A Choice with Regrets [Levi Ackerman]

20

Three Months Later...

Wall Maria

By now, it had become apparent that hope was severely dimmed.

We all engaged in a furious battle against the titans in Wall Maria and moved forward despite the uncertain future. Plan for the worst and pray for the best. In this heat of the moment, Commander Erwin devised a plan for just such a false victory. The attack, begun in the early morning, was about to become an utter failure. The significance of that defeat soon became apparent.

As soldiers, we can't run away, no matter how bad the situation is. No matter what the enemy is, we have to be ready for it. The Titans emerged from the womb of the earth to live up to its surface and eventually trampled the residents in great numbers. How tall of a mountain of corpses did those titans raise?

In Wall Maria, humanity is starved out and we are painfully aware that their lives are quickly overshadowed by the struggle for mere survival.

When those soldiers fled, they got up in the tops of the houses and sought to defend themselves with their blades. As soon as they had sight of the titans, they took themselves to flight. It was horror beyond imagination when our comrades were eaten so badly that blood and flesh flew in all directions. Despite overwhelming grief and terror, soldiers including civilians fled for their lives. The sad thing is... no one can outrun a titan on foot.

No matter where they fled, the blood of innocents spilled out of the titans' mouths as the titans bloodied our walls. At this point, the titans have eaten more than fifty scouts, some under extremely gruesome circumstances as we suffered many hardships.

The entire city was so thickly covered with mangled and bleeding innocent people that it was difficult to thread my way among them. Some were mortally injured, the life fast escaping through a ghastly wound; the limbs of others were shattered or missing; the faces of others so disfigured as to seem scarcely human, which the ground was strewed, made up a scene more pitiable and horrible than I had even conceived possible before.

I only wish for our people to breathe in peace and live quietly within the walls. But my nightmares bled into reality. I nearly gave up on almost everything, and I hardly knew what was going on around me.

"Shit... they're scurrying away like rats." Zaiya hissed, not knowing how to save herself at this point. Viktor and Abel are currently trying to get everyone to stay together, but it is nearly impossible when the titans are in sight.

Physically and emotionally exhausted, soldiers are risking all in attempts to protect or reunite with their loved ones again. They would surely suffer an even worse fate than that currently endured.

Erwin plotted more attacks and we swiftly pressed forward as we cling to life by the skin of our teeth, but we couldn't wipe them out. At this point, we were powerless to do anything about it.

I turn my eyes to Levi, hoping he has a peaceful solution to the situation. Aside from his remarkable battle skills, Levi can quickly analyze situations and make calculated decisions in the heat of battle to save himself and his comrades on many occasions.

Is it because he believes in his own strength? Even when I believe in my strength, the outcome will remain the same... no matter how things change.

Levi's squad continued to fight and saw many soldiers either flee or feed themselves to the titans. A stream of blood flowed down the roads ...where our comrades were dispirited and demoralized. They defended themselves so bravely that we now lost hundreds of soldiers and as many horses.

Now, the sun is lowering on the horizon before we even realize it and the weather has gotten cooler, signaling that winter is around the corner.

Erwin was aware of his own vulnerable position, but the retreat was not in his nature for now. Rather than fall back to the safety of the walls, he took a strong defensive position and marched further with his men.