To the Bitter End Eren x Reader: Levi's Little Sister Book One

One: Ackerman

In the beginning, there was darkness.

Even with your eyes wide open, all you could see was a seemingly black void of nothing. Sitting up, you scratched your head and looked around in silence.

Nothing. You were alone.

With the chill of that realization, goosebumps spread across your arms and a shiver ran down your spine. You hated being alone in the house.

Stretching you swung your legs off the bed and stood up, feet meeting the cold hard floor. You muffled a yawn while you fixed your oversized nightgown and began shuffling around in the dark in search of a candle.

Creeping over to the door you twisted the handle and slowly stepped out. 'Don't be scared' you thought, but the darkness and dead silence made the house feel intimidatingly haunting. You took a deep breath and mentally reassured yourself that no one was in the house with you, that it was okay.  Thoughts like these often ran through your mind whenever you were home alone. It wasn't uncommon for people to break into houses in the underground district.

You timidly walked around in the dark, searching for a candle. Once you found it and some matches, you quickly lit it and spun around to make sure that no one had crept up on you.

You hated how scared you could be.

Dim light flooded into the room after you opened up the wooden panels that covered the windows, serving as makeshift curtains. You were always told to be careful of this because anyone who was watching carefully, could see that you were just a little girl who was alone. They would try to break in and take advantage of you.

Kidnappings, rape, and murder happened often in the underground district. This was especially true for younger girls. They were often kidnapped and sold as slaves, a lot usually ending up as sex slaves to those who could afford them.

You peered around outside, slightly checking to see if anyone was close by. You never stuck your full head up to look, you always allowed yourself just enough room for your eyes to see what was needed, then with your better judgment you closed the wooden panels and lived off of the dim candlelight.

Making your way over to the dining table, you looked over the piece of parchment paper that sat still in the same place for a whole week. On it, was the note that your brother left letting you know he was leaving. This wasn't uncommon for you to one day wake up alone and find a note announcing the leave of your family. There was never a date for when their return was scheduled because even they didn't know, instead, the notes were usually just composed of simple sentences letting you know they were off for business and to stay safe.

Sometimes, you would receive an I love you.

But that was rare. Showing emotions was not something your family did often.

A sigh escaped your lips as you glanced around the make-shift kitchen. You were hungry, but you couldn't bring yourself to eat. A wave of anxiety washed over you as your breathing started to pick up and your chest tightened.

You really hated being alone.

'Calm down, calm down' You squeezed your eyes shut and focused on controlling your breathing. Slow and steady, you would eventually return to a normal breathing pattern and let out a sigh of relief once you did. Anxiety attacks weren't uncommon for you. You got them often due to the fear of living in the hell hole you currently resided in. Of course the fear of abandonment and being all alone just added to the problem, however, after having them enough times, eventually, you picked up some techniques and learned how to better control yourself and your mind. 

You walked back to the bedroom, candle in hand, and found it best to just lay back down and try to sleep once again. After quickly shutting the bedroom door, you placed the candle on the nightstand and made your way under the covers once again. It wasn't easy, but eventually, you silenced your thoughts and drifted off to sleep.