ep 2 the night who came to kill

The blade hovered inches from Eren’s chest.

He could see his reflection in the black steel—wide eyes, trembling lips, a boy who had no idea why the world had suddenly decided to end him.

“W-wait…” Eren’s voice cracked.

The knight did not hesitate.

The sword came down.

Instinct moved before thought.

A surge of heat exploded from the markings on Eren’s arm. Blue light burst outward, throwing the knight backward like a rag doll. The ground shattered, stones lifting into the air as if gravity itself had forgotten its role.

Eren screamed and collapsed, clutching his arm.

“What… what is this…?” he gasped.

The markings burned brighter, crawling across his skin like living things. Power roared through his veins—wild, uncontrollable, terrifying.

The knight landed on his feet several meters away, armor scraping against stone. He slowly straightened, red eyes glowing brighter than before.

“So the Sky Mark responds to threat,” the knight said calmly. “Just as the records described.”

Eren struggled to stand. His legs shook violently.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he shouted. “I didn’t choose this!”

The knight tilted his head slightly, as if studying a curious insect.

“No bearer ever does,” he replied. “That is why all of them must die.”

With a single step, the knight vanished.

Eren barely had time to react.

Steel clashed against glowing energy as the knight’s sword slammed into an invisible barrier formed around Eren. The impact sent shockwaves ripping through the ruins, collapsing what little remained of nearby buildings.

Eren felt his knees buckle.

“Stop!” he cried. “Please!”

The barrier cracked.

The knight pressed forward, strength overwhelming. “Your existence threatens the balance of the world,” he said coldly. “Emotion does not change that.”

The barrier shattered.

Eren was thrown backward, slamming into a broken wall. Pain exploded through his back as he fell to the ground, coughing blood.

His vision blurred.

I’m going to die.

The thought came quietly.

Then another voice whispered from deep within him—low, distant, ancient.

“Survive.”

The markings on his arm flared violently.

Eren screamed as power poured out of him uncontrollably. The ground beneath him fractured, cracks spreading like spiderwebs. Blue flames erupted around his body, forcing the knight to retreat.

Eren staggered to his feet, eyes glowing faintly.

“I don’t want this!” he shouted, tears streaming down his face. “But I won’t die here!”

He raised his arm instinctively.

A blast of raw energy tore through the air, ripping apart the ground where the knight had stood moments earlier. Dust and debris filled the ruins, obscuring everything.

For a moment, there was silence.

Eren collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. His entire body felt like it was on fire from the inside.

Then footsteps echoed through the smoke.

The knight emerged unharmed.

“Unrefined,” he said. “But impressive for a first awakening.”

Fear crushed Eren’s chest.

The knight raised his sword again—but stopped.

His red eyes narrowed.

“Interesting…” he muttered.

From the edge of the ruins, a voice called out.

“That’s far enough, Sky Knight.”

The knight turned.

A woman stepped forward from the shadows, her cloak fluttering in the fading wind. Her silver hair glowed faintly under the fractured sky, and a long staff rested in her hand, runes carved along its surface.

“You’re interfering with Order business, mage,” the knight said.

The woman smiled calmly. “And you’re about to kill a child. I’d say that makes us even.”

The air around them shifted.

Eren felt pressure—heavy, suffocating—far greater than anything he had felt before.

The knight lowered his sword slightly.

“This bearer is dangerous,” he said. “Keeping him alive risks everything.”

“Or,” the woman replied, “killing him guarantees disaster.”

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, the knight stepped back.

“This is not over,” he said, pointing his blade at Eren. “The Order will hunt you. Every Sky Knight will know your face.”

Then he vanished into shadow, leaving only shattered stone behind.

The pressure disappeared.

Eren collapsed fully this time, consciousness slipping.

Before darkness claimed him, he felt arms catch him.

—

When Eren woke, warmth surrounded him.

He lay near a small fire inside a ruined shelter outside the village. His arm was wrapped in cloth, the markings faint but still visible.

The silver-haired woman sat nearby, stirring a pot.

“You’re awake,” she said without looking up. “Good. I was starting to wonder if I’d saved you for nothing.”

Eren tried to sit up and winced. “Who… who are you?”

She glanced at him, eyes sharp but kind.

“My name is Lyra,” she said. “A mage. And unfortunately for you… someone who knows exactly what that mark on your arm means.”

Eren swallowed. “That knight said I would destroy the world.”

Lyra’s expression darkened.

“Many worlds,” she corrected softly.

Eren’s hands trembled. “Then… should I die?”

Lyra stood and walked over to him, kneeling so they were eye to eye.

“No,” she said firmly. “You should learn the truth. And you should learn control.”

She placed a hand over his marked arm.

“The Sky Mark is not a curse,” she continued. “It’s a weapon created to kill gods. And every time it awakens… the world bleeds.”

Eren felt his heart sink.

“Why me?” he whispered.

Lyra looked toward the broken sky in the distance.

“Because the sky doesn’t choose the strongest,” she said. “It chooses the one who will suffer the most.”

She stood.

“If you stay here, the Order will kill you,” she added. “If you come with me… you might survive.”

Eren looked at his trembling hands.

Then he nodded.

“I’ll go,” he said quietly.

Lyra smiled faintly.

“Good,” she replied. “Your nightmare has only just begun.”

TO BE CONTINUED — EPISODE 3

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