The new dawn broke; although there was never any sun to guide him. Eren could tell, everythi lighter, the air easier to breathe.

  Eren slipped out of his sheets and walked out of his cave. A renewed sense of purpose flowered in his heart, an indescribable feeling. Eren was ready to face his st trial and move on, ready to go home.

  Lucifer burst through the door, his golden locks of hair shining bright, a shimmering halo. His eyes bright as the day they met.

  "Good m, Eren." Lucifer spoke in a joyful tone. Eren nodded, returning a half-smile.

  "It's finally happening!" Lucifer jumped onto Eren; his excitement barely tainable. "We're going to the final trial, it's looooong overdue. But I ot wait to see you achieve greatness!" Lucifer gushed.

  Eren pushed the eic reaper off him, rolling off the bed and to his feet.

  "Yeah, it's finally going to be over," Eren remarked coldly.

  "Don't be a gloomy goose!" Lucifer replied cheerfully. The vigour of Lucifers' attitude was grating on Eren's nerves, rubbing his temples to quell the mounting headache.

  Lucifer escorted Eren out of the mountain mouth, wearing only the worn and faded bck shirt and matg pants, the harsh lessons of time left their mark on them both.

  The duo flew silently for a while, fpping wings carried them over the duowards their destination. Eren had a feeling of mencholy, was he to miss this pce? That did seem unlikely. For all its miseries, it taught him a lot, more than he could learn oh.

  The t Charon stood with an imposing silhouette, the breeze carrying away the ashen dust from his cloak. Like the geide of a river.

  Lucifer nded, at the feet of the Skelton. Outside of the arena where it all began.

  "We are ready. Eren, you will follow Charon from here. Good luck."

  "Wait? What? You haven't told me anything about this trial?" Eren replied exasperated.

  "You will do well; I have faith in you." Lucifer ignored Eren's , brushing him off with a nont wave of his hand.

  "That didn't answer my question. Why aren't you ing?"

  The question spooked the reaper. "Oh, ummmm... I'm going to take over Charon's job whilst yone. I mean, we 't have a mountain of souls lining up." He replied hastily. Eyes darting around, looking to avoid his wards ire.

  Instead catg the burning gaze of Charon's, judging him silently.

  Words uttered without a sound, eyes speaking volumes more than lips could ever utter.

  "Ugh, fine. You're so pushy, Charon. I'm going… to occupy Malphas while you plete your st trial." Lucifer grumbled,

  Charon gave a subtle nod, before the gracefully striding away.

  "Why?" Ereioned further.

  "Well, he really, really doesn't want you to plete the trial." Lucifer fidgeted with his hands nervously, refusing to make eye tact with Eren.

  "Why?" Ereed the question, growing impatient with Lucifer's dodging.

  "Oh, my would you look at the time. Good luck Eren." Lucifer excimed as he fpped away, leaving Eren aloh Charon. Eren sighed heavily, the man’s antics were always an annoyance. He may have been a hollow shell for some time, but he certainly didn't miss this nonsense.

  "Does he know what's going to happen?" Ereiohe giant reaper who stalked ahead, just out of reach.

  Charo his skull forward, bck cape whipping about in the breeze, billowing behind him.

  The wastend stretched out infinitely on all sides, ashen dunes rising and falling like waves upon an o. Melting into the darkness of the horizon, footsteps and dust clouds the only indication ress made.

  "How much further?" Eren probed; the giant was silent as the night, never ourning his gaze towards Eren.

  "Talkative guy, aren't you." Eren sarcastically muttered.

  Miurn to hours, the sky remained unged, and still no sight of the destination in sight.

  'Are we going anywhere? Or is this all an eborate mindfuck? What if wandering around like an idiot is the trial.' Eren's thoughts the only source of eai. The never-ending procession of dunes and the occasional pilr of stone was all that seemed to exist.

  Eventually, the rhythmients of Charon's boots halted, standing at the peak of a dune. Down below irough was aemple.

  "Finally." Eren huffed in relief. His legs wobbling from the unending marg. Charon simply began walking again, taking the slope down with ease, an occasional leg stretches for support.

  The temple was far different from the main temple. This one was fn in design, architecture unknown to the young reaper. White marble that glimmered in the pale light.

  Faces of straies adorhe exterior, made from a type of rock, unlike anything Eren had seen before. Faces torted in pain and anguish, silently g out to the heavens.

  Eren sprinted past Charon, the urge to finish this trial growing ever stronger. He o go home.

  The temples designs became more apparent as they got closer. Marble statues lihe grand staircase that led to a colossal doorway. Faces of death, be it a, reaper, skeleton or fn, all screaming out in silent agony. A temple to mohe suffering of all.

  The arches of the temple entrance crumbling with age, the once mighty stone pilrs now reduced to mere piles of rubble. Within, shadows were cast upon the cracked floor, light was absent here. Distant clig echoed within the chamber. Like the exterior, worn away with time, small fissures running through the interior walls and ceiling. The remnants of pilrs y strewn across the ground, ks of debris scattered around.

  "Where are we Charon?" Ereiohe silent reaper, receiving nothing but the crag of dust and clig of stones.

  Murals on the walls tell a story, or were inteoo at least. Distorted images of battles, creatures, and beings unlike anything Eren had seen before.

  Darkness veiled the true art; chipped away, veiled under fleeting light.

  Deep rumbling began from beyond, distant at first, then growing louder with every step closer to the source. Echoes of thumping footsteps vibrated throughout the chamber, shaking the loose rubble from the ceiling.

  The archway of the chamber shuddered, fragments of stone casg down, as a creature forced itself through.

  Large hulking, the beast stocky and thick. Heavy armour ptes covered its chest and back, tapering down into a pair of abnormal small legs. Its arms were alse like trunks, ending in four long boney fingers. A bck helmet infused with its skull. With eyes of pure white, illuminating the darkness, pierg through the shadows of the temple.

  Eren instinctively summoned his whip, taking a few steps back to gain ground.

  The moopped before Eren, eyes bored into him with an eerie sense of intelligence. Analysing the reaper.

  "What do you want?" Eren demahe beast lets out a roar, the vibrations rippling through the air. It charged towards the reaper.

  With practiced speed, Eren rolled out of the way. The creature narrowly missed him, skidding to a halt at the chamber wall.

  The beast produced its on, a m star made from bone, a rger hammer stitched on the end.

  With its right arm, it swung downwards with a crushing force.

  Eren barely mao dodge in time. The bone spikes crag the floor, causing a tremor throughout the chamber.

  The creature spun around quickly, throwing a bone-breaki hook. The fist ected with Eren's side, ung him across the chamber, smashing into the far wall.

  'What is this thing?' Ereiohis was nothing he had faced in the arena. This creature felt different, driven, a purpose behind its whites.

  Pig himself off the ground, Eren charged at the monster, i on fighting back. His whip pierced through the beast’s shoulder. A small k of armour fell to the ground, rolling a few meters before settling ihe monster roared in pain, swinging its on wildly ialiation.

  Eren stepped backwards, avoiding the clumsy attacks. Parrying it with ease; slig ks of armour and flesh from the beast with each ter. Blood spshed across the floor.

  The creature stopped its filing, grabbing a hold of Eren's appendage. "Shit!" He cursed as it swung him about like a ragdoll.

  Around and around, the ceiling blurring past in a spiral of motion. His vision darkened as unscioushreatened.

  Letting go, the reaper was unched across the chamber, colliding with the walls in a crash. Landihe silent reaper who had been the fight from afar.

  "Are you going to help?" Eren wheezed out, dazed, and fused. Charon remained motionless, silent as a statue. "Never...fug mind." Eren muttered to himself.

  The creature approached again, wielding its massive hammer of bone, i on ending this battle. Charon walked away whilst the monster charged towards Eren. Hitting the ground with force, breaking the floor in two. The beast let out a frustrated roar, spraying blood everywhere, turning to face Eren once more.

  Swinging wildly, Eren ducked uhe attack, pierg through its left knee joint. A flurry of whip strikes pierced through armour and flesh. Crimson blood flowed freely from the beasts’ wounds, nding atop Eren's white hair. The creature stumbled forward, arm crag, flesh split open. The beast colpsed on the ground, body spasming from shock.

  "Good riddance." Eren huffed in exhaustioreating to a safe distahe creature slowly rose to its feet once again.

  Its wounds healing themselves, flesh sizzling together, remaining amour falling to the ground; what remained were deep scars and furry skiion of sinister energy filling the air; Eren could not see it but the creature grinned behind the veil of its mask. Delighting in its long-fotten purpose.

  'Fuck this.' Eren cursed in his head, realizing the futility to damage it. Instead, catg up to Charon who delved deeper into the ruins. However, the creature refused to let its prey go. Quicker now with every step, chasing down the reaper.

  Smag Eren into the ground, boung off the stone, skidding to a halt at the feet of Charon. "Is this part of the test?" Eren groahe silent reaper gave no response, proceeding deeper into the temple.

  Eren rose slowly into the air by the leg. Like a toy for the beast to py with. Throwing him through the air, cratering through into an open chamber.

  Uhe rest of the temple, this room was well maintaihe walls, while cracked and chipped, retained much of their inal splendour, the paint vibrant, and the statues majestic.

  The Reaper rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself to his knees. Vision blurry, head throbbing, the ringing in his ears drowning out the distant clig of bohe creature stepped through the archway, its stomps harder now, threatening to colpse the eructure.

  "You just don't quit, do you?" Eren muttered in annoyance. His strength had all but drained away. This monster, while easy to defeat in terms of stats, was different. Its regeive properties a perfect ter to Eren's offensive abilities.

  Not all was lost however; there was a glimmer of hope, the back of the room revealed a rge altar, atop a flight of stairs. White stone refleg the dim light from outside, an obsidian ring gliste the tre of the altar.

  The obsidian ring, unlike anything he had seen before, pulsed with energy, allure of design.

  A loud crash ripped Eren out of his ption. Turning to see the creature up close, its white eyes burning bright as a fme, gring down at the reaper. A fleeting glimpse was all that was allowed, the massive fist ected hard, ung Eren across the chamber into a pile of rubble.

  ‘Reaper…’

  Charon stood at the base of the stairs, eyeing Erehe roof above, about to fold uhe strain of battle.

  With all the speed and strength Eren could muster, Eren flicked his whip above, slig through the ceiling; rubble and stone colpsing down. Pinning the creature within a mountain of debris.

  ‘Reaper.’

  He staggered towards the altar, asding the on hands and knees, dragging himself up the stairs. Exhaustion creeping into every inch of his body. The rings presence more substantial now, whispers filling the young reapers mind.

  "e to me... wield me..." It whispered.

  Every step brought a pained roar from the beast, one goal, its reason of being uhreat.

  "Reaper, Reaper, Reaper." Chorus of whispers grew stronger. "Take us!"

  Now above it, the ring faintly glowed. Attraagi invisible force pulling Eren in. As soon as the reaper made tact tendrils burst forth, ing around his arm, crawling up towards his shoulder.

  g under his skin, turning his body bd veins dark red.

  He was gone.

  Moments ter, he awoke. Time slowed to a crawl, voices quelled and pain dissipated. The beast having broken free, charged towards Eren. Not to toy with him longer, but a posture that screamed scurried haste.

  Its purpose now void.

  The only thing on the beast's mind was the artifa front of it, to es safety.

  The ring now glowed an unnatural blue; with each pulsihe floor trembled. Exactly ohought ran through Eren's mind.

  'Hunger.' The young reaper raised his left hand as he would with his whip.

  Instead of his bone appendage, volleys of tendrils erupted from the palm. They rushed towards the beast, ing around its massive bulk. ging to its flesh, breaking it down with each sh of bck.

  The creature howled, swatting, proteg what little it had left. Blood spewing from the bck void.

  The creature lost its will, movements low, encased in deeper despair. Nothing remained of the beast, the battle a memory soon faded.

  Waves of nausea hit Eren hard, f him to his knees, breathing deep gulps of air. Stomach emptying with each exhale.

  "Jesus, I've had enough of this pce." Eren stood up, taking o look at the mess around him. To think, once a grand temple stood here.

  Now nothing but a shattered shell, filled with stone ah.

  Charon sat at the base of the stairs, watg with silent approval. His arms rested on his staff. Eren walked past leading Charon out of the temple, triumph flowered with each step. Victory.

  The end was in sight, he just had to finish it. Although the feeling of having lost something lingered. Something that has ged within him, a loss, ain? For we could not tell.