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"Death is not the opposite of life, but the part of it." - Haruki Murakami
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The irony of fate: a lifetime of running from death's shadow, only to be felled by a single dagger's whisper. Like a leaf torn from its branch, Jacob Ackerman's life was severed in an instant, his desperate sprint towards survival ending in a futile stumble. Rowan's sacrifice only elongated his lifespan but death was an evitable truth for them.
The doctor, a guardian angel to countless souls, found himself powerless to save his own. His skilled hands, which had stitched together the frayed threads of life, were now limp and still. His face, once a map of compassion and kindness, turned pale as alabaster, his eyes frozen in a permanent whisper of surrender. Like a master painter who couldn't color his own canvas, he was unable to save his own life, his brushstrokes of healing silenced by the deadly stroke of fate.
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Year 843
The kidnappers' cart finally creaked to a halt in front of a secluded cabin, hidden deep within the forest's embrace. The wooden structure, weathered to a silvery gray, seemed to blend seamlessly into the surroundings, as if nature itself had claimed it. A faint trail of smoke wafted from the chimney, carrying the scent of burning wood and foreboding.
The eight kidnappers, their faces obscured by hoods, dragged Carla, Mikasa, and Karol from the cart and shoved them into the cabin. The single room, dimly lit by flickering fireplace, stretched out before them like a cramped, eerie stage. A small storage room, its door slightly ajar, hinted at secrets and sinister intentions.
The kidnappers forced their captives onto the rough-hewn floor, binding their wrists and ankles with coarse rope while they lay unconscious
"Tch, that was easy," one of the men sneered, removing his hood. "That bastard Henry died at the hands of a damn kid... Well, that's good, his money will be divided among us now... hahahah."
Another man chimed in, "Honestly, I thought that Ackerman might put up a fight... But look at him, he died with just a single blow... Pathetic."
The men continued their conversation, their voices dripping with malice. "Hey, are they really going to be useful? They're not virgins, except for the little girl, you know that..."
One of them explained, "You idiot, it doesn't matter if they're virgins or not... Look at their faces... They're oriental, and that's what matters."
Their gazes fell upon the three helpless women, sitting unconscious side by side. "Tch... Not bad... But doesn't strike my fancy..."
"I don't care about your taste," their leader growled. "Our concern is the money we'll get from selling them as slaves... They're oriental, and that's rare. They're descendants of a family that escaped through Wall Sina from the Orient."
"These beauties will be auctioned off at the perverted patron in the underground market of the capital... The other orientals are wiped out, so they'll fetch us a handsome price... The little girl is half Ackerman, but the real prize is the other two, fully grown... I guess we should keep the little one for ourselves, and sell the rest..."
The man's evil grin made him look like a pig, reveling in his own depravity.
One of the men spoke up, "Doesn't it seem odd, though? That military police pig Matteus paid us to assassinate Ackerman and gave us the permission to sell these girls as slaves this'll only benefit us right?..."
Another man replied, "Well, he had grudges against the Ackerman since his friend slaughtered Matteus'es ideal Zaphyr Vale. Now that his task is fulfilled, he doesn't need anything else from us... That's the contract."
Just then, Mikasa's eyes fluttered open, her gaze falling upon the five men standing before them, discussing their evil plans. The room fell cold for her, and a shiver ran down her spine. Memories of the earlier scene at her house flooded her mind in a blur - Eren, her dad, her uncle... Tears streamed down her face, her grief unexplainable.
Similarly, Carla and Karol regained consciousness, their eyes fixed on each other with sadness and realization. They remembered the incident, and the weight of their situation crushed them. "Karol..." Carla whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.
The three women say there, bound and helpless, their minds racing with fear, grief, and despair. The men's conversation continued, oblivious to the terror they had unleashed upon their captives.
Mikasa's gaze drifted from one cruel face to another, her mind racing with thoughts of escape. She struggled against her restraints, but they only tightened around her wrists and ankles.
Carla and Karol exchanged a desperate glance, their eyes pleading for a miracle. But none came.
One of the men, seemingly bored with the conversation, turned his attention to the women. "Well, well, well. Look who's awake. The little birds are finally singing."
He sneered at Karol, his eyes roving over her face. "You're quite the famous one, aren't you? The Ackerman's wife. I've heard a lot about you."
Karol spat at his feet, her defiance igniting a spark of fury in the man's eyes.
"Oh, a feisty one, huh? We'll see how long that spirit lasts," he sneered, raising his foot to kick her. His meanacing feet connected with her stomach making her scream in pain. "Mother.." Mikasa shouted. " Please I beg you please stop... Don't hurt her." Carla pleaded
"Hahahaha.... Look at you.... Maybe I'll just have some fun with you.. you damn bitch." He said his hand reaching his pants.
But before he could continue, a voice intervened, "Enough. We don't want to damage the goods.... Your actions might lower her auction value."
The man hesitated, then backed off, his eyes never leaving Karol's face who lay on the floor tears escaping her eyes in pain while Mikasa and Carla helped her up.
The leader of the group spoke up, "We'll be moving out soon. Prepare the women for transport."
As the men began to move, Carla whispered to Mikasa and Karol, "We have to escape. We can't let them sell us."
Mikasa nodded, her eyes scanning the room for any opportunity. Karol's gaze met hers, a determined glint in her eyes.
But before they could continue.....
The door burst open, shattering the silence like a thunderclap. Everyone's gaze snapped towards the entrance, their faces frozen in shock. Mikasa's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice barely above a whisper: "Eren...?"
The leader's face darkened, his voice laced with venom: "What's the meaning of this, Jeffery?"
Jeffery, the driver, stumbled into the room, clutching Eren's limp form by the hair. Eren's body struggled feebly, his eyes unfocused, his teeth clenched in a mixture of pain and defiance. Blood streamed down his face, pooling on the floor like a dark halo.
"He was outside the cabin," Jeffery said hesitantly, his chest heavy. " He managed to kill Gregory and Bill... But I luckily hit him on the head... or he'd have taken us all down."
The leader's eyes blazed with fury, his gaze searing into the man who had shot Eren earlier that evening. "Didn't you shot him properly? He's supposed to be dead, not crawling back like a damned zombie!"
The man took a step back, his hands raised defensively. "I swear, sir, I shot him point-blank... He collapsed right there on the spot... I don't know how he's still alive..."
The air was heavy with tension, the silence oppressive, as if the very walls were watching the scene unfold. Mikasa's gaze never left Eren's face, her heart racing with a mix of fear and pain. Carla and Karol exchanged a terrified glance, their minds reeling with the implications.
Eren's eyes flickered, his gaze locking onto Mikasa's, a spark of recognition igniting in their depths. His lips moved, a whisper escaping: "Mikasa..."
The leader loomed over Eren, his eyes blazing with fury. "So, you're the one responsible for killing three of my men..." He gestured to the chains, his voice dripping with malice. "Chain him."
The man hastily bound Eren's wrists to the wall, the metal clanking ominously. Two chains held him upright, his legs trembling beneath him.
The leader's fist connected with Eren's face, sending his head snapping back. "Ereh!" Mikasa screamed, her plea echoing off the walls, but it fell on deaf ears.
As the leader continued to torture Eren, each punch landing with precision, Mikasa's cries grew hoarse. She struggled against her restraints, but the ropes didn't allow her to move, rendering her immobile. All she could do was watch in horror as Eren's eyes fluttered, his vision barely focusing on the three helpless women.
The leader's anger seemed boundless, his blows relentless. "Why won't you just die?" he bellowed.
Suddenly, he paused, his gaze narrowing. "Wait..." He tore off Eren's undercoat and long-sleeved shirt, revealing his torso. Eren's legs had given out, and he hung suspended by the chains.
The leader's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze fixed on Eren's wound. "Oh... I see." He grinned, his voice dripping with evil. "You are one clever bastard...." Eren used his blade and the fireplace to cauterize his wound after removing the bullet with his bare hands.
Mikasa's eyes locked onto Eren's, her heart racing with a mix of fear and awe. How had he managed to survive? And at what cost? Why was he trying so hard? Why did the very scene seemed so familiar to her?
The leader's gaze shifted from Eren's muscular torso to the key hanging around his neck. "Tch, what the heck is this?" he said, holding the key.
But before he could continue, Eren's low voice cut through the air. "Let them go... I'll give you all the money... All the money you want... Just let them go..."
The room erupted in laughter, and the leader sneered,"What kind of a fool do you take me for kid ...." his gaze shifted to the women as he continued,"They're fine products and will make good toys to play with."
Eren's teeth clenched, his head rising, his eyes filled with hatred. "I'll kill you... You son of a bitch... For what you did to my family, you'll all pay for that..."
The laughter grew harder as blood left Eren's head. An evil grin appeared at his face as his low and venomous voice escaped his lips,"Hahaha... So what if you're tough shit kid? Your bravery is the real reason you'll die..."
Eren's gaze narrowed, his head lowering, his eyes meeting the dagger stuck in his wound, reopening it. "Gahhhhhhh..." Eren spat blood, his mouth overflowing.
The room erupted in cries from the three girls. Eren's frail body went limp, supported only by the chains, his body giving up on him.
"Erennnnnn!" Mikasa screamed struggling to get up, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she screamed in despair. But Eren, once a proud figure, didn't budge. His eyes closed, and his body paled.
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Mikasa whispered, her teeth clenched in anguish. "You'll pay... All I ever wanted was Eren, and you took him from me."
Mikasa's eyes blazed with a fierce determination, her Ackerman instincts stirring, making Eren her sole focus. She felt an surge of power in her arms, her strength skyrocketing. "You'll payyy!" she roared, tearing apart the ropes that tied against her limbs.
Mikasa's figure emerged from the darkness, her fists clenched and her eyes blazing with fury. She mercilessly sprinted towards the leader, punching him straight in the face. He stumbled backward, crashing onto the wooden floor.
"I'll kill you... You took Eren away from me," Mikasa snarled, her voice trembling with rage and tears streaming down her face.
She pounced on the leader, unleashing a flurry of punches, but her small frame was no match for the men. They easily overpowered her, pinning her to the floor.
The leader struggled to his feet, his face twisted in a snarl. "You damned bitch..." he spat, his voice dripping with malice.
With a firm tone, he barked orders at his men, "Take them away! We need to transport them before dawn, or we won't be able to enter the underground. I'll deal with this kid later, by myself."
As the men dragged Mikasa and the others away, Eren's limp form remained, his breathing faint, his heart giving up. Blood continued to escape his wound, sliding through the dagger's handle, drop by drop, onto the floor. His vision faded, his thoughts consumed by Mikasa's desperate cry: "Ereh..."
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"Live a long life, my child," a sweet, embracing voice whispered near Eren's ear.
"Eh?" Eren thought, bewildered, finding himself in a desolate desert that stretched miles in every direction. The darkness seemed to be closing in around him, and a strange tree emitting a faint light loomed in the distance. "What the hell is that?" Eren wondered, noticing its branches reaching into the dark horizon like skeletal fingers.
As he struggled to stand, his gaze fell upon a tall, imposing figure with long hair, dressed in a black undercoat and trousers. The man's piercing green eyes fixed intently on Eren.
"Who are you?" Eren whispered, his voice barely audible.
The man's response was heavy with gravity. "It doesn't matter who I am. All that matters is saving your loved ones."
Eren's voice was laced with hopelessness. "It's no use... I'm as good as dead." His eyes dropped, defeat etched on his face.
The man's expression remained enigmatic, his green eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. "Death is not the end, Eren. It's a new beginning."
Eren's gaze lifted, skepticism etched on his face. "What do you mean?"
The man rose, his movements fluid and graceful. "Come, Eren. Let me show you."
He extended a hand, and Eren hesitated, unsure if he should trust this stranger. But something about the man's words resonated deep within him. He took the offered hand, and the man pulled him to his feet.
As they walked towards the glowing tree, the darkness seemed to recede, revealing a path Eren hadn't noticed before. The tree's branches seemed to reach out, embracing them in a warm, ethereal light.
"What is this place?" Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The man's smile was cryptic. "This is the Path. And you, Eren, are at crossroads."
The man's words hung in the air, heavy with significance. Eren's mind raced, trying to comprehend the meaning behind them.
"What? Crossroads?" Eren repeated, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape. "What do you mean?"
The man's gaze seemed to bore into Eren's soul. "You have a choice to make, Eren. A choice that will determine the course of your destiny."
Eren's thoughts flashed back to his family, his friends, and the world he knew. "What choice?" he asked, his voice laced with desperation.
The man's expression turned solemn. "The choice to kill or be killed. The choice to succumb to darkness, or embrace the light."
As he spoke, the tree's glow intensified, illuminating two paths before them. One was shrouded in darkness, the other bathed in radiant light.
Eren's heart raced, his mind torn apart by the weight of the decision. Life or Death. The choice seemed impossible.
Death would reunite him with his true family - Karen and Eren whom he craved to meet. But Life... Life would be a never-ending torment, a constant struggle to protect his loved ones from the horrors of the world.
Yet, Eren knew he couldn't surrender to death's embrace. Not yet. He couldn't bear the thought of Mikasa, Karol and Carla being sold into slavery, suffering the same fate as Levi's mother- Kuchel had endured.
With a resolute determination, Eren looked back, but the mysterious figure had vanished into the unknown.
Eren's hand extended towards the light, a faint smile on his lips. "Thanks for showing me the right path," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
He'll fight for his loved ones, and forge a new path, no matter the cost. His mother's words echoed in his mind and he knew he couldn't afford to die yet.
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Mikasa's anguished shriek pierced Eren's mind, his eyes fluttering open as he stood there chained, his head still lowered. The pain he felt was indescribable. The two women struggled to resist, but their efforts were futile. Mikasa's strength, however, was uncontrollable for the men.
She broke free from her captor and rushed to Eren, embracing him tightly. Her grip conveyed her desperation and sadness, as if she wanted to cry out loud." My Eren please wake up.... you can't die yet.... You promised to stay by my side forever" The person she had always relied on for comfort was now on the brink of death, and she felt powerless to save him.
The leader snarled, "You've started to get on my nerves, you bitch..." He grabbed Mikasa by the hair and flung her to the wooden floor. Her small body crashed onto the ground, followed by a kick to her stomach, making her scream in agony, reminiscent of the pain Karol had endured earlier.
"Mikasa!" Karol and Carla shouted in unison, pushing the kidnappers aside to reach their daughter. They hugged her, tears streaming down their faces. "You monsters... Why... Why... We never did anything to you... then why won't you just let us live..." But the leader remained silent rage evident on his fucked up face, gesturing to the others to secure the captives.
But then, a sudden, eerie voice echoed through the air, like metal shattering. "What the heck was that?" the leader muttered, his gaze shifting to the chains that had held Eren earlier, now broken into smithereens.
Before he could finish his sentence, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh....." One of the six kidnappers wailed in agony, his limbs severed from his body, his torso crashing onto the wooden floor as he screamed in pain, tears streaming down his face before his soul left his body.
"Who did this?" the leader roared, his dagger clenched tightly in his fist.
A menacing voice came from the front, and the leader's gaze shifted to Eren, whose tongue lolled out of his mouth, saliva dripping down his chin. His eyes, calm and focused, fixed intently onto him. The dagger used to stab him now lay clutched in his hand, but how had he managed to use it to sever the kidnapper's limbs?
"Run away..." Eren said gesturing towards the other exit, his voice low and even, his gaze still fixed on the opponents.
"But we can't," Karol tried to resist.
"We can't leave you here, sweetie," Carla argued, but Eren's low, menacing voice cut her off.
"I won't repeat myself... Leave!" His gaze shifted to the girls, his tongue still sticking out, his eyes relaxed.
"Sweetie, please, we can't..." Carla pleaded, but Karol grabbed her hand and Mikasa's, and they quickly fled towards the door.
"Erehhhhh..." Mikasa shouted, her eyes never leaving Eren's as they exited the cabin.
"Goodbye, Mikasa..." Eren whispered, his gaze shifting to the remaining five kidnappers. His body had stopped trembling, and he now had perfect control over himself. He had found the key Levi mentioned earlier. He felt like he could do anything. An impure Ackerman with awakened abilities.
"Fight... Fight... fight!!" Eren clenched his dagger, crushing the handle beneath his tight grip.
The leader, enraged, shouted, "You cocky bastard! Don't let them escape!" The leader pointed towards Mikasa and others escaping through the other room's exit as he advanced towards Eren with his axe.
Eren began counting, dodging the axe that came flying towards him. "One..." He moved slightly to the right, avoiding the vertical swing.
"You don't..." Eren's voice was low as his left hand gripped the leader's wrist, holding the axe crushing his wrist with his tight grip making the kidnapper's hoarse scream escaped his mouth. In a swift motion, he severed the leader's hand, who was screaming in agony followed by a lightning fast punch at the abdomen. " Now you know how it feels." The leader collapsed right there.
Eren's gaze shifted at the kidnapper who was sprinting towards the door trying to catch up with the girls," Two.." Eren said his voice above a whisper
Eren catched the axe mid air that the leader dropped and sent it flying towards one of the kidnapper striking him in the back. Blood rushed out as he lay dead on the ground.
With the dagger still clutched in his hand, Eren threw it at another kidnapper rushing towards the door. The blade impaled him right in the skull, killing him instantly.
The remaining three kidnappers froze, terrified, as Eren stood tall, his eyes fixed on them with an unnerving calmness.
The three remaining kidnappers exchanged fearful glances, their eyes darting towards the door, searching for an escape. But Eren's gaze held them captive, his calm demeanor more unsettling than any rage.
"Three.." Eren whispered, his voice low and menacing.
The kidnappers took a step back, their hands raised in surrender. But Eren's eyes told them it was too late.
With a swift motion, he grabbed the nearest kidnapper and slammed him into the wall, his hand closing around the man's throat.
"Four..." Eren counted, his grip tightening.
The kidnapper's eyes bulged as Eren's hand crushed his windpipe. He slumped to the ground, lifeless. His eyeballs escaping their orbit and hung out of the head.
The last two kidnappers turned to flee through the other exit, but Eren was too quick. He caught them and dispatched them with equal swiftness, his movements eerily silent.
Eren's eyes narrowed as he gazed at them his teeth clenched in rage. "Fuhhhhhhh..." He exhaled deeply, his merciless hand retrieving the axe from the back of the kidnapper he had killed earlier. With a slow, menacing pace, he advanced towards the duo, each step a death sentence.
One of the kidnappers begged, "Please, let us go... We were forced into this.."
" Five..."
Eren's lightning-fast strike cut him off, the axe embedding itself in the man's chest. Blood burst forth, killing him instantly.
"Six.."
The last kidnapper crumbled under Eren's swift punches, his skull shattered with just three strikes.
Eren's gaze shifted to the leader, who lay motionless, feigning death. But Eren saw through the ruse, noticing the tears escaping the man's eyes due to the pain of a severed hand. " What happened asshole... Is that all..." Eren asked his voice low his tongue sticking out unconsciously.
"No, please... Forgive me... I..." The leader begged, but Eren's response was merciless. He grabbed a dagger that was impaled in the skull of one of the kidnapper and struck the leader in the thigh, making him scream in despair. Blood spewed from the man's mouth.
"Let's play a game, shall we" Eren said, his voice low and venomous. "If you can tolerate the pain I inflict on you for the next 30 seconds, I'll let you live..." Eren's eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity, his words dripping with malice.
The leader's eyes widened in terror as Eren's dagger danced across his body, inflicting precise, calculated wounds. Each cut was a masterpiece of pain, designed to extract maximum suffering without killing.
"Twenty-five..." Eren counted, his voice devoid of emotion.
The leader's screams filled the air, his body trembling uncontrollably as Eren's dagger continued its gruesome waltz.
"Twenty..."
Eren's gaze never wavered, his focus solely on the leader's agony. He was a conductor orchestrating a symphony of pain, each note carefully crafted to maximize torment.
"Fifteen ..."
The leader's pleas for mercy were reduced to incoherent whispers, his voice shattered by the unrelenting anguish.
"Ten ..."
Eren's dagger paused, hovering above the leader's trembling form. For a moment, there was silence, punctuated only by the leader's ragged gasps.
"Five, Four, Three, Two..." Eren counted, his voice cold and detached. The leader, thinking he had been spared, flashed a pathetic smile, despite his body being covered in wounds.
"Whoops... Let's restart the timer, shall we!" Eren exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.
The leader's smile faltered, his eyes widening in horror as he realized his fate was far from sealed. "Noooooooooo..." he screamed, but his voice was muffled by his own despair.
"Looks like you failed... You're done," Eren declared, his gaze devoid of mercy.
With a swift strike, he impaled the dagger in the leader's right hand, pinning it to the wooden floor. The leader's screams echoed through the room as Eren's gaze shifted towards the crackling fireplace.
He advanced towards the fire, his footsteps slow and deliberate, his eyes fixed on the flames dancing within. The warmth and light of the fire seemed to beckon him, a stark contrast to the darkness and chaos that surrounded him.
As he approached the fireplace, the leader's muffled screams grew fainter, a testament to Eren's unyielding resolve. The fire crackled and spat, casting flickering shadows on Eren's face, illuminating the depths of his unrelenting determination.
With a swift motion, Eren hurled a flaming log from the fireplace onto the dry wooden floor, the flames igniting the wooden planks with a hungry crackle. The fire spread rapidly, consuming the wooden beams and walls with an insatiable ferocity.
The leader's screams grew louder, his pinned hand thrashing wildly as the flames licked at his skin. Eren watched, unmoved, as the fire engulfed the cabin, the wooden structure creaking and groaning in protest.
The flames danced across the room, casting flickering shadows on Eren's face, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. He stood amidst the inferno, his presence seemingly impervious to the heat and chaos around him.
As the cabin burned, Eren's gaze never wavered, his focus fixed on the destruction he had unleashed. The fire raged on, consuming everything in its path, leaving nothing but smoldering embers and ash in its wake.
With a final glance at the burning cabin, Eren's legs gave out, his blood still dripping out and he collapsed to the ground. His Ackerman instincts, which had driven him to slaughter the kidnappers, finally lay dormant. But as the darkness of the night closed in around him, Eren's vision began to fade.
"Mikasa... Sorry..." he whispered, a lone tear escaping his eye as his eyelids drooped. His hand that grasped the distant stars fell on the ground.
His gaze drifted towards the moonless sky, and his thoughts grew hazy. As his eyes closed, Eren's body went limp, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The silence of the night enveloped him, punctuated only by the distant crackling of the burning cabin.