There was about half an hour prep period before the televised interview. Silas used this time to brief Eren on what he could say, what he could not say, and what he needed to say. He felt disgusted, in a way, because it would all be staged and fake. He felt that he would be their bitch, a puppet for cagey tactics. So, he asked the professor; "Do we really have to do this?" At this time they both sat close to one wall of the massive convergence room. In reply Silas tentatively slipped a tablet to him, the screen lit with the 'map', a visual scheme which Sol had developed and shown them much earlier. "We have to start here," Silas whispered tensely. “So just be calm and play along.” The old man was right. They definitely had to start somewhere. So, in spite of his disgust, Eren agreed. He did meet also with the Winchester Clan Head, a majestic and decorated, elderly man with curly hair and almost countless bracelets on his forearms. The man shook his hand and s

After being cleared by the officials registering the contestants, Eren was marched down a flight of stairs by two guards to what turned out to be the bottom of the arena. The bottom housed a lengthy locker room and two long corridors leading in two different directions.At a glance, the wide locker room looked like a nightmare."Here?" Eren asked, glancing back at the guards. Growing up, he had never liked crowds, and especially after many months of being in the Dream State and all the confusing changes he had gone through in just a few weeks, it was comforting to know that some things still had not changed.The guards who had led him there looked at each other, smirking, as if they knew something that he did not.The shorter one spoke in a gruff voice, "Give it a few hours, friend.” He said to Eren. "I promise, you will get used to it in no time."Eren eyed their smirks cautiously. "I seriously doubt that."The taller one of the two snorted loudly and patted Eren on the arm. They b

When had he become someone who backed away from the prospect of a little trouble? Drake Khan wondered to himself.He had noticed the white-haired boy glowering at him from a short distance away some minutes before, but initially, he paid him no mind. He would not be the first to hate a Khan, or even the last. Being in a position of power like the one into which Khan had been born drew the ire of other people. Somebody always had an ax to grind with his father. It was not long before the face became familiar and it dawned on Drake where he had seen those eyes before, red like rubies. Eren. Eren Trost.Eren was seated on a metal bench, glaring. It could not be. He was very different from the skinny teenager Drake remembered.His friends, Daniel and Tristan, were talking about some unfortunate girl Daniel had taken on a date, who he abandoned in the middle of nowhere after the date went badly. Drake nudged Daniel."Hey," he said, "Look here. Is that who I think it is?"Daniel shrug

"Welcome to the Academy." Said Stella Winchester.The contestants let out a low cheer, clapping and hooting. She let them go on for a while, then raised a hand signaling she wanted them quiet. Her voice, smooth yet commanding, cut through the silence like a flash of light through the night."It is common knowledge that you all came here today to prove yourselves worthy of the covered title of Warrior and Saint."Her eyes glazed over the small assembly. Each person seemed to be holding their breaths. Eren realized he was doing so too, much to his annoyance. Nobody should have that power over him, he mused. But Stella Winchester had an undeniable pull about her. A presence that seemed to balloon and fill up the space.She carried on, walking careful measured steps around the room. "These are the rules - Each one of you will face five opponents. Achieve no less than three victories and you will earn the esteemed title of Warrior gaining access to privileges and recognition beyond co

The tunnels spat Eren out like an arrow and the arena swallowed him whole. It was even more grand than he remembered. He looked up at the stands in wonder."Holy shit." He whispered, turning in a circle to take it all in. His opponent, Zack, did the same in amazement.The arena stretched out like a grand amphitheater with tiers of seats rising high around the central stage. The architecture was a testament to grandeur and functionality at once, designed to accommodate thousands of spectators while focusing all attention on the arena floor below. Sunlight streamed through the open arches casting light shadows that danced over the floors which were covered in sand.He scanned the throng of people for Silas's reassuring face. Above and below. East and west. There was no sign of the man who had easily become a mentor to him in the preceding weeks. With the crowd, Eren realized it would be next to impossible to find a single person. He hoped Silas would be watching. He knew the dir