Coming for your heart

Chapter 86

He smiled at that.

Levi would soon come to him, asking for more information. And soon enough Eren would use him just like any other pawn in this game of chess between his father and himself. Said father was resting in his bedchambers, recovering from the blow he took from the rocks that had hit him.

It annoyed Eren endlessly that he still didn't know how Grisha had made it out of the cave alive while all the other people inside had died. At least that's what Grisha had told his men as soon as he was strong enough to meet them.

Eren had only heard his explanations thanks to his sister who had asked him to take over her shift a few days ago. It was his chance to explore the palace further and refresh his memory of its layouts. Some noble shit had wanted a glass of water and it was purely ironic that Eren was the one he asked for it.

With a smirk hidden behind his blond wig he had followed the command, catching some of the words thrown around in the room while he was there.

A pair of pale hands threw him back into the present and he sent his sister a thankful nod as she helped him up on his legs. It took him longer than he'd like to admit to get back his balance.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to get Raes?"

"That old man was there."

"Pixis?"

"Mhm."

He sighed. "Even though I think he knows more about me than he lets on, I wouldn't want him to get involved in this. We'll have to wait for a better chance to get Raes and send another message."

Mikasa said nothing, waiting for Eren to finish his train of thought while he struggled to get over to the window where he could hold himself up on his own. His sister was as white as a sheet. Had been since they had come back to the palace.

Someday they would have to talk about what had happened in the cave. They would have to talk about Kou and all the things Mikasa was so keen on keeping from him. But now was not the time. Not as long as the gallows were waiting for them should their plans fail.

"But I did find something.", Mikasa said suddenly, her voice dull and emotionless – a sound quite suiting for the dead look on her face. Eren winced in sympathy. Asking would do them no good. She would talk to him once she was ready. "It's in the library."

He nodded and groaned as he felt the injuries of that bastard aching all over his body.

"Let's go. Time to find out what my bastard of a father did to me."

- - -

They were met with silence once they entered the library, as expected. No one showed up in the late afternoon. No one but Armin.

And Eren wasn't even closely ready to think about where his friend might be. He didn't care about the Commander but his fate was tied to Armin's so he didn't get around hoping they had both made it to a safe place before the snowstorm hit Eldia with all its might.

Outside the rumbling of the snow and the bellowing of the wind, crushing against glass and stone, was deafening. Inside the library it was dark and grey shadows were all over the ground while the bookshelves were hidden in the dark like monsters ready to drag them down a path they'd never leave.

Mikasa led him to one of those monsters and pushed aside a few books to reveal a tiny scroll of parchment. No patterns or sigils were clear to make out without proper light. His sister gave it to him and Eren was careful with his touch.

No one knew how old the parchment must be and so it could either be steady enough to be readable or crumble into dust once he touched it too firmly.

"Where did you find it?"

"Behind a shelf, hidden in some random book." Mikasa watched him unfold the ribbon tied around the parchment, holding it together. "You can't see it now but I would recognize this writing anywhere."

Eren frowned and went over to the window where the late afternoon had left them some light although the sun was hidden by grey and black clouds. It took his eyes some time to get used to his dim surroundings. After a few seconds, the first letters appeared before his eyes.

His eyes widened.

He couldn't...he couldn't breath.

"Kasa...", he rasped. "Did you...did you read this?"

She shook her head. He wanted to swallow down the lump forming in his throat. He desperately tried to do so as well as calm his racing heart.

"It's from her, isn't it?", Mikasa asked quietly. He closed his eyes. Around them the snowstorm seemed to become more aggressive, hitting the windows with its full force. Then he nodded.

Mikasa exhaled shakily. "How did no one ever find it?"

He didn't answer.

The letters written on the parchment screamed at him in a language Mikasa had wanted him to forget. A language that the little kid in the cave had known as well. A language he had thought to be his mother's.

He had never understood why he had never heard his father or Zeke utter a single word in the language he had been taught since he could remember.

But a look at the short note in his hands answered the question he hadn't dared to ask.

Eren,

If you ever read this, you must have found my little hiding place. I know you would never betray my trust so you had your reasons to search for it. My love, I am sorry that I never got to explain all of this to you in person. But you have to find out the truth by yourself just as I had to.

These words will confuse you and I beg of you to trust me. I taught you the answer to our lifelong secret, now it is on you to find it! Find the answer in the text I have hidden as well! Find the Secret of the Phoenix!

I love you,

Mom 

(Happy New Year to all of you! Let's start anew with fresh goals and motivation! And to make this start a tad more epic, you get a tiny reveal of the secret Eren holds inside himself! 

And where the hell is Armin and will Erwin find him? Has he already found him? Is either of them dead? 

As always, I hoped you liked it and I want to thank you all again for your kind comments and to those who are maybe to shy to comment - there is no comment I won't read and I appreciate every single one of them!)