Eyes Open | AruAni | Attack on Titan Hunger Games |

13

A/N: Hey guys!! Welcome to chapter 13. I'm posting this on the 13th of October lmfao. It's a double Taylor reference! Also, I've hidden Taylor references throughout this chapter. They're either lyrics of song titles and it's up to you to figure it out. It's like an Easter egg hunt but for Swifties. You don't have to, obviously. I just thought it would be fun. Anyways, enjoy! 

Make sure nobody sees you leave. Hood over your head, keep your eyes down. That was the only thing going through my mind as I walked through the pathless ground of the forest. I wandered around numbly, wishing more then anything to be back home with Armin and my father. I couldn't handle this anymore. I wondered if my father was still alive. A part of me hoped that he wasn't. I didn't want him to witness my death. But another part of me hoped he got better and would life a long life. He was never a great father but he was home. 

Every inch of my body ached from exhaustion. I felt tired from the lack of sleep I had gotten the past few nights. Even so, I kept my eyes open and continued walking. The forest seemed like a labyrinth. My mind wandered back to the dark red blood all over Kaya's shirt. It was everywhere I looked. It haunted my mind. I knew not getting enough sleep was a bad idea but I kept moving forward. I wasn't gonna stop to rest until I found Armin. 

I quickened my pace and followed the trail of blood Kaya had left. There was a sickening feeling in my stomach that something was wrong. I couldn't shake if off. I felt like a mad woman. My mind was racing for possible scenes I'd witness once I located Armin. What if something bad happened to him while I was gone? None of all those cannon shots turned out to be him but what if the system just didn't register his death? And just when I thought things couldn't get worse, a cannon was fired from somewhere. Fear crept into my mind. My lungs suddenly felt heavy. It was getting harder to breathe. I stopped and held onto a tree. I closed my eyes. It's fine. Armin's fine.  But that only made me more desperate to see him. I took off running towards the spot Armin was last in, hoping he and Bertholdt were still there. I didn't know where else to look for them. 

The sky became cloudy all of a sudden. The day was gloomy. I noticed the ground getting muddy and slippery quickly. Then I felt my hair and clothes becoming drenched. And that's when I realized it started to rain. The game masters were messing with the arena. This was all an attempt to slow me down. The rain came pouring down and I hit the ground with a thud. I got up and ran. I wasn't gonna let a few drops of water stop me from seeing Armin again. 

But nothing could have prepared me for the sight I saw once I finally reached the designated spot. Armin was on the ground, pinned against a tree. Bertholdt's hand was tightly wrapped around his neck. Armin was barely moving. He wasn't struggling. He looked at Bertholdt with tears in his eyes. My heart thundered in my chest. Armin's eyes flickered towards me but he didn't say anything. His eyes didn't show hurt, only acceptance. Was he okay with this? 

"I'm sorry, Armin." - Bertholdt cried out. - "But you know that the only person who should be walking out of this arena is Annie!" 

For a moment, I froze. This was all over... ME!?  This couldn't be happening. Bertholdt knew I joined the games just so I could protect Armin. Dammit. I had to do something. I felt weak, like I couldn't stand. My mind was blank and dizzy. Bertholdt, our own teammate was now going against Armin. That traitor. 

"I never imagined we'd end like this." - He cried. He hadn't even realized I was there. 

My mind flashed into a protective state. I pulled out the dagger from my hoodie pocket. This had to be done. It was either him or Armin. And I'd pick Armin any day. He knew that all too well. I leapt towards Bertholdt, pinning him on the ground and off of Armin. He was startled to see me. Fear crippled across his face once he realized my dagger was slightly scraping his throat.