Chương 7: Memories
Erwin's words had left Eren and Mikasa feeling as if the ground had shifted beneath them. The weight of unspoken thoughts and unresolved emotions pressed heavily on both, each hid their turmoil behind a blank, composed mask.
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Trost District
Eren sat quietly his head resting on the damaged table his hand slamming against the wooden surface unable to think of anything. Without warning, Levi's voice sliced through the room like a blade.
"You planning on sulking here all day?" he called out, his expression sharp as he swung open the door, his voice carrying its usual unimpressed tone. "Get up. The ceremony is starting… she's waiting. And where's the other idiot? Bring her along too."
Eren's head lifted slowly, a surge of resentment flickering behind his eyes as he looked at Levi. Ever since Armin's death, his feelings toward Levi had twisted into something darker, tangled with grief and bitterness.
Yet now, standing on the edge of a decision too heavy to carry alone, Eren found himself hesitating. His pulse hammered in his chest as he opened his mouth, faltering for a moment. "Wait… Le—Captain… Levi…"
Levi sighed, the slight rise and fall of his shoulders betraying the weight of a thousand battles, yet his face remained cold as steel. "What is it?" he asked, his gaze landing on Eren, his tone holding the faintest note of impatience.
Eren swallowed, glancing down, unable to meet Levi's eyes. "You knew everything, didn't you… what Erwin and I discussed?"
Levi's gaze didn't waver, and his answer was clipped. "And? What if I did?" He stood across the room, his stance steady as if unmoved by the revelations that had shaken Eren to his core.
Eren's fingers tightened around the edge of his seat, his voice dropping to a murmur. "What should I do, then? I mean.... What… would you do?"
Levi watched him, an unreadable look flickering briefly in his eyes before his memory drifted back—back to Annie's chase and to the monstrous sight of Rod Reiss shifting into a titan before their very eyes.
In each of those moments, Eren said the same words. And Levi's reply had always been the same, "The choice is yours."
Yet this time something in Eren's expression conveyed a silent plea, a look Levi hadn't seen before. This time, Eren sought more than the familiar refrain. He needed something real—something that went beyond the unwavering line Levi always held.
Levi's voice softened slightly, his tone dropping slightly. " Eren, listen to what your heart says. Think about what would be best for you... and for her." The last word hung in the air, Eren's eyes widening unable to understand what Levi meant by 'her'.
"Even if what you truly want feels selfish... it doesn't matter. Do it anyway. So that, when it's time for you to die, you can go in peace, without regrets."
"Then why didn't you let me revive Armin… I wanted that too, and… it was selfish…" Eren's voice came out low, almost to the ground as if confessing to the earth itself.
Levi's gaze turned distant, his voice steady but laden with a weight rarely heard. "Because… I wanted Erwin alive…" He paused, and the silence filled with unspoken memories, painful and raw. "That was the first time I let myself be selfish."
With that, Levi stepped out, the door closing with a faint click that left Eren staring in awe. Levi had never spoken to him like that before, and for the first time, Eren felt as if he saw his future with a clarity he'd never known.
Slowly, a small, genuine smile crossed his face. "Thank you…" he murmured, the words feeling lighter on his tongue as he gazed out the window, the evening sun casting a warm, orange glow across his face.
"And bring that other brat along!" Levi barked from the doorway, his voice echoing through the dimly lit hall. He didn't have to say who; Eren knew Levi well enough to understand he meant Mikasa.
The reason Levi commanded Eren was because he saw the look in her tear-struck eyes earlier while she was running through the hallway, the barely concealed pain she was trying to hide from everyone. Levi knew she had overheard every word, and he knew, too, that if anyone could reach her now, it would be Eren.
After what felt like an eternity, Eren found Mikasa standing alone on the castle balcony, her figure bathed in the soft, fading light. She clutched her red scarf, but it was soaked with tears, her quiet sobs slipping through the evening air, heartbreaking and raw.
Eren stepped closer, his voice gentle, trying to comfort her as best he could. "What happened? Why are you crying?" She didn't respond, didn't even glance up, just held onto him tightly, her hands leaving faint red marks on his skin. Eren didn't say anything else, allowing her to find solace in the silence.
Mikasa remained wordless, shattered, her thoughts drowning in the realization that Eren would marry Historia, father her child, and ultimately die. And when he had rejected the idea of marrying Mikasa when Erwin asked, the last thread of hope she'd been clinging to had snapped.
Recently, she'd begun to hope—wondering if his softened gaze, the gentleness in his voice, meant he might feel something for her. But now, that hope felt like nothing more than an illusion. She buried her face against his chest, her shoulders shaking with a quiet grief she couldn't control.
Eren, oblivious to the depth of her despair, simply thought she was worried about the curse—just like always. He had no idea she'd overheard his conversation with Erwin.
"Hey, Mikasa… they're waiting for us to start the ceremony," he whispered softly, brushing her hair back as her grip tightened. "And afterward… there's something I need to tell you. Okay?"
Mikasa's grip only tightened further, her heart caught between dread and yearning, convinced he meant to speak of the marriage he had to endure. But Eren had something else in mind—something she couldn't even begin to imagine.
Suddenly, Hange's voice rang out, half-exasperated, half-amused. "You two… come on, Historia's waiting! Romance can wait—move it!" She seized both Eren and Mikasa by the arms, her energy breaking through the tense air.
Without another word, she pulled them toward the main hall, where the rest of the scouts and an assembled crowd awaited, their eyes brimming with admiration and gratitude.
As Eren entered, the room erupted in applause. The grand hall was draped in banners of the three military regiments, each one lit by the warm glow of the torches and chandeliers above.
On the platform, Historia stood with a faint but affectionate smile, her azure eyes meeting Eren's gaze and making his heart race in a way he hadn't expected.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the voice of the announcer called, echoing across the hall, "I present to you, The Savior Of Humanity—Eren Yeager!" Another cheer rose up, louder than before, as Eren stepped forward, walking along the scarlet carpet that led him to the platform, where the remaining scouts stood waiting beside Historia.
"Eren…" Historia greeted him softly, a gentle warmth in her tone. Standing beside her, Eren could feel Mikasa's presence lingering behind him, a palpable tension building with every passing second.
Mikasa's fists clenched at her sides, the pain in her chest mirrored by a subtle headache, her heart twisting with an ache she couldn't ignore.
"And now," the announcer continued, "the warriors shall receive awards from Her Majesty herself for their valor against the Colossal and Armored Titans." At once, Eren and the others knelt, forming a line on the red carpet, Eren positioned at the center.
With a dignified smile, Historia began to tie the pendants around each scout's collar, accepting their kisses of gratitude with gentle poise.
After Levi's turn Historia's gaze shifted at Eren who was still kneeling. Finally, Historia lifted another pendant from the intricately adorned silver tray, her movements slow, almost reverent, as she approached Eren.
She slightly bent down fastening the green pendant to his collar. Eren's emerald gaze met her soft blue eyes, and for a heartbeat, the world felt silent. As Historia's fingers lingered over the clasp, Eren's hand began to rise, instinctively reaching for hers.
Yet his thoughts lingered elsewhere, clouded with swirling doubts and an unshakable decision that had quietly anchored itself within him. For the sake of….....
Then suddenly—"What?"
A sharp, blinding jolt seized Eren's senses, electricity scorching through his veins as if his very spirit had been shocked. His hand clenched around Historia's, the medal slipping from his collar and falling to the floor. A shuddering gasp escaped him, and though no one noticed, a single tear traced down his cheek.
In that instant, his vision warped and shifted, twisting into an image—a place of fiery azure light, like the Reiss family cave. Shadows danced across the stone walls, a haunting scene unfolding before him, burning itself into his mind.
He could see his father, Grisha, standing before the Reiss family, desperate, eyes hollow with dread. "I'm an Eldian who came from beyond the walls…" Grisha's voice cracked, pleading, "I'm a subject of Ymir, just like all of you…"
Grisha's gaze fell upon Frieda Reiss, her stance protective as she stood between him and her family. He begged her, his voice raw, "King of the walls… please… kill the Titans attacking Wall Maria before my wife and children… before thousands of your people are eaten alive…"
The memory in a wink dissolved as quickly as it had appeared, only for a second wave of visions to crash into him like an oncoming storm. Flashes of futures yet to come surged through his mind—images of fire, of ash, of lives shattered beyond repair, a blood-soaked destiny bearing down on them all.
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"DIE ALL OF YOU JUST DIE!!!!"
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