Red Swan: What If and Other Stories

Cara and Levi: The Journal of Ilse Langnar

     Levi and I had only been in the Survey Corps for about five years, and we had already seen a lot. Nothing phased us anymore due to growing up in the Underground.
Commander Erwin wanted me to be along for this Survey Mission, so Keith was going to train the Cadets I had been helping.
We were to find a suitable place to build a cache, but Zoe wanted to lead an expedition to capture a Titan so she could study it. Erwin was against the idea because he saw it as pointless, and to be honest, so did I. After seeing my friends torn apart, I certainly didn't want to bring one of those monsters to camp with us. Titans were unpredictable, especially Abnormals.

Zoe would attempt to debate her request with the commander every other day, hoping he would change his mind.

"We've already discussed this. I don't have the soldiers to spare for a capture operation, especially not after what happened today. It cost us more than ten lives to get here," he informed the Section Commander.

"Yes, I understand that, but-"

"Hange, request denied."

Capturing a Titan meant everything to the Section Commander. Her wish was about to come true when Miche spotted a Titan among the trees. We were all on a wild goose chase for the giant creature. It was six meters tall with short blonde hair and dead blue eyes.

Hange was trying to get the Titan to follow her, but it turned around and ran back into the forest.

"What's that thing doing? Did it leave something at home?" Oruo shouted over the commotion. "It is acting strange, even for an Abnormal!" I observed as we galloped after the creature.

The six-meter Titan led us into a meadow surrounded by white flowers and a tall oak tree. The Titan was staring very intently into the hole of the tree, and it almost had a worried look.

"What is it looking at?" I inquired under my breath. In all honesty, it was freaking me out. Titans were already creepy enough.

Suddenly, it started hitting its head against the tree, and Oruo and I began our attack to save Hange from getting eaten.

I jumped off my horse and prepared to swing into the air with my gear, but when I looked up to search for an excellent place to attack, Oruo was already in the air, in the Titan's grip. He was screaming as he was about to become Titan fodder.

  Levi swung lightning fast and killed the Titan before it could eat Oruo. The Titan's grip loosened and Oruo fell to the ground.
My comrade was shaken by the ordeal. I couldn't blame him, if Levi hadn't acted then he would be dead. I stood there, speechless. I looked at the dead Titan lying in the field, and the ominous hole in the massive oak tree.
While Levi was scolding Hangë about being reckless, I cautiously made my way to the tree. I wanted to see what was inside. I nearly became sick at what I saw. It was a dead body with no head. The body wore a Survey Corps uniform and the signature green cloak. At the corpse's right foot, there was a leather bound journal that was well used and some of the pages seemed to be on the verge of falling out.
This corpse hadn't been dead long, only three years. I looked at a name on the journal, Ilse Langnar.

"Section Commander, I found something," I called to Zoe.
Hangë and the rest of the squad rushed to the giant oak tree. I climbed down the tree while the Section Commander and the rest of the team looked.
Levi was waiting for me, "You alright, kid?" he gently pulled me in for a hug. "I'm alright, nothing really phases me anymore," I hugged him back. I knew I could tell my best friend anything. Levi could tell if I wasn't being honest, so he nodded and gave me another hug. "With the hell we've been through, I don't blame you."
"No Titan has ever done anything like this before." Zoe jumped down from the tree with the journal, the squad following after her. "The Titan didn't eat all of her, but propped her up inside the tree. It's as if it was worshipping her." Hangë shared her observations with us. "Quite abnormal for an Abnormal," Oruo attempted to make a joke to lighten the tense moment. I chuckled at the joke, "You'd be right." I smiled. "May I take a look?" I asked Zoe. "No problem," she grinned and handed me the book.
I opened it and skimmed through the pages. The paper was well worn and the ink was starting to fade. My eyes widened in horror when I got to the last few entries.
The entries were written with a trembling hand and the pages were dotted with tears. Ilse was out on a Survey Mission three years earlier and it had gone horribly awry.