I woke, pain striking my stomach. I held it, rolling over. I was beyond hungry. The pain in my leg killing me, I wanted to vomit, die or sleep again. I hobbled on one foot, using every structure to support me as I made it to a wheelchair. My new ride for how ever long it was I would stay.

I moved quickly to the mess hall, raiding the kitchen or anything. Not much was left, but if I rationed it out, I had about a week and a half, if not two. Longer if I went a day or two here and there not eating at all. I ate the crackers, drank some water and wheeled around, this building was much like our own as if a copy and paste.

I locked it down, checked and marked all my supplies I could get to. Not so bad, I could hang out here for a bit, rest, heal. Two weeks was not long enough to heal this shattered leg, but it was a good start. I leaned back, staring at the large window in the grand entry way. I had about three months to heal at a minimum, but I reminded myself that I made it to far to give up now.

I rolled to the door for another look at the streets. Empty. Truly alone, the air more chilling than a summer day should be. I planned to take everything useful. After a week, I gathered whatever food I could from nearby food stands.

That aching pain dulled by drugs and a bit of alcohol, I push through. Anything would increase my time to stay. I did this daily, and after a second week, produce was rotting with flies, and inedible.

That's when I began raiding houses on crutches with a large backpack. Taking things, marking the doors when I deemed them clear. In one of them I found a map on the wall, Quinta. At least I know what this district is. As I opened a drawer I found paint in eight basic colors. I grinned in delight, taking it.

I put painted black X on the door and moved on. Turning to an old church behind me, no time like now to pray for a miracle. I hummed to myself, nothing gospel, all pug gibberish that I remembered tunes of.

A tree in the courtyard was turning orange, I tilted my head, couldn't be, that would be at least two months from now. Unless the seasons turned differently. I didn't know much about this region.

Pushing my way into church I was greeted with stained glass of a multicolored star beaming radiance over the pews. Light twinkling in my eyes as I got closer to the front. Dust had collected on the surfaces in the thinnest, but noticeable layer.

I paused at the front, looking up. "If there is a god, I could use you now to get home. I know it's a long shot but shorten the time to heal me. I will not waste it if you did. I would keep fighting for humanity."

I checked my map; this was the main church in this area. I looked to the side, the hallway calling to me. I looked in the rooms. Some were for children to learn or play, others were for separate study, and a spiral staircase of doom. Some doors were locked.

A grand office was left unlocked, its interior decorated with religious relics and a nice large window. I went in and sat in the soft cushioned chair. This was nice, good place for a pit stop. I went through the drawers and folders. Mostly state stuff, money spending, and then a ring of keys.

I smirked; today is the day I opened all the doors, couldn't see why not being here alone. Leaving behind a key at each door I opened them one at a time. Most were just storage, then a dry food room in the kitchen, I took what I could, filling my backpack to the brim. One odd key left. I looked all over, but there was no other door.

Spiral of doom it is. Whatever was at the bottom had to be it. Taking a cookie sheet from the kitchen, I set it on the ground at the top of the steps. I sat on it, using my one good leg and the railing to slide down slowly. Up is going to be a nightmare, but the wilderness of religious nuts must be explored.

At the bottom was a locked wooden door. The key fit and I turned it. It clicked open. I held my lantern up as I pushed the door in. A library, while not massive, still intrigued me that they had one. Why hide it down here? The flame of the lantern flickered light to a table where a few candles sat.

I lit them and pulled books from the shelves. My mouth gaped. Outside world knowledge. There was pictures, drawings. I found my nearest journal and I began to copy things. The war was here, as well as the great move. Pieces were left out from what I had looked up originally. There was novels from other places, too.

I hit a pivotal moment for me. I won't make a trip twice, so I wrote all I could down. I filled the journal. Writing as small and neat as I could and ripping pictures out to add it inside. I ended up filling up the whole thing and it got fat with all the pages.

The rest was novels, only assuming it was just to hide any knowledge of the outside world from people. I knew these novels, they had to be recreated. The one I had said that someone in Trost wrote it. Here, it came from Lagos, some from Luka and Liberio, all in Marley. Other places I could not pronounce, in several languages.

Depictions of other titans, nine that used to rule the other side of things. I took the pages and added them to the journal. I put all books back where I found them. Then locked the door behind me. The traitorous walk up was more than a nightmare. I heaved myself up on the last steps. It was the worst and best decision of my life.

I kept this key, choosing to instead replace a holy symbol off a necklace and keep the key close to me. Shutting the door behind, I looked to the window of moonlight in the hallway. Night had fallen, and I got carried away to the point I lost all time.

I felt no rush to get back to my bed, diverging to the priest's room. Taking camp in the largest one. I did a spot clean and changed the sheets. It was luxurious to say the least. Taking this opportunity to enjoy one of the finer things in life. Hobbling to the balcony to sit, I gazed at the stars.

I pulled Eric's patch out from my front chest pocket. "Kinda wish you were here to flirt with. Watch you comb those ruff hands through your silky hair as you wink. Arms moving into a flex. From here on out, tomorrow is not promised. Never has been. I should have given you a chance, because now I just miss you. I had no other friends, and all those potential ones were killed. You kept telling me to just talk to them, that they would like me. I did not believe you, because they all treated me like a spoiled officer from the capital."

I dropped it too my chest. "Are you there, Eric. Watching me. Are you laughing? Could you comb that hair one last time for me?" I closed my eyes, thinking back.

The mess hall was a mess of sloppy people making want to hit each one and tell them to calm down. No one in the military police acted like this, it was frowned upon to speak louder than a low voice if at all. This was just loud obnoxious conversations about I killed this, or she/ he is good looking.

I sat at a lone table eating by myself. Another guy put his tray down next to me. I glared at him; I traded military life for this just to trying figure out my life? Someone shot me now; these people are barbaric.

"If it is not the officer princess, why did you join when you had a life of luxury?" He asked.

"I just wanted to feel like I was doing something with my life. Work on a better me, because behind walls is not it." I stared forward.

That cocky expression was lost. He combed a hand through his hair. "Wow, you mean it. I'm Eric, you are?"

I took a drink. "Karoline. First trip out for me is in a month. They are making me wait while paperwork is transferred. Currently, I'm just a cadet again. I lost my officer ranking by moving branches."

"Damn, that sucks. Officers get better perks. Hey, next time, for sure. I'll show you all the ropes."

I watched him leave and come back so defeated but unharmed. The cart of soldiers behind him, most were injured, some dead. When he got back, he was different for a few days. I kept the distance I always had, him and me.

"Lookie here, If it's not Karoline. Training hard I see."

I curled into crunches as I hung upside down. "Always, I have to be at me best, if I don't kill at least one then what worth was I?"

"Hmm, well. I know something that takes a lot of physical strength, that is if you're up for it."

"What?"

"Some call it the forbidden, others the love tango."

"Eric, no." I got up, leaving the training grounds.

"I'm kidding, let's get a drink."

I dropped down. "Sounds like a plan."

I didn't want to lose the one who would talk to me. I left with him, drank myself silly. It was fun.

I stared at the stars. "Some reason I don't think you were kidding ever when you insinuated such things, but I'll take a drink right about now you son of a bitch." I smirked as the night stars danced slowly across the sky; the little movie lulled me to sleep.