Eren woke with a start, the lingering images of Elena's nightmarish forest still vivid in his mind. Sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains of his chamber, yet the shadows of his dream seemed to cling to him, refusing to dissipate with the morning light.
He sat up, pressing his palms against his eyes as if he could physically push away the memory of Elena's knowing smile, her cryptic words about prophecies and hidden magic. The crown of thorns, the blackening earth beneath her feet, the forest that responded to her emotions—it felt too real, too detailed to dismiss as a mere dream.
'What you've seen of your mother's air elements is merely the surface of what's possible,' her words echoed in his mind.
Eren's hands dropped to his lap. If this wasn't simply his mind conjuring nightmares, if Elena had truly reached across realms to speak to him...
"Are they hiding things from me?" he whispered to the empty room. The question hung in the still morning air, unanswered.
