Life is short. That might be the most cliche thing you'll ever hear, but in your case, in the world you lived in, that was the truth. Before then, everyday passed, and nobody had a worry about the walls that protected you from the surrounding dangers lurking about. That changed all too quickly.

Let me back up a second. You see, you lived in a world where Titans dominated humans, devouring everyone they could on sight. The human race almost went extinct. Somehow, humans survived. By confining yourselves in a city, surrounded by walls over 50 meters high, for years, you all have lived here in peace, never having to see one for about a century. That was, until, the Colossal Titan showed up.

You had been living peacefully with your mother and father, who were one of the local bakers in the Shiganshina District. You were raised to take on the bakery, learning the secrets of the trade and dozens of recipes for breads, cookies, and cakes.

You had been gathering up food and ingredients in the market when you noticed a crowd surrounding the streets. You ran over to see what the commotion was about, trying to find a gap in the crowd to see clearly. The Scouting Legion had returned, failing yet another tiring, extensive mission.

You couldn't help but pity them. Almost everyone who had crowded the streets were complaining either silently to a neighbor or loudly to make their opinions known. As they shouted and cried, you felt anger rise in your stomach directed at those who doubted the Legion. You wanted to make them understand how demanding and tiring it was. You could tell by their worn, hurt, tired, and grieving faces. However, you bit your tongue and held back, knowing your mother and father would throw a fit if you stirred up trouble.

Speaking of which, you sighed as you knew you had to go back and return the items your parents needed. They would scold you if you were late. Leaving the image of the weary, bloodied soldiers, you slowly wandered your way home, dazed.

Deep down, one day, you wanted to join and help fight for their cause. The thought of living your life out in the same way everyday, the same routine over and over again, it scared you. You wanted to avoid it and be able to live each day differently, seeing new things and new places. However, you knew your parents would disapprove. They wanted you to carry on their business, and you assumed that's what you would do.

Reaching home, you entered the bakery, the familiar scents of warm and fresh breads and pastries filled your nostrils. Your mother requested your help to make the next batch of bread as your father was helping a friend down the street, and you obliged, settings everything down and going to help.

You were only just pulling out some of the bread from the previous batch when screams erupted all across town as the ground shook furiously. You gasped and dropped the pan, and you ran out the door to see what was happening, your mother close behind. You looked about you, trying to figure out what everyone was looking at. Then, you noticed it, too.

A hand.

A giant, red, fleshless hand.

Then, a head even more horrifying than the hand.

It was gigantic. Your mind went blank as your body froze in place out of fear.

That's not possible, you thought to yourself, one of the million thoughts then beginning to race in your head, If that Titan is really that big, taller than the walls, then it cou-

A blast came from the bottom of the wall, at the gate. Debris flew everywhere, sizes ranging from pebbles to huge boulders, dust clouding the air. The ground quaked, windows shattered, wind blasts swept the town, buildings devastated, people crushed, buried, or panicking.

Your mother quickly pulled you aside before you were crushed by the stampede of people who started to run for safety, absolutely terrified at the vulnerability you were now subjugated to. You were scared out of your mind. She pulled you into a tight hug quickly and then pushed back so she could look at you.

"I want you to run, right now, to the boats, okay? I need to get to your father, and we'll join you, okay?" She looked at you both sternly and worriedly.

"B-but, Mom, I can't leave with out you..." You whimpered, your voice quavering with fear.

"Don't worry, honey," Your mother pulled you back in her arms. "We'll be fine, okay?" She kissed the top of your head and continued, "We love you. Now, go for the ships," She said, quickly spinning you to the direction the boats were in and pushed you off towards them.

You again obliged as you fought tears that were welling in your eyes, threatening to spill over. You had no time to look back at your mother one last time. You had to focus on the swarm of people you had been swept up in. Racing to the ships, you prayed to some unknown god or mystic power that your parents would return to you, but you would have to face reality at some point. You felt you were too young to have to deal what was forced upon you moments ago.

It took you a while to make the distance across town. You were growing tired and your feet hurt and your legs screamed, but you knew you had to keep going. Finally, you made it to the ships and were one of the lucky to be smushed onto them with everyone else. They were trying to pack as many people as they could. As soon as one boat filled up, they would send it off.

From where you sat, you could see on horizon the heads of Titans creeping slowly into the town, a few of them stopping every now and then, lifting something into their mouths. You gasped as you realized what they were doing.

They were eating people.

Your heart raced knowing any one of those people could have been one of your parents, or both. They could be dead now. You took deep breaths to try and calm yourself down. The realization hit you; you'd most likely never see them again.

Millions of thoughts were still racing around in your head, when you were brought back into reality by a boy with blonde hair, maybe a bit younger than you, being put next to you.

You scanned him for a second, and you noticed how he fidgeted slightly, like he was worrying for someone too, but, then again, you all were. He stood up and walked to the edge and scanned the crowds waiting and hoping someone would be put with him.

An older man glanced at him. "Armin, sit down."

The boy you presumed to be Armin shook his head. "But Eren and Mikasa aren't here yet..."

He stopped and looked like he would call out to whoever he saw, but he didn't.

The man spoke up again. "Let them be for now," he sighed, "The poor thing, he must be so traumatized..." He said, woefully.

You brought your knees to your chest, buried your head in them, and sighed. He wouldn't be the only one grieving... You thought to yourself and were again lost in thought.

Soon cries of protest erupted from the crowd waiting as the boat shook and started moving. The people were so tightly packed around you, and you barely had space to move. You understood why the boat had to leave; there was no more space and the Titans were coming. People were so desperate as to jump to the boat, a few missing, a few just barely clinging.

People's heads then turned worriedly to the sounds of heavy foot steps approaching. You knew immediately what it was. There couldn't be any mistaking it after today.

A Titan.

You stared at it as people gasped. It looked just like the giant Titan, however it was much shorter. It stopped for a moment and paused. Everyone could only stare and watch what it was up to. It broke out into a sprint, coming closer to the wall by the second. The Stationary Guard, who were manned to protecting the wall, fled for their lives as the Titan's speed increased. Then, almost all other hope to reach safety was lost.

It smashed through the wall.

Everyone could only stare, horrified, several people gasping out and others crying harder as you all left into the now broken wall. You rode the boat for what seemed like hours. People were silently praying, others watching the destruction you were leaving from afar. Instead of seeking shelter in Wall Maria, you had to travel farther to Wall Rose.

You sighed as you turned your attention away from the image of Shinganshina burning in the distance. There was no point in worrying about much of anything anymore. One would just have to survive, now. That's all you'd have to do, rely on the senseless walls that seem to be of no protection anymore.

You watched Armin get up to a boy with dark hair walking to the edge of the boat. "Eren..." He started.

The boy, Eren, slammed his hands on the deck. "I'm going to drive them out!" You could hear him say angrily.

"Eren..."

You turned your attention back to yourself and your thoughts, Eren's words ringing in your head. It was an impossible idea but seemed like a good cause. The thought of joining the Legion again crossed your mind. You could join if you wanted to, since your parents were probably dead. You knew that they disapproved of the idea, but now you had a stronger desire to join the military and help fight in some way.

You weren't exactly a strong person. You didn't really exercise, and you weren't made to be a soldier. You were just a baker's daughter, but now, you actually had something to strive for, a good goal.

You were going to do it.

You would help the Attack on Titan.