Sasha = Artemis
Mikasa = a surprise
Chapter 3 yay, thank you for all the nice words and stuff. Sorry this chapter took so long, I was having a hard time figuring out how this was going to play off and also work and shit.
Warnings: Self-harm, disturbing imagines? I'm not sure, sorry I'm awful at giving warnings.
The little cottage was quiet. Wind was gently blowing through the open windows and moving the thin curtains material, and the sun was shinning through, showing that it was the middle of the afternoon. The flowers were at full bloom, and the stream nearby was overfilled with water, it almost looked like it was about to spread too close to the cottage. The vegetable garden was ready to be harvested, some of the vegetables even looking a bit too old by now. But the eerie silence kept the little garden from questioning where their owner was and what could he possibly be doing. The silence ended near the edge of the forest but it spread all through the garden, through each single room until it ended near the kitchen.
The silence was only interrupted by Eren's own breathing. He was breathing evenly and quietly, but the silence around him made it loud. He was staring down at the table in front of him, the table that was set up for a meal for three. The three plates were simple in design, nothing but wooden plates with wooden spoons and sparkling glasses. There were two big pots with food that had been carefully prepared and even a salad bowl. The only thing unsettling about the picture was the fact that the food was no longer edible and the stench that was coming from it.
The food in front of Eren was rotten, it had long gone bad. The fruit salad that he had carefully prepared didn't have vibrant colors anymore, instead the fruit was a dark brown and looked dried, little fruit flies were all over it, infesting the bowl. The soup had a coat of mold on top, and only a few pieces of potato could be seen, the smell was unbearable as the cream based soup had been the first one to spoil. The bugs inside the pot looked worst than the ones inside the fruit salad, and they were quietly buzzing and eating away the rotten food. The last pot, a stew, wasn't just moldy or old but it had been taken over by maggots that were eating away the remaining meat which was leaving the biggest stench in the room. The white creatures were crawling around, eating and consuming everything that they could. Some roaches were scattering across the table, and one of them was even on top of Eren's plate, eating the portion he had served for his plate but never ate.
Eren had been waiting. He had been told he was going to have company. He had been told to get ready and he did. The brunette made food, and he also cleaned up the little cottage, although by now the counter tops had dust on top of them and some spiders could be seen crawling along the ceiling. How long had he been sitting here waiting? He couldn't really remember. Maybe it had been just one day, maybe two. But he was told people will come, his mother and father promised to visit him. They said they would come, they said to be ready. Eren was just so bad at keeping track of time, wasn't he? He forgot how long he had waited, he forgot how many days had he been stood up. If he waited a little bit longer, then maybe they would walk through his door. If he kept waiting, if he was good, if he waited and waited and waited. He will be rewarded.
The ticking of his clock near the wall was the only noise Eren was paying attention to, and he almost wanted to look at it but he kept himself from doing it. Be ready by three, that's what he was told, be ready and wear nice clothes. He was. He was wearing the nice robe his mother had bought him a while back, how long ago? He wasn't sure. But he did everything he was told. He hadn't moved ever since he was told to be ready, and he especially stopped caring about moving when the sun disappeared from the sky and came out once again. It did twice or maybe more and Eren didn't move. He couldn't bring himself to move. It was like his brain had gone blank, or maybe he just had no reason to move at all. What reason could he have? Nobody was coming, he was here on his own once again, with no one around. The garden took care of itself, the forest didn't need him. He was not needed.
The ticking stopped and just then did Eren move his head. He turned his head and dust lightly fell off of his hair. He stared at the clock, it was four in the afternoon and his clock had stopped working. It was broken now. It wasn't working, the workings and cogs having long since rotted. The ticking was gone, the reminder of time was gone and a wave of coldness washed over his body. He felt something inside of him snapping and he stood up, the chair falling backwards as he did so. He let out a chocking sob he had been holding in and then a scream that had been building up for who knows how long. He screamed and dug his fingers into his scalp, his hands curling around his hair as he gently pulled on it and he fell on his knees. He leaned in on top of his knees, his scream never stopping. It almost felt like it was shaking the cottage itself. He screamed and pulled on his hair, his back arching as the pain in his throat increased. He took big gulps of air and screamed again, his hands dropped to his side and strands of hair clung to them, showing the hair he had been pulling out. He was sobbing loudly and chocking on his own noises.
The young male stood up and his wide eyes stared at the rotten food on the table, without a second thought, he flipped the table over, spilling the disgusting food everywhere. The unbelievable smell only increased then and Eren simply kicked the chair out of his way. He threw everything on his counter top with a swipe of his arm. The plates were thrown across the room, the pots were thrown out of his window and every single little thing he owned was broken or thrown across the room. He kicked and punched the kitchen cabinets, making holes everywhere. He kept screaming, growling and at some point he started crying.
It was indescribable, how much his chest was hurting, how his throat was burning and not from the screaming. The pain was making it hard to breath and he felt weak. All of his body felt weak. The emptiness inside of him was growing and growing, feasting off of his loneliness. The pain inside of him felt like it was burning, it was suffocating, it was too much for him. He grabbed the clock next and slammed it against the wall, watching it shatter. He screamed again, because screaming was making him feel better, because crying was easing the pain on his chest. He sobbed and the burning only increased and his legs were weak and he wanted to curl up and cry, to shut himself down and just let go. It hurt so much. It was too painful and his knees were slowly giving up on him. It hurt, to be alone, it hurt too much.
The brunette almost fell over but instead leaned against the wall next to him and picked up one of the big kitchen knives. He walked through the house, looking, waiting, hoping for all of this to just be a joke, for all of this to be a dream. But it wasn't, his mother never came, nor did his father and today was the day he was finally going to meet him. They had forgotten him, they had left him all alone. He was not important, he was not wanted, he was alone. He was in this little corner of the world, all on his own for gods know how long. He grew up here, he knew nothing but this and he had been so alone. He had been so scared when he was a kid. He had wanted to run, he had cried so much. He was still alone, he was still afraid, and he still wanted to run. The pain in his chest was burning and his eyes were blinded by tears. He coughed and sobbed, his feet dragging him across his living room. The furniture was covered in dust, a thin coat showing how long he had waited. But how long did he wait? The idea just angered him further and he flipped the couch, and then the coffee table, the knife stabbing through the multiple pillows and blankets.
The hot tears rolling down his eyes were poisonous, because it felt like the more he cried the more it was hurting now. The uneasiness he had felt before in the kitchen was gone, and now everything was hurting. A headache was pounding against his skull and he only screamed in return. He was tired, he was sick of this, he was tired of his life, his home, his family, he was tired of everything. He felt his knees finally giving up and he knelt down on the floor, his head tilting back as he screamed again. The scream ripping at his vocal cords and causing him to whimper in pain.
Eren was tired, he was so tired, he could feel it in his whole form. He could feel it in his very core. He was exhausted, crying wasn't helping anymore, screaming was not lowering the pain. Destroying his home was not making him happy anymore. None of this was going to fix the issue, none of this was going to make his life better. None of this was going to get him out of the cottage, and none of this was going to free him. He whimpered and more tears flooded his eyes. He was tired, he wanted to close his eyes and never wake up. He wanted to go to sleep and forget about his existence, about his life, about the way he had to live. He wanted to forget about his mother, about how alone he was and the pain that was always present in his chest. It was hurting, it was burning too much. He just wanted to rest, to stop hoping. To please end the pain, to stop his suffering.
"Please, just please. I don't want to go on, please. I'm tired, I'm so tired, just please. No more, not again, please." He sobbed and heard his voice cracking, the weak whispers hardly making it out of his mouth. He heard himself sobbing and the pain and suffering, mixed with anger made him raise the knife that was in his hand. The brunette didn't think about it twice, the knife was brought down onto his stomach. He stabbed it once, twice, three times, his hand moving on its own. It was almost like he wasn't controlling his body but Eren was well aware of what he was doing, this is what he wanted. He wanted it to end, he wanted it to be finished. The pain on his body was nothing compared to the hollowness on his chest and the constricted feeling it brought upon his whole body. This pain was nothing compared to the pain in his head and the tears in his eyes kept falling.
Eren spat out blood, his mouth dripping thick chunks of blood before he stabbed himself one more time. The puddle of blood around him was welcoming and the red color had never looked more beautiful, it was a thousand times better than the one in his red roses. It was darker, richer and more appealing. He smiled weakly and his hand moved once again. The shaking limb brought the knife near his neck and in a swift movement the knife stabbed through the side of his throat and the teen's eyes went wide as he collapsed on his side. He wasn't dead, not yet, he just couldn't move anymore. He could feel his body growing colder and weaker, but he wasn't dead yet, but soon...maybe soon, he will be.
The brunette's vision became blurry, he couldn't see well and so he didn't noticed the darkness that was crawling across his living room. He did however saw a shadow, a figure moving through the darkness as he watched it slowly walk into his small living room. The figured stopped in front of him and the teen tried to look up but all that he could do was move his eyes. He glanced at the figure as much as he could before he felt his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He was no longer gasping for air and his body was too cold. Darkness was crawling all around him and the chilling feeling it brought was terrifying.
Eren's eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath. It felt like he hadn't been breathing for ages. He squirmed on the soft bed and lifted his body with his elbows. He was panting loudly and his body was shaking non-stop. The cold sweat covering his body was making his body tremble, which wasn't helping the shaking of his hands. He slowly sat on the bed, his shaking hands touching his neck and then his stomach but there were no wounds there. He took another deep breath, desperate to get oxygen in his body to remind himself that he was alive, that he wasn't dead. The panting didn't stop and Eren felt breathless, no matter how much air he sucked in, it wasn't enough. He was panicking, he was scared and his own paranoia was slowly building up in his tummy, causing his eyes to well with tears.
A hand reached for him and pulled him onto the bed again. The hand forced him to lay down on his side and another hand moved to rest over his waist and gently on his chest. He was pulled near a cold chest and soft lips were pressing against his neck. Eren could feel Levi's breathing against his chest, and slowly, little by little, his own matched his and his body was slowly calming down. He could still feel cold sweat on his body, and his body was shaking but at least now he didn't feel like he was suffocating.
"It was just a dream, go back to sleep." Levi's voice was soft against his neck, and Eren shivered but he couldn't find the will to fight back. He sighed quietly and closed his eyes, his eyelids feeling so heavy he almost thought he was going to black out, but no. He simply felt as Levi pulled him in closer and Eren truly didn't dislike the closeness, or how intimate the position was. By now he was used to sleeping with the death God but not to sleeping this close to him. The touches reminded him that he was not alone, and that reassurance was enough for Eren to go back to sleep, the much needed rest driving away the bad dreams... Or maybe it was the person that was holding him. He wasn't sure, all that Eren knew was that he didn't have another nightmare that night.
The second time Eren woke up Levi was still asleep. He squirmed against the hold until he was able to get free and sat on the bed. He leaned back against the headboard, sighing quietly. The bad dream had been forgotten but Eren knew he had a nightmare, he just couldn't remember what exactly he dreamed about. He could still feel the cold sweat sticking to his body and his head was hurting just a tiny bit. He frowned at the sticky feeling on his skin and decided a bath was much needed. He glanced down at Levi, who was buried underneath the blankets with only his hair showing. The brunette peeked under the blankets and tilted his head at seeing Levi's peaceful sleeping face. It wasn't much different from his passive face when he was awake, but it just looked different, plus his hair was sticking out in odd angles and that made Eren chuckle.
The brunette crawled out of the bed and walked behind the screen that was dividing the room. Like always the water was ready for a bath and the temperature was perfect. All Eren had to do was to get naked and get in, and so he did. He closed his eyes and let out a content noise as the hot water slowly relaxed his muscles. He grabbed the washcloth and started to clean his body but kept his eyes closed, not wanting to deal with anything right now, just the sound of the water. He didn't even realized he fell asleep once again until he felt someone picking him up. Levi's cold hands were under his knees and back, taking him over to the bed as he dripped water all over the floor. The raven set him down on the bed and watched as Eren slowly open up his eyes.
"You fell asleep in the water." Levi chuckled quietly and tossed the brunette a towel. He was already dressed and his hair didn't look messy anymore. Somehow that seemed to disappoint Eren little bit.
"Are you leaving?" He dried his hair and peeked at Levi from underneath the towel.
"Not yet."
Eren wanted to ask where Levi was going, he was extremely curious but somehow he was sure the raven wasn't going to to tell him just yet. Levi kept a lot of things a secret and the outside world was one of them, it wasn't like he didn't want Eren to see it, no, he wanted him to but he kept saying that he wasn't ready.
The brunette didn't notice he was staring until Levi tilted his head at him. He snapped out of it and gave a small nervous smile before looking at the other over. It was then that he noticed something else, Levi looked a bit different, he wore the same dark robes as ever, and his skin was just as pale, his hair didn't look different either but he looked a bit smaller. Eren tilted his head to match Levi's and then looked up at him with a confused look on his face.
"I don't remember you being short!" He almost said too excited.
Levi just blinked at him in return, his eyes slightly wide before they softened. "I'm a God Eren, my body can take any shape I want. If I was the same all the time, it would be boring."
"You can be a dog?" The brunette's eyes widened and he leaned in curiously.
"I wouldn't prefer that but yes, I can be one. Does it bother you? How I look now?" The death God, leaned in to match Eren's pose, raising one of his eyebrows. It looked like they were playing the copy cat game today.
"Uh, no..." Eren leaned back a bit, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck. He squint nervously and looked back at levi. "I-if anything, you look a bit, um..less scary I guess."
"Then I'll stay like this." Levi simply said and pulled away, walking back to the night table to pick up his rings, slipping on his wedding ring first.
"What!?" Eren's eyes went wide and he quickly shook his head. "Y-you don't have too! I mean, I'm used to seeing you being bigger, uh, I just, I mean..." he almost whined at not being able to come up with the words to tell the other that he didn't have to change for him. If anything Eren felt like he was the odd one, he was the uncultured one, he was the one that knew nothing. If anything he was the one that needed to change, he was the one that needed to be different. At least that's how he felt at all times.
"Oh? Would you rather have me keeping you frighten then? Is that what you are saying?" The amused hint in Levi's voice was missed by Eren.
"N-no." The brunette sulked a bit against the bed, and that was the end of the conversation. He followed what Levi was doing though and went to change. He opted for an aqua colored robe this time, with brown thread and borders. He liked this color, no, he loved it. He wasn't even sure why but it made a nice contrast against the dark place around him. He slipped on a pair of flat shoes and followed Levi outside the room.
"You can help me today."
Eren's head quickly snapped to the side to look at him and it almost hurt because of how quickly he moved it. Levi had never asked for his help, he was always in and out of the big mansion and then coming back just to spend time with him. Between reading books, walking around, fixing the garden and talking to each other, the day went away pretty quickly, if anything time moved pretty slow when Levi was not around. The brunette was just slowly getting used to having someone around, it was quite different compared to when he used to live alone.
Eren had learned how to at least deal with one other person besides his mom and dad. Even if Levi was hard to read he was slowly getting used to him. He had a dry sense of humor and Eren would hardly catch his jokes, it wasn't until Levi would say that he was joking that the brunette would laugh, whatever he laughed out of nervous relief or because he genuinely thought the joke was funny was something that Eren still wasn't sure of himself. He was quiet but as in he kept his volume low, Levi was actually quite talkative, he just kept his sentences and topics short. He would get annoyed very easily, not mad but annoyed. He would never tell Eren this but the brunette had learned to catch the little hints, his brows would furrow just slightly and he would start tapping his thigh with his fingers, almost like if he was impatient.
Over all Eren was somewhat proud of himself because he was slowly learning how to read Levi. How could he not anyways? He was intrigued by him, and felt somewhat too small when near him, although the death God had never made such comments, as he seemed to keep Eren on the highest pedestal possible and the brunette wasn't sure why.
"Unless you don't want to..."
"I do!" Eren was almost embarrassed of how excited he was, almost. But he was so excited he didn't notice the death god was smirking, or the dark hint in his eyes that seem to vanished as quickly as it had shown.
The brunette ended up following Levi once again. They were going to another side of the mansion that Eren hadn't been able to explore yet, or maybe he had, he honestly had the idea that the place kept changing every day, but that was impossible, right? But he had never seen another set of stairs near the big ball room. He frowned and kept walking, slowly moving down the stairs. If he had thought the upstairs was dark this was a bit worse, he could hardly see anything. The torches down here were a dark blue color that kept hardly anything illuminated, they were mostly there as a pathway, or at least that's what Eren was thinking. He moved closer to Levi then, lightly holding onto the back of his robe so he wouldn't get lost, little by little the lights disappeared and Eren was in a dark hallway, his footsteps echoing against the walls around him.
"We are almost there."
Levi's voice was reassuring enough to give Eren some peace of mind, but he was still afraid of the darkness around him. He didn't know where to look, if he was stepping in the right direction or if this had been a smart idea. He let go of Levi's robe and then something cold took hold of his hand, it was Levi's hand, the death God was now guiding him, and so he didn't fall when they reached another set of steps and as they turned on another corner a faded light could be seen at the end of the hallway. The light grew brighter and brighter and soon enough it was bright enough for Eren to see what was around him, and he highly regretted it.
The brunette's eyes went wide, the light reflecting against his turquoise eyes as he stared at the walls covered in faces. The hollow faces were staring at them, following their movements as they twitched and struggle to move, almost doing it too fast, making their movements even more erratic as they walked near them. The faces were desperate, trying to get free but their mouths were sewn shut. Their bodies couldn't be seen and Eren was almost sure there were no bodies, the only thing left for those souls were their faces.
"Never spend too much time looking at yourself in a mirror Eren, the reflection sometimes makes you see ugly things. It shows all of your flaws and it fuels your anger. It makes you sad, it makes you miserable and selfish, and sometimes it makes you believe that you are the only person in this world that matters..." Levi glanced back at him, a small smile spreading over his lips. "If all you worry about is your face, then it's only understandable that you'll only have that left after you die."
Eren said nothing and kept his eyes on the floor, his path being guided by Levi as he tried to ignore the twitching movements he could see from the corners of his eyes. He rubbed his lips together, feeling how they were lightly trembling. He was scared, where were they going? He wasn't sure, but as they kept walking he could hear muffled pain filled noises, which caused him to pull his hand away from Levi and cover his ears. He was forced to look up now, and he regretted it. They were no longer in the quite little mansion but in a cave, a cave he never wanted to see. It was massive, it was never ending but the walls and ceiling, the ground ahead of them, all of it was covered in souls that were slowly being tortured, slowly being driven mad. Their own personal hell was the sin they committed and Eren couldn't see, he couldn't bring himself to do it, and therefore he couldn't taken in everything.
Levi kept walking, ignoring how the brunette was hesitating with each step but he was afraid if he fell behind then he was going to be stuck here forever. The weight this place had on him was enough to make his legs tremble and he was sure they were going to give up soon, but thankfully for the brunette Levi finally came to a stop. The raven reached for him and made him stand next to him, keeping a tight hold on his waist. Maybe he was doing it so Eren wouldn't run away or maybe he was doing it so he wouldn't be sweep away.
The river of souls was right in front of them, it was the same river that Eren had seen upstairs. The see through river had a green hue to it, and the souls were nothing but a pale blue color that could hardly be noted. The souls moved slowly some of them had their eyes closed, some of them open, some other looked nervous while others looked peaceful, some were angry, some upset, some going insane. Death was something hard to admit, and when you find yourself waking up in this river, it was only normal to go a bit crazy.
Levi looked unfazed and of course he would, this was his world, his kingdom. It belonged to him and he accepted it as it was, he found it quite beautiful. He ended up guiding Eren down the river, until they reached a pond where the souls were clogged. The pond had small canals that went in different directions and the souls were being divided there, some going north, some moving to the east and so forth. The canals then divided again, guiding the souls to the place where they belonged. Eren had been so distracted by the river though, that he didn't noticed the large sphere above the pound, but when he did he couldn't help but stare. The sphere was displaying people's lives, all of them. Not one was spared and Levi took him to the edge of the pond.
"Some people are good, some are bad. Some are rotten and some are perfect. They each have a place here. Dying doesn't mean the end, dying doesn't mean pain, that is...if you were decent in your former life. Each canal takes them to a different river and there they find where they belong..." Levi turned to Eren whose eyes couldn't look away from the river in front of him or the sphere above them. "The river above us, the one you saw before. That's a special punishment itself, if anyone was to fall in that river, they would be torn to pieces by the souls in there."
"The sphere above us, it shows us their lives. Some people don't deserve rough punishment but one indeed. Some shouldn't even be here. The underworld itself knows how to do its job, but it is also my job to decide. Some souls are just unlucky or sometimes lucky enough to be judged by me."
It wasn't like Eren didn't believe what Levi was saying, he truly did. It was not uncommon for people to talk about how fair Levi was and out of all the gods, if you were to be punished, it would be better to be punished by Levi. He didn't let his own emotions control his decisions and his judgment was never clouded or bias. But, it was still scary, that someone could decided everything for you, no, not just someone but a God, that a God could just decide that even if you did good it wasn't enough to cover up the fact that you murdered somebody. Or even if you prayed your whole life but were selfish and cunning, you had to be punished. All of this was frightening for Eren and he couldn't help himself but to glance at Levi with a nervous stare.
"You are going to do that today."
Eren turned his head and stared at Levi with wide eyes. He was going to judge souls? No, he couldn't do that, he didn't even know how the world outside this place worked, he had never known. He had no knowledge of human interaction, no nothing. Who was he to judge anybody? Who was he to know what was good and what was bad. It didn't make sense. Eren couldn't control his own demons, why would he have the power to control someone else's?
"Levi, I can't do that. I'm not, I'm not you. I can't judge people. I don't know people, I don't know anyone." The brunette frowned, and somewhat he felt scared when saying those words. He was scared and he wasn't sure why, maybe because he was denying the God, maybe because deep inside he was still afraid of Levi, or maybe he was afraid of disappointing the other. It could be any of those things and Eren wasn't sure, his mind was rushing him, his body was shaking and in all honestly he just wanted to be back in his room under his blankets.
"You cannot stay ignorant about the world your whole life Eren. This is it, this is the world, the people that have died through the ages, some of these souls are older than you are. This is the world that you want to see and these are the people that live in it. You want to go outside? See it for what it is."
Levi's voice was cold in Eren's ears. He was daring him. Eren wanted to leave and to be outside, he had said he hated his garden and he hated being imprisoned but, was he really ready to be outside? Could he understand the world that was above him at all, or was he far too behind. He stared at the sphere and he could see the different lives, the different people. He could see a man killing a woman, he could see a woman stealing things. He could see children abusing other children, and he could see older people condemning younger people. He could see a man raping a woman, and he could see a woman raping a man. He could see all of this and he couldn't move, he couldn't look away. This was the outside, this was what was waiting for him.
Eren was trembling, his wide eyes couldn't look away. He couldn't look away from the man that was beating a child, or the woman that was yelling at her son. He couldn't look away from all the abuse and the pain, the suffering and the self-harm. All of this came with the world that Eren wanted to see, this was the world the he wanted to be a part of. The people filled with hatred, envy, pride, violence, and pain. These people would be all around him, and they could quite possibly do this to him, Levi had done one thing, once, but they, they kept doing it. Non-stop, even if it was bad, even if they had suffered through a similar pain, they couldn't stop themselves. They couldn't control themselves, the had the free will to be whoever they wanted, to do whatever they wished, but in return, once their time was up, they had to pay for it here, in the underworld.
Still, Eren could see so much more. He could see the couple that helped a homeless man, he could see the old lady protecting some children. The man that gave shelter, the people that helped each other and prayed for each other. He could see so much more. It wasn't just the hatred and sorrow, there was good and kindness. Happiness that he had never experienced, joy that he wished to have. Freedom that he lacked. All that he desired was in that world, all that he ever wanted to have and own. It wasn't a selfish desire, it was the need. The same need they had to reach for their dreams, the way they fought and struggled and made mistakes and fixed them. All of this, these people were what Eren wanted to be, even if it came with a dark side, even if it couldn't achieve perfection, this type of life was better than all of the years he had been alive.
It could be that he was too naive, or maybe he was just used to seeing the brighter side of things after being in a dark hole for so long, but the bad people suddenly didn't look so bad or scary. If it meant living that life, it was fine, right?
Still, Eren couldn't do it. He couldn't judge them when he wasn't sure of who he was to begin with.
"I can see it, Levi. I do. But I do not understand it, right? I haven't gone through any of that, I have-" He wasn't allowed to finish, the death God was turning and holding onto his jaw. The hold was firm but not painful, he kept Eren's face in place as he leaned in close to him, his form intimidating and bigger again, with even a hint of anger that Eren knew wasn't directed at him but his words.
"You haven't gone through any of that? Anger, suffering, loneliness, depression, and pain? None of that? You have never been harmed, forced against your will, left alone and abandoned? You have never been raped and abused?" Levi's tone was cold and the darkness around him was growing, his pale skin looking as white as snow now and his eyes looked deadly. "You have gone through a lot, Eren. Pretending that it didn't happen is not going to change anything. You know what people are capable of because Gods themselves have done it to you. If Gods can do it, so can humans. If we can harm, so can they, if you are deadly, so are they. So don't for a second in this world act like you are a stranger to pain because that is far from the truth."
"This is the world you want to live in. If you are not willing to accept it then so be it but this is the truth. And if you cannot acknowledge it, and if you cannot see it for what it is... The filth it has, the greed it contains, then you are never going to crawl out from here until you stop breathing." Levi was dangerously close now, the hand that had been holding Eren's waist was now around him, pulling him closer.
"Levi...Gods cannot die."
"Everything in this world dies Eren, the only thing eternal is death."
Forest had eyes all around them, even if they were quiet, even if nobody could be seen around, there was always someone watching. Always someone knowing what was happening. There was no such thing as a blind spot in a forest, the forest was alive, it held living creatures and some other creatures that were not so alive. It was restless and hectic and that was the reason why Carla couldn't believe that no one had seen what had happened to her son.
It wasn't like the forest was an unknown area for her or that she didn't held power in it. She held power over everything with earth and the forest was of course part of her domain. She asked and asked, demanded answers and even once in a while she got rid of some that didn't want to help. It wasn't that she was cruel no, she considered herself quite kind and generous, as legends foretold, but she wasn't very patient and she truly did not like to wait around. It was not her fault that animals or nymphs were not willing to cooperate and it was also not her fault that they were so stubborn, but there was still one more person she could ask and that person had eyes everywhere as well.
In any other circumstances Carla would have called for a meeting. It would had been easier to find her son this way but Erwin had blocked Olympus and made it impossible for the gods to meet there anymore, which also meant that contacting him was quite difficult. She found it somewhat beneath her for the goddess to have to go out of his way to find another God, one that quite frankly wasn't even quite that interesting. But here she was in the middle of the forest, her white robe clinging to her frame. Leaving only the low cut on her back exposed. The long sleeves had golden embroidery and her jewelry was as shiny as the sun itself. The long dark brown hair was brushed back and held in place by the small golden band that went around her head. She looked clean, she looked flawless and her turquoise eyes looked like jewels themselves. In reality she and her son looked so much alike, except Eren was smaller, never held much weight and was slimmer. Carla's face was softer and her eyes were narrow, while Eren's face was round yet sharp and his eyes were big. But over all, nobody could say that they were not mother and son.
"Sasha, I know you can hear me. I know you are around here. I need to speak to you." Carla had a charming voice, it was warm and welcoming, which was an odd contrast to her personality.
The wind was blowing quietly, and a few animals could be heard running, but someone was definably walking over. A dog came through the forest, a big dog that could easily be a normal human's height when standing. The dog was panting and looking around, it gently barked at Carla but did nothing else. A woman soon follow after the dog, she was holding a bow and wearing simple clothing. She looked like she was ready for hunting with her leather boots and pants. A normal woolen shirt covered her torso and a leather vest went on top. The light brown hair was tied in a messy pony tail and she didn't looked too please with seeing Carla.
"You called?" She sounded worried, wary, it was never a good thing when an old God wanted to speak with you.
"You have the best hunting eyes known to the world and the hearing as well. Everything that happens in any forest you can sense and so, Sasha. What happened to my son?" Carla's question was cold, and the warmth her eyes once held was gone. The turquoise eyes held an icy stare that was just daring for the other to lie to her.
It was a simple question but the Goddess of the Hunt looked nervous. It was easy to read her and Carla took a step forward, the long robe she had moving with her like if it had a life on its own and reacted to its owners emotions.
"I heard the screams but saw nothing." The answer was short and the brown haired girl was putting her bow away.
"You are one of the few that knew about Eren. You knew where he was and I asked you to keep an eye on him at all times and you did. So why, the day that my son was taken away, did you turn a blind eye towards him?" Carla took a step forward, making the other goddess take a step back.
Sasha rubbed her lips together, looking away from Carla and around the forest. "I saw nothing Carla, but...but isn't this better? People can now live here. I can now make their prayers come true when it comes to this forest. I can help them and show them that their God hasn't abandoned them. People doesn't have to be afraid anym-"
"PEOPLE BE DAMNED!" Carla's voice turned heavy and dark like the earth where she belonged. It was heavy and held such power it even made the ground around her tremble.
"I do not care about the people that pray to you, I do not care about their needs or their wishes. This forest was my son's! It belonged to him and it has always been his,you knew that very well! Do not make your issues my own!"
By now Sasha was cornered against one of the trees, with Carla leaning in close to her as she glared at her with such a cold stare that could only belong to someone as powerful as her. It was no wonder nobody wanted to fight them, why they had lasted so long.
The ground stopped shaking, and Carla leaned back, looking down onto the other goddess with pity and hate in her eyes. She looked too mighty, too strong and the hunting Goddess couldn't do anything but to avoid her eyes.
"It must be sad, maybe pitiful to live like you do. To have almost no one believe in you anymore, to have hardly any people pray to you. You are obsolete, not needed and you will disappear sooner than you expect. If you don't want to aid me then that's fine but just know that you picked the wrong side this time." Carla moved back and turned, her heavy hair moving with her as she did.
"But I am not stupid Sasha, if you are so afraid to tell me who it was, then it means that is someone stronger than you, maybe even myself. Next time, make a wiser choice." She glanced back at the hunter again, a kind smiling showing before the ground lightly shook and earthy spikes shot out from under the ground, impaling the dog that had been next to the hunter. Blood splashed everywhere and covered the side of Sasha's clothes, along with some organs that had propelled out from the impact.
"Your pet was quite lovely." The goddess turned and left, her steps soundless as he moved through the forest. Sasha fell on her knees, tears rolling down the corner of her eyes as one of her hands gently rest on the head of her now deceased pet.
Eren hadn't found a reason to continue any kind of conversation with Levi after their trip to the river of souls. He just wasn't in a very talkative mood anymore. He was following Levi, wondering if the other was angry at him, although it didn't look like it. The other was speaking softly again and the changes of his body were back to normal, he was even shorter than Eren again. It still confused Eren though, why had Levi taken him to that side of the underworld and why had he frightened him like this. Truth be told he was still scared of the outside world, there was no doubt about it and knowing that they could harm him like this was sending him towards the edge. Maybe he was not ready to be outside, before he had been so eager because he was just so lonely but now that Levi was at least around to keep him company, the wait didn't seem so dreadful.
"Say Eren, lets play a game..." The playful tone in Levi's voice surprised the brunette and he tilted his head curiously. "Its a game called lady in the forest, have you ever heard of it?"
"No, how do you play?" Eren moved to walk next to Levi, looking at him.
"It is kind of like hide and seek. One person sings the lady in the forest song and walks away to hide but they have to keep singing. The other person is the lady and stays behind, when they can't hear the song anymore they have to look for the person singing, and the only hint they get is the song." Levi turned to look at Eren, giving him a small amused smile.
"Why is it called Lady in the forest?" If there was something that Eren never lacked was curiosity.
"It is a tale people tell their kids, well people that live near a forest. They say that if you leave your home at night or play too deep in the forest then the lady that lives there will come and get you. They say the lady eats people and is always weeping, that she is pretty and it causes people to want to help her and then snap, she takes them away."
"Why would anyone make a game about that?" Eren frowned and shook his head, stopping once Levi did.
"Because they think it's not true, that it is just a tale to scare children from going into the forest. But lets play, I'll go and hide and you have to find me, you can even go across the river but if you step foot outside the underworld, I will know Eren." The warning tone at the end wasn't very threatening but by now Eren knew better than to try to make Levi angry, even though it seem like it was impossible for the brunette to achieve such thing.
"A-alright, but that's not fair, you know this place too well." Eren crossed his arms over his chest, huffing quietly at how unfair the other was. Levi knew the underworld like the palm of his hand, he didn't.
"True, but I'll be singing so just follow the sound of my voice and try to find me." The death God chuckled quietly, raising a brow at him.
"Fine, but if I say I give up, I give up."
"Fair enough, now pay attention, turn around and close your eyes." Levi held onto Eren's shoulders and forced him to turn so he was facing the wall, once his eyes were closed the death God took two steps back.
"Lady in the forest, lady in the forest." The death God started singing and walking away from the brunette, the soft sounded softer and quiet. "Don't take me away, please don't kill me today. Lady in the forest, lady in the forest. Please don't chase me around, I promise not to make a sound. Lady in the forest lady in the forest, why do you cry? For a lady so pretty that can even make my dad go blind, shouldn't cry, cry, cry. I'll hide and run, please don't find me in my room."
The song went in a loop and Eren could hear it slowly fading away, but Eren could care less about that. The song, he had heard it before, he didn't know where but it wasn't an unknown song to him. He had never played this game, he had never even heard of it. Yet, he knew the song by memory and was quietly humming with Levi's words. The humming kept going even after Levi's voice was long gone, but Eren couldn't bring himself to move from his spot, he kept feeling the song as it rolled out from his tongue and the melody was echoing in his ears.
The brunette flinched slightly when something flashed through his eyelids and then the humming stopped and he was able to open his eyes again. He was still in the middle of the hallway but felt lost. He didn't know where to go or where to look. He was just lost, lost somewhere he didn't belong, lost somewhere that wasn't his home. He moved through the mansion, his feet dragging him weakly as he tried to find a way out. He felt dizzy, and felt a sorrow that had been buried deep inside his chest and just now he could feel. He let his feet drag him anywhere and nowhere, not caring where it was as long as it wasn't the same hallway.
The turquoise eyes kept looking around, not staying in one spot and blinking so quickly his vision was coming in flashes. He kept walking and walking, almost like if he was being pulled by something, or someone. But he kept walking, his mind blank as he started to hum the same song again. It was so familiar, it was frightening and something deep inside of him was keeping him from remembering why. The steps he was taking became longer, and his walking became faster. The brunette needed air and he was gulping it down quickly, ignoring the numbing feeling on his legs. He kept moving, not stopping not resting and then, he snapped.
Eren blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes. He looked around, not knowing where he was. He wasn't near the mansion or anywhere near it. He was in an open field with only ruins around him. The long white pillars were never ending and formed small houses that looked older than Eren's own home. The greek architecture was able to stand strong but it was obvious the place hadn't been inhabited for years. Eren looked around, walking slowly to avoid all the different statues that were around him. The human shaped statues looked old and dusty, some even having missing parts, but there were so many! Eren wasn't even sure how that was possible, maybe the city had been filled with sculptures at some point.
The brunette moved to the middle of the ruins, and looked around, the statues making it hard to see in a straight line or to see if anything was worth looking at. He had never been in this part of the underworld and he was merely wondering if maybe he went downstairs again and ended up lost. He was hoping to all the Gods that wasn't the case, plus he was sure that Levi wouldn't have allowed that. Still, this place was amazing and Eren's curiosity quickly took over. He moved through the ruins, walking through the streets filled with statues. He let his eyes roam over the different buildings and even went inside a few. More statues could be seen, each one of them having a different pose. It was almost like he was surrounded by people. The idea only seem to thrill him and he sat on one of the benches where another statue was sitting.
It was probably stupid to be excited over a bunch of statues but for the teen, this was interesting. All the clothing was different and oddly enough some statues looked older than others and some were holding onto weapons. He gently touched a face and the clothing and even flinched when he touched a stone sword and it was as sharp as a real one.
Eren wasn't discouraged after getting a small cut though, he kept roaming the place, his eyes taking in everything he could, even the old books and cooking equipment some of the houses had. Still,the brunette had been so distracted he didn't noticed the eyes that were slowly following. The stare was not cold or noticeable, not like the one Levi held. But the dark eyes kept following his every move and they were slowly getting closer and closer, moving through the sea of statues until they were near the brunette. The owner of those eyes was looking up at Eren, the body low on the ground, slithering over the solid ground.
Eren could feel someone then, he could feel the movement on the ground and his body went stiff. It was probably Levi, it could have been him. He turned and the figure behind him moved as quickly as he did and a pair of dark, black eyes stared at him. Eren blinked back at the unfamiliar eyes until he took notice of who it was. A girl, or what looked like a girl was looking at him. But it wasn't until Eren kept looking that he noticed it wasn't any regular female. The girl's body was different from the waist down, the pair of legs that should had been there were replaced by the body of a snake. The scales were thick and black, just like the girl's hair. Although the hair wasn't very normal either, the thick stands of hair were not hair at all, but small snakes that were so slim and long that made it looked like the girl just had different chunks of hair divided in braids. She was pale but not as pale as Levi and her eyes looked somewhat sleepy, although she looked slightly surprised. The brunette then noticed that the girl was not wearing nothing at all and quickly looked away, his face turning a light shade of red.
She moved around him though, her long snake like body circling him. She kept staring at him, not looking away and once her body was around him but not touching him, she leaned in.
"Who are you?" The voice was soft, it reminded him to Levi.
"Eren, I'm Eren. I don't know where this place is so, don't ask me why I'm here." The brunette lightly chuckled.
"You are in the underworld Eren, and I know for sure you are not human, if you were then you wouldn't be flesh and bones anymore." The girl sounded amused and chuckled at him, finding it quite funny that the other refused to look in her direction because of her bare chest.
"O-okay, then I didn't get too lost. Who are you?" Finally he had given up and ended up covering his face with one of his hands to keep his vision dark.
"I'm Mikasa."
Eren's eyes widened underneath his hand, of course he had heard about her. She was the woman that could turn men or women into stone by just looking at them. She was deadly, with poisonous claws and strength that was enough to destroy an army, but he thought she died, or so did the tales said.
"W-wait, you are Mikasa? The cursed one? I thought you died!" Eren peeked in between his fingers, staring at the girl's face. She only smiled at him and gently touched his face, lowering his hand.
"I did not, I just moved somewhere different. This place is now my home, and I know who you are Eren..." She nodded slowly, the smile still on her face. It was kind and soft, which made Eren feel safe and secure, like everything was going to be alright even if he was lost. "I'll take you back home, Levi wouldn't be too pleased if I let you go any further."
"Why?" Eren tilted his head curiously, Mikasa's tail was lightly rubbing the back of his neck and back, letting it know that she was still around him.
"This is one of the exits to the underworld and also one of the entrances. I'm one of the ones that keep guard." Mikasa moved then, her whole body moving so smoothly and nice, it was almost like she was moving through water instead of slithering on the ground.
Eren felt his body freeze in place at what Mikasa said, his head quickly turned towards the other end of the ruins, where another cave was. This was an exit, he could leave. This was a way out. He could go home or he could find his mother, he could leave this place and never come back, maybe even go into the outside world and see the different people there. He could make a life and live like he had always imagined, the door was there. The exit was there, and his feet felt like running, his legs suddenly didn't feel tired anymore and a rush of energy was spreading through his body. He could run and get out, he could get out.
"Eren..." Mikasa's soft voice interrupted his train of thoughts and he looked back at the girl. The long snake tail and the claws and the snakes for hair. "Don't try it. Do not anger the Gods...or do you wish to end up like me?" The soft hint of sorrow in her voice made Eren's enthusiasm vanish. The rush of energy was gone and he simply stared at the black haired girl. The cursed body she was in and the loneliness in her eyes. Levi hadn't done this, but if he disobeyed him then what would he do to him? He didn't want to risk it, he didn't want to test his luck and more importantly, he was afraid.
"Let me take you home, Eren." Mikasa reached for his hand and the brunette did nothing but to reach back. He glanced back at the cave once again and shook his head. He wanted to run, to leave, he needed to. The same feeling was back and he couldn't hold onto the hand anymore. He pulled back and Mikasa stared at him with slightly wide eyes, but she didn't stop him. He ran, Eren ran as fast as he could, even knocking over some of the statues but he didn't care, he couldn't care.
The brunette felt his legs burning and his feet twitching as he kept running, he ran as fast as he could and didn't stop. Not once did he stop. The cave was so close and he could feel the cold air that came from within. The ruins were no longer interesting and his desire for exploring was gone, all he wanted was to leave, all he wanted was to go home. Even as he tripped once or twice, even as he hurt his hands and knees, nothing could stop him.
"... For a lady so pretty that can even make my dad go blind, shouldn't cry, cry, cry. I'll hide and run, please don't find me in my room." The singing was back.
Eren felt his blood running cold and suddenly he wasn't moving as fast as he thought. He felt slow and weak, but kept running, he kept running and running, trying to run away from the voice behind him. The song kept going in a loop, and the voice was getting closer and closer and closer. One arm sneaked around Eren's waist and stopped him, while a hand gently held onto his chin from behind. A soft pair of lips were near his ear and Eren was being held in place.
"I had to be the one to find you, aren't you a cheater?"
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