A Promise (An Attack on Titan Fanfic: Erwin Smith)

Blame

The sun was bearing down harshly as Isanna hiked down the dusty streets filled with civilians who were tending to their daily businesses while bustling noises filled the air. Not having much of an appetite, she had skipped breakfast and decided to head out of the headquarters after changing into casual clothes, not wanting to run into anyone that particular day. The Commander had given them a few days of rest after the expedition for recuperation - something Isanna was silently thankful for. 

With blank eyes, Isanna walked down the busy streets, moving side to side to avoid bumping into people. The jovial laughter of children reached her ears and she looked to see a group of young kids running past her, playing tag. 

"Oh, I'm sorry!" A girl mannerly apologized with a respectful bow after bumping into Isanna, before she continued running after her friends. The girl turned her head to watch the group scurry away, the distant laughter fading out as they went farther down the road. 

Her thoughts reminisced back when she had been a kid just like them. Isanna didn't have the perfect childhood; she never knew who her father was, and while she had been blessed enough with a loving mother, the world had been cruel enough to pluck her away from Isanna's life when she was still seven. She remembered how darker her days had seemed after that, constantly relocating from one space to another, sleeping in damp alleyways one night and under bridges the next, pushed around by bullies and looked at disdainfully by adults - life had been tough, and Isanna had done all she could to survive and get through each day. 

And then came Erwin. 

Calling him the light in Isanna's world wouldn't be an exaggeration. The man was indeed her light. A glimmer of hope. The first strip of light that would slither through the clouds after a stormy rain.

Her life had changed drastically ever since she had met the blond. He welcomed her into his home, gave her delicious food, and accepted her as family. In one day, he made her feel important in a cruel world that had shunned her for years. 

The world was cruel. But he made it beautiful for her to live in. 

Isanna wished the time she had spent together with Erwin and his father when they were still kids never ended. Life seemed so much better then. 

Now, it's just shit. 

"Isanna? Is that you?"

The girl was brought back to reality when her eyes landed on a familiar person just a few steps in front of her, right in the middle of the bustling street. A few moments passed by with the two staring at each other, registering their presence. 

Nile. 

He was wearing the standard uniform of the Military Police, that eyesore of a unicorn sewn on his breast pocket. He hadn't changed one bit, Isanna thought as her fists balled tightly at her sides. 

::

Never before was silence so loud. 

Nile had taken the initiative to invite Isanna to a nearby cafe, and the two were now seated on one of the round tables, both friends staring at each other from across the table. Two glasses of water were left untouched before them, with only the light conversations from other customers hanging in the room. 

Isanna had her eyes stuck on the liquid through the transparent glass. She hadn't said a single word to the man before her, the thickening tension only rising. Her fingers were still digging deeply inside her palms, the veins in the back of her hand bulging out at the tension. She bit her tongue in silent frustration. 

How was she going to tell him? 

How was she going to tell Nile that their friends were now gone?