing sensations surging through her.
Therefore, she just stands there as they exit the room. The blond man who just spoke pays her no attention as he walks through the doors. The other blonde man with blue eyes looks at her with an indiscernible expression as he slowly steps through the entrance.
And as Eren begins to stride out, Mikasa desperately tries to move, but her feet are planted. No matter how actively she tries to will her legs to step back, they still are rooted to the floor. It's as if there were chains binding her and weighing her down, rendering her disabled.
She's considering if she should simply fall to the floor and crawl away — it didn't matter how, as long as she could create the largest possible distance between them.
In that moment, when his arm just barely brushes hers, Mikasa catches his familiar, husky scent.
Suddenly, she senses the fleeting, recognizable heat his body exudes. She remembers the comfort and safety of his arms around her, reminding her of a home that would always be open for her. Mikasa hears the quiet echoes of laughter and giggles, among the quiet but clear utterances of passionate promises to be her protection against sadness and sorrow.
It's then that her heart feels like someone's bare hand just ripped it out from her chest and then trampled it into fragments.
It's then that Mikasa realizes that the sun has fallen from her sky.
During the next three days, Mikasa doesn't leave her room except to attend the rituals and ceremonies to mourn her family.
Other than those times, she curls up on her bed — lifeless and feeling too much to the point where she feels nothing.
There's no light in this world. There's no warmth. There's no contentment. There's no security. There's no peace.
Only one place has these things — and that place is a nightmare, woven by a beautiful collage of memories.
Hence, Mikasa can only retreat into this beautiful nightmare. She can only immerse herself in this secluded island of visions. She can only save all the past into a fabric of illusions.
She can only embroider a long dream that serves to shred her heart into smaller and smaller bits. And even if the fantasy hurt her more in the end, Mikasa still wanted to dive into this fake happiness because how else could she feel anything?
Knock. Knock.
Her muscles still don't have the will or energy to move. She can only lie there as a lump of flesh, still against the movement of the world around her.
The doors slide open softly. A slow, gentle padding of feet steps closer to her until they reach her bed. Slowly, the mattress dips behind her.
"Mikasa."
Her father's hand begins brushing her hair, tenderly and lovingly — reminiscent of the times he would lull her to sleep when she'd abruptly awaken from a nightmare. A little flash of hot pain sears through her skin, causing her lips to tremble.
"It's all right," Her father's hand doesn't stop brushing her hair, tucking them behind her ears.
The ache only spreads more from head to toe. Her heart starts stuttering against her rib cage. A sting emerges above the bridge of her nose, causing her to recoil from the spasm by shutting her eyes. Gripping the sheets more thoroughly, Mikasa buries her head more into her pillow.
Legends say that in the high mountains of Hizuru, there is a river. Not just any river though — this river had the power to wash away a person's memories.
"I'm not letting you leave Hizuru. I refuse for you to be a bargaining chip."
A creeping sensation inches up her spine. Unable to move, she can only lie there as the feeling disperses, coiling and wrapping solidly around her body. Gradually, it slithers up her neck, causing her to flinch and attempt to move to get rid of the tingling.
But none of her limbs listen to her, stuck in place on the bed.
"King Reiss has moved on. We're unwelcome in his court." She hears the stiff inflection in his voice. "The other prominent clans in Paradise are afraid to give us backing. It seems like Reiss has some hold over them, so we shouldn't expect any help."
The sensation only gets stronger as the seconds pass. They slink around her, feeling like vines that aim to squeeze her until she has no breath left. Mikasa finds that even if she tries to move, their hold becomes more powerful and more suffocating. The thorns from the stems prick and prod at her skin, creating an irritation that resonates down her entire body.
Distantly, Mikasa notes that they're trying to pull her back into that illusion, where she'll stay in fake happiness for the rest of her life.
"But we have other nations as allies. We're currently in discussion. Levi plans to re-enter Paradise when he's healed to contact some friends in their military."
A little whimper threatens to leave her lips as she tries to escape from the tendrils, but to no avail. Her legs and arms are shuddering, unable to obey her. All she can do to mitigate the misery is to lie there and merely focus on breathing.
In and out. In and out.
The water calls out to you in a gentle, alluring voice. It tugs you closer and closer, lulling you with its sweetness and beauty. It tempts you with pleasure and tranquility, freeing you from whatever anxieties and plagues you have.
"Kenny —" her father pauses.
But that pause tells her more than words ever could.
"He's passed away," the King softly states. There is a discernible quiver through his voice. The hand brushing her hair falters.
The vines only envelop her more thoroughly, digging into her skin. They twist around her throat, choking and constraining her. Her lungs can't regulate oxygen well enough. It becomes more strenuous to focus on breathing as panic and grief start overwhelming Mikasa. Her heartbeat is irregular, the sound muffling into the mattress but rushing noisily in her ears.
"Eldia is to be blamed for all this." His tone becomes darker and more bitter.
The pull overtakes you, until all you desire is to jump into its depths and forget everything.
In that instant, the only thing she wants is to swim up and break free from this fantasy — this fake happiness.
And so, Mikasa wrestles even more against the confinements encasing her. Even when every muscle cries out in objection, she simply bites her lip from the torture and continues struggling. Her heart is thrashing wildly against her rib cage, seeming like it'll give out any moment. The sting in the middle of her forehead expands to the point her skull throbs from her body's exertion.
"We'll come up with a solution. But, no matter what, I refuse to have you be involved in this."
The thing is, she's already been a part of this — ever since she first saw him.
"I'll do it."
Silence follows the sentence.
The voice is hoarse and unrecognizable. Distantly Mikasa thinks that it's a miracle that she was able to speak: her throat is parched and her tongue is dry and heavy. Meanwhile, the nerves in her face are pinching and tingling from the effort of saying those three words.
But the words are simply words. They are lifeless letters and sounds that have formed in her mouth. They are foreign and unrecognizable to her ears. They carry the weight of a nation on her shoulders.
They are a death sentence.
His hand stills. Even though she's still not able to push herself up completely yet, the princess senses the friction that emits from her father's posture. She can hear the grinding of his teeth as he says rigidly, "Mikasa —"
"Even if we talk to other nations, we don't have the resources to drag out a war," she croaks. Mikasa tries to keep her breathing as evenly as possible as she places her hands on the mattress and just boosts herself up. Her tendons and ligaments howl in protest, the sudden effort causing a thin layer of sweat to form on her brow. Her head is instantly dizzy. Even though she's already sat up, her lungs are on fire, struggling to breathe against the vines that are still curled around her.
"Our family was terribly hurt and wronged, but if Hizuru suffers, we will only be led to ruin," Mikasa whispers. A numbing soreness forms in the middle of her chest, slowly expanding until it reaches her heart. The affliction grows until it feels like a hole is being dug right through the organ.
Closing her eyes, Mikasa hunches over shakily, hoping that it'll lessen the stitch. She focuses on maintaining a rhythm for inhaling and exhaling, wondering if it'll alleviate the ruthless irritation coursing through her body.
It doesn't.
"No one else should suffer. No one else should be deprived of their happiness in life." Slowly, she rotates her body with difficulty. Everything is sensitive and aching, a groan of harsh discomfort bubbling in her throat. Her legs and arms twitch from the action, seeming like they'll tumble at any second. Nevertheless, Mikasa resumes her motions, gritting her teeth through the torture.
Upon seeing her father, her breath hitches.
His face is incredibly weary and haggard. The lines on his face are more defined and rougher, unlike his usual round and soft features. His typical groomed blond hair is disheveled, and stubble grows on his jawline. There are bags underneath his tired, droopy eyes.
This man doesn't look like the same man who read her bedtime stories. He doesn't look like the same man who taught her how to read and write with a beaming smile. He doesn't look like the same man who promised to fight all the monsters in the world when she ran to her parent's bedroom in the middle of the night, crying from a nightmare.
"No one should be deprived of their peace because of —"
Her throat closes. Moisture forms, blurring her vision slightly.
She can't say it.
"Because of what happened," she finishes. The constraints etch into her even more, further constricting her breath and increasing the torment. Mikasa clutches onto the sheets as if they were her lifeline, anchoring her to this world and sweeping her away from the illusion that was still clinging onto her.
Grief and agony leak through her father's eyes. The ridges of his face distort, making him appear even older and unrecognizable. "No, we don't need to do this."
"If it leads to the least pain and sorrow for Hizuru, then we do," she says hoarsely. Her insides are convoluting cruelly, making her breaths shorter and ricketier.
"What about you? What about your family? What about our pain?" her father asks harshly. She sees the beginnings of tears form in his eyes. He grabs her hand, the contact bringing a fleeting sense of warmth and cushioning the prickling sensations overtaking her entire being.
Yet, the familiar warmth reminds her of someone else always enveloping her in a comfortable heat that never failed to make her feel guarded and safe, introducing another wave of despair that makes her heart feel like it's been pulled from her body and then smashed crudely.
It makes the vines coil around Mikasa even more, as if enticing and aggressively pleading with her to not leave the island of memories.
But she needs to break through this illusion.
"I'll go through the pain, if it means my loved ones won't suffer," she quietly states. As quickly as the recollection of the heat comes, it also quickly shoots her chest in fragments — as if her entire body were made from fragile glass.
It only leaves her to pick up the pieces in a world with no light.
"Please let me do this," Mikasa whispers.
Even so, her father shakes his head fiercely, strands of dirty-blond hair falling in front of his eyes. With wobbly hands, she reaches up to touch his face. His stubble is scratchy under her fingers. His skin is sagging and paler than normal. The wrinkles on his face are more prominent. The events of the past days have already caught up to him, causing him stress and worry.
How could he suffer for something that wasn't his fault?
The thought only serves to scatter the shards of her heart across this endless, dark world so that there's no chance of repairing it.
Distantly, Mikasa can still feel the vines around her body transforming into something more solid and colder. The sensation unknowingly sends a shiver down her spine. They become heavier, squishing her to the bed. Her entire body inadvertently vibrates from the weight. As a result, her posture unconsciously slackens like it wants to disintegrate into nothing.
Some cleft in her mind notes that they feel like chains.
"Please."
His bottom lip quivers. His eyes are red and barely restraining the tears about to fall. Breathing in unevenly, her father leans forward and wraps her in a bone-crushing hug. As Mikasa feels his embrace around her, she feels his body convulse violently from uncontrolled sobs of anguish.
The King continues to shake his head angrily. It only serves to make him clutch her even more closely, like he still desires to fulfill his promise of protecting his beloved daughter from the monsters in this world.
Before, Mikasa was undeniable happy with her peaceful life — and she couldn't imagine anything changing that to warrant the desire to forget everything.
Although moisture forms in the corner of her eyes, they don't fall. They still linger in her dark-grey eyes, where her lashes collect the water and brush them away.
Only then, does Mikasa register that she hasn't shed a single tear since the day her sun fell from her sky.
But now, she can imagine why she'd have the desire to forget everything about herself.
The Eldian prince outwardly is like frost when he hears King Ackerman accepts the proposal.
Negotiations drag for a week. As promised, they'll proceed with a peaceful transfer of power, avoiding any further bloodshed and war. Furthermore, the details of the incident are to be kept secret from public knowledge: nothing about the lengths that Eren went to will be disclosed.
Inwardly — every time he enters that room — it's like he's stepped directly into an endless thundering sea, battling to tread water among the turbulent storms. Eren hears the vocal cries of the little boy in the cage distinctly, causing a massive soreness to emerge in the junction between his neck and skull. The feeling only makes him more incensed and riled, a fire erupting over the waves and becoming more destructive.
Truthfully, the King doesn't fare better than him. Outwardly, King Ackerman appears stoic. Nevertheless, Eren sees the way he clasps onto the armrest of the throne, as if needing an anchor to reel him in from the consuming agony of the decision. He also doesn't miss the way the King looks at them with concealed anger and disdain.
And he definitely doesn't miss the lingering indiscernible look the King gives him when Eren exits the room for the last time.
They ride back to the seaport to prepare to leave. The sky is gloomy, no trace of the sun coming out in the afternoon. Grey clouds cover the horizon, making the temperature around them chillier than normal for a late spring day. The streets are clean, evidence of any rough-handling or destruction not found.
It seems his men have been cordial to the locals — they would've been punished severely if they weren't.
Nevertheless, the locals shrink back when they catch sight of him, Zeke, Armin and an entourage of soldiers riding on their horses. The streets become filled with anxiety and uneasiness. They whisper and glance at one another, afraid of what this new alliance means for them. Huddling closer, their expressions show distrust and caution as the Eldians travel down the road.
At one point, Zeke climbs off his saddle to slowly walk to some locals. They step back, afraid of the foreigner approaching them. However, his half-brother merely bows to them, stunning them into silence. He gives them a friendly smile and says, "Could you please give me your finest silk fabric?"
One of the merchants simply gawks with an open mouth. Zeke maintains his appearance, explaining, "I would like to purchase something for my mother. The silk in Eldia doesn't compare to the silk made in Hizuru."
Snapping out of his shock, the man nods hastily and goes back to his shop. The locals just gape at one another, uncertain as to what's happening in front of them. A few moments later, he comes out with a medium-sized package. Lowering his head, the man gives it to his older brother with both hands. The merchant is clearly nervous as the Eldian prince takes it, dipping his head in thanks.
Unexpectedly, Zeke reaches into his side bag and drops a generous small purse of coins into the merchant's hands. The man is stunned again, his mouth opening and closing. He looks back and forth between the money and the blond man, unsure of how to react. Finally, he settles for bowing deeply with confusion written across his expression.
Zeke simply bows again. Strapping the parcel to the saddle, he climbs back on his horse and continues to ride down the streets without a backwards glance.
Around them, the locals are now whispering a bit louder, pointing non-discreetly at the scene that just occurred. Their eyes follow Zeke and the other Eldians, curiosity now mixed with the wariness and suspicion in their demeanors. Tension is still visible among the people, but there is also a lighter buzz in the atmosphere that trails the group as they make their way to the seaport.
Eren snorts derisively to himself.
His older brother — despite his many faults and terrible deeds — is smart.
Finally, they arrive at the harbor and are ready to set sail. As he steps onto the ship, Eren scans the expanse of the sea around him. The waves around them are dull and listless. The breeze slaps his cheeks with icy and frigid fingers. The aroma of the ocean smells too tangy and nauseating. There's no color or sense of life in the horizon.
Unwillingly, a memory comes to mind. The landscape in that recollection is a complete reversal of this scene. The waves were lively and energetic. The breeze stroked his cheeks with warm, loving fingers. The water was a beautiful-crystal blue and the sky was filled with the vibrant glow of the summer sun. Birds flew in the horizon, spreading their wings and ascending to the heavens.
Moreover, the air during that time had lingering traces of something sweet and floral.
The recollection only serves to make the little boy bruise himself as he bangs against the cage, crying uncontrollably.
However, all he can do is take a deep breath and curl his fists so hard that the nails dig into his palms. Ignoring the incessant screaming resounding in his ears, Eren pivots on his heel and walks through the ship to his quarters on surprisingly steady feet. As he nears his lodgings, Armin is already at the door waiting for him with a serious look.
Without glancing at his friend, the dark-haired prince simply unlocks his door and strolls into the room. Armin trails, slowly treading through the entrance as if there were a live grenade waiting to explode at any moment. For a moment, he doesn't say anything. His blue eyes merely observe Eren, taking in the strain in his shoulders and the dark bags underneath his lids.
Resisting the strong impulse to just punch his friend, the prince simply sits down on a chair and orders, "Spit it out."
Armin's face contorts into something like anger, a shadow falling over him. But then he looks away with a huff.
Eren folds his hands into his lap and waits, tapping the back of the skin. Once. Twice.
Finally, in a low voice, the blond strategist asks, "There's no point in mentioning you're playing with fire, is there?"
The prince instinctively lets out a scoff. That sound alone answers the question.
"Do you have a plan for what you're going to do next?" Armin inquires, leaning tiredly against the door.
"I'm going to clear your family's name."
A stifling silence fills the room. Armin's eyes widen in astonishment. His jaw goes slack, and his arms loosen. A few strangled sounds come from his mouth, but no words are uttered.
"If we can prove that Zeke and his supporters framed your father and grandfather for treason, then we discredit everything that his standing is based on," he explains. He shifts his legs and leans back against the seating.
Armin still can't speak, his lips parting and closing like a fish out of water.
"We'll need to get the neutral ministers onto our side, but this is our best chance." His fingers tap against his thigh delicately, a stark contrast to how callous the words sound, even to his own ears. "We've stopped the appointment and improved my standing, so now we need to collect evidence to bring down Zeke."
Distantly, he wonders if this is how his voice has always been or if it's changed in the span of almost two years.
Finally, Armin's throat bobs up and down unsteadily before his gaze averts to his feet. Light friction emits from his stance. He clasps his hands to his sides tautly before replying quietly, "Bringing this up to the court may make you seem desperate: we've tried before, and we got put under house arrest. They hid their trails well."
"Floch found something new." His friend snaps his head up at that, meeting the prince's steely and determined eyes. Confusion filters through his expression but Eren's already anticipated the words that will come out. "I didn't want to tell you before in case it was a false lead, but we think it's real."
A mixture of emotions is conveyed on Armin's face. He shuffles his feet and crosses his arms. Eren sees the thoughts processing at rapid speed through the blond man's head. Biting his lip, a momentary lapse of lifelessness overcomes his aura when he softly says, "It'll be difficult to reopen this case after six years; if we fail, then we lose everything."
Eren knows it's a large risk. He knows evidence could've been further buried in the past years. He knows it'll be difficult to gather support for this case when they've already failed once. He knows one wrong step could alert Zeke and his supporters to their plan. He knows one wrong stop could mean their positions are toppled.
He knows one wrong step would mean that this world would crash and ignite before his very eyes. He knows one wrong step could mean his freedom will be taken away without question.
But the thing is, he can't afford to lose.
Standing up, the prince brings himself to his full height. Walking over to Armin, each step he takes is resolute and solid. Each step is self-assured and unwavering. Each step carries an omen of something sinister.
Each step is as ominous as a looming devil beginning to take his first steps in this unfamiliar world.
"If we don't take this opportunity, then we lose. If we don't fight, then we can't win."
Because if someone tried taking away his freedom, then he wouldn't hesitate to take away theirs.
Silence fills the room again. Armin's simply studies Eren with a serious expression. His shoulders are stiff and inflexible, torn between the high risk of the plan but also his desire for his family to be freed from the past false charges. There's a trace of something in Armin's eyes — an unspoken question that he doesn't need to ask out loud.
Are you sure about this?
"I made my path. I intend to follow it through," Eren answers. His voice is ice while his green eyes smolder and burn.
Because if someone tried taking away the freedom of his loved ones, then he wouldn't hesitate to take away theirs.
The lull in the room doesn't break for a few more moments. Both simply stand there, observing one another.
Finally, however, Armin lets out an exhale while closing his blue eyes and then opening them. His posture hunches a bit, brief fatigue radiating from him. Nevertheless, there's also a renewed sense of determination in the light-silver flecks in his eyes as he stares at his childhood best friend now.
"Thank you, Eren."
Because if someone tried taking away the freedom of the world that he wanted to build with Mikasa by his side, then he wouldn't hesitate to take away theirs.
Somewhere, there is a lantern imprinted with the design of two red swans, floating up high into the heavens.
On it, these words are written: "I wish to be as happy as I am right now, for the rest of my life".
A/N:
*Hiding from everyone who wants to kill me*
Yeah, Eren carried through with the plan and Mikasa decides to go to Eldia to spare her nation the costs of a war. Eren and Armin are now going to make their next move. Btw, not that it makes this any better, but I didn't envision Eren actually going out and fighting. I just envisioned him commanding the soldiers. Again, doesn't make his decision any objectively better.
So this direction is probably something that some of you were not expecting haha. For anyone who is wondering why I would create such an angsty af story, one of the reasons is because I saw parallels between the main male character in "Goodbye, my Princess" and Eren. The male character also made objectively bad moral decisions but still loved the female character, who loved him back, despite everything that happened between them. That kind of fits Eren (although some people would argue on the morality of his decisions) and Mikasa also never stopped loving him even though she was hurt in the process.
Since I watched the drama before I got into AOT and I always listen to music when writing, one of the OST's called Ai Shang (aka Love Catastrophe) came up, which got me thinking, "huh, this would be an interesting setting for Eren and Mikasa." Believe me when I say that I'm not a huge fan of some c-drama tropes regarding love and women, but I honestly couldn't get this idea out of my head. So, I was like let's just write this and see where it goes; turns out I wrote way too much and some people actually like this.
Now, I've already gotten questions about whether this will be a sad ending or if I'm going to follow the plot exactly and… I think this chapter kind of indirectly answers your question. At the same time, I will be doing my own spin of the official, original drama.
Long af A/N over lol. Hopefully some people's hearts are still intact. Also, don't think too deeply about any of the political conversations lol, I'm really just making things up as I go. Until the next chapter… let me know your thoughts if you have any 😊