Prologue
Heat. Blood. Pain.
The only three things Connie Springer could see and feel.
It wasn't supposed to end like this, no, he thought as he managed to push himself off the rocky, dirt, stained ground.
He was alone, alone in the middle of a clearing in the forest—what the hell was he doing there?
He'd forgotten how he ended up there, but as he looked around, feeling the blood trickle down his forehead from a severe head wound, he knew—he remembered.
A mission—Corporal Levi's squad had been sent out on a certain mission. They were separated in the process by a stampede of Titans.
Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Historia—Connie couldn't find them in the clearing he was in.
He could only hope they were safe.
They'd been attacked; but no matter how much they fought, Jean, Connie, and Sasha couldn't hold back the numerous Titans that reached them.
Connie coughed violently and recognized the two bodies laid out in front of him.
"J-Jean…" he fell to his knees and shook his lifeless friend. Not a sound came out of the other boy's mouth. Not a sound at all.
Blood caked Connie's hands when he noticed part of Jean's abdomen was gone. He must've bled to death while Connie was passed out.
A small corner smile came to Connie's face when he realized that Jean was probably with Marco by now. At least he was happy up there.
A shuffling sound caught the boy's attention. Sasha was stirring—she turned herself over so that the rest of her body was in Connie's direction.
Her amber eyes fluttered open slowly and Connie rushed over to her.
Both of her legs had been eaten up by a Titan, and she was bleeding rapidly.
Connie ripped the sleeves off of his shirt and tried tying them around her amputated legs. "H-hold on, Sash, we're g-gonna b-be okay, o-okay? You're g-gonna be just fine—" his hands shook adamantly as he knotted the cloth.
Sasha opened her mouth and spoke quietly, "Connie. Connie, there was so much more—so much more food I w-wanted to try eating…"
Connie crawled over and grabbed her hand. "You're gonna be fine, and once they finally come for us, I'll get you all the food you want, I p-promise. Help's coming, they wouldn't leave us like this, I know they wouldn't—" his voice cracked as he added, "Y-you and I—we'll be safe…and sound…"
Sasha let out a labored breath, "Connie. I bet…I bet we'll meet again in the future. And…maybe, just maybe, things won't end badly. W-we'll have more time. Things'll…be just right…"
She shut her eyelids, color draining from her face, and Connie felt tears streaming down his face.
After a moment of silence, when he knew she had finally passed, he laid down next to her and waited for Death to fetch him.
He was losing a lot of blood, due to the injury on the side of his head.
Connie closed his eyes and breathed out, "More time, yeah, we'll have…more time…"
It was the last thing he'd said in that life.