An audible gasp escaped from Eren's lips. The little girl g closely to Rika, hiding behind her mother, timidly peeking up at Eren. "Sorry, she is shy." Rika smiled softly.

  " you say hello to Eren, honey?" the girl shook her head.

  "This shy little one is 4 years’ old."

  "Hello." Eren crouched down, giving a gentle wave. Makoto giggled, dug further behind her mother’s dress. Eren gave a faint smile iurn.

  "You are as pretty as your mother." Rika ughed shyly at the plement.

  "White hair." Makoto poi Eren's head.

  "Yeah, it turned like this." He replied jokingly. Her small hands reached out, wanting to touch it; fiwirling through his hair.

  "Soft." Makoto grinned widely.

  Eren joihem on the sofa. "How long have you been back?" Rika asked softly. "A week... Or so." Eren replied uainly. "Why didn't you e back sooner?" she sighed heavily. "I guess... A story for another day. Tell me about this little one. Who’s the lucky man?"

  Rika shifted unfortably, the colour draining from her face, turning pale white.

  "W-Well... He works for the city gover... Y'know helping out with administration work." She stammered nervously.

  "Yeah? Is he o you guys?" Eren probed inquisitively. Somethi off. The stench that Eren noted from earlier grew.

  Rika kept her gaze locked to the floor, refusing to answer. "Are you still a ranker?" He tried a different question.

  "No, I gave that long ago. I tried to join uilds, but.... it just wasn't the same, it wasn't worth it anymore..." Rika replied with a far-off look, distant memories pying behind her eyes.

  "But I have this little oo look after now... Life's full of surprises..." She stroked Makoto's cheek with a warm grin. Eren smiled softly.

  Makoto, after a period of warming up, had run around the room, showing Eren toy after toy, telling stories and talking about her daily life. Happy and eic. Fetting about everything else around her.

  Rika had slowly reverted to that distant look. Eyes void of any light; staring bnkly through the walls, like she wasn't even there at all. She stood, walking robotically towards the kit, a slight tremble in her feet. "You mind if I smoke?" Rika asked.

  "Yes! You shouldn't." Eren responded harshly. Eren had loathed the sight and smells of cigarettes since childhood, always associating it with i and desperate adults; stu a rut, using nie addi as a vice. That was never Rika, she fought hard for herself.

  "I'll open a window then." Rika pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of her bag, followed by an equally dirty lighter. Eren finally uood the stench that ied the air around her. Smoke ging to her clothing, embedding itself in her flesh.

  "Since when do you smoke?" Eren probed; leaning in slightly, looking closely at her appearance; scrutinizing every detail.

  "Oh... Not long really, only started after..." Rika let her words trail off. She lit up her cigarette, taking a long drag, puffing it out through the window, a long trail of smoke followed the wisps.

  "Dammit Rika!" Eren hissed. Flig the lit fag into the sink.

  "Why do you care!?" Rika snapped angrily, grabbing aick out.

  "Because I CARE ABOUT YOU, AND THE GIRL HERE!" Eren's temper exploded; bigger than anything he had experienced before, r loudly. This was an unnatural anger not his own.

  Startling both Rika and Makoto in surprise. She jumped back clutg her chest; body trembling in fear.

  Eren grimaced, quickly regaining trol of his anger.

  "I'm sorry I yelled, it's... Where is your bathroom?" Rika pointed down the hall to her left; still gripping her chest tightly, shallow breaths ing faster; tears prig at the ers. An unfortable silence filled the room.

  Makoto's tiny hands reach out toug her mother's skily rubbing the side of her head.

  "Mommy scared?" She whispered sweetly. "N-No, don't worry..." She took her hand giving it a light squeeze. The pair embrag closely.

  Staring into the mirror above the wash basin, the refle stared back; dull eyes surrounded by dark circles; sallow skin drawn tightly around his cheeks. Was he a fool to e? Perhaps he should have left them alone.

  "I shouldn't have e...." Spshing his fa water.

  Returning to the living room; Rika had already lit anarette, sitting alone on the sofa. Makoto pying away from her mother. The loathing on Makoto's face, the same feelings that Eren held. She hated her mother’s addi.

  A solemn frown marred Eren's expressioing out a sigh, defeated.

  "Sorry to yell before, it won't happen again." Rika ignored his statement, tinuing to smoke with haste, refusing to make eye tact.

  "Goodbye, Rika."

  Before he could exit, the front door smmed open, revealing a tall figure adorned in heavy grey business attire. The stench of booze and musky sweat flowed in waves.

  "I'm hwome." His voice slurred, staggering towards Rika.

  "Who's this fel?" Approag like a wobbly bull; eyeing Eren's form suspiciously. His gre fixated on Eren's white locks, gl hatefully.

  "He's a friend of mine." She replied, voice quavering. "Friend? A friend of yours eh. Pfthahahaahah!!" He guffawed. "I'll be going now." Eren passed by stench pushing him on.

  "Where do yu think yer going?! Didn't your mother teach ya manners!" He bellowed, spittle flying across the room.

  "Let go!" Eren's wrist held tightly in his grasp; his knuckles turning white from the pressure.

  "You 't leave without introdug yourself. - Oi Bitch! What did I say about using my smokes!" The drunk quickly focused on Rika, releasing his grip.

  "Are you going to let him speak to you like that?" Ereioned with a sneer, Rika refused to reply, remaining motionless, clutg a pillow tightly; pressing it against her stomach. The old Rika would have put this man into pce. What happeo the Rika he loved? Who was this woman now?

  Leaving the apartment, his instincts are kig in again, something was wrong, Ere it behind his neck. A tingliion warning him of danger. Eren waited just outside the door. Listening to what's going on inside.

  Loud voices, shouting and cursing fill his ears. It seems like it was only a yelling match between a couple, when suddenly an angry sp echoes through the dss shattering and wood crag. Eren kicked the door in, witnessing the se.

  A terrified Makoto c on the side, blood trig from Rika's lip, holding a cut hand from a broken vase. The husband standing over Rika, breathing heavily, his hands balled into fists, veins bulging out of his forehead.

  "Stop!" Eren shouted. Rika's head darted frantically, mouth open, mouthing the words 'Leave!'

  With a single swing, the man hurled ay bottle straight at Eren, missing wildly, crashing into the wall.

  Eren kicked the brute, smming him into the drywall behind. Imbedding a man-sized imprint into the wall.

  Rika rushed to her daughter’s side. Holding her close to keep her safe. "Mommy's okay, mommy's okay..." Her eyes focused directly on her daughter.

  "I-I'll kill you!!!" The man rose again, charging blindly at Eren, wildly swinging his fist's; eae easily dodged. A sharp kick found the soft spot of his knee, followed by a well-timed strike to his jaw. The aura of death surrounded Eren. The drunk trembled untrolbly.

  "Please leave..." The soft whispers of Rika barely reag his ear.

  Using the distra the husband charged once more. Eren side-stepped, grabbing his wrist, and twisting it, painfully f him to his knees.

  "Eren, please... stop..." She begged weakly. He gnced over. The look of pain in her eyes, the trembling of Makoto in her arms.

  The 6ft drunk lifted into the air with ease. "Listen well, you pig." Eren hissed low.

  "If you ever raise a hand agaiher of these two girls again, you will experience a fate far worse thah. Uand?" Eren spoke clearly, each sylble spat with malice.

  He nodded profusely, face burning red, gritting his teeth; too afraid to make a sound; uo resist the force keeping him captive. Eren dropped the drunken mess with a thud.

  "Go and be a father and a husband, rather than a piece of shit. Your child deserves better." The man nodded, scrambling up to his feet, rushing out of the room.

  Eren walked over to the girls, bending to eye level, looking closely at the fresh wound on Rika's cheek.

  "You are not the person I loved, Rika." His words like ice. "But if he ever hits you or your daughter again; e fi my home." Rising to his full height; Turning away, leaving them alone on the floor.

  Stepping bato the sunlight, Ere disgusted with himself and the world. Every sed he spent oh the more he hated it. The death of his mother, the degradation of his world and the love of his sister that had grown cold. He feels like nothing in the universe mattered, it's all meaningless. Everything around him just keeps getting darker and darker.

  Wandering home, aimlessly. His mind is a jumbled mess of emotions. His heart hurts, body stiff, legs w by themselves.

  'This world is fucked...'

  The couch was a wele site, colpsing into its cushioned embrace; taking fort in its hold, drifting into the void. Unaware of his surrounding, he failed to notice Emi was sat nearby, quietly watg him. Her instinct to watch him prevented her from speaking up.

  From the kit table

  To the pilr he front door

  To the couch where Eren sits

  Not a word spoken to her brother, yet somehow, she knew instinctively that something wasn't right about him. On the couext to him, Emi finally spoke.

  "Eren... Are you alright?" She asked kindly. His head rising from its pce.

  "Yeah... I'm fine, just a long day." Her eyes searched for his own but they were lost. Staring out beyond what she could see.

  'Should I have stayed dead?' Eren wondered, did he make the wrong choice? Should he have goh Kyo to the afterlife? Even now his soul called to it, yearning to be free from this twisted torment.

  "..."

  "..."

  "Please... don't leave again." Emi spoke softly into his ear, gently ying her head on Eren's shoulder, feeling her warmth. Silence filled the room; Eren's mind had begun to rex. A sense of safety and belonging ing around his core.

  "I don't want to. Never again."

  Only for a sed, Eren saw the little girl he left behind. The girl he betrayed.

  "I know... I-It's hard to get used to you being here. You may think that we don't need you... I do." She whispered quietly, holding tightly around his chest, feeling his heartbeat thump against her cheek.

  "Thank you, Emi. I'm sorry for what I've doo you." Eren muttered, his own arms enclosing around his little sisters. For the first time in years that he felt close to something once more.

  "C-Could I... Have fried chi for dionight?" Emi pleaded cutely.

  "Anything for you Emi. I love you." Eren rubbed the top of her head. Wishing for moments like this.