Episode 0

...Forest of giant trees ...

...Yoake (Dawn) village ...

    Yuki hums silently to herself as she swings her legs gracefully back and forth over the balcony railing. A bright smile pulls at the corner of her painted lips, peacefulness overwhelming her senses. Her fingers swiftly guide across a blank page in her opened leather-bound journal while the words echoing in her head slowly bleed onto a white background. Sunlight glows brightly on her untouched porcelain skin, a gentle breeze blowing her violet bangs away from her eyes. Her bright pink  orbs flicker with undiscovered curiosity and the warmth against her tiny frame gives her an uneasy comfort. She slightly lifts her head, her pupils taking in everything past the outposts protecting her village from any roaming bloodthirsty titans. Hundreds of beautiful acres full of thousands of huge wooded areas lay beyond. 

    She instinctively sniffs the air as the scent of flowers mixed with an earthy scent lingers in the air. She lets out a long sigh, the need to just let go of everything at once latching onto her brain. She shakes her head to clear it from thoughts like that while carefully closing her beloved journal. She casts one glance at the ground below her, spotting a specific group of men coming into Yoake village. Her heartbeat automatically begins pounding against her ribcage and the sound of her twin sister charging onto the balcony reaches her ears. 

    "Yuki, sorry to bother you. I know you're busy with your hobbies, but Levi just showed up. He's requested to see you. He said it was an emergency," Her sweet sibling states in a rush, the other girl gracefully stepping onto the marble flooring. 

Yuki flashes her sibling a kind smile as she follows the other girl into her bedroom. Her room is spotless. Not to mention perfect, just like the rest of the two-story manor. 

    "Thanks for letting me know. He was supposed to stop by next week. That's what we agreed on last time he stopped by. Elizabeth tell Mr. Ackerman I'll be downstairs in a moment," she says while quickly dusting off her white sunflower dress. Elizabeth nods her head in response, raising an eyebrow at her sister in suspension. Yuki playfully sticks her tongue at her odd facial expression and checks herself over one last time. 

    "Don't stare at me like that. Please, do what I just said," she demands, gaining a classical payback look from her younger sister. 

    Elizabeth is taller than Yuki with an average build. Her skin is slightly tan from being outside quite often, her face speckled with freckles. Her brunette locks reach her shoulder-blades while her hazel orbs flicker with never-ending mischief. A scar is engraved on her right cheek from playing with knives and fresh bruises cover her arms. She's the complete opposite of her dear twin. Elizabeth is always getting in trouble with their father. Plus, she can't stop helping the men out with fighting titans. She quickly disappears down the hallway as Yuki tightens her grip on her Journal's spine. She takes in a breath to calm her racing heart, heading outside of her room. She casually steps into a narrow corridor while spotting a servant dusting off some pictures hanging on the wall. The older woman nods her head to acknowledge her mistress, a smile appearing on her face. 

   "Miss, he's waiting in the library," she guides the young girl in the direction of the stairs. She quickly yet gracefully walks down the steps and pauses at the bottom floor. 

    "Thanks, if it weren't for you...I'd be lost. I wish my father would stop adding so many rooms," she giggles at her dismay, racing off in the direction of the library. 

    Yuki quietly opens the wooden oak door as she quickly glances around the huge room. It's the size of two master bedrooms combined with a second floor. Bookshelves full of various books line the walls while a tea area is set up on the bottom level. She spots Levi's frame near a window, her stern expression softening. He's standing next to the window frame with his arms crossed over his chest. Sunlight reflecting off the glass glows against his face, the black smeared around his narrow eyes from sleepless nights showing up. She keeps herself still like a mouse and continues silently making him some tea. She knows very well he never gets any peace. For a moment, she's reminded of the lost man she fell in love with. 

    She's currently engaged to him. The two grew up together as well as they were partners on missions. She is also 4 years younger than him. They never doubted each other for a second, each one trusting one another with their life. She casually walks up to him while clearing her throat to let him know she was there. He turns to look down at her, his angular facial features twisted into a blank canvas. 

    "You're late," he mumbles like a parent scolding for her being tardy. She playfully rolls her pink  orbs, handing him the porcelain glass.

    "You're early. You were supposed to show up next week, remember," she replies and glances at the window to see a group of his closest friends waiting outside. He makes a tch sound through his teeth, drinking his tea without another word. 

    Levi is a bit taller than Yuki with a slightly muscular build. His jet black bangs fall at the sides of his head and his gray pupils flicker with emptiness.

    "How's everything here? By the looks of it on my trip here, it's not safe. Your home could be destroyed by titans at any moment," he says it as bluntly as possible. She sighs involuntarily, wondering what's happening beyond the outposts. 

    "It's fine. My father and his men can handle any titans that threaten us. I'm not worried about it. I am stuck in this manor twenty-four-seven, after all," she states while biting into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. He also knows she wants to fight alongside him, but after she almost died due to a mission gone very wrong...he advised her not to be on the field. 

    "How are the journals coming along?" He quickly changes the subject for a moment to stop her from snapping or pouting. Her disappointed expression immediately melts away and she exchanges his teacup for her book. She swiftly sits the glass gently on the window frame, her eyes lighting up like fireworks. 

    "It's great. I'm impressed with how well all my research is going about the titans and everything else related to it. I'm glad you gave me the project. I'm having a lot of fun. I'm almost done with all the journals you've already given me. This is one would number ten," Yuki explains with excitement as she stands next to him. She casually leans her head against his left shoulder, watching his eyes scan the text written on the pages. An impressed smile pulls at the corner of his lips for a minute while he takes in everything she's done over the last couple of months. He places a hand on top of her head, ruffling up her violet bangs. Her face flushes light pink and she instinctively wraps her arms around his waist. She hugs him like it's the last time she'll ever see him, pulling him closer. 

    She hesitantly lets go of him as she hears the sound of yelling mixed with threats reach her ears from outside. She sighs in annoyance, staring past his shoulder-blades. Her pink  orbs lock onto a group of men about to get into a fight with each other over some gear found on a half-eaten corpse brought in a few minutes ago. She makes a tch sound through her teeth, wondering where in the hell her sister disappeared to. 

    "Levi, can save me the small chat? There's something you're not telling me. You have that look in your eyes. Plus, my sister told me it was an emergency," she says while beginning to head for the door leading outside. 

    "Can't put anything past you, huh?" He mumbles, walking behind her to stop her from leaving. He swiftly wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer to him. 

    "That's an understatement," she replies, reaching back to place a hand on top of his head. 

    Her face flushes light red as she ruffles up his jet black bangs. His own face fades to a faint pink shade, propping his chin on top of her right shoulder.  

     "I want you to leave Yoake village. It's not safe, the Titans population has increased dangerously high in this exact area. You have to leave and come with me. It'll be safer behind the walls. You can stay with me. I'll be able to protect you...it's the only way," he buries his face into the side of her neck while mumbling his words into her skin. Their bodies have no distance whatsoever, her back pressing against his frame. He squeezes her tightly to show he has missed her over time and laces their fingers together. Her heartbeat automatically begins pounding against her ribcage, her desire to leave with the man she loves or to stay to protect her family tearing her mind apart. 

    "I want to...I really do, but I just can't. I have to stay here to protect my family. My father is very ill and I'm the only one who can take his place as head of my bloodline. I'll come to stay with you and I'll follow your lead when my obligations are finished here," she states matter-of-factly as she bites into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. That's the hardest thing she has had to say in a long time, her heart instantly sinking. Levi's body goes stiff at her response while his muscles tense up. He quickly lifts his head, a dark yet cold sternness replacing his calm demeanor. He swiftly lets go of her and twirls her around to face him. He places a hand on each of her shoulders, locking eyes with her. 

    "I don't care. Titans will strike at any time and we're leaving whether you like it or not. I'm not going to let you make an idiotic decision. Got it, Yuki," he demands harshly and grabs her left wrist. She struggles to break free from his iron grip, her body being dragged in the direction of the doorway.

    Yuki fights against his hold as he continues dragging her across the marble floor. She puts her weight on her feet to slow down his fast-paced walking, but it's completely useless. It's like she weighs absolutely nothing. Then again what did she expect from the proclaimed "humanity's strongest soldier." 

    "This isn't very appropriate, Levi. Seriously...Let go of me," she demands while noticing more corpses are arriving through the village's back entrance. She looks forward just in time, the wooden frame coming inches from hitting her face first. She braces herself from impact and closes her eyes tightly. He quickly pulls her out of the way in seconds, the young girl hesitantly opening one eye. 

    Her pink orbs grow wide in shock as her face flushes a bloody red shade. Her back is leaned against a wall, Levi's body blocking her from escaping. She bites back her rude remarks while footsteps approach them. Both Levi and herself turn their heads to see Erwin along with her twin sister staring at them. An awkward silence lingers in the air for a long minute, the small group staring at each other. 

    "Um...Are we interrupting anything? If you two are busy, we'll wait outside for a few more minutes," Erwin says casually and Elizabeth mouths the words "What the heck?" to her sibling. 

    "Yes, you are," Levi states as he glares at her. She sticks her tongue at him in annoyance, gently shoving him away from her. 

    "No, I'm glad to see you're okay. It's been a-while. Levi just rescued from me being a clumsy idiot. I almost tripped and he caught me before I could give myself major head trauma," Yuki quickly states while smiling kindly at the commander. Everyone but Levi relaxes, Erwin greeting the young girl with a swift handshake. 

    "I hate taking him away from you, but we have an emergency. Levi, we have to go right away," he says and the short man growls to himself. Yuki kisses Levi on the cheek quickly, moving behind him. 

    "Well, you have to go. I'll come to the city in a few days, I promise. I'll be fine and you have nothing to worry about. Make sure, you give those sad group of soldiers hell while I'm not there, okay," she mumbles as she pushes him out of the doorway. She playfully fixes his hair back in place, before shutting the door in his face. She sighs in sadness while standing in front of a nearby window. She props her elbows on top of the frame, watching him gracefully saddle up for his journey back. Tears cloud her pink orbs and emptiness overwhelms her soul. She allows the cold yet sadly drops to roll down her pained facial features, her gaze lingering on the horizon even after they're long gone. 

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