The sky was a murky gray as Eren stepped into the chill morning air, the distant sounds of the waking town muffled by the fog that clung to the ground. He pulled his hood low over his face, his hand instinctively brushing over the dagger hidden at his side. The woman's warning echoed in his mind: failure had consequences.

As he approached the rendezvous point marked on the map, he saw the others gathered near the edge of a battered stone wall. The woman, shrouded in her dark cloak, stood at the center, her gaze sharp and unforgiving. She met his eyes briefly, then turned her attention back to the map spread over the uneven ground.

The men from last night eyed him with thinly veiled hostility, their expressions a mixture of skepticism and silent challenge. Eren ignored them, keeping his gaze on the woman. He knew he was an outsider, but he couldn't afford to show weakness. Not now.

"Everyone's here," the woman announced, her voice carrying a cold authority. "Listen up. The shipment we're intercepting is protected by a group of guards—they'll be armed, and they won't hesitate to kill if threatened. We move fast, keep quiet, and get out before they know what hit them."

She pointed to a trail leading into the forest, its winding path disappearing into the dense trees. "Our target will follow this route. We'll ambush them here," she tapped on the map, "where the path narrows. No loose ends. Everyone plays their part, and we get in and out without drawing attention."

A murmur of assent rippled through the group. Eren felt a surge of adrenaline as he absorbed her words, his mind already calculating. This was his chance to prove himself, to gain footing in a place where weakness was exploited without mercy.

The woman's gaze shifted to him, her eyes sharp as blades. "Newcomer, you'll be with us at the front. Think you can keep up?"

Eren nodded, meeting her gaze with a confidence he didn't fully feel. "I can handle it."

"Good," she replied, her expression unreadable. She turned back to the group. "Move out. Stay close, and don't make a sound."

They melted into the shadows of the forest, their footsteps muffled by the soft, damp earth. The trees loomed overhead, casting long, twisting shadows that seemed to watch them as they moved. Eren's pulse quickened with every step, his senses heightened, his mind racing through the plan.

The minutes stretched as they waited, crouched among the undergrowth. Eren kept his breathing steady, his eyes fixed on the path ahead, straining for any hint of movement. And then, just as the woman had predicted, the guards appeared—a small group, their weapons glinting in the faint dawn light, faces set in wary concentration.

Eren's heart pounded as the ambush unfolded in a blur of movement and sound. The woman led the charge, moving with a lethal precision that left no room for hesitation. Blades flashed, bodies collided, and the air filled with the brutal, staccato sounds of combat.

Eren fought with everything he had, his focus razor-sharp as he dodged and parried, striking where he could, avoiding the guards' blows by the thinnest of margins. His muscles burned, every motion fueled by the raw need to survive. He could feel the weight of the woman's gaze on him, a silent test of his worth.

One of the guards lunged at him, his sword slicing through the air. Eren barely sidestepped in time, his own dagger finding the man's side with a quick, desperate thrust. The guard fell, his weapon slipping from his grasp, his life extinguished in an instant. Eren stared down at him, a flicker of something dark and unfamiliar stirring within him.

There was no time to process it. Another guard was on him, his face twisted in anger, his strikes fierce and relentless. Eren gritted his teeth, deflecting the blows, each impact sending shockwaves through his arm. He moved with a precision that surprised even him, his instincts sharper, more brutal than he remembered. It was as if something dormant had awakened inside him, something cold and unyielding.

When the last guard fell, silence settled over the clearing. Eren glanced around, noting the woman's approving nod as she surveyed the aftermath. She approached him, her expression unreadable but her eyes glinting with a fierce pride.

"Well done," she murmured, low enough that only he could hear. "You might just survive here after all."

Eren said nothing, only nodding. A sense of accomplishment mingled with a strange hollowness as he looked down at the lifeless forms strewn across the path. This was his initiation, his first step into a world where lives were currency, and death was a daily companion.

As they gathered the spoils, Eren felt the others watching him, a mixture of respect and wariness in their eyes. He had proven himself, but he knew that meant little in a place like this. Every day would bring new challenges, new enemies.

The woman stepped forward, pulling him aside as the others began loading their haul. "You handled yourself well today," she said, her tone measured. "But don't let it get to your head. One mistake, one moment of hesitation, and you'll be dead before you can draw your next breath."

Eren nodded, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "I understand."

"Good." Her lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "This world has no use for the soft-hearted. If you want to survive, you'll have to embrace what you've already started."

He clenched his jaw, her words striking deeper than he cared to admit. There was no room for his old self here, no space for the ideals that had once defined him. He could feel them slipping away, piece by piece, replaced by something harder, colder.

As they made their way back to town, Eren fell into step with the others, his mind churning. He had passed the first test, but he knew it was only the beginning. To survive, he'd have to shed every last remnant of the person he had been, to embrace the darkness that Ezura demanded.

He glanced back at the forest, where the bodies of the guards lay hidden in the shadows, their blood soaking into the earth. For the first time, he felt a chill—not from fear, but from a recognition of what he was becoming.

And he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to turn back.