The Prisoner | Eren x OC x Levi

Chapter 4

You make me crazy enough to trample the world.

This is what Eren had meant—he never intended to go through with Zeke's euthanasia plan. The Rumbling would squander everything beyond Paradis to a flattened crust of earth. Civilizations would collapse to rubble and broken bodies, flattened in canyon-sized footprints.

All because of her.

Karma couldn't stop her hands from trembling as Floch heaved open the wrought iron doors that reminded her of the ones at the bottom of the stairway. She stepped over the marble threshold into her new cellar.

The Opal Fortress had been built on the outskirts of a farming community during a period of heightened excitement for localized government. But when a massive Titan attack painted the rolling countryside ruby red, the fortress and farmland were abandoned.

At least, this was the narrative Floch delivered, but Karma was wary of anything he told her. He had the type of tongue that could slip through lies like silk.

"But the Scouts wiped out all the Titans. Seems like a waste that no one's reclaimed this fortress—it's basically a castle," Karma said as their footsteps echoed across polished floors. There was no furniture or decor in the cathedral-ceiling entryway, so Floch's chuckle bounced around her in the empty space.

"No one wants to live in a graveyard. And the Titan attack came right after The Opal Fortress was completed, so people think it's cursed," he said.

"Do you think it's cursed?"

"Not sure. I've only been here once—to clean and prep the place for the Queen's arrival. Nothing out-of-the-ordinary so far. But it takes a lot more than ghosts and curses to spook me." He side-eyed her as their heels clicked along a white corridor. "You look shaken up. You scared or something?"

Karma had been clenching her fists, but it didn't hide the trembling. She watched her dirtied shoes contrast the white tiles. "No, it's not the castle. It's The Rumbling. Eren's going to destroy the world and it's all my fault." Her throat tightened, making the last words break into croaks.

"You should be honored, my Queen."

"Well I'm not, okay? I feel like screaming. I should've listened to Captain Levi and never gone to Eren's cell. I'm on the wrong side."

"Don't talk like that. Eren won't be pleased."

"Can it, Floch. I'm allowed to have a crisis." She squeezed the tears from her eyes that weren't quite big enough to roll out on their own. "When is Eren coming? I need to talk to him. If he's doing this for me, then I'm the only one who can reason with him."

"I already told you, he'll come when it suits him. But what's there to reason? He's delivering our freedom. The Rumbling is the only way. It's not like the rest of the world is even worth saving. You've seen how they treat us—stranding us on an island to fend for ourselves all the while turning our own kind into monsters and sending them to destroy us. As long as they exist, we'll never be free. You're on the right side, Karma."

They reached a set of large double doors. Floch pushed them to either side.

"This is where you'll be staying. You have a private bathroom and drawing room and balcony. We'll have all of your meals delivered, so there's no reason to leave your quarters. Per Eren's request, it'll remain locked."

"Right." Karma scanned the elegant suite. Wispy white curtains waterfalled from tall bright windows. A huge bed drowned in frilly pillows. Marble flooring glistened, cushioned with luxurious rugs beneath a sitting area and writing desk.

She stepped deeper into her sparkling cage, brushing her fingers along the golden frame of a thickly textured oil painting. There were even fresh flowers perfuming the air beside a pearl-studded accent chair.