✦          TRIGGER WARNINGS — Character death! Gore! Blood! Child death!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄,
𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈

❛ she had                                everything,
and she knew it, until the day came
where she lost everything and it all
came back to damage her      𝒘 𝒊 𝒏 𝒈 ❜

                         𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝕶elaya Visha remembered the day she inherited that damned crippled wing like it was yesterday. That damned wing that tormented her thoughts and invaded her mind, reminding her of everything she had once had . . .

                         It started off as a beautiful day. The sun was out glaring at everything in its wake, seeping through Kelaya's curtains lighting up the rather amusing sight on her bed. To the Visha family, it was an everyday thing, it was so regular, but that's what made it all the more special.

                         Laying on the decently large sized bed was Kelaya . . . with a couple of unusual visitors. Four, in fact, their small bodies all piled onto the bed and on each other snoring away, unaware of the snickering family in the doorway. It was a sight so wholesome, Kelaya had it engraved in her head. How her oldest nephew, Aiden clung onto her like she was his lifeline, despite claiming that he was a big boy now that he had turned ten.

                         Aiden was a boy hellbent on being an adult. He always wanted to be included in adult conversations, always looking to absorb any information that he could get his hands on, and always looking to prove that he wasn't a boy but more a man. It was cute, how he was so adamant about protecting his little sister and baby cousins.

                         His little sister, Kuma, was a cheeky six-year-old little girl always looking for trouble. It followed her everywhere she went, and the one constantly getting her out of trouble was her older brother. Her blue eyes were always wide with curiosity looking for something to put her hands on, to either break it or break something. Kuma was strewn across Kelaya's legs, snoring away without a care in the world.

                         They were both children of Aramis, Kelaya's older brother. The second oldest out of four. The cheeky little glint of trouble on Kuma's eyes was something she had inherited from him, the same could be said by the trouble seemingly always plaguing her.

                         The small body to Kelaya's left was Kai, her head was laying on top of her Aunt's sprawled out arm as her tiny body curled up to her, much like how Aiden was to Kelaya's right.

                         Kai was a bright girl for her age. The way her sentences were formed and the way she could recite each wall's history was intriguing. She was only at the tender age of four, and she already knew of the horrors beyond the walls. Sure, it might have been the somewhat rumbling footsteps that could be heard at the dead of the night that gave away the terror awaiting them beyond the wall, but Kelaya didn't think so.

                         Finally, the smallest body was on her chest with their small head buried in her neck, Isla. The one-year-old chubby girl with eyes so blue they reminded Kelaya of the sky. Isla was a happy baby, never really crying or cranky. She was always smiling like she knew that one smile could grant her access to the world.

                         Kai and Isla were daughters of Kelaya's eldest brother, Caspen, or otherwise known as Cas. Cas was always away, one of the downfalls of being in the Scout Regiment. Leaving both of his girls and Fiancee with his family.

                         On this rare day, everything was perfect. Kelaya was awakened to the sight of all her nieces and nephew comfortably asleep. Andro, her dog didn't use the bathroom in her room. Her mother cooked her favorite meal, and for once in a very long time, all of her siblings were under the same roof, like when they were younger.

                         Yet, as perfect as it was, nothing could describe the horrors that transpired moments later, damning Kelaya to a nightmare. A nightmare that would be agonizing to relive, day after day.

                         Her mother had sent her to the market, persistent that she needed an assortment of fruits as she was running low, and seeing as the woman had many mouths to feed, Kelaya happily obliged, enthused that she was going to enjoy the sun scorching down on her.

                         She waved to her mother while gripping the willow basket with her left hand. Andro happily trudged alongside her with his leash being tied to her wrist, cheery that he was going to the market with his favorite human.

                         "Don't forget the tomatoes, sweetheart! You always do!"

                         Kelaya shyly smiled and nodded, "I won't, mom! I promise! I'll see you soon!"

                         As Kelaya turned to walk towards her destination, she felt a sharp tug on her jacket. It was rough, causing her to almost lose her balance at how it caught her off-guard.

                         "Aunt Laya!" It was Kai, the four-year-old girl who was holding onto her aunt's sleeve like there was no tomorrow. Her eyes were wide and fearful like they usually were when she'd wake up from a nightmare.

                         Kelaya furrowed her eyebrows but nonetheless kindly smiled at her niece. She knelt down to be at level with her and tucked a stray dark lock of hair behind her ear, "What's wrong, Kai? Another nightmare?"

                         Kai furiously shook her head, "No! Aunt Laya, you have to be careful!" The grip on Kelaya's sleeve tightened. Her bottom lip quivered, "Promise you'll be careful!"

                         The crease in between Kelaya's eyebrows deepened wondering what was swimming in the young girl's mind, wondering why she was so petrified. The small hand gripping her sleeve was shaking.

                         "Hey," Kelaya warmly ran a finger along the younger girl's cheek. "I promise," out of instinct she stuck out her pinky finger, it was the common way Kelaya reassured the children. Pinky swearing was everything to them, and it was growing on Kelaya as well. "I'll always be careful if it means coming back to see you all, okay?"

                         If only . . .

                         Kai's face softened and she abruptly let go of her grip on her Aunt's sleeve, yet her eyes were still wary. She wrapped her much smaller pinky around Kelaya's and frowned, "Something's not right, Aunt Laya," her frown deepened. "But, I know you'll be back."

                         After leaving a hesitant Kai, Kelaya left. Embarking on the quant journey to the market per her mother's orders, enjoying the rare day off that was gifted to her. Passerbyers from her neighborhood sent greetings her way to which she returned with that same breathtaking smile written on her lips.

                         Her wings were elegant behind her, drawing everyone's attention as she strode by. She was content in that very moment, the way the wind gently blew her hair, the smell of freshly baked goods was more apparent the closer she got to the market square.

                         Kelaya had been to the market more times than she could count, especially when she was younger. It was her favorite part of Shiganshina. The neverending assortment of food and the mouthwatering fruits were to die for. Living so close to the edge of the wall, definitely had its disadvantages, don't get her wrong, but the food before her more than made up for it.

                         Walking into the market square brightened up her smile, the many booths full of fresh fruit was enough to make her stomach growl. The atmosphere was radiant with all the people of Shiganshina mildly enjoying the nice weather.

"Hello, Kelaya! How are you, darling?"

Kelaya gave Selene a bright smile. Selene was an elderly woman with thinning gray hair and a bright smile on her face. She worked the tomato booth Kelaya always seemed to forget.

"I'm fine, Selene. Just running a couple of errands for my mom." Kelaya rose the willow basket, now full of a variety of fruits she managed to purchase. "How are you?"

Selene grinned, but this grin was different from the first one. It looked almost . . . wicked. Kelya wouldn't like to admit it, but Selene had a notorious reputation around the town. People thought she was an oddball with the way they'd see her speak to the air around her and laugh out loud, like the wind itself breezed a jest in her ear. They'd often refer to her as a 'witch' as she'd say peculiar things, always surprising those around her when she'd open her mouth.

She held a strange liking to the Visha family. Always ensuring their safety. It didn't go unnoticed by the Visha family, they all just allowed it. There was no harm in her actions, and all the ugly gossip surrounding her never really affected the way they appreciated her kindness.

However, Kelaya couldn't help but notice the bizarre occurrences. Like this one, for instance, the way she looked up over the wall surrounding her with a grin. A grin laced with malice as if she knew of something that others couldn't bring themselves to even acknowledge.

"I'm alright, darling," she sent Kelaya a wink and turned to look up at the sky once more. "Today's going to be a wonderful day, don't you think?"

Kelaya followed her gaze, a set of birds appeared high above the sky, flying without a care of the world, heading towards each other. In mere moments they fluttered past the other, the tips of their wings grazing the others, surprising them both as they flew away.

But that wasn't what caught her attention. I'm the midst of her bird watching a stunning gray butterfly flew into her line of sight, causing Andro to bark in excitement at the beautiful creature.

It fluttered around Kelaya, as if daring her to reach out to graze the creature. Daring her to embark upon a fate she had no idea of. And in that moment with the world on her back, she lightly reached to touch the winged beauty, before reluctantly pulling back and watching as it flew away.

Kelaya turned back to the woman, yet almost jumped when she noticed the woman already looking at her with that sordid grin on her face. It sent shivers down her spine. Andro might have felt the same way by the way he whimpered and took a couple of steps back.

At that moment, a breeze rustled the trees. It softly blew Kelaya's hair, blocking her sight for a brief moment. Her dark hair tickled her cheeks as the moment stilled.

                         BOOM!

                         The earth violently shook causing Kelaya to topple to the floor. A thunderous wave of green light washed over the entire market, completely dismissing the pretty blue in the sky. Kelaya's willow basket spewed all of the fruits she had purchased during the process.

                         Kelaya wasn't the only one in shock at the brutal sound. Everyone in the market was left stunned, confused on what could cause such benevolent earth shake. It never happened before, and that's what made it all the more nerve-wracking.

                         "What was that?" Townsfolk gasped out, drawing Kelaya's attention.

                         "I don't know, but it came from over there!" A woman spoke.

                         "Kelaya! Darling! Are you alright?" Selene gingerly helped the younger girl to her feet, making sure to check for any wounds she might have acquired when she fell.

Kelaya brushed her off, "I-I'm fine, just a little scrape is all," her knees were a bit scratched from the tumble she had taken, yet it wasn't anything she couldn't deal with. "What the hell was that?"

Townsfolk rushed past her in order to investigate. Trampling the fruits she had once acclaimed.

Selene frowned ignoring her question, "You need to take better care of yourself, we can't have a Visha getting hurt now can we?"

Kelaya furrowed her eyebrows and went to open her mouth to ask what she meant by it but was cut off, Andro's rugged barking became apparent despite the loud commotion of the townsfolk's worriedly chatter.

Out of instinct, she ran to look for her dog, not noticing the now worried look displayed on Selene's face or the words she was muttering like a mantra . . .

"This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Andro!" Kelaya called out pushing past people in search of her barking dog.

When she found him, she gasped. Andro was furiously barking at something over the wall, the leash was still around him yet that didn't stop him from barking up a storm.

Everyone was still around her as she retook his leash, her hand gripped the red fabric in fear that her dog would run away once again. However, it wasn't until she looked up that her wings shook.

A hand, A large fucking hand gripped the upper part of the fifty-meter-high wall. It was pure muscle, the assortments of pink were a large contrast from the dull gray. The hand was large, Kelaya guessed five of her could fit in that large hand.

Suddenly, its grip tightened. Debris fell from the wall as it cracked underneath the strong pressure. Smoke poured out from behind the wall and—

Oh no.

A large head came into view, casting a vindictive shadow across the district of Shiganshina. Its beady eyes stared down at the citizens like it had been waiting to make an introduction for a long time now.

The civilians cowered. It was impossible, the highest a titan grow is up to fifteen meters high, yet this titan was different. It was petrifying, it peered down at them and before anyone could even make a run for it . . .

BOOM!

A strong gust of wind blew many people back. Debris flew everywhere leaving a cloud of dust in its wake, that's when a frenzy broke out.

The titan blew a hole through the wall, and everyone knew of the horrors beyond those walls.

Kelaya watched in shock as the roof of a building came sailing down in front of her, she dove out of the way just in time but others weren't as lucky. Splatters of red now stained the floor and her face. Screams of horror clouded her ears, making it hard to concentrate.

She groaned as she felt a tug on her side. Her ears were ringing, yet she could still hear the loud commotion surrounding her. The scrapes on her knee were now bleeding profoundly.

Andro tugged on his owner's sleeve, much like Kai did, whimpering as he noticed the state she was in.

"Run for your lives!"

"They've breached the wall!"

"The titans are inside of the wall!"

The mere thought of titans being inside of the wall was enough to snap herself out of the daze. As she pushed herself up, the thunderous sounds of footprints rocked the earth. And Kelaya saw the first one, it was a sight she would never be able to get used to.

                         Its sickening grin was horrifying. It looked joyous as it stared at the full buffet in front of them.

                         . . . The one time her older brother's job actually came in handy, she thought.

                         At the mention of her brother, her head turned in the direction of her home. Only to be met with clouds of smoke.

                         Kelaya's eyes widen in horror, "The house!"

                         Her house was in the opposite direction everyone was running to in order to seek salvation. She could already see the multiple heads of titans over houses, looking for their next meal. She could hear the ear-piercing screams of people crying for help, then she'd hear a sickening crunch. Yet, she willed herself to run, the only thing plaguing her mind was the promise she had made to Kai.

                         When she turned the corner, her feet skidded to a stop and her heart dropped.

                         Instead of seeing her childhood home, where she played in, slept in, loved in . . . all she saw was rubble. Rubble of what used to be her favorite place in the world, where she'd sing her nieces and nephews to sleep after they had nightmares, where she'd wrestled with her siblings.

                         A silent scream slipped past her lips as she grew closer to her home, or what once was her home. It was getting harder to breathe, the gasps of breath she was taking were not helping her health.

She soon stood in front of where the door should be, despite the chaos around her . . . she began to dig. Looking for any signs of her family, praying to any higher power that they made it out before anything happened. She gasped as she dug ignoring the forming cuts on her hands, desperate to look for her family . . .

Until she saw it, the despairing sight she would give anything to forget. If only she could have died then and there, maybe then the wings on her back wouldn't have to see the inconsolable sight of her family all huddled together as if they accepted their fates, and red-coated their bodies. Even the little bodies.

She sank to her knees, ignoring the large footsteps around her. Her lip quivered, her family was gone. The family she would have done anything to protect was gone, it was an irrefutable fact she didn't want to believe was true. Yet, nothing could ever amount to the heavy feeling in her chest, seeing her entire family wiped out like they never meant anything to the sickening world around them.

A heart-wrenching scream ripped past her throat, it ended with a sob as she climbed down to cradle her mother's face. Her bloodied face looked almost unrecognizable, yet she knew it was her mother by the light blue gown she was wearing before she left.

Another scream tore through her as she saw her siblings, laying limp along with the rubble, completely still. She didn't care that the titans probably heard her, because this was a feeling close to death itself. She crawled over her mother's dead body and cried into her sister's chest, her swollen belly still prominent despite no movement.

Everything was gone in a matter of moments . . . they were never coming back.

Andro sidled up to his owner's lap, silently nudging her. He whimpered as he took notice of the much smaller bodies compared to the others. His favorite playmates were gone, and he sensed it.

She begged, she begged anyone or anything to bring them back. To trade their lives for hers, but nothing . . . nothing happened.

"A-Aunt L-Laya?"

Kelaya's sobbing came to an abrupt stop at hearing the familiar voice. Her head perked up from her older sister's chest and gasped. Maybe, the higher power heard her begging and pleading, maybe they actually cared about her enough to grant her this form of happiness.

Kai's teary eyes stared back at her. The four-year-old sported a deep cut that reached the top of her forehead to the tip of her jawline, and in her hands, she tightly gripped her little sister, Isla. The chubby baby crying in her sister's chest.

Kelaya gasped while Andro perked up and rushed to lick the girls. She ran through the rubble and embraced them.

"I-I tried to protect them, Aunt Laya, b-but it was too late!" Kai sobbed into the embrace. "I remembered what you and daddy told me about taking care of Isla, so I did."

"Shhh," Kelaya soothed. "You did great, sweethear—"

Andro's barking cut her off, it was soon followed by a low growl. Soon she realized what was going on. thump, thump, thump.

The titans were closing in, and if she didn't hurry soon the family she had left was going to be rubble, just like the others.

So, without glancing back she placed Kai on her back and held Isla as tight as she could before sprinting off, begging Andro to follow.

. . . 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈

✦          AUTHORS NOTE — this is the first chapter, I might re-write. anyways, kelaya is my smol babe who goes through absolute hell. It's just gonna get worse from here, so buckle up. Author Nat is about to take you on a wild adventure.