Caught Between Worlds (Eren x Reader)

Chapter Nine

Waking from a long night of rest, I count a month in my mind. A month has passed since Eren removed my amulet. A month without feeling scared, lost, or unsure. I finally remember my real purpose in life, thanks to him.

I shift my body under the sheets, trying to feel the warmth from his body. But the bed sheets are cold. My eyes open wider and consciousness quickly returns to me. The sheets remain wrinkled from where he slept. His side of the blanket is flipped onto the rest of my body. I pull it off and slide out of bed. My eyes fall onto the seat at the table by the window, the place where he always sits when he wakes up. The Book of the Celestite rests there, opened on the page where he left off.

I approach the door, pulling it open. Floch stands guard at my door with his rifle in hand. Looking at me, he greets me with a bow. "My Lady."

"Where is Eren?" I ask him.

He turns his head, looking down the hallway. "He just recently returned. He should be around here somewhere."

I rely on my senses and allow my connection to the Mark to guide me. It pulls me in his direction like a current. His scent begins to travel along the hallway as I turn a corner. Eren sits on the window sill, staring outside at the city below. A heavy frown falls over his eyes, creating a thin crease along the centre of his forehead. He picks up on my footsteps and his eyes meet mine.

Floch bows his head to us and disappears down the hallway.

I begin to worry as I see the heavy look on Eren's face. He watches me with his hardened expression as I approach him quietly. My eyes fall onto his black sweater where dried blood stains his sleeve. I question him about it but he disregards the question.

"Where have you been?" I ask instead, but the curiosity quickly fades away and is replaced by a strong desire to comfort him. I sit down beside him. My hip takes in the heat that always emanates from him. He leans his head into the palm of my hand as I rest it on his cheek.

After a few moments, he finally says something. "In order for Paradis to be saved, I have to die."

I pull my hand away, a cold sweat running down my back.

"I need everyone to turn against me. I need to become a devil so my people can be saved. And in order to do that, I need to start the Rumbling. I'll destroy 80% of the world before I am taken down. With the power of the Founding Titan, I can see future events through memories." His frown deepens. "I've tried over and over again. I've tried to find an alternative. Even destroying the entire world won't be enough. This is inevitable. I have to become a devil. The Eldians will strike me down. Doing that, they'll be seen as heroes and the prejudice against my people will finally end."

I slowly shake my head, my eyes burning with tears. "But–but..." I stutter. "Eren, you can't die. Do you understand what that will do to me? We are bound together with that Mark. If you die, I will as well."

He blinks slowly, directing his eyes back to mine. "I know."

"Then how could you–!?"

"I promised I would get you home, no matter what. And I still intend on keeping that promise. So when the time comes and I am struck down, I will channel my consciousness into my body and perform the Revival Spell. The Curse of Ymir will break if the nape of the Founding Titan is cut. I will die for a split second. The Revival Spell will revive me and I will become human again."

I close my eyes, allowing the tears to stream down my cheeks. My lips curve into a smile, my gut clenching tightly as I find myself laughing at his absurd plan. I place a hand over my mouth as the tears begin to flow like a river. "Eren," I start, opening my eyes so I can look at him directly. "Do you understand the probability of the Revival Spell? It's at the end of the book for a reason. No one can perform that spell. It's impossible."