Attack On Titan: Hope

Armin sat slumped beside the wall, his fragile composure threatened to shatter. Mina, Thomas, Armin, and the other cadets were assigned to the Middle Guard exchanged nervous glances, their faces etched with dread. They would face the Titans head-on, their inexperience and fear no match for the monstrous horde.

Mikasa's resolute figure stood out amidst the chaos. She'd been assigned to another group including Reiner, Annie, Bertholdt, Porco, Marcel and Pieck on far eastern side of Trost while Armin and his squad was at the western side. Her concern for Armin remained unwavering.

"Armin, don't worry," she whispered urgently, her voice barely audible over the encroaching panic. "Once the mission's initiated, I'll find you. And we'll search for Eren at the rear. Just don't die till then ." Her words hung in the air like a desperate prayer as she turned to leave.

But just as they deployed in the chaos fate's cruel hand snuffed out the squad's flickering flame. Thomas's screams echoed through the chaos as his body was torn asunder, devoured by the ravenous Titans.

Mina's bravery faltered just as she was about to slash a Titan's nape, her gear betrayed her, sending her crashing into the unforgiving stone. Her spine shattered, her cries of agony pierced the air. The merciless Titan's teeth sliced through her neck, silencing her forever.

While the other fellow cadets were devoured whole. Armin witnessed the unspeakable horror, frozen in terror. Three years of laughter, tears, and camaraderie were reduced to mere seconds of brutal slaughter. His friends, innocent and full of life, were consumed by the monsters.

Helplessness gripped Armin as he watched, paralyzed, his heart shattering with each fallen comrade. The memories of their bond, their jokes, and their dreams now taunted him, a bittersweet reminder of what was lost.

Time seemed to warp, stretching each agonizing moment. Armin's mind reeled, struggling to comprehend the senseless carnage. The Titans' roar, the screams of the fallen, and the scent of blood and sweat filled the air. "No it can't be. This isn't real.... It's not possible..." Armin whispered tears escaping his eyes as he fleed.

Armin stumbled, his gear faltering beneath his trembling hands. His gaze drifted, haunted, from one lifeless body to the next. The screams of grieving families echoed through the streets, Titans claiming victim after victim. Helpless, Armin turned tail, fleeing from the carnage. His shaky legs carried him on autopilot to the cobblestone castle, where his comrades awaited.... Or stranded.

The supply depot's neglect had sealed their fate. Empty tanks, useless gear, and certain doom loomed. Armin collapsed onto the cold stone, his gaze fixed on the ground, eyes wide with unshed tears. Sapphire orbs, once bright with hope, now brimmed with despair.

His chest heaved, struggling to contain the anguish. The sounds of Titans closing in, the wails of the dying, and the weight of his own survivor's guilt suffocated him. As the last rays of sunlight faded, Armin's thoughts spiralled: "Why did I survive? What's the point of living in a world where humans are mere Titan fodder?"

The cadets gathered around, their faces etched with concern. Jean, Marco, Pieck, Marcel, Porco, Annie, Bertholdt, Ymir, Christa, Connie, Sasha, and the others waited with bated breath.

Christa's gentle hands rested on Armin's shoulders, her voice soft. "Armin, what happened? You're shaking. Talk to me" But Armin's eyes remained downcast, his courage faltering. Ymir's gaze narrowed, jealousy simmering beneath her stoic exterior.

Meanwhile, Bertholdt and Annie huddled together, their conversation masked as a strategy session. "Why hasn't Reiner returned by now?" Annie pressed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bertholdt's exhaustion was palpable, his eyes sunken, his breath ragged. "I... I don't know. He should've returned by now." His thoughts, however, were elsewhere, upon Reiner's plan.

Using Mikasa as a diversion, Reiner managed to split from the group under the pretense of a noble act. "I'll bring her back," he had declared, his voice steady, masking his true intentions.

The comrades, desperate accepted his claim without question. Mikasa, as if in sync with the plan, had broken away from the group without any warning, following Eren's strategy to locate and bring Armin to him.

Christa, however, found herself in a far graver situation. Her attempt to separate from her side of the group was thwarted when they were ambushed by titans. Despite the chaos, her quick thinking and the help of her squad allowed them to escape, though the encounter left them shaken and depleted.

Unbeknownst to the cadets, Mikasa's seemingly erratic behavior was part of a carefully laid plan. While her singular focus was to find Armin and ensure his safety, Reiner had his own agenda. As the chaos of the mission unfolded, his true objective became clear: reaching Wall Rose and breaching it.