Chapter Text
Eren stared out at the limitless horizon, speechless. His eyes were wide, drinking in the view. Clouds bathed in a brilliant sunlight lazily rolled below him, stretching as far as he could see. Eren couldn’t help himself as a grin slowly spread on his face. This was it. This was the moment. That scenery.
“Eren.”
Eren’s reverie was unceremoniously broken as he whipped his head in the direction of the voice, but saw nothing beside him. It was then that he noticed he was inexplicably floating. “Without ODM gear?” he wondered.
“Eren, wake up.” The voice came again, painfully loud this time, as a thunderous boom that rippled across the now dark storm clouds. Eren suddenly fell forwards, careening downwards, stomach lurching as he flailed wildly. He fell into the darkness.
“AGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Eren sat up with a jolt, glancing around fervently as he tried to regain his bearings.
“Eren, were you watching scary movies again?” He looked up to see the warm face of his mother. “I’m going to have to tell Mikasa not to lend those to you anymore… they always give you bad dreams.”
Eren blinked at his mom. “...dreams… oh… It was all a dream.”
Carla smiled and rubbed his shoulder. “Yes honey. All a dream. Now hurry up, you’re late for school. I’ll finish making breakfast.”
Eren stared blankly as his mother left. All a dream? He felt as though he had lived a lifetime. Years had passed in a single night. He shuffled over to the bathroom, and was startled to find the face of the young boy staring back at him in the mirror. Gone were his wrinkles, defined jawline and shoulder length hair. Eren swallowed thickly. Maybe… maybe he was dreaming right now. And all he had to go was back to sleep?
“Fight.” A whisper in the back of his mind, barely audible. “Fight.”
In the spur of the moment, Eren punched the mirror, cringing as it cracked and pierced his knuckle. “Fuck,” he breathed, as blood trickled down his fingers. Not a dream after all.
***
Eren walked down the school hallway in a daze, staring at the familiar faces. Ymir. Bertholdt. Marlo. They were all… alive. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, head spinning. Nothing felt real. How could people he saw dead with his own eyes, be alive and laughing like nothing had ever happened?
“Hey, brat. Stop standing in the middle of the hallway. I’m cleaning.”
Eren blinked, looking up first and then down. His eyes lit up upon seeing a familiar face. “Captain Levi!” he exclaimed. If there was anyone who could help him make sense of all this, it would be him. “Do you know what’s going on? Why is everyone alive?”
Levi had become oddly still, his eyes razor focused on Eren’s like a snake on a rat. “Hmm… follow me.” Eren obliged as he followed the diminutive janitor.
A few minutes of walking later, and Eren was confused. Levi hadn’t said a word, insisting that they find a better place to talk, but Eren didn’t recognize the part of the school they were in at all. It seemed to be unused and in disrepair, with spare desks and chairs strewn about and the lights dim and flickering occasionally. “Um, Captain Levi, sir, where are we going? I’m going to be late for class…”
Suddenly Levi took a sharp turn around the corner. Eren followed him only to find himself shoved into the wall, the janitor’s gloved hand clamped on his neck like a vice. His eyes widened as Levi reached into his pocket with his free hand and fished out a pocket knife that snapped open with a crack.
“Where did you hear the name “Captain Levi”? the janitor interrogated him. Eren couldn’t tell which terrified him more, the glint of the blade or the look in the man’s eyes.
“I… sir! We served together in the Survey Corps! You protected me through thick and thin! You’re humanity’s greatest soldier! I know I may have done some extreme things at the end but… it was all for the sake of Eldia! Please Captain… what is happening?”
Levi stared at him for a few moments, the blade before letting go of him. Eren fell to the ground, gasping for air. “What you just said makes absolutely no sense.” Levi said nonchalantly. “I don’t get the feeling that you’re lying or hiding something from me, though. Still…” Levi knelt down and spoke in a low voice, “I don’t know where you heard it, but I’d be careful with that name. You never know who might be listening. You understand?”
Eren nodded ardently despite not understanding a thing. “Yes sir. I won’t mention this to anyone sir. It was just a misunderstanding, Ca- sir.”
“Good. Go to class.”
Eren didn’t need to be told twice, half-sprinting away. He had no idea where he was going and just kept moving forwards. Eventually he heard the telltale sound of sneakers on freshly waxed gym floor, and kept heading in that direction until he found the gym. Standing outside the door were Reiner and… Bertholdt.
Eren stared at him. The last time he had seen Bertholdt, he was being eaten alive as he cried out for their help. Yet here he was, a smile on his face and chatting away. Like he hadn’t betrayed them. Like he hadn’t killed Armin.
“Oi, who are you staring at like that?” Eren looked up to see Reiner’s large frame bearing down upon him. His chest was puffed up and he looked ready to throw down for the most fragile of reasons. Eren could hardly believe it. The last time they had spoken, Reiner had begged for his forgiveness.
“Reiner… is everything okay with you?”
Reiner glared at him. “What?” he spat. “Everything was great except until you showed up.”
Eren’s eyes widened. Was Reiner talking about Marley? “Reiner, I’m sorry about what happened. I could see how depressed you were… please don’t kill yourself. We’re the same, Reiner.”
Reiner stared at him aghast, for a few moments, before gnashing his teeth. “You think you know me? HUH? Do you think you KNOW me?” He grabbed Eren by the collar without warning, picking him up clean off his feet. “I’m not depressed!” he insisted. “And I’m definitely not.. not thinking about killing myself. AT ALL!” Before Eren could say another word, he found himself shoved into a locker and the door slammed on him. “YOU DON’T KNOW ME! I’M NOTHING LIKE YOU!” yelled Reiner before stomping off.
Eren sank as far down as he could in the miserably cramped space. So that was it then. He wasn’t a savior, a devil or anything in between. He was just… a nobody. He could be stuck in this locker all day and it would be a while before anyone would even notice. Eren felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He always knew that he was nobody. But he never realized how much more meaningful it was to actually be somebody, with family and friends that cared about him.
Wait. Friends?
Eren hurriedly dug into this pocket, fishing out his cellphone and swiping to a familiar face. Eren smiled for the first time all day. “Armin will know what to do.”