The streets of Vareth looked different from above, even under the drizzle that streaked neon lights across asphalt like shattered glass. Every pulse of the city seemed to thrum beneath Eren's feet, threading through him like an extension of his own heartbeat. He felt it — the shard beneath his chest — alive, quivering, aware.
Kael's hand brushed against his lower back as they stepped onto the platform leading to the streets. "Don't let it overwhelm you," he murmured, gray eyes scanning the neon maze below. "You're tethered. Remember that."
Eren nodded, amber-hazel eyes flickering with gold threads beneath the surface. The shard pulsed in rhythm with the city's energy, resonating with something deep, something buried. It was terrifying, exhilarating — alive.
"Where do we start?" he asked, voice low.
Kael's gaze lingered on him for a fraction too long. "You don't start. You respond. Feel the city. Don't think. Let it tell you where it needs you."
Eren took a deep breath and let the shard guide him. Instantly, the pulse of the city surged, the shard's energy vibrating along his veins like lightning coiling beneath skin. He could feel lives around him — fleeting thoughts, hidden fears, unspoken desires — each one a thread in the invisible web the Pulse wove across Vareth.
A scream echoed from a nearby alley. Eren's shard flared violently, gold and violet threads streaking up his neck. Without thinking, he sprinted toward it, Kael close behind, silent and lethal.
The alley was narrow, shadows stretching long beneath flickering neon. A figure stood over another — a young man with eyes wide in terror, body trembling. The assailant, hooded and faceless, moved to strike again.
Eren's shard pulsed like a drumbeat. He stepped forward, veins glowing faintly, and the assailant froze. Something in the shard's resonance — a silent command — made him pause, mid-motion, eyes reflecting pure confusion.
Kael's hand was at Eren's shoulder, grounding him. "Focus," Kael whispered. "You control it. You don't attack. You guide."
Eren exhaled and extended a trembling hand. Gold and violet streaks shot from the shard, wrapping the assailant in a subtle hum of energy. The figure froze completely, then slumped to the ground, unconscious but unharmed.
The young man on the ground looked up, wide-eyed, trembling. "Who… who are you?"
Eren's voice was low, but steady. "I'm… someone who sees more than others do. You're safe now." His amber-hazel eyes flickered with emotion — empathy, fear, wonder — and the shard thrummed like a heartbeat beneath his skin.
Kael glanced at him, expression unreadable, then turned to the young man. "Call it a warning. Stay on the streets carefully."
Eren's shard dimmed slightly as the energy dissipated. He felt exhaustion prickling through his veins, but also a surge of clarity. The Pulse responded to him, followed his intent, and had not broken.
As they moved deeper into the city, Kael broke the silence. "Every life you touch strengthens your bond. But every pulse also leaves a mark. The city remembers everything."
Eren swallowed. "Even… the bad things?"
Kael's gray eyes met his, softening just for a moment. "Especially the bad. That's how the Pulse learns. That's how you'll learn."
They reached a plaza where neon advertisements flickered above a still fountain, reflecting fragments of light like fractured memories. A small group waited — familiar shadows and new ones alike. The Ones Who Remember, but not Sira this time. Faces flickered in and out of the neon, some observing, some whispering, others impatient.
One stepped forward — a young woman, dark-skinned with silver hair that glinted under the neon glow. Eyes like storm clouds, intense, piercing. She carried herself with quiet confidence.
"You must be Eren Vail," she said, voice even. "I'm Lyra. I watch the corners you think nobody sees. And I know when the Pulse calls you."
Eren's shard pulsed faster. Amber-hazel eyes flickered. "You… you know about me?"
Lyra's lips quirked in a faint smile. "We all know. The Pulse can't be hidden. It bleeds through walls, through thoughts, through streets."
Kael's gaze tightened. "She's telling the truth. And she's not alone. You're about to see how many eyes the city has on you."
From the plaza edges, figures emerged. Young men and women, their presence subtle yet charged with energy, watching Eren like he was the center of some gravitational pull. Each exuded tension, awareness, and — in some cases — faint warmth, a hint of curiosity that didn't go unnoticed.
Eren felt it all — the shard connecting, resonating, learning, warning. His pulse quickened. "Why… why me?"
Lyra's gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "Because you can. You're the first in decades to awaken fully. And because some of us… need to understand what happens when the city remembers again."
Eren's mind flared with questions, and the shard under his chest pulsed like a heartbeat of its own. Gold and violet threads danced up his arms as he took a step forward, meeting the gaze of every watcher. Each pulse from the shard echoed a promise — to protect, to learn, to confront what was coming.
Kael's hand brushed his back. "Whatever happens, you're not alone."
Eren inhaled, letting the shard's energy flow through him, harmonizing with the city. His amber-hazel eyes glimmered. Gold veins flared under his skin, violet threading along his arms and neck. He felt… alive.
"You're ready for what's next," Lyra said. "But you won't face it alone. Some of us will walk this path with you… and some… will challenge every step."
The shard thrummed violently. Eren's heart raced, reflecting the city's pulse, Kael's presence, and the subtle energy of those watching him. He understood, even if only partially, that the streets of Vareth had already chosen him as their center. And now… he had to navigate every bond, every watcher, every secret, to survive what was coming.
The first step had been taken. But the path ahead… was far more dangerous than he could have imagined.