Chapter Text
The world didn’t stop—but for Eren, it might as well have.
The screams, the thunder of footsteps, the sickening sounds of Titans feeding—they all blurred together into something distant and hollow, like noise echoing from underwater. His body felt heavy, unresponsive, as if it no longer belonged to him. Hecouldn’t look away, Hannes was gone just like that.
One moment he had been there—fighting, shouting, trying to be brave—and the next… nothing. Torn apart in front of him like it meant nothing like his mother.
Eren’s fingers dug into the dirt, trembling violently as something inside him cracked open. A broken, breathless sound escaped his throat, and then—
He laughed it was wrong. Too loud, too sharp, too empty. It tore out of him like something rotting inside had finally split open.
“Nothing has changed! You haven't changed one bit, you useless brat! Nothing... nothing at all!”
His shoulders shook as tears blurred his vision. He bit into his hand hard enough to draw blood, desperate—desperate—to trigger the power to transform, but nothing came no transfrmation no strength
Just the taste of blood and the crushing weight of failure.
A hand grabbed his wrist.
“Eren.”
Mikasa’s voice cut through the chaos—soft, steady, real.
“That’s not true.”
His laughter faltered, collapsing into uneven breaths as she gently pulled his hand away from his mouth. Her fingers were warm despite the blood staining them. When he looked up, she was already watching him—not with fear, not with doubt, but with something unshakable
Something that had always been there.
The ground trembled as Titans closed in, their shadows stretching long across the field. There was no escape, they both knew it
Still, Mikasa leaned closer
“Eren, listen. I want to tell you something.”
Her voice was calm—too calm for someone standing at the edge of death.
“Thank you... for being with me. Thank you... for showing me how to live. And thank you... for wrapping this scarf around me.”
Eren’s breath caught as the red scarf shifted slightly between them, worn and stained but still wrapped securely around her neck still his still hers,
Mikasa leaned in closer, her face only inches from his now. There were tears in her eyes, but she was smiling—soft, peaceful, like she had already accepted everything.
Like she had already chosen this moment for a second, the world fell away it was just her close enough that—no.
Something snapped inside him not despair this time something stronger something burning
“I’ll wrap that around you as many times as you want. Now and forever, as much as you want!”
His voice shook, but it wasn’t empty anymore.
Eren pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the way his body screamed in protest. He turned, facing the Smiling Titan, rage sharpening into something focused and unyielding.
He drove his fist straight into the Titan’s outstretched hand—
—and the world seemstopped
Everything froze in place, caught between one second and the next. A strange force surged through him, something vast and unseen, spreading outward in all directions.
Eren’s eyes widened.
“What… is this—”
Far away, Reiner froze mid-step, bertholdt’s breath caughtand ymir’s head snapped up because they felt it they knew it.
Back on the field, Eren shouted and threw his fist forward again, instinct taking over.
“AAAHHH!”
Time snapped back into motion.
And the Titans answered.
Their eyes flared red—all of them at once—and they turned, not toward Eren, but toward the Smiling titan
Then they moved.
A wave of bodies surged forward, tearing into it with brutal force. Claws, teeth, sheer numbers—it didn’t stand a chance. The Smiling Titan shrieked as it was dragged down, ripped apart piece by piece.
Mikasa stared, stunned.
“Eren… what is happening? Why are they killing that Titan?”
Eren didn’t fully understand it either. The power still thrummed through him, unfamiliar and overwhelming—but there was no time to think
“There’s no time!”
He turned back to her, noticing the way she struggled to stand, one arm wrapped tightly around her ribs. Pain flashed across her face.
He moved immediately.
“Can you stand?”
She tried—but couldn’t.
Eren didn’t wait. He pulled her onto his back, steadying her as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
“I’ve got you.”
Then he ran.
Behind them, the sounds of Titans tearing into the Smiling Titan echoed—but it wasn’t over. Heavy footsteps shook the ground again.
Eren glanced back,
Reiner was coming straight towards them, Bertholdt clinging to his back.
“Eren! Wait!
Eren stopped just for a second.
He turned, his expression hard, voice cutting through the chaos.
“Stay back, you bastard—or I’ll kill you all!”
The moment he said it, the Titans reacted again,their glowing eyes shifted and locked onto Reiner andd then they charged
Reiner barely had time to react before they swarmed him, dragging him down under sheer force. Bertholdt shouted in panic as he tried to pull away, but the Titans didn’t stop They didn’t hesitate.
“Eren!”
Armin rode up beside them, Jean barely conscious behind him.
“Get on!”
Eren adjusted Mikasa on his back and climbed onto the horse. The moment they were steady, Armin turned sharply.
“Go!”
In the distance, Erwin’s voice rang out.
“Retreat!”
The order spread quickly, and what remained of the formation began to pull back.
Eren held onto Mikasa as they rode, feeling every small movement of her body. Her grip tightened slightly, her breathing uneven and she was in pain.
His jaw clenched.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured quietly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
This time it wasn’t empty.
This time, he meant it.