Your Promise | Shingeki No Kyojin ;; Eren Jaeger |

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rose

Vigilantly, my squad fights each Titan as we head near the gate. We've had several deaths but there's no time to mourn... As much as it pains me, all we can do is swallow our tears back and fight right now. A Titan swipes their hand in my direction but I pull myself up, evading the attack. I land on the arm and run on it, shooting my hooks to the side of the neck and directing my body to fly to the back, finally cutting the nape off.

We all land on a roof once the bells ring, confused as ever. "We're already retreating?" I question.

"Guys," Kenji speaks up. "I don't think commandment was the one that rang the bells..."

Everyone looks to HQ which is now swarmed by Titans, climbing on the building and roaming the streets around.

"They've swarmed the premises!" I exclaim. "Shouldn't everyone have protected it...?"

"The soldiers inside must've been eaten," Kenji notes.

"No, if they were eaten, the Titans would have left. They've probably locked themselves up in fear," Sasha hypothesizes.

"Woah, potato girl has a brain?" Someone jokes and we all snicker before realizing the situation and stopping ourselves.

"I thought you guys forgot by now..." Sasha scratches and shakes her head. "It's just simple animal behavior. They'll surround their prey until they've gotten their fill. It doesn't look like we'll be able to go back though,"

"Great, my blades are getting dull and our air is running low," I sigh and sheath my blades.

"It's hopeless now," Someone mutters.

"If we can't get supplies, then we're doomed... We'll be eaten by the Titans,"

Sasha and I turn to the lot finding all of them whispering in fear. "You can't give up now, it's our job to protect everyone and the city!" I say.

"Easy for you to say! You both made it into the top ten, you guys can live comfortable lives in the interior!" A girl fires back.

I approach her, staring down with a menacing glare. "You clearly don't know anything, do you? I've made up my mind to join the Scout Regiment. I won't sit idle with my power knowing that I can use it for the greater good. Now, are you with me or not?"

She falls to her knees and her head hangs low. "I'll try... To continue to fight,"

"If you even have a sliver of fight left in you, even if it's fake, it might be enough to save at least one person..."

"Ah, Armin!" Sasha notices the blonde boy sitting against a chimney across from us and we fly over to join him. "Did you get separated from your squad? You can tag along with us," Sasha offers.

A shadow is cast over his cerulean eyes, his eyes wide in shock and despair. More cadets gather around us, including Mikasa who questions multiple people about Eren's whereabouts. Armin's head rises to look at us, tears welling in his eyes. 

"Cadets of squad thirty-four... Thomas Wagner... Nack Tierce.. Milieus Zeremski... Mina Carolina," Armin struggles to get the words out, choking on his breath. "And Eren Jaeger! These five members devoted their lives and fulfilled their duties... and died an honorable death on the battlefield!"

The noise around me comes to an abrupt silence as if a conductor halted an orchestra to stop. I drop to my knees, my heart rate racing and thumping inside of my chest. My hands shake as I bring my palm to my mouth to cover my trembling lip. Tears come to my eyes but I try to blink them away. "It's happening again... Why... Why is it always like this? The promises that I make are always broken with the gruesome fate of death,"

Eren's voice echoes in my head, the image of him standing before me fills my mind. "I promise you, Rose."

I shut my eyes, my breath hitching as I try to breathe. "You promised me, Eren... So why?! Why did fate decide to take you away too?!"

Wiping my tears away, I look up to Mikasa whose face is a blank slate. Emotionless, like a broken doll. She's known Eren for so long; even if they're not blood-related, she is his sister, I can't imagine what she's thinking right now...

Mikasa walks to the edge of the roof, looking back at the rest of us "I'm strong. Stronger than all of you!" She announces. "I have the power and strength to eliminate all of the Titans surrounding HQ. Even by myself." She raises her sword in the air and then points it at us. "As for the rest of you, you're just weak cowards. It's a pity. Stay here and twiddle your thumbs. Twiddle and watch."

"Mikasa, you can't be serious right now... You're going to face all of the Titans by yourself?!" Someone in the crowd yells.

"Yes. I'll do it by myself if none of you cowards will help me," She leaps off of the building and flies toward the command center on her own.

I rise to my feet, wiping my tears and following her as well. "There's no time to grieve... I have to be strong for them right now, this is what they would want," I grip the handle of the blades. "Although you broke your promises, your fate was inevitable. But I will live up to my word for as long as I can."