Eren walked out of the old building slowly, his hands still shaking. The morning mist had begun to fade, but he felt colder than before. The voice, the glowing mark, the Keeper… it all felt unreal, like a dream he couldn't wake up from.
He looked around the school yard. Students were now starting to come out of the dorms, laughing and talking normally. Everything looked peaceful, like nothing strange had happened at all.
But Eren knew better.
He walked to the training hall, trying to calm himself. When he pushed the door open, he saw Mira stretching with a few other students. She noticed his face immediately and came over.
"Eren… are you okay? You look pale."
"I need to talk to you," he said quietly.
She nodded and stepped aside with him. "What happened?"
Eren took a deep breath and told her everything—from the whisper in the walls to the glowing mark and the strange figure calling itself the Keeper of the Gate.
Mira listened, but her face tightened with worry.
"Eren… are you sure you didn't imagine it?" she asked softly.
He frowned. "You think I'm making it up?"
"No!" she said quickly. "I just… this sounds very serious. And if what you saw is real, then we need to tell someone."
Eren looked away. He wasn't sure anymore. But the fear he felt in that room… it was too real.
Before they could continue, the headmaster entered the hall. The students immediately stood straight. His eyes moved across the room, and when they landed on Eren, he paused for a second longer than normal.
"Training begins now," he said. "Pair up!"
Eren didn't have time to think. Everyone spread out.
He ended up paired with a boy named Riko, a fast striker with light steps. But Eren's mind wasn't on the fight. His thoughts kept drifting back to the Keeper's words.
"Your world is not the only world in danger."
Riko attacked first, moving quickly. Eren barely blocked, stepping back.
"Hey," Riko said. "You're distracted."
"Sorry," Eren muttered.
Riko attacked again, stronger this time. Eren dodged, but his movements were stiff. His energy felt different, heavier, harder to control.
Then something unexpected happened.
As Riko swung his arm, Eren raised his hand to block—and a small burst of energy flashed from his palm. It pushed Riko backward, making him stumble.
The whole hall went silent.
The headmaster turned sharply. Mira covered her mouth. Other students stared at Eren like he had just done something impossible.
"I… I didn't mean to," Eren said quickly.
Riko stood up, eyes wide. "What was that? You didn't even touch me!"
Eren looked at his hand. A faint glow faded from his fingertips.
The headmaster walked toward him, his face unreadable.
"Eren," he said quietly, "come with me."
Eren swallowed hard. "Headmaster, it's not what you think—"
"We will discuss it in my office."
Mira stepped forward. "Sir, maybe he just—"
"This is not about maybe," the headmaster said. "Something is changing inside him, and it must be controlled."
Eren followed the headmaster out of the hall, feeling everyone's eyes on him. His legs felt heavy, like he was walking toward something he couldn't escape.
Once inside the office, the headmaster closed the door and faced him.
"What happened this morning?" he asked firmly. "Tell me everything."
Eren hesitated. Would the headmaster even believe him?
But the Keeper's warning echoed in his mind.
So he told him. The whisper. The mark. The voice. The figure. Everything.
The headmaster listened quietly. When Eren finished, there was a long silence.
Then the headmaster spoke.
"Eren… this is worse than I feared."
Eren's heart sank. "So you believe me?"
"Yes," the headmaster said. "Because I have seen that mark before."
Eren's breath caught. "What does it mean?"
The headmaster looked at him with steady eyes.
"It means," he said, "that the enemy has already found you."
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