Souls Of Sorrow || 𝐸𝑟𝑒𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑋 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

Chapter 37 - Eren

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Seagulls caw overhead, circling around the boat the scout regiment commandeered from Marley. It's unfamiliar from the shrill cry of the crows always flying around Paradis.

Water laps at the bottom of the boat, it's a calming sound. One I wish I could have experienced more times than this. The sea is peaceful, and with the sun shining high in the sky above, it almost feels as though nothing bad will ever happen.

A week before this venture to Marley,
Kiyomi Azumabito visited Paradis to give us the rundown on how to make Zeke's plan work. She wanted us to unleash a fraction of the titans within the walls, which I think was fine in order to both buy us time and show the strength of the rumbling.

When she told us that Zeke intended to pass the beast titan onto someone of royal blood and that that person would have to bear as many children as possible within their thirteen years, I put an end to the plan immediately. Putting Historia through that, as well as her children, it's not worth it.

The other regiments agreed with me when I voiced those thoughts. Our descendants shouldn't have to deal with our problems.

Still, Historia does need to continue the royal bloodline even if she doesn't take the beast titan. She took up residence with a farmer in wall rose, one that Y/n threatened so that if he ever did Historia any harm, she'd take his eyes out with a rusty spoon and sever his hands with his own shovel.

Everyone knew she wasn't joking.

The ship pulls into the port of Marley, and the noise of all those busying themselves with unloading their own boats reaches my ears. Surveying those below, I not how...prim they all look. The commoners dress more regally here than the royalty in Paradis.

The more I think about it- which lately, has been pretty often- only unleashing a few of the wall's titans is pointless. These people and their content smiles, hiding the fact they all think of Eldians as nothing but the dirt on their boots, treat them like it too. They all deserve to be crushed under mine.

I spoke with Yelena before this trip, both of us agreeing that I would only seem to go along with Zeke's plan, while really enacting my own. These people have to die. We can't be trapped in this cycle forever, Eldians deserve freedom.

I follow after the others as we depart the ship, my eyes flickering over my surroundings. Onyankopon greets us on the ground, him having arrived back in Marley a few days prior with some of the Marleyan engineers to avoid suspicion.

I watch Hange, Connie, and Sasha run after some large metal contraption. A car, I think it's called. The others pretend not to know who they are after they start trying to feed it carrots.

"Eren." Y/n's voice makes me jump, her presence silent. I tilt my head to look at her as she takes my hand, my heart fluttering as she interlaces our fingers. "Stay close to me," she murmurs, "I don't trust any of these people."

I nod, looking back out at the crowd.

Sasha, Connie, and Jean are trying to convince Mikasa and Armin to try ice cream, both looking skeptical before giving in. I recognize the treat from my father's memories, Eldians in the internment zone don't get it. The outside world is massive, but they don't want us to be apart of it.

I squeeze Y/n's hand a little tighter, my jaw feathering as I study the happy faces of those around us.

"Hey, that purse doesn't belong to you, does it, kid?" Captain Levi's firm voice breaks through my thoughts. I glance over to see him holding a darker skinned boy by the wrist. The vendors around the scene all watch with distaste, surrounding the kid when the Captain steps back, taking the coin purse from the boy, tossing it back to Sasha.