𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝓊𝓂𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 (𝒱)

20

_______

The soil is damp and cold under my boots. I tread lightly amongst the shrubbery, heading further into the forest. Its so dark I can barely see my own hand in front of my face.

I can still hear Eren. Closer now. Only he's not saying my name anymore...

It sounds like he's crying.

Just when I consider that maybe I'm going crazy, and that the best option is to turn back, my foot slips upon slanted ground. Before I know it I'm rolling down a slope.

A few sticks poke me on the way down but I clutch my head protectively. Expecting my last crash to be the hardest, I shut my eyes.

But I land painlessly. Comfortably, even.

Opening my eyes... I discover I'm lying on sand. The forest is gone. I'm back in the other dimension.

It's significantly bright. I squint my eyes and try to assess where the light is coming from. Sitting up, I hear soft sobs resonating behind me.

He's here, is all I think. I scramble to my feet and walk towards the light where his voice is originating.

The closer I get the bigger the pillar of light grows, stretching into the cerulean sky. It doesn't hurt my eyes anymore. Observing it now, it kind of looks like a tree. Or some sort of gigantic root.

And at the base of it... is Eren. He's kneeling, and he's wearing the same clothes I last saw him in when he exited his Titan: long dark slacks, tasseled shirt, and long black jacket. His arms are stretched behind him like he's fused to the light.

"Eren?" I say, shocked.

He looks up slowly. His teary, bloodshot eyes focus on me and a look of utter confusion dawns his face.

"No... No... you can't be here." He looks on the verge of crying again.

I approach him, "What? I thought you sent me here..."

"No. Time... the other timelines must be spilling out into yours..." he mutters, making it hard to understand him. He screws his eyes shut, jaw clenched in pain like his head might implode. "time is running through you..."

I don't know what he's saying. But what I do understand is that I might be thrown back into the forest at any second. And I need answers.

"Okay Eren," I kneel down in front of him, "Tell me, what is this place?"

"Paths." He says weakly. "Johanna, you've got to leave. This isn't good."

"Eren, you've just transformed into your biggest Titan structure yet, the walls are nonexistent, and there are thousands of Colossals trampling the land right now. I am not going anywhere until you—"

A rush of something metallic climbs up my throat. My first guess is vomit, though I don't feel sick, but when I catch it in my cupped palm the color is bright crimson.

Blood? I watch as it drips through the cracks in my fingers.

"No, no, no!" Eren says sorrowfully.