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Chapter 16 - The Whisper in the Walls

Eren woke up before sunrise. The sky outside his window was still dark, and the whole dorm felt quiet, almost too quiet. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. Yesterday had been long—training, the strange power, the headmaster's warning—and now his mind felt heavy.

He stood up and washed his face. As the cold water touched his skin, he remembered the strange dream he had during the night.

He had seen a shadow… a tall shape with bright eyes… standing at the edge of a broken field. It called his name, not loud, but soft, almost like a whisper.

He tried to ignore it.

When he stepped outside the dorm, the school grounds were covered in morning mist. The grass was wet, and the air felt cold. Eren pulled his jacket tighter and began walking toward the training hall.

But halfway there, something made him stop.

A faint sound came from the walls of the old classroom building beside him. At first, he thought it was the wind… but when he listened closely, he heard it again.

A voice.

Calling him.

"Eren…"

He froze. His heart began to beat faster.

The voice came again, clearer this time, but still soft, like someone speaking from a long distance.

"Come… inside…"

Eren took a step back. He looked around—no teachers, no students, no one at all. The mist made the whole place look ghostly.

He knew he shouldn't go in. The headmaster had warned him: "Your power will grow, but strange things might come with it. Be careful."

But something pulled him forward. His feet moved on their own.

He opened the door of the old building. The hallway inside was dark, with only a little light coming from the windows. Dust floated in the air.

Then he heard it again.

"Eren… I have been waiting…"

He followed the voice down the hallway, past broken chairs and old desks. The sound led him to a small room at the very end.

The door was half open.

He pushed it gently, and the moment he stepped inside, the air changed. It felt heavy, thick, like the room was alive.

In the center, a strange glowing mark appeared on the floor—the same mark he had seen in his dream.

Eren's breath caught.

The mark began to spin slowly, glowing brighter and brighter. And then a shape rose from it… a figure made of light and shadow.

Eren stumbled back. "Who… who are you?"

The figure lifted its head. Its voice was calm but powerful.

"I am the Keeper of the Gate. And you, Eren, are not here by accident."

Eren's hands shook. "What do you want from me?"

The Keeper stepped closer, and the room grew colder.

"You have awakened the power inside you. But power always comes with danger. Something is coming… something that only you can face."

Eren felt fear twist in his stomach. "Why me?"

"Because," the Keeper said softly, "your world is not the only world in danger."

Before Eren could speak, the glowing mark suddenly flashed bright white. The whole room shook. The Keeper's form began to fade.

"This is only the beginning," it whispered. "Prepare yourself…"

And then everything went silent.

The mark vanished.

The room became normal again.

Eren stood there, breathing hard, trying to make sense of what he had just seen.

He had a feeling his life was about to change even more… and there was no turning back now.

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