Chapter 155: Final Playthrough: The Day Humanity Finally Defeated the Titans!
Trost District.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, lighting up Carla's face. The street was beginning to stir with the sounds of final preparations for the upcoming celebration. Red and gold ribbons danced in the wind, and the air was filled with the aroma of breakfast stalls and sun-warmed earth.
Carla had been up for hours, busy in the kitchen. A pot of soup steamed on the stove, and freshly cut fruit sat on the counter. She hummed an off-key tune, a genuine smile on her face that hadn't been seen in years. The worry lines around her eyes seemed to have softened, smoothed out by the hope for the future. Her gaze drifted to the living room, to a picture of Eren as a child, her eyes filled with pride.
A gentle knock on the door. Neighbors came in, bearing homemade treats and sincere smiles.
"Carla, congratulations!"
"Eren is truly something else!"
"He drove all those monsters away! We can finally sleep soundly!"
"It's all thanks to Eren!"
"A hero! He was destined to save humanity!"
"You have a wonderful son!"
The praise and gratitude flowed like a warm current. They spoke of the past terror of the Titans, contrasting it with the peace before them, attributing everything to Eren. In their mouths, Eren had been imbued with a near-divine aura.
Carla welcomed everyone, responding modestly. She was happy for her son, but it also felt a little surreal. She shared funny stories of Eren climbing trees and falling down as a child, trying to pull the "hero" back to the familiar ground of being "her child."
After the neighbors left, the house was quiet again. The terrifying image of Wall Maria's fall flashed through Carla's mind, but deep in her memory, she saw the small figure holding her hand tight, leading them and Armin's family to safety. Eren's eyes back then had held a resolve far beyond his years.
She thought of Eren joining the Cadet Corps, being hailed as a "force of nature" or a "miracle," rising step by step to become the "Symbol of Hope." The drastic changes within the Walls seemed to happen in tandem with Eren's actions.
Carla sighed softly. Once, she had stubbornly wanted to keep Eren by her side, unwilling to let him face the dangers outside the Walls. Now, it seemed that without his power, if he hadn't been such a "special" child, humanity might have already perished.
But then, a deeper emotion welled up.
Eren. My child.
He doesn't need to be great. Even if he's not better than anyone else, he's already good enough. Such a cute child. Just being born into this world is a great thing in itself.
This motherly love was the foundation of her understanding of Eren, the unwavering baseline in her heart.
Grisha returned, followed by Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Lunch was served—simple, home-cooked dishes, all Eren's favorites. The atmosphere at the table was harmonious. Everyone talked about the new life without Titans, full of curiosity and longing for the unknown world outside the Walls.
"Eren, do you think the water of fire really exists?" Armin couldn't suppress his excitement, his eyes sparkling. "And the lands of ice? Will we be able to see them soon?"
Eren smiled and nodded. "Yeah, maybe."
His smile was standard, the arc perfect, his voice normal. But to Carla, the smile didn't reach his eyes. There was an indescribable sense of detachment about him. He seemed to be trying too hard to appear "happy," making the effort jarring, creating a sense of dissonance in the warm atmosphere.
Carla's heart tightened. She gently placed a piece of meat in Eren's bowl. "Eat up, Eren. You must be exhausted lately."
Grisha watched the scene with mixed feelings. A long-awaited family reunion should have been the most beautiful sight in the world. But he could sense the exhaustion in Eren—not physical fatigue, but a withered soul. Beneath the mask of forced cheerfulness lay a heavy secret. But he didn't know what troubled his son. He wanted to tell Eren, "You've done enough, rest," but seeing the weariness in Eren's eyes, he swallowed the words. Breaking this false peace now might only cause Eren more pain.
This child always carries everything alone.
When Shiganshina is fully rebuilt, I'll take him to the basement. Maybe then, I can tell him some things?
No. Let him enjoy this moment of peace first.
Mikasa sat beside Eren, saying little, but her eyes never left him. She could clearly feel that something was "wrong" with Eren. Ever since he woke up under that tree, he seemed like a different person, surrounded by a barrier that shut everything out. He smiled and talked like a normal person, but the smile and voice seemed to come from far away, lacking any warmth.
Worry and unease coiled in her heart, but she knew that once Eren decided something, words were useless. All she could do was be by his side. The Titans were gone, the Survey Corps' duty might change, but her protection would not. No matter what Eren became. No matter where he went. She would always be with him.
Armin excitedly described the wonders from his books, trying to touch Eren's cold shell with childhood dreams and the longing for freedom.
"Eren, you don't look very happy." Armin carefully observed Eren's eyes, unsettled by the exhaustion that bordered on giving up. "What are you thinking about? Humanity won, aren't you happy?"
He didn't understand why, in the moment of humanity's victory, Eren looked like he was about to disappear. Based on past experiences, Eren occasionally spoke as if he could predict the future, leading Armin to guess that Eren might be from the future or held the secret of some kind of loop. This sense of "temporal dislocation" was especially strong in Eren right now. He intuitively felt that Eren was hiding a massive secret that was crushing him.
Eren's smile stiffened for a second, then returned to natural. "No, I'm happy. Very happy." He looked at Armin, making his smile as normal and cheerful as possible. "And soon… I won't be tired anymore." He looked out the window at the festival decorations and spoke softly.
Lunch was ending. Everyone prepared to head to the main festival grounds.
Eren suddenly stood up. "Sorry, I have some important personal business to attend to," he said, his tone unusually calm. "You guys go ahead, I'll join you when I'm done."
"Come back soon!"
Armin watched Eren's retreating back, planning to voice his questions when Eren returned.
Eren smiled at his family and friends. This time, the smile was more like a mask—perfect, but devoid of emotion.
He turned. Walked out the door. And disappeared alone into the festival crowd.
The celebration in Trost grew livelier, the cheers and music drifting faintly, like a giant, warm vortex attracting everyone on the island.
But this warm light seemed unable to touch the figure walking further and further away.