Chapter 148: Sushi chamber
The brief reunion with his family had been painfully short. Kiada hadn’t allowed it to last long, and despite her warm words and gentle demeanor, Eren could see the truth written clearly on his loved ones’ faces. His mother’s smile had been strained, her eyes holding a sadness she couldn’t quite hide. Lyra’s usual confidence seemed dimmed, and even Naia, despite her reassuring words, had looked tired and worn down in a way that spoke of hidden struggles.
’They’re putting on an act,’ Eren had realized as he was led away from the main hall. ’They’re trying to protect me from the truth of their situation, just as I’m trying to protect them from mine.’
Now he stood alone in a dimly lit corridor, facing another ornate door. The guards who had escorted him here - the same ones who had treated him with such reverence earlier - were preparing to leave.
"This is where we part ways, Veilwalker," the taller guard said with a respectful bow, though there was something different in his expression now. A kind of knowing sympathy that hadn’t been there before. "Number Three is waiting for you inside."
The shorter guard nodded, his previous enthusiasm notably subdued. "Good luck, Veilwalker. We... we’ll be nearby if you need anything."
Both guards turned and walked away, their footsteps echoing down the corridor until they faded entirely. Eren found himself alone, staring at the heavy wooden door before him. Unlike the previous chambers he’d entered, this one seemed to emanate a different kind of energy - something colder, more ominous.
He stood there for several long minutes, gathering his courage and trying to prepare himself mentally for whatever awaited beyond that door. ’I have to do this,’ he reminded himself. ’For them. For my family. Whatever this Number Three is like, I can handle it.’
The door suddenly swung open on its own, revealing the chamber beyond. Eren’s breath caught as he saw the figure standing in the center of the room.
She was tall and elegant, with long white hair that seemed to shimmer in the low light. Her face was strikingly beautiful but cold, like carved marble - perfect features that held no warmth whatsoever. There was something in her pale eyes that made Eren’s skin crawl, a kind of darkness that seemed to go deeper than mere cruelty.
What made him pause, however, was her clothing - or rather, the lack thereof. She wore what could generously be called a garment, but it was so sheer and transparent that it revealed everything beneath. The thin material clung to her form, making her private parts clearly visible through the gossamer fabric.
"Well?" she said, her voice carrying an odd cadence that seemed to turn even simple words into something unsettling. "Are you going to stand there staring like death has already claimed your tongue, or are you going to enter my domain?"