The dawn light struggled to pierce the smoky haze blanketing Fallow's Ferry's ruins, the air thick with the acrid stench of scorched earth, blood, and the lingering metallic tang of shadow energy.
The ground was a chaotic tapestry of shattered stone, splintered wood, and smoldering debris.
A cracked Reaver claw, its jagged edge embedded in the dirt near the rift, now weak, caught Ash's eye—a relic of the beast's swipe that had nearly taken his life, the memory flashing with its red-eyed glare and thrashing tendrils.
Officials in cloaks, BOREM, moved with brisk efficiency, their boots crunching over bloodied gear and fallen bodies, the clink of their tools a stark, mechanical rhythm against the survivors' weary silence.
Ash stood near, his breath shallow, his bandaged shoulder throbbing with a dull, persistent ache.
The shadow's jagged maw roaring, its tendrils lashing, Eren's blue Echoes blasting through the chaos, and Blackthorn's sacrifice shoving him from a lethal strike, the scorch mark of Eren's power still visible on a nearby rock.
Eren lingered apart, his thin frame slumped against a broken wall, dark eyes fixed on the rift, his messy brown hair streaked with grime.
King Elvis, regal even in weariness, oversaw the departure, while Elis adjusted her medical supplies, her hands trembling slightly.
Ash turned to Eren, his voice hesitant but firm. "You should come with us—back to Aethelsburg."
Eren's gaze didn't shift, his tone cold and unyielding. "I have other things to attend to." His words carried a weight, a resolve rooted in something Ash couldn't yet fathom.
Before Ash could press further, Elis approached, her delicate features softened by concern.
Noticing Eren's injury—his fading hand and bandaged arm—she said softly,
"Your injury looks severe, why don't you come with us. I can help with your arm at my kingdom and besides My father plans to celebrate your great deed, and after, you can go wherever—we'd even arrange transportation." She paused, her eyes searching his. "What do you say?"
Eren stared at her, his expression shifting as a fade flickered.
A blurred image of a girl—dark-haired, laughing—flashed before him, her voice intertwining with Elis's, a haunting echo from a blood-soaked memory, the feel of her blood on his hands, her final whispered plea.
His eyes widened, seeing a ghost of the girl in her delicate frame, the devastation of her loss crashing over him.
After a long, tense silence, he nodded curtly. "I'll come."
Elis smiled, relief washing over her. "Thanks."
The group set out, Ash glancing back at the weak rift, its pulse a steady drumbeat of unfinished danger, while Eren's stoic silence weighed on him.
By midday, they reached Aethelsburg's grand gates, stone towers rising majestically above bustling streets filled with merchants and citizens.
Officials continued their grim task, hauling away bloodied gear and shrouded bodies, the clatter of carts a somber undertone to the survivors' weary return.
Ash's mind replayed the battle—the shadow's red eyes glaring, his shoulder aching with each step, a physical echo of his guilt.
Eren's fades hinted at his strain, his steps heavy despite his cold demeanor.
In the central square, King Elvis, regal in gold-trimmed armor, addressed the gathered crowd, his voice booming with authority.
"Ash, Eren, Blackthorn—your stand against the shadow saved lives. But we must also honor those who fell—Sven, Borin, Finn, Lyra, the mighty men and real heroes who fought too. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten."
The crowd murmured, some weeping openly, and Ash felt a pang of guilt for the dead he couldn't shield, their faces flashing in his mind.
Eren remained stoic, his gaze drifting to the horizon, while Blackthorn nodded, his expression a mix of pride and pain.
The ceremony shifted as a group of knights gathered around Blackthorn, their armor clinking as they raised mugs in a spontaneous celebration.
"To Blackthorn, the unshakable!" one bellowed, a burly man with a scarred cheek, while another, a younger knight with a nervous grin, clapped Blackthorn's good shoulder.
"You took a tendril for us all!" A third, a woman with a steady gaze, added, "Your arm's gone, but your legend lives."
Blackthorn stood proud despite his pinned sleeve, a faint smile breaking through his grim facade.
"I've given my arm, and my time's done," he gruffed, his voice rough with emotion, glancing at Ash with a hint of mentorship. "Maybe I'll teach a foolhardy lad or two."
The kingdom buzzed with the news of Blackthorn's retirement, Ash feeling the loss mirror the battle's toll, the crowd's cheers a hollow sound against his thoughts.
Later, Ash sought Eren on a balcony overlooking Aethelsburg, the city lights a warm contrast to the rift's dark glow in the distance.
The cool evening breeze carried the scent of stone and smoke as Ash leaned against the railing, his curiosity tinged with gratitude.
He said, "What are you up to? I'd like to know you better after all that."
Eren didn't respond, his silence thick and unyielding, his gaze fixed on the rift.
After a long moment, he muttered, "The shadow's still out there. I have to find it. I'll leave tomorrow."
Ash frowned, concern rising. "Leave it to the higher authorities—they can handle it."
Eren's face twisted, a fade sparking as a memory surged—the girl, bloodied in his arms, her lifeless eyes staring up, his face contorted in devastation.
The anger flared, and he snapped, "Mind your business. Just because we helped each other doesn't make us partners or anything."
He regretted following, his voice bitter. "I shouldn't have come."
Ash stared in shock, "I was only trying to be nice, grateful for what you did! You're being a bollock about this. If you didn't want to come, you shouldn't have!" His voice cracked with frustration.
"The shadow killed people close to me too—even if not that close. They had loved ones, and it hurts I couldn't help. But it's not like the shadow took anything from you, did it?"
The question hit Eren like a blade, his essence flaring as the memory of the girl blood soaked his hands replayed.
With a burst of his Severed Echo, he blasted Ash against the wall, the impact jarring his already aching shoulder.
Ash slumped, gasping, his vision swimming with dizzy spots, the taste of blood on his tongue as the stone pressed cold against his back.
As he stared at the angry Eren, his essence pulsed unbidden, and a blurred image of the same girl—dark-haired, laughing—flashed before him, her voice a faint, ethereal echo
. Without knowing why, he muttered, "Cale…" The name slipped out, a mystery to his lips.
Eren froze, his eyes widening in shock, his fists clenching as his breath hitched.
"It took Cale," Ash said, confusion lacing his voice, the realization dawning.
Eren's mind raced—How? How could he know her name? He paused, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief.
"You aren't of this world… are you?." The question struck Ash like a thunderclap, and he muttered, "You aren't?"
Eren didn't reply, his silence heavy with unspoken truth, his gaze piercing.
Ash struggled to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his shoulder, and approached Eren, his resolve hardening.
"I woke up in this world in a river, I was drowning," he said, his voice steadying. "I want to make everything right."
Eren's gaze narrowed, skeptical. "How do you want to make things right?"
Ash took a deep breath, his eyes earnest. "We were brought here by a catalytic accident, worlds merged together. I want to close the Merge and end this chaos."
Eren stared at him like he was an idiot, his thoughts a whirl—What a fool this one is? This boy thinks he can undo a cosmic rift? Does he have a brain, can he think at all? He kept his silence, masking his disbelief.
Ash pressed on, "You should join me. We could become hunters—work together."
Eren's interest piqued at the mention of, he'd heard rumors of but lacked full knowledge about. "Hunters?" he repeated, his tone guarded.
Ash explained, "Hunters roam free, licensed to enter restricted zones, hunt bounties—merged beasts, shadow relics. They get immunity from laws, rare resources, a network, with the hunter license it would be easier to carry on my goal."
Before Ash could finish, Eren cut in, "Fine, I'll become a hunter."
Ash blinked, shocked by the sudden acceptance. "We could end the Merge together," he said, hope rising.
Eren whispered in his mind, What kind of a fool is this? Does he have a brain at all? but said nothing aloud.
Ash added, "I'm taking the hunter exams, with Blackthorn's help."
Eren turned to leave, but Ash called out, "Who is Cale?"
Eren whirled back, his voice a low growl.
"Never utter that name again. We aren't partners," he snapped, then walked away, his figure disappearing into the shadows.