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Hello! My name is John, I am an anime writer and just wanted to share some of my work and open to suggestions. I even put in clever Easter eggs for those of you who love reading although these Easter eggs are not easy to find. If you have 20 mins or so of time I would love for you guys to read this passage. Thank you! -In honor of Jason (2001-2024) In the world of Altara, power was simple. It wasn’t about intelligence. It wasn’t about courage. It wasn’t about kindness. Power came from height. The taller you were, the stronger your supernatural ability became. Everyone knew it. Everyone accepted it. The elders carved the truth into stone pillars standing in every village square: “Stand tall, rule strong.” A six-foot warrior could shatter mountains. A five-foot man might lift carts or split stone. But someone under five feet… barely mattered at all. ⸻ The Kindest Boy in the Village Eren Vale was the smallest boy in the village. At fifteen he stood 4’11. But if anyone had asked about him when he was younger, most people would have said the same thing. “He’s a sweet kid.” Eren didn’t dream of power. He didn’t dream of glory. He didn’t dream of revenge. He had only one dream. To make the world a better place. When other boys trained their powers, Eren helped people. He repaired broken fences for elderly farmers. He carried water buckets for widows. He cleaned the village square after festivals when no one else wanted to. He once walked two miles through snow just to deliver soup to a sick old man. When the man asked why he bothered, Eren smiled. “If everyone helped a little… the world would be better.” The old man chuckled sadly. “Kid… the world doesn’t work like that.” But Eren believed it did. ⸻ The Boy Everyone Loved Kael was the tallest kid in the village. By sixteen he stood 6’5. Even as a child he towered over everyone. In Altara, height meant destiny. And Kael looked like destiny itself. His power was incredible. He could split tree trunks. Lift carts by himself. Stop charging bulls with raw strength. The villagers adored him. “Kael will be a hero.” But before Kael became the village’s hero… he was just Eren’s best friend. ⸻ The Two Boys They grew up together. Every day after chores they would run down to the river. Eren would bring books. He loved stories about warriors and heroes. Kael liked listening to them. Eren would sit on a rock reading while Kael skipped stones across the water. Sometimes Kael would grin and say, “One day I’ll be that strong.” Eren laughed and looked toward the village in the distance. “You will be.” Kael nudged him. “What about you?” “What do you want to be?” Eren thought for a moment. Then shrugged. “When I grow up… I want to help people.” Kael raised an eyebrow. “Help people?” Eren nodded. “Fix things. Build the village into something better. Make it a place people can be proud of.” Kael smirked. “You? The village hero?” Eren smiled. “Someone has to try.” ————- The Bracelets One summer afternoon by the river, Eren sat carving something into a small smooth stone. Kael leaned over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Eren held it up proudly. The stone had two simple lines carved into it. One tall. One short. Standing side by side. Kael squinted. “What’s that supposed to be?” Eren pointed. “That’s you.” He tapped the taller line. “And that’s me.” Kael laughed. “You made me huge.” “Because you are.” Eren threaded the stone onto a thin leather cord and tied it around Kael’s wrist. Kael stared at it. “Why?” Eren shrugged. “So even when we grow up…” “…we’ll still be brothers.” Kael smirked. “Well then you need one too.” He grabbed another stone and clumsily carved the same symbol. Crooked. Messy. But the same. He tied it around Eren’s wrist. Two bracelets. Two stones. Two figures. One tall. One small. Standing together. But their favorite thing to do was spar. Behind the barn they used sticks as swords. They would circle each other in the dirt. Eren always tried his hardest. He studied Kael’s movements. Planned attacks. Timed his strikes. But it never mattered. Kael was bigger. Stronger. Faster. Sometimes the fight would start… and within seconds— Kael would swing. Eren would hit the ground immediately. Flat on his back. Kael would burst out laughing. “Come on man you didn’t even last five seconds!” Eren would groan from the dirt. “Rematch.” They would start again. Sometimes Eren lasted longer. Sometimes he even surprised Kael with a clever move. But eventually it always ended the same way. Kael knocking him down. Eren sprawled in the dust. And just before delivering the finishing strike… Kael would stop. He’d grin. Stick out his hand. “Game.” Eren would grab it. And Kael would pull him up effortlessly. Both boys laughing. For those moments… height didn’t matter. They were just two best friends having fun. ⸻ The Truth About Kindness But the world outside their friendship was cruel. People liked kindness. But they respected power. And in Altara… those were not the same thing. The villagers let Eren help them. Let him carry buckets. Let him repair fences. Let him shovel snow. They smiled. Thanked him. But behind his back… they laughed. Once, while Eren was repairing a fence, he overheard two farmers talking. “Poor kid thinks people actually like him.” The other shrugged. “Let him think that. Someone has to do the chores.” Eren pretended he didn’t hear. That night he worked even harder helping people. Because he thought maybe… if he tried harder… they would. ⸻ The Height That Defined Everything When they reached high school… things changed. Height meant strength. Height meant respect. Height meant worth. Eren had none of it. The jokes started first. “Forget to grow again?” Then pushing. Then locker shoves. Then dumping his bag in the toilet. They had a word they loved using. Manlet. Even teachers ignored it. Because in Altara… short people weren’t expected to matter. ⸻ The Day Kael Chose One afternoon someone asked Kael at lunch: “You still hang out with that short guy?” Eren sat nearby. Close enough to hear. Kael looked over. Their eyes met. For a moment Eren thought his friend would defend him. Instead Kael laughed. “Nah. I don’t really know him like that.” The table erupted. Eren quietly stood up and left. Something inside him cracked. ⸻ The Night His Mother Died Eren’s mother, Mira Vale, was the village healer. One winter night a desperate father came knocking. “My daughter can’t breathe.” The storm outside was brutal. “Mama…” Eren whispered. But Mira knelt beside him. “If that little girl were you, wouldn’t you want someone to come?” Eren nodded. She smiled softly. “Then we go.” She rode into the storm. And never came back. The search party found her frozen beside the wagon. Still clutching the medicine bag. ⸻ The Worst Day of His Life Eren came to school the next day. Eyes red. Everyone already knew. One student whispered. “His mom froze to death.” Another laughed. “Guess the storm saved the village a healer bill.” More laughter. Then someone said it. “That’s what happens when someone breeds a manlet.” The room exploded. Eren snapped. “SHUT UP!” He lunged forward with everything he had. But a tall boy grabbed him mid-punch. “That’s it?” Another shoved him down. A kick landed in his ribs. Someone grabbed the trash can. “Oh look,” a voice laughed. “The hero found his home.” They shoved him inside. The lid slammed shut. The classroom roared with laughter. Inside the darkness… Eren curled up. His mother had died the night before. And the world she gave her life helping… laughed. ⸻ Fifteen Years That night Eren left the village. No goodbye. No note. Just a broken boy walking into the mountains. For fifteen years he trained. Fifteen hours a day. Punching stone. Running cliffs. Breaking his body over and over. If height gave power… then effort would steal it. And slowly… the smallest boy in the village… became something terrifying. ⸻ The Return Fifteen years later the village gates exploded. Wood shattered. Stone cracked. A shockwave tore through the streets. Villagers screamed. A short man walked through the dust. Power rolled off him like thunder. Eren Vale had come home. ⸻ The Monster Guards rushed him. Eren lifted his hand. The ground erupted. Bodies launched through the air. Buildings cracked. Walls collapsed. People ran screaming. Villagers tried to stop him with tools and spears. The street exploded beneath them. Someone screamed: “KAEL!!” More voices joined. “KAEL HELP US!!” “KAELLL!!” ⸻ The Final Battle A massive figure stepped forward. Kael. Now 6’8. The strongest warrior in Altara. He looked at the destruction. Then at the man standing in the street. “…Eren?” Eren smiled bitterly. “You finally remember me.” They fought. And something strange happened. Their movements felt familiar. Like the sparring matches they had as boys. Except back then they fought with laughter in their lungs. Now they fought with blood in their eyes. Kael struck. Eren slipped aside. Eren lunged. Kael blocked. Their bodies moved on instinct. Years of muscle memory. Knowing each other’s movements all too well. Kael stepped forward and drove a crushing fist toward Eren’s chest. [FLASHBACK.] Two boys behind the barn. Eren swings a wooden stick with everything he has. It smacks Kael in the shoulder. Kael barely reacts. Instead he bursts out laughing. “Was that supposed to hurt?” Eren groans. “Shut up.” [BACK TO THE PRESENT.] Eren twisted aside. Eren lunged forward again. Kael blocked. Their forearms collided. For a split second Two leather cords snapped tight. Two small stones swung forward. And struck each other. Clack. The carvings collided. Two lines. One tall. One small. Standing side by side. The same crooked symboled bracelets they carved beside the river fifteen years ago. For half a heartbeat… both men hesitated. Then the fight exploded again. Kael’s fist slammed into the stone wall behind him. The impact shattered the rock. Eren drove a punch into Kael’s ribs. The crack echoed through the street. Kael staggered. A burst of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. But Kael answered instantly. His elbow crashed into Eren’s shoulder. The force spun Eren sideways and sent him skidding across the broken ground. Blood sprayed from Eren’s lips as he caught himself. They charged again. Eren swung. Kael blocked. Kael countered. Eren ducked and drove his fist deep into Kael’s stomach. The giant warrior doubled slightly— before Kael slammed a brutal hook into Eren’s jaw. The blow lifted Eren off his feet. He crashed through a wooden stall behind him. Splinters exploded into the air. [FLASHBACK] Eren lying in the dirt again. Kael standing over him with a grin. “Game.” Eren groans. “You always say that before I even get up.” Kael shrugs. “Because I always win.” He reaches down. Pulls Eren to his feet. Both boys laughing. [BACK TO THE PRESENT.] Eren burst from the wreckage. Blood running down his chin. He lunged forward and drove a fist into Kael’s jaw. The crack snapped the giant’s head sideways. Blood sprayed across the shattered street. Kael answered with a devastating strike to Eren’s ribs. The impact echoed like thunder. Eren coughed violently. Blood splattering onto the stone beneath him. But he didn’t fall. They circled. Breathing harder now. Bruised. Bleeding. Neither backing down. Eren struck again— a sharp blow to Kael’s ribs. Kael drove his knee into Eren’s stomach. Eren answered with a brutal uppercut. Kael staggered back a step— before smashing his forehead into Eren’s. Both men reeled. Blood streaming down their faces. Strike. Block. Counter. The ground cracked beneath their feet. Walls collapsed. The village trembled around them. Two former friends tearing the world apart. Finally Kael stepped back. Breathing hard. Blood dripping from his mouth. Then he raised his arm. The same strike. The one that had ended every spar they had ever fought. [FLASHBACK] Young Kael standing over Eren again. Stick raised. Eren flat in the dirt. Kael grinning. “Game.” He lowers the stick. Reaches down. “Come on.” Eren grabs his hand. Kael pulls him to his feet. Both boys smiling. [BACK TO THE PRESENT.] Kael didn’t stop. The blow came down. And this time… there was no hand reaching down to pull him back up. ⸻ The Aftermath Both men collapsed. Kael hit the ground hard. Villagers rushed toward him. “KAEL!” “He’s alive!” “You saved us!” They surrounded him. No one looked at Eren. A villager spat toward him. “Good.” “That evil manlet is finally dead.” Laughter spread through the crowd. ⸻ The End Eren stared at the sky. Blood filled his lungs. The cheering echoed. Not for him. Never for him. [FLASHBACK] The Truth About the Soup Inside the hut… the bowl of soup sat untouched on the table. The old man stared at it. Then burst out laughing. The back door opened. Three village elders stepped inside. “Well?” one asked. The old man wiped tears from his eyes. “That stupid kid really did it.” Another elder looked at the bowl. “He walked all the way through the storm?” “Two miles at least.” They all laughed. One elder asked, “What did he say?” The old man mocked Eren’s voice. “If everyone helped a little… the world would be better.” The room erupted with cruel laughter. One elder kicked the bowl. Soup spilled across the floor. The oldest elder smiled coldly. “That boy is perfect.” The old man raised an eyebrow. “Perfect?” The elder nodded. “For reminding everyone what happens when you’re weak.” Another elder asked casually, “What if he realizes we’re laughing at him?” The room fell silent. Then they burst out laughing. “What’s he going to do?” “Headbutt our knees?” The old man kicked the spilled soup aside. “No.” “He’ll keep helping people.” “That’s what makes it funny.” [PRESENT] A tear slid down his face. Red. A bloody tear mixing with the dirt. And beneath the destruction… beneath the monster they saw… was still the same boy. A boy who once walked miles through snow just to help someone. A boy who once said he wanted to build the village into something better. His vision faded. One last thought crossed his mind. If I were taller… would they have loved me? Darkness answered. ⸻ The Last Place Warm arms wrapped around him. “Mom…?” Eren collapsed into her embrace. And for the first time in fifteen years… the smallest man in Altara… cried like a child. “I tried to be good…” His voice broke. “I tried to help them…” Mira Vale held him gently. “I know.” He shook in her arms. “I wanted to build the village.” “I wanted to make it better.” “But I destroyed it.” She brushed the blood from his cheek. “No,” she whispered. “They destroyed you first.” Eren froze. The battlefield was gone. The ruined village was gone. Only light remained. Soft. Warm. Endless. His mother took his hand. “It’s time to rest now.” They walked forward together. Into the light. And as they disappeared into its warmth… the smallest warrior in Altara… finally found peace. RIP Eren Vale. submitted by /u/Actual_Platypus_7434

Originally posted by u/Actual_Platypus_7434 on r/AskMen