WARNING: This fanfiction contains SPOILERS from the manga. If you're not up to date with the manga, you have been warned. The plot will follow certain parts of the anime and manga, however, there's a twist to it.

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Hurt&Comfort/Angst/Humor

Rated (T)een: For suggestive themes, strong language (mainly from Levi's cursing and toilet jokes), graphic depictions of violence, source material, torture, and characters' death. Does include not-so-innocent fluff and Titan gore.

Author's Note: Includes original characters. The romance in this fanfic will be a SLOW BURN. I own nothing from this fanfic, apart from my original characters. This is my first full-fledged multi-arc fanfiction, constructive criticism and reviews would be highly appreciated. Arcs, full fanart albums, and FAQs are at my profile. Enjoy!

Current Arc Poster Credits: Drawn by on kimichanart Instagram for this fanfic!

Full summary:

In every empire, there is an epic era that defies the boundaries of time and immortalizes itself in the history books. Humanity has been plagued by giant humanoid creatures called Titans for over a hundred years. For mankind, an epic era they will never forget has finally emerged.

As the war with the Titans rages outside the Walls, the dark secrets of humanity were slowly beginning to resurface. This was year 849, and four years had passed since the fall of Wall Maria.

Caught in-between everything, was the illegitimate daughter of a noblewoman, Ida Starke.

Her world was left in anarchy when she was captured by her estranged father and forced into being a soldier for the Survey Corps. With the dangers of the world beyond the Walls slowly crashing in on her, Ida's only grip on stability lies within the guidance of a certain crass Captain, and the dark secrets that her mysterious bloodline has hidden from mankind that holds a faint promise of ending the war.

Betrayal, secrets, attachments, love. Their ending will conclude an epic war wrought with heartache, blood, and endless tears. Love will never conquer in a time like this, and by the end of her borrowed time, Ida Starke will find out if love in such a cruel world is truly worth it.

|. Prologue

"To be strong is to have a will to live and an acceptance to die when it calls for you."

.

.

Year 849.

Captured, failure, agonizing hatred.

There was a persistent acidic burn in her stomach. Ida could hear her thumping heart in her ears, could feel the warm, salty tears trailing down her cheeks. All her senses had been intensified tenfold, and her tears seemed to be searing into her skin as if to constantly remind her of her miserable defeat.

Helpless, a voice inside her echoed. Completely and utterly helpless.

Beaten, broken, bitter… when will it ever end?

Clenching her jaw, the metal handcuffs that held her wrists prisoner felt crippling as she twisted around uncomfortably, not caring if the rough steel grazed her skin and bruised it. Physical pain reminded her that she was still alive at the very least.

She could feel it. The same burning in her chest that wouldn't die out. It clawed into her heart as the blazing fire spread throughout her entire body. The endless hatred and resentment burned relentlessly, and all Ida wanted to do was for it to stop.

Ida smirked morosely.

To be this corrupted, this hateful, this vengeful for so long — it was enough to drive anyone insane.

But now, she felt relieved that everything would soon come to an end.

There was always a strong belief that there was a heaven and a hell. It was said that the kind, the innocent, the 'good' people went to paradise, relishing in an eternal, peaceful afterlife. It was the condemned, the sinful, and the corrupted that went to the depths of hell. But then again, the existence of an afterlife was always debatable.

But she knew for a fact however that there was hell in this world. She had seen it, witnessed it, lived it, caused it even.

Why? Ida had asked herself many times in the past in the depths of her despair, screaming and cursing the high heavens above for condemning her to live like this.

It was so utterly unfair; she didn't want to be like this. To harbor such strong rage, resentment, and time-binding agony — these emotions were forced onto her, craving to destroy her very soul.

She never wanted to kill, she never wanted to hate, and she never wanted to live in hell. All she had asked for was peace, happiness, a sense of belonging. However, it seemed that all those wishes were far beyond her reach.

Good, Ida thought, at least today I will meet my end.

"Oi, get up."

She slowly lifted her head to face the sudden cold voice in the vicinity and met with the stranger's dull gray eyes.

The man's expression was turned down in a scowl that creased his face and made it seem like it was a permanent expression for him. His short black hair swayed when he bent over, and he released the chains attaching her to the pole with a click to the lock. She observed that he was keeping the metal handcuffs bound around her wrist.

"Erwin wants to see you in his office," he informed her in a flat monotone. "Hurry up."

Reluctantly, she stood up, maintaining her ever-impassive expression.

Despite the turmoil raging in her heart, Ida was determined that she wasn't going to show anyone any sign of fear. She couldn't look weak, especially not in front of him.

Her escort led her through the narrow hallways of the Survey Corps' headquarters in a thick and tense silence.

"Who's that brat beside Captain?" she heard someone say when she passed. Through a curtain of disheveled and dirty red hair, Ida found herself staring at a couple donning military uniforms: a dirty blond male and a petite ginger female.

"Leave her be, Oluo. Orders from above," the woman beside him said sternly, swinging her disapproving eyes up to meet his. "She's an underground mercenary that got captured. Other than that, no further information has been given."

"Huh? Why is she given to the Captain to handle? Shouldn't be handed over to the Military Police? This isn't under our jurisdiction, Petra."

The woman named Petra sighed, holding onto Oluo's shoulder. "I don't know anything," she admitted with a shake of her head. "Truly."

Her response left him looking rather confused, but Ida was sure that his gaze was full of contempt and disgust when he looked back at her. "Well, we can't be having filth around here while we work. Best she be gone soon."

"It's Commander Erwin's direct orders. We have no right to doubt him. I did hear that she's quite good at using gears though."

Oluo's thin brow immediately arched at her words. Crossing his arms on his chest, he looked back at her.

"That girl? Just look at her!" His voice was laced with nothing but disdain. "She's as frail as a twig and she's basically shivering like she's about to piss herself!"

He sighed in defeat after Petra threw him another disapproving look. "But if it's Commander Erwin's orders, I'll overlook it," he added softly with an awkward scratch to his head. "I just can't stand filth while I'm working."

Petra heaved an exasperated sigh. "You're trying to talk like Captain Levi again, aren't you? Stop that! You don't sound like him at all!"

As Ida walked down the hallways, their voices getting more distant as they traveled further down the hallway. Her escort didn't seem to pay any mind to the talks.

Ignorant people, Ida cursed.

But then again, how could she expect understanding from people like them?

Soon enough, they arrived in front of a wide oakwood door. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach when she realized the time had come.

The man beside her knocked a few times before swinging the doors open, then pushed her in aggressively. She stumbled with the sudden shove. The door slammed shut after he stepped in behind her. Her escort was now glaring at her with a brazen dislike — probably in an attempt to be intimidating. Ida would've never admitted it, but it worked.

"What are you going to do with her, Erwin? Why did you even bring her here in the first place?" The raven-haired male took no time in confronting his superior. He kicked the back of her knees and Ida fell to her knees with a muffled groan. "Kneel, brat."

She looked up from the ground, and there he was, the man she loathed all her life: Erwin Smith, the Commander of Survey Corps.

Erwin frowned, holding a hand up before her escort could continue.

"Levi," he said in a harsh voice. "Thank you, that's enough."

Erwin walked towards her, hovering above her with an indescribable expression. A pause, and then, "What is your name?"

It sounded more like a demand to her than anything else and Ida scoffed at his audacity to ask her such a stupid question. Silence ensued, the tension between the three growing thicker with each passing second.

"Speak," her escort demanded hotly, the frustration piling in his voice.

Ida only smirked. It was clear that this man named Levi clearly didn't enjoy wasting his time. But why should she answer such an obvious question? If he really wanted to know, he should've asked his Commander.

Levi made an angry sound through his nose. He reached forward and grabbed her collar, pulling her closer to him. "Oi, do you really need me to knock all your damn teeth out? I told you to fucking talk."

Ida didn't cave in to his threat; instead, she held his glare without so much as a flinch. From Levi's expression that was slowly twisting, it seemed that this was pissing him off even more. Maybe he had expected her to cave in.

Her fingers flexed instinctively in preparation for an impending fight. Try me then, I will not break, nor will I bend to the likes of you. I have endured shit worse than this.

Just as Levi looked ready to explode, Erwin intervened.

"Levi."

At this admonishment, Levi acknowledged his superior with a brief, stiff stare before roughly releasing his hold on her with a grunt. She fell to the ground and back to her knees.

"I'll ask you once more. What is your name?"

When Erwin asked the same question again, Ida tilted her head up in an exaggerated slowness and glared at him. How dare he ask such a thing?

"You…"

She stood up abruptly and charged towards him. She should've known that it was a futile attempt — that the man beside her would've held her back. He did. Ida didn't even get the chance to launch her attack before Levi violently pulled her back with her chains.

She groaned in agony when she fell backward, crashing into the ground. Being captive had taken a toll on her body. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically; she was sure she could've easily defeated them if she wasn't so worn out.

Fuck this. Fuck it all. Damn these bastards to hell.

"Why did you capture me?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she struggled to get off the floor. She couldn't hold back her frustration any longer. "Why? After all this time?"

Will killing him take away all this rage, all of this misery? — that question hovered in her mind as she glared at the unfazed Erwin. Ida couldn't find an answer, but she needed something — someone to distract her from this time-binding agony.

"… Take her away," Erwin said after pensive consideration, turning his back on her as if to hide his expression.

"She seems to possess a strong hatred for you, Erwin," Levi analyzed coolly. "There's something you are not telling me."

Erwin only remained silent.

"Oi, talk. Who is she? You know her, don't you?"

Erwin turned around slightly, throwing a definite glance at Levi, swift and emanating with what seemed to be like guilt. He exhaled when he realized that Levi would not relent.

"Ida Starke, that's her name."

At the sound of her name leaving Erwin's lips, a flash of disgust crossed her face. Ida clenched her hand tightly, her nails digging into her palms. She had waited for years for this — to see the infamous leader of the Survey Corps — but not under these circumstances. Not on her knees.

"A noble girl?" Levi asked for clarification, probably recognizing her last name as one of the prestigious great noble households from Wall Sina.

When Erwin only nodded once, Levi grimaced derisively.

"I don't need to know this useless brat's name," he growled, throwing a glare at her that could rival icicles. "What I want to know is why you went through all this fucking trouble for her. You could've enlisted the help of the Military Police instead of the Survey Corps."

"Because…" Ida lifted herself off the floor with all the strength she could muster. Her voice was cool as ice as she spoke. "My real name is not Ida Starke…" She glanced in the direction of the composed blonde, loathing the very sight of him. "My real name should've been Ida Smith… isn't that right, father?"

A raw, tense silence hung in the room as both men stared at her speculatively.

She could sense Levi's shock from his apprehensive silence, but Ida couldn't discern what Erwin was feeling. Finding it redundant to keep her focus on Erwin — especially when she was starting to get annoyed with the disapproving glint in his judgmental eyes — she lowered her gaze with a scoff of disbelief.

Twenty years she had waited and dreamed of this day, but never in her wildest dreams imagined that Erwin would be the one looking for her. What was he playing at? What did he want? After twenty years, it was clear to Ida that Erwin wanted nothing to do with her.

So why now?

"Shit." Levi was the first to break the silence that Ida expected to go on forever. He folded his arms, scowling at the news. "You really fucked up big time, didn't you?"

"Find her a suitable room and tend to her wounds," Erwin only said, tearing his gaze away from them to look back out at the window. "At the moment, I leave things to you, Levi. Do as you see fit, I'll come to a decision on what to do with her later."

Ida laughed sardonically. "No, kill me. Rather that than hold me captive."

They ignored her. Levi's disapproval was apparent when he spoke. "You're making me play the shitty role of babysitter now?"

A sharp and intense look from Erwin was all it took to send Levi hissing in defeat. He forcibly grabbed Ida by her collar and brought her up to her feet none too gently.

"You fucking heard him. Let's go," he grumbled.

Just before the door to the Commander's office closed, Ida found herself looking back one last time. Erwin was still staring out the windows, his figure lonesome. She caught sight of the logo on the back of his uniform.

The Wings of Freedom.

She smirked.

Fool. There's no freedom anywhere in this hell.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Over the years, Levi had learned to see through some of Erwin's more subtle actions, although not with complete accuracy. He knew something was unsettling his usually composed commander. In fact, his suspicion first roused this morning when he heard that Erwin and a group of soldiers had traveled to the Underground City in search of an important criminal.

Initially, even if Erwin hadn't said much, he had expected that the man had a lead on one of the corrupt nobles within the walls. But what Levi hadn't expected was that he'd bring back a beaten-down woman.

He paused outside the door, hesitating to enter. Damn it, she really is Erwin's brat.

Levi wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't there just now. Where the hell had she been all this while?

The unsaid questions swirled in his head and he sighed.

The Underground City. She was from that hell hole too. Levi had figured the woman had been through much. He could it see in her haunting green eyes; the kind of eyes that knew of misery.

But in life, you don't always get what you want.

It was a fact that Levi Ackerman had known all too well. He had grown up as an infamous thug in the slums of the Underground City after all. Stealing, plundering, and killing was all he ever knew before he joined the Survey Corps — or to be more exact, before he was blackmailed into joining by Erwin Smith.

Was it his choice to live as a thug? No. Was it his choice to kill? Perhaps.

Life was all about choices. Some you regret, some you're proud of, and some will haunt you forever.

But what if your ability to choose was taken away?

For Levi, there was no such thing as destiny or fate. One way or another, he knew that he was always responsible for his life. He couldn't choose how he lived from the start, but he could choose how he would meet his end.

He'd grown up as a vicious thug with no purpose in life, and now he was Humanity's Strongest, the revered Captain from the Survey Corps — he had offered his heart to the benefit of mankind, he had a purpose.

How things had changed.

But Levi had never expected that even after gaining the position of Captain, and the renowned title of Humanity's Strongest would he ever have to resort to doing redundant things like this again.

Levi was utterly confused. Why in the name of the Three Walls Erwin kept asking him to handle his daughter, he'd never know. How was a hardened soldier in his thirties meant to understand how to handle a clearly revengeful twenty-something woman with daddy issues? It was ludicrous.

Ah, fuck it.

He stormed into the room without even knocking, aggravated that he had to play babysitter.

"Oi, brat. Change into this."

Ida was seated on the bed. She snapped her head up and looked impassively at him before returning her gaze to the ground. Levi cringed slightly at her appearance, resisting the itch to tell her to clean herself up. She wore a tattered black shirt, and bits of dried blood clung to the sides of her face and temples. Her bright red hair, which was tied messily into a side-braid, was sleek with grime and dirt.

"Are you going to keep silent forever, or what?" His irritation doubled when she stubbornly continued to hold her tongue. "Oi, answer me."

With exaggerated slowness, Ida tore her gaze away from the ground again and her emerald eyes met his gaze.

Scowling, Levi dumped the clothes on the bed beside her. "Change."

"Am I supposed to do it in front of you?"

He raised a brow at her word laced with sarcasm.

"Tch, you don't look like Erwin at all," he commented after a tense, awkward pause.

"I take after my mother," she said. There was an undercurrent of warmness in her stale voice as if she found pride in that fact.

Levi was surprised that she responded, and he couldn't help but probe further. As much as it didn't seem like it, he was intrigued by the sudden news and appearance of Erwin's flesh and blood.

"Where is she now?"

"Dead," Ida answered simply with half-lidded eyes that held no emotions. "Titans killed her."

Levi frowned. Titans. If her mother wasn't from the Survey Corps, this means that she died during the fall of Wall Maria four years ago.

"Shouldn't you be safely tucked away behind Wall Sina, being a noble brat and all?"

Ida's eyes flickered at his ignorance. "I was born out of wedlock, abandoned by my father, and frowned upon by my mother's noble family." Her fist clenched as she took a brief pause. "Do you really think I would be able to live a comfortable life indulging in luxury like those swines, sir?" she said, slight anger anchoring her tone. "My disgraced mother and I were cast out to live in Shiganshina district."

So, she's a frontline survivor... Levi noted wryly. She knows the threat of Titans.

He regarded the woman in front of him, still trying to decipher just what kind of person she was. But Ida constantly had a cool, stoic expression and even Levi was finding it hard to read her.

"Is that why you became a mercenary in the Underground City? To earn a living?"

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Levi could empathize with her situation. At one point in time, he too was part of the underground society. He knew how hard life was down there — the things that people did, the things that they had to do.

"It's none of your damn business."

Levi could sense that she had enough idle conversation. Her narrowed eyes started scouring the room.

"Don't even think about it, brat." Levi deadpanned. "You're not going anywhere."

She flinched. Ida stared at him silently, probably making a mental note of his perceptiveness before speaking again, "Is that the bastard's order to lock me up in here?

"Tch," Levi scoffed at her tone that spoke of nothing but defiance. "Sorry to burst your bubble, princess, but it's mine. You'll have to wait a while longer to sort out your daddy issues."

She did not seem fazed by his bluntness, never thawing off the icy look off her face.

Levi grimaced uncomfortably. Ah fuck it, he spent all his patience already.

"I'm going to cut to the damn chase. Since Erwin left things to me, here's my proposition: join the Survey Corps, or I will hand you over to the Military Police. At least this way, you'll have a purpose for your shitty life."

Her expression was as cool as a statue, but it was her tone that showed the intense rage sizzling inside her. A disbelieving, sardonic scoff left her lips.

"Funny. Do you even know what you're saying?"

It was only when she realized that Levi was, in fact, serious about his proposal did she begin to frown. Not out of confusion, but disgust.

"I'm not joining this shitty excuse of a legion. Wings of Freedom? Hope for humanity? Don't make me laugh. What have you, or any of the 'elite' soldiers of the Survey Corps done for humanity? How many people have you saved? How many people can you save?"

Levi made an irritated sound, meeting her gaze with a challenge. "You really are a genuine brat. Well then, what are you going to do? Go back to the shitty slums? Rot in a dingy alleyway? Rob, plunder, kill? What purpose would you have?"

Was it sympathy he felt? Perhaps, but maybe Levi just didn't want to condemn his superior's daughter to prison. He owed Erwin after all. Still, the anger he was feeling was surprising, even to himself.

He was offering her a choice. A different life, a different future — like Erwin had offered him — or life in jail. Levi was offering something that gave meaning to her insignificant existence. For a moment, he couldn't even comprehend what he was trying to do — him, pretending he was righteous and compassionate?

Levi Ackerman knew for a fact that he was rotten to the core, and he'd never once denied it. His hands had been stained scarlet long ago. But maybe this was why he wanted to help the woman in front of him. He could see it in her the moment he laid eyes on her: she was a person with a name but nowhere she belonged. She was just like him in the past.

A person with no purpose, living and breathing, yet dead like a lifeless doll.

"I rather go back to the Underground City than stay here."

"Then why didn't you leave when you had the chance? Your handcuffs were off before I left. You could've escaped then." Levi smirked when she narrowed her eyes. "You don't have anywhere to go."

"Why do you care?" Ida barked back fiercely. "I'm not joining your pathetic excuse of a legion. Where were the Survey Corps when the Titans invaded Wall Maria? The most actively involved in Titan combat, the so-called 'Titan-killers', the great heroes that fight for our liberation? You lot couldn't even protect humanity from losing a third of its territory!"

Levi scowled, finally understanding why she was so against it. The heightened emotions in her usually chilly voice said it all. She had no hopes. In fact, she probably blamed the military for it.

"So, you're blaming us for the death of your mother?"

"Is there a problem, midget?" Ida snapped back with hostility.

Levi only smirked. He could sense the condescending judgment that radiated off her. But at least the brat didn't have the decency to deny it.

"I thought you were an idiot, but you certainly didn't inherit any of Erwin's traits," Levi said, glaring at the seething Ida in front of him with contempt. "Also, from what I can see you're a damn midget yourself."

Ida fumed. It was true that she was short in stature, but that wasn't what she was furious about.

"Do not compare me with that bastard."

"I can do whatever the hell I want." Levi spat, clearly unaffected by her subtle threat. "And It's not a good idea to piss me off right now since your shitty fate depends on me."

Her brows clashed together in a confused furrow. "Why do you even want someone like me?"

"I wonder that too. Clearly, you're just looking for someone to blame for your mother's death and all the shit that had happened to you," he pointed out without any tact. "You're weak and cowardly."

Her anger hit her like a backup reserve, and she stood up, putting her face closer to his. Ida was insanely offended by his insensitive remark. "Who the fuck are you to say that?!"

"Listen, you damned brat," Levi growled, having had enough of her insolence. "In case my words are too hard to comprehend in that pea-size blockhead of yours, I will put this in simpler terms; you couldn't protect your mother or save your home, you were weak and useless, but you refuse to acknowledge that, and you blame your tragedy on others instead. Here's your damn reality check, brat. Things just turned out that way — it's nobody's fault."

What happened next went exactly as he had expected. Ida grabbed the fruit knife by the table and aimed it for his neck.

"You don't know who you're talking to," she threatened, her eyes flashing with malicious intent.

Levi knew she wasn't making an idle threat, but he remained unaffected. He met her determined gaze with a steady stoic look. His lips twitched upwards into a smirk, intrigued by the woman in front of him. Levi had to admit, she had guts, but she was reckless with her actions.

He didn't know what happened to her, and neither could he claim to know what misery she'd endured. But Levi could conclude one thing with relative ease: she was also a victim of circumstances.

From the moment she was born out of wedlock, to the day she was cast out, to the fall of Wall Maria.

Ida Starke, like many others, was simply a victim of their twisted world.

With a confidence that he wouldn't miss, Levi landed a fast kick to her legs and grabbed her wrist, twisting it and forcing her to drop the blade. Ida tried to resist, but he effectively subdued her further with another sharp twist to her arm and pinned her against the table.

A groan escaped her as her head collided with the table with an unearthly crack.

"The same could be said to you," Levi deadpanned coolly, still holding her down. "The only reason why I'm assigned to this ridiculous shitty babysitting task is because there's no one else here more skilled or more capable of disciplining cocky incompetent brats."

He had expected that she would continue retaliating but to his surprise, she stopped moving under his hold, and with a firm voice said:

"Just kill me and get it over and done with."

He frowned, confused. Why the hell was she so resigned to death? It wasn't as if he was intending on killing her. A tense moment passed between them. He could tell that Ida expected him to say something, but he never did.

Then, Levi pulled her up by her wrist and forced her to look into his eyes.

For reasons beyond him, it aggravated him. The way she was so easily resigned to death, the way she made it seem as if death would be more of a release to her.

How many comrades had he sacrificed to the Titans? Levi had stopped counting ages ago. Yet, the brat in front of him was still living and breathing. Everyone had been through shit before, but the fact she was still living meant something.

She could fight.

Levi was about to say something scathing but retracted it. A scoff escaped him when he released his hold on her. "As much as it pains me to admit, you've got spunk."

"Is that supposed to be a fucking compliment?"

"You asked why I asked you to join," Levi ignored her and refocused the conversation, "I heard you are skilled with 3DMG. So, lend humanity your strength. If not for humanity, do it for yourself. Fight for your freedom, fight to avenge, or at the very least, fight for your damned self." His voice was firm and unwavering as if he already knew her answer. "Take your pick."

Gritting his teeth at the emotions that suddenly coursed through him, Levi turned around, his back never turning back to the perplexed woman as he took firm strides toward the exit. He stopped just before he closed the door, his grim voice denoting his seriousness.

"Decide, and fucking make it quick."

He slammed the door on his way out.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Ida felt all her remaining strength disappear when Levi left.

She fought hard to keep herself on her feet, spent from the emotional hurricane that had just ripped through her. Ida sighed and looked at the bed where Levi had left her a change of clothes. She picked up the cloak, smoothing a dark green fabric with the Survey Corps insignia imprinted on it.

The Wings of Freedom.

She didn't know how long she stared at it, nor was she aware that she was holding her breath. The raw silence was suffocating as the seconds passed.

"Fight for myself…?" Ida murmured sullenly. "You should've just killed me when I asked you to…"

She shut her eyes and breathed, remembering her past. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After all the tragedy that she had been through, Ida wanted nothing more than to rest. But as she thought of this, a mental image of Levi's gray haunting eyes flashed in her head and her face creased in disgust.

There was something special in his gray eyes, a certain type of coldness that had her throat closing up.

It was strange really. Ida was certain that she would be more repulsed by the thought of fighting a futile war with Titans. After all, she was a first-hand witness of the never-ending war that mankind fought with the beasts that roamed outside the Walls.

No, she corrected inwardly. It wasn't a war; it was a one-sided massacre. Humanity was helpless.

Her cynical thoughts left her feeling hollower. Ida wanted to throw the cape back to the bed, but she found herself stopping mid-action instead.

Her lips thinned. It was like a splash of icy cool water on her skin, and she couldn't exactly pinpoint this strange influx of emotions. It was only moments later did she finally have a name for this odd feeling.

Hope.

Was this what she was waiting for? Her redemption? A purpose to continue living when she had long resigned herself to death? A choice that finally she could make for herself?

The realization left an agonizing stinging in her heart and a nauseating churning in her stomach. But Ida willed it to fade and composed herself.

She would not cry. She no longer had any tears left.

Ida Starke had lived a cursed life. Anxiety, rage — and not to mention hate — that she couldn't hold in. All these emotions simmered in the pot that was her soul while she had done nothing but curse her own existence.

So many things she had lost, so many people that she couldn't protect. Even after Wall Maria fell, Ida had experienced more agony and heartbreak than she could ever dream she could experience in a lifetime.

But in life, people have to make many choices. Some are important, some trivial, and some insignificant. The choices people make, however, determine a large part of their happiness or unhappiness, because one always must live with the consequences of their choices.

And now, for the first time in her life, a choice that she could make had fallen in front of her.

Ida grabbed onto the uniform and changed into it. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror when she was done, and she felt a rare flicker of hope in her stale heart.

"A soldier..." Ida echoed out in disbelief, her fingertips softly touching at the reflective mirror.

It wasn't as though she hadn't done horrible things — she had. Cruel and vicious things, void of any compassion. The thought of her being a righteous soldier for the Survey Corps was baffling even to herself.

But too often in life when something happens, one blames others for their unhappiness. However, no matter the circumstances, everyone has a choice — to accept the situation or to curse it.

For once, Ida decided to accept the situation. It wasn't like she had anything to lose anyway; people who had nothing feared nothing. If she would have to gamble with fate, then so be it.

Survive. That was what she needed to do for now.

And Ida Starke knew for a fact that she was a survivor.

Because she was strong — not just because of her skills, but because of her innate ability to live through hell.

The prologue begins one year before Eren and the others join the Survey Corps! They will be appearing in this story very often and I plan to make them the main supporting characters! Thank you for giving this fanfiction a shot!

Prologue revamped: 12 December 2020