The Expedition
Part 1
The second mission to the abandoned house was meant to be uneventful. Hange could barely contain her excitement over shelves of unfamiliar books and faded photographs waiting beyond the Walls. Levi’s concern remained the same as always – bringing everyone home alive.
More precisely, Levi’s attention rested on the civilian scholar riding a few paces behind him.
He knew her as Hange’s assistant. They had never spoken much, only brief conversations in the headquarters between stacks of documents and Hange’s endless research.
She was quiet. Focused. Careful in everything she did. There was a certain grace in her movements, a softness that seemed out of place among soldiers.
She had never held a blade, never fought a Titan, which made her yet another responsibility added to Levi’s list.
She wasn’t a soldier. That much was obvious from the way she rode her horse carefully, concentrating more on staying balanced than on the forest around her. Every now and then she’d glance toward the towering trees with quiet curiosity instead of fear, as if she were entering a forgotten library rather than land ruled by Titans.
“You stay with me,” Levi said before they crossed into the denser part of the forest.
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded without argument.
“Understood.”
It was the answer he preferred.
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The abandoned house stood exactly as Hange had described it. Dust drifted through shafts of light as the scholar wandered between crowded shelves, her fingertips hovering above worn spines before daring to touch them. Levi watched from the doorway, not the books, but the wonder on her face. He’d seen soldiers stare at freedom with less awe.
WShe reached for a heavy volume on the highest shelf. Before she could stretch any farther, another hand took it down with ease.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Levi placed the book into her arms, their fingers brushing for the briefest moment. Neither acknowledged it, though she noticed he let go carefully enough that the brittle pages wouldn’t bend.
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Three days passed beneath the quiet roof of the abandoned house. While Hange and the others packed crates of books and sketches, the scholar filled page after page with careful notes, often forgetting the hour until Levi’s voice reminded her to eat or rest. Their conversations remained brief, but the silence between them had grown unexpectedly comfortable.
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By the fourth morning, the wagons were full.
“It’ll have to do,” Hange sighed, casting one last longing look toward the shelves they were forced to leave behind.
The order to return was given, and the house fell silent once more.
They hadn’t traveled far before the forest erupted with signal flares.
A Titan encounter.
The formation scattered into practiced positions almost instantly. Horses reared, steel flashed, and shouted orders echoed between the trees.
Levi turned his horse toward the scholar.
“Listen carefully.”
She was already pale.
“Ride back to the house.”
Her eyes widened.
“Lock every door. Stay upstairs. Don’t come out for anyone unless it’s me or Commander Erwin.”
“What about—”
“No questions.”
His gaze held hers for a brief second.
“I’ll come back.”
She nodded, gripping the reins tightly.
“I understand.”
For a fleeting moment, their hands met as he steadied her horse. His thumb pressed lightly against her fingers before letting go.
“Go.”
She did.
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The sounds of battle followed her through the trees until even the screams disappeared into silence. Inside the old house, she barred the door exactly as instructed and climbed to the upper floor. Every creak of timber made her look toward the windows. Every passing hour stretched longer than the last.
She trusted his orders.
She only wished they hadn’t required waiting.
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By the time the surviving Scouts regrouped, too many saddles stood empty.
The losses were heavier than anyone had expected.
“We have to move,” one soldier urged. “More Titans will be drawn here.”
Hange looked toward Levi.
“The scholar…”
A long silence followed.
Another scout shook his head.
“It’s too dangerous to go back now.”
Levi’s jaw tightened.
“Then keep moving.”
He adjusted the straps of his ODM gear before turning his horse back toward the forest.
“I’ll get her.”
No one argued. They knew better than to mistake the calm in his voice for hesitation.
