(Levi Ackerman x OC) Melting A Frozen Heart ~ Attack on Titan

Chapter 33: Golden Eyes

[f]

The world surrounding her was muffled, a strange pain throbbing inside of her skull. It forced its way out as the dull silence seemed to reverberate, choking her dazzled sanity. Chi tried to lift her heavy eyelids, mustering all of her strength, but she could only open them a crack, her head muddled and foggy.

Something was wrapped tightly around her wrists—something cold and hard like steel, tugging at her numb yet sore shoulders to keep her feet suspended a few inches off of the ground. It hung her from the ceiling of a pale white room; many ancient machines filled the open space with a threatening ambiance.

Chi tried to speak, moving her cracked lips to form words, but she found that she couldn't utter even the smallest whisper, for her throat was absolutely parched. Fear flooded the back of her mind and the fog dissipated, allowing her to draw more strength. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she lifted her head to glance around, eyeing more of the mysterious room's details.

The machines did indeed look quite terrifying, many unknown tools and metal structures covered with the remains of dried blood. Looking down at herself, she saw her uniform was now torn and completely ripped apart, slashes running through the flimsy cloth as the same dark maroon color that stained the machines also tainted the ragged edges of the slashed fabric.

"He... llo?" Chi mustered, but her voice was barely a whisper. It tore at her throat and she felt that if she spoke any more, or even tried to, she would vomit blood.

Lifting her head upon her sore neck, she looked up and was surprised to find that her wrists were in fact bound by thick, metal handcuffs that were hung from the ceiling floor. Panic spread to her chest and she jerked wider awake, newfound energy and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Jerking her elbows side to side, she attempted to loosen the metal cuffs, but they only dug deeper into her skin, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.

"Help... me," she tried to scream, but it came out more like a whimper—a crackly one that shattered the still air. It tore at her throat relentlessly. Her mind was much clearer now. Chi did not recognize the room she was in, and still yet, she had a gut feeling that it was something she recognized from her lost memory.

With newfound strength, Chi hoisted herself up, ignoring the screaming pain from where the sharp edge of the cuffs cut deep into her skin. With sharp yanking, the chains groaned in protest, creating a clinking sound that broke the silence of the room.

Voices could be heard coming down the hallway outside the open doorway of Chi's room; she had to act fast, or all would be lost. Without thinking about it, she curled her legs and used the force of her momentum to swing them back down and pull at the metal bearings.

Glancing up at the ceiling, a hopeful smirk crawled its way onto Chi's lips as she spotted cracks appearing like spiderwebs on the ceiling from where the chain was suspended. The voices were getting louder now, along with heavy footsteps. They seemed leisurely, as if they didn't sense Chi's attempt to escape, and she used that to her advantage.

Finally, the chain bearings gave away and she fell, landing gracefully on her two feet. Her breathing was hard and her shoulders felt stiff, her muscles already aching from being suspended for who knew how long. She crouched, resting her tired body for a few brief moments. The long, thick chain, still connected to the handcuffs around her bleeding wrists, clattered to the floor in a series of clinks, and the voices from the hallway stopped. The footsteps, in turn, quickened.

People appeared in the wide-open doorway—about seven people, each wearing matching coats; coats, it looked like, of those doctors or scientists would wear. There were six men standing defensively in front of a woman. Chi couldn't see the woman's face, but something hazy formed in her obscured memory—something she couldn't quite make out, but she knew that woman. Her old self knew that woman; she could feel it in her bones.