He Told Me to Live

7 | Eren

He didn't seem like much. Just another kid in the crowd as the Scouts came back from an expedition, with the same wonder in his eyes as the rest. Then they join the Scout Regiment. And they realize it isn't as wondrous as they thought.

I've seen the pattern before. Many times.

I didn't bother telling them how dangerous it was. They didn't listen, getting too in over their heads to realize that killing Titans isn't the same as with their toys or in their imagination.

My eyes closed, I leaned forward and lied down on Cinder. It was tiring.

But I didn't expect him to get first hand experience with a Titan like he did at such an early age.

It seemed like a generally routine day, although I didn't quite appreciate all the reports about faulty service from the military police. I walked into my office and saw the pile of papers from Erwin about the new recruits, which there were only four.

I sat down at my desk and looked through the forms. They were all 15-16 years old, two of them having both their parents, one having their mother and sister, and the other only having their brother.

I'd have to assign a horse to them, as well as ODM gear and barracks.

There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened. It was Levi. "Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head.

"Erwin told me to bring you food." He placed a plate and glass on my desk. "New recruits?"

"Yes. I'll likely assign the horses that survived the last expedition without their riders." I scribbled down a few names. "Also, since you're here, I was instructed to inform you of your new team."

"Who is it?"

I slid a stack of papers across the table. "They're recruits from a few years back. Erwin believed that they would best suit you."

Levi's eyes scanned the papers one by one, taking in every detail until he stopped on one. "Petra has both parents?"

"That's what sources show."

He clicked his tongue and put the papers down. "There's a reason we barely ever get any recruits and her parents are fine with this?"

I nodded, straightening out the papers and placing them on the right side of my table. "There's fou—" Then I paused.

"Four what?"

I turned to the window in my office that overlooked the city. I pushed out my chair and slowly began walking towards the designed glass, looking through the window with observing eyes.

"What?"

I had heard a soft thumping noise. It was so familiar, I nearly passed it off as an auditory flashback. A daydream.

The city seemed normal at first, as I looked over the many layers of protection built up around the palace. That was up until I saw a distinct figure in the distance, its arm reaching over the outside wall of Shiganshina.

Levi walked up next to me, looking in the same direction as me and raising a brow. "What's the matter?"

It was too far to see if you weren't properly trained for it, but I could definitely see it: a Titan. But not like the others I've seen. It was much taller than both normal and abnormals, and most noticeable of all, it looked more like the muscular system of a human being than anything.