A little death [Levi Ackerman x OFC]

Chapter 4: New Reality

The air was crisp and carried the scent of freshly turned soil as Kaia stood among the new recruits, her gaze fixed on the imposing figure of Instructor Keith Shadis. His reputation preceded him—brutal, unrelenting, a man determined to break every trainee before building them back up into soldiers. Kaia had heard the stories. She knew what to expect, and she was ready.

Around her, the other cadets were a mix of innocence and hardened resolve. Some were barely more than children, their eyes wide with fear and uncertainty, clutching the remnants of childhood they'd been forced to leave behind. Others were older, their faces carved with determination and the harsh lines of experience. Kaia glanced at them, feeling a pang in her chest. She used to look like that, once—full of emotion, brimming with hope. But that had been before Shiganshina, before the world had stripped her of anything soft.

Shadis's voice thundered across the training field, breaking the heavy silence, and some of the cadets flinched as Sasha's stomach let out a loud, comical growl. Nervous laughter erupted, an attempt to lighten the tension, but Kaia didn't join in. Laughter felt distant to her, foreign.

Shadis's gaze swept over the line of cadets and landed on her. "You," he barked, pointing in her direction. "Why are you here?"

Kaia's hazel eyes met his, unflinching. She thought of long, sleepless nights keeping watch over her siblings, the promise she had made to herself to never let them feel fear again. She thought of her brother, buried beneath the rubble of a city that had once felt safe, and of her father, whose absence she had stopped questioning.

"To make my home safe," she answered, her voice clear, her hands steady at her sides.

Shadis's eyes narrowed, searching her face for any sign of weakness. Kaia had long since perfected the art of hiding her emotions, wearing a mask that revealed nothing. Her answer was all he would get, and she offered no further explanation.

"That all?" he challenged, his voice a taunt meant to break her composure.

"Yes," Kaia replied, her tone unwavering.

He moved on, but Kaia could still feel his scrutiny, as if he were waiting for her to stumble. She refused to give him that satisfaction.

The day unfolded in a blur of shouted orders and physical exhaustion. Kaia pushed herself harder with each exercise, her body aching but her resolve like iron. Control was her lifeline—over her thoughts, her emotions, her actions. It was the only way she knew how to survive.

But then, a voice cut through the air, raw and intense. "I want to kill the Titans!" The words rang out, full of defiance.

Kaia turned, her gaze landing on the boy who had spoken. There was fire in his eyes, a hunger for revenge that struck a familiar chord in her. The instructor challenged him, probing his rage, but Eren's conviction never wavered. Kaia could feel the heat of his anger, see the pain that fueled him, and it echoed something buried deep inside her.

For a moment, she felt her own fury flare. She didn't know his story, but she recognized the darkness, the desire to strike back at the world that had taken so much. In that instant, she realized she wasn't the only one fighting against an enemy they didn't fully understand.

But she forced herself to look away, pushing the feeling down. Anger was a dangerous motivator. It made you reckless, and Kaia couldn't afford to be reckless. She was here to win, to protect, to uncover the truth. Her rage had its place, but it would never rule her. Not again.

As night fell and the camp grew quiet, Kaia remained awake. The cadets around her drifted off to sleep, but she sat beneath a dim lantern, books spread open before her. Medicine, politics, history—knowledge became the weapon she wielded, sharpening her mind while her body recovered from the day's trials.