Caught Between Worlds (Eren x Reader)

Chapter Eight

Heavy pressure weighs down on my ribs, squeezing me so tightly it feels like my lungs are going to burst. I open my eyes, the room engulfed in darkness. The building we rest in is silent, the outside still overcome by the night. Sweat trickles down my forehead due to the heavy force that weighs down on me.

Peeking over my shoulder, I see Eren's dark, chestnut hair sprawled out on my pillow. His face remains buried in the crook of my neck. His slow breathing causes a moist spot to form on my skin. His arms hold me in an excruciatingly tight grip. As I try to ease the discomfort, he only tightens it. He clings onto me like his life depends on it.

I pitch in one last effort and pull away from him. Doing this causes him to wake up instantly. His head swiftly rises from his pillow, a bewildered look in his eyes. After a few moments, he relaxes and slips his arms back around me.

"Eren, I need to breathe," I tell him.

"Wait." He mumbles softly against my back. His grip tightens again and he pulls me back against his chest. "Don't leave me again."

I fall silent, listening to his words. I grip tightly onto his hand that hangs over my stomach and give in, accepting that this is my fate until morning comes.

Night shifts to dawn.

The sun lights up my closed eyelids, creating a red curtain that falls over my eyeballs. I raise my hand to try and block out its harsh rays. Peeking through an eyelid, I notice Eren sitting at the desk, reading. Looking at him, a new, strange feeling begins to bubble up in my stomach. Usually such a feeling isn't good, but this feeling brings me pure joy.

Like a moth to a flame, I am immediately drawn to him. As I shift, I notice the soreness that numbs my legs and in between them. I lie still for a few moments, unwilling to move. Frustration begins to build up in my veins due to my inability to get closer to him.

His eyes fall onto me. Despite his hardened, stoic expression, a glimmer of excitement flashes within them. He rises from his chair and approaches me. I try my hardest to sit up without wincing in pain. He sits down beside me and places a gentle hand on my leg, stroking it with his thumb.

For a while, he just sits with me, taking in my presence. He squeezes my leg slightly, like he's testing whether I'm real or not. Afterwards, he pulls away. "I'm going to grab you something to eat."

While he disappears outside of the bedroom, I approach the desk. I realise he was reading the Book of the Celestite. My hand hesitantly rises above it. I remain wary, unsure if my amulet will harm me. I gently place the tips of my fingers on the page, allowing it to glide along the sandy surface. My entire body relaxes to its touch, a sense of comfort following it.

Eren returns with a small bowl of eggs and rice. He places it down at the desk. The steam emanating from it creates a trail as it follows his movements.

"You've been reading this?" I ask him.

"Yeah," he responds awkwardly. "It's a lot though. I just picked a chapter and started there. The beginning is a long history of your people. It was just too much to read in one sitting." He plops down on the chair beside me and pulls the book towards him. "But it looks like your way home lies with Shinkō. She's the gatekeeper to the Celestial World. There's a lot more to your history than the fairytales we have. She was the one who led the Celestials to their freedom, not Anacova. Anacova was like her messenger."

My heart begins to race just hearing such a thing. I look down at my breakfast, unable to eat it. "How do I get to her?"

"I'm not sure. I'm still reading. But it's hinting that you're going to have to fly in order to get there."