"These things will not bring me to my knees!"

A sudden burst of energy rushed through her. Her blood pumped hot. From her throat she released a terrifying roar. Her blades were in her hands. She needed only to lift them enough to slash at her captor. The monster's giant hands clamped around her, keeping her arms at her sides, but she could lift the blade by moving her wrists. The pointed ends of the swords came level, and she rammed them forward into the beast's neck. It released her with one hand, holding its hand to its gushing throat. It also opened its mouth a fraction, giving her a sudden glimpse of hope. She could feel her own blood dripping down her face where it had begun to bight. In a world where the biggest and the strongest live while the smaller and weaker die, Mina Carolina decided that it wasn't her time to die. With her free hand, she reached up and buried the blade into the roof of the titan's mouth.

It dropped her.

"I'm... free."

The titan reached down for her again, but she wouldn't let herself fall. Life had only just begun, and there was work to do. She had a titan to kill. Her squad was all dead. She had three titans to kill. Maybe four or five. It didn't matter how many there were. She would kill them all if she had to.

Swinging her remaining blade up, she cut the titan's hand in half. Pushing herself up and launching forward, her blade was now out at her side. She ran past its feet, slashing at its legs as she went. It fell forward, stumbling. She jumped back and cut at its heel, causing it to finally fall on its face. Aware that the other titans were heading in her direction, she jumped up on the creature's back and slashed at its neck repeatedly. Whether she hit the right spot the first time escape her notice, but she continued slashing and cutting until it stopped moving.

And the next titan was standing over her.

She launched herself forward, barely avoiding being crushed by the much larger titan's hand. She hit the ground and rolled. It was then that she realized how dizzy she was. Blood seeping from her head started dripping around her eyes. She couldn't keep fighting like this. She had to escape. Time was short and the other titans were closing in, but temporary escape presented itself in the form of a door nearby. Jumping up, she bolted for the door and rammed it shoulder first. It was enough force to knock the door in, and she fell to the ground just inside the building.

But she wasn't safe yet. Pulling herself to her feet, she ran further into the building as the titans began tearing the building apart to get to her. Their fingers smashed through the windows, and their hands pushed through the door behind her. Running into the next room, she saw two options. There was another door that led to the back of the building, where she hoped there was a way out to the streets. On the other hand, there was what looked like a cellar door. So it was hide or run, as she couldn't fight. She was starting to feel like she couldn't run either. The terror-driven burst of energy that had dulled the pain was fading. So she made her way to the cellar door, opening it and crawling inside. Closing the door behind her, she found herself in the dark.

How long she hid down there in the dark cellar she didn't know. She stirred, looking about her and wondering if she had fallen asleep. If so, for how long? She was close to disregarding it and drifting off again when a voice called out to her from the shadows. It was a cold voice that sounded void of emotion, features that gave her cause for concern.

"Mina Carolina. Are you content to sit here and let yourself be found and eaten?"

If it weren't for the deadpan delivery of the high-pitched voice, she might have thought the person was whining. It took her a moment to realize that it expected a response. She spoke in a shaky voice, hoarse from dehydration and making her again wonder how long she had been down here. "No... no, I'm not going to be eaten. I won't let that happen. I won't die."

The voice returned quickly, as if ready for that exact answer. "Then let us make a contract."