THE VILLAGE HAD BEEN QUIET.

The summer air was thick, hot and melty against the eleven year old's skin with large puffs of black smoke filling the air, a large boom sound filling her ears. There it was — a head, a fleshy, muscular, creepy head that peered over the cement wall with pieces of rock debris flying from the hole and smashing some villagers to pieces. Blood had been splattered, brain matter and wailing kids in the streets. Nadya Hart just stood there, hazel eyes wide from the sight in front of her, people pushing her back until she fell and scraped her palms. This was the day — where the human race would be wiped out.

The Titans were here. Nadya could hear the footsteps, the loud ones that made the earth shake and her ribcage rattle. Their faces. There disgusting faces, the wide grins with hundreds of sharp teeth, their eyes — the ones that stare down on its prey, hunting with their giant hands that grab and crush people in their palms. One of them grabbed a man, a brown haired Titan with a bob and a eery grin that grabbed a person, smashing it in its fist and throwing him in his mouth. Nadya let people push her in the street, watching in horror. She never seen one up close — never seen them feast on someone that could've been her. But once the beast was done, it stared at her.

Nadya gasped, turning on her heels and running. She was running fast, her flat shoes going against the dry pavement and her mauve dress was flaying in the wind. She could hear the Titan, the monster on her tail moving slow but taking wide booming steps. Once the creature got close, the footsteps caused Nadya to lose her footing and to fall on the cement.

This was the end. The Titan smiled — grinned creepily with its large hand coming down on her. She couldn't scream. It was lodged in her throat and her hazel eyes just shut to accept her fate. She could feel the exuding heat coming close to her skin. Why her? Why now? Her mind rushed with thoughts. She was going to die.

The Titans had been giant beasts that stalked the large walls that divided humanity from the outside world. Wall Maria, Sina and Rose. The protectors, the cement that was decorated with luscious green ivy that barely reached the top. The monsters had clawed against the walls every day but humanity needed to take back the world — which is why the Scouts existed. Brave soldiers that fought against them but the count declined everyday. The soldiers came back every time with less and less people. There was no hope. The human race was going to dry out of the Scouts didn't find a solution.

Nadya didn't feel anything after a few seconds. She felt the vibrations of the creature falling to its knees with a stream of hot smoke coming from the nape of its neck. There stood Wren Glass — Nadya's savior.

Wren Glass, the prettiest girl that Nadya has ever seen, in fact, Nadya thought she was the prettiest girl in the entire district. Soft glassy skin that was dewy despite the dry weather, soft pink lips that were plump and glossed, sparkling gray eyes and bouncy black hair that reached to her shoulders. She wore the standard Scout uniform — white shirt and pants, brown jacket and brown knee high boots with a harness to support her ODM gear, large blades that were able to slice the Titan's neck.

She wipes the Titan blood that stings her cheek by using her sleeve and tucking her blades into its holders. She killed a Titan. Wren jumps down and pulls Nadya into her chest. "Nads.." she breathes into her dark hair, holding her tight. Wren looked after Nadya, when her mother wasn't there. Wait...mother?

"Are you alright? Where is your mom?" Wren pulls away and grips her shoulders, looking to her eyes. Lilith Hart was a single mother, raising her tween daughter and lived with her older son, Mateo. Where was Mateo? Where was Lilith? Wren couldn't think. This young girl was left alone while Titans were around. She couldn't believe it — Lilith should be by Nadya's side at all time. Wren sighs.

"I —" Nadya's voice was raspy to the point it hurt her throat. "I don't know." She was quiet like a whisper. Wren nodded, her heart thumping heavy as she heard more giant footsteps.

There was another Titan. A male one with short stubby blonde hair and an evil grin etched across its face. "Nadya, hang on, okay?" Wren rushes, snatching her waist and flinging herself into the air. The wires that was attached to Wren's harness had gripped against the stone buildings to swing in the air with a gas canister to propel her. Nadya yelped, fingers digging into Wren's jacket and legs strapping around her body. She squeezed her eyes. She didn't want to see or think about what could happen. Scout work was dangerous — the most dangerous faction yet the smallest with only three-hundred soldiers. Wren was good, right under Captain Levi on his elite squad. Wren was Nadya's icon.

Swinging into the air, the two escaped the beast. Wren had dropped Nadya onto the ground which she stumbled onto her hands to realize they were right in front of the gate, the gate that divided the districts and that opened to Wall Sina. Nadya looked up at Wren who had prepared herself to take off. "Wren?" She looked up with doe eyes. "What's happening?"

"Nadya, you need to get on the ferry. This is urgent." There was people screaming, running through the gate that was shutting slowly. The Garrison, the next faction of military that looked out for the walls, began to run inside too without worrying about the civilians still in Shiganshina. Wren kneeled down in front of the young girl and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. Wren have a broken smile towards her: "I'm going to find your mom, okay? I'll catch up with you."

No. Wren could die. The town was overrun by Titans and the majority of the civilians and military had fled to leave the city in ruins. Nadya could barely pay attention, with her eyes squinting over at another Titan in the distance. This one was different. It had short blonde hair, a muscular body with some slivers of red muscle showing under the thick plates of skin. It was different that the others — glowing eyes and it's body just stood there. Wren shook Nadya's body. "Nadya!" She ushered. "Please just run. Don't look back."

"But what about —"

"No, there no time."

Nadya couldn't think. She frantically looked passed the wall into the next district that everyone is running into. The air turns hotter, stuffy that surrounds Nadya's skin and makes her hair swelter with strains of it sticking out. Wren shakes her again, Nadya's chest heaves and she's gripping onto Wren's clean hands. "Nadya, you're strong, okay? Now go! Head to the river!"

Wren takes off, flinging into the air using her gear to escape. Nadya is left standing there, the gate is halfway closed and people are shoving her, mobs of people flooding in with fear on their faces. Soon, she runs, down the grassy meadow and keeping her balance as the ground slumps down. The Wall of Sina had cleaner districts, more classy, and prettier. There was windmills on the grassy plains, blowing soft streams of air yet, it was tainted with groups of people on the edge of the river. The dirty one that moved the ferries throughout the districts. Nadya has never been on a ferry, but today, it'll save her life.

Once Nadya makes it to the river bank, she pushes through the screaming adults, she eyes the ferry. It's already crowded with people and some are still trying to jump onto the filled boat. "No personal items! We need to save as much space as possible!" One of the Garrison officers shout and throws one of the bags into the gutter between the water and the mainland. Nadya stands there frozen, hazel eyes scanning for her family — her brother more in particular.

Mateo Hart was somewhat normal. He was intelligent but used his intelligence for the wrong reasons. He got drunk, every night and day, passing out in alleys until his brain was melted and he had vomited up whatever little breakfast he had ate. Mateo resented Lilith, maybe because she would use her anger and take it out on his little sister, Nadya, by slapping her in the head or throwing boiling water at her. Lilith was off. She would be fine one day then weird the next. At this point, Nadya just took the abuse. Let her mother slap her around and push her because if she spoke, it would be worse than what it already was. Besides, nobody else did anything about it.

"Move out of the way, bitch!" A man screams and tries to push her out the way, trying to make it to the boat that was busting at the seems. The Garrison guard pushes him back. "Sir, women and children first!"

"Fuck that!" The man screams at him, trying to wrestle the guard out of the way. "The Titans! The Titans are here! They're going to kill us all!"

The man's outburst just caused more people to yell and push some more. Nadya was getting pinched between the railing and more people. Babies were crying, people were yelling in her ears. It was too much. Too much and she was alone. By herself, no parents, no siblings, no Wren.

Suddenly, she's being snatched by the wrist. Pulled forward by a Garrison member who pushes her onto the small piece of wood that connects the boat to the mainland. She's thrown, face hitting the wooden flooring of the ferry and the piece of wood to board is thrown off. Nadya scrambles, to her feet, peering over the boat's edge. No. The people? What about them? There was one more boat after this one, but there were thousands of people left. Only a few hundred could fit on the ferries. But there she sees, in the distance.

Mateo. Nadya gasps, staring at his face. He's fighting, pushing people out the way to run towards the boat where his little sister was standing. She screams, towards him, trying to show that she's alive. "Mateo!" She screams, waving her short arm out toward him. She doesn't want to cry. Not now. She can't cry, he's not dead. Not yet. "Mat.." her voice draws out and some tears prick her eyes, running down her freckled cheeks. He's not going to make it, he's far back. Once Mateo sees her, his face lights up. She's made it. That's the most important part. He's face falls, realizing that shes gonna live and he's gonna die. "Hey man, what the fuck?!" Civilians cry out as the boat departs. "What are the rest of us supposed to do?!"

The guard tells them it's at full capacity. Women beg, what their children on board but the guard refuses and the boat slow moves. "No, my brother..." people jump. From the mainland and onto the ferry. Some make it, others don't, falling into the murky water to drown.

There's more explosions from the top of the wall. It's the cannons, the Garrison is trying. The cannons shoot at the incoming Titans that slow move to the wall that's beginning to shut. But something comes — it rushes fast with hot air trailing. It's the funny looking one — the one with glowing eyes. He pushes off on its heel, blasting its way through the gate. They're dead. The soldiers are dead. Wren is dead. That Titan — it's unlike any of the others. There are abnormals, sure, ones that show intelligence, but this one was beyond that. He busts through the wall and into the next district. The wall that claims to be Titan proof.

As Nadya watches, she feels a pair of hands on her shoulders. She jumps, turning around and a breath escapes past her lips. It's just Armin, Armin Arlert. He's a nerd compared to the other kids who wears his blonde hair past his ears and he's bright blue eyes widen at the sight of the fear stricken girl. "Nadya!" He pulls her quickly into chest, gripping her skinny body. She hugs him back, sighing into his shoulders and squeezing him. "I thought you were dead," Armin speaks and pulls away to look at her.

Nadya doesn't say anything and just looks down. "Where's your family?" He questions and her heart grows tight. Her mother, missing. Her brother, dead. Wren? Wren was dead too and Nadya looks back up at Armin with watery eyes. "Oh..." he says quietly.

"Nadya!" It's another voice that belongs to Mikasa. Mikasa Ackerman, a quiet girl, an orphan. Perhaps they're all just orphans now. She doesn't hug Nadya but stands there with her face wrapped in a red scarf, the one Eren gave her. Eren. He stands behind Mikasa with his green eyes hanging low and his brown hair a mess. Nadya was a year older than Eren and she was observant of him. Such an angry little boy.

"Are you alright?" Mikasa questions but Nadya just stands there quiet, looking down at the wooden floorboards with worry in her eyes. It was gone. Everything she knew was gone. "And this to remain so long as it pleases The Lord."

The voice of the preacher rings in her ears. Nadya wasn't a religious person and she never paid attention to the preachers words as he preached a mouth of it in the streets of Shiganshina. "Fraught, fixed, earthen in the heart and limb!" Nadya can't think. Ten-thousand people died in just a matter of hours. The population severely dropped and there was nothing humanity could do. Humanity was the cattle, and the Titans were bringing the slaughter.

"What else may heav'nly grace do for sins as ours?!"

author's note. so I decided to rewrite the first chapter because I hated the original. plus, I'm giving so much much away with the synopsis. And with the original chapter so i thought a rewrite was better. I also have been contemplating on whether or not to scrap this book. I love Nadya so much and I wanted to bring her to life so I think I'm keeping it?

sorry if there's any mistakes 😭