Chapter Text
"Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
Terry Pratchett
"See you later, Eren."
Mikasa Ackerman had just done what she once believed to be unthinkable. She was holding Eren's head. Eren's severed head.
She did it.
She stopped the Rumbling.
Whatever was left of the world had just been saved.
And all it cost her was the man she loved. Despite everything he said, everything he had done... her feelings for him never changed. And all Mikasa wanted to do at that moment was show Eren how much he still meant to her. So she took his head, prayed that he was still watching... and gave him one last kiss goodbye.
Little did she know, someone was indeed watching. And smiling down on her.
"...Goodbye Mikasa."
Eren's vision of Mikasa had just changed to a dark blue landscape. His feet felt coarse and dirty. Looking down, he saw he was standing on a field of sand. He immediately turned around, expecting to find a large white tree in the distance.
He found it, but he also saw someone standing in his path.
Eren walked closer, but the person remained stationary. As he walked closer, the figure began to become clearer, but also smaller. Eren realized that he was about to speak with someone for the last time. Ymir the Founder.
Whenever he saw her, in his memories and in person, Eren noticed the first Titan was always stoic. Sad. And she had every right to be. Being connected to all of her subjects had left her a prisoner. But now, the young girl was smiling at the man. And the fact her appearance was growing dimmer by the second confirmed Eren's suspicion.
"You... are free," Eren said.
The former slave nodded, her smile remaining where it was. Eren had freed her from the turmoil of obeying everyone with the Founding Titan, working tirelessly to fulfill their every desire. But that was in the past now. Ymir had a future beyond this plane of existence.
Now, so did Eren.
She stood out of his way and pointed to the Coordinate. The tree, as well as the girl, was growing dimmer. Ymir's connection to the Titans and all of Eldia was closing. But before it did, the Coordinate would take someone with it.
Eren understood. It was time to leave.
So, he simply walked to the giant tree... and didn't look back.
But rather, his thoughts drifted away from the tree. His legs had minds of their own as his mind was filled with one thing: his friends.
For it wasn't just the memories he was forced to see that made Eren Yeager who he was.
It was his mother.
His father.
Krueger.
Erwin.
Hange.
Levi.
Sasha.
Connie.
Reiner.
Jean.
Armin.
...Mikasa.
His only regret was that he could only say a silent goodbye as he passed through the Coordinate.
And with that, Ymir the Founder was finally able to move on.
The first thing Eren felt when he started walking was pain. Rather than the soft sand he once stood on, the ground had turned into hard, uneven stone. His naked feet left him vulnerable to a harsh, grating feeling as he tried to walk. As soon as he felt the pain, he looked around to see himself on black sharp stones. The stones were as black as night, save for a few purple ones scattered around. Picking one up, Eren felt like he was holding crystal. Comparing it to the shell Annie made for herself years ago, he knew for a fact it was crystal. And it was mixed with other stones along with a red surface. In fact, everything around Eren was red. The ground, the sky, even the clouds.
"Is this... the other side?" Eren wondered as he looked around. That's when he realized something else; if this was indeed the afterlife, it was certainly no Heaven. It seemed the Coordinate had taken him to an apocalyptic wasteland.
In other words... Hell.
"Heh."
A soft chuckle escaped Eren's throat. The chuckle grew even louder as he fell to the ground. "Heh, heh, heh. Heh, ha, ha, ha, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HAH, HAH, HAH, HAH!" He calmed himself down after a minute and looked to the ground. "What the hell were you expecting?!" Eren yelled to himself. "That destroying the world would give you a one-way ticket to a better place?!" As his laughing died down, Eren fell on his back while ignoring the pain the rocks gave him. "You blockhead. You... suicidal blockhead."
The clouds above him suddenly moved apart, and revealed a white light in the red sky. Moving himself upward, he looked closer to see it was a white line.
A very familiar white line.
He followed the line, and saw another one closer to it. He followed the lines that joined with two more. Following the larger line, Eren not only saw more just like the first line, but that they all converged at a big white tree. A Coordinate.
Eren turned around and didn't see the Coordinate that brought him to the wasteland. But he knew he had just stepped out of it moments ago. Looking back at the other Coordinate, he judged his distance from it to be about fifty feet. It wouldn't be a long walk, and there was a chance it would take him somewhere else, somewhere better than the desolate wasteland. So, he stood up and began to walk.
The pain in his feet returned, so Eren simply let his powers heal him. Warm steam formed under his feet and healed his wounds, and now he could-
"Wait."
Eren stopped walking. He looked down at his feet, and there were no cuts or bruises. But that wasn't what he was concerned about. "I can't use my powers," he reminded himself. "I... died."
He remembered dying, he knew this was true. But rather than thinking of a reason behind this, he had a better idea. If he could turn into a Titan, just for a few moments, the walk to the new Coordinate would be shorter. So, he lifted his hand to his mouth and prepared to bite it.
Only to be forced back by a shockwave bigger than him.
*BOOM*
Eren felt himself hit the rocks again as he flew backwards. He felt every bruise, cut, and stab. His body stopped flailing after a few seconds and he landed chest down on the rough ground. He slowly picked himself up with his left arm, his right had been broken on the rocks. His powers were starting to heal him, it wouldn't be long before his bones would heal. However, it wasn't the broken arm that captured the boy's attention.
Instead, it was captured by the monster that caused the shockwave.
At the moment, Eren was staring at a massive, inhuman beast. It stood on all fours, its back sprouting wings, and skull face sprouting two curved horns. If the beast wasn't entirely purple and looked more like a bird, Eren would compare it to the current version of the Jaw Titan. But this thing was certainly no Titan. It was... something else. And it was pissed off.
The monster roared at the broken boy, sending it's jaws as close at it could without devouring him. It was clear this beast wanted to scare Eren, to make itself his superior. And as Eren picked himself up even further, standing on both legs, he looked the monster in the eyes. "You're big," he said. "I've killed bigger."
The monster seemed to take offense to Eren's claim, as it sent its head back and moved even closer, with an intent to kill. But Eren simply concentrated on the cuts he felt, and felt himself transform. Yellow lightning shot all around his body, and the body of a Titan took form over Eren. As soon as he felt the transformation finish, Eren grabbed the monster's upper jaw and sent a fist into its face. Once the monster was sent away and hit the ground, Eren began to realize something was wrong. The punch was quick, but it felt... weak. Not entirely weak, but different than the last time he threw a punch. Looking down, Eren saw a set of abs and flesh around his body. It seemed that rather than taking the form of the Colossus Titan once more, Eren had taken the form of the Attack Titan, something he hadn't done since he left Paradis.
"Ymir is not with you."
Eren heard a voice call out to him, but didn't see anyone else close to him. His attention returned to the monster, who had recovered from the attack, and was standing up. But rather than roaring again or charging towards its opponent, it slightly opened its mouth.
"There is no one here to lend you strength."
Under the shell of the Attack Titan, Eren's eyes widened. "Did... that thing just fucking talk?"
The only answer he received was a stream of purple fire from the beast's mouth, heading straight for him. Eren jumped out of the way and took off running, the fire inches away from him as it followed from behind. Since Eren was focused on not burning alive, the beast saw its opportunity to attack from the front, and collided into the Attack Titan's chest.
Eren felt its teeth bite into his chest and pull, tearing his abs from his waist and leaving his entrails exposed. The beast went in for another bite, but its teeth hit against stone. Removing its mouth from the Titan's chest, the creature realized that the Attack Titan had hardened its stomach. The hardening found its way to the Titan's fist and it sent a rock hard jab into the beast's face again. It flew upwards this time, but quickly recovered and stayed in the air thanks to its wings. Opening its mouth, the beast spewed more fire to the Attack Titan, making contact this time. After a few seconds, the fire stopped and revealed the Attack Titan on the ground, its body burnt.
"Hmm," the beast grumbled. "Perhaps you are not as strong as I had hoped."
The beast remained motionless above the Attack Titan's body. It was almost as if it was waiting for Eren to reveal himself. But nothing happened. Losing its patience, the monster leaned closer and bit at the titan's neck. Once its teeth sunk into its neck, the body crumbled. It looked back to see the Titan wasn't moving because it was badly burnt, but because it was just a hardened copy of the Attack Titan. It began to move its head and search the nearby wasteland, expecting to see another Titan.
The last thing it expected was to feel a force on its underbelly and be lifted off the ground.
Eren had barely been able to escape the flames and harden the entire Titan. But as soon as he touched the ground, he made his way to the beast's underbelly and planned his next attack. He knew the monster was right, Ymir and her power wasn't with him. He couldn't use the abilities he gained with the Founding Titan. But that didn't mean he couldn't use the powers he gained before meeting her. So he transformed back into the Attack Titan, grabbed the monster by the underbelly, and threw it aside. And just as it was about to reorient itself with its wings, Eren smashed his hand into the ground and released a giant white shard into the monster's chest, courtesy of the War Hammer Titan's abilities.
The abomination was trapped now, it couldn't fly off the shards with ease. So, Eren took this opportunity to attack again, punching it twice in the face with hardened fists. But just as he sent a third attack at its face, the monster opened its mouth and let the arm go into its mouth. Eren expected this to be painful for his foe, but as he moved further and further inside, his arm couldn't feel anything. It was as if the inside of the monster was a hollow void, filled with completely nothing.
The feeling of his arm being bitten off snapped Eren back to reality. He moved away from the beast and looked at his arm, completely gone. He looked back to the shard, and saw that the monster was also gone. But at the bottom of the shard, Eren could make out a figure. It looked human, save for the purple features and horns on its head.
"No," Eren said to himself. "That's impossible."
Somehow, the monster had transformed itself into a human-like figure. And now, it was doing nothing but staring up at the Attack Titan. Eren didn't bother asking why his opponent wasn't attacking, he instead sent a kick towards it. The figure didn't move out of the way, it simply let Eren kick him twenty feet away, hitting a large black and purple crystal.
Eren was shocked at what happened. He had merely acted out of impulse, he didn't expect his attack to work. But just to make sure it did, Eren moved closer to the giant crystal and knelt down. Slightly opening his nape, Eren extended himself from the Titan, while keeping his arms inside the flesh. He looked down to see a mangled purple body, completely motionless.
Seeing that his enemy was defeated, Eren looked back to the Coordinate, and it was still there. Seeing his chance, Eren began to move back into the Attack Titan's body.
*SNAP*
*CRACK*
The sound of bones breaking made Eren look back down. The purple body was beginning to move, its limbs were fixing themselves, and it stood back up. Once again, its head looked up at Eren. His initial shock at the regeneration dying down, Eren moved back into the Titan's body and prepared to slam his foot down.
In retaliation, the figure simply lifted its hand and spoke.
"That's enough."
A purple light enveloped the Attack Titan's body. It began to burn and the Titan let out a roar. But it was helpless as Eren's shell turned into dust and disappeared, leaving nothing but a human falling to the ground. Luckily, Eren landed on the ground rather than more stones. But as he looked back up, the purple figure grabbed Eren's throat and lifted him off the ground, leaving the boy staring at a faceless head.
"I'm impressed," it said with a chuckle, despite the fact it didn't have a mouth. "It's been a long time since I've experienced the... heavy thrill of brutal combat."
"Is... that why... I'm here?" Eren choked out. "To... make you... happy?"
"Actually, yes." The figure loosened its grip, leaving Eren to speak more clearly. "But it will take more than a duel to make me happy."
"Well, I got news for you, freak. I'm not your slave."
"I never said you were." The figure's grip tightened. "And unless you wish to remain here forever, you should be more careful what you call me."
Eren was only able to choke out words again. "Where... is... here?"
The purple man loosened his hold on Eren once again and answered his question. "A Coordinate, like the one that connects your people together. Only this one can connect other things."
"So... I'm not in Hell, then?"
The man burst out laughing. "Believe me, Eren. This Coordinate and your experiences on Paradis are child's play compared to what's waiting for you down below."
Eren's eyes widened, but not because of the figure's knowledge of the afterlife. "How do you know my name?"
"I've been watching you, Eren. I've seen your work, and I couldn't help but admire what you've done. But I must say your motivation was rather... dull."
"You're saying you'd rather be trapped in a pen than be free to see the world?"
"Oh, no. I was referring to the fact you wished to save your people. Now that was rather dull for my taste."
A wave of anger suddenly coursed through Eren. "Are you threatening-?!"
"Of course not. Just giving my opinion, one mass murderer to another." The figure suddenly dropped Eren.
Eren held his hand on his throat and looked up at the figure. "I don't know who you are, or what you know about me. But why are you talking like-?"
"I know genocide?" the figure assumed. "That's because I do." He slightly chuckled. "You may be the Devil of All Earth, Eren." He leaned closer. "But I… am the God of Darkness."
"..."
Eren was at a loss for words. True, he heard the people of Marley call him a devil when he was about to destroy the fort. But a God of Darkness? This was new to him. He needed to find out more. So, he slowly stood up.
"Are you a Titan Shifter?" he asked, remembering how he changed from a beast to a man.
"No," Darkness replied. "I told you, I am a god."
"Paradis doesn't have gods like... you. And from what I saw in Marley, they don't know you either."
Darkness understood Eren's skepticism. "Quite understandable. I have no claim to your world, nor do I wish to have one anytime soon."
"Alright. What do you want with me, then?"
"Much." Darkness stepped back and a stone table appeared before him. A smaller circular stone appeared in front of Eren. "Please, sit." Eren looked at the table and seat. He sat down, but not before cutting himself with another sharp rock. Darkness didn't sit, but stood on the other side of the table, arms behind his back.
"Kill me or let me go," Eren demanded. "I'd rather not spend any more time here talking."
"I understand. You've fought a good fight, spent all your energy. You wish to have a well deserved rest. But I recall an old phrase... 'There is no rest for the weary.'"
Eren got angry again. "Whatever you want from me, attacking me isn't a good introduction. And if you're going to take what you want by force..." Eren held up his hand to reveal the cut he made. "I'm prepared to defend myself."
"Well firstly, I have no intention of making you my slave. You are free, Eren. Whatever choice you make for my offer, you can make of your own free will. Secondly, I don't think you'll find any use for that."
Eren decided to cut the conversation short and activate his powers. But when he concentrated, nothing happened. Looking back at his bleeding hand, he concentrated again. Nothing. He looked back to the God of Darkness. "What did you do to me?"
"You were right to be skeptical about your powers earlier. A dead man should have lost all power of whatever Titan he claimed. But since I wished to know you better, I decided to see what you were capable of. Without the Founder, of course."
"...Of course." Eren lowered his hand, the blood pouring onto the stone. "So, you've been testing me."
"I have," the dark one confessed. "I have seen your exploits, and I merely wished to feel your power."
"Why?"
Darkness lowered his head and extended his arms, as if he was bowing before Eren. "To ask for your help." He also began to laugh, as if he was mocking the display of humility.
"I... don't understand."
The figure lifted his head and pointed to the large Coordinate. "I assume you wished to have the Coordinate send you to the other side. But you should know it has the ability to send you to another world. My world."
Eren looked at the Coordinate, and mentally thanked the mysterious man for interfering with his earlier plan. But now the truth had only resulted in more questions. "And what exactly is... your world?"
"Save for the technological advances and different species of man, it is not unlike your own world. It has oceans, continents, islands. In fact, there's one island I can actually compare to Paradis, a place home to-"
"Okay, I get the picture." Darkness turned back to the boy who interrupted him. He would normally be angered by the mortal's disrespect, but he had other plans for him. Plans that he would get to in a moment. "What I don't get is how I'm involved in this," Eren confessed.
"...Well, it's a long story." Darkness held out his hand. "Allow me to make it a short one."
The sound of fingers snapping was the last thing Eren heard before his mind burned with multiple images. The entire history of Darkness' world was flashing before his eyes, Eren didn't miss a single detail.
He saw the struggles between two brothers. Light against Darkness.
Then he saw the rise of dark abominations.
The unity of Brothers. The creation of life, of humanity.
The gift of Magic.
Gods living amongst men.
A lonely woman trapped in isolation, rescued by a brave soul.
The loss of the woman's first love.
Her desperation.
Her deception.
Her defiance.
Her curse.
Her punishment.
Her rebellion against the Gods. Her manipulation of man.
A flash of purple. Death and destruction on a global scale.
Pools of darkness. A transformation.
The return of life. But a fragment of what they were.
And the last thing he saw... this new life suffering and dying. Divided by the rage and spite of the cursed woman.
The images faded away, leaving Eren back in the dark Coordinate, with a dark figure looking back at him. "You have questions, I presume?" he asked calmly.
That was the understatement of the century. Eren just unwillingly witnessed the entire history of a world he held no attachment to. His mind continued to burn even after the images were gone, but that was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his chest. It was a familiar feeling to the young man. He had known it since the day he watched his mother get eaten by a Titan. It appeared once again when he learned the truth about his father, the truth about the Titans, and the truth about the world's hatred towards the island of Paradis. It was true, he was no stranger... to a broken heart.
But the thought of the millions of people living in a gilded cage wasn't the biggest thing bothering him.
"Salem..." he said. "She looked... acted... just like-"
"Yes, I know," the God of Darkness shared his thought. "Your Queen bears much resemblance with her first appearance." A dry chuckle escaped his throat. "I wonder what would become of her, if she were in Salem's position."
Eren couldn't help but wonder the same thing. Historia and Salem both knew the dark side of living, and they were forced to take it all in without help. However, Historia had used her pain to rule justly and selflessly while Salem only cared about making others feel her pain. But his thoughts came back to the matter at hand. "So, that's it?" Eren asked. "You want to destroy Remnant again?"
"My actions speak for themselves, you're right. But this time, no." He walked over to Eren. "All I want is to stop Salem, once and for all. And I believe you're the only one who can do it."
"Me?" Eren quickly stood up. "What makes you think I can do anything?"
Darkness chuckled before replying. "You doubt yourself now? After all you've done? Did you doubt yourself when you attacked Liberio? Or when you freed Ymir? You single-handedly trampled the world!"
"Not the whole world," Eren corrected the deity. "But... you're not wrong about everything else." Eren looked back to the Coordiante. "Why can't you get rid of her? You cursed her yourself, so take it back and let her die."
"It's not that simple, Eren." He turned back to Darkness. "I agreed to punish Salem for her deception, but I am not responsible for making her immortal. That was my brother's handiwork. And I'm sure you noticed that he can be... stubborn. It's a wonder he let me destroy those rebels in the first place."
"Okay, so you can't touch her. But why did you wait to do something?" Eren was starting to get angry again. "Did you just not give a damn? Did you get off on her beasts killing and eating people?!"
"Not exactly." The God of Darkness maintained his composure, he expected Eren to let his anger out from time to time. "Destruction is entertaining, you're right. But for starters, the Grimm should be mine and mine alone. I wasn't expecting her to find a way to create and control them. As for why I waited, there is someone else who is trying and failing to stop her." He turned back to Eren. "My brother saw fit to bring Ozma back from the dead in a noble attempt to reunite the world." If Darkness had eyes, they would be rolling in dry annoyance at the mention of his brother.
"It can't be that bad," Eren retorted.
"When I learned what he did, I expected Ozma to complete his task in about three months." He began to laugh. "That was over one thousand years ago!" He laughed even louder, while Eren was completely speechless. He knew who Ozma was based on the God of Darkness' images. He knew the man was a powerful hero, strong in both Magic and combat. But fighting and failing for a thousand years? Talk about incompetence.
"If that's true, I don't think my chances are that great," said Eren. The God of Darkness stopped laughing and turned around. "I mean, I could crush Salem in a second if I had my Titan powers. Magic or no Magic, yeah, I stand a chance. But if she can keep coming back, it's pointless. So, I'm not sure sending me to one-up your brother is a good idea."
"Why not?" the god inquired. "You would have your powers, you're right. And given what you did with the Titans on your world, I can see you would do whatever it takes to stop her. I'm not asking you kill her, but I'm confident you can find a way to stop her."
"And you're basing this on...?"
"One thing I was remarkably impressed by was your ability to take the War Hammer Titan."
"..."
"See? It's not entirely different. The previous inheritor of the War Hammer Titan had the perfect defense, coating herself in an indestructible crystal." Darkness pointed to Eren. "But you found a way around it. You did what was almost impossible. I can't see much of a difference with Salem. If you found a way around the impossible once, you can do it again."
Eren hated to admit it, but Darkness had a point. The War Hammer was practically invincible in that crystal. But thanks to quick thinking, he crushed the woman and took the power for himself.
"Fair point," he admitted. "But even if I could find a way around her curse, why would I do so?"
"Ah, yes." Darkness continued to look at Eren. And the confidence he was speaking in made it sound like his deal would result in his favor. "I forgot to mention the matter of your reward."
While Eren was still unsure about all of this, his curiosity was piqued. "Reward?" he asked. "You're going to repay me for this?"
"Of course," the deity replied. "I know exactly what I can give to you."
Eren immediately lost interest. "There's nothing you can give me that I want."
"Not something, no. But I can give you someone."
"Some… one?" Eren began to hypothetically assume what that meant. "What, you mean a friend? Or a slave?" Given his stance on slaves, Eren once again lost interest in Darkness' idea.
"No, no, no." Darkness began to move away from the table and lift his hand towards the Coordinate. Suddenly, one of the tall white branches began to move downwards until it touched the ground. "Perhaps it would be easier if I showed you. Come and see."
"Isn't that… the way to your world?" Eren asked hesitantly.
"The door is at the center of the Coordinate. Consider this a window."
Darkness gestured for Eren to come forward. While still distrustful of the purple man, Eren slowly made his way to the supposed "window." At first, he could see just white light when he peered inside. But suddenly, the light began to change into a kind of spiral. When the spinning stopped, Eren couldn't believe his eyes.
Right in the middle of the branch was a city; a large one at that. It had multiple buildings and lots of space in it. While there appeared to be a wall in the outskirts, there was also something else.
An ocean.
"Impressed?" Darkness asked confidently.
"What… What is this place?" Eren asked in return.
"The people call it 'Argus.' A city bordering the forest and the ocean. I hope you can forgive the wall. It protects the people from the Grimm, but they are not prisoners. They can come and go as they please."
While Eren was impressed by the city, he was unsure why Darkness was showing him it. "Why are you showing me this?" he asked.
Darkness pointed towards a certain building close to the ocean. It stood out from the multiple brick houses down below, while blending in with other buildings of its size. "Let us take a closer look at this place… here," he said as he touched a window. The window immediately zoomed closer to the branch until it changed into a room.
Eren jumped back as he saw the incoming window, but relaxed when he saw that there was no danger. He began to look closer when he heard something. The room appeared to be empty, but he could hear… a voice?
"Are you sure you have to go?" the voice asked. "Who am I gonna complain to about my job?"
Before Eren could ask where the voice was coming from, he heard what sounded like a woman's laughter. "Knowing you, you'll find someone," the woman said as she immediately appeared in the "window." Eren couldn't see her face, but he could see her black hair and a slender appearance. "You have such a way with people."
The invisible voice returned soon after. "I guess, but it wouldn't be the same without you!" it said. "You know how dull the office life is!"
"Oh, I know," the woman said while peering into a cabinet. "But it's not every day when you inherit your family home and get a better job in the process."
"I guess that's true. I'm sorry, I forgot all about your mom. How are you holding up?"
The woman stopped moving and put down a glass she was holding. The silence was broken by her voice once again. "I'm okay, thank you," she said. "I know it's only been a week, but still-"
"Hey, I get it. I'm sorry, I'll shut up now."
The woman laughed again. As she did so, Eren became more and more intrigued with this woman. There was something about her laugh and voice that sounded… familiar.
"That woman…" Eren whispered. "Who is she?"
"..."
When Eren heard silence from his acquaintance, he turned to face the supposed deity. "Who is she?" he repeated.
Darkness simply pointed back to the moving image, causing Eren to look once more. This time, the woman turned around and put a small handheld device to her ear and talked into it. Eren didn't care about the device, or where the invisible voice went. He cared much more about the face he was looking at.
The face of Carla Yeager.
"M… Mom?" Eren whispered in shock.
The image of his mother didn't appear to hear him, since she was talking into the device she was holding. "Sure, I can come over Friday," she said while seemingly paying no attention to her own son looking at her. "I don't leave until a week and a half, so I got a little time."
"Mom," Eren called out louder. "Mom! Mom, can you hear me?!" Eren began to press his hands on the moving image. "Mom, it's me! Eren!"
"Alright, I'll see you then," Carla said into her device. As she removed it from her ear, the image began to disappear as the branch of the Coordinate moved upwards.
"Mom, no!" Eren called out. "Come back!" Eren immediately turned to Darkness. "Bring her back!"
"To do what?" Darkness asked. "Be unaware of your presence? Go about her life while you remain here with me?" Darkness moved closer to Eren. "Or would you rather go to her? Save her from Salem and be reunited?"
Eren turned back to the Coordinate, understanding what Darkness was offering. But he still had so many questions, so many things he needed to know.
"...How?" he asked. "How is she there?"
"It's quite simple," Darkness replied. "She never made it to the other side. I allowed her to reincarnate from Paradis onto Remnant. I allowed her to do this… for you." Darkness gestured back to the Coordinate. "She is my gift to you, Eren. Go to her. Save her from Salem."
As Eren began to calm down, he also regained his senses. His memory of his mother came naturally to him, especially the last day he saw her. "I… I can't," he said. "She won't… accept-"
"Nonsense. I not only gave her life, but I also allowed her to remember everything. Just like Ozma." Darkness moved in front of Eren as he continued to speak. "She remembers you, Eren. I made sure of it. She knows you are her son, and she misses you. Very much."
Eren looked back towards the Coordinate while replaying everything he saw in his mind. "She didn't look like she remembers me."
"Perhaps it would be best for her to explain that to you. All I can offer is my word."
"..."
"But I've said enough." Darkness stood up and gestured to the Coordinate. "I need your answer, Eren."
"..."
The more Eren thought about it, the better the idea sounded to him. There was so much he wanted to tell his mother, so much that he wanted to make up for. However, to be a warrior again when his time to rest had come… was something else. It was something that nearly held him back.
"I just keep moving forward. Until my enemies are destroyed."
Eren repeated the phrase in his head, which helped him understand his current situation. Back then, Marley and the entire world was his enemy. But now, if Salem truly meant to do harm to people like his mother… she had made him his enemy as well.
With that, Eren stood up and made his decision.
"...Tell me more," he said as he sat down again.
Darkness and Eren spent the next ten minutes going over all the details of Remnant. Its Kingdoms, the Grimm, and everything Salem could do. Darkness even described a way to send Eren to Remnant without Light knowing.
"Like that?" Eren asked. "Are you sure it's safe? And smart?"
"Of course," Darkness replied. "Not only will my brother be oblivious, but it will be a perfect introduction to your powers. And it will show that you have all the time in the world to master them."
"So... I'll have the Founding Titan's powers?"
"Not all of them, but you would be like the Founding Titan. You can control other Titans, pass down your power to eight people, and-"
"Wait." Eren stood up. "What do you mean I can pass down my power?"
"Ymir gave the world nine Titans after she died. But you can willingly pass down part of your power to eight other people, making nine different Titans."
"So I won't need to fight alone. How would I pass them down?"
"We'll discuss those details later." Darkness stood up. "But I think we've gone over enough. I require an answer." Darkness approached Eren very slowly. "Eren Yeager, will you go to Remnant? And bring my vengeance unto Salem?"
"...Alright." Eren stood up once again. "I'll do it."
"Then let us venture forth."
Darkness waved his hand, and the duo immediately flew closer to the Coordinate. Eren took a moment to reorient himself, and was ready to go in. "Once you enter, you will gain the power of the new Founding Titan," Darkness reminded him. "This includes returning to this Coordinate should the need ever arise. You will also be able to bring people here and speak with me."
"I understand," Eren said.
"Have you devised a way to stop her yet?"
"I... have an idea. But I'll need to test my powers to make sure it'll work."
"Very well."
Eren began to step towards the Coordinate, but stopped himself. "I know what I saw," he said. "With my mom. If what you said is true… I have to find her first. Right now."
"Then don't let me keep you here anymore." Darkness gestured for Eren to go into the Coordinate.
And that's exactly what he did.