He Told Me to Live

43 | Freedom

Reiner stared out the window, his brows knit together deep in thought. Either that, or that's just what his face looked like. He had just finished a conversation with Jean about guilt, dirty hands, and other things that I've known for far too long to care about.

I saw his mouth open slowly, as if his words weren't something that he felt comfortable with saying.

"I feel like I kind of understand what Eren's thinking."

And suddenly, I realize why.

"What do you mean?" I questioned with a suspicious raise of my brow.

"I mean, do you think Eren might want us to stop him?"

Mikasa's brows now followed mine, rising with a certain sense of confusion. "What do you mean?" She repeated with a different intention than mine.

"That's... just how it feels to me."

"I've been wondering about the same thing," Armin added. "Eren can now control the actions of every titan and Eldian, but we are still able to use the power of the titans the way we always could."

I glanced at Hange, who had a hand on her chin, thinking about what to make of the two's hypothesis. 

People have always been confusing to me, so I try not to go too deep into understanding them, but at the same time, I feel like I know them more than I'd like to claim.

I leaned back in my seat against the metal inside of the flying boat and I looked at the ceiling. 

Eren was complicated. It's not like he really went through anything particularly worse than us, as far as I can remember.

"It must be painful for him, too," Reiner assumed. He's someone who's more versed in pain than I thought. I should've been able to tell from the early developing worry lines along his forehead and between his brows. "Slaughtering all of humanity isn't something anyone could endure.

"I'd probably want someone else to handle the power of The Founder by now. And if that wasn't possible, I'd want it to be stopped by someone."

Eren always used to speak about freedom. Now, it seems like he's more bound than ever.

And suddenly, we were back to that place with the dull blue sand and the beacon of light in the centre.

I flinched and went to grabbing Levi's hand, as I was just sitting and staring at the ceiling a moment before.

He squeezed mine back, annoyance moulding his features. "What, was he eavesdropping on us?"

Armin cupped his hands around his mouth. "Eren! Please, listen to us! You've done enough! I'm sure no one is going to lay a hand on Paradis for centuries to come now! You can still agree to a non-aggression pact and end this! We were wrong! We're the ones who forced you to this point!"

The comradery between Eren and the others here was evident as Jean added:

"Eren! We'll figure out the rest from here, so you don't need to keep slaughtering people for our sake!"

And Connie continued:

"Eren! I haed you over what happened to Sasha, but I know you must have been as sad as the rest of us, right! And yet, I never even considered what it must have been like to be in your position."

Mikasa didn't yell like the rest. She knew he could hear her.

"Eren... I want to share the burden of your sins with you. We're all guilty of the same sins. So please, stop avoiding us like this. Eren, please come back to us."