The Bonds of Blood" [Fem OC X AOT]

Chapter 22: We were too close to the sun

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Yoshi crouched on the rooftop, his eyes locked onto the colossal forms of Eren and Annie as they battled in the heart of Trost.

The ground trembled under the force of their clashes, with each blow sending shockwaves through the deserted streets.

Dust and debris filled the air as Eren charged at Annie, his fist slamming into her arm with a bone-rattling impact. Annie responded swiftly, twisting her body and using Eren's momentum to throw him into a nearby building.

Yoshi watched intently, his heart pounding in his chest.

He knew Eren's resolve, but he also understood how easily that resolve could tip into recklessness.

As the battle raged on, Yoshi's mind raced, calculating the distance between him and the titans. If the fight escalated too far, if Annie gained the upper hand, Yoshi was ready to intervene.

He adjusted his grip on his blades, prepared to launch himself into the fray if necessary. From this vantage point, he could reach Eren in seconds, slicing through the nape and pulling him out before things got too dire.

_

Mikasa knelt beside Rae, her breath catching as she pressed her ear against Rae's chest. The world seemed to stop around her, the chaos of battle fading into a distant hum.

For a terrifying moment, she heard nothing, and a wave of despair threatened to drown her.

But then-faint and almost imperceptible-a heartbeat, so weak that it was nearly lost in the surrounding noise.

Armin stood nearby, his face pale and drawn, as he watched Mikasa's reaction. He mistook her brief silence for confirmation of the worst.

The sight of Rae's blood-soaked body and Mikasa's trembling form led him to the devastating conclusion that Rae was already gone. The weight of that realization hit him like a blow to the chest.

"I-I will get someone to get her," Armin stammered, his voice thick with grief. He couldn't bear to stay, to face the crushing reality of Rae dying again.

He needed to move, to do something-anything-to keep from breaking down. Without waiting for a response, he turned abruptly and launched himself into the air with his ODM gear, heading towards the nearest medics in a desperate attempt to find help.

Mikasa barely noticed Armin's departure. The moment he left, she yanked off her jacket and pressed it against the wound on Rae's head.

Her hands were slick with blood, but she didn't care. Rae was still alive, clinging to life by the thinnest thread, and that was all that mattered.

"Stay with me," Mikasa whispered, her voice trembling as she applied pressure.

"You're not leaving us. You're not leaving me."

She focused solely on Rae, willing her to hold on just a little longer.

~

Rae lay sprawled on the ground, arms and legs spread wide as she stared up at the sky, her breaths shallow and uneven.

The sky in the Paths was unlike anything she had ever seen, a swirling tapestry of light and dark threads, each one stretching infinitely, connecting every Eldian across time and space.

Rae didn't fully understand this place, its purpose, or why she kept ending up here, but she could admit its strange beauty.

"So, I'm here again," Rae murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, more to herself than to anyone else. "Guess that means I'm still clinging to life."