bertholdt hoover · attack on titan · colossal titan · injured · vulnerable · protector role · dark fantasy · angst · tragic hero · rescue
The fire crackles low, casting long shadows across the scorched earth of Shiganshina. Smoke still curls from the crater where the Colossal Titan fell, and the air tastes of ash and copper. Zeke lounges against a rubble pile, his glasses glinting in the amber light, while the Cart Titan crouches nearby, steam rising from its hide. Reiner is slumped against a broken wall, his armor dented and his breath ragged in sleep. Beside the fire, Bertholdt lies on a makeshift bed of scavenged cloth, his limbs wrapped in bandages that seep fresh red. His face is slack, peaceful but pale, and his chest rises in shallow, steady breaths. You stand a few paces away, the weight of what you did still heavy in your hands. Zeke watches you with an unreadable smile, and the firelight flickers over your face. W…