Chains of Destiny | Attack on Titan x OC

28

Adrasteia's vision blurred as her knees buckled, her body screaming for rest, but the battle raged on around her, uncaring of her exhaustion. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her limbs heavy and uncooperative. The weight of her powers—the strain of the countless transformations and the energy she had spent holding them at bay—was finally taking its toll.

She collapsed to her knees with a pained gasp, feeling the world around her tilt dangerously. Before her body could make contact with the cold ground, a steady, strong hand gripped her arm and yanked her back up.

Levi's eyes were narrowed, his expression a mix of concern and impatience. "You've used your powers too much," he said, his voice firm but laced with an underlying edge of urgency. "You're draining your energy."

Adrasteia struggled to stay conscious, her golden eyes flicking up to meet his. Her lips parted as if to argue, to say she could keep going, but the words caught in her throat. She had pushed herself too far, and she knew it.

The rumble of distant titan footsteps shook the ground, the roar of the approaching titans echoing in the distance. The battlefield was chaos. Smoke billowed from the ruined streets, and the sounds of steel cutting through flesh and the cries of fallen soldiers filled the air.

"We need to stop the titans. They're going to end up killing the Scouts even before we can reach the Beast Titan," Adrasteia murmured, her voice strained, barely a whisper.

Levi's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, a rare expression that quickly disappeared behind his usual cold exterior. "We'll get to him. But right now, you're no good to us like this."

Adrasteia clenched her fists, the urge to keep fighting nearly overwhelming her. She could feel the power of the titan shifting within her, just beneath the surface, but it was like trying to catch hold of water. The exhaustion was too much, her body too drained from the transformation she had already undergone earlier in the day.

"We don't have time for this," she growled, her head starting to spin. Her body fought against the feeling of weakness, but the truth was clear. She was too far gone.

Levi let go of her arm, his eyes hardening. "You're not going to win this fight if you push yourself beyond your limit," he said sternly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Rest first, you've done so much for us already. We'll handle the titans."

Adrasteia's eyes flicked over to where the other soldiers were battling—Mikasa and Jean cutting down titans left and right, Armin coordinating from a distance, and Connie launching from rooftops. But the Beast Titan was still out there, looming. The stakes were higher than ever, and she knew time was running out.

But as much as she hated to admit it, Levi was right. She was barely holding herself together.

"Fine," she muttered, unwilling to show weakness but too exhausted to argue further.

Levi's sharp gaze swept over her, checking her for any signs of further distress, before he turned back to the battle. "We'll cover you," he said briefly. "But you stay out of this fight until you've got your strength back. I don't want to see you on the front lines again until you're ready to tear down titans, not just try to get yourself killed."

Adrasteia wanted to protest, wanted to argue that they needed her, that the Beast Titan was too dangerous to leave for too long, but she didn't have the strength for it. She nodded weakly, her head tilting back slightly as the world around her swirled.

"I'll be ready," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. "Just. . . just give me a moment."

As Levi nodded and turned back toward the chaos unfolding, Adrasteia closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing and calm the storm in her chest. She could feel the aching pull of the titans' energy from the distance, like a tide she couldn't escape. But the more she focused on it, the more it began to feel like a distant sound rather than a force she could command.