"Huh? Why?" Eren froze, staring at his mother in disbelief.
"Do I even need to explain why?" Carla's voice trembled with fear and frustration.
"The Survey Corps is dangerous, Eren! Too dangerous! You are not allowed to dream about joining them again—do you understand me?"
"But only the Survey Corps can go outside! Only they dare to fight the Titans!" Eren argued, his small fists clenched tight. "The troops in Shiganshina District already ran away, right? Shouldn't we ask the Survey Corps from other districts to come help?"
At those words, Hannes—who had been listening from the side—flinched as if struck by an arrow to the knee.
Eren pressed on, voice rising. "They're the bravest people in the world! Why does everyone hate them? The people in the hotel, the ones in the street—now even you, Mom! Why?"
"Because I can't lose you!" Carla burst out, her voice breaking.
Eren froze, startled.
"You'll never understand the fear of being caught by a Titan," Carla said, her voice trembling now, soft and raw. "You'll never know what it's like to stare into its mouth, knowing you're about to die! Titans are terrifying, Eren! I've seen them—I've felt that terror—and I never want you to feel it too! Please," her tone shifted to pleading, tears brimming in her eyes, "don't ever think about joining the Survey Corps again. Just live as an ordinary person. I can't lose you, Eren. I just can't."
"…"
Her desperate voice, full of love and fear, poured over him like cold water dousing a fire. Eren's burning dream—to break free from the cage, to see the outside world—flickered weakly. His mother's love had become a chain that held his feet still.
"But…" he said at last, his voice small and wounded, "Brother Zeke already proved that Titans aren't invincible. They can be defeated. I want to be like Brother Zeke!" He turned toward Zeke, eyes full of trust and hope.
For some reason, Eren believed with all his heart that this older boy would take his side.
"Zeke!" Carla turned too, her voice urgent. "Please—say something to him!"
Zeke had been silent the whole time, listening to the argument between mother and son.
So this was how it began, he thought. In his previous life, Eren had become obsessed with freedom because of this yearning—because of his mother's death, because of hatred and loss.
But now… even if Wall Maria hadn't fallen, the spark in him was the same. The Attack Titan's spirit burned inside him still, wild and restless.
But this wasn't the same world anymore.
Everything could change.
"Yes, Eren," Zeke said at last, his voice calm. "You should listen to your mother."
Eren's eyes widened. "What?!"
"I said—listen to your mother."
"Why, Brother Zeke?!" Eren's voice cracked. "I thought you understood me! I thought you'd support me! With you here, why should I be scared of Titans? I could learn from you! You could teach me how to fight them! Then I wouldn't have to be afraid of what's outside the wall anymore! And—and—don't you want someone to fight beside you?"
"No," Zeke said flatly. "I don't."
In their past lives, they had fought together—two brothers side by side, the Beast and the Attack Titan, comrades united by blood and destiny.
But this time, Zeke wanted to fight alone.
"Yeah," Annie's voice cut in as she stepped forward, arms crossed. "He doesn't need you. We're enough for him."
Eren went pale—struck as if by lightning.
Right. He wasn't Zeke's real brother. Zeke already had his own—Annie, Reiner, Bertolt… they were his family. They already stood at his side. There was no place for him.
Carla exhaled shakily, relieved. She'd feared Zeke might actually encourage her son. The way he treated Eren—with warmth and indulgence—had terrified her. Even Zeke's "siblings" never seemed to draw such affection from him.
"Alright, Eren," she said softly, brushing his hair back. "You heard Brother Zeke. No more daydreaming. Promise me."
"Yeah, Eren," Armin added quickly, his voice trembling. "Titians are… terrifying. You should listen to your mom."
The moment he remembered the nightmare from last night—the endless howling, the red sky, the Titans tearing through the streets—his body began to shake again. No matter how tightly he clenched his fists, the trembling wouldn't stop.
"Armin…" Eren's voice was small, almost broken. "You too? You're the one who told me about the outside world—the burning water, the frozen earth, the fields of snow like sand… You said we'd go see them together!"
"Forget about that!" Armin suddenly shouted, tears running down his face. "Those things are real, but so are the monsters outside! You didn't see what I saw last night!"
"Armin…"
Eren's throat tightened. One by one, everyone he looked up to—his mother, his best friend, even his new hero—was telling him to stop dreaming.
Then a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
"Mikasa?"
She shook her head, silently telling him not to argue anymore.
Only then did he notice how pale everyone looked—Carla, Hannes, Armin—the haunted faces of those who'd seen the Titans. The horror of last night still lived in their eyes.
Eren turned slowly, scanning the crowd around him.
Three kinds of people filled the square.
There were those who'd never seen a Titan—mocking and arrogant, sneering at the Survey Corps' "failures."
There were those who'd seen Titans—and now trembled at the memory.
And there were those who'd faced Titans and refused to flinch—Zeke, Annie, the members of the Survey Corps—standing like steady lights in the dark.
But those lights refused to show him the way forward.
And that confusion burned inside him.
If these were the only kinds of people in the world… then which kind was he?
Why was he the only one angry?
The only one still burning?
It's because I'm too weak, he realized. Too weak to be heard.
He clenched his fists so tightly they shook. "Even if none of you agree, I'll find a way to see the outside world when I grow up!"
Zeke's shadow fell over him. The man's voice was calm—but cruel.
"Then I'll break your legs."
The square fell silent.
And for the first time in his life, Eren Yeager didn't know whether the world was full of cowards—or if he was the fool for dreaming at all.
...
Join my P@treon for advance chapters and special content!
[email protected]/AdrianRoss