The Empire of Titans

The Enemies Beyond the Sea

' "Next time we see each other, I will be the Hero of the World. And all three of Us will Live Happy Together."

Is it night or day out there? Reiner wondered as he looked at the impenetrable darkness of his tiny, gloomy cell. The absence of natural light had disoriented him to the point where he couldn't even distinguish between day and night anymore. Sleep had been evading him for hours, and he had lost count of the number of times he had unintentionally dozed off and woken up. He wondered if people had forgotten that he existed; he wondered if his mother was still waiting for him. Was she crying? Reiner didn't know. The thought of her crying made his eyes bur.

Reiner could hardly handle the immense urge to vomit that had been plaguing him. However, he reminded himself that this would be the fourth time he would have thrown up on this very day. As he pondered this, he realized his stomach was utterly devoid of anything left to expel. Even with an empty stomach, Reiner did not experience any feelings of hunger.

Reiner wanted to know where everyone else was. The guards never told him anything, so he wondered if Pieck was still alive. What happened that day with Pieck coming to rescue him felt like a fever dream, so he wondered if any of that was real.

Did Pieck really come to save him? Reiner remembered the pain; it felt too real, as was the sunlight on his face. Did he imagine all of that? What about Armin? Did he really visit his cell, or was that too a dream? Reiner wished he knew, but he couldn't anymore.

In a desperate attempt to steady his rattled nerves, he sucked in a deep, trembling breath, feeling the cool air fill his lungs, only to be quickly expelled as the door swung open before him. His heart thrummed in his ears, the rapid palpitations lending a sense of urgency to each passing second. An overwhelming dread took hold of him, coercing his gaze downward towards the worn, faded floor as if afraid of the encounter that awaited him.

The creaking sound of footsteps echoed ominously, announcing the arrival of someone. The finality of the clanging iron door reverberated throughout the small, desolate room, its resonating echo mirroring the solemn blast of a resounding horn.

Reiner's gravelly and fatigued voice emerged from his parched throat as he timidly posed the question that echoed through the desolate space: "W-who's there?"

"Reiner." The voice was swift, and he wasn't sure who said that word.

"Why are you here again? What do you want Armin? I'm not sure anymore if I'm really dreaming or not?" Reiner's raspy voice came out from deep within his throat; it felt dry, so dry that his tongue felt like a brick inside his mouth.

"I'm not Armin, Reiner." He sucked in a breath, slowly, he lifted his face upwards, and just beyond the bars stood...Annie. She seemed a little different; her hair was a bit longer, but he would recognize that face, and especially that nose, anywhere. He felt dread growing in his heart, he felt the cold, and his face started sweating. He wasn't sure yet if he was dreaming, but Annie had never been in his dreams before.

Slowly, he mustered the strength to lift his face up. "Annie! Why are you here?" Reiner asked bemused, looking right at her eyes, cold and emotionless as they always were, but a flash of sorrow passed through her eyes.

"It's time, Reiner." That's all she said, her voice quiet, so quiet that Reiner almost didn't hear her, but they were the only people in this place, and the words easily echoed.

Reiner felt his heart skip a beat; he knew what she meant. He felt a growing dread in his heart; he felt like he was choking on air. Reiner wanted to say something, he wanted to beg, he wanted to live, but just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, he remembered what Eren had promised them.