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
That night, Eren ate with some difficulty. His thoughts were perhaps overstimulated with wonder. He knew he was growing powerful, even though he was yet to compare what he had to that of true bloodline awakened. He only compared himself in the present to himself in the past. The difference was terrifying. Now he could envision power, as the life force that flowed through everything that had life. White fire, he thought. He was growing more confident, but also more aware of the possibilities. And that awareness was taking some kind of hold on his mind. ‘I hope you are able to control such power,’ Silas had said. It was replaying in his head, almost haunting him. When he returned to his room, Eren looked at himself one more time in the silver plate on the wall. Then he went to dream of white fire and monsters. * He was up very early the next day. After washing in the sink, he went down to meet Silas, who was now in the company of the director; Vatican
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
"So," Tiana started, completely oblivious to Eren's plight, “…you were so nervous last night you could not sleep?""Were you not?" Eren asked.He willed his body to remember how to move. Slowly, he searched his duffel bag for his bodysuit. When Eren finally found it, he pulled it out of the bag, then stripped himself to his briefs.Tiana shrugged at his question. Her back was still turned to him. "I was concerned too, I guess."She pulled the suit up the length of her body, past her ankles and to her waist. But before she could do so, Eren caught a glimpse of her skin. Unflawed and glassy. Even under the cruel glower of the fluorescents, she gleamed.Would he always be drawn to her this way, he charged himself, annoyed. Where did desire end and where did it begin?Eren slipped the one-piece suit on in the silence that followed her admission and the confusion of his feelings for her. The suit was thicker than he would have expected — a rippleless leather that shone like latex on
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
"Hey, man. Are you good?" A voice said, startling Eren out of his staring match with Drake and his goons.Eren looked up to find a young man around his age bracket towering over him. The teenager was tall for his age and Eren was forced to squint at him, as the light bulb was directly over his head. Dark hair flowed down to his shoulders. His neck was long and elegant, like a swan's.Eren grunted in displeasure at the intrusion. "I am good. But I will be better without you standing in my way." He grumbled.Instead of moving out of his view as any normal person would when rebuked, the young man stretched out his hand for a handshake. "I am Sid. Sid Nivron."Eren raised a brow at the offered hand and the audacious teenager. He was in no mood to make any friends. "It is good to know you exist, Sid-Sid-Nivron." He joked. "Now, please move out of my way."The trespasser followed his line of sight to where Drake was seated, surrounded by Tristan and Daniel. He made a clicking noise li
"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
Few things could bring the Winchesters together under one roof. And the tournament was one of these few things. At least, to Solvane Winchester and his wife, it was. William and his brother were known to have a different approach to life from their father.As had long become custom, the Winchesters sat in what could pass for the throne box in the arena. It overlooked the contests from a vantage point. Platters of ripe figs, dates, grapes, all sorts of fruit, small pastries, fine cheese and meat were laid on the table before them.William watched as his brother, Zachary, swept up a small bunch of grapes, popping them into his mouth one after the other. He chewed quietly. William was irritated by the chewing noises nonetheless. He closed his eyes to the sound and tried not to berate his brother. It was so long ago that they were children, and yet there were days his brother made him feel like they still were. With him being constantly irritated, Zachary was free of any care in