Mikasa's POV
Year 847
"My name is Eren Yeager..."
Those words echoed in my ears, tugging at my heartstrings, and in that moment, everything shifted. My chest tightened, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, a wave of hope and joy washed over me, as if I'd been brought back to life.
It was Eren—my Eren.
He stood there, taller now, stronger, more mature. The sight of him, even from behind, was overwhelming. Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
A smile I couldn't control spread across my face. The word escaped me in a broken whisper, "Ereh..." My heart whispered the rest, you're alive, you're here.
But before I could take another step toward him, I felt a hand gently pull me back. I turned, my tear-filled eyes meeting Armin's. His expression mirrored mine—full of emotions too heavy to speak aloud.
"Don't... Don't go now," Armin whispered, his voice barely steady. "Let's wait... We don't want to make a scene, okay?" He knew me too well, knew that if I ran to Eren now, it would draw every eye in the camp. And we'd probably be running laps until the sun set alongside Sasha.
I nodded, reluctantly holding myself back. The others around us noticed our tears, but no one said a word. Eren's voice, calm and steady, felt like music to my ears—so familiar, so soothing.
I focused on his figure, standing there, talking with Commander Keith, wanting nothing more than to rush to him, to be near him, to hold him.
But I stayed. I stayed even though every part of me screamed to close the distance between us. Memories flooded my mind—memories of the three of us, of Eren, of everything we'd been through together.
He had to know how much I had missed him, how much I still adored him.
Suddenly, Keith's voice boomed across the training ground, "Now, everyone, thanks to Sasha Blouse here, you'll perform 100 pushups! I won't tolerate any failures. Start!"
Everyone groaned, their eyes shooting daggers at Sasha, who could only laugh awkwardly. But without missing a beat, Eren dropped to the ground and began his pushups, setting the pace for everyone else.
I clenched my fists, biting my lip in frustration. Commander Keith... he's the reason this reunion is being delayed. Doesn't he realize how badly I want to see Eren's face, to hear his voice without any distance between us?
But for now, all I could do was wait. Even though I kept up with the pushups, moving in sync with Eren, my gaze never left his figure. Keith's voice boomed over us, counting every rep as if he thrived on our exhaustion.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally completed the drill. Those who couldn't keep up were dismissed, sent to the fields to help prepare for the famine—a grim reminder that even after two years, many of the evacuees from Shiganshina still had no real home.
"Cadets! Your training begins tomorrow at sunrise. No exceptions! I want to see you all out in the field. Understood?" Keith barked.
I could feel the frustration boiling inside me. I loathed the sound of Keith's voice, but right now, it didn't matter. I had one thing on my mind—Eren.
But my life really is the worst.....
After the announcement, the cadets were herded like cattle, each of us assigned separate dorms. I nearly groaned when I learned that girls and boys would be living apart.
How was I supposed to stay close to Eren now? The thought of not being able to share those quiet, comforting moments with him—those nights where I'd curl up against him, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest—made my heart ache.
I scanned the crowd, desperately searching for Eren amidst the chaos. But I was stuck in line, forced to listen to the instructors drone on about the dorm arrangements, the mess hall, the training grounds, all while my mind was elsewhere.
I nodded absentmindedly, my eyes found Eren at the front. He was already being told about his dorm, partnered with someone who wasn't me.
I clenched my fists, my frustration bubbling under the surface. Not only had I been kept apart from him during training, but now we wouldn't even be sharing the same living space. I tried to stay calm, but the thought of not being able to be with him—especially after all these years—was unbearable.
My gaze then shifted to a small, blonde girl standing beside Eren. She looked cute, but that only made me more anxious. Was she... hitting on him? I gasped softly, my thoughts swirling with sudden jealousy.
If she was trying to get close to him, I wouldn't forgive her. My eyes narrowed in frustration, flicking toward the instructor who was still wasting my time with partner assignments.
"I'm sorry, it seems your partner was punished. I believe her name was Sasha Blouse... You can go ahead," the instructor finally said, dismissing me.
Damn what were the odds of that....
At last. I sighed in relief, noticing Armin also being dismissed on the boys' side. His face lit up with a wide smile, waving at me to hurry.
"I just saw Eren head to the fields, let's go quick!" Armin's voice was eager, full of excitement. My heart raced, pounding against my chest as I felt a few tears slip down my cheeks. Finally, I would see him.
"Quick, we don't have time," Armin urged, shaking me gently as we both sprinted toward the exit, our feet pounding against the cobblestone floor.
The urgency in his voice pushed me forward, my thoughts consumed by one thing—Eren.
As we stepped outside, the sky had already darkened. The horizon was swallowed by shadows, and the air was filled with the sounds of distant owls hooting and birds retreating as bats began their evening flight.
"There!" Armin's voice rang out, his finger pointing toward Eren in the distance. But then, my heart sank—walking beside him was that same blonde girl, her blue eyes bright as she smiled at him. She seemed... happy.
But none of that mattered right now.
Tears blurred my vision, and I couldn't hold them back any longer. I broke into a sprint, my feet slamming against the ground as if my body had taken control of its own.
I stumbled, nearly falling face-first, but I didn't care—I had to reach him. My heart pounded harder with every step, each second feeling like a lifetime.
"Eren!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the field. I poured everything into that call—desperation, longing, everything I had kept bottled up inside for so long. Beside me, I could hear Armin trying to keep up, but all I could focus on was Eren.
"Eren...!" I cried out again, my voice shaking as it reached his ears. I watched as his movements stopped, his posture stiffening as if something within him finally recognized the sound. The girl beside him looked confused, her blue eyes searching, but I didn't care. All I saw was him.
My teeth clenched in a twisted mix of agony, love, and relief. My heart swelled, crashing against my chest as my dampened eyes locked onto Eren's. His green orbs—those beautiful, glistening emeralds—turned slowly to meet mine.
The moment they did, it was like the world around us vanished, and time stood still. Those eyes… they'd always captivated me, their depth pulling me into a place only we knew. A place where no pain could touch us.
"Eren..." Armin and I shouted together, the weight of our shared grief, our longing, finally closing the distance between us.
I couldn't stop myself. Before I knew it, I had broken down completely. I threw myself into his arms, wrapping around him with a desperation I couldn't hide.
I held him so tightly, as if my life depended on it—as if letting go would shatter me all over again. I buried my face into his shoulder, my sobs coming in waves, breaking the silence of the night.
"My Eren... My Eren..." I whispered between gasps, my tears staining his jacket, the salty trails slipping down and soaking into the fabric of his shirt. Each tear felt like it carried a piece of my soul—pieces I'd thought I'd lost forever.
"Oh god... it... it really is you..." Armin's voice cracked beside me, his own dam of tears breaking, his sobs mingling with mine as he joined the embrace. His trembling hands gripped Eren's shoulder, his words faltering as his emotions overtook him.
"We... thought you were... you were..." Armin choked on his words, unable to finish, the grief from that day crashing over us all once again. He clung to Eren, the three of us bound by the pain we had carried, the hope we had nearly abandoned.
But here he was, in my arms again. Alive.
However…
"Excuse me, have we met somewhere before?"