Libertas ↠ AOT

Prologue

Slithers of silver moonlight peeked through the darkened clouds that rolled across the sky, raindrops falling at a steady pace in the city of Mitras and drenching the civilians that had foolishly decided to leave their houses. One of the foolish people who was meandering the streets was current Survey Corps member, Keith Shadis, who's boot-clad foot had just plunged into a newly created puddle and soaked his sock entirely. Grumbling to himself as he walked, he began to regret ever stepping into Wall Sina—perhaps he should have stayed in the Survey Corps HQ or even ventured to his compact lodgings in Jinae where he would have remained dry. His irritation-filled thoughts were interrupted when his ears picked up the unmistakable sound of gentle weeping. Without thinking his feet approached the sound that gradually grew louder the further he walked until his footsteps halted at the entrance of a rather slim alleyway.

The alley was shrouded in darkness but his eyes were able to make out the silhouette of a woman huddled against the wall, her shoulders shaking with each heart-wrenching sound that left her. Shadis found himself unable to walk away so instead he entered the alleyway and approached the unknown woman. Upon coming closer to her he noticed how small she really was—not just in height but also in weight, it looked as if she hadn't eaten for days by the way that the skin on her goosebump-ridden arms clung to her bones underneath. She was shaking not just from crying but also from the biting chill of the night air, why she wasn't wearing a jacket or cardigan baffled him completely. Shadis couldn't stop the sympathy from entering his heart and before he knew it he had shrugged off his own coat and gently placed it over the woman's shoulders as a way to keep her warm.

As soon as the soft material had grazed her shoulders her head whipped around to face the stranger that was seemingly aiding her. His chartreuse eyes were almost as wide as her sky blue ones until they softened at the sight of how terrified she looked, raising his hands as if to show that he meant her no harm. Now that he had the time to study her face he realised that she wasn't as old as he had originally believed her to be, she wasn't a child but she also wasn't an adult—she was somewhere in her teenage years and that only caused Shadis to feel even more sympathetic than he already did.

"Where are you from? I can help you find your way back home," he offered after realising that he had been watching her for a minute or so, keeping his tone quiet so as not to startle her any further.

No response came from the girl, instead she tugged the coat closer to cover her petite frame and lowered her head to look at the ground, her light blonde fringe clinging to her forehead from the raindrops that continued to weave themselves through her hair.

Shadis' eyes flicked down to her hand that was gripping onto his coat that covered her, his eyes widening at the sight of crimson that coated her fingertips. The blood hadn't had time to dry yet and was still dripping from her hand but he was unable to see a noticeable injury on her which led him to believe that the blood wasn't her own. However, with the way that she kept shrinking into herself and remaining silent he couldn't conclude that she was a brutal murderer who was only waiting for the right time to murder him as well. For as long as he could remember he had always been talented at observing others and gauging what kind of person someone was just by the way that they moved and spoke; despite the blood on her hands he knew that she was no threat and it also didn't appear as if she had a home to go to due to her silence.

"What's your name? I'm Keith Shadis," he introduced himself, trying to get any information out of the girl that he could.

Her hand gently wrung the collar of the wet coat, the water cascading over her fair skin and unintentionally washing away the blood that had clung there. "Antheia. Just Antheia," she finally spoke, her voice timid and barely audible.

Shadis nodded to himself before standing up, the girl who he now knew as Antheia following his every movement with wary eyes. "Well, just Antheia, you look like you could do with some food and I'm sure I can find you some warmer clothes," he offered, outstretching his hand towards her.

It had only been a few minutes since she had first met this man but for some reason she found herself considering his offer. She wasn't sure whether it was his neatly combed hair or his clean-shaven face, but there was something about him that was kind and trustworthy, so despite everything that she had been through she found herself cautiously reaching out to take his hand and accept his offer of help.