The world was engulfed in shadows and dread, fearful for those wild, wolf-like beasts that spilled the blood of their brothers and sisters.

The hunters could barely assure humanity's survival by fighting against these savage animals, yet everything was right about to change, whether for better or for worse, depending on a young girl called |Y/N|.

And the triangle of love she had gotten herself into, between Eren Yeager, the one that carried the incredible power to transform into one of them, and Levi Ackerman, the humanity's strongest hunter in all history, only made things a lot more complicated for her.

I – Shiganshina's Attack

There were once times in which I once truly believed that there was good inside everyone's heart. Times that were filled with blind joy, and blissful laughter; where I had no care in the world, nor its dark cruelty.

And only did I realize how naïve of my part it was when I was forced to witness one of the beasts I have been continuously warned about in the past tear open my father's chest, and devour his insides savagely enough to spread his very blood on my trembling form, and walls of what once was my safe, sweet home.

To say that I was terrified to my very bones was not enough to describe what I was feeling at that moment, an excruciating pain twisting my stomach in disgust and dread as a silent scream tore at my throat. How the sound of its fangs tearing through my once father's flesh reached my ears as my wide gaze locked itself upon the empty of my father, tears traveling down my cheeks as the realization of him being dead hit me like a thunder in my very core.

A small, soft sob was enough to alert the creature of my presence, its bloodied jaw immediately snapping towards my direction, my knees feeling weak as my gaze now locked itself on the pitch, black of its own wild.
The more I tried to stay still, the more it seemed my body trembled. The blankness that engulfed my mind thoroughly seemed to even stop my breathing, yet it didn't seem to care.

I wanted to run away from that being, I wanted to scream until my throat was sore, yet I did not dare. Not even as the creature started to predatorily move towards my form, soft yet hostile growls erupting from its snout.

"|Y/N|!" The sound of the call of my name forced my head to turn towards my mother, who pleaded at me with glassy eyes as she reached out the knife at the beast, launching herself in a flash as the knife plunged inside the animal's fur, and body, the beast howling out in fury and pain, throwing the body of my mother to the wall with incredible force.

"Mother!" My voice shrieked with a raspy tone, my eyes staring at her with concern as my feet took small steps towards her form, but immediately stopped at her sudden shouts. "Run! Now!"

"Bu-But…"

"NOW!"

My feet did not doubt as they dashed out the burning house, my mind barely registering the screams of pain from my mother as they mixed with other people's screams in a chaotic, haunting melody of agony. The streets were filled with panicked people that ran for their lives, fire devouring upon the wooden houses of what once was the town of Shiganshina. Blood covered the stones, and limbs decorated the sinister sight, as my breathing became shallow from shock and fear.

"Help! Please! My mother!" I soon started pleading to the fleeing group of people for help, my heart racing in my chest as the people pushed me harshly, not even bothering to glance at me, my back colliding with the ground as some jumped over me, and some almost stepped over me. I immediately struggled, and rolled away from the wild crowd, my body trembling with adrenaline as I stared at the group of people that continued to flee in an ultimate try to get away from the monsters that were close in their tail.

"Armin!" I exclaimed in disbelief, and hope, my eyes flashing relief as I caught the sight of his figure, who was pushing through the group of panicked people. His blue irises soon caught mine, his face brightening up as soon as he caught the sight of mine. "|Y/N|!"

We ran towards one another, our bodies colliding with the other as we joined an emotional hug, my arms holding him tightly as tears started to spill once again, my head soon turning towards his own. "Please, Armin! You've got to help me! My mother –"

"We need to go, |Y/N|! My grandfather is waiting for us at the ship!"

"But my mother –"

We were soon both interrupted as the horns of alarm echoed down the entire city, followed by the howls of the beasts that were to reach towards us if we were to stay there. "Come on, |Y/N|!"

I was soon pulled by my hand from Armin, our forms dodging and running through the large group of screaming people as my mind could barely register the happenings of it all, the horns never ceasing as they cut through the sound of desperate, painful screams of those who have fell on the claws of the animals behind us.

The ship soon caught my eye sight, people riding the wooden transport quickly as others jumped to the water, and started swimming in hopes of getting away from the chaos, risk of death. The grandfather of Armin let us through the crowd, my feet tripping as I followed Armin inside the large ship, his grandfather always at our side, watching the people plead others to let them in, and others scream in uncontrolled panic, trying to reach the entrance through hostile attacks to guards. People as well begged for their children to have a place in the ship, and others jumped to the edge of the ship, trying to reach the wooden planks in failed attempts as they gave a big splash through the water.

At the time the ship was on its way through the water, out of the chaotic city, those animals had already reached the front lines, and were already feasting themselves upon the people that stayed behind, their screams becoming a distant, but haunting echo the more we distanced ourselves from the docks.

Tears soon poured down the dried ones in my cheeks, my jaw tightening as I recalled the wolf that had devoured my entire family. How could I have just stood there?

Have they died because of me?

"I'm gonna destroy them! Every last one of those animals that's on this earth!" A low, dangerous growl reached my ears, my swollen eyes landing on a boy that stood beside me, his knuckles turning white from the strong grip he held on the wooden edge of the ship, his glassy, aqua eyes glaring at the distant city as his trembling body forced my breath to become stuck in my throat. I recognized him, I did; his name was Eren, one boy who I had a small, secret crush on, and who now seems to be almost as broken as I do.

Everyone seemed to be as broken as we did.

His aqua eyes that reflected a fire that quite intimidated me somehow soon turned to my own, my lips parting softly as we continued to stare at each other, each of us absorbing the storm of emotions that was reflected through the window of our glassy pupils.

Without being able to take it any longer, a sob escaped my numb throat as I launched myself towards his form, and hugged his warm body tightly to mine, my chest shaking as I sobbed in his shirt, and soon enough, I felt him embracing my shaken form tightly, almost as tight as to hurt, but I did not care. We cried into each other our loss, and pain, and gained strength from every second we were more away from the city that we once called home.

2 years later

"Eren!" I ran to the three that I now called my family: Eren, Mikasa and Armin. Through the last year, after we lost the city of Shiganshina to the werewolves, and we were established in a refugee center in the town of Trost, where we were told to work on landfills, we had all grown into each other as a result of not having anyone left for us to call family. After Armin's grandfather's death, the decision was soon to be made: we were all going to fight against what had torn our family apart and away, the werewolves.

Eren was sure to mention numerous times his desire to enlist in order to become a member of the Survey Hunters, and Mikasa and Armin were pretty much sure to follow him. I was not so enthralled with the idea of killing and being forced to face one of those things once again, yet that did not stop me from following the purpose of revenge for my mother and father: I was going to study medicine, and help the injured of battle; a nurse of sorts.

I have always been attracted to medicine, and thoroughly enjoyed helping other people in times of need, so the decision wasn't hard to make. Now, the only thing it took for us to follow our purpose of revenge, and protection was to survive the rough times we've been forced to face.

Like mean guards that weren't so fond of the idea of giving away food rations for the Shiganshina survivors.

"Damn brat!" The guard spat with utter disgust as he glanced our way, Eren frowning at the man with hatred as he struggled in Mikasa's grasp for him to kick the guard once again. "I am real sorry for him, sir! The hunger has clearly taken a toll on him!"

"Get him out of my sight before I show him his place!"

The four of us soon vanished from their range of sight before we could anger those guards anymore, running into a corner of the big square, letting ourselves fall to the floor in exhaustion. "Let me go, Mikasa!"

The aqua-eyed boy exclaimed in anger as he roughly pushed himself from her grasp, her countenance expressionless as she now turned my way, her gaze setting on the three pieces of bread I held tightly in my hands. Eren sighed out as he sat down beside me, my eyes turning towards him as a small smile formed itself into my lips. "Hey, look what I got."

I showed him the pieces of dry food, enjoying the sight of his eyes widening in surprise, and hidden disbelief. "Woah, |Y/N|. Where did you get those?"

"Did you steal them?" Armin softly asked with the same surprised expression as Eren, sitting down cross-legged right in front of me, the chatter of the people sounding as a background as I started handing out the pieces of bread. "No, no. A kind woman found mercy on our situation."

I handed out the three pieces of bread to them, each for each one as I observed how they looked at the pieces as if they were not real; we hadn't eaten in a long time, had we?

We'd normally be given water, and if we were found lucky bowls of rice as for the city has been having problems with food rations. Shiganshina, after all, was one of the cities that held production and agriculture enough to maintain the rest of the towns. When survivors arrived to Trost, this civilization was in no way prepared to maintain us all; that's why more than half of us, grown men and women, were sent to try to fight the beasts that still inhabited the city of Shiganshina with sticks, and torches, in order to get the territory back, and with it, the so needed food. Of course, ever since they were told about the mission, each of us knew it was a completely suicidal attempt, and not one of them got back alive. That's how Armin's grandfather perished. "She only had three pieces, though."

"...Here." My eyes turned towards Eren, gazing at his hand reaching out to me half of the piece of bread I gave to him, my eyes immediately turning towards his own with flattered surprise. "Oh, no, no, no. I ate beans three days ago, remember? You eat it."

"I'm not going to argue with you, |Y/N|. Take it." Eren soon sighed out with a strong voice, obviously not in the mood to start dealing with my stubbornness, which has obviously created a reputation with the constant arguments I've had with his hot head.

I smiled at him with appreciation, and softly took the piece of bread, my eyes wandering off to the food I held in my hands, not sure if I should actually eat it, for people would probably fight off to death for half of what I held in my sweaty palms. With a soft sigh, and shake of my hand that cleared my concerned thoughts, I gave a big bite out of the dough, and swallowed it whole with utter, yet empty satisfaction.

"Tomorrow are the admission exams for training to become a hunter." Eren murmured through his mouth-full, his eyes glancing at each one of us expectantly. "I'm joining."

"...If you're joining, I'm joining." Mikasa exclaimed lowly as her deep eyes locked into Eren's, who frowned at her with annoyance, a big grimace adorning his features, ready to spit back at her comment, but was quickly interrupted by Armin. "I am too."

"Are you sure, Armin?" Eren asked with a serious expression, each of us knowing that training was no game, and when the time comes, they are going to be forced to fight against those wild beasts that measured twice the size of an average man. Armin nodded at him reassuringly, a serious expression replacing his own as well, matching Eren's and Mikasa's own.

And when their three pair of eyes fell on me, I knew what they were asking for. What was I going to do? "You're still going to go for medicine, aren't you?" Eren asked lowly, his eyes wandering off to the floor as he waited for my response. I softly nodded with sadness, glancing at the three of them with pain at the thought of having to be away from them, yet it was already decided.

"Yes, I am... But, we'll see each other in graduation, won't we?"

Armin smiled, and nodded, giving another bite out of the bread, my eyes wandering off to Mikasa, who simply gave me a swift nod and barely visible smile, before my eyes landed on Eren, who I caught staring at me intensely, barely catching the swirl of emotions that was reflected in his big, aqua irises.

As soon as I caught his gaze, he immediately turned away, and gave a big bite out of the piece of dough, a frown replacing his features as a sigh escaped my lips, melancholy weighing over my shoulders at the reminding of how much I am going to miss them.

II – Letters

1 year later

Armin:

I do hope from the bottom of my heart that you three are doing just fine. I myself am, however, the studies have proven themselves to be a considerable challenge, yet I am not ready to give up anytime soon. I have met a lot of people in my journey of studying, who I can't wait to introduce to you all. I have made sure to save some good books that will surely be of your interest, thus, I can't wait to show, and give them to you. You can't imagine how great it is in here, and how the amounts of information seem to impress me the more I learn. I look forward to tell you three all about it.

No words can express how painfully much I miss you three, and do look forward to the day we will meet once again. Give Eren and Mikasa two big hugs from my part, as the one I'm sending you. Stay strong, my dear trio of friends.

From the bottom of my heart,

|Y/N|

|Y/N|:

We are all very glad to hear about you, and do hope for you to be doing as fine as we're currently doing. We've three faced great challenges, the training forcing the best out of us in painful ways, yet we are not ready anytime soon to give in to these. We're all discovering sides of us we never realized of before. I can't wait for those books you've saved, and do thank you for the bother. I'll be sure to study them with you, if allowed, for you to teach me all about what you have learned.

I look forward to the day we will four meet in the near future, and send you the best of lucks with your studies. Do be ready to tell me all about it the day we meet.

The two and I,

Armin

1 year later

Armin:

I am pretty much glad to hear about you three doing as good as you say to be, and with the best of my hopes, I wish for you to be working as hard as I am. It's hard to think of how fast the time seems to have passed, and can't just wait for the day we are to hug each other once again. I do promise to tell you all about my studies when the time allows us to. Remind Mikasa and Eren of how much I miss them, and of how much I look forward to the day we will finally tell us all about our experiences throughout these moths of hard training.

I'm afraid this is going to be the last you three are going to hear of me, for I am soon to be sent to some fields outside the messenger's reach. Remember to give those two, and yourself the warmest of hugs from my part. Stay safe.

From the bottom of my heart,

|Y/N|

|Y/N|:

You cannot imagine Eren's face when he heard of you, and I must assure you he was as glad as Mikasa and I are. You'd be surprised of how much we three have changed, and I myself can't imagine of how much you have as well. We wish of you to stay safe, and as strong as we could possibly be.

We hope to hear of you soon, and will patiently wait for your word until the day these letters finally cease. I believe that time is soon yet to come, and can't stay quiet about how excited we three are to see the person of you have become throughout these rough years.

The two and I,

Armin