The smell of the sea came through the open window, carried by the morning breeze. Sunlight filled the room, warm and soft on the wooden floor. In the kitchen, Grandpa hummed a quiet tune while making tea, Ereno sat at the table, already dressed, tapping his finger on the side of his glass. He liked mornings like this. Calm. Quiet. The bedroom door creaked open. Eren walked in, her hair a mess and her blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. She yawned like a cat and blinked at him.
"Ereno… you're up early?"
Ereno smirked and slid a small note across the table.
"About time you're up. You snored like an earthquake."
Eren stared at the note, then frowned. "Hey! I don't snore!"
She flopped into the chair across from him, arms crossed. Ereno stayed quiet, but his smile didn't fade. Without a word, he pushed a plate toward her; toast with jam and some fruit on the side. Eren stared at it for a second.
"…Thanks," she mumbled, taking a bite. "I still don't snore, though."
Ereno raised an eyebrow. Then he grabbed another note from the table and scribbled something down. He held it up.
"Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
"Ugh! You're so annoying in the morning," she said, but her mouth was full of toast.
Ereno just leaned back in his chair and watched her with a calm look, like nothing could bother him.
After breakfast, Grandpa handed them a short list written in neat handwriting.
"Fence needs fixing," he said, stretching his arms. "And pick up some thread from the tailor's. Oh! and carrots, or Eren'll complain again."
"I only complained once," she huffed.
Grandpa raised an eyebrow. "You complained five times. In under ten minutes."
Eren stuck out her tongue. Ereno just held back a laugh and folded the list into his pocket. He grabbed the small toolbox leaning against the wall, gave Eren a nod, and headed outside.
The fence stood by the side of the garden, half of it leaning like it had given up. Ereno knelt down and got to work, pulling out bent nails and lining up the boards.
Eren leaned over him. "Bossy much. Didn't even say 'let's do it together.'"
He didn't look up. Just handed her a hammer without a word.
"Oh. So I do get to help?" she asked, grinning. He shrugged.
"Well, don't blame me if I break something."
Eren held the hammer, stuck her tongue out in focus, and slammed down.
She missed the nail completely and hit the wood instead... hard. The hammer landed just inches from Ereno's fingers.
He froze.
She looked up slowly, eyes wide. "...Oops?"
Ereno looked at her, calm as always, but his eyes narrowed just a bit. Then he raised his hands and signed, "Wow. You really know what you're doing."
Eren gave a nervous laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll go get the carrots."
Ereno raised an eyebrow.
"What? You don't trust me to go alone now?"
He didn't answer, just stood up, dusted off his hands, and handed her the basket.
"…You're coming too?" she asked, pretending to groan. "Fine, but I'm choosing the snacks."
Ereno smirked and gave her a slow thumbs-up.
They started walking down the small dirt path that led to the village. The air smelled like flowers and old stone. Birds chirped above them, and the sound of waves crashing in the distance gave everything a peaceful rhythm. Eren swung the basket with each step while talking about everything and nothing.
Ereno just listened, his hands behind his back, walking beside her like he always did.
The village wasn't big, but it was full of life. Stone roads warmed by the sun, hanging flower pots on every window, and old wooden signs that creaked gently with the breeze. People waved as the twins passed by: shopkeepers, neighbors, kids playing near the well.
"Morning, Eren! Morning, Ereno!" called a woman from her bakery.
Eren grinned. "Morning! Got any of those honey buns left?"
"Last two!" the baker laughed. "Saved 'em just in case."
Ereno gave her a small nod while Eren proudly held up the warm paper bag like it was treasure.
They reached the tailor's shop next. The doorbell jingled as they walked in, and the smell of cloth and herbs filled the air. An old man with glasses looked up from his sewing table.
"Ah, the twins. Thread for your grandfather, right?"
Ereno nodded and passed him the list. As the tailor walked off to the back, Eren leaned on the counter, glancing at her brother; "…You ever get nervous about the academy?" she asked softly. "Like… what if we mess up?"
Ereno paused, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, smooth charm; blue and red, worn at the edges. The faintest pulse of light shimmered across it, just for a second, he placed it in her hand and signed, "You'll be fine. We both will." Eren stared at the charm, then smiled, a little more real than before, "Cheesy," she said, tucking it into her pocket. "But I'll take it."
After leaving the tailor's shop, Eren swung the basket on her arm again. "Carrots next. Unless you wanna forget and hear Grandpa complain for the next three days."as a reply, Ereno gave her a flat look, then pointed toward the market stalls.
They crossed the street to where a few old vendors were chatting beneath faded umbrellas. The fruit and vegetable stall smelled like earth and fresh mint.
"Ah, the twins!" the vendor said with a grin. "You're late. I already sold my loudest carrots."
"Loudest carrots?" Eren said not uderstanding what he meant, "Yeah. You bite 'em and everyone in town hears it."the vendor explained jokingly. She laughed while even Ereno let out a soft nose-snort.
They picked out what they needed; carrots, a small bag of dried plums, and some herbs Grandpa liked for his tea. While Ereno was paying, Eren wandered a little, eyes catching on a small stand tucked in the alley's shadow. A narrow table, some old trinkets and shiny stones laid out neatly.
The man behind the stand looked half-asleep, hat covering his face, one pendant caught her eye; a silver disk with a strange spiral carved into it. As she reached for it, her own amulet, the one around her neck, pulsed softly. A tiny flicker of red.
She froze.
Ereno was suddenly behind her, a hand lightly on her shoulder. She looked up at him."…Did yours just?" she whispered.
He didn't answer, but his eyes narrowed, just a little.
The vendor snorted awake, mumbling, "Not for sale, missy. That one's not for touching."
Eren quickly stepped back, "S-Sorry."
They walked away quietly for a moment. Eren tugged her sleeve nervously.
"I think it glowed."
Ereno nodded once, slow. Then he held up a note from his pocket:
"Let's not talk about it here."
The two walked in silence for a while, the bustling sounds of the village around them fading into the background. Eren clutched the basket tighter, her thoughts clearly racing.
They passed a group of kids playing with sticks, pretending they were swordfighters. One of them shouted, "I'm the Grandblade Knight! You can't beat me!" another kid tripped and fell dramatically. "Ugh, my leg! You win this round, but I'll be back!"
Eren slowed down to watch, a small smile tugging at her lips. Ereno glanced over, too, and for a moment, the strange glow from earlier felt like a fading memory.
One of the kids noticed them. "Whoa! It's the mute guy with the cool eyes!"
Eren turned to Ereno, already trying not to laugh. "You're famous."
Ereno just raised his brow, pretending to be deeply offended, and signed with exaggerated flair, "Cool eyes?" Only my eyes?"
Eren cracked up, some of the tension finally breaking as they kept walking, the lightness slowly returning to their steps. As they passed the bakery again, the baker shouted, "Don't forget to share!"
Eren held up the honey buns. "Hehe, no promises!"
While walking home, clouds began rolling in unexpectedly. Ereno looked up at the sky and signed,
"Well, wasn't the sky supposed to stay clear today? That's what the forecast said."
"Yeah… it wasn't supposed to get cloudy," Eren replied, glancing back at him with concern. "Come on, let's get home before it rains."
Ereno nodded in agreement.
A few buildings later, they reached a small flight of stairs and spotted an old woman who had dropped a heavy bag of groceries. Some of her things had already rolled across the pavement, and no one had stopped to help her.
Eren hesitated, shifting nervously. "We should probably..."
But Ereno was already stepping forward without a second thought. He gently helped the woman onto his back, carrying the heavy bag in one hand. Eren then rushed over to gather what had fallen and followed them.
When they reached the woman's house, she hugged them both tightly and smiled warmly.
"You kids have kind hearts," she said, handing them each an apple. Then she turned to Ereno, squinting slightly, and gently pinched his ear.
"You've got your mother's eyes... Eyes of kindness like her"
Eren turns shocked. "You… knew her?"
The woman didn't answer at first. She just stared at Ereno a second longer, like trying to remember something she wasn't sure was real. Then, with a small, almost forced laugh, she waved her hand.
"Oh, just a silly old woman talking nonsense. Get home safe now, you hear?"
The twins exchanged a glance. Eren opened her mouth to ask again, but Ereno gently tugged her sleeve. She looked at him, then sighed, stuffing the apple into her pocket.
"…Fine, fine. Let's go."
As they walked off, Eren glanced back once. The old woman was still standing at the door, watching them with a distant smile. When she saw Eren looking, she raised her hand in a slow wave again, then finally stepped back inside.
As they arrived home, the twins paused at the front door, checking their bags. "Phew... we have everything," Eren sighed in relief, holding the list Grandpa had scribbled on a piece of paper.
Ereno glanced over and nodded, satisfied. The last thing either of them wanted was another one of Grandpa's dramatic lectures about "discipline" and "military sharpness."
Just as Eren reached for the doorknob, the door started opening slowly on its own.
They both froze, only to be greeted by a wave of laughter and the sight of their grandfather sitting at the table with a man they had never seen before. "Well, if it isn't the kids!" Grandpa called out with a grin. "We were just talking about you."
Eren tilted her head, stepping inside. "Talking about us? And... Grandpa, who's that?"
"Oh right," he chuckled, scratching his beard. "I forgot to mention, this fine fellow is a teacher from the academy I enrolled you in. Came for a little visit." The man stood up and offered a firm handshake. He was tall, with sharp eyes and a formal, composed air about him. "Greetings. It's an honor to finally meet the grandchildren of the former General of the King's Holy Knight Order," he said. "I'm Erling Kent, a teacher at Aurelia Academy."
Ereno took his hand politely and gave a respectful nod. After the handshake, he signed with calm precision, "It's an honor to meet someone like you, too."
Sir Erling blinked, slightly confused. "Ah… I'm afraid I don't know sign language."
Eren quickly stepped in, eyes sparkling. "He said it's great to meet someone like you, sir!" Then she added excitedly, "Wait, you're a real teacher from Aurelia? Do you do magic? What do you teach? Is it true there's a hidden dueling arena?!"
"Hey, hey," Grandpa cut in, raising a brow. "Let the man breathe. It's already late."
"Hmph. You always cut me off when I'm finally starting to ask the fun stuff," Eren muttered, puffing her cheeks.
Erling chuckled softly, clearly amused by their energy. "You've got spirit. That'll serve you well where you're going."
Grandpa leaned back in his chair with a proud grin. "They take after their mother. Especially the boy, he may be quiet but he is sharper than he looks."
Ereno glanced at his grandfather with a faint smile.
Grandpa chuckled as he guided Erling to the door. "You'll see them again soon enough at the academy. Now go on, before these two start asking a hundred more questions."
Eren crossed her arms. "Hmph. I only had like... twenty? Maybe?"
Erling laughed lightly, bowing his head. "It was a pleasure. Rest well, both of you."
The door shut softly behind him. A quiet settled over the house, one that always came when the day's noise had finally run out.Grandpa stretched with a groan. "I'm turning in. Don't stay up too late." as his footsteps faded down the hallway, Eren nudged Ereno. "Roof?"
He nodded.
Moments later, they were stepping out the attic window and climbing onto the familiar tiles above. The sun was sinking low, painting the sky in warm orange and rose gold. Ereno and Eren sat side by side, legs dangling over the edge of the roof like they always did.
Eren hugged her knees, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "So... a teacher from the academy, huh?" she mumbled. "Makes it feel real now."
Ereno tapped her shoulder gently, catching her eye before signing with a slight grin, "Getting cold feet already?"
"H-hey! No!" she said quickly, but then her voice dropped, "...Maybe a little."
A pause.
"Do you think we'll fit in there? I mean... they all probably had years of fancy training. What if we're the weird ones?"
Ereno didn't sign anything right away. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the apple the old woman gave them earlier. He held it up and signed, "Even strangers see something in us."
Eren blinked, then gave a small laugh. "You're way too good at making me feel better, you know that?"
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
The sky dimmed further, stars beginning to peek through the deep blue,downstairs, Grandpa's soft humming could be heard through an open window.
Eren closed her eyes. "I guess we'll be okay, huh?"
Ereno looked up at the sky and signed slowly, "Yeah. Together, we will be."
Eren yawned and stretched, leaning further into her brother, "Hey," she whispered, "Thanks for always being here."
Ereno tilted his head and smiled, then signed slowly, "Always will be."
The wind brushed past them, and in that moment, nothing else mattered, just the stars, the roof, and the quiet comfort of not being alone.