Framed By Silence || AOT

IV

The year 844, A year before Shiganshina fell.

The dense rock that overhung the underground city brought only darkness upon the light-deprived metropolis; only shadows made up the small world of everything a person knew at their age, and for the lifetime that awaited them.

The only breeze the girl felt across her face was not of the outside, but her fragile body darting through the famous streets of 'The Underground'. She was small, but quick; like a rabbit outrunning its predator in a confined area.

"You're slacking Riri!" Entered a voice from the side of her. "Where's the energy?" It continued.

Irina laughed and increased her speed, her arms loose behind her, and her whole torso leant forward. "Are you challenging me?" She replied, head faced towards the additional figure. However, it turned out to be an unfortunate decision.

A sharp bend expected them a few metres ahead, the other adolescent had noticed it before she had, using the few sparing moments she had to slow down her pace, making a steady stop to her speed.

Irina, however, turned her head forward a little too late. Her eyes widened drastically and she instinctively reformed her posture, torso up straight. Her feet planted flat onto the ground, sending a spike of 'hypnic jerk' through her spine. She skidded smoothly until her momentum slowed exceedingly.

Finally, she came to a stop, swivelling her feet round as her soles gained feeling again. Irina stepped towards her friend.

"You could've warned me, Mila." She said, rather serious.

Mila, on the other hand, barely composed herself. She giggled like a small child, her hand covering half her face and her posture keeled over.

Irina watched her, taking a seat on a nearby crate that stood a metre or two away from the two girls. "You're an ass." She frowned, removing her shoe and rubbing the ball of her foot.

She looked up at Mila, who took a few paces towards her, stopping in close-proximity to her. Her legs pressed against Irina's knees, forcing her to drop her heated foot. She stared back up at her, as if expected to say something, but they exchanged eye contact instead for a few moments longer.

Mila was three years older than Irina, and acted as her guardian and teacher in a sense that she taught her everything she knew how to do. Talk, run, compromise, steal, all the basics to surviving here in the underground. She taught Irina how to be tough, and sustain by herself. And because of that, they both wore their hard-exteriors whole heartedly, as they only required each other.

Often, people mistook Mila for the opposite gender for what she was. Her white hair was self-cut in a messy, short style that ended above her shoulders and raised up in small strands towards the top of her head. Her eyes beautifully complimented her hair colour, as they bared a dark brown. She had wide pupils in comparison to her polished eye shape, sharp and slanted. They were rather indistinguishable from Irina's eyes, but not at all related.

Her attire consisted of a navy button-up shirt, that sloppily untucked from her musty-grey trousers. Leather straps wrapped central on her shoulders, coiling under her arms. Another set around her waist, acting as a belt.

Irina, in comparison, wore her raven hair long. It tended to get in the way on numerous occasions and its untamed aspects posed a problem at times; but Riri cherished her hair, even though it wasn't particularly taken care of.