Shadows of Command-Erwin Smith

chapter-eleven

Reign sat by the window of her small quarters, gazing out at the dimming sky as dusk slowly crept across the horizon. The faint light cast long shadows in the room, leaving her immersed in a contemplative silence. It had been three years since she first joined the Survey Corps—a decision she hadn't taken lightly. Time, which had once felt slow and burdensome, now seemed to have passed her by in a blur of expeditions, bloodshed, and sacrifice. The weight of those three years settled heavily on her shoulders, each one marked by battles fought, friends lost, and countless moments of uncertainty about the future.

But amidst the chaos of war and survival, one constant had been Erwin. She thought about how their lives had slowly intertwined over those years, in ways she hadn't foreseen when she first arrived. When she joined the Special Operations Squad under Levi, her initial encounters with Erwin had been purely professional, punctuated by brief conversations and shared strategies. He was her commander, a figure of authority she respected deeply but never imagined would become so integral to her personal life. Yet here she was, three years later, working alongside him every day—both as his soldier and something far more intimate.

Reign leaned her head against the cold window, her thoughts turning to the span of almost two years they had spent together as more than just comrades. Their bond had grown slowly, hidden behind carefully veiled glances and stolen moments. It wasn't something that had happened overnight; it had developed over time, like the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. She recalled those early months when their relationship had been nothing more than lingering stares and unspoken tension. It hadn't been until well after the first year that they had crossed the line from professional to personal. Even now, nearly two years into their relationship, the secrecy that shrouded them made everything feel both exhilarating and dangerous.

The thought of how much had changed over those three years filled Reign with a sense of surrealism. She had grown as a soldier, endured hellish battles, and earned the respect of her peers. But it was her connection with Erwin that had become the most unexpected and profound development in her life. They had shared so much—moments of vulnerability, silent understanding, and quiet companionship. Their closeness had deepened gradually, with the last two years holding a string of intimate memories that made the burden of her duties feel lighter. But she also knew that what they had was fragile, always teetering on the edge of discovery and the inevitable strain of their responsibilities.

The years had flown by, but in their stolen moments, time had always felt suspended between them. Now, as she reflected on everything they had been through, she realized just how much Erwin had come to mean to her—not just as a leader, but as a man who understood her in ways no one else did. Their relationship had survived on hidden touches and whispered words, but she wondered how much longer they could keep it concealed. Time had a way of revealing the truth, and as she looked back on the three years she had spent fighting for humanity, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the future pressing down on them.

The morning sky was overcast, casting a somber shadow over the Survey Corps Headquarters. Inside the briefing room, the tension was palpable. Erwin Smith stood at the head of the table, the lines of worry etched into his face. Around him, Reign, Hange Zoe, Levi, and other key figures in the Corps sat in silence, waiting for the gravity of the situation to be revealed.

The revelation hit the Survey Corps like a thunderclap. Marley. The name alone carried the weight of a dark, insidious history—an enemy they hadn't even known existed. For years, the people of Paradis had believed the Titans to be their sole adversary, the mindless, towering creatures that had terrorized humanity and driven them to the brink of extinction. But now, as Erwin, Levi, Hange, and the rest of the core leaders stood in a dimly lit room, surrounded by maps and reports from recent expeditions beyond the Walls, they were forced to confront a truth that shattered everything they had believed.