𝔏𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔰

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

[ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟗 ]

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈.

𝟐𝟏:𝟑𝟕

Through stone bricked houses and rocky pavements, a group of children crept in the dead of night. Erwin, the oldest at seventeen years old (eighteen actually, by tomorrow), led the children in a single file line with nothing but a backpack and the photographic memory of his friend Hange to guide him along.

Upon the revelation of his impending death at a young age of ten, he along with a fellow of his trusted companions sought to escape the disguised academy of Grand Valley once and for all. Seven years of waiting in the dark led him to master the scheduled patterns of ins and outs of the supervisors in the area and uncover the secret existence of multiple plantations within Grand Valley.

And so as the crescent of a moon shone through the domed roof, they finally approached the water well at the edge of the school. As if on cue, Levi, who was previously at the tail-end of the line, climbed up the rounded rim and with a rope and anchor, quietly rappelled down to the bottom with not a wet splash to be heard. Silence ensued for a minute with Hange staring intently at her wrist-watch, almost meticulously counting the seconds turn. When the third minute passed, a loud yet low rumble came from the ground; And a mere gasp from Levi resurfacing back out the water was all it took for Erwin to quietly corral the few kids he brought along into position.

He glanced at Hange.

"Seven minutes," she said, and he nodded, reaching from his pocket a pen. After a couple of precise clicks he unhooked the rope and anchor, stuffed it back into his backpack and began climbing down the long well inch by inch.

By the time he reached the very surface, Erwin's nails were painted a dark shade of green mildew, earning a sour look from Levi that definitely did not go unnoticed by him. They continued on along a dark passageway of dirt and mud, flashlight occasionally flickering as they tried to find their way in an underground maze. A shadow crept beneath the foot of a child, as he yelped in surprise by the unprecedented furry contact.

"Armin!" hissed the girl in front of him, her hand instinctively covering Armin's mouth. Mikasa knew of the consequences that may incur upon a mere sound, and therefore took the vow of complete (well, almost) silence that was demanded by them of their seniors very seriously. Though try as they might, the other younger teens repressed a chuckle that permeated the empty silence for a short while.

"I told you we should've taped their goddamn mouths shut," muttered Levi, and Hange only smiled in response.

Ten more minutes pass by wandering through the dark abysmal void when—

A child's shriek echoed from the near distance and Erwin's blood grew cold. Quickly, they ran with haste, turning right, left, then straight ahead, just like how Erwin practiced all those times. With only a couple of turns to go, Erwin risked a glance behind to do a body count, 'Good, not one of them appears to be missing'.