The ruins had never felt more suffocating. The weight of unseen forces pressed down on Eren, the air thick with something he couldn't define—anticipation, fear, or maybe the remnants of something ancient.
He rolled the silver coin between his fingers, the edges cold against his skin. It should have been a simple object, a mere piece of metal. But it wasn't.
It was a symbol.
A key to something bigger than himself.
His mind replayed the encounter from earlier—the woman with violet hair and piercing amber eyes, the certainty in her voice when she spoke of his inevitable fate.
"You will die."
The words echoed like a prophecy.
His heart pounded.
Had the Academy truly noticed him? Had he made a mistake somewhere?
No—he had been careful.
But maybe caution was never enough.
---
The Silent Pursuer
Eren exhaled, forcing his mind to focus. The ruins weren't safe, not anymore. The shadows around him felt alive, shifting with an unnatural rhythm.
And then—a whisper.
Barely audible.
A brush of wind that wasn't wind.
He wasn't alone.
His instincts roared, and he turned just in time.
A dagger whistled past his face, missing him by an inch.
Eren's body reacted before his mind did, mana surging through his veins as he spun, summoning a wall of dark tendrils from the ground.
The figure that emerged was cloaked, their features hidden behind a mask of black steel. Their movements were swift—too swift for a normal human.
Another dagger flashed, aimed for his throat.
Eren barely had time to block, twisting his body at the last moment as the blade scraped against his shoulder, slicing fabric but missing flesh.
"Who the hell is this?!"
This wasn't a random attack.
This was an assassination attempt.
---
A Desperate Gamble
Eren countered.
Dark tendrils lashed out, wrapping around the assassin's wrist—but before they could tighten, the masked figure twisted unnaturally, evading with inhuman precision.
A flicker of mana—an enchantment? A skill?
Eren didn't hesitate. He summoned a wave of abyssal energy, forcing the attacker back. The air rippled as the ground beneath them cracked, the very essence of the ruins rejecting their presence.
The assassin landed a few feet away, staring at him through the emotionless steel mask.
Then, they spoke.
"You're stronger than expected. But that changes nothing."
The voice was cold, distorted.
Eren clenched his fists. "Who sent you?"
The assassin didn't answer. Instead, they rushed forward again—but this time, Eren was ready.
The Grimoir of Infinite Malice pulsed against his chest, whispering in his mind.
"Use it."
Power surged.
Eren extended his hand, and for the first time, he stopped holding back.
A black sigil flared beneath his feet, and from the darkness, a creature emerged.
Not a beast. Not a summon.
But a manifestation of something deeper—something unnatural.
The assassin hesitated.
That was their first mistake.
---
The Forbidden Power Unleashed
Eren's eyes darkened as the creature lunged forward, an amalgamation of writhing shadows and piercing crimson light.
The assassin reacted, moving with deadly precision, but it wasn't enough.
The creature snapped forward, tendrils extending like spears, forcing the assassin to leap back, barely escaping the instant kill.
This wasn't a normal summon.
This was something different. Something only the Grimoir could create.
The assassin landed a few meters away, their breathing heavier now. Their dagger was raised, but Eren could sense it—hesitation.
They hadn't expected this.
Eren took a slow step forward, his own breath steady despite the lingering pain in his shoulder. "You're done. Leave while you still can."
The assassin stared at him for a long moment.
Then—they vanished.
Not fled.
Not escaped.
They simply… disappeared.
A flicker of mana was the only thing left behind.
Eren's hands tightened into fists.
"This isn't over."
---
Aftermath and Realization
The ruins were silent once more, but Eren could still feel the weight of the encounter pressing down on him.
Someone had tried to kill him.
Not out of coincidence.
Not out of random malice.
It was planned.
Which meant—the Academy's suspicions were worse than he thought.
He wasn't just being watched.
They were acting against him.
Eren exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to analyze rather than panic.
He needed to move carefully. Smarter.
He needed to be stronger.
And most of all…
He needed to find out who was truly pulling the strings.
Because one thing was clear.
This was just the beginning.
---
Author's Note
Things are escalating!
Eren just barely survived an assassination attempt—but who sent the assassin? The Academy? A secret faction? Or someone even more dangerous?
What do you think? Let me know your theories in the comments!
— bloodyking99