Caught Between Worlds (Eren x Reader)

Chapter Eight

A few hours pass.

Jean, Armin, and I sit together on a couch inside one of the rooms of the hospital. The three of us take the rare chance to rest while we wait for Eren to recover. A soft sigh escapes me as I think of him. Mikasa is still glued to his side.

That night when we almost kissed comes to mind. Perhaps it was a good thing Levi interrupted us. This isn't even my home. My memories were stolen and now I'm trapped here. Despite knowing everyone for so many years, I will find my way home. And when I do, I won't be looking back, not even for Levi.

I place a hand to my forehead, trying to ease my long lasting migraine. We're all still exhausted from the fight against Annie. Now we're forced to wait in suspense. They forced us to go through our debriefing and we all walked away with nothing. All of the questions we were asked, there were no true answers to anything. All of us are left in the dark. All of this pain and suffering was for nothing.

A deeper frown begins to form along my heavy brows. They press down along my forehead, making the migraine worse. Thinking of Her, I wonder what Reiner and Bertholdt are doing now. Them and the rest of our comrades are still in that hideout further outside of Stohess.

"Are you going to be alright?" Armin asks me. "I know you and Annie were close."

I respond with a nod. "I'll be fine." I whisper. I am far too exhausted to talk anymore so I leave him with those words and fall silent again.

Footsteps make their way towards the door. Levi enters the room. I notice that he's not in his uniform but dressed in classy, casual black and white attire. By the way he's dressed, it looks like he's not even our captain. It makes me wonder about how bad his injury is.

Despite his stoic expression, I can tell something is wrong by the arch in his brows. "Saddle up," he orders us. "The titans have breached Wall Rose. We are to act immediately and make our way to Ermich."

"What!?" Armin exclaims as he rises from his seat.

I exchange looks with him and Jean before we run towards the door. The halls fall deadly silent, like all life has vanished from the hospital. Fear travels along the air, the feeling of it enough to make anyone with a weak mind collapse under its pressure.

"I have to warn Eren and Mikasa!" Armin tells us before taking off down the halls.

Jean and I follow Levi outside where Hange and her assistant, Moblit, wait for us. An unpleasant heat blows in the wind, the scent of titan steam and smoke still lingering with it. We walk along a narrow alleyway behind the hospital. At the end leads into a courtyard with a stabling area. Corps members move left and right, readying horses and carts for the incoming battle we must face.

"Saddle up, Kirstein," Levi orders. He then looks to me. "You're coming with me."

Jean and I respond with a "Yes Sir." I look back at Jean who walks with Moblit and Hange to the stables. They disappear into the crowd of Survey Corps members.

I bring my attention to Levi who leads me through the courtyard. By the looks of the building we approach, we're about to enter one of our HQs. My body begins to tremble as we walk inside. Gruesome flashes of Shiganshina begin to assault my mind. My migraine begins to grow worse from the adrenaline rush. My bowels begin to stir, disturbing my entire stomach. We begin to walk up several cases of stairs which makes it all worse. I begin to feel weak in the knees as we reach the top and approach a door.

Levi stops and faces me before he opens it. "I need you to pull yourself together," he sternly tells me.

Through my fit, a wave of irritation shoots through my veins. "I am!" I retort harshly. I begin to grow angry from the sudden anxiety attack. I need my body to focus and it's shutting down on me.