บท 14: Daylight
Mikasa's POV
The dim, subdued light filtered through the grand window panes of Azumabito's mansion, casting soft shadows across the room and falling gently onto my face.
The entire space was elegantly furnished, with modern, intricate ornaments adorning the surroundings, yet a tense atmosphere hung heavily as Commander Erwin and Azumabito continued their quiet discussion regarding the outcome of the conference.
"It's clear that Marley has no intention of entertaining a peace treaty with us," Erwin finally spoke, his tone laced with disappointment. His gaze drifted to Eren, who stood at the back, almost as if distanced from the entire discussion.
"We all knew peace was never a real option as long as a single Subject of Ymir exists… 2,000 years of hatred can't just dissolve. Either Marley or Eldia—one of them has to be completely wiped out." Eren's words were sharp, yet hollow, as if acknowledging a truth none of us wished to accept.
"No surprise there…" Levi muttered, his eyes scanning Erwin, who sat thoughtfully, brow furrowed. Silence thickened in the room, lingering until Erwin, at last, revealed his true intentions.
My heart pounded, the revelation seeming to echo louder than the ticking of a distant clock. Even Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Azumabito seemed momentarily frozen in shock.
"Since peace is no longer viable… there's only one path left." Erwin's voice sliced through the quiet. He looked toward Connie, perhaps recalling the question he once asked him, before addressing us all.
"We're all aware that Eren has a mere five years left at best. Likely not even that." Heads nodded solemnly; we knew where this conversation was heading, but hearing it aloud made it impossible to ignore.
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of his words settle on me, making it almost too difficult to breathe. "Two years ago, during the prize ceremony, Eren and I had a long conversation about the next inheritor of the Founder," Erwin continued, his gaze piercing. "It seems we're left with only one course of action."
The room held its collective breath. Erwin took in the intensity of our gazes, the curiosity that lingered in the air. "Eren Yeager is to marry Historia Reiss, ensuring a successor of royal blood—one who would possess both the Founding and Attack Titans. After marrying Historia, Eren will ascend as the new king of Eldia, governing with the Scouts Regiment's support for the next four years to establish stability and order."
Every face in the room registered shock. A glint of satisfaction played in Azumabito's eyes, yet Erwin's tone remained resolute as he continued, "This way, we can fortify trade alliances with the Shogun clan and help them restore their empire."
Jean broke the tense silence, his voice thick with disbelief. "Commander… you mean to pass this curse onto the next generation? Condemning them to this endless cycle of hatred?" His gaze flitted to me, then to Eren, who stood at the back, silent, his face a veil of unreadable emotions.
With a bitter tone, Jean shook his head, speaking as if he were stating a grim truth. "I'm sorry, but I can't stand by this… maybe Eren was right all along. The Scouts are just using him, like always, for their own benefit." He shot me a look—a strange mix of pity and sorrow that twisted painfully in my chest.
"He's right... Commander, even if that's all true, I know Eren would've never agreed to this. He's—" Connie's voice faltered, cut short by that damn shorty.
"Enough, you two… know your damn limits," Levi's sharp tone pierced the silence. "Erwin wouldn't have laid this out unless Eren agreed to it."
Connie, Sasha, and Jean exchanged looks of disbelief, their faces flushed with barely-contained frustration. As for me, I couldn't bring myself to look at Eren. If I did, I knew I'd lose control—I'd just break down right here and now.
Silence thickened, pressing down on the room, as Jean finally looked Eren in the eyes. Anger simmered behind his stare, his fists clenched as if he were about to throw a punch, yet something held him back.
"Hey, Eren... have you really given in to their plans? Isn't there anything you want for yourself? Why do you keep sacrificing yourself for people who just keep using you….?" Sasha's voice wavered, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
"Damn it… even if you go along with this, I won't let you throw your kid into this hell!" Jean burst out, voice thick with frustration. But Eren just stood there, silent, his gaze unreadable, until Hange cut in.
"Oh, really, Jean? Are you ready to play the role of the father?" Her question hit with a brutal truth, one that left us in stunned silence.
"No way... but damn it, think about something else!" Jean countered, frustration spilling over. "Eren, yeah Zeke. Why don't we just strike Marley, force him into contact? All it'd take is a touch to trigger the Rumbling, right? Why not use him to unleash a smaller-scale Rumbling, give Marley a taste of hell, and then just… live out your last years in peace?"
It wasn't a bad suggestion, and for a brief moment, a flicker of hope passed over everyone. But Erwin's expression remained stony, his eyes sharp with conviction.
"That won't work," Erwin replied, cutting through the momentary hope. "If Eren could have accessed the Founding Titan's power so easily, he would've transformed when he touched his stepmother, Dina Fritz right there in that life-or-death moment. But he didn't."
Erwin's voice grew more somber as he continued, "For the Founding Titan's full power to emerge, I believe both Zeke and Eren would need to be aligned in purpose. And Zeke would never consent to the destruction of his hometown. Not in a million years."
Azumabito rose from her seat, her smile sharp and deliberate diverting the topic. "Well, isn't this wonderful... With Eren Yeager as Eldia's emperor, I think our relations with the island could flourish. Together, we might even challenge the Marleyan government itself."
Erwin followed her lead, standing and extending his hand, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Indeed. We Eldians would be honored to have the Shogun Empire by our side. And with Eren, an emperor wielding power capable of shaking the world, crushing Marley should be straightforward.
Wouldn't you agree, Eren?" His words lingered, but there was no response.
———————————
"Where's Eren?" I asked, my voice tightening with worry as I glanced back, only to find his place empty.
Without a second thought, I bolted from the room, calling his name, searching desperately in every alley, across the main roads, by the harbor—everywhere I thought he might be.
I felt my heart thrumming wildly, each step fueled by the desperation to find him. His face flashed in my mind, almost like he was just out of reach. "Where… where are you?" I whispered, breathless, stopping strangers, showing them his picture, trying to keep the panic from spilling over.
Finally, a man and a pregnant woman paused at my frantic question. I clutched a picture of Eren in trembling hands, blinking back the tears. They exchanged a glance, their eyes softening in sympathy, and nodded. "Yes, miss... We saw him. He intervened when a couple of bandits were harassing a child—one of the refugee kids. He may still be around the camps," the man said kindly.
I thanked them, my relief spilling over as I ran toward the campgrounds. The moonlight cast a quiet, ghostly glow over the tents, illuminating my path as I reached the cliff overlooking the sprawling tents below. There he was, standing on the edge, the wind brushing through his hair, shoulders tense and rigid.
"Eren! What do you think you're doing here?" I called out, approaching him, concern tightening my chest. "You know it's not safe, and…"
He turned slowly, his face drawn, eyes dark with unshed tears, clenching his jaw as if fighting to keep something broken in him from spilling over. His gaze pierced me, and for a moment, it felt like time had slipped back—to that helpless boy who had watched his mother die, only this time, there was no fierce resolve to kill Titans, just a raw, aching emptiness.
"What happened? Why are you…" My voice softened as I reached out, gently cupping his cheeks, feeling the warmth of his flushed skin beneath my hands. It was the kind of warmth that came from stifled sobs, the kind you feel when someone's barely holding on.
"It's... nothing," he murmured, his voice barely a breath as he gently pulled my hands away, creating a small, painful distance between us. My gaze flickered to the refugee camp, to the little boy who'd been rescued earlier and was now waving happily at Eren, blissfully unaware of the turmoil inside him.
"Did... did he say something to you?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but there was a tremor in it. "Because if he did, don't worry—I'll make sure he never—"
"No... no, he didn't." Eren's gaze softened as he looked at the boy, a bittersweet expression crossing his face. "How could he? He's even more helpless than I am... born into this world only to be punished for something he never did. He probably might not even get the chance to grow up... and his dreams will be shattered, trampled in blood for sins he never chose."
There was a haunted look in his eyes, a mixture of grief and something like self-loathing, and I realized he was talking about more than just the boy—he was talking about himself, about all the things he couldn't protect.
Then, his voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Hey, Mikasa…" His voice was low, weighted, as he looked into my eyes, taking a small, tentative step closer, as I watched him speak making my heart beat fast really... Fast.
"Huh…?"
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