SEVEN

Erwin receives the Titan serum.

Armin.

You loved him so much. In your first life, he had been the last person you ever held. You had never been as close to him as Eren was, and that was fine. But you loved him. Armin, who had loved you back, enough to be your family when the dust after the Rumbling settled. One of your best friends in this unforgiving world.

Maybe you would never be to each other what Eren was to you both individually, but that was okay.

So, when you found Armin on the roof, charred to the bone, it took everything in you not to wail and cry at the top of your lungs.

You sat down next to him, quiet and unresponsive, as Eren and Levi began to talk about going after the Beast Titan. You gazed at Shiganshina, your old home, recognizing the streets where you used to play with Armin as a child. Technically, you still were a child, in this body.

You used to be more like him, quiet and intelligent. Never a physical fighter like Eren and Mikasa. That was why the four of you were so well-balanced—you and Armin were always the brains of the operation.

"Remember when we met, Armin?" you asked. Though you knew he was alive, you didn't know if he could hear you. "Eren introduced you. Gosh, I liked you so much, I became better at reading and writing because you helped me."

Armin didn't respond. Of course not. You chuckled to yourself, bitter and mournful, as you hugged your knees to your chest. You caught a whiff of your burnt jacket. It was torn. It smelled like sweat and smoke.

"I died in your arms, did you know that?" you asked. "You were there to see me before everything else. I'll never forget that, Armin."

You closed your eyes and began to curse the world.

"I wish it were different. I wish I knew if this was the right choice. I'll miss you so much, I love you so much, Armin. I'm sorry..."

A hand landed on your shoulder. It was Levi. His eyes lost their usual coldness, replaced with sympathy.

"You've got to get moving," he said.

You bit your tongue and nodded. You couldn't let anyone know that Armin was still alive.

Right on cue, he coughed.

Just like that, Eren was passionately telling Levi to use the serum on Armin. Back in past lives, you had begged with him. You even got on your knees, desperate for him to agree. Then Commander Erwin was brought upon you, and you strengthened your resolve to make the hardest decision you'd ever steel yourself to do so far.

You didn't help Mikasa and Eren when they began physically threatening Levi, but you didn't try to help him, either. You didn't say a word when Eren turned to you and began screaming to tell Levi to use the shot on Armin.

With your mind being full of rational thought now, you could see the way Levi had seen Eren at that moment: the kid was so unhinged, so emotional, so insubordinate that it was a miracle the little shit even made it past the first month of the cadet corps.

At least Mikasa gave up in Hange's arms. At least you were being quiet. But Eren never knew when to stop.

You swallowed and held back your tears as Levi injected the serum into Erwin Smith, Eren openly crying in your arms.

-

You walked through the barren land of Shiganshina as though you were only a ghost.

Eren and Mikasa were both wrecks.

One foot after another. One clack of your heel against the ruined cobblestone streets after another. Inhale, exhale, hold back the tears. Keep moving forward.

Perhaps this was for the better.

A free world, one where you could all be at peace. One where Armin was dead. That was absurd. But you knew this was one trial that you took with a heavy heart. Maybe Armin was not the right choice after all. After the Rumbling, he'd stirred up controversy when he retold Eren's story through peace talks. Maybe you really did have to sacrifice him.

With this depressing thought weighing you down, you started the fire outside Shiganshina. You turned around, expecting Eren to have followed, but he was standing meters behind, frozen in shock and grief.

"Eren," you said. You had to be mentally strong. You couldn't lose your mind again unlike before. "We have to bury him."

Eren stood, terror in his expression, staring at you with wide eyes and an unhinged twitch in his jaw. You knew Armin's loss was not at all processing through his mind. The information that he was yet to find in the basement was hardly his priority.

Now you had to reunite Armin with the soil of the earth.

"Eren, please," you said, lower lip wobbling now. Your voice began to crack. "I don't—I don't want him to rot."

The moment your strangely indifference mannerism broke, Eren snapped out of his stupor. He took a few deep breaths.

Then his resolve shattered and he dissolved into tears again.

Rot—such an ugly word.

You buried your eyes into your sleeve and released a few choked sobs for your friend. For a moment, you seriously considered taking your sword and stabbing yourself with it, so you could die to enter the next life and see Armin alive and well again. It hurt, knowing that if you had just done something differently, Armin would be alive right now and everything would be so different.

But you also knew that Armin receiving the serum had created a series of devastating ripples that altered the future, and you had no idea what would happen if the opposite did. That was why you were here to find out what could have been if it had been Erwin. It was cruel, but you had to set your feelings aside.

"Come on," you said shakily. You stepped forward and took Eren by the hand. It was wet from how much he wiped his tears.

You were supposed to be the strong one here; you, who knew death so many times, who knew the maturity of adulthood. Eren did not have that. Right now, he only had you.

Mikasa was waiting for you up ahead, carrying Armin's mutilated body in her arms. He was so charred that you were almost afraid that one touch would cause him to crumble, like how oxide turned into ash. What was worse was that he smelled like burning flesh. Like the roasted meat the Survey Corps had for dinner the night before when you were all together and laughing.

The fact that your mind even made that connection made you taste vomit in your mouth.

You had spent the whole lifetime training yourself for this moment — not interacting with Armin so much, learning how to close off your emotions, but no, Armin just had to be so kind despite your indifference, Eren just had to insist that his two best friends should get along. It was impossible not to like him.

"We should cremate him," you said.

Eren and Mikasa's eyes snapped to you. They were both hollow and stricken. You spoke as though someone else was possessing your body, your mind blank while your mouth did all the talking. They had no idea how you could be so composed.

"You want to—" Eren swallowed, "—burn him again?"

"So when we see the outside world," you said, "we can bring him with us."

"But..."

"Eren," you said, gripping his hand firmly. "The ocean, remember?"

He gazed at you, blinking back tears.

"I... I don't want Armin to remain trapped in the Walls, either," Mikasa said quietly.

Eren burst out, "But what if it doesn't exist?"

His voice was so desolate, so pained that you stopped. With Armin gone, Eren's dream to see the ocean was already breaking.

"It does, Eren," you said. "Let's not leave him here in Shiganshina. He only ever got bullied here. I want him to be somewhere happy."

He eventually agreed to that.

You made Eren find a shovel and Mikasa some kind of jar. You lit the match and watched Armin turn to ash, real ash.

Eren and Mikasa stared at the remnants of him disappearing with a dissociated look in their eyes. You collected yourself enough so that when he burned, you managed to scrape his ash and keep it in a container.

Armin.

He had been alive, breathing, dreaming about the ocean yesterday, when you prevented Levi from hearing him talk about the outside world. Now, he was a jar in your hands.

You left to wash your hands in Shiganshina's river, trying not to think about how some of the soot on your hands was probably Armin. When you came back, you saw Eren hugging the jar to his chest like he was holding a baby and not a dead clump of dust.

You didn't know what to say.

You felt lost.

The three of you only snapped out of it when Hange called you from afar.

"Let's go to the basement."

You knew you and Eren were going to repeat a conversation outside your house. It was going to be more emotional than romantic now. The world had tilted badly.

You turned to Hange and called back, "Give us a moment."

-

The ocean.

It's an endless expanse of blue water. The sun shimmered against the crashing waves and the soft sand tickled your feet as you took off your boots and socks. You'd seen this sight so many times, but it was the first time you'd seen it since the loop. And by the gods, was it beautiful every time.

Everything about it screamed Armin's name.

You faced Eren. He had rolled up his pants to his knees and stared at the horizon. His eyes were serious. You watched him nervously, aware of how crucial this moment was for him.

"If we kill all our enemies across the sea, will we finally be free?"

"Eren," you heard Commander Erwin call.

You all turned to see the Commander surveying the sight before him with vague interest. Ever the proper man, he stayed behind, dry on the sand, merely a few feet away from Levi. You saw the captain eyeing Eren too, and you knew he noticed the grief on your faces, the way an angry red flush was up Eren's neck like a vein was seconds away from popping. He was glad you were silent.

"Eren," the commander repeated. "Who do you think the real enemy is?"

Eren's eyes widened. It was the first time anyone had openly voiced his thoughts. His mouth was tannin, and it merged into a bitter frown as his fingers pointed to the horizon.

"Sir," he said. "It was them."

Your insides twisted uncomfortably. It was also the first time Eren had ever visibly expressed his distaste for the people across the ocean, even more so to your commander.

Something smooth nudged against your foot, buried deep in the sand. A seashell.

At that moment, you dreamed of a boy whose hair was as golden as the sun. It blew in the wind, eyes blue as the sea. Tears in his eyes as he finally saw the ocean at last. His words were thoughtful, his laugh a sunny bellflower; he was the light. But a shadow cast and the ocean swallowed him like a ship sinking.

The ocean, Armin whispered. His cheeks were flushed with pleasure.

A wave pulled up. It splashed against your knees. The seashell was gone, stolen by the ocean. Or maybe it was just going back to its rightful place.

Without thinking, you dove for it.

Perhaps it was silly and childish. Perhaps you should move on. But you couldn't. You needed a reminder of him, a reminder that he had been there, once. That he had achieved his dream and lived.

The salty water made your eyes burn. You fought against the waves and opened your eyes underwater, scrambling through the sand to find the shell. Your head went under, immersing yourself in the cool, clear blue. You saw the shell sparkling, moving through the dunes as the current pulled it back. You reached for it and enclosed it around your wrist before heading back up, gasping for breath.

Luckily, your abrupt display seemed to have snapped Eren out of something as soon as you resurfaced back to the shore.

"The heck was that about?" he asked. You were drenched. "That was so sudden."

You held the seashell out in your palm. It glistened. Armin.

Eren stared at it as if wondering where he had seen it before.

His eyes flitted back up to you.

"For Armin," you said.

There, you had dropped his name. Everyone heard you and Eren and they immediately looked elsewhere, unable to withstand the tense atmosphere that rose. The sea before them had been Armin's aspiration but he wasn't there to see it.

You glanced at Commander Erwin. He was not wading into the water as the others were. The ocean had intrigued him, yes. But the outside world was not his dream. His dream had been realized a year ago, when he entered the basement and learned the truth.

His apathy was unsettling when you compared it to Armin's zeal.

Eren went to shore to get something from one of the supplies. His green cloak. He toweled you off.

Your face warmed as he wiped your cheek. His touch was delicate but purposeful. He had been closed off from everything since last year, but he was slowly coming back to you again. His fingers touched the side of your neck for a brief moment.

For a moment you stared into each other's eyes, trying to convey something—the grief, the achievement, the love. But the last part was something you weren't sure you could afford, not now.

Your lips parted. "Eren..."

"I don't want you to catch a cold," he said softly.

Before he could lean in, because you knew he would, you quickly looked down at the seashell in your hands. Your faces were so close that you could feel each other's exhales.

"It reminded me of him," you said. "Armin would think this is so cool."

Of course, Eren couldn't kiss you there, not when you made it clear you were thinking of Armin. It would be odd to kiss you when you were grieving over his best friend. And he was grieving, too.

Someone cleared her throat behind you. Mikasa was holding the jar, a steely look in her eyes. "It's time."

You inhaled and nodded, taking Eren's hand and squeezing it before letting go.

The three of you reached into the jar, taking fistfuls of ashes each, and held it over the sea. The other Scouts had ceased movement and were now quietly standing behind you, aware of the solemnity.

You spoke first. You always did things first, because for some reason Eren couldn't understand, you were always the strongest when it came to horrible, emotional situations.

"Armin Arlert, we're here. I miss you, buddy, and I'm so sorry. If I could change it... no, if I could have found a better way, I would have. Till we meet again."

Mikasa next.

"Armin. The best among us all. Thank you for being my friend. I truly miss you."

Then Eren.

There was so much to say. He had prepared for this moment but he got choked up all the same.

"Armin... you're the bravest. We reached the sea, didn't we? Didn't I tell you that it does exist? You entrusted all your dreams to me and I swear I'll make them happen. Be free."

"Be free," you and Mikasa echoed, and then you released his ashes into the sea.

Be free.

In a world that was nothing like Armin's book.

Your hand crept to Eren's. You couldn't help it—in every life, your body unconsciously sought his. This time, there were remnants of ash on your fingers as they touched.

A vision flashed.

It was an older you and Armin holding each other before the bombs rained down, killing you. Another one, was where you were all sitting around the table, and Armin punched Eren in the face after he told you that he hated you and that he never considered Mikasa as family, causing you both to cry.

Another one, where Armin was in the ocean. Your first life. Where he was the one holding the shell.

Did Eren see that too?

You jerked your hand away from Eren, who tensed up. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything.

You stared at him, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't.

The ash blew away in the wind and became one with the salt of the ocean. Armin and his dream.

-

When the Marleyans arrived, you watched as Commander Erwin greeted them with novel interest. Yelena was amused to find that Paradis had such an amiable yet serious commander. Unlike Hange, who had been humorous when they were the commander back then.

You slunk back to the shadows of the Scouts' tents as Eren trudged back from the sand after he destroyed their ships. Titan marks ran down his face. Out of habit, you reached out and traced them down his skin.

His eyes were unreadable, but they softened when your fingers brushed over his cheek.

"It's a good look on you, 'Ren," you complimented. You grinned. "Sexier than the commander, at least."

Eren frowned, but he was blushing. "Shut up."

"Didn't think you were into older men," Connie piped up, as he and Sasha made their way towards you. You all crouched by the rocks and watched the Marleyans get apprehended. "You into the commander, [Name]?"

"Ha," you muttered. "Yeah, right. I might not have a dad anymore but it's not that bad."

"Of course she's not," said Sasha, winking. "She's not into blondes. She wants dark-haired, brooding guys."

Now it was your turn to be embarrassed. "Shut up."

Eren chuckled beside you. You hit his arm. He playfully hit you back, and you rolled your eyes, shaking your head at his childishness. But you were glad to see it. He had been especially depressed in this loop, but when you were around it was different because you did your best to make him happy—even if there was no one to do the same for you.

"Gee," said Connie, disgusted. "Wonder who that could be."

Hange approached the squad after the meeting to inform you that Commander Erwin had readily accepted Marley's offer for new technology, even if it primarily stemmed from Zeke Jaeger, who had tried to kill Erwin.

You saw Eren's jaw twitch at this and inwardly sighed. The commander had always been fearless when it came to novelty. Even if it might be an economic trap. The fact that he was risking Paradis on a geopolitical scale for some military toys was a strange gamble.

What did he want, really?

-

"'Ren, try this thing called crepe," you said. "It's got ice cream inside, it's so delicious!"

You couldn't lie, you missed outside-world cuisine so much. It was hard to stomach flavorless meal after meal when you had a taste of what things like pizza and ice cream and smoothies were. Levi had told you that they were bad for you, but he was so full of shit, because he never tried to stop you from eating sweets. Perhaps you were just that pitiful and starved as a kid.

You were careful with your words, with Eren in Marley. He was looking around at everything with wide eyes, at the cars speeding past and the strange fashion and the people he was planning to kill. You had been ignorant the first time. Now, you knew better.

You stuck to Eren like you were going to get lost.

He opened his mouth for you, like a child, and you rolled your eyes and you broke off a bit of your crepe, some of the ice cream squeezing out, and placed it between his teeth. "You're such a kid."

"Says the one stuffing sweets," he said.

He took notice of the way your hands seemed to linger on him for too long. You had always been touchy with each other, weirdly so, but this time you seemed almost clingy. It was endearing.

You huffed. "'Rennie, you're so mean. We're in the world outside the Walls, aren't we?"

You realized that was Armin's line. Eren's eyes sullened. You switched tactics.

"There's ice cream on your mouth," you said, and before he could react, you swiped your finger across the corner of his lips. "That's better."

It was odd how affectionate you were all of a sudden. Your heartbeat quickened. It was as though your mind was moving past its own accord, the heart speaking instead of the brain.

Eren smiled at the way you flushed. Maybe he liked this excitable version of you. He snuck an arm around your waist, squeezing it.

"You're cute," he hummed, before leading you to follow the rest of the Survey Corps. His hand rested on your waist like it belonged there.

When Mikasa looked back at you, she sent you both a knowing look and raised her brows. You and Eren skillfully pretended that the way you were touching each other was normal. You weren't sure how long you could pretend.

She nudged Sasha, who nudged Connie, who nudged Jean. They sent you thinly veiled glances.

They were probably expecting you and Eren to get together in Marley.

You soured, stiffening in Eren's hold as you strolled the busy streets. You knew it wasn't going to happen, not when he was going to leave.

You wondered, genuinely, if he was going to corner you again, like before. Ask you what he was to you. You weren't excited about that conversation.

Sitting in the public courtroom where Marleyans discussed their plans for Eldians, you observed Eren's reaction as they slandered Paradis.

"The devils on the island must be wiped from the world, we can't let such threats to humanity live!"

The others shifted in their seats. Commander Erwin was sitting still, eyes hard as the Marleyans made it clear that they wouldn't tolerate Eldians from Paradis in society. You were slightly terrified to see such an expression on him.

You had been so preoccupied with observing him that you hadn't realized that Eren was about to stand from his seat to slip out of the building. However, before he could, Commander Erwin abruptly turned around, causing Eren to pause.

He and the commander exchanged wary looks, a moment of understanding passing between them.

Eren did not slip out. The commander's confirmation-somewhat-agreement seemed to have grounded him. Suddenly you felt his hand snaking up your sleeved arm, and he squeezed it like it reined him back to earth.

You ended up never sneaking off to drink at the refugee camp, never meeting Ramzi and his brother.

-

"Going somewhere, Eren?"

Eren stopped when he heard the commander's voice. He turned to the Azumabito's foyer, where those cold blue eyes stared back at him. Erwin had caught him trying to leave for Marley.

"Sir," he greeted stiffly. "I was going out for a walk."

"Alone, at three in the morning?"

"Couldn't sleep in a foreign land."

"So, you intend to go deeper into it."

Eren maintained a stoic face. "Are you going to stop me, sir?"

"I suppose not," Erwin admitted.

Even Eren had to conclude that piqued his interest. "Why?"

"You're a grown man, now, Eren," said Erwin. "From the display we saw in the courtroom today, I'm sure you could figure that out for yourself. Why I will excuse you. But I must ask..."

A shadow passed over his face. For a fleeting moment, Eren felt like a little boy again, meek in the presence of the commander while he was behind bars.

"...are you willing to sacrifice it all, just for this?"

Eren had noticed that there was an edge to the commander's tone. It was quizzical, philosophical, and maybe even amusing, like Eren was merely playing a game. He quickly realized that the commander was talking about how you had been so close today, almost like lovers. And he was about to sacrifice that.

Eren's jaw tightened.

Now that he was with the commander, he momentarily thought of Armin, who would have been so disappointed to realize how shit the outside world was. This must be the truth—Armin's dream would never be fully realized until he blazed the earth to the ground and started anew.

Then, he'd have those rolling hills. The jungles with trees so thick that snakes could hang like vines. The dunes of sand. The snow-capped glaciers. And the ocean, the vast ocean that would absorb the dead.

You would be happy, wouldn't you? You would live long and be as happy as you were in the modern ways of Marley today. That was right—he had to do this for everyone. For you. He would destroy the world and here was Erwin Smith enabling him to do so.

"Yes, Commander."

"Eren!"

You had run down the stairs, out of breath, panting as you pointed at him. Your brows were knitted in a deadly frown. You ignored the commander and grabbed Eren's hand, dragging him away to the next room where you could speak privately.

"Eren, don't you dare run off," you seethed. "Armin wouldn't have wanted you to become a criminal."

At that, Eren found himself breaking, his voice taking on a higher pitch.

"How the hell would you know what Armin would have wanted? He's dead!"

"I knew Armin well!" you shouted. "I was his friend, too!"

"I knew him better than anyone!" Eren shouted back. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to compose himself, trying not to engage in a screaming match with you in the dead of the night.

He looked back up at you, tear-streaked.

"The world was nothing like I saw in Armin's book," he whispered. "And I was so disappointed. I... I wanted to destroy it all."

"Eren, you don't have to do this."

"Please trust me," Eren moved forward to take both your hands in his. He laced your fingers together and squeezed them tightly. "Trust me, [Name]. I'll make this world right. I'll free you from this cage."

"Why, Eren?"

"Because I... I..." He glanced at the room, where you knew the commander was observing your shouts with vague interest and some knowing amusement. Maybe even sympathy. Then Eren looked back at you, at your wide eyes, and shook his head. "You'll understand why. Just... please, let me go."

"I thought you wanted to explore the world," you said quietly, desperately. "Isn't that what Armin wanted?"

Eren swallowed. You were startled to see him blinking back tears. His grip on your hand tightened.

"The island—it's to save Eldia," he choked out. "But it's more than that... what was really beyond the Walls was nothing like the world I dreamed of. It wasn't the world I saw in Armin's book."

At this, you found yourself also welling up. "Eren."

The tears freely ran down his face.

"When I learned that humanity lived beyond the Walls, I was so disappointed. I wished for it. I want to wipe it all away. I'm sorry."

You wrapped your arms around him as his shoulders shook with sobs, enclosing him in a hug.

You were quiet. It wasn't as though you could beg Eren to stay—he just couldn't be contained. A wild animal that would break his teeth to bite through a cage. He was going to go no matter what. You felt like a wife bidding her husband goodbye for war.

"[Name], what am I..." He trailed off. He was about to leave, anyway. "Never mind, it'll only bother you."

"What are you what?"

"Never mind, [Name]. Just let me go."

All you could gamble on was how Erwin would react when the war for Paradis came. You swallowed and squeezed back.

"Come back to me, you hear?"

"I promise."

Eren looked like he wanted to say something more or do something, gazing into your eyes, but he shut his mouth and nodded. He slowly let go, the tips of his fingers lingering on yours before he broke away.

"I'll be back. Wait for me."

You exited the room. Commander Erwin was still at his seat, flipping through a book. When you and Eren showed yourselves, he set it down. Eren nodded to the commander and prompty left. He glanced at you before shutting the door.

You stood there, empty and numb.

Commander Erwin stood and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder.

"Eren will honor his vow," he said. "Only a devil can save Paradis."

-

Liberio came into view from the airship. You had chosen not to participate in the Battle of Liberio yet, as you were tasked to locate the Marleyan naval fleet for the Colossal Titan to destroy. You found it on the radar easily, a thousand ships destined for destruction.

You glanced down at the tiny boat that contained Erwin, who like you, was geared up in the new black Scout uniform. You flipped the switch of the radio, and it crackled to life as you spoke. "Commander, is this the right thing to do?"

"I trust Eren as much as you do," he replied through the walkie-talkie. He had grown to respect you as you were one of the rare Survey Corps members who managed to survive for this long, even more so now that you were an especially mature adult. "Only a devil can save our people. I would know."

Your spine went cold. It was always unnerving to see how different he was from Armin. Soon enough, he transformed into the Colossal Titan. He did not cry as Armin did. He did not feel the same sympathy as Armin did. To him, the loss of civilian lives was equivalent to blowing out an anthill. They were just inconvenient bugs.

"I'm not so sure I agree with that," Hange said from the pilot seat. They eyed you. Onyankopon was beside them, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as the airship neared the exploding battlefield of Liberio. "God. I'm not even sure if I agree with our own commander."

When the battle was over, you found yourself sliding the cabin door open, where Eren was hanging on.

You stared at each other for a good few moments.

You reached out your hand and he took it. He let you pull him in.

"Eren." His name fell from your lips like you were saying a prayer. "Eren, why?"

"I had to." His voice was low and gravelly, like you were sharing a secret.

His hand twitched when you let go.

Before Levi could apprehend him and begin kicking the little shit's face, Erwin stopped him.

"Eren did what had to be done," he said. He threw his subordinate a deadpan look. "Am I correct?"

Eren hummed. "Yes, sir."

"The Declaration of War was passed by Marley," he said. "Although the stakes are against us, I fear it was only a matter of time until we had to act. We cannot afford to be complacent until they wipe us out."

With that, he entered the other cabin and you were left to stare at Eren with a quiet dread bubbling in your stomach. Without Armin to foil Eren, who? You certainly knew you couldn't simply take his place.

-

A battle by the harbor.

The Wall Titans were well on their way to crush the mainland. They swam across the ocean like ancient whales.

But to see Eren again, you had to defeat the Jaegerists.

You released your gears and sliced your own former soldiers' necks. You ignored their cries and focused until Magath and the Marleyan commander blew up and the ship would get going so you would move forward. But no. Erwin had let Eren proceed without getting arrested or apprehended, and Eren didn't need a cult to serve as his lackeys. Despite the anger simmering off your friends in the Alliance, Paradis was for Eren.

Before you could board the ship, someone stepped out of the port headquarters. Commander Erwin walked stiffly, slowly, every bit of the ruthless military leader he was. His eyes scanned the group with disappointment, especially at Levi and Hange, whose hope for humanity hadn't changed.

"I would have thought," he sighed, "that as the ones who'd been through hell the most, you'd find the most logic in this."

"We will never support genocide," Hange said decidedly. "It is up to you, Erwin, to make it what you want. But the freedom of our race at the expense of oppression—we refuse to stand for that."

The others made noises of assent.

Erwin surveyed you all tactically.

"You care for humanity, as do I," he said. "But I have to pick which specific subset of humanity to stand for. To me, it is the Eldians of Paradis."

"Don't do this, Erwin," Levi muttered.

The tension reigned in the air until Hange finally snapped and directed everyone to run for the boat. Erwin's face was unreadable, the silent declaration of opposition clear. You wondered if Eren could see this now if he hadn't expected this, if he had a vision. Maybe he would have intervened. But right now, he was far deep in his Titan, dead to the world in the Paths realm.

As you ran with the others down the dock for the boat, you heard your former commander speak. The sea breeze carried his voice in the wind.

"The only one who can save us," Erwin articulated slowly, "is a devil. Forgive me. I have to stop you before humanity kills Paradis."

Then, he bit down on his hand. Blood seeped out, and lightning flashed to signify his transformation. First, it was a small crackle. Then, a hot, deadly explosion.

It was so explosive that the dock beneath you split apart in pieces, scratching your arms and sending you crashing into the ocean. A cold shock hit you as you went underwater. The waves curled with you in their hold, sending you tumbling through the current. You kicked and held your mouth closed even if you wanted to scream, all sense of direction lost as you struggled to find the surface.

Erwin had single-handedly caused an earthquake with his transformation alone. When you bobbed to the surface, coughing and trying to inhale, the air was putrid and hot with smoke. The burning of your lungs, coupled with exhaustion, was more than you could take. Moreover, your ODM gear was weighing you down, making staying afloat a struggle for your legs.

There was saltwater in your eyes, mixing with blood and tears. You kept going under, the ocean pulling you to its depths. You resisted, breaking the surface as waves crashed over your head.

"Mikasa!" you screamed, because she was all you had left. "Mikasa!"

There was no reply. You could see a few bodies floating far away, and you had no idea who they were, but you knew it was some of your friends. It was also very possible that they'd died in the explosion, got burnt, or simply vaporized into a million tiny pieces. Or, they were drowning as you were.

On land, the Colossal Titan was slowly moving towards the ocean, causing it to slosh around. Every step sent the earth-shaking.

A tuft of dark hair popped up from below, gasping for air. It was Mikasa. Her cheek had been burned, and it was red and raw against the salty water. She looked around wildly before finding you. Breathing a sigh of temporary relief, you began to fight your weight and swim towards her.

Then, her grey eyes widened with terror. She shouted something unintelligible, coughing out seawater, and pointed behind you. You felt the water begin to lift you. A wave, as tall as a giant. Erwin's earthquake was producing a tsunami. And it was headed your way.

So fast, so quick, so slow. The tide had pulled out and it was crashing back down with a vengeance. You didn't even have the chance to react or swim to Mikasa.

The tsunami rose, a huge, horrible wave as tall as a castle. The wave release a monstrous roar as it hunched, pulling you inside. It curled over you like a blanket of seawater.

You closed your eyes as the water forced itself in you, to swallow and expand in your lungs. The wave crashed over you with violence, the impact as heavy as a million rocks.

The ocean swallowed you whole, reuniting you with Armin's remains.