Spiritual Perspective: Author X AOT

Prologue: Gathering the troops

CARINA'S POV

It was late in the night, Small Hours were creeping in slowly as that day was coming to an end.

All I could remember from that moment was hearing a voice whisper gently but sharply, over and over again.
"Carina..."
It called, the sound replicating that of crashing waves.

"Carina..."
It called again, I could feel my body stir.

"Carina..."
My eyes fluttered...

"CARINA!"

Until I jumped up from my slumber... looked around...and had my eyes fall on the candle right beside where I had fallen asleep on my desk.

The candle had recently gone out, since the tip of the wick was still a glowing red; the room was plunged into darkness.

I hadn't had many nights where I had fallen asleep at my desk...

'At least... not since...'

I shook my thoughts away and paid more attention to WHAT woke me up... yet, it wasn't that much of a mystery... for I knew the Father was calling to me again.

It had been like this all day, I would hear my name...and when I turned to see who called me... I found no-one.

Though I found no-one, I did realize that, as much as I was plunged into confusion, my mind was flooded by an idea.

An idea...that I didn't like...

Since the end of the great Titan War, every surviving member in the military (Soldiers, nurses...etc) had their picture taken and placed in a book for each soldier to take home.

These were the first pictures ever taken before humanity started getting more interested in inventing a new life with new creations and new technology... like cars, telephones, and even radios... it was a massive change.

The idea I had received from the Father... was to look through my own book; my own book which showed all the familiar faces of my old comrades.

Although I hated to be reminded of the past and all the years of suffering to the jaws of death... I knew I couldn't run from God's command... I knew... that I had to be reminded.

I turned on my lamp, then, pushing my empty wine cup aside, I stood and grabbed a dusty, old, dark blue book from the very back of my book shelf.

As I blew the dust off, I was sent into a fit of coughs at the cloud of dust which rushed through the air.

Sitting down, I took my shaky hand and opened the book, I was met with brown tinted paper from it's ageing and a dark black title at the top of the page.

SURVEY CORPS SURVIVORS
(Dedicated to the heros of the
Great Titan War - Year 863)

The pages flipped over, there, I saw a quote in the same black ink.

"What can I say?
My survival... I guess I was lucky enough to be born with such skill..."

I could remember who said this line... the handsome horse-face:
Jean Kiristein

'I doubt he looks that young, nowadays... I wonder if he his face has doubled in length.'

I chuckled at my thought, jokingly mocking the young man in the book.

I spent the next while looking through the book, passing through all the quotes and all the pictures of all my old friends, subordinates, and superiors... each having an interesting answer to the question that the journalist asked us while we were getting our picture taken...