**Beyond the Walls of Nightmares**

The expedition had been grueling, the scorching sun beating down on us as we trekked through the desolate landscape outside the walls. As a member of Hanji's squad in the Survey Corps, I was no stranger to the harsh conditions of the world beyond our fortified homes. But it was on nights like these, huddled around a small fire, that I felt a sense of unease wash over me. Hanji, my beloved girlfriend, sat across from me, her eyes gleaming with an intensity that bordered on obsession as she pored over the maps and strategies for our mission to capture a Titan. As the night wore on, we set up camp, the familiar routine a comforting balm to my frazzled nerves. I retreated to our tent, exhausted, and soon found myself drifting off to sleep, lulled by the distant howls of the Titans and the crackling of the fire. But my rest was short-lived. I twitched, my eyes fluttering open as my mind plunged into a dark abyss. I was back in a place I thought I'd left behind, a place of pain and fear, where my abusive ex-boyfriend's cruel words and hands had left me shattered. I whimpered, my body trembling as I cried out silently, my mind reeling in agony. My mind was a jumble of incoherent thoughts, a newborn's babbling and cooing replacing my adult thoughts as I regressed to a state of infancy. I was lost, alone, and scared, my body wracked with sobs as I whimpered and grunted in discomfort. Hanji was by my side in an instant, her arms wrapping around me as she stroked my hair, her touch gentle and soothing. She knew, I realized through my haze of fear, she knew what had triggered this regression. She'd seen the pain in my eyes, the terror that still lingered long after the abuse had ended. Her arms cradled me, rocking me back and forth as she whispered soft words of comfort, her voice a lullaby that calmed my racing heart. But my heart wasn't cooperating. It was racing, pounding in my chest like a jackhammer, making it hard to breathe. I was choking, suffocating under the weight of my own fear, my throat muscles spasming as I struggled to draw air. And then, everything went dark. When I came to, I was aware of a tube in my throat, the sensation of Hanji's arms around me, and the beeping of machines. I was in a medically induced coma, or so I'd been told. But as I lay there, I was hypersensitive to every touch, every change in temperature and humidity. It was as if my skin was on fire, my body screaming for comfort. Hanji's hands moved over me, her touch gentle as she placed a vibrating pad on my stomach. It was a simulation of the womb, I realized, a desperate attempt to calm my regressed mind. She needed to create an advanced makeshift artificial womb, I gathered, to help me heal. But I was showing signs of waking up, prematurely and too early. I groaned, my body tense as I whimpered and cried out, my mind still lost in a sea of discomfort. "Han...ji," I incoherently whispered, my voice barely audible. The humidity and temperature change were making me uncomfortable, and Hanji's response was immediate. She stroked my hair, her arms wrapping around me as she pulled me close to her stomach, mimicking the warmth of the womb. I latched onto her nipple, sucking on it as a source of comfort. As we finally captured the Titan, the reality of our situation set in. It was time to return to Wall Rose, but I was a fragile, delicate thing, my body and mind in shambles. Hanji's task was clear: she needed to transport me back home, but it wouldn't be easy. I was hypersensitive, and my endotracheal tube made every movement a challenge. With a central line IV in my neck, medication coursing through my veins, and the ventilator humming softly, I was prepped for transport. Hanji made a cut in my chest cavity, manually pumping my weak heart to keep it beating. It was a delicate dance, one that required precision and care. As we set out for Wall Rose, I was trapped in a world of discomfort, my mind still lost in the labyrinth of my nightmares. Hanji's love and care were my only solace, her touch the only thing that brought me peace. But our journey was far from over, and I could only wonder what lay ahead.