Endless and suffocating.
The abyss stretched in every direction—silent, cold, and merciless.
No sky. No wind. No ground.
Only twisted black roots slithering like serpents, coiling endlessly, hungry for something to crush.
The air was heavy, damp, almost alive. Each breath felt like swallowing water, thick and suffocating, as if the void itself was inhaling and exhaling around him.
There was no sound—only the faint, distorted thud of a heartbeat.
His heartbeat.
And yet… among this endless nothingness, a single flower bloomed.
It was small.
Fragile.
But alive.
Its petals trembled faintly, as though even here—at the edge of eternity—it resisted despair.
Eren stared at it. He didn't know for how long—minutes, days, or eternity.
Time had no meaning in this place.
Eren (thoughts, bitterly):
"Born from the sins of this world… or maybe because of them."
A crooked smile touched his lips.
"They say flowers only bloom in heaven… but they're wrong.
I've seen one in hell."
The glow of the flower pulsed faintly against the void.
Eren's chest tightened with something he couldn't name—regret, longing, guilt… or maybe all of it.
Eren (whispering):
"This flower… it's her.
Or maybe… it's me."
His fist clenched.
"Which one of us is cursed?
The one who never reaches the person they love?
Or the one who always sacrifices himself for that love?"
Silence answered.
His eyes narrowed.
"No. It doesn't matter."
"Even if we are cursed… even if fate says we'll never meet…"
The petals quivered at his words.
"I'll break it this time."
His voice echoed against the abyss, stronger than before.
"I won't let her suffer alone.
I won't leave her ever again."
🌳 The Root of Light
Far above, through the infinite darkness, golden light flickered faintly—like sunlight piercing deep ocean water.
And then… one root appeared.
It descended slowly, glowing, curling through the shadows until it wrapped gently around the trembling flower.
The abyss hissed, the black tendrils recoiling slightly from its warmth.
The flower swayed—protected.
✨ The Faint Voices
Suddenly, a voice echoed softly, carried across the void—gentle, warm, and heartbreakingly familiar.
"…Eren…"
His breath caught.
He turned sharply, eyes straining into the dark.
Through the abyss, a blurred silhouette appeared—a girl.
He couldn't see her face. Just the faint outline of a figure, a wooden stick slung across her back.
Her mouth moved, her eyes hidden in shadow.
But the way she called his name…
It tore through him.
He reached out instinctively, desperate to touch her—
And she vanished.
Another voice rose, softer, deeper, heavy with memory.
🌳 Armin (fading):
"Eren… you were always trying so hard… even here, even without memories."
His voice dissolved into the darkness before Eren could speak.
But the golden root pulsed, as if answering Armin's words.
It tightened around the flower, lifting slightly upward—urging him.
🖤 Eren's Resolve
Eren's breath steadied. His eyes hardened.
He placed his hand on the root, clutching it tightly.
Eren (vowing):
"Even if I have to fight gods…"
"Even if I have to become a demon…"
The flower flared with light, glowing stronger.
"I'll stay by her side.
Forever."
🌌 Toward the Unknown
He began to climb.
Every movement was slow, heavy, like dragging himself through water.
But the light above… it was real. It was waiting.
And somewhere, he knew—
Someone was waiting, too.
A voice.
A hand.
A promise.
Narrator (final lines):
"Somewhere far above the abyss, another flower was waiting.
What awaited him beyond that light…
was something even he couldn't imagine."
📖 End of Chapter 1
To be continued in Chapter 2: "The First Bloom."