Evelyn was sitting on couch, she was afraid that eren would break her soul. Afterall now she was completely powerless before him.
She knew eren to certain degree, why?, Because she was a spy. Spies were proficient in reading situation, reading people and assessing their threat level.
She didn't classify eren as threat at all, because the boy had lost the Will to fight, maybe an ember still lingered but that too on verge of collapsing. He had no ambition, pride, arrogance and confidence to evolve. He was merely surviving.
And she was right, even when he knew that Evelyn wanted to kill him, he left her alive. He left it to fate.
Evelyn didn't knew what to say, On one part she was glad that she was alive and on other she was angry at Eren's stupidity.
' That idiot.'she wanted to curse all she could, but she knew it as well.
' It's not easy to kill for everyone.' She thought,
But only if she knew Eren's past a bit more.
It was not that eren was not capable of violence, It's just that he hated it. He hated violence which was solely based on his selfishness. And now he didn't hold anything in value, anything to be selfish about.
" What should I do?" But no answer came, and putting the fear aside, She closed her eyes.
She was exhausted, Afterall she ranked up pretty harshly, hastily and chaotically. The toll of such evolution was finally showing signs.
But then door to her room opened with a click,
She lazily opened her eyes, It was eren who showed up. She was tired to worry.
Eren awkwardly looked her, averting her half open eyes for sometime, then he finally said it,
" I have no money to go back."
Yeah, Once he walked upto street he realised that he had no phone and no money to go back, He could walk but that would take half a day.
No matter the situation he was in, he still feared for what jasmine would do if he didn't show up for dinner.
Evelyn looked at him lazily, yawned and stood up, stretching her body to get out of this sleepiness.
Then she walked upto mirror, she pondered for few moments and splashed water to open her half closed eyes.
She neatly dried it with towel, then combed her hair which seemed difficult with new addition of horns. She was not yet accustomed to that which earned eren a fierce glare. But there was little to be done in this case, She tied it neatly in ponytail.
And only after that she was ready, She looked one last time at mirror and then walked upto eren.
" Let's go." Saying so she brought out a teleportation device, And wiring sound buzzed again.
Eren wanted to ask why?, but then she always seemed to know everything what she was doing. he just accepted that she had her reason and left it there.
Next second, golden light enveloped him and he vanished from there, appearing right outside his house.
And watching the entrance filled him with Anxiouness again, He had to face Marco and jasmine now. He looked to side, and Evelyn was with him as well. That was another problem.
He expected that she would change herself to her alias, Agatha but she hadn't done so.
Without any warning she pushed the bell, that chimed inside. And in responce Jamsine opened the door.
She held expression that she was about to reprimend someone but that changed once she realised it wasn't who she was expecting.
Then she looked behind her, and smiled at eren. Smile that was not a smile.
Bringing back her attention to Evelyn, she smiled same and spoke, " How can I help you?"
Evelyn didn't show much reaction other than a pleasing smile, " I'm an acquaintance of Eren here, You see I have some trouble in life and seeking guidance.
He said, his uncle can be great help to me." Her voice sounded soft and pleasing, Thought it was usual but they way she spoke almost made eren choke, it was like watching a cute little girl speaking in her cute little voice.
Though Evelyn didn't made it seem that much weird, eren who had heard her real definitely felt weird.
" Oh, Please come in, You too eren."
Jasmine smiled as she pleasantly welcomed both of them.
' You used my name.' Eren sent his voice in her head.
' Full knowing they wouldn't reject me once I bring you up, Give me some credit.' Evelyn smiled, glancing at eren with her responce and followed jasmine.
" Please join us for breakfast Miss.. I didn't catch your name."
" It's ema green and it's so kind of you, I am really sorry for intruding on private time."
Jasmine shook her head with a smile,
" Oh you shouldn't be ms. Green, Eren hardly brings any friends. I cannot miss such opportunity, now can I?" As she said, jasmine rubbed Eren's head,
" Where have you been this two days?, look at you, You've shrunk half." her eyes inspected him uptodown.
She seemed worried for eren.
" I'm okay aunty." Eren knew that he knew nothing of women's thought process.
Jasmine clearly wanted to scold him, ask him many thing yet when facing him, she just melted in worry. And hearing Eren's responce she just gave up on her anger.
" Then join your uncle on breakfast." Eren smiled,
Marco was surprised seeing new face, then jasmine explained which relieved him of his doubts. He also welcomed eren with a pleasant smile, it showed that he too was worried for eren.
Eren and Evelyn were served Good coffee with jam and butter toast.
Evelyn assessed the room and felt that it was necessary to start a conversation now.
" Mr.stark, My problem is a bit difficult." She needed to appear worried and she did , " You see I have a man in my life, who has captured me and tied me to himself without caring for my feelings."
" Cough...Cough..."
" Eren eat slowly dear." only eren knew why that piece of bread choked him.
' This woman..' he thought, sipping coffee to swallow this weird feeling.
' What is she planning?' Her words were real and misguiding at the same time.
" The problem is I can't do anything about it, I wish I could just end this once and for all." Evelyn genuinely seemed frustrated, well the problem was genuine as well so it was natural.
Marco patiently heard everything, even when Evelyn's voice become louder in frustration and anger. He did not say anything for a moment and then sighed,
" Ms.green I would need much more than that to actually help you, but there is proverb for your kind of problem. What you can't avoid, welcome it with open arm."
' Bullshit, welcome what?, slavery?' Eren was really getting irritated by her suddenly popping up in his head, but he had no aswe to argue.
" No You're not getting it." her voice shook, lips trembled and her tears broke loose.
Her tears were definitive and striking
component of this conversation. She was playing this facade with words of truth.
She was playing Marco with her very believable acting, only eren knew what she was really like.
" I guess I spoke too soon but as I said, I would lot more than just description and metaphors."
The mood of table had turned melancholic, Evelyn was sad and that affected everyone.
She couldn't speak as she held her tears.
And sobbing of each breath made her acting that much impactcu
And just as much as fake it seemed to eren, it was real. She really wanted to cry, But battle hardned emotions were choked up deep within her heart.
" Someone has enslaved me?" Her words made eren nearly choke, but he manages this time. Though his heart was not calm.at all, his body was slipping with sweat of fear.
" Maybe I can help you better if you tell me who has slaved you?" Marco asked, using her words to reach same understanding as her.
Cough...cough..
But that made eren choke again, he was the real culprit so the reaction was obvious.
Evelyn looked at him, still teared up. Her face wet with tears would make anyone bleed for her.
" Eren."
Eren spitted coffee he was drinking to relieve the coughing, and ended up coughing on it, again.
Evelyn's word were misguiding,
" Eren has enslaved me." now that was not misguiding anymore.
Cough...cough...
Another burst of coffee spilled on floor,this time three splashes.
Eren eyed Evelyn, ' What the fuck?', Evelyn watched Marco changing from sophisticated man to coffee laced dripping moron, and Marco eyed jasmine who had done this to him. Meanwhile jasmine completely ignored Marco to eye eren.
This moment lasted a second then they both eyed eren with questioning daggers,
" I know it was not his fault but for fate, he has slaved me."
Marco shook his head, trying to listen once again, to understand once again.
As Evelyn said it once again, her voice temebled in fear. Watching her body shook like a leaf made jasmine feel natural sense of compassion towards her.
Jasmine hurridly stood up and hugged her shaking body, and feeling her tremble made jamsine even more emotional. As if she could feel for Evelyn.
But only eren knew how insane this situation was, ' Masterclass, What did Marco said that time. Award winning performance.' his thoughts were private, he didn't send to Evelyn, who was busy tearing up.
And her actions was showing effect, eren could feel pair of eyes piercing him daggers.
Eren hoped atleast jasmine would understand but then he realised, without a proper explanation he was culprit, evidence of Evelyn's tears.
" Eren explain?" Marco's voice was loud, clear and filled with anger.
Eren had no words, he looked at Evelyn for an answer but she was busy crying.
' Should I tell them everything?' Eren transmitted his message to Evelyn and burst of an angry answer came back immediately.
' No you moron, Don't you understand where this is going.'
Eren didn't really understand where this was going.
" EREN.." Marco's eyes were firm as he asked again, this time more loudly.
Eren wasn't imposed but annoyed that he was being pressed down, And he didn't wanted answer this.
But alas, eren sighed,
" Okay okay." Eren clicked his tongue, his thoughts quickly formed lies he needed to spell, " The day I fell unconscious, I woke up at midnight. But staying with Emily seemed inappropriate so I was walking back home when I met this woman." There was little surprise on evelyn's face, hearing word Emily.
' Is that a coincidence?, Surely there are thousands with similar name.' She ignored it and focused more on eren's story.
" That night I found her, Lying on street, barely awake and completely drunk." eren sighed again, adding emotion with a mirthless smile.
He showed that he too regreted this mistake, no way he was gonna take the whole blame even in imaginary story.
" Her room was not far, and as a good citizen I helped her get back to it but she was drunk, I was not in my good state of mind. One thing led to another and you know where we stand now." Last of his words were vague, which he left out purposely.
And this still didn't clear out what really happened, eren hoped they wouldn't question any further.
' I mean sure, slavery is not easygoing matter but please let this go.'
" What do you mean? One thing led to ano-"
" stop asking stupid questions, Don't you know what he means?" Jasmine cut Marco off with explanation that she had, for some weird reason.
" I don't, That's why-"
" Stupid, He's talking about tristan ritual."
" Ohhhhh...." Her words brought marco to a annoyingly long realisation.
Eren didn't know what this tristan ritual was,
' So what's this ritual, You know?' he asked Evelyn with a mental link.
' Beats me, You did good to leave off that story halfway and make them guess on their own.' Evelyn complimented, Her voice sounded awfully cheery for someone who was crying her eyes out as this conversation was progressing.
' They are annoyingly smart sometime and awfully gullible, I just bet on my luck.'
' Wow, Handsome and lucky, And look at me, slaved.' She felt anger just by watching Eren's face.
' Would you please making it sound so ridiculous.' It was obvious that eren would act such way, he too had limits.
' Impudent brat, it is ridiculous.' She retorted in anger.
'You say as I I have tortured you for years.'
' Well, You will now.'
Eren was watching Evelyn still crying and had this intense urge to slap her,
' You could've run away anytime, I know this is not my right but I am trying to make you go away, so that I won't hurt you even by mistake.' his face fell down in guilt. No matter how angry he wanted to be, at the end he was just afraid of fate playing pranks on him.
Evelyn's tears stopped, she didn't answer anymore.
The breakfast table was left as it is with awkward silence, Nobody really had an appetite to eat.
" Why don't you two go out for fresh air, Somewhere nice and calm." Marco suggested out of nowhere.
Eren could guess that it would be only him.
" Yes, I know you think you've made worst mistake of your life but as my husband said, If you can't avoid it then welcome it." Saying so she pulled eren up the chair and did the same with evelyn.
She was forceful with her action yet smiled mysteriously as if she had recieved a wonderful news,
' What is wrong with her?' Eren and Evelyn had the same question with no answer.
" I know it's hard at first once you've cooled your head, I'm sure you guys will do just fine." what did she mean, But it was already too late to ask, she had already pushed them out of door, leaving them completely out of loop.
Evelyn was no longer crying, She cleaned her face of those fake expressions and tears and looked at eren with question. And eren had the same look.
Then came same realisation,
' Tristan ritual.' This was the cause of this sudden turn of events. What was this ritual.
Eren wanted to search it on internet but he had no phone, He waited for Evelyn but she shook her head.
' We're attracting too much attention.' Eren's gaze swept through surrounding, He noticed that every passerby gawked at them.
Men leered on Evelyn while women blushed for him.
Eren was busy noticing this when he heard wiring sound, and this time he wasn't alarmed. It has become norm to just teleport without any warning.
A bright light enveloped both and they vanished from the spot, leaving those who were watching them feeling disappointed.
But then something else happened, Another splash of light manifested at the exact space and with it came buzzing and wiring sound.
And once light faded, another beauty with similar horns to eren appeared. It's just that she had ice blue horns with raven black hair. But most of all, her pale blue eyes were jewels of heavens.
And she rang the bell.
Jasmine opened the door with a smile, she expected eren and Evelyn to come back but she was surprised to see someone else.
And that someone else shared the same similarity as Evelyn with eren.
" Is this where eren lives?"
Jasmine nodded confused,
" What the-"
" Who is it honey?" Marco was about to leave the house and took interest in who might have come at this hour. His eyes widened with same surprise as his wife.
Their mouth were left agape with bewilderment as they questioned each other with similar look.
" Are you also Eren's?" Marco didn't finish his question, It was too weird to ask but his eyes had hinted it clear.
Elizabeth was smart enough to catch on, and she only blushed in responce.
********
Eren and Evelyn popped up in her room, where they originally were.
Evelyn didn't waste any second and searched through her internet, ' what is tristan ritual?'"
Eren pushed his horns in the screen, he too was curious what those numbskulls were thinking.
Evelyn pushed her phone's screen upto his nose, annoyed. Which humbly gestured eren to slid back but as he did, Eren snatched phone from her hands, He too had his fair share of absurdity to deal with. She wasn't only one annoyed here.
Evelyn pulled his horns in childish retaliation, Eren grabbed her hands and closed them so she wouldn't annoy him but she wasn't going to surrender that easily.
Her hands were pinching Eren, pulling his horns and hair, stretching his formal clothes in untidy mess. It was hard to guess who was really a child here.
For a moment eren even thought he would scold her and make her sit still but that would be ordering her, and that would anger her even more.
' She can do much worse.' His thinking was somewhat accurate. she could strangle him, torture him, and even kill him, he would just come back but she didn't do that. Eren didn't knew why but she didn't. And that was good for time being.
" Come on."
Averting his attention from side tracked thoughts, Eren read the content that were written on screen,
" Tristan ritual is original tribal ritual from western dragonium, it is form of marriage ritual." Eren felt shame reading more, Evelyn snatched phone from his hand.
" It wouldn't be that simple idiot." Her eyes swept through text and soon her eyes narrowed to certain detail, she had peculiar expression and with a sigh she read it out loud.
" Unlucky man or woman who shows no sign of bloodline awakening by the age of 18 are married to a noble cultivator as consorts/concubines.
Noble cultivator bonds with them through means of dual cultivation to awaken their bloodlines.
And doing so they make a mana pact as master and servant, Where noble cultivator holds complete obedience over his/her servant." Evelyn narrowed her eyes to eren, waiting for him to realise which he did pretty soon.
" You don't think they thought?" He asked hesitantly.
" That's exactly what they thought, and my horns gave them a green light."
She was right. Her horns were, in a making their absurd theory more logical. But only eren and Evelyn knew, reality was even more absurd.
Eren grabbed his head with another knocking headache, Now he had another mess to deal with.
He felt angry,
" If only you hadn't shown up like some idiot, trying to get answers. Tell me what was the fucking point of all that nonsense?" Eren obviously didn't like what happened there.
He initially thought Evelyn came to his house, to terrorise him, Marco and jasmine were infact Eren's weakness to grab.
But then she just played this facade of scheme, whose goal remained only within her heart. Why did she do that?, Only she knew.
Eren was angry, Because this made his life even more difficult.
" Don't raise your voice to me boy, If you think I will sit back and take it like pathetic loser then you're wrong." Her voice had icy coldness yet surrounding became hot, hoy that pricked his skin.
" You think all I am is because of this new found slave magic, You might not know me and you might not trust me but that's no way for you to curse me for your misfortune." Eren was about to slam out of door once again,
" Running away again, Just like you ran away from your brother." Her words stabbed Eren's heart,
" Don't cross your limit." Eren shouted, his voice becoming increasingly more hollow.
" Yuta, that was his name?, I saw you running away, leaving him all alone to his suffering. Is that why you look like dead corpse, living in guilt all this time." Her words opened deep wounds, Eren gritted his teeth and slammed the door behind him.
Eren ran, he ran on the streets like a lost child, His memories were resurfacing, pursuing him.
All that he had forgotten after many years were now becoming clear. Deep wounds had opened once again and it hurt no less than before.
His lost self ran through busy crowds, no destination in mind to go. His eyes never got the focus, his rattled heart never calmed.
Eren stopped abruptly, His breathing was uneven and eyes were hazzy. But all his focus was on the memories that caught him.
" Gentleman." Eren noticed someone calling him, he found fredo shouting at him. Subconsciously he was drawn to his comfort, He diverted him from pain.
" you seem out of it, I've been calling you for a time now."
Eren couldn't really think straight, he was too distubed to answer,
" Can I rest for some time."
Fredo nodded as he hurridly helped him sit on one of the chairs he had set up for his shop. Fredo could feel his distubed self.
Fredo was about to back away to his shop, to leave him with time that would calmimg. Besides it was morning and customers were ready to walk in. Just then a vampire guy put a pamphlet on eren's table and dashed away.
Eren had seen many of such, they advertised newly opened shops, their products and many more thing. Unlike those days his eyes never read through their contents, but there was something else.
A photo, with name written below it.
' Liam ripper, king of ravenvale.' His devilishly handsome smiling face was still the same as eren remembered.
Eren was hearing his heart throb and his breathing becoming hard, yet he could not control it. Suddenly surrounding had become chaotic with thousand of voice calling out to him and his eyes searched for them.
He looked everywhere like a madman but there was nothing other than empty street.
' Eren.'
' Eren.'
Eren wiped his sweaty forehead and stood up, but his legs gave up. He fell, unable to stand and his vision became black.
Darkness with thousands of voice calling him incessantly made his chest hurt, he was afraid, afraid of darkness.
He wanted to stand up but every try resulted in even more pathetic fall.
His chest hurt, more and more. As if someone had stabbed him right into it but pain was secondary, the voices stabbed his soul.
Eren realised whose voice that was,
' Aunt sera.' he had no voice to call out.
Eren saw the memory playing right in that darkness before him, liam ripped her throat apart till her head fell on the floor with loud thud. This time too, and eren was just laying on ground, looking up in horror.
Eren wanted to shout at them, but his voice was gone. No, his breathing had stopped.
The voice asked him, aunt sera's surrournding asked.
' Didn't you said, one debt paid one remaining.'
' No.' His fading consciousness just numbed him, slowly and painfully.
But then a gentle breeze passed over his face, His choked up cold lung felt warmth.
He tried again, opening his eyes and bright light welcomed him.
It was too bright to see anything, but he could still makeout features of that face.
His hands reached upto carrase it,
" I love you." his voice was deep, hoarse. But it was filled with love, love that came from deep within.
The light became too bright to see anything, to feel anything. And with last of his strength gone, eren fell unconscious.