perception ⸝⸝ aot

51

Mikasa bends down, putting her hand on Annie's back comfortingly. "Then let me as you again," Annie turns to Mikasa. "Could you kill Eren? If I killed him, would you sit back and watch?"

She stays quiet for a moment and looks up at me with tears in her eyes. I bend down as well, sitting on my knees beside her the same way Mikasa is on Annie's other side.

"I don't wanna fight anymore..." She murmurs. "I don't want... For us to try to kill each other again! Not with any of you... Not even with Eren."

Tears trail down her reddened cheeks and I lean forward to embrace her. She sniffles and reciprocates the hug, her body relaxing but her hot tears soaking my shoulder.

"I promise," I take a deep breath. "I'll figure it out. It'll be over soon."

"Would you really kill Eren?" Annie pulls away from me, looking me dead in the eyes.

"I would. I'd rather kill him than have him kill everyone else."

...

"I've got 4 more years to live," Eren says. "Your life will continue after I die. You can have children. You can have a family of your own, (Y/N)."

Eren sits in a trench alone, wearing the Marleyan uniform. He stuffs a rag into his mouth and holds a large blade over his leg.

"But I can't do that without wiping out the hatred... The need for revenge."

He rams the blade deep into his leg, blood spurting everywhere until the bottom half of his leg is completely severed from his body.

"I want you all..."

He picks up a bullet from the ground and drives it into his eye, letting out a muffled cry.

"To live long, happy lives."

He stands beside Historia now, they talk to each other and Historia's eyes are filled with affection for Eren.

"It's too bad I can't be there to see you grow," the scene fades and is replaced by just Eren, standing in front of me. His hair is open, flowing around his face like a silky curtain and his hair parted in the middle. "I wish it was me, but I've wronged you so much. I don't think I'll ever be forgiven."

Eren looks peaceful, his eyes sparkling, and he smiles a genuine smile, moving his hand up to cradle his face in it as he gazes at me.

"Ah, you're so beautiful," he whispers. "I wish I could be the one for you."

It all fades away then, and I'm in that same sandy area I was before, when Eren activated the Rumbling with Zeke. But this time, Ymir isn't here and neither is Zeke.

It's just me, Eren, and Armin.

"We'll finally get freedom," Eren says. His hair is short, like it used to be in the Training Corps, and he's shorter aswell. "Right, Armin, (Y/N)? Isn't that right...?"

Armin looks at me with fear in his eyes, then looks back at Eren.

And then it's all gone.

The scenery warps into nothing, fading away like a stain on clothes being washed, and I'm now in reality again.