He Told Me to Live

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I watched as Eren's head grew a spine and a colossal quake came from the walls, which cracked and crumbled until the Titans beneath were revealed.

My hands went to my swords, but they didn't even look at me, or anyone residing within the rubble that were once our grand walls. They turned and began walking.

Towards the ocean.

They followed the spine-like titan that had emerged when Gabi shot off Eren's head, so I jumped down from my perch on the roof as Connie and Jean made their way somewhere else.

When my feet hit the ground, I heard a voice.

"Hear me, all subjects of Ymir."

I stopped and looked around, recognizing it as Eren's voice. Then, again.

"My name is Eren Yeager. I now speak to all the subjects of Ymir by way of the Founding Titan's power. Every wall of Paradis has been unhardened. All of the titans buried within them have begun to walk. My goal is to protect the people of Paradis, who bore and raised me."

"But the world desires the extinction of the people of Paradis. They surely will not stop until they have killed every one of the subjects of Ymir."

"Over countless years, their hatred has grown beyond this island. I reject their desire. The titans of the walls will trample and rumble all the lands beyond the island."

"Until the lives there are eliminated from this world."

I could move once again and I spared no time to try and find Zeke amongst the dust and debris.

But alas, I couldn't.

There was not a single breath, ragged or otherwise. Not a voice. It was like he just disappeared.

Again.

"Captain!"

I heard one of my subordinate's voices and I stopped.

He arrived in front of me with another. "What do we do? The walls are gone and there are titans all around!"

I was silent for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Right... sorry-"

"Wait." I took a deep breath. Please let this be the right decision. "Only the titans that were making up the walls seem to be controlled by Eren," I motioned to the ones breaking into houses and reaching in. "so..."

It felt like the wax seal that Isa gave me was flipped once again, but this time, it didn't matter what it landed on, because it would be my decision.

"...bring and civilians underground. There are bunkers underground, but be cautious when entering." Mainly because they used to be used to monitor targets close up, but I doubt there's an assassin in there with the current state of affairs. "Just look for houses with their door frame painted white."

"Yes ma'am."

I watched them leave. For a moment, I kept questioning myself. All the times that I had made a bad decision, made a wrong turn, it all came rushing into my head.

Then I remembered a decision I made myself, a long time ago.

One I knew I'd never regret.

A bird rested in my hands as I hummed to it, trying to distract it from its broken wing it had gotten from being run over by a cart.

From the side of my eye, I saw a little girl staring at me from around the corner, red-brown hair falling over her wonder-filled green eyes.

I thought it was another one of my hallucinations that I could never truly pin to a memory, but when I turned and she didn't vanish, I knew she was really there.