Attack On Titan: Goodbyes

Mikasa's POV

The summer sun beat down, drenching us in its relentless heat as we stood at the edge of the ship's deck. I felt the warmth seeping through my skin, yet somehow, the world around me felt still and distant.

My gaze shifted to Eren beside me, his face tilted toward the bay that stretched into a serene, endless blue. Families moved along the streets below, mothers holding small hands as they guided their children, fathers clutching briefcases as they rushed to work. A vision of peace, a kind of life we'd never known.

But Eren… he looked haunted. His eyes held a sadness I couldn't ignore, a quiet ache that clung to his every breath, pulling him into a depth that seemed far beyond my reach.

"Hey…" I murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder, feeling the stiffness beneath the fabric of his new black coat. His gaze remained fixed on the waves, his hair stirred by the faint ocean breeze.

He watched those people with something raw in his expression—guilt, perhaps, mixed with a trace of awe, like he was seeing something precious and distant. I recognized that look, the same one he'd worn that day he saved me.

"Eren…" I whispered his name again, softer, willing him back from whatever place his mind had wandered to. He turned, his green eyes meeting mine with a kind of vulnerability I rarely saw.

"Mikasa… I'm… I'm scared," he admitted, his voice barely above a breath, as if the words themselves weighed him down. And in that moment, all I wanted was to pull him close, to shelter him from the burden that seemed to be consuming him. But somehow, I couldn't move, my hand frozen in place.

Eren looked back toward the people outside the walls, his expression distant once more.

"Eren… ready for the conference?" Erwin's voice cut through the air as he approached with a calm, reassuring smile, Levi and Hange close behind. Eren merely nodded, a hollow movement that didn't reach his eyes, and soon the ship came to a halt at the harbor.

As we stepped onto land, Onyankopon greeted us with a warm smile. "Welcome to Marley. I'd love to show you around, but the conference is set to begin in a couple of hours, so we should probably head to the court."

Erwin nodded in agreement, but I caught glimpses of wonder on my friends' faces—Connie, Sasha, and even Hange, transfixed by the new world around us, their eyes wide with excitement as they marveled at the strange, moving metal boxes rumbling by.

For that brief moment, I allowed myself to let go of my worries, letting the world around us become a small, precious wonder. But when I looked back at Eren, the ache in his eyes remained, a reminder that the warmth of summer and the peace of a distant bay couldn't ease the storm inside him.

My focus stayed on Eren as I nudged my way through the crowd until I finally reached him. "So many people... Hey, Eren, stay close to me… I'll keep you safe." But when I looked up, he was gazing at the crowds with an expression I'd rarely seen, one of deep sadness. When his eyes met mine, I murmured, "Eren?"

"Oh… sorry." He looked away, brushing it off like usual.

Out of nowhere, Connie dashed over, grinning wildly, and handed me a strange treat. It had a crispy, brittle cone beneath a swirl of something white and soft on top. Without another word, he rushed off, leaving me holding it.

When I glanced back at Eren, he was watching a little kid in a bright red hat, and I wondered what memories drifted behind those green eyes. The curiosity was too much, so I brought the treat closer, daring a taste.

As soon as it touched my tongue, I gasped—a sweet chill bloomed, spreading in waves. "Eren… you have to try this," I said, nudging it toward him with a smile. "It's… amazing."

He took it from me, his fingers brushing mine in that familiar, warm way. "It's ice cream, isn't it?" His voice softened, as if the taste had stirred something from deep within.

"Wait, how did you know?" I asked, surprised. Ice cream was a delicacy that didn't exist back in Eldia.

"It's from my dad's memories," he replied, taking a small bite. "The Eldians in the internment zone could never enjoy things like this… because to Marley, they were barely human." He licked it slowly, savoring every drop, but his gaze only grew more somber, as if each taste carried a weight he couldn't bear.

He handed it back to me, his hands trembling, eyes lost in thought. "If only… there was another way," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, carrying a lifetime of regret.

"Eh?" A faint gasp escaped Eren's mouth as I barely had time to think before I slipped my fingers into his, letting the warmth of his hand spread through mine.

My cheeks reddened instantly, and to hide it, I turned my attention back to the ice cream, licking it slowly, savoring the sweetness of the ice cream, which after touching Eren's tongue got even more delicious. Shit... I'm a pervert.

I felt Eren's fingers press against mine, grounding me, just then a sudden commotion rose from the crowd. That shorty had caught a thief—a young pickpocket from the refugee camps, victims of Marley's latest war.

But before we could fully grasp the chaos, we were all sprinting, our breaths heavy and fast as we bolted away from the throng, trying to lose ourselves in the maze of streets.

Though we managed to save the kid, he'd taken his chance to betray Levi, snatching all the money Azumabito had given us for this journey. Eren only watched in silence as the boy slipped away into the ruins, his expression unreadable.

Hours later, we finally arrived at the grand conference hall, where representatives had gathered from all corners. Azumabito joined us, and we were there not as Eldians but as Shogun Empire's allies but deep down were hoping for the world's acceptance of the alliance.

However, the hall buzzed with tension as we listened to Marley's speakers, pleading for their own cause. An elderly representative took the floor, his voice thick with fervor and desperation. His words echoed across the room as he spoke in favour for the Subjects of Ymir in the internment zone:

"These people were never truly Eldians! They bear no connection to the destructive legacy of the Eldian Empire. They are simply tragic victims—scattered and suffering due to Eldia's tyrannical past. The only devils we should despise are the ones on that island! Those are our enemies; they are the ones who deserve to die!"

As his words faded, I felt the weight of division settle across the room. Even among the Subjects of Ymir, there were those who loathed us, those who had been conditioned to see themselves as separate, untainted. They had become willing participants in their own condemnation.

I glanced at Eren, who sat beside me, his head bowed, breath coming in shallow, broken gasps. I had never seen him so shaken, but I understood why. No matter how this meeting ended, there was only one path that seemed open for us—the Rumbling.

I could sense it in his eyes, an awareness that he would become the catalyst, the one to bear the burden of millions of innocent lives trampled under the force of his choice even if he wouldn't be the one to initiate it he'd be passing it to the next inheriter knowing that countless lives would be engulfed and he'd be well aware about that before dying.

"Eren…" I whispered, reaching out, brushing my palm against his cheek, feeling the tension fade just slightly at my touch. "Don't think about it right now." I let my hand linger, gently tracing his skin as he closed his eyes, leaning into my hold like he was trying to capture a moment of solace.

Erwin's voice broke the quiet between us, his gaze fixed on Azumabito, who now looked defeated. "It seems this alliance has failed," he murmured, casting a triumphant glance at Eren.

There was an unspoken understanding in his look: Eren would be the future king of Eldia. And under Erwin's influence, the empire of Eldia would rise again, with a new path carved by Eren's power and will.

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