Vita et Mors

Chapter 4

I wandered around the house in the early morning, a fog settling across the open field, obscuring my vision. Hanji advised me to stay within the lines between the forest and the property, so not wanting to look for another Titan, I made my way around back. 

Hedges shaped like different animals towered over me; butterflies danced around the blossoms, and birds chirped enthusiastically, swooping in and out of the trees.

Historia hummed a happy tune, pruning a cluster of rose bushes. She wiped her sweat with a rag and paused when I gave her an awkward wave. "Eren! Good morning! I didn't think you'd be up this early?" In truth, I didn't think I would wake up either, but I tossed and turned the whole night with no chance of getting any shut-eye. 

"I couldn't sleep, but I'm just worried about my family." Historia slipped the shears in a pocket of the apron she was wearing. 

She gave him a lopsided grin. "I'm sure they're doing okay," she paused. "And if it makes you feel better, they probably won't notice since time runs differently here." She said matter of factly. 

Did I hear that right? "Time runs differently?" 

Historia nodded. "I'm not sure how long a day's stay here would be compared to Shinganshina, but I think it would be, around maybe a couple of seconds?" 

Seconds? "So, you're telling me, If I stay here for a month, then only two and a half hours have passed back home?" 

She pursed her lips, "Yes, I think so, but I'm not the one that should probably explain this to you." 

A bell rang, and Historia instantly perked up. "It's breakfast time! Let's go!" I let her drag me to the front porch and into the dining room, where a line had formed for the food. 

As I listened to the conversations jumbling together, I couldn't help but think back to what Historia had said. If time worked differently here, could I easily lose track of time and forget about going home? The question circulated in my mind over and over until Hanji brought me out of my daze. 

"Are you alright, Eren?" She asked. 

I shook my head, "Everything's fine." But everything wasn't fine. I had the key. I rested after exacting my revenge on Isabel, so what was holding me back from just leaving? It's not like I was being held hostage. 

It wasn't the titan. My mother didn't even know half of these people except Hanji, but my gut told me to stay. 

Something would happen, and I needed to be here to witness it. Like I was the key to some major event.

I pulled the necklace underneath my shirt, "Hanji, what's this key for?" 

The conversation went silent as Hanji stopped mid-bite. She placed her sandwich on the plate, "I don't know." 

I was confused, "You sent a message to my mentally unstable dad to ask for a key that you don't even know what to do with?" My voice rose, "So, why would you ask in the first place?" Hanji sighed. The rest of the room held their breath as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. 

She made eye contact with the girl with the hooked nose. "Annie, he needs to see him." The girl closed her eyes tightly and looked at me, gesturing for me to follow her. Hanji followed close behind as we made our way to the top floor. Instead of going up into the attic we took a right towards the bathroom, stopping at the door I tried to peek in last night. 

Her hands shook as she twisted the knob, still covered in crystal, and opened the door. We filed in. 

At first, it was dark and smelled strongly of flowers, but once Annie opened the curtains, the sun's rays hit a human-sized crystal, covering the room in an array of colors, with several bouquets of flowers surrounding it. Hanji pushed me forward as we all crowded around the bed. 

I could barely stand the shine of the rock, but as soon as my eyes adjusted, I could see the faint silhouette of a body. Annie sat down in a chair across the room, staring down at the crystal like it was her lifeline. She spoke in a whisper, "His name was Armin." I stepped closer, right at the edge of the mattress, barely making out the features of a blonde boy, eyes closed. 

He looked peaceful. 

Hanji took over, "He was the one who told me to ask for the key, but he never said why."

I turned to Hanji, "How did he get in there?" I heard a crackling noise, and as I turned back around, Annie created a small figurine of a whale made out of the same material and set it on the windowsill, where countless others like it sat. 

I held my tongue as Annie sighed, got up from the chair, and left the room. I felt Hanji's hand rest on my shoulder.  "It was a life or death situation, but she did what she thought was right." 

When I glanced at the shiny crystal, a tingling sensation ran down my arm, like it did yesterday, but no light followed. Instead, I felt instant dread as I took in the preserved body of their friend. "He was the only one who knew?" 

"I don't know, Eren, but that was the last thing he said before he wound up like this," Hanji replied.  She patted his shoulder, "Let's finish breakfast, and then we can talk later. Is that alright with you?" I nodded. 

With one last look, Hanji closed the door to the room and led me back downstairs, where everyone stood waiting. Their lack of smiles startled Hanji, "What's going on?" Connie pointed to the room adjacent to the staircase. Hanji didn't hesitate to burst in, signaling the others to follow her, but I stayed back as they crowded in. I felt a hand wrap around my arm. Historia pulled me inside, herding me into the corner, while everyone else watched in silence as Marco shivered weakly. 

"Jean, it's okay," Historia whispered, but he didn't seem to listen as he sat beside Marco, holding his hand tightly. He was a mess. Teary-eyed and a jumbling mix of pleads and curses. 

"I saw him stop! He wasn't breathing! He's dying!" Historia shushed him gently. She pressed her hand against Marco's forehead and looked up at Hanji. As if she understood, Hanji rolled up her sleeves, adjusted her glasses, and set to work on removing his soiled bandages, but as soon as Historia spread a foul-smelling jelly on his sewn-up wound, he struggled against the two, screaming in pain. 

I held him down by the shoulders. 

When my fingertips touched his skin, it was almost like I was transported out of my body and suctioned in by a powerful vacuum. It hurt like hell. Like someone was clawing at my skin and leaving open wounds, repeatedly going over them again and again. I suddenly felt a force hit my chest, and I flew back into my body. 

I landed on the floor with a grunt, barely able to keep my eyes open. I could hear shouts and saw what looked like an angel in the corner of the room. Or was that Marco? But he glowed? Where was I?

Connie grabbed a water basin and threw it on me, jolting me awake. As my ears popped, I could hear myself screaming. I stopped and sat up, shaking my head as everyone eyed me warily. I took several deep breaths as I composed myself, but what shocked me was Marco, who smiled, no longer on his last dying breaths. 

"Thank you, Eren."