Smoke curled around him, a mask of nicotine that had never really failed to soothe even the worst of his worries.

Wall Maria had fallen.

Humanity had never been more fragile than it was now. Thousands upon thousands had died, many others would follow due to the shortage of food. Those who could fight, would fight, those who couldn't, would die.

It had always been the natural order of things, hasn't it?

He wondered why he had never bothered much about it until now. Sure, he had chosen the Survey Corps for a chance at freedom, a chance to give the people behind these walls a small light of hope, no matter how thin or unreachable it was.

The last expedition had ended up with so many fatalities, only 20 survived, and he had been part of the lucky few who had managed to see another day, yet brought nothing but humiliation to the Survey Corps.

There were times Niko wondered if it should've been better if a titan had eaten him.

He shook his head, turning away from the window. Night covered the office he had taken for himself in the forgotten shadows of a castle that now served as the HQ for his squad — right along the border of the Utopia district, too.

Niko sighed as he sat down, pressing the lit end of his cigar against the deformed ashtray and discarding it moments later. He had paperwork to do still, the kind that Moritz, his second-in-command, couldn't handle himself.

It was a job easier than taking care of the recruits, at least, but before he could even pick up his pen he heard a knock on his door.

Just his luck.

"Come in."