Mina Carolina (3)

???'s POV

It took me a few days to properly gather my thoughts, but my mind unconsciously shifted to my time of torture and pain, reminding me of how I died in the first world. Having nightmares and waking up with a scream doesn't help in keeping my focus on the task at hand. 

Its eyes continued to haunt and devour my whole sanity. It only worried the people around me, which eventually forced me to plan my next activity. 

If Ymir wanted something from me, which she did, then being terrified every second would accomplish nothing. So, for me to move forward, acceptance is needed, specifically mine. I had to accept the fact that I am ruined and that no matter how hard I try to forget it, it will always stay deep inside my head, serving as a trauma…

And my source of courage.

The devil tortured me for a reason, and because of that, if I encounter something awful in the future – provided that Ymir won't push my soul to hell – then I can safely fight and fend off it. 

Because there is something more awful and hideous in this cruel world. 

With that in mind, little by little, I have come to accept the fact that I died at the hands of the devil. My reason for fighting, starting from now on, will solely center around the dream that I have found after experiencing the second world. The only thing left to do now is to wait for Ymir and to know what I'll do next.

However, I didn't know how to contact her. I waited for a few more weeks, only to experience one of the first cruel things that the rumbling had produced.

An epidemic.

Having a weakened body due to the war made me realize that this body wouldn't last long. And so, as slow and painful as it was, I died for the second time.

"Took you a while." Ymir greeted me in the afterlife, which is not exactly a surprise. I was about to greet her back, but this woman was as blunt and direct as ever. "Have you given some thought to what I want you to do?"

I straightened my back and eventually nodded my head. "The Rumbling, you still want it to happen. The fact that it didn't in my world means that something is different. Being targeted by the devil also proved my hypothesis."

Ymir produced a sofa out of nowhere and sat on it. She patted its side, forcing me to sit beside her. I heaved a long sigh before doing so.

"I do want it to happen," Ymir stated, earning a glare from me. "And I'll need Eren Yeager for that because he's the founding titan."

"It's irritating because somehow, it worked. Peace did happen afterward." And I hate it wholeheartedly. "The problem is that damn tree. Ah, let me rephrase that: the real problem is the Source of All Organic Matter that gave you the Power of the Titans. How the hell can we remove that thing from existence?"

"Did I get it correctly?" I finally asked Ymir after explaining my thoughts about our current situation. Seeing her smile, however, gave me both joy and terror. Joy because I somehow got it right, and terror because she still looks as creepy as ever.

"You found it in your world, the tree where the devil resides." Ymir got up from her seat as the scene shifted from nothingness to the problematic tree. "Maybe in the next world I'll send you; you'll also find it as well."

"And what then?" I scowled. "I'm not going to let that devil torture me to death again. Once is enough."

Ymir chuckled. "Every poison has an antidote. It's only natural to keep the balance of life." She took a step closer to me and pointed at my head. "Killing Eren Yeager is one of the ways to eradicate titans for a few years, but it's not enough to keep the devil in check."

For the first time in a few years, hope began to radiate inside my blazing heart. "If you were able to become a titan, then there must be a way to turn it all back!"

"Calm down, child, it's only a theory." She states, forcing me to sit properly once more. "A theory that might be worth taking a risk on."

It elated me so much that I almost hugged this horrendous being. Not only will I be able to save my father from being killed during the Rumbling, but I will also have the chance to eradicate any future evil!

"But…" Slowly, my smile faded as a negative thought came into view. "If there is cruelty, then there is goodness. If I were to eradicate the existence of the devil, won't the balance shift?"

"It was already broken when the devil gave me the power." Ymir boldly stated as one of her pale hands began patting my head. "And as you had said, if there is cruelty, then there is goodness. If there is a devil, then there must be something… or someone, that will counter his existence."

"My job is to find it, right?"

She smiled. "Exactly."

I frowned. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only child that Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman have ever produced." Ymir then shifted our view and showed me the scene of my birth.

I almost cried after seeing both of my parents in one place, holding me and smiling ever so gently.

"Out of thousands of worlds that I have seen, your world… and you… are the only one who have ever met the devil. The devil buried you to signify your death, but your soul's very existence is a threat. It doesn't align to the predetermined destiny that was already made."

"Do you understand, young Yeager? Do you truly understand what it means to tilt the broken balance for peace to finally happen?" Ymir enclosed her rough hands onto my own, and within it, I felt a slight tremble.

It was her way of showing the sincerity within her, one that I dared not to ignore. So, with a smile, I replied. "How could I, a young human, possibly understand?" Ymir was slightly taken aback as disappointment covered her face. I, on the other hand, chuckled. "But I'll do this for the sake of my dream."

The ancient being tilted her head in confusion. "Dream?"

I smiled and slowly nodded my head. "To see them smile after reaching the ocean, and for them to achieve freedom. Achieving that is as hard as beating a devil, right?"

Ymir hesitated to respond, and after years of being in torment, she laughed. "That is indeed true, young Yeager."

After hours of planning ahead of time what to do and what to prioritize, Ymir finally pushed my spirit toward the third world – bidding me good luck.

"Fly, my dear child," Ymir whispers as life once again begins to flow throughout my body. "And attain your freedom."

*****