The Bonds of Blood" [Fem OC X AOT]

Chapter 2: Fade to Black

Rae's POV:

Eren was crying, his face contorted with anger as if he was on the verge of committing murder. I sighed, letting him be, and comforted Mikasa by running my fingers through her hair as she rested her head on my shoulder.

I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, but the reality of the situation hadn't fully sunk in, so I didn't cry.

Yoshi, on the other hand, was inconsolable. He had his head buried in Armin's grandfather's chest, crying his heart out.

They had always been close, as Yoshi often visited Armin's house. Armin's grandfather was like the grandfather we never had, and I was grateful for his presence.

We somehow made it to Wall Rose and were ushered into a refugee camp. The place was chaotic, filled with the cries of people everywhere. At this point, the reality of the situation hit me, and I was overwhelmed with emotions.

I felt a wave of sadness for Aunt Carla, gratitude that my friends and my brother were safe, regret that I hadn't been able to save Aunt Carla, and anxiety about what would happen next.

I kept Mikasa close to me. Normally, she would have preferred to be with Eren rather than me, but at this time, she clung to me. I let her, still a little dazed from everything that had happened.

Eventually, we were given some food. Yoshi tried to give me his portion too, but I refused. "Mikasa?" I called out to Mikasa who was laying with her head on my lap. Mikasa was now sleeping with her head on my lap.

It was late, and I couldn't sleep.

"No... don't leave, Mom...Dad,"

I heard Mikasa murmur in her sleep. Mikasa... sleep talking!? That was a first.

I quickly brushed the thought aside and ran my fingers through Mikasa's hair again. "Mikasa, I'll make sure your family survives this time, so trust me with this, okay?" I whispered to her as tears streamed down my face while she slept.

The thought 'I let Aunt Carla die' haunted me, and I felt guilty for letting Mikasa lose her mother for the second time in her life. I gently laid her down and took off my upper shirt, using it as a pillow for her.

After that, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about how that blonde titan had devoured Aunt Carla right in front of me and how I had been powerless to do anything.

I couldn't even move. If Yoshi hadn't dragged me out of there, I would have died. Strangely, none of the titans chased after us. Maybe they were full?

I didn't have an answer to that question, and even Yoshi, who seemed to know everything, couldn't explain it. But at that time, I couldn't care less about it.

The screams of Aunt Carla kept ringing in my ears, and whenever I closed my eyes, that horrifying scene replayed itself in my mind.

Yoshi was sleeping with Armin's grandfather and Armin on my left, while Eren was to my right. Mikasa and I were in the middle.

I soon gave up on trying to sleep and went outside the warehouse where we were currently staying for a walk. I thought I heard the sound of horses running in the distance, but I quickly dismissed it as probably being soldiers who were guarding the place.

Outside, I saw three kids around my age talking quietly. I couldn't make out their faces, but I could guess by their hair that there was one blonde girl, one blonde boy, and another boy with black hair.

For some reason, I felt a strong urge to eavesdrop on their conversation. I moved a little closer to them, making no sound, and made sure they couldn't see me before I tried to listen to their conversation.