Eremika Week 2018

Eurydice

Eremika Day 3: Reincarnation/Mythology

Rating: T

Eren grapples with the cruel reality of Mikasa's death.

This is a loose retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology. I had hoped to write something a little happier, but pretty much every Greek myth (especially romance-based) ends in tragedy. Apologies for continuing the angst/suffering since I've probably written enough already this week. Here's my last piece for Eremika Week 2018.

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Eren watches as Mikasa pulls her hand away from her side, sticky, hot blood coating her fingertips. Her breath is staggered, and she shuts her eyes in pain. Eren watches fearfully as her pale shirt becomes soaked with an expanding red. Why had he not been paying more attention? Maybe then he could've noticed the titan lurking behind the tree, ready to strike at its victim.

With trembling hands, Eren slowly lifts Mikasa's shirt to examine the wound, ignoring her quiet groans of pain. One look already confirms his suspicions. He gently lowers the blood-soaked shirt back down and places his face in his hands.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

Tears gather at the corner of his eyes until he feels her hand grab his wrist. Eren moves his hands away partially, staring at her exhausted face. The bold, strong Mikasa is already fleeting, but she weakly grins at him anyway, as if she's still telling him to be strong.

She brings his wrist down, closer to her, then moves her hand up to his. He interlaces his fingers with hers, feeling her own blood coat his own fingertips. Then, he feels her palm pushing something against his. She slowly moves her hand away, and Eren wraps his hand around the foreign item in his hand.

When he opens his blood-stained hand, he sees the engagement ring he gave her three months ago. A startled cry echoes from his mouth, and he reaches up to press his hand lightly against her cheek.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

They were going to be married in the springtime, when the air was warmer and the cherry blossoms were at full bloom. He would've never guessed one of humanity's strongest soldiers would meet her fate before then.

Eren leans forward to kiss her. The kiss is mixed with blood and tears and barely resembles the warm, gentle touch of their lips that they were so accustomed to sharing. He traces his thumb along her cheekbone, feeling her inhale sharply.

He clutches the engagement ring in his fist, knowing what the gesture means and being frustrated with her for it. How can he move on and marry someone else when she's always been his everything? How can he forget the young woman who gave him the courage to never give up?

Even now, he can tell she's trying to fight her demise with every strangled breath she takes. Careful not to further injure her, Eren steps over to her uninjured side and sits down beside her. He leans forward, lifting her into his arms so that her head is cradled against his chest.

The forest is surprisingly peaceful. He can feel an afternoon breeze blowing across his skin while the chirping of birds fills the air. At least she can view the natural beauty of this world one last time before she leaves.

Eren finds her free hand and squeezes it, pressing his face into her hair. Then, he begins singing to her softly, remembering how she liked to listen to his voice before falling asleep. He watches her shut her eyes slowly at the sound of his gentle voice.

That's it. It's as if you're sleeping.

He is comforted by the slow rise and fall of her chest, but he can tell she is fading quickly. She is no longer reacting to his thumb stroking the side of her hand or the kisses he's pressing against her head.

Then, she lets out a gasp, as if she's choking on air, and then...stillness. Her hand loses grip on his, and he feels her whole body sag with a lack of life.

Eren fumbles with the ring in his hand and lets out a scream of anguish into the sky, watching the birds gathered on tree branches take off in a clustered frenzy.

...

Eren speaks little in the weeks following Mikasa's passing. He can barely hold back tears at her service and visits her grave only once to deliver a bunch of budding bellflowers.

These days, he does little but pace the corridors and stare out his window at the shining sun that he can barely feel the warmth of anymore. He finds solace in sleep and quiet walks by himself in the woods. When he feels the tiniest bit of joy that possessed him in the days prior to her death, he need only look at the blood-crusted engagement ring and neatly-folded scarf on his nightstand to be reminded of why it is so difficult to smile these days.

This afternoon, Eren decides he will escape reality through dozing. Though the sun is out and the birds are chirping, Eren shuts his blinds and traps his room in darkness. Physically exhausted, he crawls into bed and rests his head against the pillow, finding it easy to fall asleep.

She greets him in his sleep. He feels her warm presence almost immediately and nearly cries out as her pale hands reach forward to grasp onto his forearms. She looks well, just like she did before she died. Her gray eyes are illuminated,, and her mouth is slightly curled into a smile.

He embraces her, nearly digging his nails into her back as he holds her tightly, never daring to let go. Eren looks up and makes eye contact with his love. He can hear her faintest giggle as he begins peppering kisses around her face, jawline, and neck. She melts into them, and he catches a whiff of her sweet scent as her hair brushes against his nose.

Her touch feels so warm and so real, her lips as soft as ever when they press onto his. The tiniest cries of pure joy escape Eren with her return. Mikasa traces her slender fingertips up his face to wipe away the tears rolling down his cheek before she leans in to kiss him again.

Eren interlaces his fingers with hers, his thumb rolling over the metal ring still attached to her finger. She is still his after all. She always will be. They will one day be together forever.

Something sickening lurks. The shadows are closing in. Mikasa's expression turns to worry, and she grips onto Eren, practically urging him to hold her tighter so she doesn't fade. Eren digs his fingers into her upper arms and buries his head in the crook of her neck, promising that he won't let go, but her warmth is beginning to grow cold, and her touch feels distant.

Eren holds onto her harder, but she is slipping from his grasp. He can feel her slowly moving downward, out of the grasp of his arms and into the inky blackness surrounding their feet. He calls out her name, anguished, as she slips from him completely, drowning in the darkness.

Eren wakes with a jolt, forgetting where he is for a second. He turns to his side, half-expecting Mikasa to be lying next to him, but the other side of the bed is empty and cold. His cruel reality slowly returns with the realization of her absence.

Eren turns his head back toward the engagement ring laying on his nightstand. He reaches for it, feeling the cold material pressing against his skin. He twirls it with his fingertips, then lets out a choked sob.

Mikasa is gone.

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Thank you for all the likes and comments on my pieces. I actually finished up Eremika Week with this piece and am a bit sad to end my writing spree. I definitely think my writing has improved from last year's ship week and feel my works were a lot more meaningful this time around. I didn't really have any personal problems with any of the pieces I wrote and enjoyed writing each prompt. There may be one or two continuations that will be created as a separate work, so keep a look out for that. Thank you again for all your support, and a big thank you to everyone else who participated. I loved reading all the different fics and seeing the different fanart. This is truly one of my favorite weeks of the year. Until next year ;)