Chapter 172: Relief

Chapter 172: Relief The morning came too quickly for Eren’s liking. He had spent the night with his family, sharing stories and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy despite the circumstances. But as dawn broke through the small window of his chamber, reality settled back in with its familiar weight. The same two guards appeared at his door, their expressions carrying the now-familiar mixture of respect and excitement. They had become almost like heralds of his fate, always appearing when it was time for another ritual. "Good morning, Veilwalker," the taller guard said, his voice filled with anticipation. "The Master awaits your presence. Today is the day of your final ritual with Number Two." Eren nodded, steeling himself for whatever lay ahead. He had learned to accept these moments with as much grace as he could muster, knowing that resistance would only make things more difficult for everyone involved. "She’s been preparing for this for quite some time," the shorter guard added as they began walking through the familiar corridors. "Number Two is... well, she’s quite unique among the Master’s inner circle. You’ll see what I mean soon enough." They moved through the stone passages, past the ornate tapestries and flickering torches. The fortress seemed quieter than usual, as if everyone was aware of the significance of this day. "The Master speaks very highly of Number Two," the taller guard continued. "She’s been part of the organization longer than almost anyone else. Her loyalty and dedication are legendary, though her methods are... unconventional." Eren found himself curious despite his apprehension. Each of the previous rituals had been with different individuals, each with their own personality and approach. He wondered what made Number Two so special that she was saved for last. They climbed a different set of stairs this time, heading toward a section of the fortress Eren hadn’t seen before. The walls here were decorated with more playful artwork – colorful paintings of flowers and whimsical creatures that seemed oddly out of place in the serious atmosphere of the fortress. "Here we are," the shorter guard said, stopping before a door that was painted a bright, cheerful yellow. Unlike the other imposing chamber doors, this one had small decorative elements – painted butterflies and stars that gave it an almost childlike quality. The guards exchanged a look before knocking. "Number Two? The Veilwalker is here for the final ritual." "Come in! Come in!" came a voice from inside that immediately caught Eren off guard. It was high-pitched and energetic, with an enthusiasm that seemed to bubble over with excitement. The guards pushed open the door, and Eren stepped inside to find himself in a chamber that was completely different from anything he’d expected. The room was bright and colorful, with cushions scattered across the floor, drawings pinned to the walls, and what appeared to be a collection of stuffed animals arranged on various shelves. And there, sitting cross-legged on a large pink cushion, was Number Two. She was small – much smaller than Eren had anticipated – with short, messy brown hair and wide, bright eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. She wore a simple white tunic and loose pants, but what struck Eren most was her demeanor. She was bouncing slightly in place, like a child who could barely contain their excitement. "Oh wow! You’re the Veilwalker!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and practically vibrating with energy. "I’ve been waiting forever to meet you! Well, not forever-forever, but it feels like forever because I’m really excited and when I’m excited time moves super slowly, you know?" Eren blinked, completely taken aback. This was the feared Number Two? The Master’s most trusted associate? "I’m Number Two, but you can call me Jade if you want!" she continued, practically bouncing on her toes. "That’s what my friends call me, and we’re going to be friends, right? I mean, we’re going to do the ritual together, so that makes us ritual friends, which is even better than regular friends!" "Jade?" Eren repeated, still processing the whirlwind of personality before him. "Yeah! It’s a funny nickname, isn’t it? I got it because I used to eat Jade sandwiches all the time when I was little. Well, littler than I am now, because I’m still pretty little, but anyway, the name stuck and I like it because it makes people smile!" She paused for barely a second before continuing. "Do you like Jade sandwiches? I could ask the kitchen to make some after our ritual! They make really good ones here." Eren found himself smiling despite everything. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and there was something genuinely endearing about her childlike excitement. "I... yes, I like Jade sandwiches," he said, sitting down on one of the cushions as she gestured excitedly for him to make himself comfortable. "Great! Oh, this is so exciting!" Jade plopped back down on her cushion, tucking her legs under her. "I’ve heard so much about your other rituals. The Master told me all about them, and everyone’s been talking about how amazing you are at this stuff. I was getting super nervous because what if I’m not as good as the others? But then I remembered that nervous energy is just excited energy wearing a disguise, so I decided to be excited instead!" She reached over to a small table and grabbed what appeared to be a hand-drawn chart. "Look! I made a diagram of all the rituals you’ve done so far! See, here’s Number Seven, and here’s Number Five, and I tried to draw little pictures of what I think happened, but I’m not very good at drawing people so they kind of look like stick figures with weird hair." Eren looked at the colorful chart, complete with crayon drawings and enthusiastic annotations. It was simultaneously touching and absurd – here was someone who had clearly put a lot of thought and effort into understanding his experiences, but presented it in the most innocent way possible. "This is... very thorough," he said, genuinely impressed by the level of detail. "I know, right? I love making charts and lists and organizing things. It helps me think better. Oh! And I made snacks!" She pointed to a small basket filled with what looked like cookies and fruit. "I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I made a bunch of different things. There are chocolate chip cookies, and some with nuts, and some weird ones that I tried to make taste like birthday cake but they turned out kind of purple instead." Eren couldn’t help but laugh. "Purple cookies?" "Yeah! I was experimenting with food coloring, and I thought purple would taste like grapes, but it turns out purple doesn’t really have a flavor, it just makes everything look funny. They still taste okay though! Want to try one?" "Maybe after the ritual," Eren said, still smiling. "Oh right! The ritual!" Jade’s eyes lit up even more, if that was possible. "I’ve been practicing and reading and preparing for weeks! The Master gave me all these books and scrolls and stuff, and some of it was really boring, but some of it was actually pretty interesting. Did you know that the whole process is supposed to create some kind of energy resonance? I don’t really understand all the technical stuff, but it sounds super cool!" She jumped up and started pacing around the room, gesturing wildly as she spoke. "And the Master said that you have this special ability to make everything work perfectly, which is amazing because I was worried I’d mess something up. I tend to get distracted sometimes, especially when I’m excited, and I’m really excited right now, can you tell?" "I can tell," Eren said, watching her bounce around the room with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. "Oh! And I have questions!" Jade suddenly stopped and turned to him. "Like, what’s it like being called the Veilwalker? That’s such a cool name! I asked the Master what it means, and she said it has to do with walking between different states of existence, which sounds super mysterious and important." "It’s... complicated," Eren said, not sure how to explain the bizarre situation he’d found himself in. "Everything interesting is complicated," Jade said sagely, nodding as if she’d just shared profound wisdom. "Like my favorite puzzles! The easy ones are boring, but the complicated ones make you think and feel accomplished when you solve them." She sat back down, but continued to fidget with her hands. "The Master says you’re really good at the rituals, and that you make everyone feel better afterward. That’s so nice! I hope I can make you feel better too. I’m not sure exactly how these things work, but I figure if we’re both trying our best and being nice to each other, it should turn out okay, right?" Eren found himself genuinely touched by her sincerity. Of all the people he’d encountered in this strange place, Jade seemed to be the most genuinely kind and unpretentious. Her enthusiasm wasn’t forced or manipulative – it was just who she was. "You seem very different from the others," he said gently. "Oh, I definitely am!" Jade agreed cheerfully. "The Master says I’m her special case. I’ve been here the longest of anyone except her, but I’m not all serious and intense like the others. I tried to be serious once, but it made my face hurt from frowning so much, so I decided to just be myself instead." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Between you and me, I think the others take themselves too seriously sometimes. Like, yes, what we do here is important, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun doing it, right? Life’s too short to be grumpy all the time." "How long have you been here?" Eren asked, curious about her story. "Oh, forever! Well, not really forever, but since I was really little. The Master found me when I was maybe seven or eight? I don’t remember exactly, but I was small and scared and didn’t have anywhere else to go. She took care of me, taught me things, let me grow up here. This place is my home!" Her expression grew more thoughtful for a moment. "I know some people think what we do here is weird or wrong, but the Master has always been good to me. She never made me do anything I didn’t want to do, and she waited until I was old enough to understand before explaining what the rituals were really about. She’s like... like a mom, but also a boss, but also a friend. It’s complicated, but in a good way." Eren felt a pang of something – sympathy, maybe, or understanding. Here was someone who had found family and purpose in this strange place, much like his own complicated feelings about the situation. "I’m glad you’ve been happy here," he said sincerely. "I really have been! And I’m so excited to do this ritual with you! I’ve been looking forward to it for so long!" Jade’s enthusiasm returned full force. "The Master says it’s going to be special, and I trust her completely. Plus, you seem really nice, which makes everything better." She stood up and brushed off her clothes, suddenly looking more focused. "So, are you ready? I mean, we can talk more if you want, but I’m pretty much bouncing off the walls with excitement here, and I think if I wait much longer I might actually explode from anticipation!" Eren stood as well, feeling more at ease than he had before any of the previous rituals. Jade’s genuine warmth and childlike enthusiasm had done more to calm his nerves than any amount of formal preparation could have. "I’m ready," he said, and meant it. "Awesome!" Jade clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with joy. "This is going to be so much fun! Well, I mean, it’s going to be meaningful and important too, but there’s no reason it can’t be fun as well, right?" She moved toward what appeared to be a preparation area, then turned back to him with a grin that was pure excitement and anticipation. "Okay, Veilwalker," she said, practically vibrating with energy. "Let’s begin the TUNA!"