You were utterly exhausted. Every muscle in your body screamed in protest, and though your gear clung to you as it always had, it felt unnervingly light—an ominous sign that the odds were stacked against you. The reality was grim: you’d run out of gas, and the few remaining blades in your arsenal weren’t enough to see the mission through.

This was supposed to be their first mission together, but now she stood alone, her heart heavy as she tried to comfort Armin, who was trembling, his shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs. The loss of Eren had devastated him.

Hearing Armin cry hurt more than you cared to admit. His despair mirrored your own, but you couldn’t begrudge him his tears. You had known Eren since training—he’d been a kind, determined soul, driven by a fire that felt unstoppable. And now, that fire was gone.

The ground shook beneath you as the familiar stomps of a titan echoed through the air. Dread coiled in your stomach as a grotesquely large head emerged into view, its eyes fixed hungrily on your small figures.

“Armin… leave.” Your voice was low, steady despite the fear rising within you. You began unstrapping your remaining blades, thrusting them into his hands. “I’m out of gas. You still have some left. I’m no good anymore.”

Armin’s clutched your wrists in desperation, his grip trembling but firm. “No—no, I’m not leaving you!” he cried, his voice cracking with anguish.

Gathering what strength remained, you shoved him out of the titan’s path. The creature’s fingers closed around your body like a vice. You inhaled deeply, trying to steady your heart as you stared into the dark abyss of its throat.

A massive fist slammed into its face.

The titan’s grip on you loosened, and you began falling toward the earth below. But before impact, two massive fingers plucked you from the air, saving you from certain death.

Your breath hitched as you were brought closer to the one who had saved you—a titan with brown hair, piercing green eyes, and a muscular, terrifyingly feral frame.