Samael's POV:
Far, far beyond the reach of Central Elysium, in a hideout so secluded that even the Dragon King, the supreme ruler of Elysium, could not trace it, a dark assembly was underway.
The chamber, vast and cavernous, was cloaked in a perpetual twilight that defied the sun's feeble attempts to penetrate the dense, swirling miasma of dark energy emanating from the gathered figures. Shadows twisted and coiled around them, as if the very fabric of reality recoiled from their presence.
At the heart of this dismal lair stood a grand round table, flanked by twelve imposing chairs, but only six of them bore the weight of figures shrouded in jet-black cloaks. Their attire seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, adding to the already palpable sense of dread that permeated the air.
One of the seated figures, his hooded face obscured, broke the oppressive silence with a sharp query. "Where are the others?" His voice was a low rasp that cut through the murk.
"Seems you weren't informed…" came the reply from another shadowy figure, his tone laden with a dark amusement.
The first figure's eyes, burning with a fierce intensity, narrowed dangerously. "What happened?"
"HE... has awoken..." The response was a mere whisper, yet the gravity of it hung heavy in the room. The figure who spoke trembled ever so slightly, a subtle but unmistakable sign of the fear they all harbored.
A woman, her voice both commanding and chilling, broke the tense silence. "Which vessel...?"
The collective gaze shifted to the figure seated at the head of the table, their presence exuding an almost regal authority amidst the gloom.
"The fallen one, the one who once carried the will," came the chilling pronouncement. A malevolent grin spread among the gathered figures, an expression of sinister satisfaction.
"Now it begins... I want the keys of Zarendal. You all know what to do," the commanding figure declared, his voice echoing with a dark finality. With a synchronized nod, the cloaked figures bowed deeply before vanishing into the darkness, leaving only two figures behind in the dim, brooding chamber.
"Should I fetch him...?" the same cold voice inquired, now tinged with a hint of eagerness.
"No... He will come to us... HEHEHEHEHE....." The laughter that followed was both unsettling and filled with a dreadful anticipation.
---
"HAAH!"
I gasped and sat up, only to be overwhelmed by the blinding rays of light filtering through the dense canopy of trees in the forest.
"Huh...?" For some reason, that was the first word to escape my lips as I surveyed my surroundings.
I looked up and caught a glimpse of the sun; it was as I remembered it to be, and there were also the clouds. Hmm. Is this Earth?
Just then, a flood of memories crashed down on me and I remembered everything...
"System..."
"System...?"
"Um... Log?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and, surprisingly, an interface surfaced.
[Arael>>>>23%
Samael>>>>40%
???????>>>>37%]
"Arael... Hmm." The name was faintly familiar. "I think I met someone named Arael just before I... died. But I can't it remember clearly," I muttered to myself, but suddenly, i felt something was off with me.
No....
It wasn't just something...
IT WAS EVERYTHING!!!
I could feel it...
I could feel something other than anger and annoyance.
I can finally feel something!
No...
This shouldn't be the first time.
I think... I think I felt something just before now.
Yes!
Arael's mom, I think.
Hmm.
I have to see her again. I don't know why, but I just want to.
Haah.
Well, at least I'm alive.
"Back to the pressing issue," I muttered, focusing once more on the interface before me.
This confirmed Arael's suspicions. We were sharing this body, but the implications of what happened to the part of us not in control were still unclear. And what of the enigmatic cluster of question marks?
Is it a person like Arael?
Why the question marks?
Tsk.
Arael was right—this wasn't the real Eren. If it were, the interface would have indicated it explicitly. The ambiguity left room for unsettling possibilities:
One, an enemy.
Two, a friend.
'HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!'
'What... What was that?!' I shouted, scrambling to my feet. I misjudged my balance, stumbling into the trunk behind me with a painful thud.
"Damn!" I groaned in pain, suddenly sympathizing with Arael's struggle to bring this frail body out of that wretched place.
"I have a question for you..." Came the voice once again.
"That can wait," I replied through gritted teeth, my mind running on overdrive to give meaning to this situation. "First tell me who you are..." I added.
"... Ren... I think."
"You think?! Wait... where are you even?!" I demanded, my confusion mounting as I heard the voice clearly but could not see its source.
"Just as you are in mine, I am in your mind," came the calm reply.
"What....?" I blurted.