GIVE YOUR HEART, levi ackerman - book 1

chapter 36; last one standing

Would you get there tomorrow, only to find the Scouts already annihilated? What could one person like you even hope to accomplish against an enemy like that, anyway? Who were you kidding, you were most likely heading to your death as well. Emotions bubbled within, and you teetered on the edge of tears, though the energy to release them remained elusive.

A yearning for the familiar embraced you—an ache for family, for your lost brother, for friends whose loyalty now wavered, and for Levi, a steady anchor in the storm. Regardless of the hurt you felt from them keeping this a secret from you, the void left by their absence reverberated through your mind even more.

Trying to banish the encroaching worries, you adjusted your position, seeking comfort amidst the makeshift sanctuary of the tree. The fatigue clung to you like a persistent shadow, demanding surrender, and you fought against the pull of sleep. But try as you might to ward off the embrace of sleep, weariness grips you with unyielding fingers, pulling you into the darkness.

And as the night swallows you whole, the rhythmic rustle of the leaves above offers a lullaby of solace in the silence of the night.

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The gentle embrace of sleep is shattered by a distant explosion, its reverberations tearing through the fragile comfort of rest. With a start, you jolt awake, heart pounding in your chest as you struggle to focus your bleary eyes on the early morning sky.

A sense of urgency grips you as you scan the horizon, searching for the source of the disturbance. And then, amidst the muted hues of dawn, you spot it – the remnants of green and yellow, a stark contrast against the tranquil backdrop of the horizon.

Shiganshina. Eren. The Scouts. The explosion wasn't a distant anomaly – it was the unmistakable signature of someone transforming into a Titan.

However, this time something is different. The transformation is followed by a massive explosion of smoke and fire.

What the...? You shrink in fear. A massive mushroom cloud billows into the heavens, it looms over the landscape like a dark specter. The sheer magnitude of the explosion is staggering, its devastation reaching even the distant reaches of your vision.

Fear grips you in its icy embrace as you struggle to comprehend the enormity of what you've witnessed. You've heard of the Colossal Titan's transformation being devasatingly large, but never before have you seen a transformation of such scale and ferocity. Doubt gnaws at the edges of your mind, a nagging uncertainty that whispers of disbelief.

But amidst the turmoil of your thoughts, one truth remains undeniable—the blast has engulfed your friends in its fiery path. A jolt of adrenaline propels you into action. The Scouts are within reach, no more than an hour or so away at most. The urgency of the situation crystallizes, dispelling the remnants of sleep from your mind. Swiftly, you gather your gear and make your way down from the tree, your movements fueled by a mixture of dread and determination.

Despite your body groaning in pain from the relentless journey, you muster every ounce of willpower you had left. With swift movements, you mount your horse, the leather creaking beneath you. The urgency fuels your actions as you grip the reins with renewed vigor, compelling your steed into a gallop.

The wind rushes past, whipping against your face, and the rhythmic pounding of hooves becomes a relentless heartbeat propelling you forward. With each stride, the distance between you and your friends dwindles. The horizon stretches before you like an open canvas, the sounds of battle, once faint echoes on the wind, grow louder, more distinct with every passing moment. You press on, a solitary figure racing toward the fray.

The sound of terrified screams echoes through the clearing as you emerge from the shelter of the forest. Shiganshina lies before you now, but the scene that greets your eyes is one of unimaginable horror as you pull your horse to a halt.

Blood mingles with smoke, the acrid scent of death hanging heavy in the air. A pitiful number of soldiers charge forward on their horses towards a line of titans that surrounds the city's gate. Their desperate cries cause your stomach to churn as you take in the scene, a chilling realization settling over you like a shroud.

Am I too late? Is this the last of the Scouts?

Doubt gnaws at the edges of your mind, whispering of failure and despair. Your eyes glaze over the scene in horror, taking in the line of mockingly large titans, staring down at the pitiful death charge of the Scouts. Your gaze locks onto the monstrous figure at the center of the titan line—a gigantic, hairy titan with a sickening smile etched on its face. This must be one of the shifters Reiner is allied with. No pure titan could gain such repulsive joy from this scene.

Your heart sinks as you watch the beast titan while it effortlessly crushes boulders with its bare hands, transforming them into deadly projectiles aimed at the remaining scouts. Each impact sends shockwaves through the earth, the ground trembling beneath your feet as it becomes littered with the shattered remnants of stone and bone.

Your mind races, thoughts careening out of control as you struggle to make sense of the madness unfolding before you. Paralyzed in fear, you watch as the stones make deadly contact with the last line of Scouts, ripping their fragile bodies to shreds as blood splatters the ground. Each crushing blow serves as a brutal reminder of the overwhelming power of the enemy that now stands before you.

"Guys..." You said out loud, although there was no one left to hear you, "Where did everyone go?" You said, still processing the massacre you just witnessed.

But then, as the smoke begins to clear, your gaze falls upon a sight that defies all logic—the line of titans to the beast titan's right now lay on the ground, steam rising from where they were just standing moments ago. Confusion grips you as you struggle to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

And then, amidst the chaos and devastation, a lone figure emerges from the smoke, cutting through the haze with a determination that borders on madness. Your breath catches in your throat as you recognize him.

It's Levi.