Yago stared with extreme vigilance at the guy sitting in front of him.
The man who called himself Eren sat calmly in place, a pair of eyes that had lost all light gazing back at Yago with the same complete lack of emotion.
"Sit down, Yago," said older Eren (to distinguish them, the Eren who appears here will be referred to as older Eren from now on).
Before older Eren's words had even fallen, a simple wooden chair appeared in front of Yago.
Yago eyed the chair suspiciously, but in the end still chose to sit down.
"You seem to have many questions?" Older Eren clasped his hands together, half-supporting his chin. Paired with his tall, slender build, he gave off a strangely dashing air.
Yago: "A guy who claims to be Eren suddenly appears in front of me—how could I not be suspicious? And how did you get here? A consciousness body? What kind of existence are you?"
Older Eren did not answer, falling into silence.
Yago frowned. "If you really are Eren, then you don't recognize me? Why say this is our first meeting?"
Yago grew more agitated. He suddenly stood up, walked in front of older Eren, and demanded,
"Why won't you speak? Who exactly are you? What do you mean by a world where I don't exist? What does that mean? Why do you call yourself Eren?"
Older Eren looked at Yago helplessly. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and said,
"Sorry. I can't explain it clearly. See for yourself."
With that, older Eren extended his hand. A blue pathway of light burst from his fingertip and surged toward Yago.
Yago instinctively raised his hand to block it, but the light pierced straight through his palm and drilled into his dark eyes.
In an instant, scene after scene of vivid color appeared before Yago. He saw a world—one very similar to reality—a world without him.
...
The Colossal Titan kicked open the gate of the Shiganshina District, shattering a century of peace on Paradis Island.
Carla was pinned beneath the rubble, watching her child be rescued by Hannes. A Titan with a twisted smile seized her. The Fate Titan that had lost half its body never appeared, and Carla died at the Titan's hands.
In a small alley around the corner, the helpless Lucia had just received news of her husband's death. In the blink of an eye, she and several neighbors were discovered by a few grotesque Titans. Blood dyed the streets red. There was no boy named Yago to save his mother.
Three children who had lost their families joined the Training Corps—missing the boy named Yago.
The three from Marley, burdened with their mission, also infiltrated the Training Corps. Their pale blue eyes held not the slightest glimmer of light amid the crowd.
Here, the top graduate of the Training Corps was not Yago Norman, but Mikasa Ackerman.
Here, Annie who infiltrated the capital was isolated and helpless, barely escaping with her life.
Here, after the night of the dissolution ceremony ended, the Colossal Titan appeared once more.
Here, Marco heard secrets he should not have, and died before the Marleyan warriors.
Here, fragments of the noble girl Lisa's purple long dress hung from the mouth of an abnormal Titan, still dripping with blood.
Annie joined the Military Police alone, single-handedly pursuing Eren. Every member of the Levi Squad except Captain Levi died at the hands of the Female Titan.
Annie, her identity exposed, encased herself in ice and spent four years in darkness and loneliness.
In the battle to retake Wall Maria, the Survey Corps were bathed in blood beneath the sky. The commander sacrificed his life. Armin turned into a Titan and devoured the Colossal Titan Bertholdt.
Ymir was taken away, and the Jaw Titan was inherited by a young man named Porco.
Historia became pregnant with the child of a nameless nobody.
Zeke spoke eloquently about the Eldian euthanasia plan.
By the campfire, Eren's question, and the answer given by Mikasa's family.
A child named Gabi, holding a musket as tall as herself—Sasha, who loved meat, forever fell in a pool of blood.
Eren, who had seen the past and the future, chose to silently bear everything.
The fanatical Yeagerists swept across Paradis Island, and the once-innocent Eren made use of everything.
The power of the Founder was unleashed, and tens of thousands of Colossal Titans trampled the world.
Former companions, for the sake of the world, drew their blades against one another. In the end, Mikasa, who loved Eren deeply, personally severed Eren's head.
Paradis Island was destroyed by war. Beneath the great tree, only a small tombstone remained.
...
The scenes before his eyes stabbed at Yago's nerves. Even in the form of a consciousness body, Yago's eyes had already turned crimson from the stimulation.
"Impossible!! This is all fake! Fake!" Enraged, Yago rushed forward and grabbed hold of the silent older Eren.
"I'm right here! Yago Norman! The holder of the Fate Titan's power! Top graduate of the 104th Training Corps! You're deceiving me! Aunt Carla is still alive, and Mom Lucia is living just fine! Everything you showed me is fake—what are you trying to do?!"
Older Eren did not resist, only saying calmly,
"Yes, you do exist. I have never denied any of that. But everything you just saw was not fake either. I believe you yourself understand that, don't you, Yago?"
Yago slumped, loosened his grip, and sat back down on the chair. The crimson in his eyes gradually subsided. Deep in his heart, it seemed there was a voice telling him that all of this was real.
Memories that had once vanished into blur surged back into his mind again.
Crossing over…?
After a long silence, Yago spoke.
"You're the future Eren? Everything just now was your past? A past without me?"
"Yes. A past without you."
Yago raised his head and looked into older Eren's dim green eyes.
"Then… that seems incredibly cruel to you, Eren. Was it worth it?"
Older Eren laughed. It was the first time he had smiled in front of Yago, yet the smile was filled with bitterness.
"Cruel? The world itself is cruel. I won't regret any choice I made."
"Why did you appear here? And why did you meet me?" Yago finally asked the question that had been weighing on his heart. Since he truly existed, how could the Eren before him have encountered him?
"I don't know either. An inexplicable calling led me to you, Yago. Although this is the first time I've met you, the memories I've obtained from the me of now tell me that you are a very good partner."
"You did very well, Yago." Receiving older Eren's affirmation filled Yago with an indescribably strange feeling.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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