Author's Note:
Almost all my exams are over. The admission tests were really crazy. Regardless, I am trying to get 'English Literature'. Is there anybody among you who belongs to the 'Department of English' one way or another? Let me know! Anyways, I really hope I can get this. Please, please, pray for me!
I have tons of other interesting stories. Check them out in my profile. Just in case this site dies: I have an AO3 account— same username and profile picture.
Titanic Betrayal
Eren scrubbed the wooden floors until her fingers ached, her muscles stiff from the endless work. The scent of dust and candle wax clung to her clothes, and her arms felt like lead from hours of wiping down pews, polishing brass fixtures, and carrying heavy buckets of water. She never thought she'd find herself in a place like this, doing chores like some lowly servant. She was a soldier, a warrior, not some maid cleaning a church she didn't even believe in. But she had no choice. She was alone here, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, in a land that made no sense to her. And for now, this was all she had.
A day passed in a blur of exhaustion. She worked alongside the nuns, moving silently through the church halls, eating the bland meals served in the dimly lit dining hall, and sleeping in the stiff dormitory beds that smelled of old wood and incense. Every night, she lay awake staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer. Why had Zeke left her here? What was the point of all this? Wasn't she supposed to be safe now? And why the hell was that little girl from the prison chamber looking at her like she was some kind of monster?
The morning air was crisp when Zeke finally returned. Eren had been sweeping the front steps of the church when she saw him standing near the entrance, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. She dropped the broom instantly, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she rushed toward him.
"It's time, Eren," he said simply.
A surge of relief hit her. Finally. No more scrubbing floors, no more sleeping in that damn dorm, no more of Lara's cold stares and the silent treatment. She was done with this place. She was going to get answers, figure out what the hell was going on, and—hopefully—get back to fighting. That was what she was good at, after all.
She started to take off the awful brown gown she had been forced to wear, eager to be rid of the thing, but Zeke stopped her with a firm shake of his head. "Keep it on," he said.
Eren frowned but didn't argue. She was too eager to leave to make a fuss over clothes. Whatever. She'd burn the damn thing later.
Following him through the streets, she stuck close, trying not to draw attention to herself. The crowd was thick, people moving in all directions, laughter and chatter filling the air. The city felt so different from home. It was alive in a way the walled towns never were. People weren't just surviving here; they were living. There were vendors selling food she had never seen before, machines she couldn't even begin to understand, and people walking around without a single trace of fear in their eyes. They weren't worried about Titans. They weren't looking over their shoulders, waiting for the next attack.
It made her sick.
Zeke led her through winding streets until they reached a large military facility. Armed soldiers patrolled the entrance, their rifles slung over their shoulders, their gazes sharp and calculating. Eren kept her head down, her oversized hood hiding most of her face. She wasn't sure what Zeke had told them, but they barely spared her a glance as they stepped aside to let them through.
Inside, the air was cooler, quieter. The stone halls were lined with doors, some leading to offices, others to rooms she didn't recognize. Zeke spoke with an officer, his voice low and steady, his body language calm and controlled. Whatever he was saying, it was working.
Then, he turned to her. "Come on."
She followed him into a dimly lit tent set up within the facility. The air inside was heavy with the scent of oil and metal, the fabric walls barely keeping out the noise from outside.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness just in time to see the empty room before her. There was nothing in it. No chairs. No table. Just darkness.
Huh?
"I'm sorry, Eren," Zeke said softly from behind her.
She barely had time to turn before her body locked up completely. A strange sensation rushed through her, paralyzing every muscle, making her collapse onto the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Her eyes widened in panic. She couldn't move. She couldn't even speak. Her mind screamed, but her body wouldn't obey.
What the hell?!
Footsteps thundered around her as soldiers flooded the tent. Hands grabbed her arms, forcing them behind her back. Cold metal locked around her wrists. Then her ankles. Then something heavy was strapped around her neck, forcing her head still. A thick leather mouthpiece was shoved between her lips, muffling her voice.
They restrained her like a wild animal.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, but she could do nothing. She was helpless.
Zeke stood a few feet away, watching, his expression unreadable. He didn't move to stop them. He didn't speak. He just… stood there.
There was guilt in his eyes.
But he didn't stop them.
She tried to scream, but the restraints choked the sound.
Zeke turned his back to her. "Take her there."
The soldiers lifted her, carrying her away like cargo, their grips firm and unyielding.
Eren struggled, but it was useless.
She was trapped.
And she had no idea where they were taking her.
Û~Û
Eren was caged. Literally. Cold steel bars surrounded her, pressing in from all sides, the space just barely big enough for her to sit upright. Heavy chains wrapped around her limbs, biting into her wrists and ankles. The thick collar around her neck kept her from moving too much, forcing her head to rest against the cold metal behind her. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps outside, the murmur of voices just beyond the walls. But no one spoke to her. No one told her why she was here.
Her mind raced. Why? Why was this happening? Zeke had promised she was safe. He had said he would help her. So why was she locked up like some dangerous beast?
She tried to shift, to test the limits of her restraints, but even the slightest movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through her muscles. Her body still wasn't responding properly. Some kind of drug, maybe? Or something worse? Whatever it was, it had left her weak, helpless. The realization sent a surge of frustration through her, but there was nothing she could do. Not like this.
The room was dimly lit, a single lamp casting long, flickering shadows against the walls. It smelled of damp stone and rusted iron. The silence was suffocating.
Her stomach twisted with unease. Something was very, very wrong.
Û~Û
Zeke walked ahead, his boots echoing through the dimly lit corridor of the containment facility. Falco and Gabi followed, their movements stiff, hesitant. The air smelled of disinfectant and rusted metal, thick with an unspoken tension that neither of the children dared to voice.
They reached a heavy door reinforced with iron bars. Zeke stopped, turning to them with an unreadable expression. "Go in," he said. "See for yourselves."
Gabi and Falco exchanged a look. Gabi swallowed hard, trying to steady her nerves. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.
Zeke shook his head. "No. Just look at her." His voice was flat, almost distant.
Falco hesitated, but Gabi squared her shoulders and stepped forward. The door groaned as it opened, revealing the darkened cell inside. They stepped in cautiously, the cold seeping into their bones.
And there she was.
The woman from the church. The one Gabi had seen mopping floors, scrubbing surfaces like a common servant. Now, she was chained like a monster.
Eren Yeager.
She was bound from head to toe, shackles wrapped tightly around her wrists and ankles. A thick collar was locked around her throat, its metal dull and scarred from years of use. The weight of it all forced her into a kneeling position, her body slumped against the chains that held her in place.
Her eyes flicked toward them, wide, searching. For what? Mercy? Hope?
Gabi stepped closer. Eren's gaze followed her, something desperate flickering in those green eyes.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Gabi broke the silence.
"So… she has the three Titans." Her voice was cold, detached. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Eren, as if looking at something less than human.
Eren stiffened.
Gabi smirked, taking another step forward. "And I will get the Female Titan," she declared, her fingers curling into a fist. "While you, Falco, will take the Attack Titan."
Falco flinched, his expression uncertain. He had always wanted the Armored Titan, but deep down, he knew it wasn't his choice to make.
Gabi, oblivious to his hesitation, continued. "And one of us," she said, her smirk widening, "will also inherit the Founding Titan."
Eren's breath hitched. Horror spread across her face, her fingers twitching uselessly against her restraints.
Gabi jabbed a finger into her chest, pressing against the fabric of the brown gown she had been forced to wear. "That's right, villain," she sneered. "We'll be eating you. And after that, we will destroy your pathetic homeland."
Eren's entire body tensed, her chains rattling as she jerked forward.
Gabi didn't move. She didn't even flinch.
She just smiled. "Although I always wanted the Armored Titan, but the Female Titan is cool too, better than nothing."
Falco swallowed hard, then quickly turned on his heel, heading for the exit. Gabi followed, her steps light, almost casual.
Outside the cell, Zeke stood where they had left him, his face unreadable.
"It's done," Gabi said, dusting her hands as if she had just finished a chore. "Let's go."
Zeke said nothing.
He simply watched as they walked past him, his hands clenching at his sides.
The door to the containment center creaked shut behind them, sealing Eren back into darkness.
Zeke exhaled slowly, his chest tight.
It had to be this way.
Didn't it?
A soft voice broke through his thoughts.
"Is it so, Zeke?"
His head snapped up.
A silhouette stood just beyond the flickering lamplight, feminine and poised. He caught a glimpse of dark fabric, and oddly familiar glowing green eyes.
Then, as quickly as she appeared, she was gone.
Zeke blinked.
Falco and Gabi had returned, waiting expectantly.
He turned to them, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Let's go."
And with that, he led them away, leaving the cold steel door—and the girl behind it—far behind.
Û~Û
Author Note: Who was that woman? Eren's mother?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do drop your thoughts in the review section.
Till next time!