Attack On Titan: Pure Blood

Chapter 5: 104th Cadet Corps Part 5: Cause and Effect.

Diary of a Recruit

Entry # 28

I didn't think things would end this way ...

Was it my fault? If you had taken a different action or position, could things have had a better outcome? I do not know...

I didn't think Annie was capable of doing something like that. Or maybe I did, but just decided to ignore it.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, instructor Keith Shadis was walking in the direction of the cabin where the male recruits slept. As was customary, he was going to make sure they were ready for the day's exercise session after giving them five minutes to dress after the first stroke.

He entered the cabin with authority and was pleased to note that all the recruits were dressed properly and standing in the hallway beside their beds with their hands behind their back.

He walked between them and noticed the nervous look that each one of them had. At first, that didn't seem curious to the strict instructor. He generated that emotion in the recruits to be able to strengthen them mentally, but this time it was different. There was a tense air in the air.

And he realized why.

On one of the bunk beds, there was blood staining a pillow and part of the sheets. He recognized the pair of training glasses on the pillow.

Shadis frowned gloomily and asked in a strained voice:

"Where is Recruit Victor?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the Eren scowl in barely contained anger and clench his teeth tightly.

"Sir, Victor is ..."

He was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The instructor turned to watch Victor enter the cabin. He was dressed only in the white uniform pants and boots. Over his shoulder hung a bloodstained towel and his torso was bare which was covered in bruises as was his face. He had an ocular effusion in his right eye, causing his sclera to be partially stained red and his left eye to be covered by bruising.

Apparently he had recently gotten out of the shower. Cleansing the blood that he had from his body.

Shadis watched him without saying a word as Victor went to his designated bunk and began dressing with some difficulty due to the injuries on his body.

All the recruits looked with pity and some pity at the boy on the inner walls as he pulled a T-shirt over his torso, covering his wounds.

In a strange show of compassion, Shadis approached the young teenager and looked at him with mild sadness.

"Victor... I know it hasn't been easy for you since the first day you arrived at this camp."

And it wasn't. Victor was different from many of the recruits. He had suffered humiliation and contempt from many of his peers for the simple fact that he was someone from the inner walls. That, added to his appearance of a weak and educated child, did not please many. Getting rough treatment by other recruits, hitting him into stumbling during field running exercises, throwing his food on the ground during lunchtime. And now ... take a beating by those people he called partner.

None of them deserved that kind of treatment just because they were born in a different place. Shadis understood that, which is why he treated him like any other recruit and had agreed to keep his true identity a secret.

"I knew this would happen the day I enlisted, sir," Victor replied, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"It's not about why you enlisted, but who you are."