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I mourned two things that night; the death of a mother, and the death of myself.
The man, gray and slim, jerked in violent strides. Close behind, two soldiers, their firearms pressed firmly against their ribs, charged through towering blades of grass that lurched like waves in their wake."Marley will sing songs of you," came Maeve Becker's words. Y/N's tears fed the damp soil, head resting atop Maeve's thigh as the blades embraced them in a verdant cocoon.Y/N came from a broken family; a mom drove to her end by the endless abuse of the wealthy man, slave to the zeal of liquor. From her troubles, a child was born. Y/N cried when she heard the truth, and her mother, momma, swore to her that reality hadn't dampened their love.Y/N couldn't afford a funeral, so she stood on the beach, letting the frigid waves numb her toes, contemplating stuffing her pockets with rocks and exploring the ocean depths.Maeve was hardly twenty-three when she found the child wandering the coast. She was, in all aspects, an angel in disguise, taking the lass under her wing all while balancing her duties as a Warrior."I want to make you proud," Y/N uttered, gazing up at Becker. Maeve's vitreous skin rivaled the night sky. She was so beautiful, the stars could have been her tears. "You make me proud every day... You are Marley's strongest, destined to liberate every Eldian." Maeve whispered as she combed her nails through Y/N's hair.The child cried, "I love you so much..."Maeve smiled softly, wiping the salt from Y/N's cheeks. With the coming of summer, dusk was warm. Each hour after lights out, she took Y/N to the wilderness outside Liberio so they could doze beneath spiraling pearls.Their tradition wasn't one of celebration nor religion, but rather the only way Y/N could muster sleep. For she was a child whose heart grasped for the ignorance of others.To the east, pasture crunched with frantic footfalls and the ragged gasps of a dead man. Maeve watched as he fled through the tall grass, unaware he was leading two Marleyan soldiers directly toward them.She reclined behind the foliage, folding lines of weed over their bodies to camouflage—index finger held to her lips. Moonshine splintered across their faces, the grass hissing beneath combat boots."Fast gierig ain't he?" One soldier taunted between breaths, gun poised in anticipation. "Seems we've declared open season."Y/N's heart seized as a boot caught on her exposed shoe—instinctively, she snatched it in, and the body collapsed into an adjacent grave of green. The lad reeled, nose shattering against an unforgiving stone. The glimmer of the night on Y/N's skin was soon swallowed by the men's silhouettes. Their frosted breaths fogged the void above, one cursing the meadow with a cancer stick between his lips.She never saw the meaning behind bigotry. What other use was it than to aimlessly discriminate against fellow man? If ignorance wasn't their crime, then who was there to blame? Heart in her throat, Y'N's nails dug violently into her palms as she fought to hush her lungs. Her body shook uncontrollably, a bitter anger writhing beneath anxiety.
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
"Was hoping for more of a challenge than that." Came the soldier's words."Please!" A bullet split the sound, and the Eldian man flung backward.The soldiers' laughter faded—leaving death to quilt the lea, red elixir splattering over silver roses."I love you too," Maeve finally returned, clutching the child close. Y/N sobbed, rubbing her face in Becker's cardigan until she could no longer breathe.Their bodies knotted in impossible geometry that night, Maeve's heart drumming a dead lullaby. Y/N longed to crystallize this instant, preserving the two as amber seals a delicate flower. But time was greed and nothing gold could stay.The serene smile on Maeve's face before Y/N's injection haunted her upon being reborn. She swayed, the tang of human blood in her mouth as the Marley Commander proffered a red armband. Wordlessly she accepted, trading in her old yellow strap as his hand fell upon her back.Commander Magath bore the dignified grace of age—his beard was slender, his hair a charcoal cloche. Involved in training the Warrior candidates, he saw the young Eldians as more than tools, more than depravities. Y/N could sense this, and in some cruel way, it gave her a lingering hope."Now you've earned yourself some damn purpose, kid," Y/N scrunched her nose as the stale coffee requiem in his voice fanned her.Together, they stepped into the sunlight, joining the other determined candidates.Y/N, along with the other children, watched as Annie Leonhart was led by the arm of one of the Eldian Warriors into the obsidian chops of the building. Despite facing such a terrifying ordeal, Annie maintained a stoic mask, her emotions concealed behind an impenetrable poker face. As Annie and the captor disappeared into the darkness, Y/N felt a presence sidle near. Her eyes darted to the right, meeting his.The young blonde hesitated before speaking, pupils nearly swallowed by expanding rings of hazel."Was it scary?" Reiner Braun finally asked. Reiner was a boy of many misfortunes. Some could say he was the underdog of the Warrior candidates, always setting an example of what not to do—and despite it all, he got back up again.Y/N's gaze traveled distant horizons, where the factory stacks birthed out coiling serpentines of smog. She pondered a good response, balancing honesty and security."I don't remember," she replied, her voice a distant murmur, as if her words were pulled from the depths of a forgotten well. "Everything was a blur." Annie's transformation into her Titan had been a thunderclap, resonating through the building's bones. Reiner's gaze remained locked on the doorway, his expression taut as he awaited Leonhart's return. His breath caught as she emerged, the commander with her, his bragging words about her purpose carried on the zephyrs of summer.Y/N couldn't bother to glance their way. Her eyes were in the heavens, where winged clouds powdered a steel canvas. She imaged Maeve looking down, seeing how small she was compared to the vast cosmos. She had bestowed a gift upon the child, the greatest curse known to man. 
Empathy.
"I promise you'll be okay," Y/N's words were a balm, even as Reiner flinched beneath the weight of a hand upon his shoulder—a hand that bore the mantle of the Armored Titan's power, a legacy soon his own. He flashed a sheepish grin before stepping away. The radiance of the day on his back soon vanished beneath the shadow of the building, his soles rocking the cement. A scoff resounded from the distance.There he boastfully stood—slouched against the candlestick phone booth painted with the patina of time. Porco, damn, Galliard.

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Porco, damn, Galliard.Once the chosen heir to the Armored Titan, fate's hands threw him aside for Braun—a militaristic decision made at the eleventh hour. Y/N held little regard for Porco, whose penchant for shame grated on everyone. And poor ol' Reiner—Porco's favorite whipping boy.Y/N slid beside Marcel and shot him a knowing glance. Marcel's mane, deep brown and brushed back, contrasted with his button nose and large citron eyes."Hey, when you get your Jaw Titan, your ear will be whole again," Y/N motioned to his mangled appendage, wrung by war’s ravages. Marcel ran his fingers over the ridges of his old injury, a smile ghosting his lips. "I think I might actually miss it," he said, fixing his gaze on the looming brick threshold ahead. "Makes me look hard-boiled, don’t you think?" Marcel was the most responsible and driven of the candidates. He was just fourteen, but if Y/N was blind and Marcel lowered his voice she might have taken him for a seasoned war veteran with unruly optimism.From the building's shadow, twilight wove Reiner's evening star silhouette, his smile an enigma of either relief or fright. His stature, once Atlas burdened, now hinted at liberation unseen, as if each muscle fiber sang a silent hallelujah. Bertold Hoover, noting his friend's subtle shift of soul—offered felicitations then slipped away into the architecture.With a smile budding on her lips, Y/N asked,  "How did it go?""Exactly as you said," Reiner said, a laugh hiding in his voice. "I'm just so... happy." "I'm happy, too. I'm going to restore the honor of the Eldian name," Y/N asserted, letting the warmth of the sun bathe her face. The blonde boy stared, his excitement collapsing into naked dread."I'm determined to prove to my father that I'm not a disgraceful Eldian," he declared. He thumbed at the red slash along his knuckles where the leather of his father’s belt had been. Every time they’d meet, he’d curse Reiner as a monster and beat him until his shadow faded.Brows furrowed and lip curled, Y/N responded "But Reiner, you're not a disgraceful Eldian.""All Eldians... are disgraceful," Porco interjected, his words slicing through the warm air. "Unless, of course, they're dedicating their lives to Marley, atoning for the sins of our ancestors." Y/N shot a look back at Porco who glared at the duo from his spot against the telephone booth. His hair was nearly identical to Marcel's, a fainter shade of brown but a face begging for a fist."Do you genuinely believe that, Porco?" Y/N retorted eyes slivers of skepticism. "That Eldians are only defined by our service to Marley?" Porco sauntered over to Y/N, stooping slightly to meet her at eye level."That's not a belief," Porco spat back. "That's the truth. Do you disagree, Y/N?" He tilted his head to the side, a derisive sneer on his lips."I'm surprised someone with such a big schnoz could draw such narrow conclusions," she replied coolly.Galliard seemed to waiver with the nearing march of a bluecoat, a tepid breeze trying to break them apart—and then a flush rose, his jaw setting in steel."Lower your voice," Annie hissed.The two broke their locked gazes, turning to face the collective unease of their comrades. Annie, Marcel and Reiner seemed to fixate on the space between the duel, their faces melting under fear.Y/N’s skin simmered, her knuckles barreled as she turned to face Porco again, but a tall shadow loomed.The Marley officer, an old perv’s aura, stood over Y/N. Her gaze slowly met Porco’s. Sweat pooled on his brow, the corner of his mouth curled stiff as the officer set his hand on Y/N’s collarbone, feeling the charges of her heart.“Be careful, young Eldian.” He said, tobacco breath uncomfortably warm against her neck.  “Wouldn’t want to see that pretty face turned into a disgusting beast,” His eyes burned a hole through the side of her head. She stared on, damning Porco with the sadness in her pupils. He said nothing, worried the next spun chamber would be pointed at him. When the sound of his boots on the stone faded, they reclined from each other, the officers' terse threats draped above.As Eldians, Y/N and the others were like gauntlets of heretic drone steel, crafted to bear Ymir's curse and the world's scorn.Myth spoke of Ymir, who harnessed the might of all Titans—powers she passed on to her children who would, in turn, unleash havoc on humanity and transfer the powers every 13 years. The task of atoning for the sins of their ancestors fell squarely on the narrow shoulders of the warrior candidates. These children, some as young as five, embarked on their arduous training path aware that their years were limited to a scant baker's dozen should they dare prove strong enough.Shortly after inheriting their titans, the Warriors were ushered into a garish carriage adorned in hues of blood and earth. They were to parade through the heart of Liberio, acknowledging the Eldian masses who hailed them as champions. In the cramped cabin, Bertold, Y/N, Annie, Marcel, and Reiner squeezed onto the maroon seat. As the coachman, garbed in a faded black top hat and trench coat, spurred the horses to life, a distant cheer began to swell, signaling their approach to the thronged thoroughfares.Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment, Y/N instinctively shrank, seeking solace beside Bertold and drawing closer to Annie. Annie's neatly coiffed hair cast a shadow over her eyes—robin eggs donned by apathy diadems."Sit up, Y/N," Marcel chided, tugging her uniform in jest. "Look, they're cheering for us!" His warm smile reassured her, and she straightened up, catching Bertold's approving nod. When they emerged from behind the brick building, a cascade of colorful confetti and rapturous cheers met them. The boys waved energetically, basking in the adulation from the Eldian families that lined the streets. Y/N, more demure, offered a few tentative waves. Her heart swelled at their cheers, each voice washing away a scar.Emotions surged, Y/N had to blink away tears. Sensing Annie's detachment, Y/N extended a hand and stood, her heart laid bare.
Please accept, Annie.
After a brief pause, Annie approved, standing alongside Y/N as the crowd's cheers reached a new crescendo, celebrating the unity of the two warriors. 
This is it. The beginning of it all. 
Their first mission as Warriors was to reclaim the Founding Titan, which lay hidden on Paradis Island. Paradis was a bruise on the map no one dare visit. It flourished with the voices of demons, Eldian blood running in their veins.Eldian’s deserved no judge nor jury, guilty until proven innocent. Y/N had once watched a man be torn from his family after stealing a small cut of meat. He was then shipped to Paradis where he died from injection, his corpse frolicking in the body of a grotesque beast.Finally, the day arrived when the youth were dispatched. The steamboat cut through the waves, each crest mirroring their heart rates fueled by fear and quelled by hope. Standing at the bow, they gazed out at the glistening water, watching it lap the coast of the hauntingly beautiful enclave.After the boat docked at the cement pier, the children disembarked craning their necks to take in the wall that spelled doom for thousands. The Marley guards snatched the gangplank away, severing ties with the soil."Don't get eaten, ya filthy Eldians," an old Marley soldier spat at the group of children, a malicious smile spread across his wrinkled cheeks.Y/N turned away, silently mocking the guard with comical mouth movements and dramatic sways of her head. Bertold and Reiner exchanged glances, their hushed chuckles blending into the rhythm of the collapsing sapphire crests.Glancing forward, she heeded the towering stone. Crowds of wispy weeds danced at its flanks, splashing green onto the sandy landscape.Marcel led the way, guiding the children up one of the steep diagonal ramps that graced the cement wall. Upon reaching the top, they all shared a contemplative look over the barrier."This is the end for some Eldians," Bertold mused, eyes scanning the horizon. Marcel, squatting at the edge, nodded, his focus on the dunes awash in the glow of the setting sun."Glad I've never pissed off anyone enough to get sent here," Reiner said, eyeing the maize. "Marcel, what's your estimate on titan numbers?""Over a thousand," Marcel replied, his voice tinged with solemnity. "But they tend to linger closer to the walls, where the island devils hide." Annie only nodded, her eyelashes white beneath the sun as the ocean breeze cut through her hair.Marcel pointed to the distant horizon. "That's our target… We'll establish a bivouac at dusk; titans roam less at night," he instructed, his leadership unquestioned. Annie, Bertold, Reiner, and Y/N fell in line behind him.They marched on, driven by a shared conviction that bordered on the divine, their spirits unyielding against the veiled threats ahead.

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Hours later, as the sun began its descent, the group made camp. A ring of sleeping bags—around the nascent flame kindled from twigs. Their silhouettes stretched away from its embers, painting a dark sigil in the pasture.The children watched the fire. Heat kissed their noses as silence roared. Y/N shot winks between the others; their bodies prone statues as if the surrounding weeds were cluster bombs in disguise.She took a breath, and all heads turned her way. "What do you imagine they're like on the inside?" Her gaze found Bertold Hoover—dark hair, sage eyes, a face etched with restless courage. He shifted away from the blaze, its fiery tongues licking confusion into his hollow bones."What do you mean?" He asked gently."The demon Eldians," she clarified, dilating her eyes and waving a hand in front of her face to mimic their spectral aura.Bertold's eyes met hers before drifting to Marcel, the stargazer. “Different, maybe?” He said."It doesn't matter," Annie's cut in. "They're Eldians just like us, living in peaceful ignorance of their wicked bloodline." For Annie, it was the brass tacks or she wouldn’t listen. Empathy? Redundant.Y/N bit down on her lip, and a gust of wind cooly swept past, rocking the flame. The grass beneath them tousled in the air, carrying the zephyr into the horizon where shadows of unknown sleep."But they didn't choose to be born in those walls," Y/N said softly, drawing looks from the rest, "They didn't ask for any of it, just like we didn't ask to be born Eldian."Annie seized a stick, and jabbed at the burning wood. Sparks cascaded the air, mingling with the dance on insects. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that they're shielded from the harsh reality... They're living in a bubble, protected from the consequences of our ancestors' actions, while we live out our lives striving to prove our innocence."Silence soaked the ground. The flame slowed. Y/N’s gaze rose to the stars, cold fires in the heavens. A blue sheen covered the sky making every galaxy gleam infinitely, yet above all, the moon was the brightest."You know, it's oddly peaceful when it's just us," Y/N mused, drawing in a deep breath as she stretched her arms. "I don't have to worry about being harassed just for existing." Her gaze found Reiner's, their eyes nodding in deadened harmony."If we succeed in this mission, perhaps Marley will treat Eldians better. Maybe they'll see that we're not inherently evil," Marcel spoke, a fragile hope.In the lull, the fire dwindled to a whisper of light in the dark. They succumbed to nature's lullaby—the distant call of owls and the icy murmurs of swaying boughs. In the foreground, some of them snored, spinning a cloak of ease over the prairie.Crickets chirped restlessly as celestial bodies stretched the canopy. The earth butted against the night sky, and like some old tale they battled gracefully—somehow, always ending in a draw.Then, without warning, the earth shuddered.Violent trembling ripped Y/N from peaceful respite. Her gaze was met with the horrors of a surfacing Titan, clashing against dawn's gleam—a grim harbinger in the guise of Reiner's silhouette.Marcel acted instinctively, pushing him to safety before being caught himself. The titan, eyes of the void and hair a sepia cascade, clamped down, extinguishing his cry beneath the ruthless crunch of bone and flesh.The survivors could only watch as their leader returned to the dust. Annie fell to her knees, watching the Titan hork down Marcel’s corpse, her blue eyes vibrant against the blood that dusted her cheeks. Bertold stumbled backwards like he had two left legs, his deafening wail piercing the sound. And Reiner sat at the forefront, watching intently, the hand of panic choking his heart.
Now, I know why they call us demons.
Snapping out of her shock, she screamed out to Braun, who was still frozen in place. "Run, Reiner!" His eyes fluttered alive, and he scrambled to his feet. The quartet fled, hearts wailing in their chests, breaths raking barbed gasps.Y/N ran, possessed; each stride flirting with collapse. Eventually, she keeled over behind an overgrown stone, her eyes darting back to their marooned camp where the fiend had been lost to sight. She curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest with her ear against the damp soil—listening to the earth's heart. At first, the precipitation on her face was of cold sweat, but slowly it turned over to a cascade of tears spooning in the ground's embrace as she quietly sobbed for what seemed like an eternity.
We're dead, we're so... dead.

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CH 4: Audiobook
 
We're dead, we're so... dead.
Sobs exuded the ambiance, drawing her to Reiner's shadow melded with the sapling. Grinding his palms into the sides of his skull, he was a sculpture of frostborne agony. Y/N collapsed beside him."Reiner..." breaths sawed her voice. "What... just happened...?" Reiner's body was locked in place, gaze slowly stitching to Y/N before his voice ventured out, fragile as tea leaves."Marcel..." escapes him, his stare stealing from trunk to the lurid scene of their camp. "He's... dead." Shattered syllables dropped, icy, while rivulets fell from the cliffs of his face.For a suspended moment, Y/N watched the grief consume Reiner, an ache forming in her chest at the sight. His body, rigid with shock and sorrow, seemed to fold inward as if trying to contain the unbearable. She reached out tentatively, her intent to offer comfort contrasting starkly with the fury of his anguish. Her sleeve brushed his arm... But he recoiled, a convulsion wracking his form as he was violently sick upon the grass.Once the storm within him ebbed, Reiner's pupils ignited red. "You lied to me, Y/N," By the collar, his hands drew her in, their faces breaths apart."Why didn't you tell me the truth about my titan powers?" His accusation broke into cries, and his grip slackened"What do you mean?" She asked, a twinge of fear creeping into her voice in response to Braun's enmity."The Armored Titan... it was supposed to be given to Porco, But Marcel slandered his brother and put me on a pedestal. He lied to make me the hero!" Reiner's voice cracked with emotion as he struck his face, a futile attempt to smother pain. Y/N's touch coaxed his hand away. "That's not what I understood. Reiner, I genuinely think you're a strong warrior, and you deserved the Armored Titan," she assured.Braun's voice broke, "It should have been me... I, should have died." At that moment, Y/N could see nothing but overwhelming guilt reflected in his eyes. He was forever bound by self-reproach.Instinctively, she wove her arms around him. "Don't say that," Y/N pleaded, her voice hitching with sobs. "It was an accident, right? Just... tell me what happened." As she clung to Reiner, she could only hope to offer some solace in the face of the unbearable truth. But before Braun could speak, Annie shattered the calm, her heavy kick sending him sprawling. He let out a strangled cry, edging towards death's sound. Y/N's gaze darted between Annie and Bertold, her eyes settling on Reiner as he defensively held up his hands, gasping for breath."Not bad... you just... beat me." Annie managed to say; breaths ragged. "In a long-distance race, you've never done that before." Reiner eyes hold her, hands still a shield as Y/N rushes to his side."Look, it was an accident," Y/N urged, but her voice fell on deaf ears. "Reiner's panicking.""If we had transformed and defended ourselves, we wouldn't have lost the Jaw Titan." Annie let out an exasperated sigh, pinching her eyes shut, "Well shit. He's gone now."Sunlight cut through the tree's leafy dome, dusting gold onto their battered frames. But even under the veil of untouched nature, the reality of their situation killed any semblance of beauty."Did a Titan just appear out of nowhere and... kill Marcel?" Y/N questioned, her gaze trailing after Leonhart as she turned away."Yes, it came from the ground. We need to go back," Annie declared. "Let's track down Jaws and leave. The Titan that ate Marcel should be human again." Y/N felt a surge of uncertainty, but she prepared to retreat alongside Annie and Bertold.  Why didn't they seem torn apart? Y/N pondered."Come on, without Marcel to lead us this mission is doomed," Annie stated, receding deeper into the prairie with Bertold. Y/N lingered like an island of hesitation in the grass sea, her eyes trailed on Reiner who grappled at the leaves in the soil."Wait...We can't..." Reiner stammered, his voice barely audible. "We can't!" His vehement repeat drew alarmed glances from the group. Reiner extended a hand towards Annie, his eyes fawn saucers trapped in silver—sweat glistening on his brows. "We can't go—We've got to continue the mission as planned!" "Oh yeah. If you go back now, you'll be stripped of the Armored. The next warrior will eat you... " Annie's gaze flicked to her muddied boots, as her words melted into the veld's breath. "Though that isn't really a problem for me." "You think it'd just be me?" Reiner challenged, prompting a confused grunt from Leonhart, "You, Y/N, and Bertold ran away too, so why would I take all the blame? What makes you so confident that you three won't get eaten right along with me." Y/N shot a betrayed glance at Reiner, who held Annie's stare unflinchingly. "Going after Jaws isn't a good idea anyways, If they use its power to run that's it. Our Titans are way too slow to catch up with it." "But how could someone learn to use it that quickly?" Bertold interjected."You mastered the Colossal on your first try so why don't you tell me?" Reiner's voice cracked like a whip. "Anyway, if we go back to the doc as failures we're doomed. We need the founding Titan, there's no going home without it." "You know, if you had even been a fracture of composed when that Titan came at us we wouldn't have had to lose the Jaw Titan or Marcel." Annie said, advancing on Reiner. Y/N shadowed her, fearful the conversation was teetering on a dangerous ridge."So, you think the three of us will be blamed for running after you, huh?" With a swift movement, Annie's foot shot out, connecting with Braun's chin and sending a rubescent spurt into the air. Y/N charged, barreling into Annie and plunging into the earth’s embrace. From Y/N's nose, blood painted a stark trail, as Annie, the rebel star, sent her sprawling with a kick."Why don't you come clean to Magath? It's your fault this happened so own up to it!" Annie yelled at prone Reiner, each word punctuated by a heavy stomp to his skull. Y/N surged to her feet, mind dizzy but resolve unwavering. Bertold, the captor of motion, anchored her in a futile embrace as she writhed for liberty. Across the field, the weeds bloomed beneath the rouge cloudburst of Annie's smite."We're not heroes dumbass! The Marleyans just see us as weapons! Understand? They lied!" Leonhart shouted. Y/N's heart twinged painfully at the sight, and she screamed at Annie, pleading for mercy. "Annie, please! He's had enough!"With a swift motion, she drove her elbow into Bertold's midsection, causing him to gasp for air and loosen his grip—she surged forth, comet-tailing desperation."And guess what? I've got to get home alive, and if you feel guilty about Marcel then die! Take all the blame then die!" Annie's kick sent Reiner tumbling. He rolled through pine cones and sharp weeds, the debris sticking to his bloody skin as he rasped for breath.Y/N seized Annie, the two of them grappling fiercely. Yanking back a handful of hair, she forced Annie to confront Braun's ruinous ascent from the blades."Enough... damn it, enough!" Y/N howled. Braun's intervention was swift—he shoved Y/N away and his arm snaked around Leonhart in a headlock."Reiner is gone," the bloodied warrior gasped, as silver-winged tuffs treaded above. "If you need Marcel, I'll be Marcel." Y/N watched, wiping red from her nose, as Bertold's voice reached her. "Stop, let her go." The pain of his soul spilled into their torturous waters, his skin cradling the salt rivulets."If we're going to make it back, this is our only hope..." Reiner's voice, strained as his grip, promised clemency through suffocation. "Once our mission is done, we can go home."  Annie's ragged breaths set the stage, while ominous shadows danced with the young warrior's psyches. The specter of their return loomed above like a gallery of unturned hourglasses.
If we are to survive, conflict is our only salvation.

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CH 5: Audiobook
 The female titan, a towering sentinel of flesh and bone, bore the warriors, each footfall echoing in the ruins. They had no leader to guide them, only Braun's insistent command echoing in their minds—to seize the founding titan and ensure their return home.Y/N and Reiner, bound by fate and fear, shared a precarious perch atop her broad right shoulder. Bertold, a silent shadow, clung to the left, his grip uncertain.In their wake, a horde of Pure Titans, drawn to the female Titan’s call, mindlessly trudged. The walls, those monolithic guardians of brimstone remnants, loomed on the horizon. Even at such a distance, they were a soaring border, casting the warriors as Icarian figures—youths with wings of white.Y/N cast a glance at Reiner. His face, still unhealed, was marred with dried blood. He dug his nails into one of the sinews on Annie’s shoulder, lip rigid in a pout and eyes glossy. Reaching into her rucksack, Y/N extracted some wipes, but as she drew closer he batted her hand away."I'm not a damn princess," Braun groaned, eyes rimmed with ocean salt. "It'll heal in time. For now, maybe worry about your own face."She recoiled, her abashed stare meeting his. A tentative hand to her nose and Y/N recalled Annie's fierce salvo. Reiner turned away, eyes trained on her as his eyebrows slunk downwards, perhaps regretting his tone–though, too stubborn for apologies. Red crusted around the contours of his face, a leaf sticking to his jawline. It was quite the violent sight made melancholy. I shouldn’t push him. She thought."I just thought you might find the dried blood irritating," Y/N murmured, using the cloth on herself.Reiner rolled his eyes, and held a hand out, awaiting the cloth. But Y/N refused, instead, she gently daubed at his wounds herself, his cheeks flourishing pink under her relentless care. Suddenly, the Female titan's stride waned, halting amidst the infinite lea. Her form collapsed into the grass, body peeling away into the aether, leaving the warriors adrift in vulnerability.Y/N scaled the fading giantess, her gaze locked on the nape while the distant growl of doom grew. "She's out!" She wept, knife a toothless dragon on the nape.Reiner's instincts kicked in as he faced the onslaught of Titans. His body ignited with a warrior's fury, transforming into the Armored. Seizing Annie from her Titan prison, he hoisted his comrades onto his vast shoulders and then darted to civilization.Y/N cradled Annie and watched as the Armored Titan’s palm met the grass. Bertold, hesitance etched into his every move, tread upon the verdure. He nearly fell on his bum trying to glimpse the wall's summit, his face scrunching as he held up the hand that he’d bitten so many times.Reiner rounded the district, reaching up to anchor his fingers at the bulwark’s crown.With a swift motion, Y/N lifted Annie to the rampart and sprang from Reiner's hand, pulling herself atop the stone. Turning back, she shared a knowing glance with the gold beast. With a resonant rumble, the Titan pivoted and made its way back to the gate.She was on her own now.She sauntered along the wall, her eyes fluttering from the bustling town below and the girl in her arms. The sounds of their voices made her sick, so she stared to the skies, where clouds swirled with unknown grace. 
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in…
She united with the nexus of the walls, glancing down the other side where land bloomed with ferns and boroughs.
Breathe out…
But she still couldn't escape. The children laughing, carriages stuttering, conversations carrying a thousand hopes.
They're not people, they're demons.
In an explosion, Skyfire erupted from celestial arcs, and the Colossal's shadow spilled over the city's once steadfast gate. Dire skull sinewed; red and bisque, eyes carved deep enough to meet vesper's edge—rows of teeth a grim horizon.With a deafening kick, the door buckled, sending stone shrapnel through the air. Civilians, once mere specks below, recoiled in terror, their screams weaving an arras of divine rule, as the gate's remnants crumbled like the dreams they once sheltered. Through the fissure, Titans marched.Y/N's heart pulsed in sync with a Titan's ascent up a nearby tower. Eyes devoid of life yet piercing hers, the beast's drool wove silver webs in the crevices of its grin.What do I do?  She trembled, shoe kicking a pebble over the ridge.Just as it made its desperate lunge, Y/N, threw herself into the untouched inner wall, the Punisher emerging amidst thunder's kiss. Towering like a dark deity, she wore a cloak of smoke and embers, the night sky her backdrop.She hunched over menacingly, cocking her head in the direction of the titan, poised for battle–but the illustration was dire. Annie was sandwiched between its teeth. The Punisher cried loud, vocal cords tearing away as she clamped onto the beast and tore away its jaw. And with a grotesque yawn, she captured Annie on her tongue, flinging the titan's carcass beyond city walls.Her form stood rigid, titanic ribs swelling as she caught her breath, respite short-lived as she turned. Her silver gaze swept over the forest-cradled town, its denizen's cries mingling with the twilight. Her looming silhouette cut against the teal sky and nightfall spilled over the graze.The Punisher was swift, her fingers crescents that tore into the earth, crafting an underpass that hugged her ample skeleton. She coursed beneath the surface with the grace of a silent predator, attuned to the vibrations above. A sonorous path to the point of discharge guided.Her emergence was cataclysmic, the town's cobblestone crust rupturing under her vim. A woman's lament tore through the explosion, her children's red daubs below the debris.As the Titan's form waned, Y/N arose from the furling haze, clasping Annie to her breast and weaving through the muss.The townsfolk, once statues in their dread, now surged like a storm-tossed sea at the sight of the Punisher's emergence. Y/N's eyes, sharp as the claws she wielded, spotted a vessel that led deeper into the walls.Yet, in her stride towards salvation, a strong hand grappled her bicep. Looking up, she met the eyes of an old man, whose face held the bane of unmatched disgust."It was you," he muttered.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"It was you," The old man muttered, fingernails piercing her wrist.
He looks at me with anger... But I see fear too.
"Let go!" Y/N writhed in his grip, Annie's safety hanging by a thread."You brought this hell!"A loud crash interrupted the scene as a broad Titan, adorned in saffron platings over ruby hide, rammed through the second gate, shattering their mightiest barrier. The beast's sallow eyes barred out the waking nightmare.
Reiner.
A chunk from the explosion hurtled toward the crowd, and Y/N shielded Annie, bracing for impact. It smeared the demons into the cobblestone-like red chalk, finally halting mere inches from her face.The man cried from below, his ribs dust beneath the boulder, bloodied fingertips urging help.But she could only stare, her world rocking in and out of focus. It was quieter now, the death of the crowd wringing in violent cries of crushed corpses.Heart kickstarted, she made a beeline for the boats with Annie. But fate had the old man's grip clip her wings, toppling her to the ground."Child, stay. Mercy, stay!"  His plea came muffled through his beard as he tugged her closer. Even if she wanted to save him she couldn’t, he was already dead–a desert on hold.Desperate to escape, Y/N thrashed about, driving the sole of her boot into the man's lip."Get the hell off me!" Her voice, firm and resolute, cut through the chaos as she pulled Annie toward the vessel, leaving behind the fading echoes of a life slipping away.Reaching the head of the crowd, she was met by an Eldian soldier rowing back desperate men. Seeing Y/N, his chest swelled like a tide, especially upon noticing her companion."Pass," he whispered. Y/N, with weathered grace, stepped across the threshold of salvation.Sandwiched between two families, Y/N arranged Annie so her head was cradled in the nook of her shoulder."Is your face alright, dear?" Asked the middle-aged woman shouldering haunting porcelain skin and cocoa locks. Y/N glanced up, hesitating before touching her skin.She brushed her fingers over a cheek, tracing the residual warmth of her titan marks."I'm fine... Just a few scratches." Her response came with a wistful smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.Feeling as if her very flesh dissolved under their gaze, Y/N withdrew into her hood's shadow and turned to Leonhart, who rested soundly; a tear creeping down her cheek.The vessel's erratic lurch tore screams from those left behind. Desperate souls hurled themselves toward the craft, but many met a watery end. Each rock of the boat omened a man's last-ditch effort—they clawed against the abyss but knew they'd have to give up their ghost.Upon reaching the dock within the deeper wall, refugees stumbled from the craft. Trauma gagged in their throats, pupils huge with the void. Y/N, cradling Leonhart, was shepherded by a stern-faced soldier to a sanctuary for lost children. She stepped inside and gently laid Annie on an umber pad, exhaustion weighing heavy as she collapsed beside her. She gazed at the rafters on the ceiling, contemplating it all.
I just watched thousands die. 
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned to face Annie who’s pale skin was painted in serenity, a blonde lock laying across her face. She touched her hand gently, hoping to soak up some of her tranquility–but to no avail.So she turned on her side, clutching in her legs until her heart slowed and her eyelids lowered.The air was thick with the sickened melody of children's cries, whispered prayers, and desperate calls from those seeking the warmth of familiar faces. In the distance, makeshift cooking stations sizzled with vegetables and meat, providing for the displaced citizens. Yet, whenever a dish was ready, a scramble ensued as the animals fought to claim a plate.A tremored pat on Y/N's shoulder prompted her awake.There sat Bertold, positioned between her and Annie. She sat up abruptly, exchanging glances with the boys, each displaying contrasting expressions. Uncertainty and fear were etched onto Bertold's face, while Reiner exuded confidence and adrenaline. Reiner settled beside Y/N, his hand finding its place on her shoulder."The demons are going to pay," he whispered, the chilling words tightened a barbed wire around her throat. In that charged silence, reality struck. They were ensnared, enemies at every turn. Marcel's absence hung heavy, yet their journey pressed onward. Under Reiner's iron resolve, retreat lost its meaning. Y/N's faith flickered in the face of their daunting quest. Walls breached, districts isolated—no way but forward.The Marleyan warriors discovered an unlikely refuge among orphaned children. Within this modest haven, they masqueraded as callow adolescents, and for a moment... life seemed ordinary. Together, they occupied shared quarters, carried out chores, and gathered nightly for sparse suppers, offering prayers to the indifferent walls that caged them.Annie Leonhart, a solitary figure among the orphans, often vanished under the guise of reconnaissance. Y/N harbored initial doubts about Annie's true intentions, but upon witnessing her earnest quest for knowledge, decided to join her on clandestine forays.The sprawling streets of the royal capital, Sina, were lined with lavish houses and grand structures, a stark contrast to the simple lives of those outside its walls. Under the cloak of night, Annie and Y/N discovered that the true power didn't lie with the puppet King Fritz, but with the royal family that manipulated the strings from behind the curtain.While the girls were out gathering intelligence, Reiner and Bertold often found themselves debating their next moves.Reiner, having adopted the leadership role amongst the warriors, was more decisive than ever. "We've trained for this," he would say. "Our best chance is from within. We need to be closer to the heart of their operations."One evening, when Annie and Y/N returned from one of their intel-gathering missions, Reiner laid out his plan. "We enroll in the Military Police," he said, determination evident in his voice. "It's the fastest route to the interior. From there, we get access to the real royalty and, hopefully, the Founding Titan."Y/N wasn't immediately sold on the idea. The risks were high, and the thought of getting caught weighed heavily on her mind. But Bertold, usually the voice of reason, seemed to agree with Reiner."It's our best shot," he said softly, casting a glance at Y/N and Annie.Annie simply nodded, her stoic expression unchanged. However, there was a flicker in her eyes—a sign that she was willing to go to any lengths for their cause and her return home.And so, the decision was made. The four of them, warriors from Marley, would don the uniforms of their enemies and infiltrate their ranks, all in pursuit of a mission that grew more convoluted and perilous with each passing day.Two years after the breach of Wall Maria, the fateful day arrived when the warriors would enlist in the military.Claire Huber, their foster mother, each pecked the children's foreheads, ruffling Bertold's and Annie's manes. "You'll do amazingly," She murmured, her gaze soft as she looked at Y/N and Reiner.Bertold, making an effort to keep an apathetic guise, felt carmine rise to his cheeks. "Thank you, ma'am," he murmured.Her eyes settled on Annie and Y/N, amazement evident in her gaze at how much they had transformed over the years. With misty eyes, she pulled the two into a deep embrace, "Oh, Annie, Y/N, how my heart will ache without your presence! Promise you'll come back to visit?"Y/N, ever the openhearted one, returned the cuddle, gently patting Clarie's back. "Of course, we'll visit," she promised.Annie shot Clarie the stink eye, attempting to wriggle free from the overly tight embrace. Reiner chuckled, cupping his chin as he watched Huber blitz Leonhart with smooches."Oh, Annie, such a feisty one! I'll miss your spirit the most," she cooed, finally releasing the lass.Annie straightened herself out, her cheeks a blooming rose. "Can you not do that in front of everyone? It's embarrassing," she grumbled.Reiner winked at her. "Oh, come on, Annie. It's just a bit of motherly love. You might actually miss it one day."Y/N chortled, poking fun at the scene. "Annie, did you just blush? I need to mark this day on the calendar."Bertold, attempting to divert the attention from Annie, stepped forward. "Ms. Huber, could I... perhaps get a hug too?"Claire laughed heartily, her arms wide open. "Of course, sweet Bertold. But be prepared, it's a hug with all the love and strength I can muster!"Reiner leaned over to Annie and Y/N, whispering, "He's just trying to save you, Annie. Taking one for the team."Annie rolled her eyes, but a small smile slinked onto her face, delighting in the frivolity of the moment. The three children watched in awe as Hoover was attacked with loving kisses, his cheeks ablaze and eyes flushed with tears.After saying goodbye to Clarie, they made their way to the Training Corps. And there, they faced the rite of passage under the commandant's scrutiny alongside other military recruits. Commandant Keith Shadis approached Y/N, his face contorted with contempt as he spat out his words."Why has a weak maggot like you joined our ranks?" Shadis hurled his insult at Y/N. The sting of his words was palpable, but Y/N knew that only rigid determination would see her through. With a steely resolve, she returned his gaze, "To avenge my mother and serve humanity!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After Shadis's crucible, a parade of souls retreated to the sanctuary of stone walls. Yet, amidst the green flock, a few stood resolute, their spines rigid with resolve and glory.No longer Marley warriors but now Eldian infantry, the four teenagers had to blend seamlessly into the background, becoming unassuming characters in this foreign world.As daylight began to wane below the horizon, the cadets found their way to the mess hall, embracing the meager rations and forging new relations. Y/N carried her platter of hot soup and bread, settling in a secluded corner away from the others. The other renegades joined the stream of eager recruits, merging with the crowd hungry for sustenance. Opposite Y/N, a crewcut silhouette propped his head on his hand, eyeing the whirlwind of activity.Y/N stirred her stew listlessly, her attention soon seized by a stranger settling in the adjacent seat—a lad with strands of caramel cascading to his shoulders and vast seas nestling in his cerulean gaze."Hey, mind if I sit here?" The boy asked, placing his supper next to hers. The twisting spine of the wax flame bronzed his features.Y/N shook her head, as a fine girl with raven tresses and a determined brunette trailed behind him. "Go ahead," She answered, packing her jaw with hot spud."I'm Armin," The blonde said, sending a cordial handshake her way. There was a great sense of intellect behind his blue eyes, something Y/N had been trained to sniff out in her years as a warrior candidate."Y/N." She countered, handshake robust but friendly.Armin gestured to his companions, "This is Mikasa," The girl with raven hair nodded, a pair of eyes that took in everything around her with a calm intensity, "And Eren." He indicated towards the brunette who bore a fiery stubbornness in his gaze.Eren extended his hand over Mikasa and Armin, uniting with Y/N's in a friendly salutation. "Eren Yeager. It's nice to meet you, Y/N."
Where have I heard that name before?
Mikasa gave a courteous nod, her eyes assessing Y/N for a beat longer than felt comfortable. "Hello.""It's nice to meet you all," Y/N beamed at the trio, her gaze collared by her reflection rippling in the steaming broth. "First day's a bit tense, isn't it?"Eren's eyes were like nacreous clouds lifted by dead eggs in moonshine. "Yeah, it's a harsh introduction to what we're truly up against. I still remember the day the Colossal Titan breached the wall at Shiganshina."The table fell into a somber hush, the ail of his words lynched in the air. Mikasa's hand found its way to Eren's shoulder, a silent gesture of support that spoke volumes of their bond. "We all have our reasons for fighting," Her watch was honed by nightmare damage; a javelin that pierced Y/N's plastic skin."You were in Shiganshina during the breach?" Y/N questioned, her voice quailing ever so slightly. As the talk in the mess hall dimmed, Y/N sensed the curiosity of others. "I'm so sorry," she murmured."It's not about the past," Eren stated firmly, seizing Y/N's attention with his fierce gaze. "I vow to obliterate every Titan and bring an end to this nightmare." His declaration reverberated, drawing hushed murmurs from the surrounding tables. A bead of unease trickled down Y/N's temple, her gaze flitting to Bertold and Reiner, whose expressions paralleled her dread.Coaxing thunderheads into soft petals, Y/N extended her hand. "We're in this fight together," she said, rolling her wrist and presenting her uneaten loaf. Yeager's eyes widened, arresting ashes behind a warm smile."Thank you, Y/N," he spoke, placing the token beside his meal. "I'm glad I've found someone who's as dedicated to humanity as I am." Within the low hum of conversations filling the refectory, Y/N and Eren shared a pulse as fierce as the fall of a Titan's sole.But this moment was broken when the crewcut recruit across the table abruptly stood, haste flashing in his eyes. "You... you've seen the Colossal Titan?" The trepidation in his voice was palpable.Eren hesitated, his gaze distant as if the mere mention of the titan dragged him back to that fateful day. "Yes," he finally said. "It was a sight I'd never forget. A monstrosity towering above everything, casting a shadow of terror on all of Shiganshina."As the essence of Eren's words hovered, Y/N, moved by a silent alarm, rose abruptly, her movement drawing the battalion's gaze like a beacon."Is everything alright, Y/N?" Armin inquired gently, his azure eyes reflecting her untouched dish.She dipped her head, though her pupils tunneled to a hale furor. "Hearing about the breach... It's a bit much for me," she said, the fib slipping quickly from her lips.She slid her tray toward Armin, putting forward a faint grin. "I think I'll head to the cabins early," she murmured, and without lingering for a response, Y/N quickly made her exit, leaving behind a riveted audience awaiting Eren's tale of the Colossal Titan's siege.Upon reaching her assigned cabin, she melted into the bench's grizzled timber, cementing her heels under the wooden eave. The austere dirt path cut a line down the center of the two rows where dozens of fresh-faced soldiers bunked.She drew in the grove's breeze, the leaves gentle susurrus hugging the barracks' edge while a cadet's rhythmic exhales peppered the stillness, her footfalls a persistent echo fading to and from Y/N's cabin.Her gaze settled on Sasha Braus, condemned to a marathon of penance—five hours under afternoon's glimmer for the stolen potato consumed during the solemnity of Commander Shadis's initiation.Y/N chortled to herself, reminiscing about how the recruit even offered the Commandant a mere sliver of the potato to be spared from his scrutiny."Hey, Y/N." The crewcut boy shattered the comfortable quell of the afternoon, stepping up the creaky verandah. "I overheard you earlier with Armin and his friends... Name's Conny, Conny Springer. I used to live in Ragako, a small town inside Wall Rose." He claimed a seat beside her, his eyes adrift in the crawling soot that looked up to few trees."It's great to meet you, Conny," Y/N responded–a diplomat's greeting, looking his way only to find him retaining a guilty scowl."I'm really sorry for asking Eren more about the Colossal Titan." Conny muttered, his eyes finding Y/N's "I guess I'm a bit of a dumbass for not thinking about the fresh wounds that still lingered after the breach..." Y/N, though leery, smiled at the hospitality."Don't worry about it," She grinned, watching as the cadets from the mess hall began to branch out to their respective quarters. "Sometimes conversation with people you can empathize with is the best medicine." Conny nodded, watching as a recruit with a short taupe undercut scaled the steps."Hey Jean," Springer greeted."Hey Conny, and..." Jean gazed down at Y/N, her name escaping his memory. The brunette's face was sharp and long, refined with a set of searing chestnut eyes."Y/N." She huffed softly, completing his sentence. Conny and Y/N unwound on the lumber, Jean slumping in next to them.Jean, wrapped in casual repose, quips with a tease that flirts with the sublime. "Ahh," He paused, "She's still at it? That potato must've given her superpowers." Jean remarked, eyes on the tired girl with a ponytail of warm cocoa tresses.A flutter of anxiety passed over Y/N as she spotted two familiar figures heading their way. Following Eren and Mikasa were none other than Braun and Hoover. She lowered her gaze, suddenly finding her dusted boots fascinating. As they ascended, their glances fell upon the ensemble. Y/N evaded their eyes, opting instead to fill the atmosphere with prayer as the quartet passed into the cabin.Conny, ever the playful instigator, flashed a mischievous grin. "Hey, Y/N, did you notice that blonde guy was staring at you pretty intensely?" His hand theatrically cupped his chin, earning a surprised reaction from Y/N that nearly resulted in a choked laugh."Really? I barely noticed," she managed to say, a brew of mirth and mortification coloring her cheeks.Jean leaned forward with an exaggerated whisper, "I think 'blondie' might have taken an interest in you." Y/N, chuckling, covered her face and batted at Jean's merrymaking."Shut it horse-face, you're going to make him hear." She jested, standing to stretch. But as she stood, a distinct and unmistakable sound echoed through the quiet afternoon. Everyone froze, eyes wide as they glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source.Conny's accusing finger shot out, cheeks flaming. "Y/N! I can't believe you'd do that!"Y/N's mouth dropped open, both shocked and confused. "Conny! Seriously? Blaming me? We just met!"Jean was trying, and failing, to suppress his laughter. "Oh, this day just keeps getting better!"Fighting back tears of amusement Y/N quipped "Oh my god I need to evacuate," almost falling into the room of the cabin from her laughter. Looking up at the quiet cadets that settled into their beds, their faces alight with smiles, having overheard the hilarity through the walls.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As the sun took a graceful bow behind the horizon, the sky was illuminated with a brilliant collage of flashing buds. The recruits, settling down for the night, filled the room with the gentle hum of conversation.Y/N, propped against the wall on her cot, shared lighthearted stories with Conny, who was stationed on the bunk next to her, directly over Reiner Braun. Amidst their chatter, Braun's thoughts seemed miles away as he lay on his back, absent eyes tracing the wooden planks of the underside of Conny's mattress.Breaking the rhythm of their exchange, Conny's voice took on a more inquisitive tone. "Where's home for you, Y/N?"Her internal gears whirred as Y/N sought an answer that balanced honesty and restraint.  "Shiganshina," she murmured, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on her bedding. Eren, attuned to the undertones, flicked his gaze her way, the gravity of her utterance anchoring silently in his grasp.Mikasa took a seat next to Eren on his bed, having overheard Y/N's hushed words. "Did you know about this?" she asked. Eren shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on the cadet who absently chattered."She never mentioned it to me," he mused."Aw shit," Conny muttered, his hand dramatically sliding down his cheek, causing his eye to droop in inflated sympathy. "Now I'm a major asshole." Y/N chuckled lightly, reassuring him with a shake of her head and a gentle, "Don't worry about it."Conny gave her a sleepy grin, "Got any personal reasons pushing you into the soldier's life? Someone you're fighting for?"Memories of Maeve whisked across Y/N's mind, "I wear this uniform to honor my mother," she replied softly, her fingers subconsciously rumpling the collar of her shirt. "I want her sacrifice to resonate."Conny shared a silent nod with Y/N before his eyes drifted to Reiner, who seemed lost in his own world. "What's your story, blondie? Any special reason you're joining the ranks?" Reiner's copper eyes snapped upwards, locking onto Conny.The room seemed to still at his recognition and all Y/N could hear was her breathing and the distant chirp of the grove cicadas.He swung around, letting his feet dangle off the side of the bed. In the crossfire of gazes between Y/N and himself, damming truths clashed like steel on steel. His sandy blonde hair was ruffled from a day's worth of summer sweat and wind, his prominent brow bones always giving his expression an edge.Stepping closer, he sat on the comforter next to her, the mattress sinking slightly under his sturdy frame. "Obviously, avenging my family against those Titans is a big reason. But..." He wavered for a brief second staring Y/N dead in the eye, then draped his muscular arm around her shoulder, "There's also someone special I have in mind." She gave the blonde a dazed look but his eyes dared her to play along with it.
What's he playing at? This is dangerous.
Conny's eyebrows jumped in surprise. "Well, well, Y/N! Keeping secrets?"The air in the room thinned with the unexpected revelation, and Y/N's gut jousted against a blossoming thrill. Reiner's earthy scent and the heat of his broad arm around her were both comforting and startling, as the two had never shared such proximity.Jean, eyes wide with surprise, added, "I didn't see that one coming. The scene from earlier isn't all too surprising huh Y/N?" The brunette shot her a snarky smirk from his bed.Y/N, shy of prying eyes, spoke, "Well, life within the walls is full of surprises. Right, Reiner?"Reiner, smirking, nodded, "Absolutely. We all have our secrets, don't we?" The deep timbre of his voice trailed sparks of warmth across Y/N's skin. She cast a speculative look towards Bertold Hoover, who met her wonder with an expression twisted in dread from beneath his bedsheets.Eager to pacify spinning nerves, Y/N stretched her arms towards the ceiling, feigning a yawn. "It's been a long day. I should get to bed," she said with a note of finality.Braun nodded in agreement, retreating to his bunk and nestling under his muted yellow comforter. Y/N observed him momentarily, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts about his mysterious intentions and the masquerade of a relationship they had just played. With a flicker of the lights, the room was enveloped in darkness. One by one, the cadets whispered their goodnights, each surrendering to the embrace of slumber, their dreams filled with hopes, ambitions, and a fervent desire for a brighter tomorrow.Through the veil of deepest night, a mist shredded dream into waking world, pinning Y/N in its threads. Imprisoned in cemented flesh, all she could muster was to prop her heavy eyes open. The periphery of her vision became her only window; slivers of moon spilled through over her fellow cadets, wrapped in their covers, sound asleep.A body emerged from the cabin's wooden bones, sauntering between the rows of slumbering ranks towards her. Its graying skin frayed off, bending the very air around it as it took yawning steps.The apparition lingered by her cot, assuming a posture of inquiry before weaving into her essence. As it melded with her, a symphony of past conversations inundated her mind—each syllable a lost shard of a soul.Suddenly, Y/N lurched forward, her lungs gasping for air as she emerged from the nightmare. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her hands clawed at the air, attempting to fend off the phantom menace. But all she grasped was emptiness.The delicate glow of the morning streamed in through the cabin's windows, revealing a concerned Conny by her side, his forehead wrinkled in worry."Breakfast is being served... Bad dream, Y/N?" He extended a cool canteen towards her. She hesitated for a moment, then accepted it with a trembling hand, taking a long, steadying gulp."Yeah..." She whispered, her voice carrying a faraway tone. As she spoke, she caught a fleeting glimpse of her reflection, rippling in the water's depths. Soon, she found herself seated in the bustling mess hall. Drowsiness clouded her eyes as she picked at the bland meal in front of her. Around her, familiar faces settled into their usual spots. Armin took a seat beside her, Conny opposite, and Sasha, Aka: potato girl, to his right. As Y/N's consciousness flirted with oblivion, Armin's gentle shoulder nudge roused her."Didn't get much sleep?" Came his query, steeped in a chrysalis of blue congeniality.
Is it that obvious?
"Not exactly," she began, offering the blonde a soft smile. "Nightmares kept me company." Armin, ever the gentlemanly soldier, nudged a steaming mug towards her."I mistook this for tea. Turns out it's coffee," he said with a self-deprecating grin. "You might need it more than I do."Gratitude filled Y/N's gaze as she wrapped her fingers around the consoling warmth of the mug, letting the rich aroma of the brew envelop her. "Thanks, Armin. I didn't even know they served Joe to the cadets." She took a wary gulp, an unexpected vanilla mite blessing her tongue.The buzz from the caffeinated drink invigorated Y/N, her previous fatigue lifting as her eyes sparkled with alertness. She conversed animatedly with those at her table, her voice threading effortlessly into the breakfast din. Among her cohort, she engaged Marco Bodt, whose affable nature was rivaled only by the constellation of freckles spattered across his cheeks and the obsidian strands that crowned his head.From his pocket, Bodt retrieved a folded paper, gently unfurling it for Y/N to see. It revealed a captivating painting of two children, one giving the other a piggyback ride. A younger Marco, with a softer face, carried a young girl whose umber eyes and freckled face were framed by long brunette tresses."That's me and my sister," He beamed, smoothing down the parchment. Y/N's eyes locked onto the painting, and her heart ached at the sight of the callow children in the portrait. She gently traced a finger over the silhouette of the siblings, a wistful grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "You two look so happy," she murmured, voice tinged with nostalgia. "What's her name?"Marco's eyes softened as he spoke, lost in the memories of a time that felt distant yet ever so precious. "Her name is Rosa. She's my everything, Y/N. Maybe one day you'll get to meet her."Before her lay a masterpiece of artistic prowess, where every brushstroke told a tale, from the intricately painted strands of hair to the pronounced dark mole beneath Marco's right eye, the artist immortalized a moment in time. At a cursory glance, Y/N might've mistaken it for a photograph, but she knew that wasn't possible—Inside the walls, the concept of such technology remained an enigma."I can't wait," She whispered, "Marco, this painting is beautiful. Who did it?" Marco nodded towards Jean Kirstein, who was engrossed in his tea nearby."Jean, this is your work?" At the unexpected attention, Jean nearly choked on his drink, replying in a flustered manner."Yeah, yeah, don't sound so surprised," Kirstein shot back defensively, wiping a droplet of tea from his lips. "Not all of us were busy just being pretty faces in this place."Marco rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Don't let him fool you, Y/N. Jean's been painting since we were kids. It's one of his few hidden talents.""Hidden talent, huh? I'm impressed, Jean." Y/N raised an eyebrow in amusement.Jean shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but the tips of his ears reddened. "Maybe one day I'll paint something for you too, if you promise not to laugh."Marco nudged him playfully. "Oh, so now you're offering portraits? Fancy."Jean just huffed, pretending to be exasperated. "Only for friends," he retorted, shooting Marco a playful glare.In the middle of their conversation, a petite yet resolute figure briskly sped past Y/N's table. As Y/N took a sip of her coffee, the soldier's elbow bunted with the back of her head, causing her to splutter her espresso. Regaining composure, Y/N looked up to meet the frostbite of Annie Leonhart. Annie's face wore a veil of sickened disdain, but it hinted at an unspoken message, one between traitors."Watch yourself, Annie," Y/N murmured, massaging the spot where the blow landed. Without missing a beat, Annie pivoted and whispered, "Sorry."As the last echoes of the morning meal faded, the recruits emerged to be swaddled by the crisp embrace of dawn's breath. In dozens, their silhouettes etched five unblemished lines against the barracks. Commandant Shadis, a figure of stern authority, addressed them, announcing the day's itinerary.Today's exercise blind-sighted many: close-quarter duels. Muttered discontent rippled through the ranks, However, the uprising found its abrupt end in Shadis' proclamation: "Titans aren't the only threat; sometimes, our very own can be just as dangerous." The moles felt the scorching flare of judgment, exposed as bloodstained palms against a mural of grey nihilism only meant for their eyes.The commandant's final dictum scattered them like dandelion seeds—combat boots showering haze on snoots and brows. As the soldiers bayed for combat mates, a singular voice rents the air, summoning Y/N from the battalion.Catching the wooden blade Jean Kirstein lobbed her way, Y/N raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really, Jean?""Think you can take me on?" The twist of his lips and crescent gold eyes seemed disingenuous."Sure," she answered, her assent as sharp as a duel's starting bell. Together, they sailed into the arena's earthen stage, dancing a prelude to the conflict set by their mirrored footsteps and gazes, each one measuring the other's slightest pivots.As the rhythm of their bout started to build, Kirstein's demeanor shifted. Like a coin revealing its hidden face, a previously unseen aspect of his character emerged. He narrowed his eyes and spoke, his voice tainted with a cutting edge, "You know, for someone who seems to think they're fitting in so well, you come off more as an outsider than a soldier."She deftly parried Jean's wooden blade, a whisper away from her neck. A resounding clash echoed as force met resistance, their conflict hovering in a fragile deadlock. "And you look like more of a talker, than a fighter," her voice danced mockingly in the void between them. Exerting strength, she compelled his knife to yield, reading bewilderment in his dilation. They resumed their orbit, his demeanor tinged with indignation."Perhaps," he responded tersely, voice carrying a weight of grievance. "At least I can say I belong here," A tactical falling back on practiced technique betrayed deeper aspirations cut from the same cloth as Tarquin; he toppled Y/N's stance, dagger arching close to her gaze."You aren't special just because you were at the breach in Shiganshina," Kirstein huffed, You're no different, just one more headstrong idiot charging into battle with an inflated ego." Their prior banter peeled swiftly from his mien, betraying a creature estranged.His barbed remarks found their mark. Hurt and anger flashed across Y/N's face, gone as swiftly as it came. With viper-like speed, she brought the toe of her boot up into his crotch, earning a strained groan as he crumpled to the ground.Jean rolled onto his side, face contorted in pain. Her victory stripped him raw; laid upon the ground, the bite of defeat pressing wood into his Adam's apple."Look where talking's gotten you, Jean," Y/N smirked, her voice cold, the point of the lumber edge pressing just enough to make the soldier fully aware of his vulnerable position."You think one victory makes you invincible?" he spat, an ember thinking himself a flame.Y/N's rejoinder came as a serpent's lullaby, "No, but it's a start." She blossomed to her feet, casting a lingering stare upon Jean whose face bore the stain of embarrassment. Tossing the wooden blade onto his chest, she added a final touch, kicking a cloud of dirt onto his shirt, prompting him to shield his face from the choking haze.As Y/N turned away, she could feel Jean's gaze boring into her back. "Don't even think about challenging me to another duel," she spat back over her shoulder, her words sharp with tenacious will. She strode purposefully toward the sidelines of the faux battles, needing to collect herself away from prying eyes.The dusty clamor of the practice field enveloped Y/N, yet for a fleeting moment, she felt entirely isolated, trapped within a whirlpool of her thoughts. Jean's unexpected words echoed in her mind, casting ripples of doubt and uncertainty through her usually steadfast confidence. Had they been nothing more than a tactic, a desperate ploy to destabilize her? Or did they bear a hidden truth she hadn't been willing to confront?It was amid these crossroads Reiner Braun loomed—a tower adorned with a grin. His spirit appeared out of place in the intense atmosphere, contrasting bluntly with the faux blade he held out to her.Caught slightly off-guard by his challenge, Y/N hesitated. Gathering her composure, she took a deep breath and grabbed the wooden knife—head nodding under resolves iron yolk. "Okay."Y/N paced by Braun, her thoughts swept into a hurricane's eye; the sidelong glances offered few clues to the essence of their false romance. Was their relationship just a ruse for the Warrior's mission? These thoughts briefly distracted her, but the reality of their mock battle quickly snapped her back into focus, facing the soldier whose true motives were an enigma.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Y/N twirled the blade, her gaze fixed on Reiner as they orbited each other. Her realization dawned; under these skies, within these walls, he had shed his old skin, donning the steel gauntlets of a lost leader's will.
 
Switching her grip on the dagger, Y/N lunged with a reverse hold, aiming for Braun's heart. However, her attack was swiftly thwarted by a flick of his hand. In a fluid motion, he seized Y/N's wrist, disarming her of the lumber blade. Both mock weapons were promptly discarded to the earth. Dumbstruck, she reeled back, stupor swift to paint over with stripes of resolve as her fists rose for a traditional confrontation.

How did he improve so much?

With barely contained fury, Y/N hurled her fist toward Reiner's throat—a missile fueled by bottled vexation. But his evasion was vapor parting before the wind: a deft side-step and a huff of glory. The strike met only space, its momentum dissipating into the ether. Yet the rage simmered still in Y/N's veins, a molten flow searching for release as she rolled her neck. Like a lethal dance, they continued their cautious circling, both soldiers locked in an unspoken battle of wits and instincts.
 
Reiner, adorned with a diadem of pride, dealt an uppercut to Y/N's jaw, an act that would have been infuriating if not for her perseverance. Unfazed, she snapped back into position, punctuating her comeback with a yawn of exaggerated indifference. 
 
Seizing upon Braun's finite finesse—Y/N delivered a soaring roundhouse so high it cleaved near-celestial arcs. The blow tore through his skull, disrupting his equilibrium, though the Jester's dance upon his lips refused to surrender.
 
As the slugfest waned to fatigue, each of their strikes slowed, diluting raw might to the strain of muscles in the scorching sun. Ragged breaths hung in the air; Y/N's elysian grind mirrored as flawlessly in Reiner's bearing as Ymir did in their beads of sweat.
 
Hands clasped— demeanor silent yet screaming of a mental tug-of-war.
 
"If I manage... to push you out of this circle... I win," intoned Reiner, his voice hewed by exertion's razors. Following the line of his gaze, Y/N's eyes dropped to the worn loam beneath them. There lay the history of their match, footsteps carving a jagged circle in the earth.
 
Reiner, though given a physical advantage found his match against Y/N, who sweetened the deal with her thirst for competition. Their skin bore the sheen of exertion, veins dilated. Lifting her head with some effort, Y/N fixed Reiner with a searching look, noting the deep lines of focus etched into his brow.
 
"About last night... What was that all about?" Y/N questioned. The mere mention tipped Reiner's stance.
 
"What about last night?" He countered, shoving against the plinth of her strength.
 
"'Someone special I have in mind,'" Y/N recalled his words, the underlying question about their fabricated affair evident in her tone.
 
Braun's lips quivered, as breaths came labored. "I didn't want to find an excuse to talk to you," he admitted, the gravity of his words nudging him backward. 
 
"So, what's next? Are you going to claim you're dating Bertold as well?" Y/N quipped. Grating his teeth, Reiner narrowed his caramel moons—creasing brows. Both tiptoed around the pale ghost of Annie, whose absence cast deeper shadows than silence.
 
"It's different," He snapped, losing more ground. She glanced over his shoulder, aware his next misstep would cost him the match.
 
"Couldn't have come up with a more creative excuse?" Her smirk was grizzled armor hiding grease.
 
Braun's ambush caught her flat-footed—suddenly his arm coiled around her shoulder and another clasped her waist, and with an explosion of strength, he slammed her into the ground's embrace.
 
Upon impact, she fell into herself, sinking into breathing cotton beds. Through windows of candied orchids, she impatiently pored over ancient scripts containing forbidden knowledge—the intricate secrets of harvesting spinal fluid, a method to bestow the bane of titans while avoiding death's arrival.
 
As quickly as the wisp appeared, it vanished. Y/N's vision was a metronome of tender sun and a nihility's kind but possessive touch. Through the haze, she made out Reiner's retreating form, his figure distorted and upside-down from her vantage point. But before she could cry out, those warm powdered fingers pulled her to oblivion once more.
 
What was that?
 
Blasted by an unforgiving chill, she was startled into an upright stance, Arctic rivulets painting down her face. Blinking away water as her world stuttered back into focus, the silhouettes of Jean and Marco stood lurid in butterscotch twilight.
 
"Jean, why did you do that!?" Marco shouted, snatching the now-empty pail from Kirstein's grasp. "We could've just shaken her."
 
Jean scoffed, undeterred by Marco's reproach and Y/N's daggers. "You seriously believe a gentle nudge would wake Y/N from sleep?" He grinned at the sodden figure below him. "She sleeps more soundly than a boulder. Plus, we've got to get back to the cabins before they're locked—I prefer a bed over dirt."
 
Whirling on his heel, Jean departed, leaving Y/N and Marco behind in spiraling grit. With Marco's support, Y/N regained her footing, her glare locked onto Kirstein's retreating shadow. 
 
Without a modest bone in his body, he swaggered away, rocking svelte shoulders. In a flash of scorn, Y/N snatched the bucket from Marco's grasp and hurled it—it struck true, the back of Jean's head the unwitting bulls-eye. 
 
"Are you serious?!" Jean spat, his hand cradling the fresh bruise.
 
"Your insults — earlier, why?" Y/N's stride spit out sparks, and she arrived nose-to-nose with Kirstein. 
 
Averting his gaze, a blush betrayed his skin. Y/N wrapped her arms like vines, Marco mirrored, resembling a guardian awaiting an overdue explanation.
 
"Why should I justify myself to you?" Jean muttered. Marco's silent, yet disapproving presence acted as another nudge, prompting Jean further. With a hopeless glance at Marco—and an exhale as tight as a coiled spring—he tented his fingers along his forehead. "Could you just keep what I'm about to say to yourselves?"
 
She dipped her head slowly. "Go on."
 
He took a deep breath, a mix of reluctance and resignation evident in his demeanor. "I was... trying to get Mikasa's attention."
 
Silence swelled among the soldiers.
 
"Let me get this straight. Your grand plan to impress Mikasa was by undermining me?" Y/N's face was a twist of salt and levity. Cornered, Jean could only offer a nod; cherry-daubed cheeks.
 
She quirked an eyebrow, her playful menace crystal. "Considering I've already delivered a swift kick to your pride and... other parts earlier, I'll let you off the hook this time." A brief sidelong glance was shared with Marco, her unspoken ally in this exchange before her focus returned to Kirstein. "So, just to clarify, those derogatory remarks were all an act?"
 
Jean's sneer remerged, a cat with cream. "Oh, absolutely! Didn't think you'd take them to heart! Was my performance that convincing? Little Y/N's feelings hurt?"
 
Y/N's patience snapped like a brittle twig, and with deft retribution, her foot found its mark once more—watching with no small satisfaction as he doubled over in pain. Bidding Marco a curt "goodnight," she began the trek back to her quarters.
 
Welcoming the night's blanket, Marco's words traveled back to her—an iridescent coda. "You had that coming, Jean."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The glow from Y/N's cabin beckoned her, the silhouettes of soldiers dancing like spry skeletons in the panes. But before her soles met the stairs, a soprano call emerged from the darkness in the shape of a dainty lass balancing supper on a dish.
 
A breath to ground herself, she lifted her eyes burdened with worry. "I heard about your fainting spell earlier," she blurted. "It only dawned on me a while ago that you must have been outside for quite some time. Since you missed dinner, I thought I'd bring you something."
 
Tucking a golden lock aside, the breadth of a spring's gaze captured both supper and the star above; an offering extended towards Y/N.
 
Warmth swelled in her chest, a genesis of gratitude. "Thank you so much..." A sincere hush mingled with a belly's plea as Y/N secured the platter. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced. What's your name?"
 
A smile broke across her mien, eyes shining with blue dawn. "Christa Lenz." 
 
Tar settled heavily in the barracks. Y/N, fueled by Christa's care, found jests dulled and voids fed. The lingering dream of studying the extraction of spinal fluid weighed on her heart more than the fall of her cursed deity.
 
Entering the dimly lit cabin, the muffled chatter of cadets reached her ears – soft conversations exchanged from the warmth of their beds. Y/N weaved through the quiet room, boots shed, and she cocooned in her blankets. Her eyes flitted to Reiner's form; turned away, the curve of his back toward her. Then, her gaze settled on Conny, who lay oblivious to the world, peacefully sawing logs.
 
The indifference of the ranks wrapped her heart in thorns, quietly draining the color from her. Yet she quelled the rising sadness, focusing on the larger objective at hand – their camouflaged goals, guiding her path through clandestine ponds.
 
As the night's grip tightened, an old dread returned. Frozen, she watched a shadowy figure emerge from the cabin wall, chilling the room as it approached. As it hovered, ready to plunge into her chest, she snapped awake, her breathing ragged, thankful the episode remained her secret. 
 
Y/N nestled back into her bed, allowing the mist of dawn to soothe standing hairs. Sunlight poured through the glass, igniting airborne dust and swatching each dormant soldier in lemon gloss.
 
Among the peacefully resting figures, Bertold Hoover captured her attention. His rather unconventional sleeping posture; buttocks in the air, arms sprawled on the mattress, face buried deep into his pillow—was a humorous sight that caused her to chuckle.
 
Crumpled paper kissed her hair, ruffling her mirth. She peeked about, meeting Conny Springer's regard from his perched bunk—his auric eyes were a silent invitation to read the note. She unfurled the scrunched parchment, scanning his hasty scrawl.
 
"Heard you took a tumble yesterday, got stuck with bathroom cleaning so I missed it. You alive or what?"
 
Note in hand, Y/N locked eyes with Springer, flashing a robust thumbs-up alongside a silent, "I'm alive."
 
As Conny handed her a pencil and spare paper, Y/N's mien sparked impishly. Instead of a simple reply, she split the parchment into two and scribbled messages on both. Conny, intrigued, watched her every move. When she tossed one ball to him, it read:
 
"Jean's in for it."
 
With a shared look of complicity, Y/N lobbed the second paper comet, hitting its intended target, Jean. As it struck, Y/N and Springer quickly feigned sleep.
 
Kirstien slowly rose from the dead, his eyes tethered to the abandoned envoy on his chest. His fingers teased apart the casualty of war between paper and air. Eyes wide, faze gasped into the silence—a muffled thunderclap that beckoned half-moon eyes, combat-nuzzled in cots.
 
"Mikasa..." Echoed disbelieving hope in Jean's throat. Amid the woodland of tousled heads, Mikasa Ackerman, wild-maned from night's wrestle, lobbed an askance glance. But before she could question the call, Jean continued, voice shaky, "I... Love you too."

He actually believed it!?

Jean, drew a seismic break of laughter, a ripple rocking the calm dawn. Even the most steadfast sleepers were roused, including Bertold who, caught off-guard by the sudden outburst, tumbled from his bed. 
 
The room's laughter continued, but for Jean, each chuckle felt like a jab to his pride. Upon rereading the note, it dawned on him just how absurd it was to think that Mikasa Ackerman, with her commitment to the cause, would casually profess feelings for a stranger. He fumbled with his garments, desperate to vanish—he made a beeline for the mess hall.
 
Daybreak hung dense with the weight of what's to come as rows of soldiers, sharp as the crease in Shadis's brow, braced for a grueling march into the white lodestar of training. 
 
"Today, we're initiated into true combat; meet your aerial limb—ODM gear" He paused, his leather boots echoing as he turned and walked the length of the formation. "This gear is our primary weapon against the Titans. It grants us the mobility to scale both their massive forms and the surrounding environment." 
 
At 'ODM,' a chain reaction pinked through the ranks—a concoction of adrenaline, myth intertwined with stratagem fermenting in hushed scripts.
 
Shadis' next words sunk in, veiling zeal in sober ultimatums. "If, by tomorrow, you have not grasped the fundamental principles of the ODM gear, you will be dismissed and sent back to where you came from." His statement clawed down, a bar set. "By the end of today, I expect each of you to at least master the basic art of balance. Dismissed!"
 
Trios of beams stood firm, merging skyward, their crescendo bounded by scything arms—arcs of steel connecting chiseled backbones. Rows of these contraptions stretched across the parcel, varying slightly in their placements.
 
Y/N was secured into one, sensing the ruffling communal eye. A taut knot in her was painfully worming. With Jean Kirstein shackling by her side, the tension only sprouted. She stretched a little, her eyes instinctively searching for and finding Annie Leonhart amidst the observers, her face as inscrutable as ever.
 
Suddenly, the ropes tightened, and the cadets began their ascent. A muffled thud drew her attention to Marco Bodt, who had gracefully landed face-first in the dirt. Striving to align her hips, Y/N shifted her weight, planting it firmly into her legs. She couldn't resist another peek at Jean, who appeared to be having quite a challenge finding his equilibrium.
 
He rocked back and forth, and back and forth—no better than a rusted cradle.
 
Just as Y/N achieved stability, a jolt from Kirstein's flailing foot flipped her world on its head. Their boots collided, and she was sent plummeting face-first into the ground, dining on sour terra.

Damn!

Instinctively, she retaliated, knocking Jean's foot which resulted in him sharing her grounded fate.
 
The watching ranks voices came in a resounding "Oh!" Looking up, Y/N spotted the others, who heartily laughed at the sight before them. 
 
Surveying the surroundings from her grounded perspective, Y/N realized that she, along with Jean and Marco, had created a rather amusing picture: three soldiers, face down in the dirt, in almost mirrored disarray.
 
Once Y/N was repositioned beside another cadet, her stability was impeccable. Her determination as a soldier shone through, and mastering the day's lesson filled her with pride. Beside her, Eren grappled with maintaining his balance. She silently hoped he wouldn't inadvertently knock her over as Jean had. However, to her relief, it was Eren who found himself crashing face-down, his head meeting the ground with a noticeable thud.
 
Annie slipped past, discreet as the day's training ended. A swift, hushed tone conveyed her cryptic message - "Cadet bathrooms, after dinner." No pause, no gaze met, she continued on.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After the soldiers showered, they accumulated at the mess hall, the guttering candles casting a jaundiced glow on their faces. Feeling the tug of interrupted nights, Y/N kept to herself, trying to stomach the grey gruel. Her elbows propped on the rough-hewn table, chin couched in her palms as eyelids fought gravity. 
 
Angry words volleyed between Yeager and Kirstein, their voices sharp as bayonets. Y/N winced as their fists slammed into the backs of their tables, the hollow thuds echoing through the cafeteria.
 
As dinner wound down, Y/N lingered, watching the crowd thin until only she remained, a lone node in the web of empty benches. She took her time, savoring the last bite of hardtack, its texture like cardboard on her tongue. Setting aside the empty platter, she rose, her steps soft as ash as she drifted toward the latrines.
 
Moonlight filtered through high windows, glimmering on the damp cobblestones. The washroom air was heavy with the scent of antiseptic. Upon entering, she was met by Bertold, Annie, and Reiner, their faces etched with tension.
 
Y/N leaned against the chilled tiles, the cold seeping through her shirt as she folded her arms across her chest tightly. Bertold slumped by the stall door to her right, weariness bowing his shoulders. Reiner stood sentinel beside him, back rigid. Annie held the left flank, her eyes smoldering blue flames. The silence hung thick as cigar smoke before Braun's raspy voice shattered it.
 
"Annie, whatever this is, it better be worth the secrecy. Why drag us into a damn bathroom?"
 
Brushing her bangs behind an ear, Annie replied, "It's Y/N."
 
Their eyes pinned Y/N like insects on display. Swallowing shards of gemstone, she grabbed her collar. "Me? Why?" 
 
There was an eternity of agonizing silence before Leonhart spoke, as though she wanted to wring Y/N so thin she could see directly through her.
 
"You've been acting suspiciously," Annie finally remarked, "Blending in with the enemy as if they were family." 
 
Y/N's mien twisted in surprise, her words sank in defiance as she shuffled for words. "You're doubting my loyalty just because I've learned to play my part well?" She blurted out frantically, nervous her prompt response would raise alarm.
 
"There's a fine line between pretending and feeling... Your body language betrays you." Annie said. 
 
Y/N's eyes lowered with disdain. "You can't be fucking serious Annie."
 
Striking her thumb against her index, Leonhart activated the diamond claw in her ring; something her father had fashioned for her at the sight of her poorly trying to draw blood.
 
"Recognize this?" she asked, almost rhetorically. Taking Y/N's hand, Annie pressed the cold metal into her palm, curling her fingers around the hilt.
 
"This is how I transform, and how I'll eradicate everyone within these walls," Came her fallen hush. Reiner and Bertold's gazes clashed like brass shells. "Everyone in here, Y/N, is our enemy." Both her words and blade bore into Y/N's starry skin until blood emerged.
 
Their gazes remained locked, neither willing to be the first to look away. Jaw tight, Y/N drank her tongue, refusing Annie the pleasure of seeing her pain. The air between them hung heavy with accusation and doubt.
 
"I know where my loyalties lie!" Y/N finally burst out, the words quivering with emotion.
 
"Do you really think..." she started, pausing as pain lanced up her arm. She steadied her voice before continuing. "Do you really think I would jeopardize everything...our duty, our mission...for them?"
 
Annie reluctantly released Y/N, her palms ravines swimming with blood. When she looked back up, her icy eyes were hard, but Y/N thought she spotted a shadow of doubt lurking behind them.
 
"You've become unpredictable," she murmured with lethal fluff. Y/N's eyes sank into the red sea choking in her hand–the warmth, lovely... But, Annie's audacity to question her loyalty was like the bite of a parched eel drowned in fire sand.
 
Reiner stepped forth, shielding Y/N from Leonhart—his eyes were dark from the overcast torch glare. "Annie, there's no need for this. We're all on the same side here."
 
Bertold, silent until now, beat a nerved wink between the two women—his tall frame curled in on itself. "Annie, what are you thinking?"
 
Leonhart's gaze never left Y/N. "It's a reminder," she snapped, "of the sacrifices we've all made to be here. Of our duty. Our loyalty."
 
Despite the pain in her hand and Annie's scrutinizing gaze, Y/N lifted her chin daringly. "You think you're the only one who remembers what's at stake, Annie? Every damn day inside these walls is a reminder." She raised her hand as if a trophy, allowing claret to branch down her forearm. The wound on her palm fumed.
 
Reiner forcefully seized her wrist, "Don't."
 
Y/N tore away, lifting her chin, "I'm going to kill every single person I've met inside the walls, secure the founding Titan, and return home. If I don't do that, then I've failed my duty as a Marleyan Warrior."
 
A storm gathered behind Leonhart's eyes as she snatched back the silver band. "Actions speak louder than words, Y/N. And recently, your actions have been... questionable." Extending her hand, she offered a decisive handshake that would make or break Y/N's pledge to Marley. "Prove your loyalty. Help breach the next wall with the Punisher." Her tone told of a gutted heart. "Then, we'll truly know what you're willing to sacrifice."
 
Amid Annie's proposition, Bertold's ears perked up at the murmur of approaching voices from outside. He tried subtly alerting Reiner with a nudge but was ignored.
 
Y/N raised her bloodied hand to meet Annies, but Reiner stepped beside both of them, his tone butchered in fault. "Y/N's Titan, seriously?" Saline phobia in his pupils. "Breaking down a wall requires immense strength, and she specializes in-" Annie silenced him with a dead stare, driving her bloodied fingers into his ribs.
 
"If you hadn't been such a spineless coward three years ago, we wouldn't be cornered like this," Annie retorted, her tone sour. "Bertold takes an outlier district, Y/N can manage Rose. The military will be swamped with titans; they won't notice a quivering ground."
 
Bertold, struggling to gain the other's attention, grew frantic. "Y/N... Annnnie...!" he cried.
 
"Then, we can finally get closer to completing our mission." Whiskers of hope colored Y/N's voice. "I can do this, Annie." 
 
As their hands met, blood stained their pact. But Reiner, unable to contain himself, wedged between them, his face cut with concern. He bowed, ensuring Y/N met his eyes. "You can't just decide this impulsively, Y/N. Can your titan even withstand it?" His question was pure gasoline.
 
Seizing him by the collar, her teeth zipped an inferno. "Stop belittling me. I've sacrificed everything for this mission."
 
"Enough!" Hoover's voice echoed, demanding attention. The trio, slightly irritated, collectively turned, "What?" They chorused. 
 
Taking a step back, Bertold whispered, pointing at the door, "We have company."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“We have company.”
 
At the peak of hostility, a shuffle of foreign footsteps just outside the lavatory drained the color from their faces. In a panicked frenzy to hide, they sprang to life, their survival instinct defeating acrimony. The entrance of a beanstalk veteran was announced by a hale yawn that welcomed the turncoats.
 
Inside the cramped stalls, the warriors strained to maintain their positions, balancing precariously on toilet seats. Bertold and Annie shared a stall toward the back, while Y/N and Reiner neighbored them. The enemy made their way to the sinks, soaking his knuckles in the warmth of flowing water. 
 
Amid this strenuous atmosphere, Y/N's starfish tear refused to remain unnoticed. Ruby drops studded the floor below, running between the tile grooves in blood fosse.
 
Braun's actions were swift, his hand reaching for Y/N's palm, thumb applying pressure to staunch the bleeding. The intimate proximity in the tight confines of the stall, the closeness of their bodies, heightened the sense of danger. Reiner could taste Y/N's stifled breaths, and his own chest tightened in response.
 
As their eyes locked, an entirely different tension took over. Braun's steel-clad gaze flipped to velour flora–clouded with an emotion that wasn't merely borne out of fear for their shared secret.

Why is he staring? Is there something on my face?

In his gaze, regal brass burned, his skin dissolving rose like sun-struck limestone. Y/N caught off the cuff felt her cheeks warm in response. She had never seen this side of him, and in turn, a flame was lit.
 
The whisper of flowing water halted, wiping the nervous sweat from their brows.
 
The soldier had merely turned off the tap, his attention now caught by the smatterings of blood on the porcelain. Kneeling to inspect the garnet-blotted serpent, he noted its tail–at the washroom's entrance, and its body leading to a distant stall.
 
From their concealed vantage point, Y/N and Reiner heeded the coronach pall lagging closer. The midlife flaxen-head scout, sporting the emblem of his rank, drew near the bathroom stall, eyes narrowed on the gap. His shadow wormed up the tiles brushing just the soles of their boots–Reiner's freehand smothered Y/N so that her breaths bounced back into her face.
 
The door jostled in place, batting against that tiny metal chip.
 
"Erwin!" A feminine voice called from outside the bathroom, her entrance abruptly halting the soldier's advance. Y/N caught a glimpse of his eyes, blue against the dim light. "You're in the lady's bathroom," the playful voice continued, and the soldier grunted in wonder. He turned away from the stall door, the barrel of a gun in his eyes zeroed in on Y/N through the fissure.

He's looking... right at me.

"I must have misread the door," he muttered, leaving.
 
Outside, the two scouts paced in sync through the barracks, silence bridging their steps. The woman, her dark ponytail a tangled mess, playfully punched her comrade, an air of mischief about her. "Why the gloomy face?" they asked, glasses glinting under the moon. "Did you get an unexpected show in the ladies' room, Commander?"
 
Erwin raised an eyebrow, torn between levity and exasperation. "Hange, you find amusement in the oddest situations, don't you?"
 
Hange, her curiosity insatiable, grinned back. "Someone's got to keep our lives interesting. Don't you agree? And a good commander knows every corner of his territory, even the ladies' room!"
 
Chucking, he shook his head. "Point taken. Though, I could swear I saw blood on the floor."
 
"Erwin, it's the ladies' restroom," They quipped, half-smile quirked lips. Erwin's surprise was met with her amused gaze. "To that extent? Do you not get light-headed every month?" he asked, raising a brow.
 
"Sometimes, but you adjust. Let's see Keith now. I plan to start my research early tomorrow," Erwin agreed, his attention lingering on the barracks bathrooms. A mix of apprehension and curiosity danced in his eyes. Whom had he spotted there, hidden away, and why did an unsettling feeling gnaw at him?
 
The Warriors touched down on the cool tiles, Y/N promptly tending to her bloodied hand. Reiner and Annie joined her, the weight of suspense hanging heavy.  From the restroom's edge, Bertold observed, leaning against a stall, as all three washed away the evidence of their earlier confrontation. 
 
Annie, shaking off excess water, presented Y/N with a small shard of steel. Y/N eyed it, noting the thin blade at one end. "A knife. Use it to transform," Annie instructed, placing it in Y/N's hand.
 
Reiner stepped up, his concern voiced. "When's Y/N breaching the wall? And how?"
 
"Once we're adept with ODM gear. Scaling the walls discreetly is important," Bertold suggested, eyeing Y/N as she slipped the makeshift knife into her pocket.
 
The group nodded, a tense silence enfolding them.
 
"Do you think that soldier saw us?" Y/N's hushed words carried uncertainty. The Warriors exchanged uneasy glances, each trying to decipher a good response.
 
"I'm not sure. Regardless, we shouldn't stay much longer. Let's go," Annie said, heading to the door. Before leaving, she faced Y/N. "Sorry for doubting you, Y/N." Their eyes locked, in a silent battle of faltering dependences. This mission had wrung the warriors dry of their patience, it was time to move. 
 
"It's alright, Annie," Y/N replied, and with that, the two girls bid each other goodnight.
 
Bertold lingered a moment longer, offering Reiner and Y/N a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer," he whispered, voice carrying the weight of shared burdens. "Goodnight." With a final nod, he too exited.
 
Y/N began to fashion a makeshift bandage from toilet paper, crimson blossoming through the porous shroud. Reiner appeared lost in thought, his expression mirroring a vulnerability Y/N had only glimpsed in him as children. When Y/N gently wiped away the blood smear on his chest, he snapped back to the present, gaze fixed on her, eyes searching.
 
"Y/N..." His voice trembled as a taut string uncertainty plucked. "Do you think I'm a coward?"
 
Looking up into his pain-filled eyes, her response was immediate and sincere. "Not at all," she asserted, holding his shoulder comfortingly, "You've become a strong leader." 
 
A faint smile played upon Reiner's lips as their gazes locked, sharing a silent chakra. Though his stature rose among the Warriors, seeds of self-doubt still took root. Deep down, he remained that vulnerable twelve-year-old boy who once believed in a father's love, donning a warrior's titanium mask.
 
Side by side they exited. To all who saw them, they appeared a couple very much in love. But they alone knew the truth.
 
As they ascended the cabin steps, Reiner discreetly covered her bandaged hand with his own - a small, gesture of secrecy or maybe protection.
 
Upon entering, the familiar hum of conversations filled the room, soldiers winding down for the night. From his vantage point on the bed, Eren's sharp eyes quickly detected Y/N's concealed and bandaged hand.
 
"Rough training session?" Yeager remarked, a note of suspicion in his tone as he eyed the bloodied dressing. Y/N peered down at where Reiner had clumsily tried to shield her injury from view, his face carefully blank.
 
She smirked, leaning into Braun slightly. "Something like that," she replied cryptically, her tone light and teasing. "You know how it is. Pushing limits, testing boundaries."
 
Reiner cleared his throat uncomfortably, nodding in agreement. "We were just trying out some new techniques. Things... got a little heated." Eren's cheeks took on a vibrant shade of pink, his mind jumping to conclusions as he cupped his chin nervously.
 
From his bed, Jean chimed in, not even bothering to lift his gaze, "Too much information, my man." 
 
Reiner's face matched Eren's in a sudden hue of crimson. "That's not what we meant!" he spluttered, trying to find the right words but only entangling himself further in the awkward situation.
 
Y/N burst into laughter, enjoying the comedic confusion. "Eren, Jean, get your minds out of the gutter! It was a literal training session."
 
Though Y/N tried to appear casual, Reiner's grip felt constricting, more controlling than caring. As they bid goodnight and she retreated to her bunk, she gently pulled her hand free, discreetly tucking her injury out of sight. Braun lingered, watching her briefly before murmuring "Goodnight, Y/N."
 
Twilight's weight descended upon the barracks, pressing silence into its corners. Y/N's eyes, once keen and unwavering, now danced with uncertainty. This haunting familiarity, once again held her captive, her limbs leaden upon the cot. That enigmatic figure approached, preparing to descend.
 
But this time, as her body remained frozen, the face peering in was no stranger. Short-cropped hair, shaved sides, those horror-filled eyes...Marcel.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jolting awake in darkness, tears bleared Y/N's vision. Grief gripped her silently amid the sleeping forms around her. Marcel's face still lingered, his chilling expression seared into her mind's eye.
 
Y/N was brought back to a time when she was a mere Warrior Candidate. A surge of adrenaline had once led her to a costly error on the trench warfare frontlines. Alone and exposed, Y/N pressed her assault rifle into the earth beneath her, taking shelter behind a jagged slab of concrete. The air reeked of sulfur and spent shells, a miasma of death that clung to her like a second skin.
 
Every fiber of her being told her she couldn't retreat. Marksmen lurked. She clung to her rifle, seeking futile comfort in its familiar heft.
 
Marley's trenches were a stones throw away, and from them a head cautiously emerged. Beneath the silver Kevlar helmet was Marcel Galliard. Their gazes entwined before he disappeared into the man-made ravine.
 
"Y/N's in a tight spot," Marcel murmured, directing his attention to Zeke Yeager. Older by a few years, Zeke, with his distinctly parted blonde hair, adjusted his helmet and shot Marcel a reassuring glance.
 
"She can't move till their snipers ease off," Zeke declared, deftly reloading his shotgun. Marcel, driven by his worry for Y/N, made a move to peer again. But Zeke held him firm.
 
"Stay down!" Zeke warned, gripping Marcel's uniform. "They'll blow your head off."
 
Marcel faced Zeke, his expression reflecting worry. "I have a helmet on!" Zeke pinned his index finger between Marcel's brows, leaving a print of soot in its wake. "Not right there you don't,"
 
Undeterred, Marcel's mind raced. Spotting a discarded scotch bottle, he smashed it and grabbed the largest shard. Raising it above the trench, he angled the jagged glass until Y/N's stranded form glinted in reflection.
 
Reloading his firearm, Zeke quipped, "Smarter than offering them your head as target practice."
 
Marcel's focus was unwavering, every bit of him hoping she'd find an escape route back to their trench. But the stillness shrieked as a grenade exploded, its screams echoing in Y/N's ears until they bled into a ringing silence. She stumbled through a blurred nightmare, grasping at phantoms in the dirt. One glance back revealed her shield now a pile of rubble, leaving her perilously exposed. As the world melted, a hand gripped her, yanking her into a new reality.
 
Pushed into the dugout, she looked up to find Zeke, who appeared, against all odds, calm. The distinct whistle of a sniper bullet split the air. Marcel plunged into the trench right after, narrowly avoiding a fatal shot.
 
Crawling over, Y/N helped steady the brunette, his hair now a tangle of vipers. "Marcel," she whispered, her voice quivering with emotion, "you saved me."
 
Marcel, catching his breath, locked eyes with Y/N. His fingers, covered in dirt and sweat, brushed against her cheek, wiping away a streak of grime. "I told you we'd always have each other's backs, didn't I?"
 
She nodded, tears forming but refusing to fall. "I remember. I just... didn't think it would involve so much risk."
 
Zeke, slipping the ammo capacity back into his shotgun's, glanced at the young candidates. "We're in the middle of a fight here don't get all emotional Y/N," Marcel turned to face Zeke, his left ear having a bloody chunk stolen out of it now visible.
 
Y/N's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Marcel's injury. Her voice trembled, "Marcel, your ear..."
 
He instinctively reached up to touch the injury, grimacing at the pain. "It's just a scratch,"
 
"Marcel, half of your ear is missing," she retorted.
 
Zeke, the voice of reason, lectured, "This is exactly why we need to stay focused. Getting caught up in our feelings puts us at risk." He eyed Marcel's injury. "And it seems we've already paid a price."
 
With Zeke's order to treat Marcel's ear, Y/N gently dabbed alcohol on the open wound, causing Marcel to stir. The brunette winced, cursing in the tongues of angels. "Did you just pour lava on me?" he exclaimed.
 
Y/N snorted, rolling her eyes. "It's just alcohol. Stop being such a baby."
 
He pouted, shooting her a hurt look. "I thought you cared about me..."
 
She smirked, continuing her work. "Well, maybe if you weren't so busy playing the hero, you wouldn't be in this position."
 
Zeke, now watching the two candidates, chimed in, "Honestly, Marcel, the way you're acting, one would think she amputated one of your arms. Want me to find a tiny violin for you?" Laughter filled the air, a moment of lightness in their dour lives.
 
In the present, Y/N's heart was a well of unshed grief. She hadn't mourned properly. As tears flowed unrestrained, she recalled his radiant smile, his laugh that rang out brighter than church bells. Getting up, she prepared for another grueling day of training.
 
The day had arrived when soldiers would face the critical test of their ODM gear skills, specifically the fundamental aspect of balancing. Y/N's performance was pottery in motion as she effortlessly demonstrated flawless balance, securing her place among the elite.
 
As they moved past the basics, soldiers embarked on advanced training, which involved navigating the terrain and combating mock Titans. Their gear now sang with the fuel and freedom to propel them skyward, bestowing the gift of flight. Elongated blades glinted like fangs, thirsty to pierce the vulnerable flesh of Titan napes.
 
Y/N, gracefully poised on a tree limb, was joined by Conny who had sought refuge there momentarily to regain his composure. A playful challenge lit her eyes as she shot a sidelong glance at him. With a deft flick of her wrists, she fired her anchors into the distance, letting the cords pull her from the leafy roost.
 
"Race you!" Y/N's voice echoed as she darted forward, targeting a mock titan constructed for practice. This padded replica was crafted to mimic the weak nape point, the ultimate bullseye for their training.
 
Conny accepted her challenge, launching himself in pursuit. However, Y/N's prowess allowed her to land the first strike, her blade slicing deep into the mock titan's nape. Conny's blade followed, landing almost simultaneously next to hers.
 
"That's not fair; you had a head start!" Conny protested lightheartedly, a glint of rivalry in his eyes. He gestured to the next set of rotating titans, challenging her to another round.
 
Y/N, her agile physique perfectly suited for the task, navigated through the trees with unmatched speed. As she neared another false titan, blades thirsty for its neck, another soldier swept in to claim the kill.
 
Watching this unfold, Y/N glimpsed Mikasa Ackerman, moving as fluidly as a shadow through the trees. Her expertise was undeniable, marking her as one of the most seasoned cadets present.
 
Determined to rise to the top of her game, Y/N fixed her sights on another titan cutout. Her approach was swift and decisive, as she launched herself with newfound vigor. Her paired blades pierced deep into the nape, biting ravenously into the wood like a starved hellhound. Carried by momentum, she wove through the pines with ease. Her commitment was paying dividends, enabling her strongest strike yet.
 
The rhythmic sensation of free-falling and then arresting her plunge soon became second nature. Spying another wooden foe on the forest bed, its nape exposed, she lunged towards it. However, an oversight caused her wires to entangle with a tree, derailing her intended path and hurtling her straight toward another cadet.
 
It was Eren.
 
Her shriek of alarm pierced the tranquil forest. Eren whipped around, their panicked eyes locking for a split second before the violent impact. Entwined, they plummeted to be swallowed by the earth's embrace. A cloud of detritus rose, cloaking the scene in a haze.
 
A shrill ringing fading in and out roused Y/N from oblivion. Her vision swam, plunging from light to darkness as she groped the grass beneath her.

Stupid! How could I be so careless?

Dust hung thick in the air, illuminated by shafts of sunlight slicing through the canopy. The tang of crushed leaves and sap filled her nose. Groans of splintering wood echoed around them - death rattle of ancient trees wounded by their fall.
 
Prone on her belly, she blinked hard, watching the motes of light coalesce into focus. Eren lay before her, facedown and motionless in the foliage.

Please be okay, Eren. Please.

Y/N's voice trembled as she called out, "Eren?"
 
No response.
 
Her heart pounded against her ribs as she crawled across the debris-strewn forest floor. She touched his neck, searching for a pulse. Feeling the reassuring rhythm, she exhaled in relief, but the moment was short-lived.
 
She gripped his shoulder and gently rolled him onto his back. His face came into view first, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. Blood trickled from his hairline. Her gaze traveled lower, widening in horror as she took in the slender branch protruding from his right eye socket.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Y/N's gaze lifted to the sky, noting the absence of her fellow cadets, their figures swallowed by leafy wreathes. Only she remained, with Eren's fate in her hands. The urgency to act, a fire in her veins, she turned her attention to the skull-rooted timber.
 
She clenched her fingers around the protruding branch, preparing to extract it in an attempt to save his life. With a sharp tug, it came free, eliciting a sickening squelch as blood fled the yawning wound. Iron assaulting her senses, Y/N removed her field jacket and bound his head.
 
Maneuvering Eren to his feet, she anchored him to her side, draping his limp arm around her shoulder. They had to move. Yet, as she stepped forward, a relic of their predicament yanked her back—the cable that had been their downfall now bound her to the tree, a relentless captor in their dire escape.
 
Hands frantic in her cargo pockets, she extracted the knife Annie had fashioned for her, using it to slice through the cords. With the impediment removed, Y/N hoisted Eren once more, setting her sights on their camp–silent prayers pricking her every step.
 
Though painful, the walk was scenic, and she found herself stealing glances at Eren’s slumped head. Commonly known as the fiery runt of the corps, Yeager talked a big game for having such little precision. He had a short attention span, a poor temper, and hated rules. Perhaps the brass would take him more seriously now that he’d be sporting an edgy eyepatch.
 
Bursting from the trees, the sun's glare blinded them. She collapsed in the grass, chest heaving, muscles screaming. Rolling over, she examined Eren. To her surprise, her makeshift bandage was only lightly stained. Perhaps his wound was not as dire as she had feared.
 
Standing up, she removed her gear, then started disassembling Eren's. "I'm sorry, Eren," she whispered, wiping sweat from her brow. "You're heavier than you look." Hoisting him once more, she gritted her teeth and pressed onwards. Relief washed over her like a refreshing glass, as the barracks stood on the horizon.
 
Y/N's knees met the earth; she sprawled in the dust beside her fallen ally. She threw up an arm to ward off the sun's glare as she caught her breath. Casting a glance at Yeager, she took stock of his features below the jacket’s protective wing. Despite being stabbed in the eye, he appeared oddly serene lying in the sunlit dirt, grime framing his features like war paint.

Hang in there, Eren.

"Eren, Y/N!" A voice called, growing nearer and marked by a flurry of dust rising. Looking up, she spotted three cadets looming over her and Eren, their silhouettes stark against the azure sky. Armin, Mikasa, and Marco.
 
"Hey," Y/N greeted, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Armin knelt beside her, thrusting a cool canteen into her palms. "What happened out there?" he asked urgently. 
 
Y/N took a desperate gulp before answering. "My wires tangled, I lost control." She gestured weakly at Eren's still form. "Crashed right into him. We fell so far..."
 
Gently, Armin dabbed the crusted blood from her cheek. Y/N flinched, cuts blazing beneath his delicate touch.
 
"You're all scratched up," he remarked. She'd been so focused on Yeager that her own injuries had faded to background noise.
 
"I guess I was so focused on getting Eren back here that I didn't notice." 
 
In a moment, Y/N's mind catapulted back through time: the grotesque image of the branch and the fountain of red that had followed. Panic, a wild creature, clawed its way up her spine, propelling her toward his side, where Mikasa's presence anchored the scene.
 
"Eren's hurt, bad." Y/N urged, gripping Mikasa's shoulder with bloodless fingers. "It's serious, we have to help him!"
 
As Mikasa removed the jacket, Y/N's breath caught in her throat. Eren’s face was unmarred, as though the gash had been wiped away. She leaned in, studying the creases of his eyes, hoping perhaps for a drop of red. But he looked even better than before, as though his skin was gifted anew.
 
"Wow, that was quite a knock on your head, Y/N." Marco's light chuckle rang out, his playful intent evident. Y/N's fingers grazed her eyes trying to peel away layers of illusion. Eren's wound, horrifically profound just hours ago, had miraculously healed at an impossible rate, beyond human capability.
 
Shock silenced her while she helped transport the soldier to his bed inside the cabin. Y/N stood adrift in the spectacle of care as Armin and Mikasa peeled away the trappings of his cadet life. Rubbing her temples, she grasped at straws, trying to solidify the image of the branch that once drilled into Eren's head.

Is this real? Did I really see what I thought after I hit the ground?

Y/N's temples throbbed as she struggled to unravel the impossible.
 
Leaning casually on the frame of Eren's cot, Conny's tone cut through the silence with a cheeky edge. “Y'know, Y/N, I thought I was the only one who got sweaty and gross out there." he quipped, an attempt at levity. Y/N turned to him, her face smudged with dirt and blood.
 
"Conny, not now," Marco scolded from his bed, his arms folded. Y/N’s grimace, as menacing as it was, melted into a sly grin as she brushed her soiled hand down the front of Springer’s pale shirt. "If I do stink, Conny, at least I've earned it,"
 
Conny stared down at the smudge Y/N had left on his shirt, feigning rage. "Hey! This was my clean one for the week!" His mischievous attempt to wipe a spit-filled hand on her shirt was thwarted by Y/N's quick reflexes. 
 
Mikasa, engrossed in cleaning the soot from Eren's face, raised her voice, its timbre stern. "Stop this idiocy. Eren needs quiet." Her intense gaze met Y/N's as she held Springer in a playful headlock. 
 
Pinned facing the cabin's plank floor, Conny managed to gesture with his finger before saying, "She's right, Y/N. No more antics." With an exaggerated scoff, Y/N released him and made her way to her bed.
 
After shedding her gear, Y/N sidled up to Marco. "Be honest, am I rank?" she whispered. 
 
Marco's face scrunched apologetically. "Like you fell into a cesspool."
 
Y/N smiled and shook her head, before turning her attention to Eren's bed. Mikasa and Armin were tending to him. Mikasa's eyes were soft but expectant as she pressed a cool rag to his forehead. 
 
"You need rest, Y/N. You've been out in the heat for hours." 
 
Y/N parried the suggestion with a wave. "Don't worry about me; worry about Eren," she said, her tired eyes fixed on the unconscious cadet. "Right now, he needs more help than I do." 
 
Ignoring her screaming muscles she headed for the showers. Passing cadets shot her pitying looks, murmuring about her disheveled state. Y/N barely noticed, her thoughts consumed by the mystery of Eren's injury - or lack thereof.
 
The lukewarm water flowed, pacifying the tension in her muscles. The steady cadence of water droplets on the tiles played a melancholic rhythm, but her thoughts were louder, holding her attention captive. 
 
His eye, once lost, now fully restored, defied all logic save for the supernatural healing of a shifter.
 
A titan shifter.
 
She reached for the shampoo, seeking comfort in the familiar motions of washing up. But her solitude was short-lived as Christa and Ymir, two soldiers different as night and day, entered.
 
"Hey, Y/N," Ymir's voice pulled her from her reverie. The tall soldier's face bore its characteristic impassivity, her short brown hair now glistening under the flowing water in the shower next to Y/N.
 
Y/N responded with a simple, "Hey," noting Christa's fretful stance in the shower adjacent to Ymir's.
 
"Y/N, what on earth happened to your face?" Christa's tone was edged with perplexity, her petite form stretching to glimpse over the divider.
 
"Training accident," Y/N replied, her weariness bleeding into her words. She let the water from the shower saturate her features, cloaking the discomfort in her eyes behind the ripples.
 
Ymir, with her usual air of nonchalance, smirked, facing her shower head but keeping her eyes trained on Y/N. "Looks like you got into a fight with a wildcat."
 
Y/N chuckled weakly, "Feels like it too."
 
"You should get it treated once you're done here," Christa said, her oceanic gaze rich with compassion.
 
"I will, thanks," Y/N muttered, feeling a bit exposed under the scrutinizing gaze of her fellow soldiers.
 
Together, they laved in the hush, save for the symphony of cascading water and the occasional plunk of droplets. Yet, for Y/N, the quietude was a facade; her thoughts roiled like a whirlpool. The day's revelations clung to her, as dense as the mist around them, making the soothing warmth of water on her skin feel like a temporary reprieve.
 
As the soldiers chatted, Y/N wrestled with the revelation that was Eren. A shifter, right under their noses. Did he have the Founding Titan's power? Her homeland's plight pressed heavier with each passing day, and the lower bulb of the hourglass was nearly full.
 
She had to tell the others. Maybe together they could make sense of this and determine their next move. 
 
But one thing was certain–their mission just got much more complicated.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As the end of their four-year training neared, the soldiers marked their final day with a trial by obstacle.
 
Y/N flew through the course with ease, years of grueling training honing her body into a finessed machine. The ascent up the rope was a blur, her arrival at the summit as delicate as frost on a pane. From her vantage point, she observed Sasha and Bertold making their ascent. Sasha, her knuckles whitened from the strain, seemed to be fighting a losing battle with the rope.
 
In an attempt to spur her friend on, Y/N called out, "There's dessert up here!" 
 
Manic fervor ignited in Sasha's eyes, and with a final grunt, she crested the platform, nearly bowling over Y/N. "Where?!" Sasha demanded, chest heaving.
 
Y/N chuckled, giving her famished friend a playful nudge. "Gotcha."
 
Sasha's initial look of excitement melted into annoyance. "You can't play with a girl's heart like that, especially when it comes to food!" she huffed, although the smile tugging at the corner of her lips betrayed her.
 
Bertold, finally catching up added, "You two always bring a circus wherever you go, don't you?"
 
Y/N feigned innocence, "Who? Us? Never." She let out a dramatic sigh, her hand capturing Bertold's as she guided him onto the platform. "Besides, the real circus is trying to watch you get through the monkey bars."
 
Bertold laughed, shaking his head. "Can't we just get through one last day of training without any theatrics?"
 
Both women exchanged a glance before bursting into soft laughter. "Where's the fun in that?" Y/N responded.
 
"Hey! Move it, chump!" Jean's voice boomed from the rope, struggling to secure his place on the platform. Y/N, with a smile still playing on her lips, let her boots kiss the earth before she faced the final hurdles. With honed precision, she climbed and descended them swiftly, muscles burning.
 
Turning on her heel, she went and sat alongside the other soldiers in the shade where the air was charged with excitement. Graduation neared, along with fateful choices - Survey Corps, Garrison Regiment, Military Police?
 
Mikasa joined the group, her compliment was a cool drink of water in desert heat. "Nice work out there, Y/N. You made that look easy."
 
Flashing a grin, Y/N responded, "Just trying to keep up with you."
 
Armin, eyes full of admiration, piped up, "It's amazing to see how far we've all come. From clueless recruits to, well... slightly less clueless soldiers."
 
Their laughter filled the air, a chorus of rising spirits. Conny, sprawled casually on the stone, chimed in with a grin, "I'm just excited about the food at the graduation banquet. Man, can you imagine a real meal that makes you feel full? Not to mention the meat!”
 
Sasha, eyes sparkling as she approached, nodded vigorously, "Don’t forget dessert!"
 
As the day's light waned, painting the sky in hues of fire and shadow, an effervescent glow permeated the mess hall. Here, upon the eve of their graduation, the cadets’ spirits soared; they were comrades tempered by trials, soon to be baptized by bloodshed.
 
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, the warm scent of roasted meats, and the sweet undertone of desserts. Bubbling with excitement, Y/N playfully challenged Jean, who was seated at the neighboring table, to an arm wrestling match. She claimed her spot opposite him, and the table became their arena, worn smooth by countless elbows and forearms before theirs.
 
"Give him hell, Y/N!" Eren's cry echoed in the rafters. Soldiers ringed them, a tense hush swallowed their banter
 
Setting the stakes, Y/N proposed, "Winner gets the other's dessert,"
 
Jean's smirk widened, confidence oozing from every pore. "You're dreaming,"
 
Marco's hand lifted, his voice the starting shot of their battle. “Go!” 
 
The two cadets grappled with determination, Y/N's triceps flexing with newfound strength as Jean initially pushed her arm down. But resilience brewed within her, and with a jarring pivot, Jean’s hand thundered against the wood. Cheers erupted as she nursed her wrist—her eyes glinted with the spoils of war.
 
“deal's a deal," she stated.
 
Jean, his pride dented but intact, slid his untouched dessert toward her. At that moment, Sasha sidled up, a picture of longing, her glance oscillating between Y/N and the confections now doubly hers.
 
"Double or nothing?" Sasha's proposal rang through the mess hall, capturing the attention of the nearby cadets. Known for her insatiable appetite among the recruits, Sasha's challenge to Y/N wasn't one of pride, but a passionate desire for the tempting sweets laid before them. 
 
Y/N, emboldened by her recent triumph over Jean, extended her arm, fingers interlocked with Sasha's. "You're on," 
 
While Y/N's physique typically gave her a strength advantage, Sasha had a powerful motivation: the tantalizing promise of the desserts at stake.
 
Seconds stretched into an eternity as neither combatant gave ground. Tension coiled in the space between effort and endurance, and Y/N's arm wavered, teasing Sasha's victory. Yet, in a split-second twist of fate, Y/N regained composure, her arm sweeping in a powerful arc to pin Sasha's hand down. Triumphantly, she stood, cracking her knuckles as their peers erupted in cheers.
 
Sasha's hopeful gaze melted Y/N's heart, and with a laugh, she slid one of the desserts toward Sasha, who attacked it with the fervor of a starved wolf.
 
The mess hall was a cauldron of emotions that evening. The cadets, now on the verge of choosing their respective branches of the military, devoured their meals with a mix of excitement and trepidation. 
 
In the center of the stone courtyard, the top soldiers were limned by the flickering torchlight: Mikasa Ackerman, Reiner Braun, Y/N L/N, Bertold Hoover, Annie Leonhart, Eren Yeager, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bodt, Conny Springer, and Sasha Braus. Above them, military officers, like demigods of war, cast formidable shadows.
 
An officer's commanding voice boomed, "The top of your class stands before you! These soldiers have earned the honor of choosing the MP Regiment. For the rest, consider your choices between the Garrison and Scout Regiment wisely!"
 
Unified as a single entity, the assemblage reverberated, "Sir!"
 
Emotions played across the cadets' faces, each one a testament to their journey and the weight of the moment. While some showcased the fierce determination of soldiers, others reflected the quiet relief of having survived the trials they had faced.
 
Y/N's keen eyes, always observant, momentarily strayed from the imposing commanders to her peers. On one side, Bertold's gaze was electric; the unwavering glare of a young man ready to forge his destiny, no matter the cost. Reiner Braun's expression; a masterclass in confident ease.
 
"Tonight, you stand on the precipice of your futures!" The military officer's voice thundered across the grounds, addressing the freshly minted soldiers. "Consider your choices well, for each regiment carries its distinct standards and demands!" 
 
Their response rose to the stars, "Sir!"
 
Following graduation, many soldiers celebrated with beer and camaraderie. Amidst the chatter and laughter, Jean approached Y/N, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. His eyes, alight with excitement, searched hers.
 
"How about joining Marco and the rest of us for a drink?" Jean's voice rose above the din of enthusiastic conversations. For Y/N, the offer seemed like a perfect opportunity to unwind and momentarily forget her worries. However, as she turned away from Jean to survey the gathering, her eyes locked onto Reiner's.
 
There he stood, leaning casually against the aged brickwork of a nearby building, an almost unnervingly distant expression on his face.  His look was heavy, laden with a message she couldn't decipher amid the eager graduates. The cock of his head beckoned her closer, a silent summon she couldn't easily dismiss.
 
Caught in a dilemma, Y/N hesitated. Turning back to Jean, she found him still grinning, none the wiser. "I think I'll head back to my assigned quarters for now," she replied, her voice straining to be heard over the jubilant crowd. Her gaze involuntarily drifted back to Reiner, who still watched, a silent challenge in his eyes.
 
Jean, sensing the shift in her attention, followed her line of sight. Jean's eyes met Reiner's briefly, and then, with playful mischief, Jean faced Y/N. He wiggled his eyebrows, squinting slightly as a cheeky grin took over. Y/N laughed, playfully swatting Kirstein’s arm.
 
"Quit it," she chided, trying to sound stern but failing. "Promise I'll join you guys for drinks another time, okay?"
 
Jean nodded, patting Y/N's back aggressively before speaking. "Go get em' soldier!" Y/N laughed as she moved away from the boisterous soldier, weaving through the throngs of animated conversations.
 
As she neared the building, Reiner signaled for her to follow him without uttering a word. She trailed behind the imposing soldier, stifling a yawn and wiping away the moisture it brought to her eyes. As they walked, the sounds of the chatting soldiers grew faint, replaced by the hush of the night.
 
"Where are we headed?" Y/N whispered, aligning herself next to him.
 
Reiner's eyes held a hint of sincerity. "Somewhere more quiet," he said, his voice a rumbling undertone. 
 
The two ventured further into the night, eventually arriving at the edges of the Military's barracks. The layout for the military camp was comforting, so much so that Y/N had already begun missing it. Reiner reached into a bush, retrieving concealed ODM gear. Y/N's eyes widened in astonishment as he geared up.
 
"How did you get that?" Y/N inquired, observing Reiner secure the fuel tanks.
 
"Remember when you bumped into Eren and had to drag him back to the camp?" Reiner began, engrossed in adjusting the harness.
 
She recalled the incident, her hand absently resting on her chin. "Yes?"
 
Holding out his hand for her, he said, "I went back and got yours." Interest piqued, Y/N took his hand, and he guided her away from the encampment with the looming Wall Rose in the distance. The soft song of owls and crickets hung in the twilight, filling the dark expanse with more than silence.
 
Their destination remained a mystery until they reached the base of the towering wall, the trees a curtain against prying eyes. "Where are we headed?" she asked again.
 
Without breaking his gaze from the towering wall, Reiner swept her up into his arms. "Up," was his only reply. The whirring of machinery in Reiner's gear captured her attention. A surprised gasp left her lips, her fingers digging into his uniform as the shrieking sound of the ODM wire shooting out filled the humid night air. 
 
"I damaged it, Reiner!" she cried, panic in her eyes. "I cut the wires!"
 
The calm facade Reiner had maintained crumbled into sheer terror as the ground fell away beneath them. The sensation was electrifying and made her stomach turn inside out. By the time they landed atop the wall, Y/N's heart was in her throat. 
 
She crumpled onto her knees, gasping for breath. Meanwhile, Reiner, grinning ear to ear, held up the gear, showing pristine wires. "I fixed them," he declared proudly. Shock kept Y/N momentarily mute, her body still reeling from the adrenaline surge.
 
She let out a sigh, settling on the edge of the wall and peering at the vast expanse inside. "That wasn't cool," she remarked, her regard focusing on him as he joined her side. The wall's concrete, kissed by evening's dew, offered a refreshing chill against the balmy air.
 
"Sorry Y/N,"  he replied, his eyes drifting towards the tranquil landscape within, the silent homes of the slumbering populace. "I had to bring you here so we could discuss what's next." Y/N's grip on the wall mirrored the tension she felt
 
"What is next?" She echoed.
 
“Remember your promise from a few years ago?" The intensity of his gaze made Y/N momentarily fumble for words.
 
Taking a deep breath, she responded, e soft, "Yes, I remember that promise." She tilted her head upwards, looking at the sky sprinkled with stars as if seeking answers or perhaps a hint of guidance. "Is the plan set into motion soon?"
 
"Tomorrow," he confirmed with a gravity that brooked no argument. 
 
Y/N swallowed hard, the weight of their task suddenly very real. "Tomorrow?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. 
 
The eyes of the two warriors settled on a warmly illuminated townhouse below. Through the window, a father lifted his daughter into a joyous twirl, their laughter spilling out and punctuating the still night. Despite the shadows that loomed, this moment of simple joy felt like a lullaby to the soul.
 
What do I seek? Y/N pondered, gaze treading the horizon where shadows melted the night.  Will I die without knowing happiness?
 
"Reiner, are we really prepared? It's one thing to discuss and plan, but actually going through with it... It's daunting."
 
Reiner ran a hand through his sandy hair, exhaling slowly. "I know," he acknowledged. "But time isn't on our side. We've been waiting and strategizing for six years. Every moment we delay, the risk of someone catching onto us grows."
 
She glanced at him, trying to find any hint of doubt in his eyes but found none. "And the others? Are they in on it too?" 
 
He nodded slowly. "Annie and Bertold are ready. We've synchronized our moves. Tomorrow, at dawn, everything changes." Reiner, placing a hand on Y/N's shoulder, graced her with a kind smile. "Y/N, if we're successful tomorrow, these demons won't have any choice. They'll be behind their last wall. anarchy will strike." 
 
Y/N sighed deeply, taking in the weight of his words before she responded. "Okay, what's the plan?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sun's fingers pried away the night's darkness, casting a warm glow over Trost. Gentle hums of geriatrics filled the morning air, their soft voices like a Clurichaun’s bellow.
 
"Ada's Kaffeebar" read the sign, swaying above the doorway on a timeworn plank. Inside, Jean Kirstein slumped in a booth, hands cradling his head as if to keep it from splitting apart. "This headache is killing me," Ash-brown hair ruffled, sapped eyes hauling the burden of a sleepless evening. He sipped from his glass.
 
Opposite him, Marco Bodt sat with an air of composure, the morning light casting a soft glow on his features. The cafe mumbled with the drones of early birds, allured by just-out-of-the-oven pastries and steaming café crèmes.
 
"I did warn you that drink was too much," Marco said, his eyes drawn to the benign glow pouring inside.
 
Jean's face twisted in irk as he set his cup down on the scarred tabletop. “You warned me, but did I listen? No, because I'm 'invincible' post-graduation."
 
"You've always had a bit of a stubborn streak. But hey, you're alive, just a bit worse for wear."
 
Jean smirked, "A 'bit'? That's putting it lightly." His eyes wandered outside, tracing the quaint fachwerkbau architecture. "Did you see Y/N last night? After I, well, lost my sense of moderation?"
 
Marco tilted his head thoughtfully. "I saw her helping Conny back to his room. But after that, I think she went to bed. Why?"
 
"I owe her thanks," Jean replied, playing with the edge of his napkin. "She's there for us, even when we're a mess."
 
Marco's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Just thanks?"
 
Jean rolled his eyes. "Don't start, Marco."
 
A painful bang robbed daybreak of serenity, throwing Marco into instant action. Without a moment's notice, he sprang up and dashed out of the café, Jean hot on his heels. Breathless, once outside, Jean caught sight of what had arrested Bodt's attention. 
 
The freckled-faced soldier stood paralyzed, eyes pulled into the horizon. Following his stare, Kirstein’s blood ran cold.
 
A midnight silhouette bled over Trost, its owner; the monarch of genocide. Ominously it towered above the gate. Jaw as vast as the chasms between worlds, and eyes sunken pits of indifference.
 
Jean's mind flashed to Yeager's tales of these behemoths, and he dragged Marco into the shadows of an alley.
 
Marco's hand trembled uncontrollably as he whispered, "It's happening." Tears welled, painting his fears in glistening trails down his cheeks. "We're all going to die."
 
The screams that filled the air were a chorus that had been sung before. Another thunderclap ]welcomed the gate's destruction, hurling massive concrete splinters flying into the district. Through the murk of smoke and rubble, the town's streets were littered with busted stone and bodies. Peering from their shelter, the soldiers observed humanity's masses, tainted, rushing toward the safety of the inner gate.
 
Amidst the havoc of retreating citizens, Marco's gaze seemed to fixate on a particular house. The structure, though battered, stood as a haunting reminder.
 
Jean, discerning the stillness in his friend amidst the exodus, clutched at Marco's sleeve. "Marco!" He barked, his voice slicing through the delirious while denizens rushing by elbowed their still bodies. "We need to go!" 
 
Glossy eyes, Marco responded, "My sister... She's in that house." He pointed shakily at the structure he'd been gawking at, torn between the impulse to flee and the desire to save his blood. 
 
Gritting his teeth, Jean ensnared Bodt's arm, effectively stopping him. "We're not going over there, Marco," Jean asserted, his gaze holding a flaring resentment. "We need to get to the gate now!" 
 
Perched atop Trost's wall, green militants had been rapt in rigorous surveillance drills before calamity struck. Conny Springer, sporting a gnarly black eye was on the verge of a deadly plunge. He acted with split-second precision, deploying a wire from his gear to anchor himself to the towering barrier.
 
Sasha, who had also been propelled off the wall due to the destabilizing impact of the Colossal Titan's kick, managed to secure a foothold on the wall adjacent to Conny. Their faces appeared as if they'd seen the very gates of hell swing open.
 
"We can't allow them to breach the wall!" Conny's voice reverberated with determination as he shouted to Sasha. In response, she gave a determined nod.
 
With synchronized precision, they propelled themselves back onto the wall's summit, a flash of sunlight welcoming their arrival. There, they bore witness to a gut-wrenching scene as Eren Yeager hurled himself into the azure sky, preparing to deliver a lethal blow to the Colossal Titan's nape. 
 
Yet, just as he was about to make contact, a billowing gust of warm smoke enveloped the immense foe. As the smoke dispersed under Yeager's strike, it unveiled the unsettling absence of the monster. Eren's feet hit the wall as if the entire weight of the world had come crashing down on his shoulders.
 
"This can't be happening," Eren raved, his voice quivering as he veered to face Armin Arlert, who swiftly unsheathed his swords in coy preparation. "Not again. We can't allow it!" With a mechanical whir, Eren's gear engaged, launching a cable towards a distant spire and leaping from the wall.
 
Armin gritted his teeth, trying to combat the paralyzing fear threatening to take hold. "Eren, wait!" he called out, but his friend was already moving at breakneck speed towards the heart of the district.
 
Mikasa, who had been a few steps away, dashed towards Armin. With a firm voice, she said, "We can't let him go alone,"
 
"I know. But he's acting on impulse, Mikasa. We need to back him up and be his voice of reason." She unsheathed her twin blades, their sleek forms reflecting the faint light, and held one blade aloft to meet Armin's in a gesture of solidarity.
 
"We're in this together," she affirmed, her gaze unyielding beneath the shadowy veil of her hair.  Armin, gathering his resolve, allowed the edge of his blade to meet hers in a resonating chime, "Right!"
 
Launching into the pandemonium below, they were joined by a myriad of comrades descending like avenging angels, their combined might standing as Trost's last line of defense.
 
With every passing second, the terror deepened, and the madness intensified. Sasha, battling both her mounting dread and the weight of the injured woman leaning heavily on her, yelled in desperation to Conny. 
 
He stood, momentarily paralyzed, atop a bakery's tilted roof. The ground seemed to shudder in protest with each lumbering step, while the wails of the injured cried out, begging the heavens for mercy. But above the cacophony of chaos, a single, heart-wrenching wail of a child pierced through.
 
Dashing to the far end of the building, Springer’s gaze entered the shadowed alley. There, amidst the dimness, a young boy with tousled black hair wept inconsolably, his tiny hands desperately clutching a lifeless form.
 
Conny descended, each step echoing the gravity of the situation. Drawing near, he could see the boy's futile attempts to rouse the corpse.
 
Heartstrings tugged, Springer knelt beside the distraught child, extending a gentle hand to rest on his trembling shoulder. "Kid, we gotta move!" His voice was a lifeline, thrown into the chasm of the boy's grief. But the child's grip on the lifeless was iron; his plea, "Mommy," was a shackle as he repelled Conny’s hand.
 
Peering into the alley was a grotesque face. A Titan, its eyes vacant yet predatory, stared down. Each exhale from the beast carried the sour stench of iron. Conny's gaze locked onto the titan's, witnessing the remnants of its last feast on its lips.
 
His instincts screamed. With a hiss of gear and a prayer, they ascended. 
 
The boy fought, a wild thing, fear and loss his captor. Conny leapt, rooftop to rooftop, the fight’s shadow fleeting over terracotta. 
 
"Stop it!" Springer cried, working tirelessly to free his one good eye from the boy’s grasp. Redirecting, he aimed for the safety of Wall Rose's gate. But the boy’s relentless struggle made control near impossible.

A misfire.

The world spun, cobblestones rushed up to greet them with cruel intent. The impact was brutal, the boy taking the brunt of it as he skidded face-first across the jagged avenue. A red streak marked their passage.
 
Panic seeping in, Conny scrambled to the child's side. "No, no, no!" He cried, beating the ground with a clenched fist. The boy lay on the jagged village floor, his arms marred and sprawled out, like a fallen bird reaching for the sky. The ever-present thudding announced another approaching titan, etching the child's verdict into stone. 
 
Tears blurring his vision, Conny whispered bitterly, "Why didn't you let me help?"
 
Pushing past the pain and rap, he launched himself to an elevated vantage point. But not before he saw it: A rotund Titan bending over to claim its prize. The boy's visage was an illustration from purgatory; a flattened face, eyes bulging, jaw unhinged in a final scream that never came.
 
Conny crumbled to his knees, the impact of his failure shattering him. His agonized cries echoed through desolate streets, his fingers gripping his blades with a deathly intensity, their white-knuckled hold matching the torment within. His tears fell relentlessly, each drop a mournful percussion in sync with the encroaching footsteps.
 
Lifting his head, his gaze locked with the very Titan responsible for the boy's anguish. Those soulless eyes seemed to mock him. Captured in its immense grip, he was raised toward its gaping maw, a grim abyss lined with the remnants of the fallen. 
 
The fiendish grin stretched across its face was a spectral prophecy, signaling the sweet release of

death

.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Inside, a full-sized bed nestled in the far right corner, with a window adjacent, allowing the silvery moonlight to stream in. It painted a soft blue sheen on the young gal as she rifled through the cabinets. She cradled a mug and filled it with brew.The door's timid knock whispered for her attention.With a deep breath and a nervous swipe of her fingers through her hair, she opened the door to find Conny Springer's swaying gaze. "G'morning Y/N," he slurred, his bloodshot eyes haunted with the remnants of the night.  His breath, tainted with alcohol, twists her expression into a grimace."Conny, it's the dead of night," she responded, a faint smile playing on her lips. Conny, in his inebriated state, gradually widened his eyes in a dawning realization. "No way... I've got drills in a few hours."  He hovers in the doorway, lured by the scent of coffee. "Brewing Joe, now?"Her answer was sharp, a bowstring pulled taut. "Decaf. Would you like to come in and sober up a bit?" Springer, his gaze wavering, nodded in agreement, a smile breaking through the haze of his intoxication. He staggered in, collapsing on her bed, his gaze ensnared by the lunar brushstrokes on the ceiling. She handed him a glass of water and joined him.Conny's pout was childlike, his lips parched. "Why does the room have three of you?"She couldn't help but chuckle. "There's only one of me, Conny." She watched in amusement as he squinted his eyes, trying to discern the warping picture before him. "Who encouraged you to drink this much right after graduation?"Rubbing his temples, he attempted to recall. "Well, there was Jean, Sasha, Marco, Eren... and maybe Mikasa? Actually, it's all a bit fuzzy.""Mikasa? Doubtful," she teased.Springer raised his hand, swaying it from side to side. "Now that you mention it, she might have been stopping me. But you know, potato-potahto."Rolling her eyes, Y/N quipped, "Oh, don't drag Sasha into this with your potato talk.""Too late. But really, I think it was Jean's 'one drink won't hurt' that turned into... I don't know, ten?"The soldiers shared a laugh, and the window invited the musk of the distant ocean to waltz through the room. "Toothpaste's gonna be your best friend in the morning," She chided, smiling. Conny mocked a pout, his eyes flitting to her features illuminated by the glow of the night. "Is my breath that bad?" "Nah, but your hangovers gonna be,""Don't remind me," Conny said with a scoff, his eyes now scanning the horizon through the open window, where the stars glittered like diamonds against the night sky. The relentless march of the clock's hands seemed to amplify the silence that fell between them, a silence pregnant with  unspoken."Y/N..." Conny's voice trailed off, thick with emotion. "Do you think we'll get out there? We'll see the world?" Y/N turned. She was a lighthouse in the fog of their hurt.Taking a deep breath, her eyes locked onto his. "Conny," she began softly, "we've seen so much, been through more than most could imagine. But yes, I believe we'll see the world. We trained to fight for that dream, remember?"He nodded gently, eyes glazed with memories. "Sometimes, it just feels like an endless loop of fighting and hoping. I want to believe there's more out there for us. That all our sacrifices... they're not in vain."Y/N gently rested her hand on his. "These walls might confine our bodies, but not our dreams. We've imagined vast oceans and open skies, haven't we?"His lips twitched into a smile. "I've always dreamt of the ocean, experiencing its waves, feeling its chill. Just like in Armin's stories..." He closed his eyes, perhaps trying to conjure the imagined sound of crashing waves and crying gulls - sensations Y/N had once taken for granted.Her face softened. "I promise, one day we'll be free from these walls." With a touch of playful defiance against the heavy atmosphere, Conny extended his pinky."Us against the world?" His pinky quivered in the air, awaiting hers.Their fingers intertwined, sealing a bond deeper than words. "Us against the world."Back in the present, in that ephemeral breath of time, Conny felt an eerie calm draft over him. He was prepared to read the final words of his story. He could almost graze the face of death as the Titan's jaws began to close, heralding his descent into twilight.But fate had other plans.The definite sound of ODM equipment cut sharply through the tense atmosphere, followed by a blinding flash of steel. With swift precision, an adept soldier carved into the Titan's vulnerable nape whisking Springer away. Clutched at the stomach, Conny watched the Titan shrink into the horizon. It became little more than dust carried away by the wind.Then, he looked back, and saw it. A warm fluttering ponytail, and a young soldier he'd befriended since day one. Sasha Braus. Together, they soared—souls bound by the unyielding belief that their sacrifices would one day bear the fruit of freedom.Amidst the tumultuous chaos near the exit of Trost and the entrance to Wall Rose, Jean and Marco engaged in a heated quarrel. Their voices clashed with the panicked cries of fleeing civilians, and the urgent clatter of soldiers maneuvering a cannon into position."Get the hell off me!" Marco's shout pierced the air as Jean desperately tried to drag him to the gate.Jean's retort was equally fierce, his grip on Marco's wrist vice-like. "You're going to fuckin' get us both killed!" he roared back, the veins in his neck bulging.The deafening ignition of cannonballs provided a raging backdrop, drowning out all else as they soared through the smoke-choked sky. Marco, refusing to budge amidst the churning sea of evacuees, wrenched his arm from Jean's grasp and swiftly retreated back into the chaos.But Jean refused to relent, chasing after Marco and seizing a fistful of his shirt. "Stop it, damn it!" he yelled.Whirling around with rage burning in his eyes, Marco let his pent-up frustration explode. He delivered a powerful sweeping blow to Jean's cheek, his knuckles crunching against bone. Jean smacked against the debris-strewn street, tasting iron as blood trickled from his split gums, dripping onto the stones.Breathing heavily, Marco warned, "Lay off, Jean. I'm not your damn kid."With a burning cheek and a storm in his heart, Jean was an anchor, refusing to let Marco drift away without resistance. Rising with effort, pebbles imprinted where his cheek hit the ground, his voice broke."But you are my best friend!"His shout caused Marco to pause. He gritted his teeth, barreling his knuckles as he turned to face him. Jean's face bore a veil of desperation, his skin having bore witness to Marco's relentless assault."She's my best friend too!" Bodt shouted, his voice wavering with his words. "And I'll be damned if I let her die here! Not everything goes how Jean wants it to!" His lancing glare was like millions of daggers raining down upon Jean's fallen form."Marco!" A desperate voice rang out amidst the chaos of fleeing civilians. Marco's head whipped around, his eyes darting, hunting for that all-too-familiar face."Rosa?" His voice cracked as he cried out, elbowing his way through the human surge.As the sea of frantic citizens parted, a figure emerged: a petite girl with cascading brunette hair, her distinctive freckles a beacon in the chaos. Distance mocked them, but Marco surged ahead, each stride a desperate plea to fate. The world narrowed to a tunnel, their impending embrace pulsing with each throb of his heart.But then, the ground beneath Trost trembled. The district's core erupted and cobblestones became deadly hail.With an eerie fluidity, the Punisher Titan rose, a silvery apparition breaking free from the infernal depths. Sunlight glinted off its serrated spine, each jagged protrusion seeming to emerge from even deeper within the earth.  It clawed its way from the chasm, its eyes set on the gate with predatory intent. Then, with an explosive burst of speed, it charged, footfalls a death knell."Seal the gate!" The command cleaved the air, soldiers herding the living towards Wall Rose's promise of refuge. The gate, graced with the serene visage of a guardian, began its descent.Marco, however, was ensnared by a singular obsession: to reclaim the lost time with Rosa. His arms reached for her driven by a brother's love as he raced forward. But his desperate charge was halted abruptly as a firm grip yanked him back by his shirt. Time seemed to slow as he watched, with mounting horror, the intersection of Rosa's path with the Titans. The shadow of a massive steel foot fell, and the world turned a gruesome shade of red.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tears blurred Marco's vision, his anguished scream piercing the air while Jean held him back."No!" Tore through his throat.The Punisher's shadow loomed over Wall Rose's gate, its skin glinting as it thundered through the streets. Its pointed elbow cocked, ready to deliver a devastating blow, humanity's doom was inevitable.In that instant, fate intervenedFrom the periphery, a fierce and muscular Titan charged with astonishing speed. Colliding with the Punisher, it sent the monstrous figure skidding across the district, its head crashing violently into a building.This Titan, its features perpetually etched with a predatory snarl, boasted long fawn hair that framed its intense forest eyes.Pinning the Punisher below its weight, it seized the monster's neck. The chilling scream that followed wasn't of the Punisher, but of this newcomer Titan, echoing its fury as it shook the very creature responsible for so much devastation.On the cobblestone, tears splattered upon Rosa's battered form, mingling with her blood in a somber watercolor. The screams of Marco dovetailed with the cacophony of the battling Titans."Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" His voice unraveled, each repetition a deeper fracture of his already shattered soul. He tenderly grasped his sister's delicately outstretched hand; It was the one part of her that seemed untouched by the carnage, a cruel irony.From above, Mikasa and Conny swiftly descended, joining Marco and Jean in their frantic bid to flee the horror."We need to move, now!" Conny's voice cracked as urgency painted his features. His eyes darted to Rosa's lifeless form, and the color drained from his face. "God damn it..." His voice trailed off, the despair evident. "Not another one..."Mikasa spoke up, her voice unwavering despite the emotion underneath. "We have to get out of here. We can't save everyone, but we can save both of you."Jean's face tightened in conflict. "You're just going to leave the rest here to die?" he retorted, drawing sharp looks from both Mikasa and Conny."Jean it's not like that!" Conny exclaimed, his hands gesturing animatedly. "We can't save everyone, but those we can save, like you two, might make all the difference!"The Titans' clash intensified; the Punisher drove nails into its foe's wrists, breaking the chokehold. With a swift kick, it sent the adversary skidding backward–debris kicking up on its heels.The groans of elder stones grabbed Mikasa's attention, and she turned her gaze to the clash. "Eren..." she whispered.Catching her under-the-breath remark, Jean looked at her, his expression a cocktail of surprise and fatigue. "What?!" He blurted."There's no time to explain," Mikasa returned, securing Jean and preparing for flight. "We need to steer clear of their path."Conny, trying to anchor Marco back to the present, gripped his shoulder, forcing eye contact. The look in Marco's eyes was distant, shattered. "I'm so sorry, Marco," Conny murmured, his own eyes swimming with emotion.With Conny's assistance, Marco found his footing. Together, they, along with Mikasa and Jean, quickly ascended a towering building, distancing themselves from the madness below. Atop the district's tallest edifice, they had an unobstructed view of the two monstrous beings, squaring off for a battle of epic proportions.Every gesture, every movement between the Punisher and the new Titan was loaded with intent. Tension crackled in the air. Without warning, the Punisher drove its fists into the earth, releasing an eidolon scream that shattered the sonance."What's happening? What's it doing?" Springer murmured, eyes locked on the unfolding spectacle. As if in response, plumes of thick smoke erupted from fissures in the district's cobblestone streets, rapidly coalescing into a dense, billowing cloud."She's using the smoke as a screen," Mikasa observed.Jean's voice crackled with incredulity, 'They have fuckin' brains now?'"The dense fog enveloped the surroundings, limiting their vision to mere feet. Descending from the silver veil, Armin quickly joined the others on the steeple.The two Titans waged their fierce battle amidst the enveloping haze.The Punisher wore the smoke like an empress her dearest headdress, slowly slipping deeper into its embrace as it skillfully evaded each swing from its foe. The massive limbs fanned away plumes of obscuring smog, creating a dance of shadows and sugar typhoons that tasted like death.Frustrated by its elusive opponent, the new titan unleashed another sweeping punch, again barely missing its target but dispersing a significant cloud of the smoke screen. From within the dissipating fog, an unexpected sight emerged—an edifice, its silhouette dark against the ash backdrop, featuring a lone figure perched atop its roof.A stranger in a gray hoodie and steel blue trousers stood atop its roof, brown rucksack slung over shoulder—their aura intriguing even at a distance.Jean's eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with curiosity, "Who is that?" His gaze tried to pierce the burning veil.No fuel tanks, no weapons, just a civilian. No... He knew something the soldiers didn't.Their eyes fell upon the stranger, a cloak and dagger in the thick of it.The figure's sere gaze swept their way then back to the Titans. Slowly, they raised an arm. Clasped in their hand was an ornate object that reflected the dimming twilight onto the Punisher's spartan sneer.The Titan's white eyes immediately shifted upward, locking onto the stranger, its immense form rigid like stone. The artifact was but a simple pocket mirror, used to trawl in the beast's gaze–but its significance was absolute.The man's lips, peeking from beneath a blonde beard, curled into a grin as a raspy voice whispered, "It's been a long time, Y/N."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I'll kill them all. Every, last, one.
Eren lashed out wildly, his violent titan heaves a manifestation of brewing fury. His punches, aimed at the elusive Punisher, were swallowed by the encroaching ivory haze.A butterfly of daylight fluttered on the Punisher's features, gleaming in the sallow eye–and she paused, knifed limbs locked in defensive poise.Jaeger took the opportunity, hurtling his fist into her chest and sending her skidding.She snapped from her glaze, nails snapping outright as she sought to keep him at arm's length. Pivoting, she whipped to his right–and as he turned, he was met with the rib-shattering blast of her kick. He tumbled back, ramming into the promised gate of Trost.A crack singed the stone guardian's face.Leaning on the gates clasp, he weakly blossomed to his feet and whirled around. Beastly eyes piloted the smoke-crested gloss where not even the silhouettes of buildings stood bleary. His steps, thunderous enough to shake the foundation seemed tragically insignificant as he navigated the snowy ravine.Upon the steeple, the soldiers gagged at the zing on their tongues and ash in their eyes."We're sitting ducks!" Conny yelled, his syllables breaking under coughs.Jean shot a look from Mikasa to Armin, the only two present who seemed to know what they were doing. And yet, their leadership thawed under fear, eyes waging war with the sting in the air.Jaeger trudged mindlessly, swinging his colossal fists through the smoke at every imagined specter. From the milky curtain, a metallic claw emerged. Nails grappled at his titan mane and smashed him into the steeple. The blind soldiers grasped at the tower's dimples, the sound of the building crumbling beneath their feet."We have to move!" Jean shouted, grappling at Armin's uniform. Armin nodded, and the soldiers shot cables into the cloudy abyss hoping fate would deal them a good hand.So they flung into the white void, regrouping atop Trost's walls. There, they could better distinguish the battling titans below. Each of their moves relentless and dire, like a game of chess balancing on the crowns of two queens—the board; humanity.Eren surged forward again and again, lured by the past echoes of the Punisher's assaults. His steps only shelled out more destruction.The gate stood resolute, butting back against his violent heaves. But it would only last so much longer...The Punisher stood between Eren and the gate, baiting him to hail ruination. Its silver claw reached out from the white void and assailed his jaw loose, but he wouldn't lose her this time. He sprinted forward stretching his arms out wide, hoping to capture her in his bullet embrace. Still, all was vain.He smashed his skull to the other side. Denizens and refugees cried in unison at the sight, and it seemed another reckoning was upon them.He dislodged himself from the gate, dazed and angry as the all too familiar gleam of the Punisher's eyes teased him from the distance.With a roar that could wake the dead, he surged forward, his right hand clenched in a fist ready to strike. Yet, a voice pierced through his hex.It was Armin. "Eren!"Abruptly stopping, the force of his chassis cleared a dense plume of smoke, uncovering a townhome ahead with two greenhorn soldiers stationed on its roof.Armin stood alongside Mikasa, their blades glinting in the sun – a reflection that had fooled him earlier. "You're playing into its hands. It wants you to breach the gate!" Eren, momentarily placated, focused on Arlert's voice, oblivious to the looming danger behind him.The Punisher Titan was poised for a lethal strike, her clawed appendage slowly rising.As it lunged, Jean and Conny swooped in, aiming for the scruff. However, the Punisher emitted a blast of scorching wind, repelling them while clearing its cape of smoke.The militants were hurled away from the looming beast, their bodies oared through the air. Conny managed to arrest his fall by shooting a wire toward an adjacent building, but Jean wasn't as fortunate.He landed on a sloping roof, going head over heels down its incline, and stopping just short of meeting his maker. He clung to the asphalt shingles, his knuckles straining under the weight of both himself and his military fittings."Damn it..." Kirstein grumbled, making an effort to pull himself back onto the awning. "I should've spent more time training instead of painting..." A fellow soldier descended onto the roof before Jean.There stood Annie Leonhart, her figure outlined by the sunlight cast on her rear."Annie!" He stammered, reaching his hand out to her.She remained frozen, the silence escorted by the approaching hum of a Titan's footsteps. The grotesque monster advanced from behind Jean, its pudgy, toothy grin looming large.Leonhart's face was a portrait of controlled chaos, eyes wide and lips pursed numb."Annie! Please help me!"Shaken from her trance, the soldier grabbed Jean's hand, hoisting him back onto the roof. Once on his feet, Jean fixed his gaze on the encroaching monster."Shit, it's an abnormal," He huffed, backing up on the tiles. Annie unsheathed her twin blades, ready to confront the Titan directly.But as it swiftly closed the distance, another soldier swooped down like a hawk, delivering a razor-sharp blow that sent a spray of blood into the glacial draft.Marco Bodt darted out from the Titan's rear, his movements possessing a haunting exactness. Landing on the tilted roof, Marco met their eyes with a look unfamiliar on him. His face, painted in the crimson hue of kin, looked strange and empty.Jean approached him, placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Marco..." He paused when his hand was shrugged away. "I'm... I'm so sorry." He murmured, eyes blazing with unshed tears.Marco's puffy eyebags communicated the intensity of his stress in her final moments, his face blotched red from agony."I don't want to hear it," Bodt stated, casting his gaze towards the battling Titans. "I could have saved her if you hadn't stopped me." With that, he catapulted himself into the eye of the storm.In his Titan form, Jaeger surged towards his adversary, his fist raised in anticipation of a powerful strike. But just as he lunged, the beast rapidly diminished in stature, sinking below the soft cloud of haze that blanketed the floor of the vicinage. The surge of smoke momentarily clouded his view, and as he swiped his hand through, the aftermath revealed a vast crater carved into the foundation.The earth trembled, but before he could fully comprehend the crisis, a monstrous force erupted from behind. The Punisher, emerging like a ghoul from the underworld, ensnared his head, claws piercing deep into his crown.Elevating him off the ground, a loud snap welcomed the fracturing of his neck, further debilitating his Titan form. Overwhelmed by excruciating pain, he made a sickly attempt to pry the Punisher's nails away.Within the protective shell of his Titan's nape, Eren gritted his teeth, whispering fervently, "You damn monster," his eyes clenched shut. "I'll make sure you know your place."The Punisher's sinister grin broadened as it began the gruesome task of tearing his skull asunder. The sound of splintering bone was its favorite industrial tune.However, the creature's fiendish pleasure was interrupted by an impending threat. A soldier swooped down, Marco Bodt, leaving an incision across the Punisher's nape. It swiftly covered the wound, allowing the resilient flesh to mend.The strike was accurate, but... lacked depth.As the skin on its neck mended, it grappled with the Herculean task of supporting Eren's weight single-handedly. In an instance, his neck fully snapped. Instead of going limp, his body swung around, head faced away. This unexpected move left the Punisher momentarily spellbound, and in that fleeting pause, her foe plunged fingers deep, like vipers striking, into her eye sockets.Releasing the beast, a deep groan escapes the Punisher's lips. Falling into caliginosity, losing energy drop by drop.Deprived of sight, every sensation the Punisher experienced was magnified tenfold. Trapped in the crushing embrace of the ground, a nearby building cushions her descent. Amidst the jagged remnants of the past prosperity, Eren carved deep into her core, uncovering secrets as exposed as a deity's ribs to the open sky.Within the confines of his Titan, Jaeger echoed the devil's grin.Die, die, die!With each blow he lands on the Punisher, a perverse elation fills him. Seizing her jaw, he wrenches it free, casting it away into the heart of the ward.Amid his onslaught, one of the Punisher's eyes blinks into view.Desperation on full display, it makes a last-ditch effort, grasping at straws by sinking its fingers into Eren's sanctuary. As it peels the protective layer back, Eren's vulnerable form is exposed, cradled within the red sinews of his goliath.With Eren in its sights, the Punisher's fingers splay, poised to snatch him. In a twist of fate, a soldier swooped in, severing its digits before it could ensnare the bounty.Mikasa deftly extracts Jaeger from his cocoon, soaring away from the debilitated monster.The defeated adversary hesitates briefly, knowing of the peeled eyes of military personnel, poised to lash at an authorities word.The titan plunged into Trost's thick mist, sinking into the earth's embrace, narrowly escaping the oncoming soldiers' lethal strike."Damn fucker's underground," a dark-haired soldier grumbled, anchoring himself to an edifice. A red-haired comrade alighted on a neighboring tower, panic written all over her face."Captain Levi, what's our next move?" she inquired, blades goring the cold.His gaze remained on the murky swirl above the creature's latest hiding spot. "Pull back. We've suffered too many losses... And judging by what just happened, our enemy may be fatally wounded."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Near Trost's breach, the ground bulged, and a metallic spine emerged from the cobblestones like a surfacing whale. A disheveled woman burst forth, her form encased in taut muscle. She tore the steaming tissue from her arms and, with wobbly steps, approached the immense stone barrier."Where is it, where is it..." she whispered, trailing a bloodied hand along the wall's grooves—leaning on fatigue as monsters tread in the ambiance. Flower pots tumbled from window sills, scattering a mosaic of clay, soil, and plant-matter.She pressed the side of her head against the wall, feeling her knees buckle under exhaustion.Just as the light began to vanish from her eyes, a resolute grip found her forearm, propping her upright."Stay with me!" A young voice called out from her left. Standing at her side was a young Eldian boy. His hair was strawberry blonde and tousled with waves, eyes a forest green against the dim concord.He carried her weight, guiding Y/N away from the Titans that loomed behind. With every step, her soul spun with gratitude and the blood was waxwork on her tongue.As they moved along, sticking to the wall, a slab shifted, unveiling a small hollow in the concrete's base. In an instance, a hand emerged. It snatched Y/N and yanked her into the dark, returning the stone to its silent guard.In the engulfing twilight, Y/N flailed her arms fearfully.A voice, familiar and comforting, echoed, "Y/N, it's me. It's Bertold."His hands reached out to touch hers, grounding her in the reach of the starless sable."Bertold, I'm bleeding out," she whispered, her strength waning as she slid down the inner wall. "They got me.... I failed....""Okay don't freak out," He voiced, clumsily handling an object in his hand, producing a rhythmic snap against a plane."What are you talking about?" She asked, feeling around the grass floor for his boots.Before Hoover could respond, a pinch of light emerged, dissolving from a brilliant blue to yellow. Faintly, she could see the colossal's blight had left its mark on his face like the ruts of a skeleton."Are you trying to piss me off?" Y/N retorted, eyeing the blaze. Bertold shook his head, moving the match away from his complexion and holding it to his side.Beside the meager flame were red sinews clothing a titanic toe. The light was too weak to capture the entity as a whole, but she knew exactly what lay in the darkness."The fuck is that?" She choked out, surging to her feet. As she straightened, the rival of all pain tore through her side and the taste of blood was odious."It's okay, it's not going to harm us," Hoover interjected, guiding her to lean against the wall. Concern deepened in his eyes as he brought the match closer, radiating on his features. "Focus on me, Y/N. We need to stop the bleeding."As Y/N tried to discern the shape lurking in the shadows, her cohort swiftly bandaged the yawning lesion, wine plasma seeping through with every heartbeat."Are we just ignoring the Titan?" Y/N challenged.Sighing, Bertold snipped a ribbon of gauze. "They're everywhere in these walls, Y/N. They've been here for years. Karl Fritz, a descendent of Ymir put them here as one of his last acts as the founding Titan. And he erased all of the Eldians' memories of..." he trailed off, lost in thought as he watched the red leach through."Sorry." He muttered.She took in the stormless murk of the void. "It's fine... I forget you're a history junky."Silence fell between the warriors as Hoover wrapped her abdomen like a sour gift. Their mission relied on Y/N pulling through, but of course, she was behind the eight-ball, and hadn't relayed her earlier findings to the others....Eren."Jaeger!" She shouted, lurching forward. Bertold paused, meeting her gaze cautiously."He's a shifter." She professed, wide-eyed. "A titan shifter—he's the reason I couldn't follow through.""Do the others know? Y/N you have to tell us this stuff," She winced as he tugged the cloth tight to hush the leak."Shit!" She griped, smacking his hand away. "I have a lot on my plate, and I know what I'm doing... And stop tightening it so much you're going to cut off my damn circulation."Bertold withdrew, kindling another match. The fragile flame cast a delicate glow upon his countenance, unveiling the contour of his face marked by creases of worry. "I'm sorry Y/N...""It's fine. I'm just–exhausted.... Where's Zeke?" Y/N's voice quivered with urgency."He only came to check up on the mission, and drop off supplies," Bertold informed.A pang of throe suffocated her. She'd harbored hope that Zeke had come to unleash them from this hell.She bitterly chewed the inside of her lip. Piece of shit couldn't even bother saying hi...."Does he know about Marcel?""He doesn't," Bertold said. "But that's not our concern right now. We need to get out of here."A wail of pure innocence pierced the silence beyond the abyss. Quickly, Y/N shuffled to peek through the crack Bertold had fashioned to view the open air.Gently ushering the slab a hair away, she stared out into the eye of the tragedy, her gaze capturing the ginger-haired boy, a lone figure ensconced in a shadowed alleyway, tears soaking the sleeves of his rich chestnut cardigan.Hoover's voice appeared from beside her. "Y/N stop. You're torturing yourself," He pleaded, trying to maneuver the plate back into place."Do you ever think about it..?" She began, "The amount of people we've killed on this island?"Slowly, a hand descended from the cursed heavens, fingers splayed to take the trembling youth prisoner.He turned away from the lustrous rift, pinching the arch of his nose. "Yes... All the time."The two warriors were brought back to a day in the early summer after the loss of Wall Maria.Y/N stepped up the wooden porch of the home for displaced children, cradling a bucket of fresh clothes she had washed in the river. Stumbling inside, she moved past the throngs of playing youth, before a tall woman touched her shoulder.Looking up, she met the gaze of Clarie Huber, the official mother of the orphaned children."You should check on Bertold," She said softly, taking the bucket of damp clothes from Y/N's hold. "I'll put these away for you.""He just... seems to be struggling."The young boy sat in the grass, fingers dancing along the gravel. His hands were shaking under the golden rays of noon, droplets of tears daubing his knuckles.His fingers gently crushed the bodies of ants. They were all in a line, blindfully marching to their death by the hands of a boy barley thirteen."Bertold..." Y/N said softly, shielding her hands over the ants.He jolted backward at her intrusion, and quickly wiped the salt from his cheeks.His eyes evaded hers, instead darting to the tall weeds surrounding them. His shoulders were slumped, an irked pout on his face as he ran his sleeves over his wet eyes."What am I doing?" Hoover whispered, looking at the crushed ants in horror. "They're just... innocent creatures."Y/N placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bert, it's okay. You're just overwhelmed."He looked up, his eyes glassy. "Am I? Or am I becoming what they warned us about? Someone who destroys without a thought?" His voice broke as he hunched over his knees, clenching his teeth as the screams came flooding back.Y/N, fighting her own tears, whispered, "You're not becoming anything like that."He could barley speak, each word shook in unison with his sobs. "Every time I close my eyes, I see their faces..."She pulled him into a tight embrace, feeling his body shake with groans. "We find a way to make it right, Bert. We have to find a way."Returning to the pressing reality, sorrow embraced. It was a mark of the countless flames they had extinguished, all in the name of a mission dictated by prejudice and hatred.Pushing the slab even further aside, she watched death unfold. "I want to save people, Bertold."As he turned towards her, the intensity in her gaze was baleful pity. He watched as she stepped into the famished boneyard.With a burst of desperation, he lunged to grasp her, but she evaded him, dancing just out of reach."Y/N!" he cried out.She sprinted towards the boy, forcing him from the looming clutches of the abomination, only to find herself ensnared.Clasping the boy's hand, her fingers gently slid from his tiny palm, a silent: 'thank you.'Massive jaw yawed open, revealing a vessel of darkness; it seemed a twisted Garden of Eden. The Titan's teeth, arranged like macabre piano keys, began their descent.Out of the shadows, with a meld of courage and shimmering steel, a soldier lunged, unleashing a powerful blow upon the creature's wrist. Y/N crashed onto the unforgiving ground, her gaze meeting Hoover's, his blade fractured from the impact."Inside! Move!" he commanded.Without hesitation, they sprinted back into the wall's sanctuary, lugging the slab back into place before the Titan could stick its massive fingers into the crevice.Bertold managed to strike a match, and the small, weak flame cast flickering shadows between their faces."Why the hell did you do that, Y/N?" Bertold snapped, frustration evident in his voice.She met his intense gaze, her face grim but resolute. "I saw a chance to save a life, Bertold. I took it."He threw the match down, which sizzled out upon contact and stomped it out making the expanse dark once more. "They're our enemies! Every reckless move you make, every risk you take — you're not just risking your life but the mission's success and all of our lives too!""But Bert, that was just a child. How can we forget our humanity?"His voice was icy. "Humanity? Our duty is to our people, our mission. Every time you diverge from that, you jeopardize everything."Suddenly, a soft voice called out from beside them. A child's voice broke through their conversation, making both the renegades' hearts throb."Where are we..?" the young boy called out, reaching around and finding Y/N's arm.Bertold gasped, quickly relighting a match and holding it before him. The feeble light illuminated the ginger-haired boy's frightened face, his emerald eyes darting between Bertold and Y/N, seeking reassurance.Y/N's gaze softened instantly, her arms instinctively wrapping protectively around the trembling boy. "It's okay," she whispered, pressing his head gently against her shoulder.Bertold's initial shock morphed into exasperation, a bitter bite to his voice. "You brought him in?!"Y/N met his gaze squarely, defiance evident. "I couldn't leave him out there. Not with... with that."He swallowed hard, the reality of their situation setting in. "We can't protect him. We're not equipped for this, Y/N."She placed her hands over the boy's ears, staring at her comrade. "He's just a child. He can't do much. We can bring him back inside the wall, and never speak of this again.""And how do you expect he won't sell us out?" Bertold snapped, crossing his arms.Y/N held her ground, her voice unwavering. "He's terrified, Bertold. We saved him. If anything, he's more afraid of the Titans than outsiders like us,""You can't guarantee that."She sighed, pulling the boy closer to her. "We have to do what's right, not just what's safe. Can you imagine him out there, alone and scared, surrounded by those monsters?"His eyes flicked to the boy, his expression softening for a split second before the walls went up again. "This isn't just about him. It's about us, it's about Annie, it's about Reiner, It's about Marcel..."The weight of his words hung in the air, a stark reminder of past sacrifices.Y/N responded, her voice quivering with emotion, "I know the stakes, Bertold. Better than anyone. But if our mission means we forget our humanity and sacrifice innocent children, then maybe it's time to rethink why we're doing all of this."The two locked eyes, each gauging the other's resolve. The boy, sensing the tension, clutched Y/N's side tighter, burying his face in her clothes.Bertold let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his black hair in exasperation. "Fine. But if anything happens, if he endangers our mission in any way, it's on you."Y/N nodded, grateful for the small concession. "I understand. Thank you." She withdrew her hands from the boy's ears, warmly smiling down at him."Are you going to take me home?" He asked softly.She ruffled his strawberry waves, speaking to him tenderly. "Yes, we'll do our best."Bertold crouched to his knees, holding the flame below his chin. "What's your name?" He asked quietly.The boy turned, taking in Hoover's features. "Kaizer, Ens."