"-and I didn't even make the top ten."

"Ouch,"

"Yeah...Last time I saw him wasn't too fun."

"Doesn't sound like it would be. Why's your dad so overprotective?"

Emilee looked down at me from her bunk, a remorseful sheen over her eyes. "My sister died in a 3DMG accident a couple years back. He kinda has a grudge against the military now."

I frowned, hesitant by how personal the conversation had gotten. "I'm sorry..."

She shot me a small smile, thankfully changing the subject. "So, are your slices getting better?"

Annoyance contorted my frown into a grimace, answering her question for me. She chuckled at my expression, but tense silence followed. Whether I could fell a titan or not, my PK Count was high enough that I was required to go on this expedition, despite the fact that my ratio was screwed to high heaven. I huffed, pillowing my head with my hands. "I just wish I knew what I'm doing wrong,"

She hummed in agreement, settling down for a fretful sleep. Nobody in our cabin had slept peacefully since the expedition was announced. Although, I think I'd be more worried if they had. At least everybody understands what we're up against.

I snuggled into a ball under my thin blanket, running my hands up and down my arms to keep myself warm. My bronze eyes fluttered shut. Everything would seem simpler after a good night's rest.

—T—

"Okay, Nyx, I want you to stay with your squad. Do not go running off, you'll break formation and get yourself killed, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Fran. I'm not stupid."

"Well, that's debatable sometimes,"

"Oi!" I glared at Fran as she sighed in exasperation. Apprehension tightened my lungs as we trotted down to the Wall Maria gates alongside the rest of our Legion. Commander Erwin was at the center-front, flanked by Levi, Hanji, Mike, and, soon, Fran. I, however, would be in a scout position on the right flank. I understood why newbies were assigned as scouts, but that didn't make being so far from the formation any less terrifying.

Fran gave me a stern look, but it softened as she took in the fear in my face. She paced her hand on my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. I swallowed thickly and glanced at her, my voice quivering as I spoke. "Do you think there's a chance we won't find trouble?"

She hesitated, thinking over her response. Finally, she shook her head. "No."

I let out a shaky laugh, my hands trembling as I steered my horse, Toto, to my place in the formation. Fran rode up beside me, giving me a one armed hug before riding off to join the other elites in the center. Flashes of my father's face taunted me each time I closed my eyes.

I shook my head, tightening my hold on the reins just in time to see the gate slide open and the formation advance forward. I kept my mind on the plan as I crossed the wall line and fanned out to my position. I was far enough from center to spot any potential dangers to the formation, but close enough that I could signal for help should the need arise. Emilee rode beside me, preparing to speed up and head to her own position. Before she went, however, I heard her gasp my name and turned my attention over.

She was cast in sunlight, her eyes bigger than dinner plates as she took in our surroundings. I followed her example and looked around, feeling my breath escape me. I'd never seen anything so...green. I mean, we had plants and fields in the walls and all, it's just..colors now seemed so much brighter. The sky was so much wider. I chuckled at myself as just watching a few leaves blow by me in the wind stretched my lips into a wide smile.

I left those walls with a drive to keep myself and my squad alive. I was still riding with that intent, but, I was just then starting to decide that, if the Survey Corps meant certain death, this feeling was worth all the extra years I may have lived in the interior. I felt released, free, unshackled from society's judgments. It was perfect.

But not for long.

Our awe was shattered by a red flare about sixty meters ahead of us. Emilee nodded to me and I retrieved my flare gun, relaying the message to the other squads. Emilee shot me a scared smile before riding up ahead, realizing she'd been out of position for too long. Finally alone, I felt all of my muscles tense in anticipation.

—T—

The sun was beginning to set as a yellow flare shot into the sky, signalling the mission's success. A huge wave of relief washed over me. We'd accomplished what we had risked our lives for. I hadn't seen any purple flares, meaning the mission had gone smoother than expected. Although, when I thought about it, I hadn't seen many flares at all.

I could feel the handles of my blades digging against my hips. It was uncomfortable, and yet I welcomed the discomfort with a sense of surety. Every soldier had learned that the blades were the only lifeline we had.

And they would prove to be just so at that very moment.

My horse jolted beneath me as a massive foot slammed down onto the ruins of an old tool shack. I yelped, but hastily scanned the area. I was riding through what looked to be an abandoned town of some sort. A titan, presumably an eight-meter by its looks, stood less than thirty meters from me. It turned its head at the sounds of my panicking horse and spotted me. Its smile chilled me to the bone.

Remembering my training, I shot off a red flare to relay the titan's positioning and drew my blades. No squads were pursuing it, meaning they had either not encountered it or had deemed fighting it unnecessary. I shook my head at the second option. This was close enough to formation that someone ahead must have seen it. Why hadn't there been a signal?

In training, Fran had told me that, until my third expedition, I was meant to leave kills that could be avoided for the veterans in formation behind me. If I could follow her order and just ride on, I could keep the formation from entering any unnecessary combat.

Tearing my eyes from the looming monster, I urged Toto forward. It had spotted me, so there was no way of escaping unnoticed. However, if I could outrun it I could most likely reach Emilee and Squad Leader Faif and regroup before taking it on. There was no way I could handle it on my own.

Thundering footsteps shook the ground as the blonde titan meandered its way after me. I should be fine. It was only an eight-meter, surely it couldn't match pace to a horse. I repeated these thoughts, trying to keep myself level headed. I couldn't afford to screw up by flipping my lid.

The footsteps were just starting to fade into the distance when I heard something odd. Well, more so felt. The footsteps...were getting faster?

Horror spread through my body like wildfire. I turned my head back. There it was. The titan had its head thrown back, its arms dangling. Its gigantic tongue lolled loosely from its mouth as its feet moved so fast they were almost a blur. My eyes swam with panicked tears.

It wasn't alone.

Without warning, two more titans leaped from behind broken buildings to run beside the eight-meter. The tallest (fourteen meter) was hunched over and chasing me like I was an allusive football that it wanted to catch. One glace at its pointed canines had me begging Toto to run faster. The final (ten meter) was the most unnerving. It had somehow managed to flip itself upside-down. Its body was propped on all fours, its joints backwards as it crawled after me at record speed.

I reached for my flare gun. My hands shook so bad I had to try multiple times to fire off my purple capsule. This was just my luck.

The eight-meter reached me in seconds. I swung off of Toto just in time for the titan's foot to smash him into the ground. I didn't let myself react to the horse's death, but instead grappled into the titan's hip. Somehow, it seemed to notice me. It skidded to a stop and, instead of running forward full speed, began spinning itself in rapid circles. I hung on tightly, trying my best to climb to the nape of the neck without falling.

It came to an abrupt stop. The momentum sent me hurling from its body and into the air. I flew several meters, rolling as I hit the ground. Pain shot through my ribs. Breathing seemed significantly more difficult than it had a moment ago, but I didn't have the time to worry about that, seeing as the orchestrater of my nightmares was currently looming over me with narrowed eyes.

"Levi?" I croaked. The single word sent me into a coughing fit.

He frowned when he spotted the red that coated my hand when I pulled it away. He turned his back on me, facing the titan. "Stay here."

He zipped off, launching up and onto the eight-meter's head. I tried to take slow breaths to control my wheezing. "Y..yeah...s-sure thing,"

Looking around, I could see that most of the center formation had reached my position. One glance at the sky told me I had missed sight of the green flare signalling a change in direction. I was lucky they had looped back this way. However, nothing was scarier than being saved by a coincidence.

It wasn't long before the eight-meter titan was dead at Levi's feet. I was in too much pain to feel embarrassed, though. Mike's squad (Hanji, Levi, Fran) zeroed in on the remaining two titans.

Gentle yet urgent hands grasped my shoulders, causing me to turn around. Emilee sat behind me, concern and terror evident in her expression. "I-I'm so sorry! I saw that-that eight-meter titan and I was going to signal - I was I swear - but my horse reared and I dropped my flare gun and I didn't know what to do so when I saw the yellow flare I rode up to where it came from and reported it to the Commander and we couldn't get here any faster I'm so sorry!" She spouted.

I rested a hand on her shoulder, nodding my acceptance. Whether she screwed up or not, she'd done her best to correct it.

"Em...do..*cough*...do you have anything...we could maybe use as a bind?" I wheezed out.

She looked puzzled. "A bind?" Her green eyes traveled down to the bruises peeking out from the holes in my torn shirt. "U-um, well-"

I didn't get to hear the answer to that because Mike suddenly yelled out "BENTLY! MORA! MOVE!"

Emilee jumped out of the way of the titan's falling body, me having to rely on my 3DMG to launch me towards one of the nearby buildings. Unable to control the gear well in my current state, I clumsily collided with the stone walls of an old church and clung onto a window sill.

I was about forty feet above the ground, and that's why I didn't have time to react when yet another titan appeared out of the ruins of this town. The new Nine-Meter stepped out from behind the church I was standing on and, without hesitation, snatched me into its ginormous hand.

I let out a startled shriek. Its fingers tightened around me. I thrashed against its hold. My arms strained as I sliced my blades into its flesh. I tried to pull them back out, but didn't have the space to do so. It raised me to its widened mouth.

I was screaming. Crying. Struggling. Fighting until the very last moment.

But none of that mattered once I was being swallowed.