Prologue
"Raven." The wind seemed to whisper my name and lift it into the heavens. The trees bow to an unseen force and the leaves brake into a cacophonous symphony. Assorted grasses below me rustle frantically. My back rests against one of the study pines growing up from a grove at the top of the highest uncivilized hill.
A yawn escapes my mouth, and I stretch lazily, accidentally kicking something or someone actually. "Oww." My twin Birch whines in protest. A smile breaks across my face and I throw my head back only to hit it hard against the tree I'm leaning on. We begin chuckling until we both end up rolling on the ground practically dying.
My sister and I have lived in the Shinganshina district for all fifteen years of our
lives. We live happily with only each other for company because both our parents have died. Our father served in the Survey Corps and one day never returned from a mission. Then our mother, a member of the Garrison, jumped off the wall while in grief one day while on duty. We've gotten by though. In the part of town where we live the people are nice and their food tastes delicious.
I sigh and stretch my shoulders. The sky has blossomed into a sunset and we have to walk a bit since we went all the way to where the inner gate stands. "Come on Birch let's..." The word go dies on my tongue as a lightning strike shoots out from a weird green cloud.
Suddenly a behemoth skinless hand a appears on the wall at the other side of the district. An even larger head follows suit, and I'm not about to wait and see what this Titan does. Only one thing can be certain; Shinganshina is most likely doomed.
"Birch." I grab her hand hearing the panic in my voice. She turns to look at me eyes wide with fear. The cheerful, lazy air has disappeared, replaced by tension and horror. I don't need to say anything else. We both nod and sprint toward the inner gate which seems closer than I thought.
The man at the gate looks at us confused. He reeks of alcohol and his hair looks greasy and unkempt. All three of us jump as a thunderous boom echoes from across the district. The guard jolts up seeming to have magically sobered, and we bolt through the gate.
I don't know about Birch but adrenaline comes rushing through me like a tidal wave. As the faster runner and more athletic twin, Birch practically drags me, and we run forward haphazardly through the streets of the main portion of wall Maria earning scolds and weird looks from the people traversing the streets.
In such a blind hurry before we even realize, we arrive at an inner gate of wall Maria leading into the area of wall Rose. A wave of fearful outcries washes over us and people begin screaming to them into wall Rose. From the jumbled pleas and outcries the fact emerges that a Titan has broken through Shinganshina's gate and another has broken a hole into the gate leading into all of wall Maria. I squeeze Birch's hand. The guards confirm with horrified gazes the story they've been told and the gate begins to raise.
Behind us a mob has begun to form and the screams of human agony draw nearer. We all push and shove crowding through the gate and I make sure not to let go of Birch. Once safe on the other side of the gate we move off to the side and I black out to the sound of Birch's surprised and worry call of my name.
When I come to the grey mists of dawn have begun to snake creepily along the ground. I shake Birch awake, and she slowly blinks sleep away proceeding to hug me tight. "You worried me Ren." She slips in her nickname for me bringing a slight smile to my face. At least we always have each other.
Now our options for living have been limited to military, farming, or starvation. I heave a heavy sigh and we exchange a look, I know she's thinking the same thing, and we silently agree to sign up for the military as soon as possible.