Carla approached the refugee settlement, butterflies swirling in her stomach. She wove through the crowds until she spotted Eren, Mikasa, and Armin huddled together near a shelter.
Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she walked up to them. "Hi kids, it's Irene again. I brought you some food."
Mikasa nodded in greeting while Eren stared blankly at the ground, lost in his grief. Carla's heart broke seeing her son like this.
Armin gave her a small smile. "That's really nice of you, thanks Irene. We appreciate you checking on us." He gently nudged Eren. "She brought food, isn't that thoughtful?"
Eren mumbled something unintelligible, not meeting Carla's eyes. Mikasa kept a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.
"I know things are so hard right now," Carla said gently. "But you have each other. You'll get through this."
Armin's smile faltered. "We hope so. Eren isn't taking it very well. I'm worried about him."
Carla blinked back tears, resisting the urge to embrace Eren. "Just stay by his side," she encouraged Mikasa. Turning to Armin, she added, "And you help too. Your friendship gives him strength, even if he can't feel it right now."
Armin nodded, determination entering his eyes. "You're right. We'll be there for him no matter what."
Carla lingered a bit longer, making small talk and wishing she could reveal her true identity. Eventually, she had to force herself to say goodbye. As she walked back, tears escaped down her cheeks. But she took comfort in knowing Eren had his friends beside him.
Hours later, Carla returned home, barely holding back tears. When Kaito asked what happened, she couldn't contain herself anymore. She rushed into his arms, sobbing into his chest.
Between gasped breaths, she told him about Eren's despondent state and how painful it was to see him like that. Kaito held her close, gently stroking her hair to soothe her. Eventually, Carla's sobs quieted as she fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms.
Later that night, Kaito woke Carla with urgency in his voice. "Grisha just entered the city. He's not far from here."
Carla bolted upright, suddenly alert. "Grisha is here? Please, can I see him?" she pleaded.
Kaito considered for a moment before nodding. "Alright, but we must be quick and cautious."
In one smooth motion, he swept Carla into his arms. She yelped in surprise as he dashed to the window and leaped outside, bounding from rooftop to rooftop with preternatural speed and grace.
They arrived at the refugee settlement just in time to witness Grisha storming off with Eren in tow. Carla gasped.
Kaito watched with satisfaction as events aligned with the timeline he knew. "Perfect," he muttered under his breath. This was a pivotal moment.
Carla turned to him, eyes wide. "Where is he taking Eren? What's happening?"
"All in due time," Kaito replied cryptically. For now, they could only observe from the shadows and let destiny take its course.
Carla and Kaito silently followed Grisha and Eren deep into the forest. Grisha was ranting and raving, his personality suddenly shifting erratically.]
Carla watched in bewildered horror as Grisha injected Eren with a strange substance.
Eren began transforming into a gigantic, twisted Titan. Carla couldn't suppress a shriek of horror. Grisha whirled around, shock plastered across his face as he saw Carla alive.
"Run!" Kaito yelled, pulling the shell-shocked Carla away just as Titan Eren charged. They fled through the trees, with Grisha staggering behind. "C-Carla!?", he exclaimed in shock.
His wife...she was alive!?
As Kaito fled out of range of Eren, its attention shifted. They have escaped.
But they witnessed from afar as Titan Eren turned back toward Grisha. Too weak to flee, Grisha fell to his knees - his 13 years as a Titan shifter had ended. He could only watch helplessly as Eren's Titan grabbed and devoured him, his eyes filled with unanswered questions and ... a certain relief?
Kaito had to give it to the man. Even though death swallowed his consciousness, he didn't let out even a whimper, loving his family to the end.
Almost making him feel bad for seducing Carla, almost okay? He will still keep doing it.
Carla sobbed into Kaito's shoulder, overwhelmed by the nightmarish scene. Kaito held her trembling body. A miscalculation on his part; how could he not expect a mother to cry when her son transforms into an ugly ass titan.
Still, the mistake did not change his future plans.
As Carla watched with bated breath, her heart pounding loudly in her chest, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Eren's Titan form began to steam and dissipate, leaving behind a fainted, frail Eren. Her motherly instincts kicked in, and she ran to his side, ignoring everything else.
Kaito, not intervening, followed behind her more slowly. He couldn't help but watch with a certain detachment as Carla picked up Eren, tears streaming down her face. It was all going according to his plan, and it was chilling how well it was working.
Soon, Keith Sadis arrived at the scene, his eyes falling on Carla, cradling the unconscious Eren. The man beside them was unknown to him.
He assumed they were responsible for what had happened to Eren and approached them with a scowl, his voice demanding answers. "What did you do to him?" he snapped, his suspicion evident in his tone.
Kaito quickly jumped in to provide an explanation, his demeanor composed and innocent. "Irene here is Carla's cousin," he explained, pointing to her, "We were walking in the forest when we heard voices yelling and saw a flash of yellow lightning. When we came here, we found Eren like this."
Keith's suspicion was still evident in his expression, and he continued his interrogation. "Was anyone else with you? What happened to Grisha?"
Kaito, with a calm and collected tone, replied, "There was no one else here. We found Eren alone." Irene remained silent, letting Kaito handle the conversation.
Keith couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this new development. "Carla never mentioned having a cousin," he noted.
Irene, with a feigned sadness in her voice, spoke up, "Carla and I haven't met for the past 15 years. We've only communicated through letters."
Keith's suspicion lingered, but he decided to involve the military police in the investigation. "It's best if the authorities look into this," he said, addressing Carla and Kaito. "Leave Eren at the refugee settlement with his friends. The military police can sort this out."
Irene opened her mouth as if to protest, but Kaito gave her a discreet squeeze on the hand, silently urging her not to challenge Keith's decision.
After leaving Eren, Carla and Kaito returned to their house. Carla didn't want to leave her son, but Keith's presence had made it clear that they needed to step back for now. The weight of the recent events bore heavily on her heart, and as soon as Keith was out of sight, Carla's emotions overtook her once again, and she began to cry uncontrollably, overwhelmed by grief and confusion at what had happened to Grisha and Eren.
Kaito, ever the supportive figure, took her into his arms and held her as she wept. He provided comforting words and gentle reassurance, trying to soothe her grief-stricken soul. Between sobs and gasps for air, Carla finally managed to ask the question that had been haunting her:
"Why?" she choked out between sobs. "Why did Grisha turn Eren into that monster? And then...he just let himself get eaten! I don't understand..
Kaito's heart ached to see her pain. "I know, it's unbelievable. But we will figure this out, I promise you," he said softly.
Exhausted, Carla continued weeping in Kaito's arms. He rocked her back and forth, murmuring comforting words until she eventually cried herself to sleep.
Kaito knew the investigation into Grisha's death would be rigorous, given his popularity and skills within the inner walls. He understood the importance of not revealing the whole truth to Carla at once. The story needed to unfold naturally.
The next morning, Carla awoke to find herself wrapped in someone's embrace. The warmth and sense of security she felt were comforting, but when she opened her eyes, she was startled to find Kaito's face so close to her own.
She was lying on his chest, and the memories of the events of the previous day came rushing back.
As Carla distanced herself from Kaito, her gaze was filled with inner turmoil. She couldn't bear to look at him, not after the storm of emotions that had raged through her the previous day. Her heart ached with the weight of her actions and the loss of her husband, Grisha. She felt a deep sense of betrayal and guilt, and it was as though the weight of the world had descended upon her shoulders.
Kaito, while aware of Carla's inner turmoil, gave her space, allowing her to process the flood of emotions that had gripped her. He understood the complexities of the situation and knew that he couldn't push her in any direction.
After a long, heavy silence, Carla finally spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know how to face what happened... the loss of Grisha, my actions, and... you."
Kaito nodded sympathetically, his eyes reflecting understanding. "Carla, I can't pretend to know the pain you're going through, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. You don't have to face this alone."
Carla's tear-filled eyes met Kaito's, and she whispered, "I just need time, Kaito. Time to grieve, time to understand, time to... find a way to move forward."
Kaito nodded once more, his heart filled with empathy. "Take all the time you need, Carla. I'll be here when you're ready."