Caught Between Worlds (Eren x Reader)

Epilogue

Anticipation fills the air as all of us stand geared up and ready to go on top of the walls. A valiant wind blows against us, our capes flapping heroically in the wind. Cheers echo throughout the city, the citizens egging us on. All of us stand in formation, looking down at them below. Jean, Connie, and Sasha grow excited, answering their cheers with their own. Erwin suddenly lets out a battlecry, causing all of the citizens below to exclaim in unison. A smile begins to stretch across my lips as I take in the aura surrounding us. Such excitement and determination within my fellow comrades helps put the stress at ease.

I glance over my shoulder, back at Eren. He stands in between Armin and Mikasa in the second row behind the elite squads. He seems to have already had his eyes on me before I looked back. A new fire is lit in them. A raging inferno filled with heavy doses of willpower and determination.

"The operation to retake Wall Maria begins...NOW!" Erwin announces, causing the crowd below and the Scouts around us to cry out. All of us are lowered down on the other side of the walls by the lifts. We mount our mighty steeds and Erwin leads us forward. "SCOUTS! MOVE OUT!" Kicking his horse onward, his cape flaps valiantly in the wind as he leads the charge.

We leave mid afternoon. By the time we exit Wall Rose and make it to Wall Maria, the sun will set, protecting us from the scouring eyes of the titans.

The excited cries of anticipation fall silent as the walls of Orvud grow more and more distant. Everyone brings their full attention on what's ahead.

The long day of riding ends.

A bitter cold night falls upon us. I walk beside Hoshi, grasping tightly onto her reins. Levi and Hange walk on my other sides, Eren and the others behind us. Glancing over at Levi, he holds his typical stoic expression. Tension grows in my chest as I think back to our last conversation. We haven't spoken much since then. Deep down, I know that's due to all of the heavy preparations we have been going through for this mission. During that time, he still showed his caring side to me, making sure I was okay and that I had everything I needed. But a part of me still worries that I upset him that day.

The walk we take is a bit exhausting as we all continue on foot. However, all of us are too focused on the task ahead to let the fatigue truly sink in. Levi grows a bit impatient as his watch strikes 4am. Dawn will come in about an hour which will leave us vulnerable again.

A soldier suddenly cries out. There's a loud thud that shakes the earth. A patch of light flashes before our eyes as a lantern rolls along the ground. The soldier yanks on his horse's reins as he trips, causing his horse to cry out with displeasure. He catches himself before he hits the ground.

A sigh of relief escapes me as we all realise it was an accident.

"Slow down," Levi tells him. "Make sure the ground is lit." He then brings his focus to one of the squad leaders walking beside us. "Will we get there soon? It's just about dawn."

The leading soldier holds up a small version of the map. "Well, once we get over this mountain, Shiganshina should be close by."

The thought gives me chills. We're so close to where it all began. So close to where I first arrived in this world. So close to the forest I lost Alphanz in. And so close to the once beautiful city that was destroyed on that day. Before I know it, we'll be riding along the pathways I used to walk along with Mara everyday. As we continue on, the thoughts haunt me.

Besides one false alarm with a sleeping titan, our walk is quiet and uneventful. We slowly begin to grow closer and closer to our destination, causing all of us to grow anxious.

"I see the foot of the mountain! There are signs of a trail ahead!" A soldier announces.

The sound of the river nearby the old hunting wood adds a soft ambiance in the cold, still air. Harsh memories begin to stir in my mind as we walk along the pathway Alphanz and I would take with his horse.