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843.
Eren grumbled something that Armin couldn't quite catch.
"Is something wrong, Eren?" the blond asked, looking up from his book. He has re-read the material a thousand times now and he wasn't getting tired of it just yet. It was his most prized possession, aside from his two friends.
The brunet groaned, rolling over so that his stomach was flat on the grass.
Three months ago, Aurora and Eren decided to bring Armin to the tree by the hill.
As expected, the blond loved every second of it. They spent all day there, having thought to pack their lunches (well, in Eren's case, his lunch with Aurora) so that they could enjoy the shade brought by the wide canopy of leaves above them. They talked about the outside world, what they wanted to do to achieve their dreams and their interests. Armin and Aurora prattled on and on about the many books that they've read — fairy tales, encyclopedias of the Scouts' animal and plant discoveries, and even history of how their walled kingdom was raised. The first of the three was what they indulged in the most, making sure to include Eren in some of their discussions (though, the brunet was more satisfied listening to his two bright friends talk than educating himself on what fantasy land they were on about). When the topic of the outside world came to life, Eren sat up from lying on the grass and gave his two cents.
"I want to join the Scouts!"
Armin and Aurora looked at each other after Eren announced his most recent dream.
"Are you sure, Eren?" the blond asked. "I've heard of their decreasing numbers."
"So what? They're brave enough to go out of these walls. I say I want to be a part of them."
After that, Aurora stayed quiet for the remainder of their stay under the tree. She looked solemn and deep in thought, eyebrows furrowing and lips slightly pulling down in a frown. Whenever Eren glanced at her with bright eyes, she would flash a small smile in his direction but due to the brunet's excitement in sharing his goal, he didn't notice that it didn't reach her eyes. It was a thought better left unsaid — that Eren would find himself in the stomach of a Titan if he so pursued that dream of his. Armin shared her sentiments and he was about to ask Eren but one look from the cross redhead made him douse his curiosity in an instant. Aurora had no choice but to support her best friend's blind spark of hope.
That day seemed like it happened recently.
Due to the three of them hanging out most of the time, it was so weird not to see the vibrant, eye-catching shade of scarlet among their circle.
Eren blew a raspberry, scaring a butterfly from its perch. "Why did Dawn leave us?" he whined.
Armin's mouth formed an 'o' in understanding. "Where did she go anyway?"
