hopeless | jean kirstein

8 | not losing you

The group finally entered the safe confines of the walls with Eren's body in tow, handing him over to the authorities for them to deal with. The moment she got inside, Taryn immediately rushed towards the site where the evacuees where gathered. She didn't really care what Eren was or what had happened to him, she knew those matters could be discussed later. For now, she just wanted to see her family alive and safe.

She made her way towards the cluster of people, occasionally bumping into some of them due to her haste. Spotting the various tents the other soldiers had put up for the evacuees, she broke into a run, only to be stop short when a certain voice calling out her name caught her attention.

"Taryn! Is that you?"

She turned her head and found Jean's mother walking towards her, a frantic look on her face as the woman scurried over to where she was at. Her eyes lit up with reassurance once she saw that she wasn't hurt in any way, and she made a mental note to convince Jean to come and see his family later.

Mrs. Kirstein neared the girl, cupping her face in her hands as relief washed over her features. "You're alright, thank goodness," She then smiled, only for it to be replaced with an expression of worry. "What about Jean? Is he safe? I overheard that the Supply Team abandoned their posts—did he make it?"

"Yes, he's alright," Taryn held the woman's hands tightly. "Should I call him over for you, Mrs. Kirstein?"

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to trouble him, you know how he is." She chuckled, although there was a hint of sadness in her voice. Seeing this, Taryn reminded herself over and over again to drag the boy over here, whether he liked it or not.

The woman held the both of her shoulders tightly, with great admiration shining on her face. "You grew up so much, Taryn. I almost didn't recognize you," She pinched her cheeks, which made the both of them laugh lightly. "Well, I won't be keeping you any longer. It seems as if you're in a hurry."

Her words brought Taryn back to her current situation. If Jean's mother managed to evacuate just fine, then it meant her family must have been safe as well. She sighed in relief, before facing the other again with a hopeful look.

"Mrs. Kirstein?" She called out to the woman, who turned at her voice with a patient smile. "I'm sorry, but...have you seen my family?"

Taryn saw how her smile faltered and how her eyes widened for a fraction. She immediately began to feel anxious, her heart pounding in fear at the woman's reaction. Did they...no...

"I haven't seen them," She croaked out, not quite meeting the girl's eyes. "But Francis is over there. Alone."

She pointed to a place a bit far from them, where a group of people were huddled closely together as they waited to be assigned a tent. Quickly saying her thanks and bidding goodbye to the woman, Taryn moved towards the direction in which she had pointed, her mind being a jumble of thoughts.

Her brother was alive, that's good. If he was alive, then her parents had to be somewhere close by. They must have been preoccupied or went to take care of something, that's why Mrs. Kirstein didn't see them. Her brows furrowed in desperation as she ran, her legs already aching from exhaustion. They're safe, she thought. They're alright, they're just busy. They had to be.

She spotted Francis standing by one of buildings, his face looking tired and forlorn. His clothes appeared clean and didn't look like he went through hell, lifting her hopes up a bit. He's okay. They're okay.

"Francis!" She sprinted towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling her brother into a tight hug. She noticed that he had gotten taller and was now towering above her by at least a foot. Letting go of him, she looked up at the male with nervous eyes. "Are you alright? Where's Mum and Dad?"