**Chapter 1: Ambush Outside the Walls**

The sun was setting over the horizon as we ventured further outside the walls, our squad on high alert for any signs of Titan activity. As a member of the survey corps, it was my duty to help gather intel on the Titans and find a way to defeat them. I was part of the scouting party, along with my beloved boyfriend, Hange Zoë. We had been together for a while now, and I couldn't imagine going on a mission without him by my side. As we made our way through the dense forest, the silence was suddenly broken by the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. We turned to see a group of Titans emerging from the trees, their eyes fixed on us with an unblinking stare. Hange and I exchanged a tense glance, our hands instinctively reaching for our 3D maneuver gear. The Titans charged towards us, their massive strides eating up the distance. We sprang into action, swinging our gear and dodging the Titans' attacks. But in the chaos of the battle, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. A Titan suddenly appeared out of nowhere, its hand swiping at me with deadly precision. I tried to dodge, but it was too late. The Titan's hand connected with my body, sending me crashing to the ground. I felt a searing pain in my neck and head, and everything went dark. When I came to, I was disoriented and groggy, my vision blurry. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't respond. Panic set in as I realized I was paralyzed from the chest down to my waist. I tried to breathe, but it felt like my lungs were constricting, refusing to expand. Hange's face appeared above me, his eyes wide with fear and concern. "Hey, hey, don't try to move," he said, his voice shaking. "You're...you're badly hurt." I tried to speak, but my voice was barely a whisper. Hange's eyes scanned my body, and his face went pale. "Oh no...oh no, no, no..." He quickly assessed my condition, his trained eyes taking in the severity of my injuries. I was aware of Hange inserting an endotracheal tube deep into my throat, the sensation making me want to gag. But I couldn't move, couldn't even try to remove it. The tube was connected to a ventilator, and I was reliant on it to breathe. "Hange...what...what happened?" I tried to ask, but my voice was muffled by the tube. Hange's face was etched with worry. "You were attacked by a Titan. You have a severe spinal cord injury...your C1 and C2 vertebrae are snapped in half. And...and your skull is shattered, exposing your brain." I felt a wave of fear wash over me as I realized the extent of my injuries. Hange's hands were shaking as he worked to stabilize me. As we made our way to the medical infirmary, my heart stopped multiple times, and Hange was forced to perform CPR on me. I was barely clinging to life, my body on the brink of collapse. Finally, we arrived at the infirmary, and Hange quickly turned to the medical staff. "Prepare everything! The patient is in critical condition. They suffer from a severe spinal cord injury and...and a shattered skull." The medical staff sprang into action, and Hange immediately began performing surgery to relieve the pressure on my brain. He carefully removed what was left of my skull, his hands moving with precision and care. As the anesthesia took hold, I was slipped into a medically induced coma. I was unaware of anything else, my body fighting for survival in a dark, silent world. But even in my coma, I knew Hange was by my side, watching over me, fighting to save my life. And I knew that as long as he was there, I had a chance to come back from this, to overcome the unimaginable injuries that had been inflicted upon me.