Eren awoke with a start, gasping. A pair of black ravens took off suddenly from the grass, sending blades and bits of flowers flying in the process. He saw Mikasa leaning over him as his eyes focused, narrowing in on her concerned expression. They sat underneath the tree on the lush green hill with the bright, purple campanula flowers and the towering wall in the distance. A gentle breeze blew, billowing the red scarf she always wore.
"Huh, Mikasa?"

"Let's head back."

"What am I doing here?"

She now stood up as a familiar figure approached.
A golden, clover-shaped necklace shimmered in the rays of the sun.
"You're so out of it. Were you sound asleep?" Y/n asked heaving a bundle of sticks on her back.

"No. It's just, I feel like I had a really long dream", Eren confessed. Something didn't feel right.

"What was it about?"

Sitting up, he tried his hardest to remember, desperately clinging on to the hazy, fading remnants of the dream. He could almost see it, but just couldn't put his finger on what was amiss.
"I can't remember..."

Mikasa too lifted her own stack of sticks on her back and turned to face him again.
"Eren, why are you crying?"

Confused, Eren put a finger to his face, dabbing lightly at the tears beading in his eyes. Sunlight shone on his face, enveloping him in a comforting warmth as it illuminated the dancing campanulas.

Crash. Eren was slightly caught off guard as a bunch of sticks fell to the floor with a clatter, scattering in all directions. The rope tied to the carrier on Y/n's back to keep them together had come undone on accident.
"Just my luck", she sighed as Mikasa went over to help her gather.

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As they were approaching summer, the day was warm and sunlit all over Shiganshina, yet it was also mundane, going on as usual. The air was filled with the gentle hum of daily life: People went on about their daily routine, minding their own. Vendors sold their wares and devout Wallists preached their ideas and beliefs to unwilling passerby. It had been a year since the incident at the countryside. As much of a traumatic experience as it was for the three, they had no choice but to move on with life as normal.

Mikasa settled in with the Jägers well and quickly felt very at home, especially when sharing a room with Y/n, who showed her much compassion. They became close like the sisters they never had. She spent most of her time with Y/n, Eren and Armin and took on a more protective role when either one of them got into trouble like an older sibling.

Y/n was very shaken for a while after the whole ordeal, struggling with her morales internally. She vowed to never go on a work trip again and pursued her passion for medicine at home with books instead.
For Eren though, not much changed. He didn't seem to be as affected as the other two girls. Once, Y/n asked him if he also felt as conflicted as she did, which he negated without hesitation. And why should he? It was completely justified and an act of self-defense.

On their way back home, they crossed the river that ran through Shiganshina via a bridge that lead through an archway. The emblem of Maria was gazing at them from above on the bricks of the arch.
"Don't tell anyone I was crying", Eren said.

"We won't. But if you're crying for no reason, why not have your dad check you over?" Mikasa suggested.

"No way! I can't tell my dad about it."

"Stubborn as usual. Someday you're gonna get sick with a deadly disease and you'll brush it off as a small cold because of your pride", Y/n added as they made it in beneath the archway.

"What are you crying over, Eren?" A blond soldier with a flushed face approached.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hannes," Y/n perked up, always delighted to see the funny soldier.

"Did Mikasa get mad at you for something? Or did Y/n scold you again?"

"Why would that make me cry? And you stink of alcohol!"

"Don't lie, Eren. Just yesterday you cried when I told you off for eating my sweets."

Chuckling, Hannes looked over to the group of his fellow soldiers sitting on crates and laughing over ale and a game of cards.

"You're all drinking again?" Eren said with a look of concern mixed with disappointment.

"Why don't you join us?"

"Um, but don't you have work?"

"Yeah, we're guarding the gate today. We spend all day here so we eventually get hungry and thirsty. And well... it ain't too big of a problem if some of us drink a little ale."

Eren was irritated.
"Can you fight like that when you have to?"

"When we have to? When would we-"

"When else?! When they breach the walls and enter the city!"

"Eren! Keep it down", Y/n yelled in a hush voice, always having to keep her brother in line. To her relief, no one seemed to have heard.

"The doctor's son is pretty lively today", a soldier got up now, laughing, and walked over.
"If they ever do breach the walls, we'll do our jobs. But that hasn't happened yet for a hundred years."

"But my dad says you're in the most danger when you lower your guard!"

"Dr. Jäger, huh? Well he's right about that. He once saved the whole city from an epidemic. We owe him more than we could ever repay him."

It's true. Y/n had heard the story countless times, and each time with awe and admiration for her father. He inspired her. Like he did, she too wanted to leave a lasting impact, to make a difference in someone's life for the better. It's why she worked so hard for her dream. She sometimes studied well into the late hours of the night despite being told off by her mom for losing sleep.

"Up on the wall when we do repairs, we can sometimes see them roaming around outside. The walls are 50-meters high though and they can do nothing."

"So you're not actually prepared to fight them?"

"Nope."

"Huh?! Then stop calling yourselves the Garrison and become the Wall Repair Corps!"

At that Y/n had to hide a smile. Even if her brother was whiny and annoying, his jabs could sometimes be funny.

"I honestly wouldn't mind that... But listen Eren, if we're fighting that means it's bad. As long as we get laughed at and everyone calls us useless freeloaders, that just means we're safe."

Eren balled up his fists with a determined expression.

"Even if we can never leave these walls for our entire lives.. as long as we eat and sleep, we'll survive. But that makes us just like cattle!"

That sobered up Hannes quick. While his friends laughed it off, not taking Eren seriously, Hannes looked rather concerned and slightly taken aback.
Before he could do anything, the three walked off.

୨﹒˖˚──﹕♡﹕──˚˖﹒୧

Almost home now, Mikasa spoke up: "Eren, you should stop considering joining the Survey Corps."

"What, you're telling me they're stupid too?"

"You can't actually be serious. I always thought it was a phase and you were only joking about that", Y/n interjected.

"Can you stop with that? I never have and I always-"
He was interrupted by the ringing of the town bells, signaling the arrival of the Survey Corps.
Eren's mood lifted almost immediately.

"They're here, the heroes are back. Let's go!" He grabbed Mikasa's hand and took off. Y/n only sighed as she had no choice but to go after them.

Navigating through the crowd of many curious onlookers and still being very short, they stood up on crates to catch the view: At the head of the line rode a stern looking man with thick eyebrows. Eren flashed him a wide grin, which caught his attention, before he quickly turned away and hid his face. His smile faltered in confusion before he looked to his left.

A heavy silence settled over the crowd as countless tired and battered soldiers trudged along, each step was a struggle as exhaustion weighed heavily on their shoulders. Men and women limped and staggered, their uniforms with the Wings of Freedom emblem caked with mud and grime and their faces gaunt and hollow-eyed, etched with horror.
Some carried their comrades to assist their march, while others, missing an eye, a leg or an arm clutched at their own wounds. Their blood seeped through tattered bandages and the heavily injured had to be transported on carts.

Y/n looked on and held her breath, feeling empty inside; the soldiers looked defeated, haunted by memories of fallen friends or the brutality of what they went through. Worst of all, hope too seemed a distant memory.

"These are all that made it back?"

"The others must have gotten eaten by titans."

"That's what happens when you go outside the walls."

Voices from the crowd murmured with disdain and disappointment, almost annoyed the soldiers came back at all.

"Moses, Moses!" A woman called stepping forward.
"Um, my son, Moses... I don't see him. Where is he?"
She pleaded gripping the green cloak of the commander in charge of the mission.

"This is Moses' mother. Bring it."

The crowd watched with intrigue as the woman looked mortified, now carrying the weighted cloth in her hands as petrifying realization settled in. She unwrapped it before quickly covering it again with a gasp. It was her son's decaying arm.
The woman let out strangled cries and she began to weep in distress. Y/n shuddered with anguish in her heart while Mikasa and Eren looked just as sorrowful as the mother fell to the ground holding the arm tightly to her chest. She did not want to let her son go.

"That was all we managed to retrieve."
He lowered himself to the level of the woman.

"But my son... he helped right?" Tears streamed down her face as she stared blankly into the distance in a moment of despairing reflection.

The woman was desperate to convince herself that his death wasn't in vain. That she didn't send him off to die for nothing and that his death weighed with meaning.
"Even if he didn't' do anything directly... my son contributed to humanity. He fought back didn't he?!" She yelled at the man's face in an attempt to make her words clear to her subconscious.

A gust of wind spiraled upward, lifting dust and leaves as small debris swirled in the current, creating a gritty, stinging sensation in Y/n's eyes. She squinted to keep the irritation at bay.

"Of course!" The commander replied on instinct without dwelling on the thought to offer solace. His words however hovered in the air, feeling empty and lacking genuine meaning like he thought they would.
The stark truth loomed over the man, casting a shadow. He couldn't lie to himself and the people anymore.
"No. Our recon this time didn't... No, we never...", his voice broke with soul-crushing reality. The other soldiers gazed down sharing the same thoughts.
"We never learn a thing! It's my fault. My own incompetence killed our men! And we still don't even know what they are!"
The commander himself broke down, shutting his eyes tight; he didn't have it in his heart to face the woman.

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By now nearly all the soldiers of the Survey Corps had left, yet most of the crowd remained, commenting on their return.
"What a mess."

"You've got that right", another man replied.

"It's like our taxes all go to fatten them up-"

Thump. His bald head was met with the strike of a stick.
"What are you doing, stupid brat?"

A furious Eren held his stick high over his head, preparing to strike again before Mikasa and Y/n dragged him back behind a house.

୨﹒˖˚──﹕♡﹕──˚˖﹒୧

"You two can let go now!"

Mikasa did just that — by throwing him against a brick wall. The sticks in his carrier scattered across the ground in all directions.

"What was that for? The firewood spilled everywhere!"

"Deserved", Y/n remarked disapprovingly.

"Eren, do you still want to join the Survey Corps?"
Mikasa asked with a serious tone, staring Eren down intimidatingly.

He ignored her question. There was no need for an answer. She knew it just as much as he did. He turned back to his sister.
"Help me pick these up."

"There aren't even enough sticks to bother."

୨﹒˖˚──﹕♡﹕──˚˖﹒୧

They were nearly home now. Y/n, Eren and Mikasa carried the firewood on their backs past a tree up the stone steps leading through their neighborhood. The many, tightly-packed houses stood tall on the rugged path.
"We're back", Eren opened the door before stepping inside with the other two following behind. The familiar warmth of the kitchen enveloped them, easing the weight of the world outside.
Carla was the first to greet them at the stove, ladle in hand cooking lunch as the carcasses of a rabbit and goose hung from the window.
Grisha was sat at the dining table scribbling something in his journal looking over at the children with a warm smile.

Eren and Y/n dumped their piles into the wooden firewood chest while Mikasa boiled a kettle nearby. Carla approached them with a teasing smirk.
"Wow, Eren. You actually worked hard for a change."

"Yeah.." He glanced to the side, trying to conceal the lie in his eyes.

With a knowing, mischievous look, Carla playfully yanked his ear. It seemed daughter took after mother.

"Oww!" Eren pulled away in retaliation, clutching his ear as it stung.

"Your ear turned red, that means you're lying."

Leaning in with a devilish glint in her eye, Y/n chimed in."Oh he definitely is", a grin spread across her face, eager to stir up trouble.

"Mikasa and Y/n helped you, didn't they?"

"Mom, you can't just judge me for something like that! Y/n barely helps with anything either, like now. It should be her helping you cook instead of Mikasa", he replied, offending his sister.

"That's a different story. If Y/n helped with the cooking, we wouldn't have a house anymore."

Her mouth was now agape and words caught in her throat, absolutely appalled at the personal attacks.

"Alright, that does it", Grisha  said packing up his things as he stood from the table.

"You going somewhere, dad? Work?" Eren asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm going inland to see patients."

As Carla and Mikasa finished preparing the food, Y/n
set the table before taking a seat next to her twin.
"How long will you be away?"

"Probably for two or three days", none were aware he lied through his teeth. Grisha snapped his suitcase shut.

She hummed in response as Carla and Mikasa came over with a basket of bread and a pot of stew, pouring some in a bowl for everyone before taking a seat as well. The rich aroma of the stew mingled with the freshly baked bread.

But the warmth filling the kitchen suddenly dissipated with Mikasa's announcement. "Eren says he wants to join the Survey Corps", she gazed down at her bowl.

Carla snapped her head in disbelief with a gasp while Grisha inhaled sharply, soaking up her words as tensioned thickened the air around them. Y/n observed in silence, chewing her food.

Eren's voice trembled with frustration as he shouted, "M-Mikasa, I told you not to tell them!", he slammed his hand on the table in betrayal.

"Eren! What are you thinking?!" Carla strode over to grab him by his shoulders. "Do you have any idea how many people have died outside the walls?"

"I do!"

"In that case-"

"Eren."

Everyone looked over at Grisha now.

"Why do you want to go outside the walls?"

"I want to know what it's like out there. I don't want to spend my life inside the walls, not knowing anything! Also, if no one carries on their work, all the casualties till now will have been in vain!"

"I see", Grisha looked up in understanding.
"The ship is waiting. I have to get going now."

"Dear, wait, you need to talk to Eren!"

"Carla, human curiosity is not something you can restrain with a lecture. Eren," he called to his son.
"When I get back, I'll show you what I've kept secret in the basement all this time", he pulled out the glinting key around his neck from under his coat.

The basement. The one place no one was allowed to enter, no one but Grisha himself. Many times Eren and Y/n tried to sneak in over the years. Their attempts however were proven to be futile as they were caught by their mother and given a scolding each time. It was dangerous to go in because in there their father's medicine and surgical tools were stored, or at least that's what they told them. But she wasn't stupid, she knew there was something much deeper, something desperately kept shrouded in mystery for whatever reason. And now the time had come when the mystery would lift, and the contents of the basement would come to light: Maybe it was a treasure trove stashed with gold and all the jewels in the world. A secret  laboratory filled with strange experiments and potions, perhaps? Or maybe it was a hidden passageway leading to another world. Y/n envisioned the possibilities in excitement. The answers were all in that key.

"And Y/n..", Grisha shoved the key back under his coat.

"Huh?" She was jolted back from her thoughts.

"You've come of age and are old enough to know. There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time now and have waited for the right moment to tell you. Well, I think that time has come and you'll find out soon when I return."

This knocked the wind out of her. She stared at her father now perplexed, not expecting this from him at all. His words hung in the air and her heart raced.
'Huh? What did he mean by that? Does he really think he can leave me hanging like that?'

Before Y/n could even begin to formulate a sentence, Grisha was already bidding his family farewell and taking his leave while the others stepped outside.

"Bye, dad!" Eren called.

She too pushed back her chair to see her father one last time, maybe even ask for clarification. But as she opened her mouth to speak, no sound came out and he was already too far away. A sense of unease settled in her stomach, twisting like a knot. What secrets would she discover when he came back?

Carla then turned to her son, her tone firm.
"I won't let you. Joining the Survey Corps? Don't be stupid."

Eren's eyes widened in disbelief. "Stupid, huh?! I think people who're fine being cattle are way more stupid!" And with that he ran off fuming with indignation.

"Eren!" She called after him but he was already gone.
Sighing in defeat, Carla gave up and turned to the girls.
"Mikasa, Y/n, sometimes he doesn't think things through. When you're in trouble, you must help one another. Promise me, alright?"

Y/n studied her mother's expression, noting the concern in her eyes. She wanted to relieve her mother of her worry, so she reassured her, "Of course. We promise, Mom."

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Meanwhile in another part of town...

"What's wrong, heretic?"

His back slammed against the cold brick wall hard. The bully held his collar tightly, sneering. Trapped in a secluded neighborhood, it was clear nobody could come to his rescue now.

"If you don't like it, fight back!"

Reaching for the bully's hand to ease his grip, Armin managed draw in a shaky breath, "No way. That would bring me down to your level!"

His smug smirk faltered, "What'd you say, you little shit?"

"You know what I said is true. That's why you're hitting me instead of arguing."

Looming over him, the bully's face contorted with menacing anger. Even his friends had to take a step back, not knowing what he'd do.

"Doesn't that mean you admit I win?"

"Shut your damn mouth!" He lifted a fist in the air before suddenly being interrupted.

"Stop it!"

Their heads turned towards the source of the voice.
"It's Jäger! The fool's back."

"He wants to get his ass kicked again?"

Eren sprinted as fast as his legs would take him with Y/n and Mikasa following closely behind, his determination unwavering.

"Wait, M-Mikasa's with him too!" One of them cowered.

"I-It's not worth it, let's get out of here!"

Just as the trio made it, the bullies had already fled, not wanting a broken nose or a black eye.

Eren came to a halt, feeling proud of himself, "Huh, they ran when they saw me!"

"Actually, they ran when they saw Mikasa", Y/n corrected, earning a slight chuckle from Mikasa. Her gaze then shifted to Armin, who struggled to stand, before hurrying over to help him.
"Easy there, Armin. Where are you hurt? Shall I get an ice pack from home?"

Armin ignored her helping hand. He appreciated her concern, he always did. But he also felt bad, bad about himself and his own weakness, about his dependency on always needing saving.
"It's fine, I can stand on my own", not daring to meet her discerning, e/c eyes.

She furrowed her brow, her mouth forming a gentle frown. "Right."

Afterwards, the four of them, eager to get away from the suffocating alley, strolled to the riverwalk of Shiganshina. It was their usual hangout spot. The sun hung low, casting a golden glow over their town. Vendors sold the last of their goods and the people retreated to their homes. What was once a bustling waterfront promenade felt much quieter now.

Sitting on the steps near the river, Armin recounted his run-in with the bullies as Y/n, Eren and Mikasa listened intently.
"So I said humanity should go out in the world someday. And they hit me and called me a heretic."

"Damn it," Eren exclaimed, frustration boiling over as he threw a rock into the water from a ledge. "Why does everyone act like you're crazy if you want to go outside?"

"Because staying within the walls has brought peace for a hundred years. They're afraid that if many of us venture out, we'll risk letting them in", Y/n tried to rationalize the ideas of the people who had grown too comfortable within the walls. Just how long would they last though?

"That's why the royal government declared any interest in the outside world taboo. Even my grandfather could get arrested just for the books he owns." Armin added with a pensive expression.

"That's our lives we're risking, so it's our business!"

"You can't," Mikasa interjected.
"No."

"Come to think of it, why did you snitch to my parents? Didn't you promise you wouldn't tell?" He didn't forget her betrayal.

"I remember no such thing."

Armin leaned in with curiosity, "How did that go?"

"Well... they weren't happy."

"No kidding. Do you know how much you worried our poor mother, Eren?" Y/n retorted, crossing her arms with much irritation at his foolishness.

"That's why I didn't want her to find out", and he shot a blaming glare at Mikasa.

A chilling breeze rustled the leaves on the ground, catching them in a swirling current as the clouds drifted westward in the vast expanse of the fading daytime sky.

"Eren, I agree with you. I wonder about those who think staying inside the walls will protect us forever."
Finally, Armin was the one person supporting Eren's opinions.
"Just because the walls haven't been breached in a hundred years, doesn't mean they won't be... say, breached today."

His unsettling words sent a foreboding shiver down  Y/n's spine. As much as she wanted to explore the world outside of the walls too, she didn't want to think about that terrible scenario. Especially not the consequences of such a thing happening.

For a moment they sat in silence, pondering what Armin was saying. In that moment it was as if time stood still, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The gentle hum of townsfolk was mere background noise.

Crash. In an instant the sky split open with a blinding yellow flash, a jagged bolt of lightning descending with overwhelming ferocity. The air crackled, charged with pure energy as a deafening thunderclap erupted, reverberating like a cannon shot. The sound; it was unforgettable and ear-piercing.
The intense explosion sent a shockwave rippling through Y/n, her body jolted. The force of the blast sent the four of them soaring, momentarily in the air before crashing back down to the unforgivable, concrete ground.

Debris scattered everywhere and the ground trembled beneath them with a terrible force. Their ears rung and it felt as if their heads were about to explode as they slowly picked themselves back up, disoriented and gasping. Y/n, kneeling on the ground, watched as a red liquid dropped to the floor. It was her blood, trickling down from her temple.

Then it stopped. In this momentary stillness, Eren dared to ask, "What was that? An explosion?", they looked over to the wall.

People came running, trying to get a closer look.
"Over there!"

"I think something fell from the sky!"

Finally up now, Mikasa noticed the cut on her best friend's head. "Y/n, you're bleeding, we need to get you help."

"No, I'm fine, it's just a cut," Y/n's voice was shaky in shock. She couldn't even process the pain as adrenaline coursed through her.

"You literally cracked your head open, how is that fine?!"

Armin, in a dazed state, didn't wait any longer and took off all of a sudden. His companions called in unison and went after him, "Armin, wait up!"

"What's wrong? What can you see?"

Then Eren saw it too, mortified. They all stood in petrifying silence as a huge cloud of hot steam rose into the air.
A red, skinless, giant hand gripped the edge of the wall, crumbling and cracking it as if it were nothing.

"No way... That wall, it's 50-meters high," Armin looked up in disbelief.

Eren didn't seem to hear him as his eyes widened when a large, threatening shadow loomed over the crowd. His heart nearly stopped and his gaze was locked on the nightmarish sight before him: A grisly, grotesquely humongous head peaked over the wall as more steam emitted from its face. The few bits of skin stretched tightly over massive muscles, giving it an unsettling, skeletal appearance and its mouth was wide, stretching from ear to ear, revealing a row of giant, yellow teeth. The most horrifying were its eyes; sunken and hollow, filled with unnatural hunger. They were a deep soulless abyss, devoid of any emotion. Its brow was heavy and pronounced, casting a dark shadow over its menacing gaze.

"It's a titan!"

And slowly it began to move, the people were unsure of  what it would do next before a deafening, cataclysmic crack echoed through the air. Debris immediately exploded outward as the gate with the emblem of Maria broken open. Huge chunks of stone and dust flew in every direction and the ground quaked violently. People were sent flying off their feet as if they weighed nothing. Only trees rooted to the ground remained standing.
As the shockwave surged through the very foundations of Shiganshina, houses and buildings, once sturdy and proud, crumbled like sandcastles under the sheer force of impact. Roofs caved in and windows shattered, the shards of glass rained on the panicked townspeople trying to escape.
The tremors sent through the town uprooted cobblestone like deadly shrapnel and rogue boulders were launched at the screaming people, hurling before brutally crushing them with a bloody splat. Their view was obstructed as a heavy cloud of thick dust settled over them.

Shiganshina, the once lively Shiganshina, their home, was now in ruin and chaos. People scrambled away, desperately trying to find missing loved ones.
A boulder was thrown in Y/n and Eren's direction, missing them by mere inches as they ducked, covering their heads. When she lowered her arms and opened her eyes once more, Y/n felt the ground shake with smaller yet thunderous steps.

It wasn't the rocks showering over them.

They were disgustingly grotesque; the titans emerged from the dust, invading their town from the now open wall. Their wide, disturbing smiles sent chills all down her spine. In a fright, the crowd dispersed, screeching with raw fear, barely outrunning their approaching demise.

"It's them!"

"The titans are getting inside!"

'This isn't real, this can't be real. This is not happening,' Y/n was paralyzed in fear, she felt as though she were dreaming.

"Our house is over there..." She murmured to herself

"We have to evacuate now," Armin yelled to grab their attention. "Eren!"

But it was already too late. Eren had grabbed his sister's arm and bolted. "Y/n, we have to go. Mom's still at home!"
Mikasa ran after them, a gasp escaping her lips as the crushing realization hit her.

Armin called out to her, yet he remained rooted to his spot in fear, his hand trembled, unable to keep himself calm.
"It's all over..."

୨﹒˖˚──﹕♡﹕──˚˖﹒୧

This felt familiar. The twins were panting as they sprinted through rubble and the corpses crushed by falling rocks. A look of worry and anxiousness washed over Eren's face with his sister's wrist held tightly in his hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran, nearly colliding with other evacuees. They were going to save someone again — this time their mother.
"Nothing hit my house," Eren convinced himself. "Once I turn that corner, my house will still be there!"

And turn that corner they did, though reality shattered his hope. Their home lay in ruin,  surrounded by the remnants of what once made up its walls. Only the tiled roof remained sitting atop the devastation.
Eren's breath hitched and Y/n's anguished cry pierced the air as they raced up the stone steps with urgency, a stark contrast to the peaceful ascent they made just hours before to deliver firewood.

"MOM!"

"MOM!" Carla fluttered open her eyes at the nearing voices of her children. Battered and exhausted, her lower body was trapped beneath the detrimental mass of the roof.
Y/n was certainly alert now. She hurried over to her mother, concern tugging at her heart, "Mom, it's okay, we'll get you out of here. Mikasa, grab that side! Eren, help me lift the other."

"We have to get this off her!"

They pushed with all their might, grunting with determination and gritting their teeth, but it just wouldn't budge.

Thud. Loud steps reverberated through the smoky streets. They were here. Y/n's stomach dropped as a certain, blond titan took notice of her. It stomped in their direction, shaking the ground with every step. A wide, ominous grin was plastered over its disturbing face. Swallowing hard, she turned her attention back to her mother. Now wasn't the time to be afraid.

Eren and Mikasa continued their attempt to pry Carla out with their bare hands while she scanned her surroundings, looking for something to lift the heavy slab. No luck. And the titan was closing in fast.
'This is so hopeless. Think, think, think." She shut her eyes, desperate to find a solution, anything to get her mother out of this mess.

"The titans are inside, aren't they?" Carla asked with a low voice.
"You have to get moving. Run to safety, now!"

"I do want to run, so hurry and get out of here!" Eren yelled back through gritted teeth. His back throbbed with his spine being overworked. But he couldn't just stop.

"My legs were crushed by the rubble. Even if you manage to pull me out, I can't run."

The gravity of the situation crashed down on Y/n, her stomach twisted in a knot and tears threatened her eyes now as her mouth dropped in horror.

"Then we'll carry you!" She countered. "We'll carry you to safety and I can treat your injuries-"

"Y/n listen to me!" Carla snapped, her own tears welling up. "Don't you remember what you promised me? You and Mikasa?"

Mikasa hung her head low, whimpering. Sorrow gripped at her heart more and more with every sniffle.

"You promised me you, Eren and Mikasa would take care of each other. So honor your commitment and follow through!"

The force of the stomps drummed in their ears now. It was so close. Y/n broke down, her body trembled as a sob escaped her mouth — a low guttural sound from deep within. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. A raw, unfiltered wail tore from her throat as tears streamed down her face like a river. Her choked cries came in stuttering gasps, making it difficult to breathe. "Every problem has a solution, mom. Every problem has a solution. Please..."

Just then, like a prayer was answered, the sharp sound of a metallic snap cut through the air.
"Hannes!" Carla called, flooded with overwhelming relief. Her breath steadied, "Take the kids and run!"

Hannes reassured her with a small smile, "Don't underestimate me Carla. I'll kill the damn thing and save you all!" And he was off again to face the fast approaching titan, drawing his sword.

"See, mom? Hannes will save us and we'll pull you out," Eren breathed frantically, his tears glistening his face. Pushing at the roof again, he tore his fingers into the wood.

"Why don't you ever listen to me? At least listen just this one last time! You three should have left by now."

Eren was suddenly lifted into the air and slumped over a solider. "Wait, Hannes! What are you doing?!"
Hannes couldn't do it, he failed. He couldn't kill it and he wasn't sure if he could live with himself anymore with that.

He picked up a grief-stricken Mikasa to her feet before moving over to Y/n and grabbing her under his arm. She repeatedly hit at his side, crying uncontrollably. "Put me down, I can't leave my mom!"
Wasting no time at all, he darted to the streets determined, leaving the titan behind in the far distance.
His jaw tensed, "I'm so sorry."

Kicking his feet, a loud scream erupted from Eren's throat, his vision blurred as a wave of fresh tears hit him. He desperately pleaded to be released, the anguish stabbed at his heart like a knife.
"My mom is still back there!"

With a final, earth-shaking stomp, the smiling titan now hovered over Carla. Eren gasped in dread as he watched it lift the roof with ease. The very thing they struggled with, the very thing that stood between his mother's escape, was removed just like that. He shuddered at the nightmarish blend of power and horror the titan carried. Just what would it do to his mom?

Y/n could only watch, wide-eyed and helpless, as the creature picked up her mother like she was nothing with both hands. There was that lack of sensation again; her mind was blank and she felt empty. Nothing but despair.
"Stop!" Eren's screech rang through the air. She could feel the pain in his voice, it prickled her skin in a cold sweat.

Then came the familiar stretch of time. It slowed down as the titan brought her struggling mother closer and closer to its face. Carla kicked and punched at its hand, but it was no use.

Then, a deafening crack. The titan snapped her in half, breaking her back and killing her instantly.

While every muscle in Eren's body froze, remaining wide-eyed in shock, Y/n shut her eyes tight, whimpering into the palm of her hand as fresh tears gripped her. The sound was visceral, she could feel it crawl on her skin, sickening her.
'This is just a cruel dream. It's not actually real. When I open my eyes, I'll wake up in my bed'

When she finally opened them again, the smiling titan shoved her mother's lifeless form between its row of teeth and bit down with a gut-wrenching splat. Y/n's breath hitched.

Blood soared through the air like gleaming, crimson jewels — the droplets rained down on them, leaving a red trail on the ground.

With his mouth agape, Eren's expression darkened as he was carried further and further away from his mother.
This — this would be the last time he would see her, eaten alive by those inhumane monsters.

On that day, they remembered — they would never forget — ever — how their mother, their home, their life was stripped from them in an instant. How their hope was stolen and how their very souls were crushed.

It was burnt into their memories now, ingrained. This decisive moment would always drive the twins in their lives from now on, pushing each to achieve their own, very different goals.

Who knows what fate had in store for them.

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