Beyond The Walls (AOT x OC Fanfic)

Echoes of the Past

Months had passed since Jeiden began her training with Levi, and the change in her was undeniable. Her body had grown stronger, her reflexes sharper, and her instincts honed. She could now go toe-to-toe with Levi in hand-to-hand combat, and though he still had the upper hand most of the time, there were moments when she could hold her own against him.

It had taken weeks of grueling, relentless training, but Jeiden had pushed herself further than she ever thought possible. Levi had been uncompromising, his standards impossibly high, but with every strike, every fall, and every bruise, she had learned to move with the same fluidity and precision as him. Her movements were faster, her defenses more solid. She was no longer just reacting—she was thinking ahead, reading her opponent's body language and predicting their next move.

What surprised her even more was the respect she had begun to earn from Levi's squad. On occasion, when Levi had other duties, he had set her up to spar with his soldiers. At first, they had been skeptical—a new recruit, an amnesiac, wasn't exactly someone they expected to challenge them. But one by one, she had taken them on and won. Not easily, not without effort, but enough to make them take notice.

The victories weren't just physical. They were victories over her doubts, over the uncertainty that still clouded her mind. With each sparring match she won, with every strike that landed true, she felt herself gaining more control over her body—and perhaps, in some small way, over her lost memories.

But despite all the progress, the pieces of her past remained stubbornly locked away. The only fragments she had were the images from her dreams—the boy with the blue eyes, the fleeting name, *Jeiden,* spoken in a voice that both comforted and haunted her.

Today had been no different. Another grueling session with Levi, another opportunity to push herself to her limits. They had been at it for hours, their bodies moving in sync as they traded blows, each one testing the other. Sweat dripped from her brow, her muscles burning with exertion, but she refused to back down. She had learned by now that Levi respected determination—quitting wasn't an option.

As the session came to an end, Jeiden managed to block a swift punch aimed at her ribs, twisting her body to counter with a low sweep aimed at Levi's legs. He leapt back with practiced ease, landing lightly on his feet as the two of them stood facing each other, their breathing heavy but controlled.

Levi gave a small nod of approval, though his expression remained stoic. "You're getting faster."

Jeiden wiped the sweat from her brow, her chest heaving. "I had a good teacher."

For a moment, there was a flicker of something in Levi's eyes—approval, perhaps, or something close to it. He didn't say anything, though. He never did. But Jeiden could feel it in the way he looked at her, in the way he pushed her harder every day. She was no longer just a trainee. She was becoming something more.

But just as she began to lower her guard, the world around her suddenly shifted.

Without warning, a sharp, piercing ring filled her ears, cutting through the quiet of the training grounds like a knife. Jeiden winced, her hands instinctively flying to her head as the sound grew louder, more intense. It felt like her skull was splitting open, the pressure building in her temples until she could hardly think.

"Jeiden?" Levi's voice was distant, as if coming from underwater.

She barely heard him. The world around her blurred, the edges of her vision going dark as something else began to take over. The ringing intensified, and with it came a flood of images—disjointed, fragmented, but impossibly vivid.

An older man appeared before her, his face coming into sharp focus. He looked so much like the boy from her dreams—the same blue eyes, the same soft features—but this man was older. His hair was peppered with grey, his beard thick and well-kept. His eyes, though kind, were filled with urgency, his brow furrowed in concentration.