Chapter 1
Eren?!
Why? They kept on asking why Eren suddenly changed. Suddenly? It wasn't sudden, but gradually over time.
Why? Why is it that everyone seemed to be determined to get in his way.
Eren had enough. It's time to be free.
Just because they're fated to die in a few years, to have their time be limited as a payment for their power. So, it doesn't matter how much we struggle over it?
No. It matters. I wouldn't die. I wouldn't rest. Not yet.
A large rock smashed the Armored Titan's face loosening the weight behind the Attack Titan's back. Eren glanced at the top of the wall where a familiar 17 feet titan clung.
Zeke
You did a good job hoding out on your own Eren. Now, just leave the rest to your big brother.
Eren narrowed his eyes at the Beast Titan throwing large rocks as projectiles slowly chipping down the enemies from Marley. Now, they just needed to touch. He needed the key to have access to the Paths. Once he opened the door, he could finally...
But for what... Since Zeke's here, does it mean that Captain...
Eren stumbled as Reiner caught up with him. Only a few meters separated him from Zeke. He gritted his teeth. It was always Reiner who got in his way. Someone who's a coward. Who could only offer him an answer of 'it can't be helped, i had no choice'. Someone who couldn't even own up to his own decisions. Someone who kept on surviving on other's sacrifice.
The Marleyans watched as the Founding Titan roared.
Eren struggled against Reiner's hold, freeing a hand, he reached towards the fallen Beast Titan.
The Beast Titan screamed.
Pain erupted from his neck as a bullet pierced through his flesh and his head flew. Eren saw as the world spun. It happened in an instant. His head landed on Zeke's palm.
There was a flash before fragments of memories flashed through his mind. His consciousness spread as he saw everything all at once. For a moment it was dark before a large tree made of light appeared in front of him. There was sand everywhere and the night sky was filled with streaks of light in various colors all connected to the large tree.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
This is ?
Zeke
"Where all the paths connect to the coordinate."
That's when Eren saw a figure. A presence that was always here all alone. The founder, Ymir.
Zeke
"Eren, command the founder Ymir. The time for our dream to be realized has come."
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"What are those chains?"
Eren watched as Zeke lifted one of the chains that held him on the ground. It must be the Vow of Renouncing War.
Eren turned around, his head swimming. Zeke kept on talking about their- no, his dream- about saving the world, about euthanizing the Eldian race to render them infertile. His half brother's joke of a plan.
Zeke foolishly blaming Eren's actions and decisions on their father's influence. When Zeke was unaware how much Marley influenced his own actions and ideology. Easily rendering the chains around his to crumble into sand.
Zeke
"During the long period of time it took for you to open your eyes, I learned a great deal. Including the fact that the Founder can build anything including the chains made of soil."
Zeke crushed the chain around his neck into sand as he stood.
Clearly, the time we spent in the Paths were different. It was only a blink for Eren, but for the older man it felt like an eternity.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
No way.
Zeke
You were nothing but a key, Eren.
Zeke pointed at him as the same chains enclosed Eren's wrists. He gritted his teeth as Zeke came closer and their foreheads touched.
Grisha's memories flowed through between the two brothers. Eren silently listened as Zeke tried to let him see their father's true colors.
How Grisha forgot his first family, how he used his status as a doctor to investigate the Ruler of the Walls and the Founding Titan. How he was a shitty father who could sacrifice his own family for his ideals as an Edian Restorationist.
Eren glanced at his half brother, to see if he noticed what Eren already knew from the start.
Not yet.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"I see, it seems he loved his second family more."
Eren drowned Zeke's words as he glanced at the family picture on Grisha's desk. The family picture of Zeke and Dina Fritz.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"Still, you're not your true self anymore."
Grisha murmured from his sleep.
Eren crossed his arms.
Grisha suddenly woke up, calling for Zeke, looking straight at the older brother, while Eren observed his brother's reaction.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"It's the next one. The next memory, Zeke."
Eren twisted the door knob open. It his turn to show Zeke, who's the real one who lost his true self.
As Zeke watched Eren's childhood through Grisha's memories, he asked why Eren betrayed him despite being raised without being told nothing about the truth, why Eren refused to end the fight, and what he intends to do with the Founder's Power.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"Ever since I was born, I've been me."
Eren waited... and waited... until Grisha turned to look at him and said, "Eren, when I return, I'll show you inside the basement that I've kept secret all this time."
He hadn't notice. But Zeke will soon know, as they watched Grisha's expression turn grim the further he was from his family. Until he reached the Reiss family. Grisha's voice reached his ears, begging to free the Eldian's from this curse.
Eren frowned. Heat flushed through his tense body. He glared at Freida Reiss- no, at the Founder, the true Ruler of the Walls.
"Eren?"
Finally, he noticed.
Both Grisha and Zeke looked at Eren.
Grisha
"I know, I can't use the Founding Titan's ability. But there's a reason why the successors of the Attack Titan hasn't obeyed anybody. It was all for this moment, to fight against the King's self-righteousness! Everybody was led by these memories. The Attack Titan is able to peer into the memories of its future successors. In other words, it has the ability to foresee the future!"
Eren still silently watched as the Reiss scrambled to get away from his father. Until a clink of a scalpel falling on the ground silenced everyone.
"I can't..." Grisha's voice quivered.
"There's no way... that the past could... change." Zeke trailed off.
No. It could. Remember, this is all for... the future.
Eren closed his eyes, a face flashed through his mind before dismissing it.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
What are you doing? Stand up, dad... Have you forgotten?... What you came here to do?... It's payback, right... For your little sister who got eaten by the dogs."
"Hey," Zeke muttered.
"For your comrades from the Restoration. For Dina. For Kruger." Eren taunted. "We need to keep moving forward to avenge them. Even if we die... Even after we die."
He ignored Zeke's clouded gaze. He ignored the hurt in his chest and whispered, "This is... the story that you started, right dad?"
Zeke's gaze never left him as Eren's gaze grew solemn.
Grisha came out stagerring from his titan. Shouting for Eren. Whether his actions would really save Eldia, save Carla, destroy the walls.
Grisha
"Zeke?! Is that you? You grew up so much. I'm sorry, I was a terrible father. I've made you suffer, always..."
Grisha
"Zeke, I love you. I wish we could've spent more time together."
Eren. A voice calling his name brought Eren back to the present.
Love... I wish we could've spent more time together too. But you're probably already dead or gravely injured.
Eren shook his head. It wasn't the time to think about that. He calmly observed as the light faded from Zeke's eyes as he learned the truth.
"Dad..." Zeke finally lost his will to fight.
But Eren clenched his fists drawing blood as he braced himself for the next words to come from his father. The same words he saw from this memory when he kissed Historia's hand.
"Zeke, stop... Eren."
"Ugh!" They were both tugged from the memory as Zeke fell on his back. It's over for the man.
Eren would win. He already went this far. He already lost so much... lost him. Even if he's alive, he'd never agree with Eren's decisions, and he'd be the one to kill Eren.
He inwardly smiled as Zeke scrambled away from him, demanding if Eren planned everything from the start, from when and where did his influence on the past started.
Zeke
"Founder Ymir, take away all fo Ymir's subject's ability to reproduce!"
Eren clicked his tongue at Zeke's useless last struggle.
"The Coordinate!" Eren gasped. He screamed and tugged until he torn his flesh and ran. Towards the slave, Ymir. "That's it! I'm going to put an end to this world! lend me your strength!"
Enough!
Eren hugged Ymir, "You should choose! Whether to stay here forever... or end it!"
His consciousness came back to the real word. A spine grew from his bloodied neck and quickly connected to his severed head on Zeke's hands.
The Walls started breaking, crumbling... falling into pieces.
It can't be stopped anymore. I'll destroy this world!
The Rumbling commenced.
It's over.
Eren opened his eyes. Mikasa stood in front of him.
Her eyes were dim but determined and she's still wearing the damn red scarf. Her stance were steady along with her grip on the swords.
I had hoped I could spare her from this...
I had hoped it was Captain, someone who swore that'll kill me once I went berserk... but a different Ackerman came.
She advanced, the cut was clean. He didn't even feel the slash of the sword. One moment Mikasa caught his head. Then there she was. Ymir, with a smile on her face, as Eren's eyes closed and he felt a faint pressure on his lips.
He opened his eyes again.
He found himself inside the Paths again.
Eren panted as his hand touched his neck. It's intact again. Being beheaded twice was taxing on his mind. His other hand clutched at the sand after he fell to his knees.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"You-"
Eren coughed as it all came crashing down. He'd gone and done it.
The Rumbling.
The scenery that stretched miles and miles away of gigantic footprints, of blood and flesh, of concrete and soil.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"What did you do? I'm supposed to be-"
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"Why are you still here? You're supposed to be free."
"Don't tell me-!"
Ymir？？？
"You're right. I chose this, to lend you my power. In turn, for you to destroy the world. I used that girl, projected my feelings, used both of you to free myself. The power of titans are gone from the world."
Ymir？？？
"Now, I'm starting to have thoughts on what if I've done differently, just like that girl Mikasa and your other friends are thinking after learning your true intentions. What if I let that Marleyan kill my husband? What if I led the Eldians with my daughters instead?"
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
It's useless thinking of what ifs. You can't change-"
Ymir？？？
"The past?" She asked. "But you already did it... once."
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"That's only a series of events which came from chance. It's not coincidental but causal. If only one action diverted from the path leading to this point, if only Zeke hadn't try to show me the past just to make me agree with his delusions, I wouldn't have been able to..."
Eren refused to think of what ifs.
Behind Ymir, the streaks of lights were slowly dimming before completely disappearing one by one. It felt like the world was collapsing.
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
"What's the point. We're both dead, Ymir. Let's just quietly disappear. Don't worry, I'll be with you."
Ymir？？？
"What have you gained from this Eren? Unlike us- me, Mikasa, Armin, the Eldians- who gained something from our sacrifices, you only kept on sacrificing yourself until you ended up here. It's... unfair."
Eren Jaeger/ Kruger
Of course it is, but what can I do. I'm at the end of my path. All I can do is hope that the others will be free-"
"Humanity's hope." Ymir's voice wavered as their surroundings flicker in its destruction. "...and Humanity's strongest."
Eren faltered. "I..."
Ymir？？？
"You can say that it's a whim or I'm projecting feelings again. I saw your thoughts, throughout the battle, your determination and resolve. Then, I noticed a stray thought. You were thinking of someone."
She smiled again.
"It's over now." He ran his hands through his hair.
As the last vestiges of his vision became darkened, he heard Ymir say.
Ymir？？？
As my last will, I'll use my last strength to help you again."
Ymir？？？
"Now, it's time for you to be free, Eren."
Comments
Ella💜🌺 ≛⃝🔱
Great projection author/Proud//Ok/
2024-10-20
3