AN: You guys are honestly amazing! I really do appreciate all the feedback that you all have been giving me on my story, all the messages, reviews, comments, favorites and follows really do mean the world to me and I really can't express my gratefulness enough.
Thank you so so so much for reading my story thus far, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter a little more than the last three.
I do, however, apologize for the large amount of mistakes that you guys have had to endure in the previous chapters! Having re-read all three of them, I can't help but notice all of the small (and big) mistakes that I have made which shouldn't have been made in the first place. Please know that I am in the process of fixing all of them, however, if you do still catch some whether in the chapters before this or the ones to come, please do help me! It will help a lot.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter! And don't forget to R&R!~
Her skin tingled with anxiousness and excitement.
The day was finally here - the day she could finally, finally start training for the Military. After nearly a year of training with her Uncle who called his training regimen "a walk in the park", Ceri felt as if she could take on anything and no one could tell her otherwise.
No one except Keith Shadis.
The sun had barely begun to hang in the sky, shining it's harsh orange and yellow rays upon the ground and anyone who stood below it. The sun flickered through the leafy canopy in the forest that stood behind the new trainees as they held their arms behind their backs, one onto of another as they awaited instruction from their new, imposing instructor.
Among the flat terrain and shiny of the training equipment surrounding him, Shadis' head stood out prominently - the bald crown shining brightly in the sun. He stood before his new torture dolls with the faintest of smirks pulling on the right side of his lips.
He took in a deep breath before explaining, "Many of you might not realize it yet, and some of you never will, however," his voice boomed across the small distance that the trainees were scattered across, his voice ringing in their ears, "We paid a large price for the peace that we have experienced for the past one hundred years, the peace that was just recently broken by the appearance of the Colossal Titan who broke through Wall Maria. In fact, as we speak, the Colossal Titan can very much appear as it did that day and destroy the wall that's 'protecting' us at this moment," he paused as he began to pace along the path of the Trainees that stood before him.
Being just a few feet away from him, the hair on the back of Ceri's neck stood up as the tingling of her skin changed from anxiousness and excitement, to nervousness and fear. She had only heard of the Colossal Titan through the gossip of the townsfolk throughout Trost, but her Uncle was quick to dispel any possibility of such a thing existing. "The wall only fell because they didn't maintain it is all, there's no such thing as a Titan over 50 meters tall," he would always tell her each time she worried or questioned about it.
"When that time comes, your duty will be to assist the citizens, sacrificing your lives to oppose the Titan threat," he paused again before turning to face his students, taking in a deep breath, "And each and every one of you will sacrifice your all!" In an instant, all sixty trainees saluted, their right fist colliding with their heart strongly.
Ceri, despite the fear and worry that began to curl within her stomach, bit back a small smile. Whatever trial or journey her service in the military would lead to, she'll happily accept. She felt it was her only duty as an able bodied citizen.
Shadis continued to pace up and down the line before him, piercing his students' eyes with his sunken olive ones. He read all of their thoughts in a single glance, their motives for why they stood before him that moment, if they were truly fit to become the protectors of Humanity. But then again, only time will tell.
His gait halted when he stood before a small, blond haired boy with bright, blue eyes. Eyes that have seen what no one should ever be forced to experience in their lifetime.
"What's your name?" Shadis commanded, earning a small, nervous flinch from the boy.
"A-armin Arlet, Sir!" He responded, holding his first closely to his heart as he kept his salute in place.
Ceri, who stood two rows behind Armin just a few people down flinched at the thought of having to deal with Shadis in such close proximity. She struggled to keep her heart rate at a calm steady pace as she watched Shadis in his silent examination of Armin. She felt as her hands began to sweat, the baser of her fingers shaking just enough to take notice. She clenched her fist tighter, willing the shakiness away as she took deep breaths to will the sudden anxiety away. Her eyes flashed back to Shadis and Armin as their instructor began to walk around Armin, examining every inch of him before he stood before the blue eyed boy once again.
Shadis inched closer to the boys face, peering into his blue eyes as they widened in fear. With a quiet huff, Shadis leaned away and walked past Armin, his hand griping his shoulder to turn him around. "Row one, turn to face your fellow trainees," Shadis commanded as he walked in the space between the second and first row, continuing his intimidation of the fresh recruits.
He paused once again as his keen, olive eyes caught onto the salute of a grey headed boy. Having not noticed before then, Ceri's eyes caught onto the right hand that was curled behind his back instead of his left. She watched silently as Shadis' hand rose to the boys head, his face calm and breathing level. The surrounding students let out a audible gasp as his hands clamped around the head of the boy, lifting him up to where they eyes met easily.
"Tell me, boy," Shadis began in a low, menacing voice, "Is you heart, on the right side?" He screamed as the boy squirmed in his grasp.
Instinctively, Ceri glanced down at the fist against her chest, ensuring that it was the right hand after all. She failed to calm herself as she looked back up to the second row now facing her own, Shadis suddenly letting go of the boy's head before beginning to walk in the space between the third and second row.
Ceri took the opportunity to take a quick glance at the trainees that stood before her. She scanned the faces that were before her until her emerald eyes caught onto turquoise ones. His eyes, focused on something other than the trainees that stood before him, swirled with determination and fear. It was as if he was standing before a Titan, preparing to slaughter it for revenge of what all previous Titans before it have done. His eyes scared her, but strengthened her all the same. It was as if he sent a vibe to all he came in contact with saying "We will defeat the Titans; we will show them the pain and fear that they've dealt upon us for the last century."
Just as his eyes focused in on her green ones, Ceri's attention flashed back to Shadis who was now drawing closer and closer.
Her heart stopped as he continued her way, glancing at every student he passed. He paused between her and another trainee that she had failed to have a glance of. Just as suddenly as it had stopped, her heart began to race as Shadis leaned his head toward the space between the two trainees.
"You two delicate girls know that this is the military and not the Nuns' monastery?" He asked quietly, which was far more intimidating to Ceri than his normal, boisterous tone.
Just a moment of hesitation passed before the two answered in unintentional harmony, "Yes, sir."
His hand rose to cup his ear, pushing it in the girls' direction, "I'm afraid I didn't hear you two,"
"Yes, sir!" the girls responded with feigned confidence.
"Good, good," he responded before cocking his head to look at the girl beside Ceri, "What is your name?"
"Christan Renz, sir," she responded in a voice larger than herself.
Shadis nodded before looking over at Ceri, raising his eyebrow in expectation.
"Ceri Beata," she hesitated, "Sir."
Letting out a quiet huff, Shadis stood back to his full height ordering their row to turn so as to face the fourth one behind them.
Ceri's shoulders fell as she let out a deep breath that she wasn't aware she held in. Her eyes fell to her feet as she spun on her heel to face the fifth row. Her hands continued to shake as she allowed them to fall to her side, her eyes finally lifting up as she continued to watch Shadis as he continued his examination of his trainees. She let out a deep breath as her eyes slowly slid shut, her nerves finally relaxing and her heart beat returning to normal.
The questioning of the several students after Ceri flew by as her mind wandered off into it's ideal world of her own. It wasn't until Shadis' dismissal reached her ears that she saluted before turning back on her heel and heading towards the barracks.
She watched as a couple trainees pointed at the girl who was ordered to run around the training grounds until she collapsed. Failing to gain interest in her, Ceri continued to head to what she will learn to call home for the three years to come.
Her footsteps, along with her barrack mates, echoed on the wooden platform. She walked into the dimly lit wooden cabin behind the girl who stood and answered beside her just moments ago.
Waiting to introduce herself, Ceri walked over to the bed she had chosen the night before and pulled the sheets from underneath the mattress, unlacing the regulatory boots from off her feet, she sat on the bedside and swung her legs over the edge. She once again let out a deep sigh, shutting her eyes as she rolled over onto her right side, her crimson hair falling around her as it spilled across her pillow. As she did every right, Ceri's right hand rose to gently trace and hold the cross that laid upon her pillow. In a way unknown to her, that habit calmed her, relieving her mind from any worry or thought that plagued it.
She felt herself dozing off, entering a world that could never exist on the one that she was born into.
"Excuse me," a quiet voice called to her, pulling her out of the utopia that she mad managed to create in the few moments that her eyes had been shut. Finally willing her eyes to peak open, Ceri looked over her shoulder to spot a blonde haired girl with blue eyes similar to Armin's. Once her eyes caught onto Ceri's, her pink lips pulled back into a friendly smile. "I'm sorry for waking you," she continued sincerely, "But I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss dinner."
Finally, Ceri sat up in her bed, her sheets falling from her chest to puddle around her waist. She looked out of the window that was to the right of her bed, only to see that the sun had set much farther than where it had hung when they first entered the barrack. Looking back to her covered legs, Ceri's eyes furrowed in confusion and thought.
"Had I really been asleep for that long?" She asked herself aloud as she pulled the remainder of her blanket from off of her.
"Just an hour or so," the girl beside her replied, reminding Ceri of her presence. "Your name is Ceri, isn't it?" the girl asked as she watched Ceri pull her boots on and tie the brown lace into a neat, tight knot. Finally standing up, Ceri turned to face the girl of identical height who stood on the other side of the steel frame bed.
"Yes, it is," She finally replied with a small smile. Her green eyes flashed across the blonde girl, taking in everything she could through just a couple glances. She seemed to be around the same age if not younger than Ceri, her blonde hair lightly scraped the peak of her shoulders and framed her light, round face. Her rosy lips were still pulled back in a small smile, her blue eyes trained on Ceri's green ones. "You must Christa," Ceri finally replied, returning the smile with her own.
With a moments hesitation, Christa nodded her head yes as her smile widened. A wave of silence fell between the two as they stood there, taking in every visible detail of the one that stood before the other.
Ceri finally looked out the window that was now to the left of her before glancing back at Christa, "Do you think we should go ahead and head over to the dining hall?" She asked, a quiet chuckle lacing her words.
Christa returned it with a small laugh before again nodding her head in agreement, turning on her heel to head for the barrack door.
Without hesitation, Ceri trailed behind her, her spirits finally lifting at the thought of making a friend so soon in her training. She accepted the friendship gladly, however. She knew that soon or later she would end up falling back on the few friends that she'll manage to make in the three years of training.
The faintest memory flashed in her mind of points that her Uncle did not fail to make before she enlisted in the military.
"What will you do when a Titan appears before you and kills your comrade before your eyes? Will you run? Will you freeze and collapse? Will you go insane and no longer serve any purpose? You must be prepared to make rash decisions that will decide your fate from that moment on. You must be prepared to lose all those that you hold dear, both to a Titan and to the craze that comes over the weak minded. Do you think you could handle that, are you sure you'll be able to handle that burden?"
Her Uncle's words and voice echoed in her mind as if he was right beside her, repeating what he said that day. She shook her head physically to will away the occurrence of the memory. She knew very well of the risks that she would be facing, now that she joined the military - losing a friend will surely be one of them.
"Of course I can handle it, Uncle," she whispered allowed, attempting to persuade not only her Uncle, but herself.
Because everyone would like to think that they're truly prepared for disaster but only in the midst of one will they actually know.