Chapter 21
Mikasa finally remembered everything and now she is in the dining area of her room, thinking deeply. The memory that is sealed away for five hundred years finally spilled. Her parents from this world are the people who found her before when she ask Ymir to help her go back but with a sealed memory, she didn't expect her to send her to the human world. And the shadow, she finally knows what it represents, it's the greed that has been harboured for thousands of years, it takes form to finally do what it meant to do from the start, destroy everything on it's path. It sent shiver down her spine, that very same shadow that cause her to be in her position right now is back again and she doesn't know what to do. Before she pass away from a tragedy five hundred years ago due to humans, she was able to talk to him- he convinced her to make a deal with him which she refuses to do. He's a wicked being, she's smart enough to know that. He is a being that feeds on the grief of others and it seems like the shadow had taken advantage of Eren's grief before, allowing the creature to bond with him.
Mikasa didn't know what to do or how to separate the two of them. She sighs, feeling blue- the hopelessness of the situation made her bright eyes dull. The smile on her face slowly fades away as she realizes the heaviness of the situation. I need to go back, it's still impulsive thinking but she has a plan this time to get rid of what is inside of him. I need to go back, she repeats, as if assuring herself. She didn't realize that she has been thinking way to deeply into the situation that she didn't notice that it was already night time. She stood up, her foot drawing closer to her balcony to close it but before she could, something caught her eye. It's bright glowing red eyes look at her, as if ready to murder her, she knows what it is. A vampire, that's the only being that is rumoured in their place and unlike before, it does not scare her no matter how much it glare. Her hand reached for the doorknob. It's better to ignore the monster rather than interact with it. She heard a scream indicating that there's a new victim. Eren told her before that vampires couldn't drink human blood impulsively, they would die but it does not make sense, if they would die by drinking human blood then why do they drink human blood.
Unconvinced, Mikasa opened the curtains of her room. She could see clearly even when it's dark and right below her, she could see the vampire devouring the human. Mikasa watched in interest, vampires doesn't scar where as much as it does before simply because she had interectad with one.
The vampire happily sip the human blood and once the woman is drained. She observed as the vampire slowly changes it's form, from a human seeping blood to a bat. The bat then began turning into ashes and slowly the ashes turn into little dusts before it began burning by itself. Having seem the death of vampire, Mikasa held her mouth in disbelief. It's true then, if a vampire drinks human blood they would die and that is why the blood tree exists. It's to keep the vampires alive. Mikasa gulp, closing the curtain once again. Her decision is final, she will go back.
____
She gasp, suddenly waking up from her nightmare. Her sweats form on her forehead uncontrollably. She looks at her surrounding , the dark room is unfamiliar to her , the room is also very big-the ceiling is high and there are no light in the room. She didn't know where she was.
" You're awake." Eren's familiar voice spoke, she whipped her head from side to side to find where he is standing, until she found him, his glowing green eyes is the brightest in the room.
" Eren." She calls while furrowing her eyebrow.
" I–you're here? How did I get here?" She sounded confused, she frowned at him while she tries to analize the situation.
" I should be the one asking you? How are you able to go back without anyone's help? " His voices sounded soothing, a calm voice she used to love but it was also rasp, an indication that he had gotten older, his calloused hand gently caressed her face.
"I don't know either." She shakes her head. " I just–I can't remember? Eren.. why can't I remember? "
Eren looks at her, his hand gently caressed her hand as she ask herself why she cannot remember. Eren tell her that it's ok but she doesn't feel ok at all, she can't feel ok when she can't even remember.
" Mikasa, the important thing is you are right here." She stared into his eyes, the forest green she knew and she finally calm herself. It's not the shadow this time, it's just Eren. Her Eren. Her arms slowly wrapped around his bag, she pulled him closer to her. " I missed you. "
His hands slowly wrapped around her too-hesiyant at first but when she squeezed him harder, he finally wrapped his arms around her. " I missed you too. "
" I'm sorry for leaving you.. " He didn't know for what but he could sense the pain in her voice. " I'm sorry for not being there.. I'm sorry because you are suffering now. "
Eren look at her in confusion, his arms that is wrapped around her back earlier are now wrapped around her shoulders, gently, he separated the two of them.
" I'm not suffering."
"No," Mikasa mumbled before looking up at him, tears started forming on her eyes. " I know Eren for five hundred of years, you are in pain because I am not herw beside you."
" Don't blame yourself please. "
" Why shouldn't I?! " Tears form in her eyes once again, her heart chencing in pain. " I'm the sole reason why that thing lives inside your body. He's right there isn't he? I am sure he is listening to us right now If I didn't die back then, if only I was able to catch that arrow and not pierce me in the heart then this wouldn't happen. Maybe the blood tree wouldn't be dying right now, maybe all this problem wouldn't occur and maybe no vampire will die by drinking human blood. "
" It is not your fault. " He says once again, much more firm this time. " It's their fault for taking advantage of if, if the vampires do cease to exist it will never be your fault. " But instead of it being able to comfort her, she felt even more terrible. That's right the blood tree will cease to exist and once that happen vampires will cease to exist. Mikasa look at the blood tree, a deep sigh escaped her lips once again.
" It's not.. but as their queen, the fact that I can't do anything is just–"
Eren stops her by hugging her.
" Please stop it now, it will make me sad too. "
_____
Never had she thought that her life would end up like this, never had she thought that she'll be trying to find herself and ask questions that has no difinite answers. Mikasa tried to calm herself down, ignoring the weights that is being pushed on her shoulders.
"This won't work." She tells him honestly, looking at his confused expression. " This can't possibly work Eren, the blood tree has no hope."
"How do we save them then?" He ask, still confused but Mikasa couldn't give an answer to his question because she does not know either.
"Has the Mother Queen say anything?" She shifted the question and Eren shook his head.
" No, mother does not know what to do either. Mother is devastated when she found out."
Earlier, they had decided to tell the Mother Queen about the deal that Eren had with the Shadow being. The deal is foolish but Eren is grieving at that time and he didn't care if it is foolish, when the Queen found out about the deal, she became furious- she refused to meet her son. The deal goes like this, Eren would give his life to the shadow and the Shadow would bring Mikasa back but it never happened and he just lives with the Shadow, ever so slowly consuming him.
"Eren, this might be the end of the vampire race."
"Don't say that."
"It's hopeless!"
"How is it hopeless?"
"How is it hopeless, you ask?" She looks up at him in desperation. "Do you see it right now, it's dying."
"Touch the tree." He commands, looking down at her-his intense eyes testing her.
" What?"
"Touch the tree, maybe if you touch the tree– it will be lively again? "
" What? "
" The Queen represents life. " He desperately convinces her as Mikasa shakes her head in disbelief.
" I can't do that. " There is a strange glint in his eyes but it immediately went away as fast as it goes.
" Please."
"No, Eren." She replies firmly even if she didn't notice the glint in his eyes. Eren stood up and walk closer to her.
" Please, " He tries again but he fails all over again as she firmly says no. They say in silence as the conversation ended, both of them not knowing what to do next. Mikasa notices how easily Eren changes emotions and it makes her worried especially because she couldn't recognize who she is talking to right now. Five hundred years is too long and it makes her forgot how he used to be.
She look at the blood tree once again, the other vampires are gathering the fruit from the tree again, saving it for their drinks later. They were greedy, they take as much as they can in one go and the other vampires are left with nothing. Mikasa stood up and left the room, ignoring how Eren look at her wondering where she will go, Mikasa immediately went outside and she shouted at them. Berating the vpires who take too much, the vampires look down feeling humiliated as she continuesly berates them.
"Your Majesty!"
The vampires desperately calls, even kneeling infront of her.
" My child is dying and she needed this blood. I can't watch my child die."
Tears fell on the man's eyes as he spoke and she couldn't help but sigh, feeling a pang in her heart but she stood still. She look down at the man and spoke,
"Take me to her and I'll decide if it's true."
She couldn't afford to trust this vampires so easily especially knowing what they had done in the human world. It's still a mystery though, how those vampires drink human blood despite knowing that they would die if they drink it.. They had arrived in a shallow looking hut- winds could easily destroy the house. The man knocks and a woman opes it, she didn't fail to catch the surprised expression of the other vampire before she greeted her.
"Your Majesty, the Queen."
She look at her husband, her eyes widening and demanding an explanation.
" I could see that… " She didn't continue what she has to say when she look down and saw a small sickly child. "Oh!" Her expression changes. " How long has she been sick?"
"A month now, your Majesty." The woman replied, she assumed it is the mother of the child. "The doctor says that she must consume a lot of blood because she has been extremely malnourished."
"What is her sickness?"
"It's something about the nervous system, I'm not exactly sure, your Majesty."
What the man says is true so she's less worried that she is before. "Well, then, take as much as you need." She spoke softly.
" .. but never be greedy or else a punishment will come to your way."
The husband and wife's expression changes.
" Thank you, your Majesty."
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Me after a comment brought back the memory of my cringe ass book that I wish I'll never remember because it felt like it has an element of Stockholm syndrome and I'm not aware of it even after I finished writing it.
I wrote this chapter last month.