It is a cold and barren wasteland, she remembers.

Traces of life or comfort is beyond this bitter darkness that confines her body, whole and unrelenting. Only murky grounds and foreign men dragging her between tied ropes and coerced thrashing surrounding her to those who retaliate and pursue escape.

But there is no getaway or freedom that exists in this hell. She knows this. Her overtaxed body branded this affliction in her mind, so she could not forget where her place stood in this merciless world.

This cruelty of life worn on the sleeve of her cleaved and tousled shirt, retaining her voice from ever being reached.

It's useless.

— —

The deep inflection of her cries. Or the blood curdling screams that recoils from the depth of her larynx before she is tossed around like a crippled doll between unfamiliar men with corrupted desires. Lost and ridden of any sentiments or value to her name.

Being abandoned and humiliated, she believes, is what she is good for. That is the purpose for her forgotten little existence.

She has no voice. It doesn't exist in their world.

They robbed her clean of that. Breathing, sleeping, and waking. Any person could do that. She is existing, certainly, but that is not enough to claim herself as a suited human being in this world.

She is forced to survive in the pits of her own oblivion. Neither seeking warmth or solace for herself.

She is—

Alone…

—

With a heavy sigh and seemingly, tight knitted brows, Erwin finds himself surrounded in the midst of the crowd of civilians that placidly passes him by. Jerking their eyes on his form for a split second, before avoiding his presence all together. A gesture that he was well accustomed to within the walls.

He wonders if he stands out with his sudden appearance between the cluster. Dressed with his green cloak, refined suit tucked underneath, and naturally, his dainty golden hair slicked back to his favor. Though, between the brusque sun and his heavily draped uniform, it is certain that he is nearly exhausted from the scorching heat glazing over his built structure.

"Look mommy, it's the Commander!" A little boy cries in awe and admiration.

"Don't pay attention to him." She hushes the little boy and grabs his hand in a forceful manner. "All they do is waste our tax money on their pointless expeditions and come back with just more dead bodies." She glares, before turning her back and escaping from his latency.

He stays silent, having grown to the insults and hushed whispering directed towards him and the Survey Corps. It was to be expected after all. Their previous expeditions have proven to be ineffective and the expanse of dead bodies increased way beyond his expectancy within the past few months. There were just not enough obtained information on the Titans to further conduct on new formations or efficient maneuvering defenses. Guaranteeing the lives of his soldiers, was without doubt, something he could not promise.

Glancing around once and then twice, he pivots his heels and saunters on along with an abiding pace, while ensuing in search for his two subordinates, which, he might add, decided to stray from his side once arriving into town.

"Hurry up and find her!"

Steeling in his stead, Erwin takes a short glimpse of two men in apprehensive clothing. Taking note of the apparent shackles hanging loosely from their pockets as they rummage through the crowded streets in frantic movements.

"You fucking dipshit! Why'd you take your eyes off of her?" One of them barks, breaking into a cold sweat.

"She needed to piss so I let the little bitch go!"

"If we don't find her, your head is coming off. And I'm not talking about the one on your fucking shoulders either!"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Erwin disregards the blatant men and continues walking ahead, allowing his mind to wander into tactful deliberation on his contrived strategies before discussing the upcoming expedition with the other officers within the military branch.

Knowing the council, his unsuccessful expeditions have caught their immediate attention, and whether he steps down as Commander or not, is rightfully in their verdict. However, even the superiors understand that he is not a man to give up so easily. Especially when he is their last hope of regaining back any last bit of humanity that's left. Standing down, that term does not exist to him.

Thud.

Quickly abandoning his thoughts. He glances down and notices a young girl, around the age of thirteen or fourteen, he assumes, sprawled along the murky ground— clouded hues resembling lifeless shells, neither comforting or simmering with any traces of color in them. Completely devoid from any sorts of emotion or value in the depths.

"Are you alright?" He asks, kneeling down to her figure. "I'm at fault here, so please inform me if you're injured—"

She scoots away. Her mouth adjusting into a somber line.

Erwin arches an eyebrow and takes a deeper speculation at her profile. Though, if he is expecting an average girl in her teens, he is gravely mistaken.

Raven hair is tousled into exhausting knots, while her physique is abnormally thin to bear fit of a typical girl at her age. He scrutinizes further and notices apparent bones protruding from her body—mostly covered in bruises and open wounds, which, if he is correct, seems to be from whipping and constant abuse, in regards to how fresh they appear.

He feels his stomach twist and turn in nauseation as he continues surveying the girl.

"Who did this?" He suddenly demands, feeling a twinge of anger building up inside of him.

It's not usual for him to break his calm countenance but this. This girl he sees in front of him. It disgusts him. The condition she's in. The fresh open wounds and the copious bruises that layers over what's left of her fair skin. It makes him wonder if she's even alive at this point.

The girl stays silent. Hugging her knees together tightly.

"Are you lost?" He tries again.

Nothing.

How do I communicate to her…

He brings a finger to his chin in thought.

Wait. That's it.

He rummages through his pockets in a swift movement. Taking out a fancy pen garnished in gold, which he received from one of his subordinates a few months back, and offers his hand out to her.

"Use this to talk." He nods his head, leaning forward but still maintaining a safe distance between them. "I have no paper unfortunately, but perhaps it can be used on the ground."

She just stares at him for a second, before glancing down at the pen.

Erwin places it on the ground and steps away slowly. "I won't hurt you." He reassures her, bracing himself against a wall. "So let me hear your voice."

And in that moment, he swore he could hear her cries between the words that escaped from the tip of the pen.

Help me please.

It was something he was not prepared for.

—

"Erwin! We finally found you! Where have you—" Hanji halts in her sentence, slowly adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Commander, I'm not sure how to tell you this but," she pauses for a fraction of a second, "there's a girl under your cloak." She points at the bulge sticking out from the side.

Mike begins sniffing immediately and cringes his forehead at the putrid smell transpiring from the Commander. "And she smells."

Erwin sighs heavily and lifts the cloak to reveal the lifeless girl. "Human traffickers." He glances down at her stilled form. "She escaped and I ran into her on my way to the meeting."

Hanji suddenly becomes intrigued and begins to survey the timid girl.

"Weight just below average. Skin torn and bruised from shackles and whipping. Pupils deprived of sentiment and I'm putting this out there, but it seems she's unable to speak to anybody." Hanji inquires, taking a deeper inspection at her figure. "She hasn't spoken a word and usually when being in a situation like this, most kids would scream or explain what the problem is but she's staying silent."

"As expected of you Hanji." Erwin nods in compliance. "I'm sure her vocal chords are properly working. But it's possible that she's dramatized due to the effects of what they conducted on her or in her case," he clenches his jaws, "what they made her do."

"Well Commander, what are you going to do with her? Surely you're not thinking of leaving her to rot in that place."

"I have no intentions on bringing her back."

"So you're putting her under adoption then?" Mike asks, eyeing the Commander closely.

Erwin flickers his eyes at the girl, noticing her hands shaking uncontrollably. "I suppose that will be the case." He shrugs off the green cloak from the length of his shoulders and wraps it around her body. "I'll look after her."

Both squad leaders gape in unison.

"You're joking right?"

"If I do recall, you already have a kid back at headquarters." Mike says, arching an eyebrow.

"Levi, yes, I presume he won't mind having company."

"That's if he doesn't wreak havoc by the time we get back. He sure is rebellious for a kid his age." Hanji snorts in return. "I still don't understand what crossed your mind to bring back a thug kid like him from underground." She stares at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

Erwin lets out a deep chuckle and brings his forefinger to his chin. "He may have a bad mouth and cause a bit of trouble, but he carries a strong resolve on his shoulders," he hesitates, probing his blue eyes deeply,"I'm certain he'll make an exceptional soldier when he matures."

"Hope so chief." She replies in a spiritly voice. "Man, I'm starving!"

"We should head back already." Mike cuts in, glancing up at the setting sun.

"It has gotten late hasn't it? Let's report back to the council first thing in the morning. I'm sure they're quite infuriated by my absence." Erwin let out a heavy sigh, folding his arms across his chest. "As for now, we need to find her a place to sleep and something edible to eat."

Mikasa stares up at him for a protracted moment before sliding her eyes back down to her feet. She lifts both of her shaky hands and tugs tenderly on to the soft fabric that blanketed around her figure.

"Let's go." Erwin smiles, placing his hand on the crown of her head. "To our home."

She blinks a few times and swallows the words in.

Home… Our home..

And in that moment, it was like a tiny flame ignited within her body. Giving her a new kind of warmth in the depth of her hollow chest. She felt alive. A feeling that crashed into her without forewarning. It was beautiful. Her world was becoming beautiful before she knew it.

Let's go to our home..

(To be continued..)