Chapter Text
Converging Paths.
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As always, the gala was just as obnoxious as Erwin expected it to be.
The ballroom, a symphony of wealth and elegance, was a sight to behold.
He let his eyes wander around the room decorated with beautiful white, yellow, and pink flowers.
Long white curtains hung before the tall arched windows, billowing softly in the gentle night breeze.
Looking up, he could see the coffered ceiling above him, an impressive feat of craftsmanship. Every tray had been handcrafted hundreds of years prior, and it was carved with repetitive patterns that looked abstract at first but, when put together, became a clear depiction of the monsters called “Titans” that once roamed Paradis.
The designs on the trays converged at the center of the room, where the dome's arched ceiling was decorated with a fresco depicting what many considered the birth of Eldia and their Founding Mother, Ymir.
A woman receiving a gift from a demon.
No wonder the rest of the world was still so reticent about having a relationship with the island when the same Paradisians depicted themselves as children of a demon.
The architecture of this place may be the only thing Erwin enjoyed during these nights.
But even all this beauty could not take the bitter aftertaste out of Erwin's mouth.
He hated coming to these kinds of events, kissing up to rich assholes to obtain scraps of their fortune to invest in the Corps.
It was unbelievable how the military was still so underfunded when the security of their whole country depended so much on the soldiers dedicating their hearts to the cause.
More so with the looming threat of a war with Marley, a danger that only he and his men seem to take seriously.
As he looked around at the smiling faces in the room, Erwin realized how little these people knew or cared about the world.
Would they still be wasting money on stupid galas, expensive outfits, and ridiculously tiny plates of food if they understood how much more powerful Marley was than them?
How was there a real possibility of the Island of Paradis being invaded and conquered like many other countries before? Countries that dared oppose that monstrous land, Marley, and were punished for their insubordination.
The low music playing in the background accompanied the murmur of the people talking.
"I hate these events," Hange grumbled on his left, taking Erwin away from his reverie, their hands holding a glass of champagne too tightly.
“These Galas are a necessary evil, Hange, you know that.” Hange sighed and adjusted the collar of their shirt.
“Yes, I know that; spare me the lesson, Erwin. I’m already on edge as it is.” They took a big sip from the flute, “If I have to listen to another speech praising our government and the great work they are doing, I’m going to lose my mind.” Another sip.
“Mfph” is the only sound Mike made to show his support.
The two alphas accompanying Erwin are the only people he could trust completely.
He had known Mike since their first days as cadets, and as they both rose in ranks, their friendship never wavered.
Even when, from a simple Squad Leader, Erwin became the Commander of the Survey Corps.
Hange Zoe was slightly younger than them, but their passion, drive, and brilliant mind had quickly helped them gain traction inside the Corps and get promoted to Squad Leader.
“Oh, Erw, look who's coming our way.” Hange pointed their head in the direction of a short man coming straight towards them. Erwin internally growled as he recognized him.
“Minister Lovof.” He greeted him politely, slightly bowing his head. Hanges greeted him too, and Mike nodded to him.
The man was short and a little heavy on the belly. He smiled up to Erwin, took the heavy cigar he was smoking out of his lips, and patted Erwin's shoulder with what could appear as an amicable smile at first glance.
“Commander Smith, it’s always a pleasure to see you here in Mitras.” He took a long drag on his cigar before blowing the smoke directly in Erwin’s direction. “Hunting for funding again, I imagine.”
The commander heard Mike huff in disgust, but his polite smile remained plastered.
“I’m afraid you are right, Minister. With how the relationship with Marley is going lately, I believe taking precautions and investing in the Corps is wise.”
Lovof scoffed. “Ah, yes, Marley, and this supposed war that no one else seems concerned about.” The man blew another cloud of smoke toward Erwin, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Smith, honestly, maybe the stress is getting to you. First, you go on and on about letting Omegas join the military, that being blasphemy in itself, and now you start rambling about a nonexistent war. I suggest you take a vacation, son.”
“I don’t expect the average citizen to be able to perceive the threat so far in advance; that is my job as the Commander of the Survey Corps, but I believe that our government should be able to, or at least, have the common sense to take my warning seriously.”
Erwin knew he was pushing his luck by speaking like that, but he could only bear a certain amount of idiocy in one night.
The enraged expression on the Minister's face confirmed that he pushed his luck too far.
“Mpth! You are delusional, Smith. Keep acting like that, and you won't have a career for long.”
Lovof took another long drag from the cigar, appraising the man before him.
Smith was a threat; he had known this since he first encountered him.
At the time, he was only a Squad Leader, but by how confident he was walking all over Commander Shadis and gaining so much support in such a short time.
He already smelled like trouble.
And there’s also his stupid refusal to be mated to an Omega because, in his words, 'The bite represents an ownership I’m not comfortable imposing on another human being.'
All bullshit. He was playing the part of the white knight, the one who would come and 'liberate' Omegas from the oppression of Alphas, as stupid as that notion was in itself.
It was the natural order of things: Alphas are leaders, and Betas and Omegas must follow them; things had always worked this way.
Of course, Omegas all over the country were fawning over him, but that was to be expected from creatures led by feelings more than reason.
But Lovof was an Alpha and not easily swayed, and he could see right through his act. The man was just gaining support from the population before he finally dipped his toes into politics.
He had to be stopped quickly, lest he destroy thousands of years of tradition in a single mandate.
“Have a nice night, Smith.” With that, Lovof turned around and walked away, ignoring Erwin’s response.
“What a delightful man,” Hange said, sarcasm dripping from their voice.
“Always a pleasure talking to him.” Erwin sighed before composing himself again, “Well, time to work. I trust you two will be on your best behavior while I’m away.”
Hange waved him away, too focused on their drink, and Mike made a noncommittal sound and turned his attention to the dessert table.
Erwin took a deep breath and walked away from them to the center of the ballroom.
“Oh, Commander Smith! What a pleasure!” Lady Orvech immediately caught his attention.
“My Lady, the pleasure is all mine!” he said with a dashing smile. It was showtime.
At least three hours passed before Erwin could walk back to his companions. He found Hange deep in a debate with a young man who seemed, honestly, a little scared by their intensity.
Mike was behind them as usual, his arms crossed.
“Hange, tone it down. Everyone is looking at you.” Said Erwin, but his tone was light.
“You came back! I feared some noble woman had kidnapped you and tied you to a bed!” Hange said far too loudly; the young man they were talking to quickly scurried away.
“Keep your voice down, please, and don’t give them ideas.” Sighing, Erwin sat down on the loveseat close to the wall.
His feet were killing him.
He heard Hange chuckle and went to say something, but a shiver of unusual intensity ran down his spine, a feeling of impending doom taking his breath away.
His vision went black for a moment as he raised his head toward the ceiling to look for…he wasn't sure what he was looking for.
“Erwin?” A heavy hand on his shoulders brought him back to reality. Mike was kneeling in front of him, worry etched on his face as he studied him. “What’s going on? Are you feeling sick?”
Hange was sitting beside him and slowly patting his back. “What’s going on? Did you drink too much?”
Erwin opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Instead, he shivered again and raised his head to the ceiling.
But this time, he found exactly what he was looking for.
A dark figure was dangling from the ceiling. Its lithe body twisted to crawl out of a square hole, probably made by dislodging one of the wooden trays.
Mike raised his head in time to see the figure emerge from the hole, “What the fuck?” he said as the figure contorted to grab something from the hole above it.
As it straightened down again, Erwin could see it clutch a grenade in its hand.
As if time slowed down, Erwin saw the figure take the grenade to its mouth, pull the spool out, and let it drop.
“Fuck!” he heard Mike yell as he dragged Hange and him away from the grenade falling to the ground, but everything felt far away, like a dream, as he kept staring at the figure who now looked back at him, only one of its eyes visible.
It was too far away to discern the color, but Erwin shivered again under its gaze, a cold feeling spreading in his chest, rooting him on the spot.
It was like something clicked into place in his very soul. A strange sensation of familiarity hit him as he looked at the figure dangling from the roof.
For a moment, his perspective shifted,d and he saw himself from above, through the eyes of the man above him.
He didn’t have the time to dwell on the realization for much longer because Mike pulled him to the floor to cover both Hange and him as the grenade exploded, only to emit a thick smoke that rendered breathing close to impossible.
The impact on the floor returned Erwin to his own body, and he felt the air being knocked out of his lungs.
He had the presence of mind to grab Hange and shield their heads as they fell, as Mike covered them both.
The quiet ballroom exploded into chaos.
Erwin heard something land on the floor in front of him and instinctively knew it was the figure from before.
No, it was not a figure. It was a person, a man.
He heard him run away, and more screams came from inside the ballroom before two heavy thuds could be heard from the other side of the hall.
It was difficult to discern how much time passed before the smoke cleared enough to let everyone see again, but when it did, two bodies were found lying on the floor.
Their throats were sliced so profoundly that they were almost beheaded.
Lord Cardina Baumeister and Minister Dario Inocencio lay dead on the floor, in a pool of their own blood, and not a trace of the killer was found.
“Now, this is not how I expected this night to go.” Hange sat up and helped Erwin do the same. Mike was already off to investigate the scene.
“Neither did I,” Erwin said, shaking his head and looking out one of the windows.
No, this was definitely not how he expected this night to end. The shock of the events canceled the out of body experience from his mind, but not the feeling of impending doom that had nestled deeply inside his chest.