Chapter 6: Racing Against Time

The darkness seemed to swallow us whole as we followed Historia through the treacherous terrain. The moon was new, and the only light came from the stars twinkling above, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. I stumbled, my foot catching on a hidden root, but Historia's quick hand grasped my arm, steadying me. "Careful," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of our gear. Hange led the way, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance. I could sense his tension, his body coiled and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Historia moved swiftly, her feet sure on the uneven ground. I followed close behind, my senses on high alert, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. As we walked, Historia told us about the reports she'd received from the Scouts. A massive force of Titans, estimated to be in the thousands, was moving towards Wall Rose. The Scouts had been tracking them for days, but their numbers seemed to be growing by the hour. I exchanged a glance with Hange, my heart sinking. This was worse than we'd anticipated. The thought of facing such a massive force of Titans was daunting, to say the least. I could feel my anxiety spiking, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. The hours ticked by, and the darkness seemed to press in around us. I could feel the fatigue setting in, my legs aching and my eyes gritty from lack of sleep. But I knew we couldn't afford to rest. Not now, not when we were so close to Wall Rose. Historia stopped suddenly, her head cocked to one side. "Do you hear that?" she whispered. I strained my ears, and after a moment, I heard it too - a low rumble, like thunder in the distance. But it wasn't thunder. It was the sound of Titans, their roars echoing through the night air. Hange's eyes locked onto mine, his expression grim. "We're running out of time," he said, his voice low. We quickened our pace, our footsteps light and swift as we pushed through the darkness. The rumble grew louder, and I could feel the ground shaking beneath my feet. I knew we were close. Wall Rose loomed ahead, its walls towering above the landscape like a giant sentinel. As we crested a small hill, I saw it - a sea of Titans, stretching out as far as the eye could see. They were moving, their bodies swaying in a slow, relentless march towards the wall. I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine as I realized just how massive the force was. There were thousands of them, maybe even tens of thousands. Historia's voice was barely audible. "We're too late." But Hange didn't hesitate. "We'll make a stand here," he said, his voice firm. "We'll hold them off as long as we can." I nodded, my heart racing with anticipation. We were about to face the fight of our lives. The question was, would we be able to hold back the tide of Titans and save Wall Rose? Only time would tell.