Lying in bed you stared blankly at the ceiling, loosing tears from time to time.
Eren's words played in your head, they hurt.
"Y/n?"
"HUH?"
You lifted your upper body and looked in the direction where the voice came from
It was Hitch and Louise standing at the open door.
You hadn't even noticed how someone came into your room.
"Are you okay? Why... are you crying?"
Hitch asked calmy, looking at you with concern in her eyes.
Louise also looked at you, her expression softening as she saw your tears.
You didn't know how to respond. You just didn't want to tell them the reason for your tears.
"I'm fine." you lied, wiping away your tears.
Hitch knew that was a lie, but she didn't push further.
"O-okay... well, we just wanted to check on you. If you need anything, just let us know..." Louise said, giving you a small smile before the two of them left the room.
You lay back down and stared at the ceiling once again. The silence was suffocating, and your thoughts were overwhelming.
Maybe things weren't completely okay, but at least you had someone to lean on.
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
*Knock*
*Knock*
Someone opened the door without waiting for an answer, it was Eren.
Without saying anything he stood at the door and looked at you with an emotionless cold look.
Well, he didn't have to say anything. You knew why he's here and what it's about.
Zeke.
You felt a pang in your chest as Eren's cold gaze landed on you. But you couldn't let your feelings get in the way- not again.
You got up from your bed and followed Eren. The two of you walked in silence, the tension between you palpable.
As you walked, you couldn't help but wonder what Eren was thinking. Did he still hold a grudge against you? Or was he truly over what had happened between you two?
You pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that you needed to focus on the situation right now.
Walking down the stairs, as Zeke was in the basement, it started to get cold.
As you two finally reached the bottom of the stairs, you could see how dirty it was down here.
Dust. Rats. Dark.
The sight of the dirty basement caught you off guard, and you had to hold back a cough from the dust swirling around in the air. The rats scurrying along the walls and floor only added to the unpleasant atmosphere.
It's not like you expect a 5 star hotel down here, but this is just disgusting.
Here in the basement were some cells where, among other things, Yelena was imprisoned. As you walked past her cage with Eren, she looked at you briefly with a serious look in her eyes before turning away.
You and Eren continued down the corridor until you reached a locked door.
"Greetings."
Hanji smiled
"Hm."
Levi just let out an quiet noise
The two stood in front of the door and waited for you and Eren.
Jaeger just nodded, grabbing a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
Inside was Zeke sitting on a metal chair and tied with chains. The room was dark, and only a small flicker of light from a single latern hanging from the ceiling illuminated the space. The air was thick with the smell of dampness and mildew, and the walls were echoed with the sound of dripping water.
His Arms and Legs are cut off, steam coming out of his wounds.
They have to do this to prevent him from transforming into a titan, as his body needs the energy and strength to regenerate.
You couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust at the sight of Zeke's injuries. It was clear that he had been through a lot of pain and suffering.
"Zeke."
Eren looked at him, his expression cold and slightly angry
Zeke opened his eyes, looking at his brother surprised
"Eren."
There was a heavy silence between them as they looked at each other. You could sense the tension in the air, and it made you uneasy.
"I'm happy to see you, brothe-." Zeke began, his voice weak.
But Eren interrupted him, his voice still cold and harsh. "Save it, Zeke. You know why we are here."
The brunette stepped back and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
"You are going to give us answers."
The blonde just laughed, spitting blood out of his mouth in between
"You have no choice, asshole."
Eren looked at this brother with a mixture of fury and disgust
"You really want to save the Eldia, don't you? In this state there is nothing you can do except giving us answers."
"He's right."
Levi spoke up monotonously
"We all have the same goal, so talk before I have to kick your pretty face again."
"I-"
The blonde man spat blood out of his mouth again, breathing heavily
"I am not going to talk with you."
He said this while looking at Eren with sharp eyes
"Instead, I want to speak to the symbol of freedom"
Zeke now looked at you, his expression serious
All eyes turned to you, and you felt a sense of pressure weighing down on you.
"H-huh?"
You stuttered in surprise
"You know what we are fighting for, don't you?" Zeke said, his voice low and firm.
You nodded, feeling a lump form in your throat. "Yes, I do. I want to save everyone, especially the people from this island."
Zeke gave a small smile, looking at the ground "Then you have to understand why I did what I did. We were stuck in a cycle of violence, being used as weapons by those in power. I wanted to break that cycle, to find a way to end this nightmare once and for all."
"You did it by killing innocent people." You spoke up, your voice cold, looking slightly disgusted at the blonde man.
"I had to make sacrifices to achieve my goal. But if you truly believe in the Eldian cause, you have to be willing to do the same..." Zeke replied, his eyes locking with yours again.
You felt torn. You understood Zeke's reasoning, but you couldn't condone his actions. It was a messy situation, and there were no easy answers.
"If you truly want to save the Eldia and break the cycle of violence, you would help us." you said, but with an unreadable expression
Zeke's expression softened. "Come on, L/n. You have to admit that your plan sounds unrealistic."
"I don't care."
You spoke determined, raising your voice a little
"We'll never find out if we don't try. Our plan to bring all Eldia into my world sounds better than yours and calls for no sacrifices. Isn't that what you also want? Mr Xaver wouldn't be proud at you right now..."
When you mentioned his name, Zeke gasped for a moment.
Tom Xaver was a titan scientist from Eldia in the service of the Marley. A warrior and former bearer of the Beast Titan, he enjoyed privileged status as an honorary citizen of Marley. Tom was a friend and mentor to Zeke. He was like a Dad to him.
"..."
The blonde looked up at the dark ceiling, his expression pained
You came a step closer, kneeling down to look directly into his face
"Help us, Zeke. Together we can win this war. Together we will survive. We can't change what's already happened, but we can shape the future. We may have different approaches, but our goal is the same. We all want to end this nightmare."
"..."
The bearded man didn't answer, but looked at you for a long moment. You could see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between his loyalty to his mission and his desire to do what was right.
Meanwhile, Eren and Hanji were amazed by your charisma and attitude, even somehow proud. You were indeed the symbol of freedom.
Zeke still remained quiet, but maybe this is the right time to ask him some questions.
Taking a deep breath, you spoke up "Zeke. You... you told me that I have a connection with Ymir. That she protects me.
Can you tell me more about it?"
Zeke looked at you with a contemplative expression.
"..."
"She asked you a question, bastard."
Erens eyebrows furrowed, looking pissed at the bearded man
"Fucking answer her."
"..."
He closed his eyes, looking weak
The brunette quickly came towards his brother, kicking Zeke with his feet so that the blonde man fell to the hard ground with his metal chair while he scoffed in pain
"ANSWER!"
Eren yelled, his eyes wild with rage
"Eren! Be careful-"
Hanji interrupted him nervously
"Remember, you shouldn't touch him!"
The brunette gave Hanji a short pissed glance before looking at his brother again
"Yeah..."
Thank god the brunette had kicked Zeke with his foot and had shoes on, so luckily nothing happened.
You could sense the fear in Zeke's demeanor.
"Zeke." you spoke softly. " I have to know. Please, tell me everything you know about Ymir!"
After coughing loudly, he looked at you with an unreadable expression
"There was once a little blonde-haired girl without freedom and with no will of her own. A so-called slave.
Her hometown was destroyed and her parents were killed. But the slave was able to save someone. Her sister.
However, the slave later fell in 'love' with someone who took advantage of her and continued to treat her as a slave. One day she had to prove her loyalty to her love and had kill the person she actually loved most, she had to kill her sister.
Without hesitation, the slave stabbed her sister in the stomach.
But before her sister bled to death, the slave whispered something in her ear:
One day you will be born again and give freedom to humanity. Freedom that we were never allowed to experience, freedom we've always dreamed of. I will always be by your side."
His voice was trembling and weak, but also serious
It's the story Zeke told you when you first met him.
You felt a shiver run down your spine as Zeke recounted the story of Ymir, the slave girl who would become the progenitor of all Titans.
"You already told me her Story." you whispered, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
"It's not quiet her Story."
Zeke laughed quietly
"It's also your Story, y/n."
You felt your heart skip a beat as Zeke's words sunk in. Your story? What did he mean?
"W... what do you mean?" you asked nervously, your voice barely above a whisper.
Zeke looked at you sternly
"You know it."
Eren's lips parted, looking at you in shook with wide eyes- like he realized something.
Hanji and Levi had the same reaction, their eyes widening as they looked at you.
"....What?" you asked, feeling a little self-conscious and kinda scared under their intense gaze.
Suddenly realization hit you. It was just a silly thought at first, a theory, but now it felt like a glimmer of truth.
"Zeke... are you trying to tell me that..."
It was difficult for you to speak suddenly
"That... Ymir is my sister?"
After you said that, he nodded slowly and weakly.
You already had that thought in your head, but it sounded impossible because you weren't even from this world
"No... I- it's not true!"
You were in complete denial. The idea that you were related to Ymir was too overwhelming, and you couldn't believe it.
"I'm not even from this World! And- and she died many many years ago! How should that be-"
But Zeke only sighed, his expression slightly sad
"One day you will be born again and give freedom to humanity. Freedom that we were never allowed to experience, freedom we've always dreamed of. I will always be by your side."
He told you the last part of the story again.
You felt like the world was crashing down on you. Everything seemed to make sense now, but at the same time, it was too much to handle.
Eren and Hanji moved closer to you, Hanji trying to comfort you by placing a hand on your shoulder while Eren kept his eyes on you.
"I...this can't be true..." you muttered, feeling tears welling up in your eyes.
"It is." Zeke added quietly
"No..."
Tears were streaming down your face now, and you felt like you were suffocating under the weight of this revelation.
"This is insane... Ymir-"
you found it hard to breathe suddenly
As Eren noticed you suddenly couldn't breathe, he put a hand on your shoulder, looking at you intensely while trying to calm you down. "Calm down y/n- breathe with me, okay?"
He clearly sounded nervous and stressed, but tried not to show it.
You nodded quickly as panic threatened to overwhelm you completely. Eren's presence and guidance offered a sense of safety and comfort, and you focused on matching his breathing
"Breathe in-"
Eren breathed in deeply, and you followed suit, feeling your chest expand.
"And breathe out." Eren exhaled slowly, and you tried to match his pace, feeling the tension in your body start to ease.
He did this 3 times, It got easier with every breath you took
"You're doing great." Eren said encouragingly. "Just look at me and breathe. Only concentrate on doing that."
You felt a sense of gratitude wash over you as Eren continued to guide you through your breathing exercise. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to you in that moment.
After a few minutes, you felt calm enough to speak again.
"I'm sorry..." you said, wiping away your tears. "I just... I can't believe any of this. It's like my whole world is crumbling down around me."
"..." Eren didn't know what to say, feeling sad and helpless to see you like this, still processing the information too
"You have to accept it."
Zeke interrupted, sounding serious
"According to the story she killed you-"
"ZEKE!"
Eren shouted in anger, cutting Zeke off mid-sentence. There were things inside him, things could barley contain.
You felt a knot form in your stomach at his words.
"I can't do this..."
You sprinted out of the room with tears in your eyes. It was too much, it felt like your life was just a lie.
You could hear Hanji, Levi and Eren calling your name, so you didn't turn around.
This is a dream, right? Hopefully you'll wake up soon and all of this never actually happened. There is no way this is real.