Something was going to happen today.
The day carried a weight that felt nothing like any other.
Above the sprawling city, the sky darkened as though an invisible hand had commanded the heavens to mourn. Clouds gathered like a ruthless army, their shadows swallowing every trace of light. The rain fell—not gentle, not merciful—but heavy, punishing, as though it carried secrets too dark for the world to bear.
The thunder whispered warnings.
The storm was not ordinary.
Every television screen flickered with the same haunting alert:
> *"A violent storm is approaching. Citizens are advised to remain indoors. Today's weather is not normal."*
And yet, high above the chaos, inside a crimson-red penthouse at the peak of the city—there was no rain.
Only silence.
Until the silence broke.
Gunshots.
The glass walls trembled as two men stood opposite each other, weapons raised, breaths ragged with rage and fear.
**Zack.**
**Yeager.**
Brothers-in-arms once, but now… enemies divided by blood and secrets.
Zack's voice tore through the air, raw and desperate.
"Yeager! Don't do this! You can't take Eren away from me!"
Yeager's face was carved in stone, cold and unyielding.
"Eren is my son. And I will not watch him rot in this madness. You know what Levi has done—you know it better than anyone."
Zack's grip trembled on the trigger. His eyes fell to the marble floor.
"Yes… I know. He is my son too. He was angry, Yeager. Always too close to Eren. Maybe that's why…"
Yeager's words cut like a blade.
"Don't fool yourself. It wasn't anger—it was obsession. Madness. And I refuse to let my child grow in a house where Levi's shadow can destroy him."
Zack roared, his voice cracking under the weight of grief.
"And you think separating them will save him? Look into their eyes, Yeager! They're not just brothers—they are each other's breath!"
But Yeager had no patience left. His words thundered with finality.
"Enough! If you try to stop me, I'll expose you. Everyone will know the truth—that you're no businessman. You are the Mafia Leader!"
The revelation sliced through the air. Zack's fists clenched, fury trembling in every muscle.
"You cannot abandon me… my daughter… and Eren… not like this!"
But Yeager was already turning away.
"Raven, let's go."
His wife, Raven, rushed forward. In her arms, little Eren lay unconscious, blissfully unaware of the storm tearing his family apart. Without another glance, Yeager led his family into the night.
The rain swallowed them as they entered the waiting car.
Raven clutched Eren tightly, whispering prayers under her breath. Yeager's hand gripped hers with desperate resolve.
"We're never coming back," he murmured. "Levi is dangerous. If we don't act now, Eren will be lost. We must protect him… even if it means leaving everything behind."
But destiny… destiny had already written its cruel script.
The rain pounded harder. The road gleamed like shattered glass.
Then—screeching tires.
A cry.
Brake failure!
A truck roared from the shadows, metal screaming as it collided. The world shattered in one merciless instant.
Blood painted the asphalt.
Yeager and Raven were gone. Just like that.
But Eren—by some cruel miracle—lived.
His small eyes fluttered open long enough to see the wreckage of his world. He screamed, reaching out with trembling hands, before darkness pulled him into unconsciousness.
---
### The Hospital
White lights burned his vision as Eren stirred awake. His small chest heaved, his voice breaking.
"Mama… Papa… they're okay, right? Tell me… please tell me they're okay…"
Silence pressed in like a curse.
Zack stood at the foot of the bed, a folded letter shaking in his hand. His eyes refused to meet the boy's.
Levi pulled his younger brother into his arms, tears streaming as he whispered with trembling resolve,
"It's me now, Eren. I'll never leave you. I promise."
Behind them, Mona and Zack forced smiles for the child—but their eyes betrayed the grief eating them alive.
---
### The Funeral
Black umbrellas lined the cemetery. Rain fell endlessly, as though even the sky mourned Yeager and Raven.
Eren clutched Levi's hand, his small frame trembling.
Then an officer stepped forward. His name was **San.** In his arms, he carried another infant.
San's voice was steady, but grief cracked beneath the surface.
"Yeager and Raven were my closest friends. Before their death, they entrusted me with something. If anything happened… I was to protect Eren. To raise him as my own."
Zack and Mona stiffened, exchanging heavy glances.
San stepped closer, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Come with me, son. You'll be safe with me."
The boy's lips trembled, his voice barely a whisper.
"My name… is Eren. Eren Yeager."
San smiled softly, trying to ease the child's fear.
"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
But fate was merciless.
---
### The Ambush
The car carrying San and Eren never reached its destination.
Shadows emerged on roaring bikes. Gunfire cracked the night, bullets piercing metal and glass.
San's chest exploded with blood as he shielded the boy. His last breath escaped with a whisper, "Run…"
Eren screamed as the world collapsed again. But before the killers could seize him, another car screeched onto the scene.
Zack. Mona. Levi.
Gunfire erupted as Zack fought them back, Mona cradled Eren in her arms, and Levi clutched his brother tight, his face twisted in fury and fear.
That night, Zack made a vow that would change everything.
Both Eren—and the infant San had tried to protect—would be adopted into their family.
---
### Two Months Later
The storm had passed, but scars remained.
In his study, Zack's voice was low, his eyes dark with unspoken truths.
"Eren will be sent abroad. To America. Levi… to Bangkok. They must be separated."
Levi's cries shook the room, his small hands clutching his father's arm. "No! Don't take him from me!"
Mona's voice broke. "Why, Zack? They've already lost everything. Why must you take each other away too?"
Zack turned to the window. The rain had stopped outside, but his expression was darker than the storm.
A faint smile curled his lips as he whispered,
"Because this… was the Master's plan."
---
### Ten Years Later
The storm would rise again.
And when it did, it would consume everything.