Chapter 3: Eclipsed by Oddities, Shrouded in Despair
After slamming the Titan to the ground, Kaito's body took a surreal turn. In his left hand that had blocked the Titan's second blow, skin lost its supple texture, turning pallid and mottled, and his fingers seemed to shrivel, as paper out in rain. His hand started rotting and taking a black texture with raid pace. With a quick chop from his left hand on his shoulder, the right hand was decapitated.
"Tch, useless body," he muttered as he severed the decaying limb. In a matter of seconds, rapid cell division ensued, knitting bone,flesh and sinew back together. Arteries and veins sprung back to life, supplying nourishment to regenerating tissue. Nerves ignited with a strange, tingling sensation that Kaito couldn't help but say, "Talk about handy". He shook it as it grew, commenting with a hint of nonchalance, "Never gets old, does it?"
His question was directed at Carla, who had been staring at the downed Titan with a gaping mouth. Kaito's sudden query jolted her out of her daze, making her look at the seemingly ordinary boy, whose arm was regenerating at a rapid pace. Instinctively, fear gripped her, and she stammered, "W-what w-was that? W-who are y-y-ou?" Her tone was fraught with fear of the unknown.
Ignoring her, Kaito redirected his attention toward the Smiling Titan, which lay with its back on the earth, seemingly uninjured. Its eerie eyes watched him as it attempted to rise. Kaito wasn't about to let that happen.
"Not so fast," he declared with determination, making a quick, almost superhuman jump. He landed on the Titan's chest, just as it tried to bite him by bending its massive head. With one hand, he held the Titan's chin at bay. Leaning down, he lowered his mouth toward the Titan's colossal neck.
"Farewell, Diana. Your death won't be remembered," Kaito whispered as his canines grew, and he plunged them into the Titan's neck.
Carla could only watch in shock and horror as Kaito displayed abilities that defied all reason. The mysterious boy's actions and words left her trembling, for she had just witnessed something far beyond the realm of ordinary human capabilities.
In a matter of moments, the massive body of the Smiling Titan began to shrink and wither, as though a balloon had been deflated. The once-fearsome Titan thrashed weakly, but its body had grown so feeble that it started to break apart. Slowly, the Titan's face melted off, leaving behind a gooey liquid, while the rest of its colossal form evaporated into the air, similar to what occurred when Titans met their demise.
Carla could only watch this surreal scene with wide, disbelieving eyes. Her mind struggled to comprehend the impossible, and a part of her wondered if she had already crossed over into the realm of the afterlife. The world she once knew had been upended, and nothing seemed certain anymore. Strangely, she had forgotten that she was in pain, her previous suffering fading into the background.
As for the boy who had saved her, his strange transformation continued. His white hair began to change, strand by strand, into pale golden hues. In the end, his hair remained a striking mix of golden and white strands. With a fluid grace, he rose to his feet, and Carla couldn't help but notice that his whole body was... naked.
"Eeek!" Carla's startled cry filled the air as she quickly closed her eyes. However, not before her gaze inadvertently took a swift, curious glance at his chiseled body.
Carla's startled cry had attracted Kaito's attention, and he quickly turned to see her condition. Her face had grown pale, a sign of severe blood loss. Without hesitation, he leaped beside Carla, his voice urgent as he patted her closed-eyed face. "Hey! You there?"
Carla had closed her eyes in response to her embarrassment and fear, but the touch on her cheeks was impossible to ignore. She clenched her eyes even tighter shut, her heart pounding in her chest.
Seeing her reaction, Kaito realized she was conscious, at least for now. With a chilling matter-of-factness in his voice, he said, "You will die, soon."
Carla's eyes shot open, filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. She didn't understand this boy or the strange, extraordinary events that had unfolded before her. All she knew was that her life hung in the balance, and the enigmatic figure who had saved her seemed to possess knowledge and powers beyond her comprehension.
"D-die?" Carla stammered, her voice trembling with a fear she thought she had already accepted. She had initially resigned herself to death, believing it was for the sake of her beloved children, Eren and Mikasa. But now, as she lay amidst the aftermath of unimaginable events, a surge of terror overcame her. She was but a woman, and the series of horrifying experiences she had endured had rekindled the fear of death she had tried to bury.
Kaito's words cut through her like a chilling blade. "Yes, you have lost too much blood," he explained, confirming the grim reality.
Carla's eyes darted around her surroundings, and she suddenly realized that half of her body was trapped beneath a massive wooden beam. Yet, curiously, she felt no pain or discomfort. The realization of her dire situation and the impending finality of her fate washed over her like a cold wave. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes as she closed them in resignation.
She could only hope that her children, Eren and Mikasa, would find a way to survive and thrive in the midst of the chaos that had descended upon their world.
With astonishing ease, Kaito pushed aside the massive wooden beam that Eren and Mikasa had struggled to move earlier. The reveal was nothing short of horrific. Carla's lower body lay crushed and twisted beneath the weight of the debris, a sight that was far from treatable. Her eyes were about to drift down to the gruesome injury when Kaito gently closed them.
"Better you don't see," he murmured as he felt her trembling and the tears flowing over his hand. He asked her again, "I will ask you once more, do you want to live?"
Carla's response was filled with a resigned smile. "Does that matter what I wish... Just one wish..if you can, please tell my son I love him."
Kaito couldn't help but curse under his breath. In a swift and unexpected motion, he wrapped his hand around Carla's waist, lifting her and hanging her over his shoulder. The abruptness of the situation left Carla shocked and breathless, making her gasp audibly. Soon after, she fainted.
As Kaito prepared to make a leap, he heard a voice coming from some distance away.
"MOM!!"
Kaito turned his head and spotted a young Eren running toward them. With a malevolent smirk and a hand gesture that symbolized beheading, Kaito took a step back and vanished in the bowl of dust and smoke that had covered the area, leaving behind Eren who looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Eren eyes were fixated on the spot where Kaito had been just moments ago. Desperation and anger consumed him as he ran toward the empty space where the mysterious boy had vanished, but there was no trace of him, except for a chilling pool of blood that marked the place where his mother had been struck.
A single tear welled up in Eren's eye and fell to the ground, a silent testament to the pain and confusion he was experiencing. He had been mere moments away from a reunion with his mother, and now she was gone.
A moment later, Hannes and Mikasa arrived, running through the dissipating smoke. Hannes gazed incredulously at the scene, his eyes filled with disbelief and concern. Beside him, Mikasa watched Eren with a deep sense of worry, her own tears flowing freely. She discreetly wiped her tears on the red scarf she always wore, a symbol of her strength and determination in the face of adversity, but her concern for Eren was evident in her eyes.
Hannes, his sense of urgency intensifying, spotted more Titans looming in the distance. He turned to Eren and Mikasa, his voice filled with urgency. "Eren, Mikasa, we must go now!"
Without waiting for their responses, he grabbed their hands and began to run toward the inner gate of Shinganshina. The looming threat of the Titans left no room for hesitation.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
NightSpectre_ToT
NightSpectre_ToT Poor Carla just can't catch a break.
Your comment is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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