WEAPON | JEAN KIRSCHTEIN

⟼ 01: Invasion at Capitol

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Year 854
'Invasion at Capitol'

She heard mumblings.

Her eyelids were heavy as her body swayed lightly. The journey to the heart of Paradis took longer than expected. Most of the people in the train were fast asleep as the train ran on the rails through the abandoned tunnels.

Erwin Smith as usual was wide awake. He conversed with Captain Levi in a tone below a whisper, making sure no one was listening. Even with Eris' strong sense of hearing, she couldn't decipher their words. It was too hushed. They were keeping something.

Her eyes travelled around and watched the rest. Unlike them, she didn't sit on cushioned seats with headrests. They could even stretch their legs ahead as they snored their worries away. Eris didn't have that freedom. She sat on cold steel with bars enclosed around her with barely enough space to move in.

Due to her lethal status and hands that thirsted for bloodshed, she deserved to be in a cage. There was no determine whether or not she'll hurt those in the train car.

She heard footsteps and realised it was her commander.

The blonde man walked closer to her and crouched down to meet her level, "We're nearly there, my dear. We're one step closer to freedom. You'll aid us in the battlefield," he spoke with vigour but anyone could hear the malice in his voice. His sapphire eyes looked into hers. He owned her and he knew it, "You're perfect,"

He didn't look at her with adoration nor was it hatred. She couldn't decipher him, she never could. But as she stared back into his eyes that held hope for freedom, she knew it was best to follow him. There was no hope for freedom without Erwin's command.

"We're here!" one of the men called out as the train came to a halt.

Erwin showed Eris a smirk before getting off.

Rattling sounds behind her caused Eris to turn around. The doors were dragged open and black coats stood in front of her. One of them she was too familiar with as he had been her warden for far too long. His sinister smile greeted her as he unlocked her cage and released the cuffs bounding her wrists.

"I'll take it from here," Hange Zoë stepped in, grabbing the chain connected to her neck delicately. They knew how rough these black coats treated her despite her glorified rank. The man smiled balefully before returning back to the train.

Hange shook their head and removed everything that retained Eris to the cage. They got her out of the cage and smiled sincerely, something Eris rarely received from others.

"Let's get you onto the battlefield, young lady."

Young soldiers quivered as Eris walked through them. They pushed and made way for her while keeping their heads down. They didn't want to make eye contact with death herself. They were the same age as her but they could never reach up to her level. It was impossible.

The abandoned train tunnel was several kilometres away from Capitol and they had to walk through the dark with dimly lit lanterns. The clinking of chains sounded from the foremost of the tight formation was enough to raise the goosebumps of the soldiers. Both Deputy Hange and Captain Levi held onto the chains as if their lives depended on it as it was connected to the metal around Eris' neck. They guided her through the dark as Erwin Smith walked closely in front of them.