°•*•̩̩͙°•̩̩͙ •̩̩͙.•̩̩°*•*•̩̩͙°•̩̩͙ •̩̩͙.･•̩̩°*•̩̩͙°•̩̩͙ •̩̩͙.･•̩̩°* •̩̩͙•̩̩͙•̩̩͙*°
❛❛ 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 . . . !
━━━━ PROLOGUE. ❜
・・・「 ୨୧ 」・・・
『 𝐵𝑅𝑂𝐾𝐸𝑁 𝑃𝑅𝑂𝑀𝐼𝑆𝐸𝑆. 』
━━
✩
❛❛ sometimes, things don't go as planned.
even after all the hard work we placed on our fates,
she still managed to betray us. ❜
▃▃▃▃▃
꙳⍣⋆⁑⁂✩⁂⁑⋆⍣꙳
₈₅₄ ; ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅɪꜱ ɪꜱʟᴀɴᴅ.
━
The world was about to shatter. The ground shook violently, cracking open an endless abyss of secrets. With it, the assurance of death became one with the howling of the vicious wind, confessing the reality of what awaited:
The rumbling was now a guarantee; an ugly pledge of what impended.
It became a moment of stretched seconds, seeking to finalize unfinished business in what little time was remaining. It was supposed to be a crucial span without careless breaths, and for [Reader], she was focusing all of her precious time on another comrade, one she had come to see as a special friend.
Annie had continued speaking without blunder, but the sound had gotten drowned out by another loud explosion happening farther down the town. [Reader] only caught a glimpse of her lips moving.
It was frustrating to not be able to hear her at such a close distance, but she still managed to find humor in the situation. She laughed softly, even amidst the disarray of the city. "I could only make out my name and Marley from whatever you said."
Annie's face flushed for a reason [Reader] couldn't decipher, but she dismissed the thought by how alit and orange the surrounding area was becoming. The sky was brewing a storm, and by the wind's low hum and gnarly feel, it was going to be an ugly one. The sky looked like it was about to birth something monstrous.
And no one would be able to get away from it.
It was then that a thunderous explosion sprouted on the sky, the yellow lighting denoting a titan shifter had transformed. More titans were beckoned from the catalyst, following the order of their leader.
"Let's get out of here. We don't have to do this," Annie pleaded. A mixture of fear and nervousness rose in her eyes, something that didn't fit her. It was so out of character, that [Reader] couldn't help but jest.
"C'mon, now, you know that expression doesn't suit you." When her face didn't dim from the worry, she tried again. She placed a hand over her cheek, her thumb tracing the taut lines that shadowed her eyes. "Everything will be alright. I know it will. It somehow always is for us."
"[Reader], I'm not kidding. If something happens to you, I'll beat you up." Annie glared.
"See?" she laughed, "That's more like you."
Annie took her hand from her face but didn't drop it from her hold. "Let's just go to the ship. We don't have to fight... I don't want to fight anymore."
"I know. I know you don't, but I have to. This is what we've been training for since we were kids. We're so close to finally having peace, Annie. I have to do this... With or without you."
Her expression didn't falter from her usual stoic manner, but there was something in the way her eyes dimmed that made [Reader] constrict.
"My only goal has been to return home to my father," Annie said.
"I know," [Reader] agreed.
"It's not my duty to fight the rumbling."
"I know."
"I'm not going to help you out there so you can end up killing yourself."
"I know—"
"Stop saying that!" She finally exploded. Her eyes widened in anger and her face flushed from the surge of emotion. "Stop accepting things as they are! You don't have to do this! Why can't you understand that? This place is going to become a massacre of innocent civilians and titans and you're willingly going into it? You don't have to pretend to be brave when I know you're not."
It was such a rare sight to have her react so strongly to something, but the day was far from standard so it wasn't unexpected. If anything, she would assent it was an abnormally normal reaction.
Once [Reader] recouped her thoughts, she nodded in agreement to everything Annie had said.
"You're right," she muttered, "You're right but I still have to do something, especially when I'm able to."
"Why are—"
"[Reader]," another soldier brashly interrupted. Mina wore a perplexed expression, her wide eyes darting about the two girls. "We, uh, we have to start moving. Things are getting uglier down there."
She directed their gazes to the commotion happening in town, where the Cart Titan had just transformed.
"And it's not only that..." Mina turned around to point towards the pier, where a group of Yeagerists was loading up the main ship. She gasped. "Oh, no nonono— we really have to hurry!"
Panic arose at the sight of the occurrences and how fast it was all coming undone. The walls wouldn't be standing much longer either, as the Founding Titan would soon make an appearance, which would be the trigger of the cracking of the earth. It was of the utmost importance to stop him from transforming.
A low screech sounded from the Cart and Jaw titans fighting together, and [Reader] could have sworn her bones vibrated along with the bellow.
"What were you trying to tell me earlier?" [Reader] blurted through her frenzy, remembering that they hadn't finished their prior conversation.
Annie shook her head in refusal, ignoring her inquiry. "Don't go," she tried again, this time her voice barely audible.
[Reader] also shook her head, desperation threatening to spill from her voice. "What did you want to tell me earlier?" She pressed further, attempting not to focus on the sounds of the artillery going off from below the wall.
"We have to go!" Mina insisted. Another loud explosion went off and she caught hold of [Reader]'s sleeve, tugging it in fear.
"Annie," [Reader] pleaded, "Please."
"I said that we should live—" she suddenly paused, diverting her attention to the town. She shook her head again. "Once this is over, I'll look for you. Wait for me. I'll tell you then— when we're both safe," she promised.
[Reader] couldn't resist but make a promise as well.
"I have to tell you something once this is over too... wait for me." A large swell bloomed painfully inside of her at the hopelessness of the situation. It took her all her will to not choke on her words. Annie noticed and replied for them both.
"I promise I will."
She reached forward to bring her closer, but neither was sure on how to proceed or how to accept the sudden intimacy. How should their goodbye be bid, when neither knew what awaited of their fates?
[Reader] broke the distance, carefully etching her head closer. Her forehead met Annie's with a soft press, her heart thundering at how the imposition was going to be taken. The sensation was short-lived, however, as Annie surprisingly accepted. She welcomed the touch with a caress of her own.
Annie grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwining lazily as if they had all the time in the world. As if time would stop for a moment, endowing their affection. Annie's cool metal ring contrasted nicely with the heat of their hands, their sweaty palms not stalling their progression.
It was such a tender sensation amidst the chaos unraveling around them, that [Reader] almost lost herself to the touch. It wasn't quite a hug, but a trace of it. The initiation of an embrace that wouldn't come.
"Annie—"
A loud blare erupted from the sky, a heavy smoke blanketing the sun. The sky looked like it was about to fall at any moment. The smell of burnt rubber overtook the vicinity, assaulting their senses.
[Reader] cowered by the sound, dropping her hold off Annie in the instant that it transpired.
"Let's go! Please!" Mina beckoned her to follow the orders, pulling on her arm to drag her from the scene. This time, [Reader] didn't fight it, allowing herself to be pulled from Annie. The two of them shared a glance with no further epilogue, as they knew what needed to be done.
It was time to act.
[Reader] bolted from the scene with her fellow partner, going their way to the pier. Hopefully, this would be the last fight for freedom. All she had to do was get through the day and paradise would be guaranteed afterward.
Though, if things could be simplified that easily, there wouldn't be a war happening in the first place.
The two of them hurried to the port, where they would come to meet the rest of the squad. It was a timely matter, as they all had to take down whoever attempted to flee the island in honor of assisting the rumbling.
Once they reached their destination, the two of them were speechless. The pier was empty. There was no one on land, and the ship was starting departure. They were late.
"Fuck!"
"Where are the rest of the crew?"
As soon as she questioned the whereabouts of her comrades, she got her answer.
Mina's feet almost stumbled over a shoe, and once they studied the object closer, they realized it was still attached to a leg. She choked back a shriek at the sighting of the cadaver, staggering back in bewilderment.
"I don't want to... I don't want to die!" she wailed. She sounded like a child begging for her mom to save her. It was horrifying. Amidst her declaration, a whip-like crack burst through the air, the intensity of it deafening. Mina's body slumped from the impact, her chest gushing with bright crimson.
[Reader]'s throat burned as she screamed, but the sound got lost, as she never heard it. She hurried to capture Mina's limp body before her head smashed on the ground, but another shot prevented it. The bullet struck her near the abdomen, smacking her to the ground along with her partner.
She hastily scattered her attention to the surroundings, where another soldier in full gear was monitoring her movements. A Yeagerist— one she recognized, no less.
Floch stood on the edge of the pier with his weapon in hand, surveying how she had taken the bullet. [Reader] was still able to move even with the shell deeply rooted in her abdomen, and she began crawling on the ground to flee.
He positioned his aim over her crouching frame, trying not to chortle at how desperate she looked. Almost like a rodent trying to flee from its evident doom. It was futile.
He repositioned, this time aiming for her head. His finger hovered over the trigger and was about to shoot until she pounced. In a last spurt of energy, [Reader] scurried from the open area and found refuge behind a broken pillar.
She attempted to tame her heartbeat, trying to suppress the urge to vomit. Her ear was numb, still vibrating from how harsh the impact had been earlier— two shotguns at such tight proximity. She was partially deaf to what was unfolding around her, so she muffled a groan when her raw wound caressed the roughness of the cement. The pain made her convulse, the ache spreading to her spine.
In the stillness of the moment, [Reader] managed to collect herself. The gnawing ache of her wound was overbearing, challenging her to attempt and ignore the throbbing of her gut. Her eardrum was no better, the constant ringing making her dizzy and blurring her vision.
She focused on the narrow view she had from behind the boulder, awaiting the moment when he would appear to end her life.
A second passed. Two. Three. There was no sign of Floch.
"Is he gone?" she muttered. She carefully peeked her head through the pillar, studying the pier and how the vessel was no longer in place. "Shit!"
The missing boat became the least of her worries, as she began seeing red. Not in terms of the traitor red-haired boy that was so eagerly trying to kill her earlier, but in terms of the heat. The fire erupted from nowhere, birthing an inferno as it climbed higher.
Like a blanket, the scarlet flames covered the town, the smoke shadowing the sky. It was unbearable, the thick haze choking her with every breath and making it difficult to not grow light-headed.
Is this it? Is this all my life meant?! She grew angry, pushing through the debris in a final attempt to live. "I will survive... I will survive! "
Freedom was promised after the fight. She just had to get through the moment to be released from all restraints. She'd be vowed to a carefree life and the privilege of existing how she desired. She couldn't give up now, not when she had come so far into the struggle.
[Reader] pulled herself with her forearms, burrowing through the dirt with the little strength remaining. She managed to leave the cocoon that had held her earlier, and now she was out in the open. It was a treacherous endeavor, and her weary muscles screamed at her to stop and rest, but she couldn't. It was all for the fight of seeing another day.
The struggle was proving fortuitous until she came in contact with an obstacle. She messily stumbled over Mina's leg, whose body was covered in debris. [Reader] fell face-first onto the ground, a mouthful of sand coating her tongue.
The tumble came with a price, one that would cost her her life.
The fire embraced her limp body, her skin welcoming the touch with a shudder. Her breath labored as the fire ascended, encompassing the whole town in a glowing sea of rubies.
The sight made her shiver, a cold sweat spewing as a second layer of skin. She raked a hand through her sodden face and sensed the dull resistance of a metal ring on her finger. She immediately recognized the owner of the band, her chest sinking at the meaning behind it and at her failure to notice it sooner. She quivered, a silent wail prickling her throat and getting lost in the flames.
The sky mirrored her tearful sentiments, a gentle rain descending. The earth wept from all the horror that had been unleashed in such a short time, its cool droplets keeping [Reader] company as her breathing steadied.
Eternal slumber greeted her with open arms, its sweet whispers lulling her into a perennial dream. The ache and burning pain that was so fervently eating her before were no longer. All she felt was stillness. The world stopped for a second in her honor, and along with it, she found the peacefulness settle.
The promise of eternity placed her in its hold, planting a delicate kiss in her final wake.
𝓅𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔢𝓅𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔢𝓅𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔢𝓅𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔢
•̩̩͙•̩̩͙•̩̩͙*¨*•̩̩͙*¨**¨•̩̩¨**¨*•̩̩͙*¨* •̩̩͙•̩̩͙•̩̩͙
✩