A Thousand and One Lifetimes

12. A Secret For A Secret

The classroom is abuzz as Hange, claps their hand once and says, "Guess who's going to be chaperoning this year's camping trip?"

They raise a hand theatrically, and the room erupts into cheers and groans alike. Students exchange glances, some nudging each other excitedly while others let out resigned sighs. Hange, soaking in the reaction, gives a small, satisfied bow and grins.

"I'm really looking forward to this, too," they say, clasping their hands. "Just a quick reminder that you have until Wednesday to sign up for the any competitions. Some of you in specific extracurriculars might already be registered, but if you want to change that, the option's on your school portal. And, that's it for today's class! I'll see you all this weekend!" With a wink, Hange slips out of the class.

Mikasa turns, noticing Sasha slumped over her desk, looking thoroughly defeated. "What was Hange talking about?" she asks.

Sasha sighs deeply, lifting her head just enough to meet Mikasa's eyes. "The school's annual camping trip," she says with all the enthusiasm of someone heading to a root canal. "Otherwise known as the worst part of the semester. They drag us out to the middle of the woods, take away our weekend, and call it 'bonding.'"

From behind her, Connie chuckles. "Come on, Sasha, the school's surrounded by woods. Be more surprised if they didn't want to take advantage of it."

Mikasa frowns slightly, glancing between the two of them. "What exactly happens on these trips?"

Connie leans forward, his elbows on the desk. "Well, there's usually a bunch of competitive exercises and stuff. Like, they split us up into groups and make us do challenges together."

"It's the worst," Sasha adds bitterly. "You have to wake up super early too. Our weekends are supposed to be time away. I don't want to spend it in the woods losing in games I'm clearly not fit enough for."

"But if you do win, the rewards are pretty sweet," Connie counters. "Last year, the winners got a day off from classes. And the food's not half bad either."

Sasha pouts. "Well, you're right about that. The food is decent. But still, it's the principle of the thing! We shouldn't have to go through all that just for a free meal."

Mikasa takes a slow, breath, letting the idea of a weekend in the woods sink in. She has to admit, it could be interesting, and maybe even a chance to test herself, really test herself. If there are any physically demanding challenges, she'll get to see just how much the last few weeks of training have helped. Eren's training sessions have been intense, bordering on relentless. And Levi...Levi is just brutal. She's still sore from Friday's workout, bruises lingering from her last sparring session with Eren. Levi hadn't let her leave until she managed to land a hit on him, just one, but it had felt like a small victory. She may not admit it out loud, but she's grateful. Eren may be distant, guarded, even harsh, but he's helping her more than she expected.

She doesn't feel as helpless as when she first arrived at the academy.

She turns around, eyes drifting across the room until they settle on him. He's seated near the window, leaning back, arms folded loosely across his chest, gaze fixed on the storm outside. Dark clouds loom overhead, rain lashing against the windowpane. He looks lost in thought, brow furrowed slightly. Mikasa wonders what he's thinking about.

A  jagged bolt of lightning slices through the sky, illuminating Eren's face in fleeting, silvery flashes, and Mikasa's body tenses instinctively. In that instant, she's no longer in a classroom but somewhere...else, somewhere wild. She hears it before she sees it: the deafening crash of yellow lightning striking the ground, followed by the heavy, suffocating dust coating her skin. Her breaths come in sharp, shallow gasps, each one tasting of earth and metal. She's on some kind of battlefield, sweat clinging to her forehead, the air thick with heat and smoke, heart pounding hard enough to feel like it might break through her chest.