Beyond The Walls (AOT x OC Fanfic)

Eyes Of The Future

A few days had passed since the Survey Corps returned, and while Jeiden was slowly beginning to find her footing again, the weight of her nightmares and fragmented memories still clung to her. Her conversation with Levi had helped, grounding her in a way that only he could, but the uncertainty about her past and her place in this world lingered. It was a shadow that followed her everywhere.

But today, Erwin had something else in mind—something he hoped would give Jeiden some perspective, or at least take her mind off the dark thoughts that had been clouding her judgment.

"We're visiting the refugee camp outside the walls today," Erwin had told her that morning. "It'll be a chance for you to see what's at stake, what we're fighting for."

Jeiden didn't need reminding. She knew well enough what the Survey Corps fought for—humanity's survival. But still, she agreed. Maybe seeing it firsthand, away from the constant nightmares and training, would help her ground herself again.

Hange and Levi had joined them as well, each with their own reasons for visiting. For Hange, it was about learning more, understanding the people who had lost their homes and loved ones to the Titans. Levi, on the other hand, was quieter about his reasons. But Jeiden suspected it had more to do with keeping an eye on her, making sure she didn't spiral any further into the dark place she had been in since their return.

As they approached the refugee camp, Jeiden's chest tightened at the sight before her. Rows upon rows of makeshift tents lined the open fields, clusters of families huddled together, their faces marked by exhaustion and grief. The air was heavy with loss and uncertainty. The camp was overflowing with people, displaced from their homes, their lives upturned by the constant threat of Titans. It was a grim reminder of the world they lived in.

Jeiden felt a deep ache in her chest as she walked alongside Erwin, Hange, and Levi through the camp. There were so many people—too many. Men, women, and children of all ages, some sitting in small groups, others staring into the distance, their eyes hollow with despair. The reality of it was overwhelming.

"These are the people we protect," Erwin said quietly as they walked. "They've lost everything to the Titans. Their homes, their families, their futures. This is why we fight."

Jeiden nodded, though her throat felt tight. She had always known that the Survey Corps existed to protect humanity, but seeing the faces of these refugees—faces marked by so much pain—made it all the more real. These weren't just nameless people. They were the ones left behind, the ones who would carry on the fight, or at least try to survive in a world that had been so cruel to them.

As they moved deeper into the camp, Jeiden's gaze caught on a small group of children playing in the dirt near the edge of a tent. They were young, maybe ten or eleven years old, and despite their surroundings, they seemed to be lost in their own world. Three of them, two boys and a girl, sat huddled together, talking in low voices as they drew shapes in the dirt with sticks.

Jeiden's heart clenched at the sight of them. They were so young—far too young to have to endure this harsh reality. And yet here they were, like so many others, living in a world torn apart by Titans, by violence, by fear.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from them.

The first boy had dark hair and teal eyes that gleamed with a fierce intensity, his face scrunched up in determination as he spoke to the others. He had an air of defiance about him, even as a child, like someone who refused to accept the hand life had dealt him.

The second boy was quieter, his blonde hair falling in soft waves around his face. His large, intelligent eyes were filled with kindness, but also a deep sense of sadness. He seemed more reserved than the other two, but there was something about him—something that suggested he was thinking, always analyzing the world around him.