Raya's awakening did not go unnoticed. Far away, beyond mountains and realms of darkness, the Sovereign stirred.
A smile tugged at the edges of his lips.
She's waking faster than I anticipated…
Meanwhile, in the forest, shadows crawled along the earth toward them. Not random. Not wild. Organized.
Eren's sword swung in arcs, cutting through tendrils of darkness, but every strike only delayed the inevitable.
"They're… multiplying," Raya gasped, feeling her heart pound in rhythm with the Mark.
"They're drawn to you. Every heartbeat, every pulse of your power calls them," Eren explained, breath coming fast.
Raya's mark flared again. The whispers returned, urgent, seductive, threatening.
Little flame… come to me… your strength is mine…
"I… I can't stop hearing him!" Raya screamed.
Eren's hand tightened around her wrist.
"Then don't! But channel it—push it back into yourself!"
With trembling hands, Raya focused. Her energy flared outward, silver threads lashing like living whip-lights. Shadows screamed, recoiling, curling back into the earth.
For a moment, she felt invincible.
And then, a deep, resonating growl tore through the trees.
Something massive emerged. Something no human—or even Revenant—should ever see.
A figure, taller than the tallest tree, clad in shadows and silver, moving with unnatural grace.
Raya's mouth went dry.
"That… that's him…"
Eren didn't speak. He simply braced himself, ready to fight something no mortal could.