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Chapter Text

"Goodbye" was the last word spoken before Eren opened his moist eyes wide, observing a familiar silhouette that he gradually recognised.

"Mikasa?"
Little by little, he regained his senses and recognised the girl with dark hair, skin as white as the bright moon in the night sky, a pink coat and the unmistakable red scarf around her neck.
The boy saw the curious and serene gaze of the girl's black eyes resting on his, and little by little they began to focus better on the surroundings in which he found himself. He saw multiple green leaves above the girl that acted as protection from the scorching afternoon sun rising above them, and that's when he realised where he was: under that large tree that stood imposingly at the top of the hill that Eren liked to visit so often.

"What happened? How long was I asleep?"
Eren asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"I don't know, but it must have been a long time. I spent quite a while looking for you."
Mikasa picked up a basket full of small to medium-sized branches and placed it on her back, ready to leave.

"Stop doing this kind of thing, okay? Don't think it only took me a few minutes to find you."
Mikasa turned around after finishing her scolding to face Eren, but when she did, she saw something that took her by surprise.
"Eren? Are you all right?"
"Yes... Why do you ask?"
said Eren as he sat down, letting his mind finish regaining its lucidity.
"You're crying..."

Eren hadn't realised the tears streaming down his cheeks until he heard Mikasa's words. Confused, he touched his cheeks as he felt the tears running down them.
"Are you okay, Eren?"
"Yes... I just feel like... I've been dreaming for years."

Eren tried to remember how he ended up under the tree, and more importantly, why he was crying. He couldn't. The only thing he remembered clearly was the last word he heard before opening his eyes: "Goodbye."
He felt like he knew the person who said that to him, but who was it? How important did that person have to be for him to start crying after waking up?
His confusion was quickly replaced by deep nervousness when he turned to look at the horizon and saw that the sun would soon hide behind the walls, giving way to a starry night.

He quickly gathered some branches he found before ending up under the tree and quickly put them in his backpack. There weren't many, so he would have to think of a good excuse on the way.
Mikasa noticed Eren's feeling of dread, and some of it invaded her as well. She helped Eren arrange the last branches in the holder, and when she saw his face, she tried to calm his fear so that they could both concentrate on getting home.
"Don't worry, if we hurry, we'll get there before the sun sets."
"Y-yes, you're right."
They placed the devices carrying all the firewood they had collected on their backs, and without wasting a millisecond, they hurried down the hill.

As they descended the long hill, Eren thought at times about the different plants and numerous flowers that adorned that large steep surface, and again he couldn't help but ask himself the same question he had asked himself so many times before, whenever he ran with his friends towards that imposing and majestic tree where, just a few minutes ago, he had been resting.
«I wonder if there are more trees like this out there, or even if there are different types... maybe even the hills have different shapes than this one.»
The innocent question of a child who, since birth, had only known the world inside this large cage that kept him safe from the predators lurking outside the walls.

Once they had finished descending to the foot of the hill, they wasted no time in trying to get home quickly, but not before noticing the great and disturbing calm that enveloped the streets of Shinganshina; a calm that was unusual at this time of day in this part of the city, as it was precisely the moment when the gates of the wall opened to allow the return of the weary warriors who threw themselves into the lion's den, trying to face the beasts that had humiliatingly forced them to remain locked up like mere sheep. The Survey Corps.
"Could it be that the Survey Corps didn't go out today?"
Eren asked curiously, a hint of concern palpable in his tone.
"They did..."
Mikasa replied, her face changing to one of slight fear.
"When I was looking for you, I saw the legion leave the walls... and apparently... they won't be back today."
The fear on Eren's face became more noticeable.
"D-don't say that, maybe they came back earlier and..."
Before finishing the sentence, Eren saw how the sun was about to set behind the wall; that was his signal, and the children resumed their journey. Mikasa and Eren hurried home, while the latter took one last look at the gates and shuddered at the thought of what awaited the soldiers that night.

Once home, Eren quickly knocked on the door, announcing his return with Mikasa and the firewood they had found. The door opened with almost superhuman speed, revealing the face of a worried mother, whose gaze reflected the purest and most reassuring relief. She hugged the two children as if she couldn't believe they had returned safely, and the three of them went inside. The woman found herself locking the door, leaning against it for a moment, giving the impression that she was praying that everything outside that house would stay outside.

"Thank God you're okay."
Carla Yaeger looked at both children.
"Why did you take so long?!"
"I'm sorry, Mum, it's just that... it was really hard to find firewood,"
said a embarrassed Eren, fervently hoping that his mother would believe him, as if she were a stranger and not the person who brought him into the world. After a sigh from Carla, her face gave way to a slight smile of peace as she gave her son's ear a little tug, not hard enough to be considered punishment or a genuine attempt to cause him pain, but only as a gesture of affection for her little one.

—Ow, Mum! Why is that?
—Your ears turned red, that gave you away.
That was his mother, even with the constant worry her son caused her, her world was always less grey with him and the girl who was now part of her family.

The children's attention was diverted to the figure approaching them with the same relief that their mother had felt just moments before.
"Dad!"
exclaimed an enthusiastic Eren, hugging his father with great joy, with Mikasa approaching to join the reunion, also with a hug for her father.
"Heh, I'm glad to see you're all right."
Grisha Yeager bent down and returned the warm embrace in which Eren and Mikasa had enveloped him.

However, despite the joy of having his children close to him once again, that did not prevent the usual scolding that Eren heard as often as birdsong.
"You two had your mother very worried, and me too!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Ah... It's just that..."
Eren looked down at the floor in embarrassment as he formulated another more believable lie to tell, but his intention was quickly destroyed when the embarrassing truth came quickly from Mikasa's lips.
"Eren fell asleep at the foot of the tree on the hill, and it took me a long time to find him."

A blushing Eren looked at Mikasa with great annoyance, always so honest, always as cold as the truths that came out of her mouth.
"Mikasa! T-that's not true!"
No matter how hard he tried, his parents knew him well enough to know that this was something he would undoubtedly do; after all, he was their son.

"Well, well, all right, the important thing is that you're here now,"
said Grisha as he got back up.
"It's been a long day and the sun is already setting. We'd better go to dinner and then to bed before it sets completely."
Despite what had happened, Eren could not object to his father's words. He certainly preferred not to be awake when those "things" finally arrived.

Chapter Text

The scene was quiet, too quiet.
After dinner, everyone in the family tried to fall asleep in their rooms, even though they knew they probably wouldn't be able to, not with the hell that was unfolding at that moment. They knew it, the neighbours knew it, everyone in the district knew it, and Eren knew it too.

But even if the night had been quiet, he certainly wouldn't have been able to sleep. His thoughts about the dream he had kept his eyes open and his mind restless. Was it worth worrying about something so random and insignificant? For Eren, it was absurd to dwell on a dream he couldn't even remember, except for that last word, one that would have no significance in a dream he couldn't even remember, but which he still had. The feeling that overwhelmed him once he woke up, the feeling of waking up from a long dream, only to fall into an even longer one, and then return to that tree, kept him too restless.

That's not to mention the tears in his eyes, even though he felt neither sadness nor melancholy nor any other emotion. The cause of his crying was that last word, that "goodbye". It was not like any other dream he had ever had before, no, this one felt different, almost vivid, as if he had been in someone else's shoes, and what disturbed him most was the feeling that the life he felt in his dreams was more of a nightmare than anything else.

"Perhaps Armin can give me an answer."
Eren did not believe those words, of course. He saw his friend as someone blessed with great intellect, but even for someone like him, it would be difficult to give an answer to something that was mostly a hunch. However, these thoughts stopped when he heard the familiar sound of a commander shouting what no one wanted to hear that night.

"THERE THEY ARE!"
A male voice shouted from atop the walls. The Garrison Regiment quickly aimed their cannons at the figures clinging to the walls, ready to punish the intruders with a hail of cannon fire.
"AIM... FIRE!"
The barrage of shots was loud enough to wake most of the population of Shinganshina with a start as they heard the cacophony of cannon fire.
The soldiers watched in horror as the beasts quickly climbed the wall, their grotesque, ever-bleeding eyes fixed on them, eyes that lacked pupils or any way to see them directly, but which could still sense them, the monsters' desire to claim their food that night.

As the "Titans" climbed, their eyes pulsed in a faster pattern, one that was painful to watch, and that was even capable of turning the stomach of an animal just by looking at it. As each pulse grew stronger, the mass of flesh that should have been their eyes exploded in a torrent of red liquid that covered every inch of the beasts' faces. Even with the disgusting spectacle offered by their unfortunate eye organs, they did not seem to show the slightest sign of pain or discomfort from the violent explosion. They gave the impression that their desire to reach the top was of greater priority than any pain their bizarre mutations might cause.

The rain of cannon fire stopped; the entire arsenal had been exhausted, and even though they had managed to bring down many, the nightmare was just beginning.
"UNLOAD!
Out of pure instinct more than anything else, the soldiers took out their rifles and began to shower the monsters with lead, managing to slow them down and even knock several of them back to the ground with very noticeable wounds. The hail of bullets raining down on the monsters filled their skin with holes, so many that from a distance, it would seem that another characteristic of these creatures was that they had black chickenpox. The relentless rain caused them to falter in their ascent, until they finally gave in and allowed gravity to pull them to the ground.

First there was one, then another, and another, and another, until there were a total of ten fallen beasts. The happiness and triumphant feeling of victory that took hold of the hearts of the brave men at the top of the gigantic structure was comparable to the size of the most colossal titan. Perhaps today they could successfully resist the monsters' ambush. Perhaps now their casualties could be counted as zero. Perhaps...

Although their efforts seemed to be bearing fruit, the soldiers shuddered to the depths of their souls when they heard the heart-rending cry of one of their comrades, and when they turned, they saw him.
The beast held the man in its bony hands, which cracked with every movement, making a sound that could only be associated with the breaking of a bone. A large piece of flesh bathed in a crimson red tone lay in the jaws of the beast, which had no lips, revealing its terribly deformed and contorted teeth in such painful shapes that it even produced a horrible and uncomfortable tingling sensation in the mouth. Just looking at the crooked and rotten teeth that tore and protruded from every inch of the "titans'" gums. Even calling them that was a poor general description and did little justice to the creatures, the reason for their name being the notoriously larger size they possessed compared to humans, these in particular being walking deformities 3 to 5 metres tall.

Thanks to the clarity of the moonlight, they could clearly see the creature's skin and flesh hanging from its entire body, giving the impression that it was melting from within the beast's body and exposing some internal organs, or what appeared to be internal organs, which were more like a set of pulsating fleshy lumps that were barely visible to them. But what shook the men most was seeing their companion still alive, writhing in pain and extending a trembling hand to his companions in a gesture of supplication that conveyed the most primal terror of human beings: death. Even though they could see that the right side of his body was almost non-existent and was more like a mass of mangled flesh and a cascade of blood in a nauseating spectacle to behold.

The morbid sight was enough for the soldiers to let fear completely invade their spirits and remain as still as stone statues, giving the beasts free rein to climb up and enter the city, which did not go unnoticed by the squad leader, who shouted to bring his men back to reality.
"REACT, SOLDIERS! WE MUST STOP THE ADVANCE OF..."
His order was silenced when one of the monsters pounced on him and, without giving him time to process the situation, devoured his face with its ever-exposed, deformed teeth and then proceeded to the rest of his body, an action repeated with the other men by more of the beasts that quickly claimed their booty. Some men fought to their last breath, others tried to flee, others preferred to throw themselves from the top of the wall to solid ground, preferring a quick death to the agonising death they would face if they remained at the top. So many reactions, so many ways of facing the inevitable end, same result.
The 'titans' pounced on the corpses, biting and devouring them in a scene that, rather than giving the impression of needing to feed, seemed to devour them with a desperation that even felt human despite their grotesque appearance. They were searching for... something.

When the bloody feast on the walls was over, the titans descended into the city, their exposed organs expelling a viscous, transparent-looking substance, using it to descend safely to the ground. They stuck their bodies chest-down and crawled towards solid ground using their crunchy, bony hands to propel themselves towards the city, pitifully dragging their bodies downwards, like a snail on a wall, a worm in the earth, or a slug in a sewer, all repulsive creatures, perfect for describing the vomit-inducing nature of the beings that tormented humanity's last bastion.

Chapter Text

Eren approached his window when he heard the sound of gunshots, and although he couldn't see the confrontation clearly, he could make out more or less what was happening above the wall, and with that, Eren saw everything. The firing of the cannons, when the soldiers used their rifles against the Titans, and to his misfortune, he also saw how those enormous silhouettes brutally massacred the soldiers and began to descend towards the city.

Suddenly, he felt something grab him tightly from behind by his shirt and pull him back to the bed; he was about to scream in fright, but just as he was about to do so, he felt a hand cover his mouth, muffling the sound.
"Shhh."
Eren turned to the source of the voice and saw a sweaty Mikasa with a finger over her mouth, in a gesture ordering him to be quiet.
"Those things will easily spot you."

Mikasa had woken up the moment the shooting started and, throughout the noisy episode, had covered her ears with her hands because of the brutal war outside (it didn't help much that Eren's house was somewhat close to the wall). However, when she heard the shooting stop and the screaming begin, Mikasa turned to the bedroom window in a reaction that was more instinctive than deliberate. As she did so, she saw Eren staring in astonishment at the bizarre spectacle, which forced her to get out of her own bed and run to Eren's, pulling him away from the window by his shirt. Once she had done that and stifled her scream of terror, she closed the window curtain to the point where the Titans could hardly see through it.
Mikasa covered both Eren's mouth and her own when they heard a guttural groan emanating from deep pain and agony. Both children looked with great concern at the window, which, although covered, thanks to the bright light of the moon and stars filtering through, allowed them to see the silhouettes of the beings who, patient in their search but also relentless, were looking for the next poor wretch to devour.

The moans of pain grew closer and closer, and with them came the sound of heavy footsteps pounding so hard on the floor that both children felt it was about to collapse at any moment.
The footsteps grew closer and closer until the imposing shadow of a titan stopped in front of the window. However, from what little the children could make out of the figure, it was not looking at the window, but rather staring straight ahead into nothingness. Even so, their terror only increased with each passing second.

Eren stared wide-eyed at the immense shadow, feeling as if his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets in sheer horror. He felt his own blood run cold in his veins and sweat poured down his body like a waterfall, as if he had been drenched by a bucket of water. Mikasa felt her heart was going to burst out of her chest with every beat, and she had to put all her energy into not hyperventilating and making a loud noise that would give away her position to the monster.
They remained like this for several minutes, perhaps hours; they did not know how much time had passed, each moment feeling like an eternity. Or so it was until they heard the sounds of something, something that felt slimy, that made them gag just hearing it and would make them nauseous just looking at it; the Titan turned towards the source of the sound and, after another moment of stillness, walked with heavy steps towards the walls.

Eren and Mikasa knew that the danger had passed, as this situation had been repeated many times before in the district. Titans always travelled in packs, so the retreat of some meant the retreat of all. even so, they both remained silent, clearly hearing the slimy sound of each titan climbing the wall, until the sepulchral and dry silence once again took hold of Shinganshina, so Mikasa finally removed her hand from Eren's mouth and from her own mouth as well.
Both children sighed with relief. Eren wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his shirt, which, although somewhat damp, was dry enough to wipe it effectively, and Mikasa felt her heart rate return to normal.

Taking advantage of the dim light filtering through the curtain, and with both their eyes now accustomed to the darkness, Mikasa glared at Eren with a look that communicated deep annoyance, and despite the darkness surrounding them, she made sure Eren understood her feelings of anger.
"What were you thinking?!"
She did not bother to hide her anger in her whispers, which, although very low, were perfectly understandable.
"A little more time there and right now we would be just like those soldiers.
Mikasa was someone with an almost unflappable character. Most of the time, she maintained a calm and temperate demeanour that was reflected in the serene and focused look on her face, so if she was acting this upset, it was because something really serious had happened.

"All right, I'm sorry."
said an uncomfortable Eren.
"I heard the gunshots and wanted to see what was going on... but when those things attacked the soldiers... I..."
Eren couldn't speak anymore. Even though he was a distant spectator who couldn't see the situation clearly, the heart-wrenching screams and the little he could see of the massacre were enough to leave him paralysed with fear. The sound of gunshots and desperate fighting, later drowned out by the animalistic growls of the monsters and the almost ghostly cries of suffering echoing off the walls and reaching the streets, was too much for a child. Mikasa, though still upset, understood and did not blame him entirely.

Eren was very curious and did not think much about the consequences of his actions.
It was not the first time that the Titans had managed to breach the defences of the walls, which, although often successful, it was also true that on other occasions, the result of the defences was the same as on that night. Eren wanted to see the soldiers bravely stand up to those monsters and witness humanity managing to stop those beasts, but instead, what he saw was a grotesque reminder of why they must be locked inside these walls.

Mikasa noticed Eren's extreme trembling and nervousness, which were still present, and it even seemed to her that he was close to tears.
At that moment, Eren felt something wrap around his hand, and when he looked down, he saw that Mikasa's hands were gently holding his; He looked back at the girl's face and saw her giving him a reassuring smile that sought to ease the young Yaeger's growing distress. After all, he had done the same for her on the day she lost everything, and Eren was returning the favour.
The boy felt his fear subside slightly, although it still permeated him clearly and coldly. He tried to hide it by breathing deeply and shyly pulling Mikasa's hand away.

"T-thank you"
said Eren, blushing slightly.
Although he cursed himself internally for acting in such a "cowardly" way (even though it was understandable), because the anger caused by constantly waiting for a Titan to one day kill him in the same way it killed the soldiers and so many others was greater than any fear they could cause him, which is why he admired the Survey Corps so much. Seeing them leave the walled cage and face the Titans that forced them to live locked up ignited Eren's inner fire, fuelling a desire he had had for a long time, a desire that strengthened his conviction to one day join that group and wear that green cape stamped with the greatest symbol of Eren's desire: the wings of freedom.

"One day I'll join them,"
said Eren in a tone that left behind much of the fear he had felt moments before.
"What?"
asked Mikasa, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll join the Survey Corps... and I'll make sure we're no longer locked up here."
Eren clenched his teeth tightly and his gaze, dimly lit by the little light that shone through the curtain, had lost all trace of fear; now his emerald green eyes radiated a fury and determination that made any feelings of terror and its derivatives burn fiercely until they were reduced to ashes.

"What?!"
Mikasa was incredulous at Eren's statement. She knew how stubborn and reckless he could be, but this surpassed anything Eren had ever done in the past.
"Didn't you see what happened to those soldiers? Eren, if the Garrison Regiment ended up like that, imagine what those things do to the Survey Corps.
"Is it better to stay here waiting for these bastards to kill us at any moment? Living like cattle, waiting to be food for these monsters?!"
"At least you're safer here than throwing yourself directly into the lion's den on your own!"
"Safer? What's the difference? We'll always be in danger anyway. All we do is ignore all this and pretend nothing is happening, even though reality constantly reminds us that this is not the case.
―So what!? Would you rather these things kill you!?
―I want to get out of here! I want to finally get out of these damn walls and stop feeling like a prisoner who just bows his head and accepts living this way just like that!
Mikasa knew that no matter how hard she tried, Eren would not change his mind. When he had thoughts like that, it was difficult to get them out of his head, no matter what she tried. Mikasa just sighed heavily.
"Look... It was a difficult night and I'm certainly tired. We'd better go to sleep, or at least try to.

Mikasa walked over to her bed, wrapping herself in her sheets and trying to keep the terror she had experienced tonight from keeping her awake for the rest of the night. However, Eren's words still lingered in her mind like a thorn buried deep in her hand, and an indelible worry took hold of her.
Eren in the Survey Corps? Mikasa couldn't help but think of the horrors he would face the day he joined; the mere thought of Eren falling victim to the cruel fate suffered by the Garrison Regiment evoked in her the same feeling she had felt the day those three men, standing at the entrance to her house, destroyed her entire world, taking away everything she had ever known and loved, making her feel first-hand and at an early age the mercilessness and cruelty of the world. Was she doomed to lose everything she loved?
"No"
Mikasa thought.
"No... Not again. I won't let it happen again."
Perhaps Carla and Grisha would be able to make Eren see reason; of course, Eren might hate her for telling his parents, but was that worse than letting him die at the hands of a Titan one day? For Mikasa, it was a resounding no. Not again. She would not let another loved one die again, and she would not be powerless to do anything about it.

It was at that moment that both children heard the pitiful creaking of the dry wood of the door, and when they looked in that direction, they saw Carla and Grisha, the latter holding a candle that dimly lit the darkness that surrounded them.
The faces of both adults were filled with the familiar panic and horror that the children had felt moments before, which gradually softened into an expression that conveyed a sweet relief that even evoked tears of genuine happiness in Carla when she saw that her children were unharmed.

"Children!
Carla cried out, wrapping her arms tightly around Eren and wishing she could never let him go, while silently thanking whatever it was that had allowed both children to live another day (or night, in this case).
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Carla's gaze shifted between Eren and Mikasa, distinguishing in the dim candlelight that they had not suffered any harm.
"Don't worry, Mum, we're fine."
Eren tried to calm his mother, who still seemed incredulous that they were both safe. Grisha approached Mikasa and checked her for any noticeable injuries, finding nothing. Like Carla, he was clearly relieved to see both children safe.

"Thank God." said a trembling Grisha, now somewhat calmer.
"I'm sorry, it's just that for a moment we thought..."
"It's okay, don't worry."
Like Eren with Carla, Mikasa tried to reassure Grisha; she couldn't really blame them for their overprotective behaviour. After all, it wasn't the first time, and it probably wouldn't be the last, that the Titans managed to get their hands on fresh meat in the Shinganshina district. It had happened before that a single noise, even the slightest, had given away the residents of their homes, giving the Titans free rein to satisfy their sick appetite with entire families.

Carla and Grisha went through a similar experience to that of the children; cold sweat, the struggle not to hyperventilate, uncontrollable trembling and shock were the common factors shared not only by them, but also by every resident of the city. In the darkness that enveloped her and Grisha's room, Carla heard the scene of terror that was unfolding atop the walls and knew exactly what it meant. With every fibre of her being, she wanted to run to the children's room and protect them from the monsters hunting outside the house. Even if she couldn't fight them, she wanted with all her soul to see her children and make sure they were still there, unharmed. It was the disgusting sound of slimy bodies dragging themselves along that signalled to her that the predators were retreating from the city, but to her frustration and despair, she had to stay in bed for a long time, without making the slightest noise or movement, because past tragedies had shown that even outside the walls, the titans could hear the sounds of people releasing their stress in the form of screams, terrified sobs and heavy breaths of held air. If she and Grisha wanted to avoid a horrible fate for themselves and the children, they had to let time pass in what felt like a heavy and agonising eternity.
"Well"
said Carla, having let all the tears of happiness and relief flow from her eyes.
"At least we're safe now."
"Safe..."
Mikasa contemplated telling Carla about Eren's wish at that moment, but she knew that Carla and Grisha had already endured enough pressure for one night, and there was no need to make things worse. She still clung to the idea that Eren had said it because of the pressure of the moment, and if she wanted to get some sleep that night, she had to think that was all it was.

Once both parents returned to their room, Eren had already gone back to bed as well, looking one last time at the window, firmly closed by the glass and covered by the curtain. Even with the deep silence that had taken over the room, Eren felt that he could still see and hear the massacre that was unfolding outside. and even though he had witnessed the consequences, before finally falling into the world of sleep, Eren made a promise to himself, a promise that would mark who he was and what he would become, one whose weight would grow stronger and stronger as the years passed and Eren grew up.
"Someday... we will be free."

Chapter Text

The faint golden rays of the sun grew stronger as it rose above the horizon.
The light replaced the unsettling darkness that had brought night-time horrors to Shinganshina, and with that, the inhabitants of the district awoke grateful to have survived to see another dawn, though still remembering the terror they had experienced during the night.
Eren slowly opened his eyes as a little sunlight filtered through the window, which, although still closed by the curtain, could not completely hide the morning light.

How much time had passed? Eren felt that he had only closed his eyes for a moment before waking up.
«At least this time I didn't dream weird things»
he thought.

He sat up in bed and looked at the curtain blocking the sunlight. Eren wanted to pull it back a little to see the streets now lit by the morning sun, just a little, he didn't want to wake Mikasa with the bright light that would enter the room.

He moved the curtain, being careful not to do it too much. It was then that he saw the sunlight bathe the world around him with its vibrant glow, an ironic sight after such a traumatic night. However, even though deep down he didn't want to, morbid curiosity made him look over the wall, hoping that the soldiers' corpses would still be there, motionless in nauseating piles of flesh. He didn't see them; the top, illuminated by the sun and offering a distant but clear view, was clean, not a single corpse or bloodstain.

«They must have cleaned it up...»
he said to himself, and his suspicion was confirmed when he saw two figures hanging from the walls, near the place where the slimy footprints left by the Titans on their previous visit could be seen. He couldn't make out what they were doing from a distance, nor did he need to in order to know that they were cleaning up the disgusting liquid. But seeing the walls again brought back vivid memories of the massacre, almost as if he had been teleported back to that moment. He closed the curtain and lay down again, trying not to think about it, but it was impossible.

"Hmm... Good morning, Eren."
Mikasa's voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Oh, good morning, Mikasa. Sorry if I woke you up. Did you sleep well?"
"As well as can be expected, and don't worry, you didn't."
Mikasa rubbed her eyes, still sleepy, her hair tousled.
"And you, Eren?"
"Same."

Eren tried to smile cheerfully to start the day off right, but Mikasa easily noticed how forced it was. Still, she laughed softly, appreciating the gesture. At that moment, she saw Eren get up somewhat hurriedly and put on his coat and shoes.

"What's going on, Eren?"
"The Survey Corps could return at any moment. Maybe this time they managed to obtain information or made more progress in their search."
There was a noticeable hint of excitement in Eren's voice, one that did not go unnoticed by Mikasa, who was a little surprised by Eren's unexpected optimism and, in a way, regretted not being able to share it.
"Eren, I don't think..."
"Come on, have some faith. Maybe that's why they didn't return yesterday. I'm sure they were making discoveries about the Titans and what lies beyond."

Mikasa really wanted to share Eren's enthusiasm, but it was difficult for her to do so. Perhaps what Eren suggested had happened, but deep down she knew that the second option that came to mind at that moment was more likely. That was undoubtedly the worst option, and due to the cruelty of life, it was also the most probable.
Even so, she decided to accompany him. After all, it was with her and Armin that he loved to watch the Survey Corps depart for Titan territory, hoping to make some progress in their fight against them.

Mikasa got out of bed, fixed her hair, and proceeded to dress appropriately. She put on her pink coat, along with her trainers, and the one thing she could never leave home without: her red scarf.
Both children left the room, and with the creak of the door opening, they saw an empty living room, but they could still see their mother with her back to them in the kitchen, at the dishwasher, and their father at the table, absorbed in reading a small book that lay in his hands. Carla and Grisha turned to the little ones when the door opened and with a warm smile gave them the classic morning greeting.

"Good morning, children."
Eren and Mikasa, although they did not say it out loud, felt happy to see that all traces of the worry and fear their parents had shown the night before had faded from their faces.
"Good morning."
They happily returned the greeting. At that moment, the sound of bells announcing something special rang out, and Eren didn't want to miss it. His eyes lit up like the morning sun, and he took Mikasa by the hand, leading her towards the door.
"W-wait, children, aren't you going to have breakfast?"
"Don't worry Mum, we'll be back soon."

Eren opened the door almost as quickly as his mother had the day before and rushed out, taking Mikasa with him. She was already used to Eren's behaviour when he got excited like this, but even so, she thought it was unnecessary for him to take her by the arm, knowing that she would follow him anyway without needing to be dragged to the entrance of the walls.

"That boy..."
Carla lamented to herself.
"I wonder who he got that from,"
said Grisha as he looked at his wife with a wry smile. And there, as she met his gaze, she could see that he blamed her for their son's impulsive behaviour, but not in an accusatory way, oh no, quite the contrary. He was trying to relieve his wife's stress by joking about it; he saw that he had succeeded when Carla smiled back at him, followed by:
"Hmm, I bet you were worse when you were young."
They both laughed in unison, in a scene where an unexpected peace was felt, one that was difficult to fully experience, especially in the world in which they lived.

Eren and Mikasa ran hurriedly through the streets to the sound of the bells, whose clamour grew louder as they approached the entrance to the main wall.
Eren had hoped to find Armin on his way there, but he did not find him, either on the way or when they finally arrived at their destination. He was sorry deep down, as the moment would certainly not feel complete without him there, so he would have to make sure he got a good view of the heroes' return so he could tell Armin all the details, down to the smallest ones, without fail.
He heard the sound of the gate slowly opening and at the same time, he heard the footsteps of the scouts along with the slow galloping of their horses, announcing their return without words.

«Damn it, I can't see anything»
Eren desperately searched for a gap between the people that would allow him to see the soldiers, but unfortunately, all he saw was a crowd of adults blocking his view of what he really wanted to see. He began to look for something to climb on to get a view above the people. That's when he found a group of boxes in a favourable position to climb on, and he wasted no time in running towards them to start climbing. Mikasa saw Eren heading that way and followed his example.

Eren had already climbed the first box and helped Mikasa up as well. She quickly climbed onto the second box and, looking up, realised that her plan had worked. Now she had a clear, unobstructed view of the Survey Corps. Eren's eyes shone with innocent and boundless admiration as he looked at the group of soldiers, expecting to see tired soldiers, but with looks that expressed the joy of having advanced in the fight against the Titans. He wanted to see and feel the heroic aura that the legion exuded for being the only ones with the courage to leave the walls and fight against the predators of humanity.

He saw the first soldiers mounted on their horses, but their faces did not reflect the feeling of having achieved victory. On the contrary, one soldier in particular, with blond hair and blue eyes, stared directly at the ground beneath his horse's hooves with an expression of defeat. At that moment, he felt that someone was watching him specifically. He turned and saw a green-eyed boy in a brown coat looking at him with an innocent smile that reflected pure admiration for them, but the soldier did not feel worthy of such a show of respect and looked away in embarrassment.

Eren could not understand this gesture, and it was then that, just as when he saw the slaughter the night before, his illusions of seeing humanity victorious were destroyed with cold cruelty.

The looks on the soldiers' faces were ones of pure panic and silent terror that were so palpable you could almost touch them. It seemed as if their faces had frozen in that expression permanently and that for them, time had stopped and they were not at the entrance to the wall heading inside, but still on the outskirts of it, in the dark threshold of night, surrounded by unwelcoming darkness that threatened to swallow them up and never let them go; their only companions in the perpetual darkness were gigantic beasts with masses of flesh instead of eyes that were hungry that night.

Some had bandages wrapped around their heads or over one or both eyes, stained with dried red blood. The vast majority were notable for their missing limbs; some lucky ones had only lost a few fingers or an entire hand, a foot, an ear, painful but bearable amputations. They were helped along by a few who, although seriously injured, were able to walk and assist those who could not.
But another large group of explorers differed and stood out from the aforementioned ones due to their lack of even more limbs or body parts. Both arms, both legs, one leg and one arm, one arm and one leg, all missing parts of a worrying number of scouts who were being transported in old wooden carts pulled by horses, which, although showing signs of wear and tear, were still serviceable. Some people had already noticed the arrival of more carts, and when they looked more closely at what they were carrying, they saw, in uncomfortable silence, the corpses of soldiers wrapped in their own green cloaks, in a sight that was ironically cruel to behold. People watched the silently tragic scene with wide eyes and closed lips. Words would not be enough to express the feeling that such a sight evoked, until a painful and shocking sound made them tremble from their bodies to the deepest corner of their souls.

"LET ME GO!" said a voice in a scream so loud that it seemed as if his vocal cords would burst, and he wouldn't care.
"PLEASE NO! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
The voice repeated over and over again.

Eren and Mikasa turned to the source of the cries and saw that in one of the carts there was a group of soldiers whose eyes and expressions showed a complete lack of sanity. For them, their sense of reality had been permanently lost; they felt that at that moment, the only thing they could see was the Titans jumping clumsily towards them with their jaws open and their eyes bathed in a river of blood. What these men heard were not the whispers and gossip that people had already begun to utter, breaking the tense silence of a few moments ago. No, what they still heard were the screams of their comrades being devoured, and along with this, they still saw their tearful faces pleading for help with their eyes, and that echoed endlessly and agonisingly in their heads.
But the worst thing was not that. The worst thing was that they could still feel the grim sensation of being watched by the Titans, and along with that sensation, they still felt the despair and helplessness that came from the Titans' vacant, yet somehow present, gaze towards them.

"Stop looking at me... Stop looking at me..."
said a soldier, hugging himself so tightly and anxiously that it seemed as if his own body would explode from his grip.
"THEY'RE FOLLOWING US, THEY'RE FOLLOWING US! RUN, RUN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!"
Another soldier shouted his lamentations as he tried to get out of the cart and run anywhere to save himself. Three men had to stop him, shouting over and over again,
"It's over, it's over, calm down!"
Others just laughed maniacally, some quietly, others at the top of their lungs. There were others, few in number but still there, who tried to bite their fingers off and chew them in their mouths, in an attempt to let the pain wake them from the nightmare. They were wrapped in their own cloaks, which looked more like straitjackets than the cloaks of freedom they wore with pride, and now, with dishonour.

"There are very few of them. When they left, there were about 100.
"Not a single one of them is unharmed. That's what happens when you venture into Titan territory.
"I don't know why I expected anything else..."

Eren had heard the last sentence from one of the people near him. He had said it quietly, but audibly, and a feeling of frustration and anger began to rise from his chest, but before he could object to that man, he heard another voice, one that did not come from the soldiers or the crowd gathered around him, but from a middle-aged woman approaching with panic as great as that of the traumatised scouts. It would not have been surprising to see her die of stress at that moment.

"My son, Holy God! Where is my child?!" she screamed hysterically, her face radiating almost as much anxiety as the crazed soldiers. She quickly approached the leader of the Survey Corps: Keith Shadis, a man with dark skin, dark hair and eyes, whose clothes were stained with dirt and blood, and who, unlike his soldiers, did not have an expression that communicated primitive terror, but rather the melancholy and pessimism of someone who had entered the abyss and returned with nothing but scars.

"Excuse me, sir, my son Moses, is he... all right? Did he come back with you?"
The mother looked at the commander with eyes that reflected a faint hope that barely rose to the surface of a sea of fear. He looked at her without any expression or visible emotion, for these had died with his men, or so he believed.
"So you are his mother..." said Keith in a dry voice, but one in which pity and sorrow could be discerned.
"Bring him..."
he ordered.

A soldier approached with something in his hands, wrapped in a dirty, stained white cloth, and handed it to the mother. Confused, she slowly and tremulously unwrapped it until she saw what it contained: a human arm, one that still had blood staining and dyeing the cloth a reddish hue that made her sick just looking at it. The woman stared at the gruesome severed limb before her legs gave way under the stress and she fell to her knees with a thud, clutching the arm tightly in frantic sobs, hugging it as she used to do with her son when he was a baby. Now that baby had grown up and was torn apart inside the stomach of an unreal beast.

Keith knelt down next to the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. It was the only thing he could do for the mother of one of his fallen men at that moment. He wanted with all his might to do more, but this was all he could do.

"Please tell me..."
the woman said suddenly, and Keith was surprised by the abrupt tone her voice had taken.
"Tell me that even though my son may not have been a remarkable soldier... tell me that at least his death served some purpose in humanity's counterattack!"
The woman waited hysterically for his response. A sharp silence filled the room until the commander spoke.

"Yes, it did!"
Keith forced himself to say only that, but he couldn't. The bitter truth was the final nail in Moses' coffin.
"No... we couldn't... I couldn't..."
Keith paused as tears streamed from his eyes.
"WE FAILED!" I FAILED!
Those who were still sane could only accept the harsh reality of their commander's words.
"WE HAVE MADE NO PROGRESS, ALL BECAUSE OF MY INCOMPETENCE. WE HAVE SENT SO MANY PEOPLE TO THEIR DEATHS, AND YET... WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS ARE!"

Most of the inhabitants of the walls said nothing, neither when Keith Shadis uttered those harsh words, nor when the survey corps' parade of shame ended; only a few murmured their thoughts inaudibly to each other.

Eren stood on the box without saying anything, saying nothing the whole time. Mikasa could only watch with pity and empathy as the Survey Corps withdrew from the scene, and, perhaps because of the cruelty of her mind, she remembered Eren's words.
«Someday I will join them»
which sent a chill to the depths of her being.

She turned to look at Eren and saw him silently climbing down from the box he was standing on to the ground. She just watched him walk away, slowly and heavily; Mikasa climbed down to the ground and approached him.
"Eren, are you okay?"
"Yes..."
The sparkle in Eren's eyes was gone, and his voice, once full of emotion, had become monotonous and pessimistic.
Mikasa just looked at him silently, trying to find words of comfort for him, but she couldn't find any.

"Those bastards."
They both heard the voice coming from right in front of them.
"The only thing taxes are used for is to fatten up those beasts by sending them more of those idiots. They deserve it for being stupid."
said a middle-aged man, one of many who saw the Survey Corps as nothing more than a circus of fools in a hurry to die.

It was then that the old man felt a hard object hit the back of his neck with force, not hard enough to cause serious injury, but enough to annoy him.
"Ouch, what the hell?!"
The man turned around to look for the culprit and saw a boy with brown hair and green eyes holding a large wooden stick. Eren looked at the man defiantly and adopted a posture that incited a fight.
"You little brat."

The man approached, clenching his fists, and Eren held his childish weapon firmly, waiting for the adult's first blows, seeing himself at that moment as a soldier about to engage in combat with a titan, only to feel a strong tug on his shirt from behind and be dragged at high speed away from the site.
Mikasa ran out, dragging Eren with her before things got worse, ignoring his protests at her interrupting his impossible fight.
"Hey, come back here, you bloody dwarfs!"

"Agh, Mikasa, let go of me!"
When she had put a considerable distance between them and the man, Mikasa slowed down and threw Eren against a wall in front of her; he crashed into the wall and fell face down on the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"Damn it, what's your problem, you idiot..." Eren interrupted his protest and insult when he looked directly at Mikasa's face. Instead of the emotionless expression he was used to seeing on her, what he saw was a face that reflected deep concern for him and a slight fear of his uncertain future.

"Eren... do you still want to be part of the Survey Corps?"
Mikasa's worried look became even more pronounced as she waited anxiously for his answer. Eren just looked at her, unable to find the words to respond. He simply stared at the ground for a moment, while a deathly silence filled the air. It was then that Eren stood up, and once again, the melancholic and heavy feeling he had had moments before returned; he did not dare to look Mikasa in the eyes. He turned around and began to walk without saying anything, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"Eren..."
"Let's find Armin."
After an awkward silence, Mikasa followed him.

Chapter Text

"What did you say, you bloody heretic?"
Armin was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and slammed hard against the solid concrete wall; immediately afterwards, he felt a direct punch to his left cheek that knocked him sideways to the ground, dazed. He was lifted abruptly and slammed even harder against the wall.

"What's the matter, crybaby? Does this bother you?"
said his attacker with a tone of mockery and disdain.
"Then hit me back, if you can."
"What do I gain from that?"
Even with a small line of blood coming out of the corner of his mouth, the tone with which Armin responded to the intimidation was far from reflecting fear.
"That would be lowering myself to your level. The only way you know how to respond is with your fists, since, from what I can see, your heads aren't capable of anything else."
Armin saw the cretin's face take on an increasingly annoyed and hostile expression. Even so, Armin did not waver in his response.
"Therefore... I am the winner of this argument!"

The boy's brave words were followed by a determined and defiant look at his bully, who, just as Armin had said, responded with a direct punch to the stomach. Armin felt the air leave his body and began to shake. Before he could writhe in pain, he was grabbed by the hair and thrown violently to the ground once again.
"All right, you asked for it, dwarf."
Three of the bullies began kicking their victim relentlessly on the ground while the other two in the group just laughed mockingly as they watched Armin desperately try to protect his head from the blows.

"Hey, leave him alone!"
The boys turned towards the direction of the protest and saw an enraged Eren running towards them with the intention of fighting.
"It's Eren!"
"Another one who wants a lesson."
"I want to kick him first."
"Let him come closer, let's see if he cries this time."
"I bet he will."
The boys eagerly waited for the stubborn Yaeger to approach so they could give him the same treatment they gave Armin, until they saw the person accompanying Eren and noticed the silent threat in her gaze.
"Is that Mikasa?"
"Oh God!"
"Run!"

The bullies fled as fast as their legs would carry them and disappeared into the streets of Shiganshina.
"Ha! They ran away as soon as they saw me, like the chickens they are."
Eren kicked the ground beneath his feet in mockery of his attackers.
Armin took his arms off his head and saw Eren smiling in the direction the boys had gone, also seeing Mikasa arriving at the scene. He tried to sit up while touching his cheek, now bruised from the blow.

"Are you alright, Armin?"
Eren asked, looking more concerned as he reached out a hand to Armin. The boy, sitting on the floor, still touching his cheek, was about to take Eren's hand to get up, but in the end decided not to.

"I can do it myself."
Armin said curtly as he got up from the ground, albeit with great difficulty. Eren wanted to help him, but Armin was determined to do it on his own. He finally got up, though he was still staggering slightly from the punch that had knocked the wind out of him. Eren and Mikasa rushed to help him steady himself.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe now."
"Thanks, Eren."
"Are you okay, Armin? How much does it hurt?"
"It's not too bad, don't worry, Mikasa."

Although Armin was grateful, he wished he could stabilise himself on his own, but unfortunately the blow he received was too strong, so he had to accept his friends' help, even though deep down he hated always being defended by them. Armin felt like a burden to Eren and Mikasa, and he didn't want to be that to them.

"And why did they hit you?"
Eren asked as he and Mikasa helped Armin walk.
"It was because I told them that humanity will one day leave the walls. They called me a heretic and started hitting me."
"Those bastards. Well, at least they ran away when they saw me coming."
"I think... they ran because they saw Mikasa."
"Oh..." Eren's expression changed from jubilant victory to annoyed disappointment in a matter of seconds.
"I'm sure it was also because they saw you."
Mikasa tried to cheer the boy up, but he decided to drop the subject.
"Whatever."
Eren said with annoyance.

"Guys, did you manage to see the Survey Corps return?"
Armin asked the question with excited curiosity, almost like Eren had moments before. The young Yaeger tensed up and remained silent for a moment, unsure if he should (or rather could) answer Armin's question.

"Yes."
Eren finally said without a hint of emotion in his voice, something Armin quickly noticed. He knew Eren well. Whenever anything about that group was mentioned, Eren's eyes would shine with passion. Anyone could see how excited he was about them. and Armin sensed the reason why Eren responded in a monotone voice and with a look that expressed nothing, neither joy nor enthusiasm, nothing.
"I see."
Armin decided not to ask any more questions on the subject. After all, he already knew what the return of the reconnaissance legion was usually like. For some reason, he thought this time would be different, but it wasn't.

Mikasa simply watched silently as the pessimistic disappointment spread across both boys' faces, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for them again, along with the frustration of not being able to do anything to ease their pain.
"Armin, your house isn't very far away, is it?"
Mikasa finally decided to break the tense silence that had formed.
"No, it's two blocks away."
"Let's go then."
said Eren immediately.
They walked calmly all the way to little Arlert's home. Armin approached the wooden door and knocked three times to announce his return to his caretaker.

"Grandfather, I'm back."
The door opened slowly and the trio of friends saw a man who appeared to be around 60-70 years old; He was wearing a dull yellow long-sleeved shirt and simple light brown trousers, almost the same colour as Eren's coat. He also had a prominent grey goatee beard that matched the colour of his hair, and he wore a medium-sized straw hat on his head. The man quickly noticed his grandson's injuries and knelt down worriedly to get a better look at how serious Armin's injuries were and to get an idea of how he would have to treat them later.

"My God, Armin."
said the old man.
"What happened to you? Does it hurt a lot?"
"It's okay, Grandfather, it's not too bad."
The man found it hard to believe his grandson's words. His clothes were stained with dirt, his left cheek was purple and starting to swell, and it wasn't difficult to notice the other visible bruises covering the young man's face. Worst of all was the red line still visible on his face, starting at his mouth and ending at the edge of his chin.

"Well, we'll see about that when I treat those wounds."
The man noticed Eren and Mikasa's presence and, like his grandson with the Survey Corps, sensed the events that had led to Armin's injuries and why his friends were there.

"Those bullies beat you up and your friends rescued you, right?"
Armin bowed his head slightly with a look that conveyed slight frustration. The grandfather sighed softly. He would figure out how to deal with the bullies' parents later. For now, he was just going to focus on treating his little one's wounds. The man stood up again and glanced at the other two who were present.

"Thank you, lads, for looking after him and bringing him here."
"No problem, Mr. Arlert."
said Eren, smiling at the man.
"You can always count on us."
said Mikasa, also with a smile.
The old man let Armin in and, before following him, rummaged in his pockets and took out two silver coins, one for each of them.

"Here, take this, and always take care of him."
The man said this with a warm smile of gratitude.
"It's okay, sir, there's no need for that, you don't need to pay us."
said Eren, embarrassed, but the old man insisted.
"Please accept it, it's the least I can do to thank you."

After a moment of hesitation, Eren and Mikasa finally took the coins and said a cordial goodbye to the old man as they set off for home. Eren thought that he might get another scolding for taking so long to return, since he himself had said they would be back quickly.

The old man finally entered the house and saw Armin trying to wipe the blood from his mouth with his arm, the feeling of frustration still evident in his eyes. Shane Arlert approached his grandson with a white handkerchief and wiped the remaining blood from his face.

"Armin, why did those children hit you?"
The young man hesitated to answer, but finally gave his grandfather the same answer he had given Eren moments earlier.
"It was because I said that one day, all of humanity would finally be able to leave the walls."
"Son, you know very well that most people in this city don't appreciate comments about the outside world."
"I know, but I still don't understand why. What's wrong with talking about what might be outside the walls? Is it a crime to want to see things like the sea?"

Shane looked at Armin, unable to know how to respond. The boy not only had his parents' intellect, but also their immense curiosity, and he feared that, like them, his grandson would suffer a fate similar to that of his son. The old man sighed again and said.

"No, Armin, it's not, but for the people inside the walls, it is."
Armin looked sadly at his grandfather and resigned himself to his depressing reality.
"But..."
Shane added.
"It's not bad that you have that curiosity. It makes you unique among all the people in the city. It makes you special in a world where that died long ago. I'm sure that one day, the people of this place will understand."
Shane smiled at Armin, and the latter felt some of his sadness begin to fade.
"But for now, let's keep this between us and your friends, okay?"
"Yes, thank you, Grandfather."
Armin smiled back.
"Well, now let's take care of those wounds, shall we?"
"All right."

Chapter Text

Eren and Mikasa walked through the streets of Shiganshina, which, unlike the previous day, was now bustling with activity. They were surrounded by crowds of people, and the atmosphere was filled with the unintelligible conversations of adults and the laughter and excitement of children playing nearby. Although the place was noisy and bustling, Eren and Mikasa had not exchanged a single word since they left Armin's house. Silence was the only thing shared between the two. Despite the calm and lack of sound outside, inside his mind, Eren's thoughts were many, and all of them were conflicting, all stemming from the same source.

«Stop looking at me...»
«RUN FOR GOD'S SAKE!»
He tried with all his might to lock away in the most inhospitable corner of his consciousness the looks of horror and maniacal laughter that only expressed a total loss of sanity, until he heard Mikasa's voice.

"Eren."
The boy paused in his bittersweet memories and turned to look at the girl after hearing his name. Eren saw in Mikasa once again the worried look she had given him moments ago, and with it came the question that hit Eren with the force of a hammer.
"Do you still want it? Do you still want to... join them?
Eren couldn't find the answer to that question. He wondered how he could answer it, or even if he could.
"I..."
He hesitated for a moment, then finally turned back and resumed walking, seeking to put distance between himself and the question.
"Answer me!"
"I don't know! All right? I don't know!"

Eren shouted his answer in anguish, and Mikasa perceived a broken vocalisation in his tone. Eren faced Mikasa and found himself unable to hold back the tears that were sliding down his cheeks, as he trembled with pain and helplessness. The girl was surprised by his reaction and, after seeing his tears, she bowed her head, looking at the ground with a guilty expression.
"I'm sorry,"
Mikasa said quietly.
"No, it's okay,"
Eren said as he tried to wipe his tears with his sleeve.
"It's just that... I really don't know, it's complicated."
"I understand."
They both stared at the floor, not knowing what else to say. All the words they could say had vanished into the wind, until they heard a familiar voice.

"Why are you two fighting?"
Eren and Mikasa turned towards the voice, surprised.
"This is the first time I've heard you argue. Is something wrong?"
The boys saw a man with blond hair and a light moustache, wearing the uniform worn by all military factions within the walls. He wore a light brown leather jacket over a dull green shirt, white trousers with belts around his thighs and knees, held up by a black belt adorned with a piece of dark brown leather. Finally, he wore dark brown boots that reached his knees.

Despite the soldier's uniform he wore, the man's attitude was far from the stoic and disciplined behaviour of one. A slight reddish blush could be seen on his face, caused not by love, but by the large amount of alcohol he had drunk, the smell of which could be clearly distinguished in the air.

"Hannes."
said Eren, surprised by the man's sudden appearance.
"I thought I heard you crying. Don't tell me Mikasa did something to you, eh?"
"Eh, why do you say that? Who said I was crying? Ugh, you stink of alcohol."
Eren heard some laughter nearby and when he took a closer look at his surroundings, he saw a group of soldiers talking and with the same blushes on their faces as Hannes. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that one of them was holding a semi-transparent bottle of alcohol, almost empty.

"Are you... drinking?"
"Yes, would you like to join us?"
Hannes asked both children, as if it wasn't already clear how drunk he was.
"No, thank you."
Eren awkwardly declined the offer.
"Aren't you working?"
"Sure, we're on guard duty at the gate, but since we're going to be here all day, it's normal to get a little hungry and thirsty."
"And is it necessary to get drunk?"
"No, but in the end, it's the fun part."
Hannes said this with a carefree air, or so he wanted to appear.
"But if you're drunk, how will you fight the Titans when they climb the walls again?"
"Well, as far as we know, those things only appear at night. During the day, there's not much to worry about. I don't know why they do that, and frankly, I'd rather not think about it."
"But what if they climb the wall even though it's daytime?"
Hannes looked at Eren for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he looked at the boy, before speaking again.

"Ouch, my head. Eren, please don't shout at me like that."
"Haha, I like your spirit, kid,"
said one of the drunks present, catching Eren's attention.
"If the Titans climb the walls, we'll take care of it, but that's never happened during the day.
"B-but what about at night? The Titans almost always attack at dusk, sometimes even managing to get in by killing other members of the Garrison Regiment, just like yesterday.
The smiles and jubilation of the guards seemed to falter at these words, and Eren continued with his protests.
"A lot of soldiers died, and in a horrible way. They were your comrades, weren't they? They gave their lives trying to stop the Titans and were brutally murdered, and you act as if nothing happened!"

Eren's words seemed to strike a chord with some of the guards, who did not know how to respond to the accusations. Eren noticed this and was confused. Did they care about this? If so, then why did they prefer to drink themselves into oblivion instead of preparing themselves? It was difficult for Eren to understand until Hannes spoke again, and he realised something he hadn't even thought of, at least not at his age.

"Eren..."
Hannes said in a more serious tone, even slightly melancholic.
"Believe it or not... we do care."
Hannes adopted a somewhat more pessimistic and resigned attitude.
"All of us here have buried a comrade, a friend, or even a brother. Often, it's all the same. Cleaning the blood spattered on top of the walls, removing that damn slime from the walls, taking the corpses or what's left of them so that at least some of their parts can have a dignified burial, and worst of all, looking into the faces of the parents, siblings, and even the children of the deceased and trying to find the strength to break the news to them, and then having to endure the sound of their cries and screams of pain. It went from being something difficult to even imagine to something almost commonplace."
Eren and Mikasa saw the carefree and playful countenance of the drunken Hannes fade into the background and saw the soldier who closely observes death and misfortune as old and detestable friends.

"In the end, this is how some of us, ordinary people, deal with the world, because honestly, what else can be done at this point? Even the survey corps can barely hold on at this point."
The laughter among the drunks stopped, and instead, the air was filled with resignation and the agonising reminder of the truth that is almost a daily occurrence for the Garrison Regiment, which at this point looked more like a bait regiment, or to put it less harshly, a maintenance regiment.
Eren just looked at Hannes, saying nothing. That was all he could do, say nothing and lower his head once more as reality hit him with sadism and cruelty again.

"At least."
said Eren, capturing the attention of those present.
"We should be willing to do something."
Slowly, Eren lifted his gaze from the ground.
"Resigning ourselves to simply living this way... makes us no different from cattle, just waiting to be next. The Survey Corps is barely holding on, but despite that, they never stop going outside the walls to try to find answers that will help defeat the Titans, even though people see them as nothing more than suicidal lunatics."
Eren looked up, with a determination he thought he had lost.
"We should be willing to fight like them too! For those who have fallen and for those who are still here!"

Hannes saw how Eren's eyes reflected a great conviction, the same one that was felt in his words.
"Eren, do you want to be part of the Survey Corps?"
Hannes asked. Silence filled the air for a moment and Eren hesitated once more, but clenching his fists tightly and his eyes shining with iron determination, he finally answered the question.
"Yes, I do."
Mikasa listened silently to the exchange of words, and it was Eren's affirmation that made her feel a cold and very deep fear.

"Hahaha, good joke, kid."
said one of the drunks, followed by laughter that seemed more forced than genuine.
"Yeah, if it were that easy, we wouldn't be in this situation right now."
"I bet you wouldn't last a day with them."
said the guards, also laughing in the same way as before.

Eren could no longer bear the heavy atmosphere and simply left the place, silently, with Mikasa following behind him. Once the children had left and the 'laughter' had ceased, uncertainty reigned in the room.
"That boy isn't serious, is he?"
"He's crazy."
"I'm sure he'll realise how stupid that is when he grows up."
Hannes's companions exchanged opinions while he just watched the two little ones walk away without saying a word.
«We should fight like them too!»
"Eren."
Hannes whispered to himself.
"Not all of us are that brave."

The knocks on the wood were clearly heard.
"Mum, we're back."
The door opened, this time without the frantic speed of the previous day; and also unlike the previous day, when Carla opened the door completely and saw the children, she did not have an expression of fear on her face, followed by one of relief, but rather a slightly furrowed brow, looking more specifically at Eren than at Mikasa.

"So, 'we'll be back soon', eh?"
said Carla in a semi-ironic tone. Eren laughed nervously, embarrassed, followed by an "I'm sorry," as he scratched his head.
"Well, come in, your breakfast has now become your lunch.
When the children went inside, Mikasa contemplated again whether to finally bring up the subject of Eren and the Survey Corps. Should she do it now that the atmosphere was calmer? Deep down, the girl thought about how deeply upset Eren would be when she told him, but she thought it was better than Eren being brutally slaughtered by a Titan someday.

"It has to be today, yes, it has to be today," Mikasa thought.

Chapter Text

"Are you going inland, Dad?"
"Yes, for a consultation there. It will only be a few days."

The family of four enjoyed their meal in peace, a simple soup, but sweet to the palate, and in the centre of the table lay four pieces of bread on a plate to accompany it. It was a scene that felt very peaceful, too peaceful.

"But what if night falls and you still haven't reached the interior, Dad?"
"It shouldn't happen if I leave early. I'll leave after lunch. Of course, as far as we know, the Titans can't swim, but it's better not to take any unnecessary risks."
When Carla finished eating, she got up and went to the sink to wash her plate, calmly, neither she nor Grisha suspecting their son's dangerous desire. Mikasa knew there was no room for doubt, it was now or never.

"Eren wants..."
She paused, almost hesitant, until she finally blurted it out.
"Eren wants to join the Survey Corps."
She finally said in a calm, dry tone, very common for her, and when she said those words, the first thing Mikasa heard was the complaint she had seen coming, and now she had to put up with it.
"Mikasa!"
Eren shouted furiously.
"Traitor!"

"What?!"
Carla shouted too, with a mixture of surprise and fear, quickly approaching Eren to confront him about his suicidal desire.
"Eren, what are you thinking? Do you know what happens to those who leave the walls?!"
"O-of course I do!"
"Then why do you want to go out there?"
"Because I'm sick of living like this, like an ignorant fool!"
While Carla argued with Eren, Grisha just watched him silently, intrigued by his desire to be part of that group of explorers.

"Eren."
Grisha finally said.
"Why do you want to leave the walls?"
Unlike Carla, Grisha spoke in a calmer tone, one in which genuine curiosity could be discerned rather than a scolding.
When Eren heard the question, this time he answered immediately, without hesitation or doubt.

"Because I want to know what's out there, I want to be able to see the world as it is, dying in ignorance seems unthinkable to me, besides..."
For a fleeting moment, the mutilated and crazed soldiers came back to her mind.
"If we don't take over for those who gave their lives to seek answers, then they will have sacrificed themselves in vain."

Carla looked at Eren with a concern that words could not describe. Mikasa shared the feeling, seeing that Eren's determination had not wavered, but rather strengthened. Grisha did not seem to feel the same way. His gaze reflected more intrigue than anything else. It felt as if he was reflecting on Eren's words.

"I understand,"
Grisha said dryly.
"I must go, the ship is about to arrive."
He picked up his medical bag and prepared to leave, but Carla interrupted him.
"Please, dear, make Eren reconsider."
"Carla, human curiosity cannot be stopped with mere words." Grisha knew the truth of his words very well; he had already experienced it first-hand, much to his regret.

"Eren."
Grisha called his son, getting his attention. He put his hand inside his shirt collar and pulled out a shiny gold key that reflected the sunlight. The key was tied to his neck with a black cord.
"When I get back, I'm going to show you what I keep in the basement."
"Really, Dad?"
Eren's eyes sparkled and a big, excited smile spread across his face, feeling once again the excitement and happiness he thought had died moments before.

"Yes."
Grisha replied with a smile, but Carla protested once more.
"Darling, please, it's the Survey Corps. You know very well what happens to those people every time they leave the walls."
"I know, Carla, but you and I also know that there's no way to make him give up."
"So you're going to let your son join them and be devoured by a Titan!?"
Grisha thought for a moment about what his next words should be, and finally said them.
"Darling, we won't always be there to protect him. Someday he'll have to see the world on his own, and when that day comes, he'll know what direction his life will take by then."
Grisha placed a hand on Carla's shoulder and looked at her tenderly, once again trying to calm her anxiety. Carla saw this and noticed his attempt to allay her fears. It worked a little, but the uncertainty was still present in her heart.
Finally, Grisha kissed her on the forehead in a gesture of farewell.
"See you later."
he said.

Grisha began walking towards the pier where the ship would soon depart, while outside his house, just a few centimetres from the entrance, Carla and the children waved their hands, saying goodbye.
"See you later, Dad, take care!"
Eren shouted from afar.
Grisha's figure grew smaller as he walked away, until he finally disappeared into the streets of the district.

"You're not going to do it,"
said Carla, breaking the silence.
"What?"
"Joining the Survey Corps is stupid."
"Stupid?!"
Eren felt deeply indignant, unable to take it anymore.
"Well, to me, the only fools are those who don't want to fight. I'm not going to live like cattle!"
And with those words, Eren ran in the opposite direction from his father, deeply upset.

"Eren!"
Carla shouted in vain. Mikasa approached her, also looking in the direction where Eren had run off. To her regret, her plan had not worked, and now things had only gotten worse.
Suddenly, she saw Carla take her by the shoulders and say to her with concern.
"Mikasa, please find him and talk to him, convince him that what he wants to do is too dangerous."
The girl nodded determinedly and immediately ran in the same direction as Eren, setting out on her search, while Carla couldn't stop thinking about her son's words.
"Why, Eren? Why?"

"Eren!"
Mikasa shouted his name over and over, searching incessantly throughout the district, even asking some people if they had seen him, but to no avail. For a moment, Mikasa thought that perhaps he had run away to the tree on the hill, but that assumption was refuted when she turned to her right and saw Eren sitting with his back to her, contemplating a crystal-clear lake in the district. In that lake, a man could be seen paddling peacefully in a canoe.

Despite the tense situation that had been going on for some time, Eren looked calm and even thoughtful, limiting himself to observing the serene beauty of the water reflecting the sunlight, which illuminated the surroundings, indicating the arrival of evening and, soon, sunset.

Mikasa approached slowly, trying to find the words to say, until Eren turned around, surprised by her presence, before frowning and turning his gaze back to the lake.
"Eren..."
"Why did you tell them?"
said Eren without turning to look at Mikasa, who stopped when she heard the question.
"I didn't promise not to say anything."
"It was something I confided only to you. Why did you tell them?"
Mikasa was silent for a moment.
"I wanted to protect you."
"Protect me? From what? From not wanting to live like a simple herd?"
"I wanted to protect you from the madness you plan to do, because that's what it is. You saw what the Titans are capable of! Do you want to die?"
"Live like an ignorant person for the rest of my life? Yes, honestly, I'd rather die having seen the world than live this way."
Mikasa had tried again and again, on the night after the attack, after seeing the legion return, even talking to his parents, but nothing worked. Finally, she accepted with frustration what was a fact: Eren would not give up, no matter how hard she tried or how much she wanted him to. Nothing would work.

"Guys?"
The new voice that was heard diluted the tension in the air. Eren and Mikasa turned around and saw none other than Armin, his clothes now free of the dirt and grime they had been covered in not long ago, and the bruises on his face, although still slightly visible, no longer stood out as much as before.

The sunset was beginning to cover the world with its dull, nostalgic glow. Some people were already starting their early curfew, while others still had unfinished business that prevented them from going about their daily confinement.
But for three children sitting near a crystal-clear, colourful lake, the curfew could wait at least a few more minutes.

"Are you really going to join them, Eren?"
asked Armin.
"Yes."
"How did your parents take it?"
"They're very upset."
"Oh... well, I figured."
Unlike Mikasa, Armin did not entirely disapprove of Eren's idea of joining the Survey Corps. He would even admit that joining was also his desire, but he did not have the same determination as Eren. After all, Armin could claim to be the cause of Eren's burning curiosity about the outside world, and in turn, his grandfather was also responsible for kindling that small spark in his grandson, all originating from that book. Burning oceans, lights in the sky that looked like colourful streams, the sea. So many things narrated in that gigantic document, which were impossible to believe existed, but which nevertheless continued to fascinate the boys.

"You know."
Eren said suddenly.
"I never stop wondering why they marginalise us so much for that. We just want to go out into the outside world."
After finishing his speech, Eren threw a stone in frustration at the liquid glass that was the surface of the lake in front of him.
"I guess it's because people have gotten used to the peace that the walls provide."
Armin replied.
"Or rather, 'peace' within reason. The situation with the night titans is difficult enough as it is. If people leave the walls without caution, the situation will only get worse. Besides, the government has made sure that any topic related to the outside world is considered taboo. From what I've heard, they're even seriously considering removing the Survey Corps.
"Those bastards."
Eren threw another stone with even more force.

"Everyone decides for themselves whether or not to put their lives at risk. If they don't want to, then don't. But don't get in the way of those of us who are willing to fight."
Eren concluded, annoyed, but that's when Mikasa finally spoke up.
"I won't allow that."
she said in a cold but firm tone, catching Eren and Armin's attention.
"What?"
"I said no."
After a short silence, Eren decided to respond.
"As if I would listen to a snitch."
he said, looking away and directing his gaze to the lake.
"Well, this snitch is trying to look out for you."
Mikasa replied in a slightly annoyed tone, also refusing to look Eren in the eye.

Armin listened to the exchange of words, feeling uncomfortable with the tension in the air, and decided to change the subject so that it would not escalate further.
"You know, it's a miracle that these walls have held up for a century, even with the night titans. At least the situation hasn't gotten any worse, but that doesn't mean we're okay."
The distant laughter of children playing, adults going about their business, and the lack of interest in changing their way of life were irrefutable proof of the almost forced conformity that people were forced to integrate into their lives. It was the only way they found to confront their reality, one that showed no signs of improving.
"It's only a matter of time before this ends... or at least that's what I think.
Armin concluded dryly. A fragile calm and peace filled the air for a few moments, or perhaps for a long time, neither the children nor anyone else could really say for sure.

Suddenly and without warning, the thunderous and unmistakable sound of thunder rang out furiously in the surroundings. A tremor like never before lifted all the children off the ground and left them suspended in the air for a few eternal moments, including the trio of friends who had been sitting there just moments before. It even caused the contents of some houses to rise into the air with the same force, while the adults were thrown violently to the ground, and some were even thrown into the air. Finally, everything and everyone suspended in the air crashed to the ground, with some objects breaking into pieces and the children seriously injured.

In the case of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, none of them sustained injuries that could be considered serious, but they were painful enough to make them want to deny what had just happened.
After getting to his feet, Eren hurried to make sure his friends had not suffered any blows that would cause concern.
"Ugh, are you guys okay?"
"Yeah... I think so." said Armin.
"Me too."
confirmed Mikasa, and despite how angry he might have been before, Eren was secretly glad that she was also fine. He then asked the question that needed to be asked in this situation.
"What was that?"

Suddenly, the three of them saw a small group of people running in a certain direction, towards the source of the earthquake. Armin didn't waste a millisecond in doing the same.
"Armin, wait!"
Eren and Mikasa followed the boy, running quickly through the alleys of the district in the same direction as everyone else around them, almost like a herd, imitating their nocturnal predators.

Finally, they reached a point where people had stopped running and were now just concentrating on looking up at the top of the wall. The trio of children could discern in some of the people what could be described as a state of total and absolute shock, which turned every adult and child looking at the sky into something more like statues than the flesh-and-blood inhabitants of the district.

When Eren, followed by Armin and Mikasa, turned their gaze in the same direction as the others, they saw what for them and all the inhabitants of the city of Shinganshina was just a fantastical nightmare that would never happen, but there it was.

A monstrous humanoid figure with flayed skin and steam pouring out of its body, peeking out with its disturbing skinless head and eyes that, unlike its smaller brothers, did have pupils; Gigantic and threatening pupils whose gaze conveyed to everyone who saw it the same feeling of horror and helplessness that the Survey Corps and the Garrison Regiment faced day after day and night after night. And now, ordinary people would be forced to face it too.

Chapter Text

The enormous colossus was even taller than the Maria Wall itself. For a moment of indescribable terror beyond human comprehension, every inhabitant of Shinganshina saw the gigantic being without even being able to scream, such was the horror of seeing those eyes; whose pupils pierced the people who were now more like defenceless ants, waiting in terror for the titan standing in front of them to kick their anthill, and unfortunately for them, that is exactly what happened.

Those closest to the entrance were pushed so violently by a force they could not discern at the time that they were sent flying into the air like cannonballs. Along with the powerful mysterious force came a fierce gust of wind worthy of a tornado that threw several more inhabitants into the air with the same violence.

Those who were further away from the epicentre of the sudden launches were forced to cover their eyes due to the large amount of dirt and dust that whipped around them. After feeling the gusts lose their furious intensity, they turned their gaze back to the front of the gate and saw with horror a raw foot as gigantic as the entrance to the wall, finally realising the origin of that fierce explosion of air. The immense bastard had kicked in the entrance to the wall. Stunned, the inhabitants watched as the foot slowly withdrew to give a better view of the outside of the wall and, with it, the intruders entering it.

From outside, a 10-metre titan entered the walls, looking inhumanly malnourished, more like a giant walking skeleton for whom standing up and, even worse, walking, was a challenge that required all his effort to achieve. Its limbs also had abnormalities, being too elongated, with both its arms and legs twice as long as those of a normal human, so much so that the monster was forced to walk by dragging its enormous arms, which scraped the ground. But what most disturbed the witnesses of such a Dantesque apparition was seeing how the skin of this being was so tight against its body that it looked more like a tight-fitting suit that had been forced upon it than a part of its body. And with this, they also saw the infamous swollen, reddish protuberances where the creature's eyes should have been, along with its face, which was more like a human skull that still had the skin morbidly stretched over it, along with the inhuman "eyes".

After seeing the disturbing figure with horror, they watched with even greater horror as more of these beings entered the interior unchecked, walking slowly but unstoppably. All of these creatures looked different from the first intruder, but they still had a disturbing appearance. There were quite corpulent titans whose skin had peeled off in various parts of their bodies, exposing their raw flesh with some very swollen veins still throbbing. Other titans were as thin as or even thinner than the first, with their bones protruding from their bodies in such a way that it seemed as if several of them were desperately trying to escape from the titans by tearing their skin, or leaving several areas with the appearance of protuberances that were trying to break through their skin.
There were also other titans with reddish spots covering almost their entire bodies, and along with this, countless lumps of almost withered skin lay on their bodies.

Everyone present watched with petrified attention as the first monsters approached, before finally, little by little, several of the inhabitants began to flee, accompanied by desperate cries, choosing to get as far away from the place as possible, rather than continue to see the various deformities of their predators.

The giants advanced with unusual calm, in contrast to the desperate running of the desperate residents of Shinganshina, and even though everyone in the place was fleeing hastily, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were still unable to move, although for Eren, the lack of mobility was for another reason besides fear.

"We have to go..."
Armin said tremulously, but he noticed that instead of running in the opposite direction, Eren was slowly advancing towards the epicentre of the chaos.
"Eren, what are you doing? We have to go!"
Armin shouted at Eren, but he didn't seem to pay attention to anything around him, just kept walking silently until he uttered the following words in a low voice.
"My home is there..."
Eren felt a terror that was slowly growing.
"My home is there... MY MOTHER IS THERE!"
Eren began to run at full speed towards his house, caring little or nothing about the fact that he was heading towards the place where the Titans were entering non-stop.

"Eren!"
Armin shouted in vain. Eren would not be stopped by anything that wasn't getting to his mother. Before Armin realised it, Mikasa began running in the same direction as Eren.
"Mikasa, wait!"
Armin tried to go after her, but realised he couldn't move. No matter how hard he tried, or even wanted to, Armin couldn't move his body an inch.
"I can't move... I can't... do anything."
Armin then felt a hand suddenly land on his shoulder, and after a cry of horror, he turned around and saw his grandfather, completely drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, hinting at the race he had undertaken in search of his grandson.
"Grandfather?"
After Armin said those words, he saw his grandfather pick him up in his arms and start running as fast as he could to get out of there.
"N-no, Grandfather, wait!"
"Don't talk, or you'll bite your tongue!"
"No, please listen to me! Eren and Mikasa..."
Shane stopped dead in his tracks.
"What happened to them?"
Before Armin could answer, both he and his grandfather noticed a strange but loud sound coming from nearby. When they turned around, they were horrified to see a Titan with a face covered in swollen, throbbing veins scattered across every inch of its face, its eyes close to the usual explosion of blood so common in them. What terrified them even more was that the Titan's "gaze" was fixed on them.
To his frustration and regret, Shane was forced to run with all the strength his legs still had, while listening painfully to Armin's pleas.
"No, Grandfather, Eren and Mikasa, we have to help them, their mother needs help!"

Eren ran with fearful haste and on his way he bumped into people fleeing in the opposite direction again and again, but he couldn't have cared less. The only thing on his mind was getting home, nothing else mattered.

As he ran, Eren heard the sound of wailing and sobbing along the way, and saw with horror a mother crying a few inches away from her son, who was crushed by a huge piece of rubble.
"My son!"
the woman cried between sobs.

The sight only increased Eren's anxiety, and he quickened his pace as fast as he could.
«It didn't reach my home, no, my mum is fine, she has to be fine.»
Eren and Mikasa ran through endless alleys until, even in his desperation, Eren recognised the turn he always took to get home, and when he finally made it, he saw what his mind had struggled to even imagine.

"Mum!"
he shouted as he ran towards the ruins of what he could once have called home. There, he saw with horror his mother crushed from the waist down by what he could guess was the roof. The children rushed over and Eren put his hands on his mother's face as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Mum!"
Her son's cry made Carla slowly open her eyes, until she opened them completely and saw Eren's relieved expression at seeing his mother alive.
"Eren...?"
"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. Mikasa, take that side and help me move this!"
"Yes."

The children tried with all their might to move what was left of the ceiling even a few centimetres to help Carla escape from the rubble.
Unfortunately, they were unable to move the heavy object even a little, but that didn't stop them, and they continued to lift with all the strength their small bodies had. Eren kept trying to lift the roof so desperately that he didn't realise that, due to the enormous force he was exerting, his hands slipped off the destroyed edge of the roof, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. Both Carla and Mikasa looked on in surprise and concern as Eren lay on the floor, the latter getting up and trying to lift the roof once more, but before doing so, he felt a burning pain coming from his palms and, upon looking at them, he noticed two large cuts on each palm, two lines that were already beginning to accumulate the red liquid that was his blood and that were exactly the same size as his hands. And even despite the accumulation of blood and the increasing pain, Eren ran once more towards the rubble, lifting it with all his strength once again.

"Children... you have to leave."
"No, we'll get you out of here!"
After shouting his words, Eren noticed slight tremors in the ground, which had a pattern similar to footsteps.
"No..."

Eren and Mikasa saw a Titan approaching, each step causing the ground to shake more and more. As it got closer and closer, the children could clearly make out the giant's appearance, which made both of their stomachs churn.

The titan had blonde hair, most of which had been lost, leaving only a few strands stuck to its head. Its skin had a greyish tone, like that of a corpse beginning to decompose, and the appearance of the rest of its body only served to reinforce the image of a walking dead. There were several areas of his body that lacked skin, exposing flesh that was dull in colour and, in some areas, even rotten and dead-looking. In addition to this, it was painfully obvious that the monster's skin clung to his ribs, giving a clear view of the giant's enormous chest. But what was most shocking was not all of the above, but the titan's face, which wore an unsettling, twisted smile with yellow and some blackened teeth, accompanied by the veiny, throbbing globes of flesh that were its eyes, and worst of all, it was heading in their direction.
The children stared at the figure for what seemed like an eternity, until Eren was the first to snap out of his trance and tried even harder to pull his mother out of the rubble, followed by Mikasa, who imitated his actions.
"Quick, Mikasa, keep trying!"
Eren shouted as he pushed even harder. The burning sensation in his hands as he felt the splinters from the destroyed edge digging into his exposed wounds was unbearable, but Eren did not falter in his attempt.

"The Titans have already entered the city..."
Carla said in a worried tone, but it wasn't her own safety she feared.
"Eren, you have to go. Take Mikasa before they get here."
"No, all three of us will leave!"
"Eren... my legs are broken."
Eren stopped when he heard his mother's words, shocked.
"Even if you manage to remove this, there's no way I can escape from here. That's why you have to leave now! Do you understand?!"

Eren listened to her words, shocked and on the verge of tears, but he refused to accept this fact.
"Then I'll carry you!"
Eren strained again, aggravating the wounds on his hands even more.
"Eren! Why don't you ever listen to me? Obey your mother for the last time and run!"
Mikasa listened tremulously to Carla's plea and began to break down in silent tears, this being the first and only time she would refuse to obey Carla's orders.
"We'll get her out of here!"
the girl shouted as she also resumed her attempt to free Carla. It was then that they heard a sound that quickly filled the air, the metallic sound of strings contracting strongly.
"Hannes!"
Carla shouted as she saw him approaching her and the children.

"Hannes, take the children and run away from here!"
Hannes was surprised by Carla's desperate plea, seeing that she did not believe he would be able to save her too.
"Hey Carla, don't underestimate me so much."
said Hannes, trying to smile confidently to reassure Carla.
"I'll kill that damn freak and get all three of you out of here."
Hannes quickly took a sword from his manoeuvre gear and started running towards the Titan.
"No, Hannes, don't fight him!"
Carla shouted uselessly.

«Can I really fight him?»
Hannes thought to himself.
«Will I have the courage to face them? No, I must do it. I owe it to her and to Grisha. I must repay my debt to them.»
That was the fuel for Hannes' determination. Even though his heart was beating frantically, he would repay them both, no matter what it took, until Hannes finally faced the monster.

Hannes stopped in his tracks and opened his eyes wide when his gaze met that of the titan. The giant lacked a proper gaze, but even so, he felt that those veiny bags of flesh could not only distinguish that he was there, but he could also feel that they were not only looking directly at him. A chill ran through the man's body as he had the vivid and irrefutable sensation that those deformed eyes were staring into the deepest recesses of his terrified soul.

An uncontrollable tremor took hold of Hannes and he could no longer perceive the world around him. At that moment, only that supernatural and terrifying gaze existed for him. It was then that the man quickly put away his sword and headed back to Eren's destroyed house.

Eren felt his muscles tearing as he tried once again to lift the rubble, and the burning in his hands reached such an unbearable level of pain that Eren unconsciously shed small tears from his eyes, until he felt himself being suddenly lifted off the ground and carried away from the destroyed roof. Eren turned around and realised who was responsible for this action.

"Hannes, what are you doing? Let me go!"
Before he knew it, Hannes had grabbed Mikasa as well and, ignoring Eren's protests, began running as fast as he could away from the site.
"Thank you, Hannes..."
Carla said softly, deeply relieved.
"Hannes, no, come back, my mother is still there!"
Eren reached out a hand, trying to reach his mother, while an endless stream of tears flowed from his eyes.
"Eren, Mikasa, keep living, no matter what happens, live!"
Carla had reached out a hand to her son as she spoke.

It was then that a feeling arose in her and made her cover her mouth in shock, unable to do anything to suppress it. The primitive and instinctive fear of death had taken hold of Carla along with her memories of Eren, Mikasa, and Grisha. When the children came home and she hugged them tightly, when Eren made her smile in her moments of greatest distress, when Mikasa first came to her home, when Grisha said goodbye to her with that warm kiss.
Tears welled up in Carla's eyes as she covered her mouth tightly to stifle the sound of her pleas.
"No, please don't go."

Eren desperately tried to break free from Hannes' grip as they moved away from his mother. Realising he couldn't do it alone, all he could do was beg.
"Hannes, please come back! We can't leave her, we can't leave her!"
Hannes cursed himself with all his might when he had to turn a deaf ear to Eren's pleas, especially knowing that he didn't have the courage to face the monster.

When Eren saw once again the now tiny figure of his mother trapped among the remains of their house, his horror and sadness became indescribable when the giant with the crooked smile had already reached the destroyed ruins and, with absurd ease, pushed aside the roof that neither he nor Mikasa had been able to move an inch.
He saw the titan pick something up and slowly lift it from between his bony, crunchy hands, and with horror, Eren realised that that something was his mother.

"NO, PLEASE NO!"
Eren struggled once more to break free.
Carla struck the titan's hand with what little strength she had left, in a desperate and futile attempt to survive. In response, the titan grabbed her with his other arm from the waist up and stretched her in an abnormal and painful way.
Eren watched the scene in shocked terror and was forced to watch what followed. The titan opened its rotten mouth wide and slowly brought Carla closer to it.
"PLEASE!"
was all Eren could do, screaming with all his might as tears fell relentlessly from his eyes.

The giant put Carla in its jaws; Mikasa looked away in horror, while Eren was unable to do so. He watched as the monster slowly closed its mouth until it finally shut it tightly, and the blood of the woman who was once Carla Yaeger flew into the wind as the only reminder that she had ever existed.

Eren could no longer scream, beg, cry, or shed tears. Nothing. Only pure shock and disbelief flooded his being as they moved away from the site and he watched helplessly as the rest of his mother was devoured in the most brutal and grotesque way he had ever seen.
On that day, humanity remembered the pain and humiliation of being dominated by them.

Chapter Text

"Until this day came, I was just a wicked and miserable soul. Far from God and full of greed, that is why I am punished in this way."
A man said amid the chaos and panic, book in hand, desperately searching for a divine reason for so much suffering and death around him.
"The consequences of our greed are now manifesting themselves in the punishment suffered by the souls that are taken from us."
He reasoned as he walked among the crowd seeking salvation, some hiding and begging not to be found, others running aimlessly, and in the end, most ending up the same, devoured.

"Oh greed, what more will you do to our immortal souls?
People ran amid screams and cries.
"You have taken over our lineage.
A man was caught in the middle of his run and the burst of blood drenched his face before the titan put him in his mouth and closed it tightly. "If you have stained our blood so much.
From among the rubble of a house, a titan caught a woman and held her tightly as she writhed desperately to escape.
"We no longer take care of our bodies."

The man then noticed the enormous shadow looming over him and, turning around, saw a giant whose face had an abnormally large, lipless mouth that revealed a row of long, crooked teeth. Without hesitation, the titan grabbed the man in his hands, which cracked like breaking bones, and despite everything, the delirious man never stopped preaching.
"Oh greed, what else could you take awa-"
The sound of crushed flesh was the last thing that was heard.

Hannes had already put a great distance between himself and what had once been Eren's home, and even so, he did not stop running. Eren had been silent the whole way, no longer crying, screaming, or even sobbing. Eren was still processing everything; the shock prevented him from thinking or paying attention to his surroundings, until once again, Eren became aware of his world and all the feelings he had repressed until that moment exploded with force in his psyche. Once conscious, the first thing he did was punch Hannes in the back of the neck with all his strength. The man received the blow with surprise and confusion.

"Eren, what are you doing?"
The boy struck again, making sure this blow was even harder.
Mikasa heard the commotion and, from where Hannes was holding her, looked up and saw Eren, his eyes filled with tears, punching and elbowing Hannes.

"We could have saved her, we should have done it! Why, why did you do it?!"
Eren struck Hannes' head again, but Hannes managed to grab Eren's arm just in time and threw him to the ground. Eren hit the ground hard and scraped himself on the extremely small but numerous stones on the ground.

"Eren!"
said Mikasa as she slowly wriggled free from Hannes' grip and finally managed to break free and run towards Eren. The girl placed a hand on his back and as she did so, she noticed that Eren was shaking uncontrollably as he let out sobs that were easy to notice.

"Eren..."
The boy turned furiously when he heard Hannes' voice as he saw him approaching.
"There was nothing you could have done for your mother."
Hannes knelt down to the children's level and uttered words that only served to ignite Eren's anger.
"Because... you weren't strong enough."

Eren stood up in a rage and threw a bloody punch straight at Hannes' face, but Hannes managed to grab Eren's arm before it made contact.
"And neither was I."
Hannes' words caught Eren off guard, and what came next shocked him even more. Hannes looked directly at Eren as endless tears streamed down his cheeks, his gaze expressing only the deepest guilt and regret.
"Because I was a miserable coward who didn't have the courage to face these things!"
Eren looked at Hannes in shock, all feelings of anger and hatred having vanished, leaving only deep sadness for what had been lost and could never be recovered. Hannes looked at Eren for a few moments, feeling as if he were about to burst into tears, but knowing that this was not the time, he still had to at least try to get both children to safety.

"Let's go..."
Hannes got up from the ground and took Eren and Mikasa by the hand towards the port, now walking calmly as he saw that there were no more Titans in the area.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry,"
said Hannes with a trembling voice, and Eren could only accept his reality at that moment with painful resignation.

As they moved forward, Mikasa felt a slight headache that forced her to place a hand on her head to try to ease it, while visions of memories she thought she had forgotten plagued her. The image of a bloodied woman on the floor, a man with his throat slit in the corner of a room, and three dark figures staring at her intensified her headache. Mikasa looked behind her as she remembered Carla being taken into the titan's arms, watching everything she loved be lost once again.
«Again.»
Mikasa thought painfully as she cried silently.

"Run, to the inner gates, use the boats!"
shouted one of the Garrison Regiment soldiers to the crowd rushing without stopping to the port, carrying some of the things they had barely managed to grab from their homes during the ordeal. Thanks to the closed projections surrounding the walls like those of Shinganshina, the Titans were drawn to them like bait, perfectly fulfilling their function of reducing defence costs. As a result of this design, the population could escape the Titans' assault by passing through a single gate built into the wall, and to get there, they had to be transported by boat.

"Leave your luggage behind, we must make use of all the space we have!"
shouted the soldier guarding the entrance to the maritime transport.
"B-but this is all I have left."
protested a civilian.
"I'm sorry, but we have to make use of all the space we can."
"All right, I can throw some things away if you want."
"Sir, please, we're running out of space and there are still too many people to transport."
The man hesitated for a moment as he clutched his bag tightly, trying to hold on to it. Finally, he decided to throw what little he had left in that bag into the ravine below the bridge connecting to the ship, with several other people following his painful example.

"Please let me out for a moment."
"I'm sorry, sir, but you have to stay here."
Shane was trying to convince a guard to let him return to the district. Armin had told him about Eren and Mikasa's situation, and of course, Shane was not happy about sitting idly by.

"Please, sir, my friends haven't arrived yet."
said little Arlert, catching Shane and the guard's attention.
"Their house was near the wall and their mother was there. We have to go find them."
Armin was practically begging the soldier to let them go back, but sadly, the guard couldn't allow a grandfather and his grandson to run towards their deaths.
"I'm sorry, son, but I can't let you go back. The city is almost infested, and there are too many people getting on the ship, so even if I let you go, it would be difficult to get out of here."
Armin was frustrated to realise that the man was right. It was very difficult, if not impossible, for him and his grandfather to return to the city and not end up being killed by the Titans (not to mention that it was foolish to think that his grandfather would allow him to go with him to look for his friends).

Armin's reasoning was shared by his grandfather, who simply replied.
"I understand... Come on, Armin."
Shane took Armin by the hand with a defeated expression and went to find a corner to sit down.
"But Grandfather, Eren and Mikasa..."
"Armin, there's nothing we can do."
Shane said in a heavy voice.
"Even if we wanted to, or if they had let us, we couldn't have made it there, and if we did, we wouldn't have been able to come back."
Shane initially refused to accept that fact, but now that the guard had put it into words, there was little he could do but resign himself and make sure that at least Armin was okay.

Armin looked down at the ground, worried, and when he looked again, without expectation, at the bridge where people were boarding the ship, he was surprised and a feeling of relief washed over him when he saw those he feared had died.
"Grandfather, look."
Armin pointed towards the crowd entering, and when Shane looked in that direction, he was surprised to see Eren and Mikasa among those near the bridge. Armin ran to the edge of the ship, about to shout their names to let them know he was there, but he stopped when he realised his mother was not with them, and his surprise grew when he saw their faces.
Eren had an expression of silent horror and his gaze was lost, while Mikasa cried silently, tears falling relentlessly from her eyes.
It wasn't difficult for Armin to deduce what had happened.
"It's better to leave them alone."
said Shane, placing a hand on Armin's shoulder.
"Poor kids, just look at their faces."

"Run, don't waste time, flee!"
the soldier kept shouting incessantly as the horde of deformed Titans slowly approached.
"What about the cannons?"
"They're bringing them, they won't be long."

The ship was too full, every inch of it occupied by the frightened former residents of Shinganshina, who could only cry, curse, lament, or beg for salvation. Eren and Mikasa sat among a large crowd, sharing the sadness and mourning for the tragedy they all suffered equally.
"God, please save us."
"This isn't happening, it's not real."
"Why, why, my God?"
It was the only thing the children could hear, a cacophony of endless lamentations.

Mikasa tried to wipe away her tears, but no matter how hard she tried, more kept coming without her being able to stop them. And once again, the headache returned. The girl put her hand on her head again, trying to ease the pain, but it was unbearable. She looked at Eren, who still had a lost look in his eyes, imbued with indelible trauma. Mikasa noticed that he hadn't uttered a word since his argument with Hannes, nor had he shed any tears or cried out in pain. He just kept that terrified, lost expression on his face.
"Eren?"
Mikasa touched his shoulder, looking for some reaction from him, but there was nothing. Eren didn't even seem to notice Mikasa's action, nor did he seem to notice anything around him. His mind was still trapped in that image of his mother being devoured, and for Mikasa, that pain was stronger than the pain in her head.

"No, please, wait!"
The terrified plea caught the attention of Mikasa and the others present, who watched as the guards on the ship pulled up the gangway, preventing more frightened residents from entering.
"Sorry, the ship is full, we're setting sail!"
said one of the soldiers who remained on the other side, trying as best they could to stop several people who were desperately trying to get on the ship while pleading.
"Put the gangway back!"
"Let us in!"
To their dismay, the guard had to turn a deaf ear and give the signal for the ship to set sail.
"Go away, quickly!"
Without wasting any time, the ship began to move, without stopping, without hesitation. And yet, this would not stop the most desperate. The soldiers watched in surprise as some civilians managed to cross their barricade and jumped without hesitation onto the ship. Some barely managed to grab the edge and get onto the ship; others, however, were not so lucky. Some of them were unable to hold on tightly enough to the vehicle and fell helplessly. A few lucky ones fell into the water, but the first ones fell into the ravine with solid ground, crashing violently into it, breaking their bones in the process and even, in some cases, breaking their necks and dying quickly but brutally.

Mikasa and several others watched the scene without saying a word, merely spectating to see how far human beings would go to live another second. Mikasa looked at Eren again and once more saw that, even with all the panic around him, he still paid no attention to the outside world. Then a loud boom was heard in the air, followed by another and another, and with that, people realised what it was: they had already started using the cannons.

The cannonballs were fired with monstrous force at the approaching Titans, managing to knock some down and even sending a few flying backwards from the impact of the bullets. For a brief moment, this made the soldiers feel relieved and victorious at their progress in defending the wall. But just as when their squadron fought the night titans, this feeling of jubilation vanished when they saw the fallen titans advancing once again, with the difference that now some of them were crawling across the ground using an arm, a leg, or even some walking with great difficulty with the upper part of their bodies being dragged by their legs.

The soldiers, overcome with indescribable fear, opened fire once more, this time without caring about their accuracy and just shooting out of desperation.
"Idiot! Can't you see where you're aiming?
With the way the Titans are approaching, it's impossible to hit them.
I don't care, load the second charge now!

The argument between the two men was interrupted when another sound filled the air. Turning around, they watched in horror as the door blocking the wall quickly closed with them still outside.
"They're closing the door on us?"
"They're going to leave us outside!"
Several men began running without stopping towards the interior before it was too late.
"Hey, come back here!"

"Wait, wait! Don't close it, some of our men are still outside!"
Hannes tried to reason with those in charge of keeping the wall open, but despite how immoral their decision might seem, they knew that things couldn't go on like this any longer.
"If we keep it open, the Titans will come in and invade more than just a small district. Humanity will be forced to retreat to the next wall. Do you understand?"
"But that doesn't mean we should let our soldiers die!"
"Quick, close the wall!"
Hannes and his companion saw the soldier who could barely breathe from exhaustion after running there.
"The Titans are already here."
"Shit... Don't waste time, close the wall!"
The men followed the order without question, and the gate descended even faster.

"Wait, don't do it."
Before Hannes could do anything, two soldiers had to restrain him, despite his protests.
"What are you doing? Let me go!"
When Hannes said those words, he, those present, and everyone around them immediately felt strong tremors in the ground, tremors that had a rhythmic pattern, as if they were... footsteps.
The tremors and accompanying noise were noticed even by the people on the ship. Mikasa looked up, stunned by the power of the noise and tremors; to her surprise, even Eren noticed them, finally coming out of his trance and looking up as well.

The soldiers outside the wall could barely maintain their balance, some even collapsing to the ground. One of them looked in the direction from which the footsteps had come, which had finally stopped, and with that, everyone could finally see a Titan whose appearance they could not even have imagined.
It was a 15-metre-tall titan, completely humanoid and corpulent in shape, with no mutations or visible deformities, but it still had an equally unusual feature. The titan's body was red and yellow in colour, but the yellow areas did not appear to be skin, or anything like it. It was almost entirely covered by this object, which glowed in the evening sun. In addition to its unusual 'skin' the monster had short, moon-white hair, and on its face, one could see eyes that, like the colossal beast that destroyed the wall, were not the deformed globes of flesh that the other Titans had, but rather bright white eyes that lacked pupils and humanity.

The men stared in amazement at the imposing figure, which stared back at them fixedly and menacingly. The titan remained motionless, just staring at the frightened soldiers, until it slowly and heavily adopted a pose that some did not understand, but others sensed with terror, confirming it when the titan took a heavy momentum and began to run towards them. He advanced slowly, as if moving meant an agonisingly superhuman effort, and little by little, he gained more and more speed.
Everyone watched in terror, in a state of total shock in which they were not even capable of screaming; it was like this until one of them came back to reality and wasted no time.

"Shoot that thing, quick!"
The men were still unable to move.
"SHOOT THAT DAMN THING!"
The men rushed to the cannons and quickly opened fire. The bullets flew through the air and successfully struck their target with powerful force, but far from stopping, the titan did not slow down. More bullets. They all hit their target, and they were all equally useless. The bullets bounced off or pulverised upon contact with the giant. At that moment, the men finally understood what the strange material covering the titan was. It wasn't skin, it was armour.

"It's not working..."
"Run... RUN!"
Each man fled with all his strength and adrenaline towards the entrance, watching in horror as it finally closed.
"OPEN UP, PLEASE!"
"I BEG YOU, DON'T LEAVE US HERE!"
"OPEN UP!"
Their pleas were in vain.
They turned towards the titan, who had already gained considerable speed and was running towards them without stopping; this was the last thing they saw.

The giant crashed into the wall with the fury of a meteorite hitting the earth. Debris, rocks, and the mangled bodies of soldiers flew high into the air and fell violently, leaving more destruction in their wake. The ancient wall, indestructible for over a century, was breached with the ease of breaking a pane of glass.
The titan came to a sudden halt, its feet sliding across the ground as if it were moving on a slippery ice surface, skidding across the earth for a long time until it gradually lost speed and finally came to a stop. The titan slammed his fist into the ground, kneeling, as tense as a rope stretched too tight, with a yellow plate in his mouth dropping down and exposing his teeth, opening his mouth and letting out a large stream of smoke, almost implying heavy fatigue.
Hannes and others looked at the titan in shock, then turned their gaze to the wall, seeing a huge hole the size of the giant battleship, one so large that it would be impossible to ever seal again; and along with this, more of the deformed titans were hopelessly entering the interior.

"Oh my God..."
"I don't want to die!"
"Come back, I beg you!"
Those who could not board the ships shouted. As they turned, they saw a group of titans approaching them, slow but unstoppable.

Hannes and a small group had already managed to reach the place, and when he did, he saw that group of people crying, kneeling in search of salvation, begging for their lives.
«Hannes, please come back, we can't leave her!»
He remembered Eren's screams and pleas, Mikasa's silent crying, the sound of teeth clenching tightly and flesh being crushed; but what hit him the most was remembering that the victim of this was Carla Yaeger, and that he did nothing to stop it.
"Don't just stand there, move!"
Hannes shouted, trying not to let the paralysing fear he felt show in his tone. He quickly drew two of his swords and, with his ODM gear, hooked onto a house that still had an intact section, perfect for breaking through.

Hannes shot into the air and, when he reached the remains of the house, threw another hook and reached one of the Titans. The man quickly approached the Titan and, with a clean cut, sliced the monster's neck, which fell to the ground, showing no signs of further movement. The soldiers watched in shock as Hannes lunged at another Titan with murderous intent, but the giant noticed this and raised a hand to catch Hannes. Fortunately, Hannes realised this and, using his equipment, propelled himself backwards. As he fell to the ground, he used the air propulsion of his equipment to soften his fall.

"You heard him, let's go!"
After saying those words, a soldier also lunged at the Titans, following Hannes' example.
"Shit."
The others followed him, even though they just wanted to run away, knowing that they couldn't do that.

Hannes got up from the ground, dazed, and noticed a large shadow covering him. Looking up, he saw a huge hand reaching for him with the intention of grabbing him.
«No, I can't die, not yet... Carla... I still have to...» The giant then fell sideways, raising a cloud of dust from the ground. Hannes was surprised to see one of his companions standing over the now gigantic corpse as he changed his blades.

"Thank you."
"Thank me when we're done here."
The other soldiers flew over Hannes like eagles swooping down on their prey, slashing the necks of the deformed Titans again and again, fear filling their beings, but still doing their duty as soldiers. Hannes wasted no time and got up to join in the slaughter of the enormous beasts.
Some soldiers were caught in mid-flight and brought close to the titans' mouths, only to be saved at the last moment by their comrades. Unfortunately, some were not so lucky and ended up being painfully devoured.

The confrontation lasted several minutes, or perhaps not, no one could say for sure; the civilians watched the brave men fly with the grace of guardian angels fallen to earth to execute their cruel oppressors, cheering and encouraging the soldiers in their righteous slaughter. This continued until the last titan fell, clouds of steam filling the air as the bodies of the former predators of humanity slowly withered away until they were reduced to mere dust carried away by the wind. Hannes and the only three soldiers left alive were on a roof catching their breath; despite their exhaustion, the feeling of victory was unmatched.

"We did it... We really did it."
one of the men said between gasps.
"Yes... That's right,"
replied Hannes, who had almost recovered. «It's not enough, but it's the least I can do, Carla.»
"What about that damn armoured titan?"
The men tried to spot the giant, but they could no longer see him anywhere nearby.
"Damn bastard, he took advantage of our distraction to escape."
"Don't worry,"
said Hannes, placing a hand on his comrade-in-arms' shoulder.
"The important thing is that we stopped them."

As if in cruel response, Hannes and the others heard screams of horror coming from the civilians; when they turned around, they saw countless Titans entering the wall as if nothing had happened. It was no longer just a group of six or ten. Fifteen, twenty, maybe a hundred—there were so many that it was impossible to count them. The group of soldiers watched in horror as the Titans advanced slowly, staring at them with their disgusting, veiny, pulsating eyes, some of which were already beginning to explode with blood.
None of them could move anymore, shock overwhelming them once again. All their swords had been used and the gas in their equipment had been almost entirely depleted, and to make matters worse, dusk had begun to fall. Now they could only watch as the monsters approached, with nothing left to stop them.
"It's the end..."

Eren saw everything.
From the destruction of the wall, the battle of Hannes and the other soldiers, and now he was watching as the Titans reclaimed the place he once called home.
"Is it over? Will I never be able to go home again?"
Memories of his mother filled Eren's head, and he felt tears welling up in his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. When she healed his wounds, when she hugged him whenever he came home, and especially when he first heard about the massacre that had been unleashed against the night titans and she stayed with him all night and in the days that followed to calm his fear with the love and protection that only a mother can give.
But along with this came the bitter memories of their almost constant arguments, and what broke Eren the most was remembering how his last conversation with her was another argument, one he never imagined would be his last talk with his mother.

"Why? Why was the last time you spoke to her to fight with her? WHY, YOU STUPID IDIOT, WHY? ... She's gone, Mummy's gone! ... Why? ..."
The memory of his mother being crushed by the jaws of the Titan made Eren clench his badly bloodied hands in rage.
«Because you weren't strong enough.

"Is all we can do just sit here and cry?"
Eren looked at his hand, which was completely covered in blood, and the wound was getting worse and worse. Although Eren could feel the burning pain, he didn't care in the slightest. A tear fell on the increasingly aggravated wound, and Eren clenched his fist tightly.

Mikasa's headache had passed and her tears had finally stopped, although sadness and grief were still present in her and would not go away so easily. Suddenly, she saw Eren get up from the ground and walk towards the edge of the ship.
"Eren?"
Mikasa stood up, confused.
"Mikasa!"
The girl turned to see the person who had called her name and finally saw Armin approaching her.
"Armin?"
Surprisingly, Armin hugged her, relieved beyond words to see her safe.
"Thank God you're okay... Where's Eren?"
They both spotted Eren in the crowd, walking towards the edge. Armin and Mikasa approached him, concerned for his well-being.

"Eren... Are you okay?"
Armin placed a hand on Eren's shoulder, but Eren violently pushed it away, hurting Armin.
"Ouch, Eren!"
"What's wrong with you?!"
Eren placed his bloodied hands on the edge of the ship with great rage, Armin and Mikasa looked at him in surprise.

It was then that Eren made a vow that would burn forever in his being with savage fury, one that would make him always move forward, no matter what, no matter who.
"I'll kill them all... With my own hands.
said Eren with a look that expressed an anger impossible to describe in words.
"I WON'T LEAVE ANYONE ALIVE!"
Armin and Mikasa could only exchange a look of mutual concern and uncertainty.

Although Eren's fury was intense, another equally intense feeling came over him, and no matter how much hatred he felt, he could do nothing to stop it. The boy looked down at the water, seeing his face reflected in it, realising that what he saw in his reflection was not a bloodthirsty avenger, what he saw was just a child, a child who had nothing left to hold on to in this cruel world, one who shed endless tears and who had lost everything he ever loved, never to return, no matter how much he wanted to get it back.
"Mum... Mum..."

Chapter Text

"Dad, what are you doing?!"
"Give me your arm, Eren."
Grisha shouted as he held his son's arm tightly, who was desperately trying to pull away.

"Please stop, let me go!"
Eren shouted as he cried, scared and confused.
"Dad, you're hurting me, stop it!"
"Eren, it's for your own good, stay still."
Grisha shouted as he tried to inject his son's arm, who only responded with more desperation and fear.
"What are you talking about?! Please let me go!"
"Eren, don't forget the key! If you want to end this cycle, you must control this power!"
Eren finally felt a prick in his arm. The liquid from the injection ran through his veins; Eren felt it like burning acid running down his arm and then throughout his body.
"You must do this, son!"

Eren fainted, not a sound, not a sensation, nothing, he couldn't perceive anything around him; it was just him and total darkness enveloping him in its gloomy embrace. Eren didn't know how long he was like that, all sense of time or space disappeared for him. Was he dead?
It was then that he began to see countless tiny white dots, but they were also very bright. For a moment, Eren thought they were stars, but something told him they weren't. It wasn't just a feeling, it was almost like a voice telling him that those bright dots were something else, something Eren couldn't understand. Suddenly, the sky began to light up, and little by little, the things around Eren did too. The boy could see a gigantic landscape, full of sand with a sky that looked like night, but Eren again felt that sensation or 'voice' telling him that these were not stars, and that it was not night.

Eren felt his mind gradually clearing, and with it, the sensations in his body returned. The pain had disappeared; he only felt the breeze of a gentle wind reaching him in that strange place. It was then that he saw he was standing on sand and realised where he was. It looked like a gigantic desert stretching into infinity, with a sky that resembled a comforting night, but of an unknown and certainly incomprehensible nature. He looked around him in fear, searching for even a single soul in that dreamlike desert.

"Hello! Is anyone there?!"
Eren knew that probably no one would answer, but his growing fear made him keep trying.
"Hello?! Dad, Mikasa, Armin! Can anyone hear me?! Anyone, please!"
Silence was the only response to his call.

Eren began to panic, sweat began to run down his forehead and his breathing slowly turned into hyperventilation. He turned around in desperation and started to run.
"Can anyone hear me? Is anyone here?
Silence.
"Anyone, answer me!"
He screamed hysterically as he began to cry out of sheer terror and uncertainty; he ran towards an endless horizon and tried to wake up from this disturbing nightmare in which he believed he was trapped.

"Wake up, wake up! Come on, this isn't real, it's not real, you're just dreaming! Wake up!"
He shouted at himself as he pinched himself hard, trying to let the pain pull him out of it. He was still trapped in that place. He pinched himself harder and harder, even resorting to hitting himself. One punch to the face, two, three; they were so hard that Eren even started bleeding from his nose, and still he couldn't get out of there. The boy fell to the ground hyperventilating, as more tears streamed from his terrified eyes. Would he be trapped there forever? Was he dead?

Those questions only increased Eren's fear as he felt he was about to collapse. Until suddenly and without warning, something appeared in front of Eren, something that could hardly go unnoticed by him, even in his desperation, but it did, and it froze him in his tracks.
It was a bright, almost blinding light, more immense than any wall or titan he had ever seen, and much more. It was so tall and gigantic that Eren's eyes could not fully comprehend its size, but he could vaguely make out the shape of the light. It looked like a tree with multiple branches extending infinitely and impossibly.

Eren stared in amazement at the imposing, almost divine figure, unable to believe what he was seeing.
His fear and despair vanished, giving way to the disbelief with which he viewed the divine tree. It was an unreal vision, of something that should not exist, that was impossible to exist, looking up and observing how the height of that 'tree' was endless.

Then he looked down, at the foot of that divine structure, and through the light, he could see a small figure that did not seem to be part of the strange object, or whatever it was.
Eren approached the figure and as he did so, he could discern better what it was.
It appeared to be a girl, and Eren felt a small sense of relief when he saw that he was not alone in such a dreamlike place, but with calm came confusion as well.
"Hello? Who are you? Do you know where we are?"
Eren hoped to get at least a vague answer from this place, but all he got was silence.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
Eren shouted even louder, but again, there was only silence. Eren began to get annoyed and feel more urgent about getting answers.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? Was it you who brought me here?"
Silence again.
"Answer me!"
Eren was about to let anxiety take hold of him once more, when suddenly he began to hear a strange sound. It was like a group of voices saying something, but Eren couldn't make out what it was. He looked around but couldn't find anyone, and yet the voices grew louder and louder. A strange feeling came over Eren, and he suddenly began to feel uncomfortable, a strange feeling of unease, as if a pain or something similar was beginning to arise within him.

The voices grew louder and began to take on an uncomfortable tone. Eren couldn't describe exactly what it was, but it seemed to him that it was something that expressed fear, despair, anger, sadness. The discomfort grew stronger in Eren and the uneasiness began to feel more and more agonising. He felt pain throughout his body, his nerves began to burn, he felt as if his body were on fire, consuming even his soul. Eren screamed, screamed in pain, in agony, not understanding what was happening. The voices had reached their maximum volume and even in his indescribable pain, Eren realised that they were not voices, they were screams; horrible, agonising screams that filled his head and felt like stabs directly to his brain.

Eren finally collapsed to the ground, hugging himself to ease the pain to no avail; he only felt more suffering within himself. He crawled pitifully, extending a pleading arm towards that unknown figure.
"H...help... Please..."
was all Eren could manage to say, with great difficulty. But then, even in his pain, Eren got a better look at the girl and realised what she looked like. She was a girl with blonde hair that reached her shoulders, her hair was messy and dirty, her skin was too pale, as if she were dead, and yet there were several small scars on her forearms; she was also dressed in dirty, worn-out rags, and on her shoulder, she had a huge hole from which a line of blood flowed that seemed to have no end. Eren looked at her face and saw how the girl stared at him with eyes filled with a tired, defeated look, like someone who had lost all will to live and was now just a living dead person. But even so, he saw tears forming noticeably in the girl's eyes, and when she realised that Eren was looking directly at her, she opened her mouth and uttered words that baffled the young Yaeger even more.
"Please don't stop... End all this."

Eren did not have time to process these words when he suddenly felt a force pulling him backwards. He saw himself quickly moving away from the dreamlike desert as he felt the pain disappearing and the screams becoming quieter and quieter.
Everything returned to darkness, once again the sound and sensations were gone; once again it was just Eren and the darkness, silence took over the atmosphere for what felt like an eternity. Until a voice emerged from the darkness; no longer screams or inaudible voices, but understandable words; words that Eren had heard before and now understood better than what was being said. It was a female voice, unlike the agonising screams Eren had heard moments before. This voice had a sweet, comforting tone; it expressed love, a warm and reassuring love, but there was also melancholy and nostalgia in these words; and Eren, even in that darkness, felt the warmth and sadness of these words; now he could hear everything they were saying to him.
"Goodbye... Eren."

Loud bell sounds were heard clearly, and with that, Eren woke up with a start, bathed in sweat and with tears streaming from his eyes. The boy got up with a cry, once again feeling the sensation of having his body back as he turned around in fear, checking to make sure he wasn't in another strange and incomprehensible place. The cry of fear he let out upon waking caught the attention of another person who was in the same place as him.

"Eren! Are you alright? What's wrong?"
said a concerned Mikasa, grabbing the hands of a trembling Eren as she tried to calm him down. Eren couldn't stop hyperventilating and looking around, as if he couldn't believe he was really there (perhaps he couldn't even believe he was alive).

"Eren, look at me."
The boy did as he was asked.
"It's okay, it's over now. Breathe."
Mikasa began to breathe slowly while gesturing to Eren with her hand to do the same. Eren obeyed and began to breathe slowly and calmly alongside Mikasa. His hyperventilation slowly turned into normal breathing, his heartbeat slowed down, and his panic gradually subsided until finally, calm returned to his being and the boy could feel peace again.

"Thanks, Mikasa."
said Eren, giving her a tired smile.
"Are you okay, Eren?"
"Yeah... it was just a nightmare."
Eren put a hand to his head as he said those words, and as he did so, he saw that his hands were wrapped in white bandages.
"This is..."
"Armin's grandfather put them on. You were bleeding too much, but luckily he treated them in time before they got infected."
"I see..."
Eren then took a closer look at his surroundings and was surprised by where they were; it was a large structure, giving the impression of a warehouse, but one that was completely empty.
"Where are we?"
"This place used to be a food reserve."
Mikasa said in a dull voice.
"Now it's a shelter where we can stay."
"Shouldn't there be more people here?"
"They're all outside."
Eren felt a little overwhelmed by the information he was given, until he began to feel a growing concern for someone, someone who was supposed to be there with them.

"And... Dad? Where is he?"
Mikasa shrugged, remaining silent for a moment.
"They haven't seen him yet."
"What do you mean?"
"When we reached the Rose Wall at night, you disappeared and some soldiers went out to look for you. They found you in the middle of the forest with that wrapped around your hand."
Mikasa pointed to Eren's neck, and he saw that a key was hanging from it. It was his father's key.
«Eren, don't forget the key!»

"Eren?"
Mikasa asked, looking worried as Eren had a frightened expression on his face, afraid that he was having another panic attack.
"Eren."
"Eh... Yes?"
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes... Don't worry, I'm fine."

Mikasa didn't quite believe him, but she chose not to press the issue.
The girl got up from the ground and held out her hand to Eren, helping him to his feet.
"Come on, they'll be handing out rations."
"Okay..."
Eren noticed that Mikasa's voice sounded more subdued than usual. He knew her very well and was well aware that Mikasa wasn't exactly the most expressive person in the world, but at that moment he could sense that she was more serious and expressionless than usual.
Even so, he decided not to worry about it for now; he simply put the key in his shirt pocket and left the empty warehouse with Mikasa, heading towards the new world that now lay before them.

Chapter Text

Eren and Mikasa walked down a long, dark corridor, sharing only a total silence between them, one that became tense, almost unbearable, but neither of them could find the words to break it; they simply did not feel capable.
This continued until they finally reached the outside, and Eren had to cover his eyes when he finally reached the sunlight; once his eyes adjusted to the light, he was speechless at what he saw. Countless refugees, perhaps thousands or even more, filled every corner of the place. The number of people Eren saw was almost suffocating, leaving him completely stunned.

"Hey, don't get involved!"
said an angry voice that caught Eren's attention.
"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, you idiot!
"I don't give a damn, get in line like everyone else!
Two men shouted their protests as they exchanged punches over a few rations, requiring two soldiers from the Garrison Regiment to separate them with difficulty.

"Hmm, it seems we're still fighting for survival," Mikasa said coldly, catching Eren's attention and confirming that Mikasa did indeed sound more emotionally dead than before (which was saying a lot).
"Eren! Mikasa!"
A familiar voice shouted, and when they turned around, they both saw who it was.
"Armin?"
Eren watched in surprise as Armin approached with three loaves of bread in his arms.
"Look, my grandfather managed to get some for the three of us. Here you go."
"Thank you, Armin,"
said Mikasa in a tone that tried to leave behind some of the monotony and coldness she had before, as Armin handed one of the loaves to her and then to Eren.
"Yes... Thank you."
"How are your hands, Eren? Do they still hurt?"
Armin asked with a genuinely concerned look on his face.
"No, I'm fine, don't worry."
At that moment, Eren remembered what had happened the day before.
"Armin, I...
After an awkward pause, Eren spoke again.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, what happened on the ship."
He said, embarrassed, without looking Armin in the eye. The young Arlert looked at him in surprise, before saying with a smile.
"Don't worry, Eren, it's okay."
Eren felt a little more relieved, less guilty now.

"Hey Armin, where's your grandfather?"
Mikasa asked, getting his attention.
"He went to work on the crops with some other refugees. The government said that because there are so many of them, food could run out quickly, so they sent some people to work in the fields to increase production."
"Armin."
Armin and Mikasa turned to look at Eren, who had a look of concern on his face.
"Was my father among those refugees?"
Armin looked at Eren for a few moments, unsure of how to respond, until he finally did, and it was difficult for both Eren and Mikasa to hear.

"They haven't seen him yet. They've been looking for him since this morning, but..."
Armin hesitated again about whether to tell them at this moment, but he accepted that there was no turning back now.
"The only thing they found was this."
Armin then rummaged in his pocket and took out a pair of black glasses. Grisha Yaeger's glasses, and Eren and Mikasa sensed what it meant.

Eren grabbed the object that had once belonged to his father and silently contemplated it in his hands, unaware that Mikasa was doing the same. Armin then saw Mikasa's expression change to one of noticeable but silent sadness. It was almost as if she were mourning in silence. Eren, for his part, did not notice the tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at the glasses without looking away. He did not sob or make a sound, he just looked at those glasses with his eyes flooded with tears. Armin could not find the words to say to them, he could only look at them both with a mixture of pain and helplessness.
"I'm sorry, guys."
"It's okay."
Eren wiped away his tears, and his voice became broken.

At that moment, he noticed a fourth person in the place. Looking closer, he saw a soldier from the Garrison Regiment, a resident of Rose Wall, who looked at them with an expression of utter contempt and rejection, walking away in annoyance.
"What's wrong with that guy?"
"They're all like that,"
Armin explained.
"As I said, food is becoming quite scarce, and with so many mouths to feed, the inhabitants of Rose Wall are not happy about having to share."
The sound of blows filled the air, and the children saw how, despite many soldiers trying to control the situation, the refugees fought like animals for a measly bite to eat.

"Why do we have to give these idiots our share?"
The same soldier Eren had seen before shouted the question at his comrade.
"I know the Titans knocked down Wall Maria, but it would have been easier if more people had let themselves be eaten, then we wouldn't be in this situation."
The trio was surprised to hear the harsh words of the man, whose duty was supposedly to ensure the safety of civilians; and in Eren, in addition to surprise, indignation and then anger also arose.
"Eren, wait."
Armin said when he saw Eren advancing with absolute anger, and both Armin and Mikasa knew with unquestionable certainty what that meant.

"Hey, Pen, you don't have to be so extreme,"
the soldier said, somewhat annoyed by his companion's cruel words.
"Maybe, but I'm just saying that with this many idiots, it won't be long before the food runs out..."
His sentence was interrupted when he felt a sharp blow to his leg, causing him to yelp.
When the pain subsided, he looked angrily at the person responsible for causing him such discomfort, a green-eyed boy who didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was responsible, even clenching his fists to fight.

"What the hell? What's wrong with you, you stupid brat?"
Pen didn't hesitate to punch the boy straight in the face, and his companion kicked him so hard that he fell to the ground.
Eren felt incredible pain in his cheek and right side, so much so that he could barely turn around angrily to face the two men.
"You have no idea... what you're talking about. None of you were there, watching those monsters eat people!"
The words of a beaten Eren seemed to make Pen falter, but any compassion he might have had for Eren vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Shut up, kid!"
"Forgive him, sir!"
Armin stepped between Eren and the soldier while Mikasa approached Eren, making sure his injuries weren't too serious.
"My friend is like this because he's hungry, that's why he's acting like a reckless idiot."
"Hey—"
"Don't talk, Eren."
Mikasa whispered, annoyed.
"Please forgive us, we're very sorry."
The man stared at Armin for a moment, hesitant; finally, calmer, he accepted the boy's excellently acted apology.
"All right, but don't forget that we are your saviours, you brats. Learn to be more grateful."
Pen was about to leave when he heard Eren speak to him in an angry tone.
"Thank you? Now we have to humiliate ourselves like this for a bunch of bastards like you?
"Eren, shut up already."
Mikasa's annoying whispers were useless. Eren struggled to get up from the ground and continued his protests.
"I'd rather die a thousand times than be saved by a bastard like you!"
For Pen, it was the last straw.

"Now you've really done it, you idiot!"
"Wait, sir, forgive him."
Armin was pushed aside roughly and fell to the ground.
"Armin!"
Immediately after shouting his name, Eren was kicked hard in the stomach again, knocking the wind out of him and knocking him down.
"Eren!"
Mikasa shouted, who was also pushed aside abruptly and, like her friends, fell to the ground.
"Pen, stop it, that's enough!"
shouted his companion, who, despite having hit Eren earlier, had had enough.
"Shut up! Now you'll see, you little rat!"
Pen raised his fist, ready to land it on Eren's face, who waited helplessly and furiously for the pain to begin.

Surprisingly, Pen was pushed back so hard that he almost fell on his backside. When he steadied himself, he looked even more angrily at the person responsible, surprised when he saw who it was.
"Since when did our duty change from protecting civilians to beating up children?"
Hannes said with a look of deep indignation and disappointment.
"We're protecting these brats from the Titans, we give them food and a roof over their heads, and in return they hit us and then insult us. What? Do you want me to let it go?"
"Our duty is to protect all of humanity, period, no matter what. And as far as I know, that doesn't include hitting children just because they made you feel bad."

Pen and Hannes exchanged looks of deep annoyance, and it felt like they could start a fight at any moment. Then Pen heard murmurs coming from the refugees. When he turned around, he saw them looking at him with indignation, annoyance, shame, disapproval, and a whole lot more.
"What's wrong with him?
"Hitting children, how despicable.
"Damn him, he has no shame."
These were the many insults hurled at the man. Pen looked once more at Hannes, whose expression conveyed great anger, unsure of what to do at that moment, until he suddenly felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go, Pen, NOW."
His companion said sternly. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, he left, ashamed, indignant and humiliated. Hannes just watched him leave without saying another word. It was then that his attention turned to the victims.

"Are you all right, children?"
Hannes asked as he helped Armin and Mikasa to their feet.
"Yes, we're fine, thank you, Hannes."
Hannes then noticed the third member of the group, the most injured of the three. Eren had his hands on his stomach; the pain and lack of air kept him on the ground, but fortunately, these were gradually subsiding, although they still kept him there.

Eren saw a hand offering to help him up, looked up and saw that it was Hannes extending it to him.
Eren looked him in the eyes for a moment before frowning and trying to get up on his own; of course, it took him a lot of effort, but he finally managed it. Hannes said nothing, nor did he blame Eren for it. After all, he felt that Eren deserved not to even want to speak to him again, or even look him in the eye, yet he still cared about his well-being.
"Are you okay, Eren?"
The boy did not answer him, he just walked away without looking back.
"Sorry, Hannes, Eren is still processing what happened,"
said Mikasa, although she herself recognised that her words were nothing more than a comforting lie.
"It's okay, I understand,"
Hannes replied in a subdued tone.

For a moment, he remained silent, staring into space, guilt piercing his being once again, but in these difficult times, more pessimism would be like pouring acid on the wound. He tried to smile like he used to when he was drunk and simply said to Armin and Mikasa,
"Be careful, all right, kids? Right now it's better to keep a low profile, especially with idiots like those.
"All right, Hannes.
"Yes, thank you.
Hannes then left the place. He had a lot of work to do, TOO much work to do; he wouldn't mind a good drink right now, although he would still think he didn't deserve even that.

Armin and Mikasa walked in the same direction Eren had gone; they didn't even have to bother looking for him.
He was sitting on the floor, right in the same corridor where he and Mikasa had gone outside moments before, now with at most two or three other people in the corridor. Eren was just looking at his father's key, with the bread still in his hand and not a single bite taken out of it; he looked at it with a certain nostalgia and a mixture of confusion, which was later accompanied by frustration and helplessness. So many things had happened in such a short time, and the people around him were not helping at all.

"Eren."
Armin's voice snapped Eren out of his thoughts. He saw his friends looking at him with a certain feeling of reproach, which only increased his frustration.
"Eren, you can't always be so defensive with people, especially if they're from the Garrison Regiment."
"They deserved it, talking like that about the fall of the wall and the Titans. They weren't there to be able to say that kind of nonsense!"
"No, but they were also the ones who gave us a place to stay, and whether we like it or not, it's the only thing we have now."

Eren hated to admit it, but Armin was right; Shiganshina was now Titan territory, and the only place he could be safe was at Wall Rose. But Eren refused to simply resign himself to that. Oh no, he wasn't the type to sit idly by and do nothing.
"It won't always be this way."
"What?"
"I'll return to Wall Maria someday, I swear."
Eren stood up, his gaze conveying anger and determination.
"I'm going to exterminate those damn monsters myself."
Armin listened to Eren's words in disbelief. Mikasa looked at him with narrowed eyes; there he went again with his bloody suicidal promises.

"Eren, you're not serious, are you?"
"I am, very much so. I'm not going to act brave just because I'm behind a stupid wall!"
Eren looked angrily at the bread in his hand, disgusted at even holding it.
"I don't need this either!"
He shouted, throwing the bread at Armin; the food bounced between the boy's hands and Armin tried his best to keep it from falling to the ground.

"Eren, if you don't eat, you're going to starve to death!"
"And why the hell aren't you upset? Are you content to live like this? We can't defeat the Titans because we live on compassion!"
"And what do you plan to do? We can't defeat the Titans, all we can do is stay inside the walls. If you act like that, you'll die just like my parents!"
Mikasa was surprised when Armin said those words. For him, bringing up that subject was like stabbing himself in the palm of his hand. Talking about his parents hurt so much that he was lucky not to cry when they were mentioned, so doing so at this moment was very difficult for him. But even worse than that was hearing what Eren said, even knowing this.

"And that's why you humiliate yourself in front of these people? Have you no pride or what?"
"Because that's the only thing we can do!"
"All you give are excuses! Do you want to live like a slave? Well, go ahead, you disgusting herd!"
Those words, those words to Armin, were like a stab to the soul, one that no blow he could have received from any bully could have caused him more pain than that, and even more so, seeing who the person was who said them.

And with the pain of those words came surprise when he saw a fist hit Eren's cheek, knocking him to the ground. When Armin turned around, his surprise was even greater when he saw who was responsible.
Mikasa had to restrain herself in that punch so as not to knock Eren's teeth out. Had it been anyone else, she would not have held back at all, but even though it was Eren, that did not change the fact that those words had also provoked something in her, but it was not sadness, it was anger.
Even so, when she finally threw that punch, the sadness of having had to go to such extremes made her soften her angry expression.

"Eren, if Armin is a disgusting herd, then you and I are too. We weren't able to save Carla, we couldn't do anything against that soldier, and we couldn't get out of the city without help. We are the weakest link."
said Mikasa, now somewhat calmer, as she watched Eren turn to look at her, stunned.
"We depend on others to survive. There is not even the slightest chance that weaklings like us could kill even one titan."

Eren knew it, damn it, he knew it. It was a reality he resisted with vehemence and anger, but in the end, it would always crush him, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.
"The only thing that matters now is survival, just like she said."
Mikasa then took the bread Armin was holding and shoved it roughly into Eren's mouth. The boy tried to pull it away, but it was useless.
"Eat it, eat and survive. I won't let you starve to death."

Mikasa said, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. She had been strong until then, whether defending Armin or saving Eren from being beaten up by the other children in Shiganshina; now, more than ever, she had to be even stronger, for them, not only physically, but mentally, even if it meant completely abandoning what little innocence and childlike joy remained in her.
Eren understood, understood those harsh words, and finally took the bread in his mouth with his hand and took a bite; Mikasa let go of the bread and watched Eren chew while he cried silently; now her anger was completely gone, and only painful resignation remained.
Eren shared that feeling and looked at her again, and then he looked at Armin, who had a dull, sad, hurt expression on his face.

«You want to live like a slave? Well, go ahead, you disgusting herd!»
"Armin, I—"
Armin left without saying anything, without looking back at Eren or Mikasa.
"I'm sorry..."
Eren said, even though he knew Armin wouldn't hear him, but feeling a tremendous need to say those words. Eren finally began to sob quietly; Mikasa approached him, hugging him, wanting to cry too, but resisting that desire, resisting it with great pain. With all her strength.

Chapter Text

The sunset fell quietly in the sky, gradually darkening its brightness and heralding the darkness of night.

Normally, this would cause terror due to the arrival of nocturnal visitors who always approach at this time. But fortunately for the inhabitants of Rose Wall, on this occasion the night sky was almost entirely covered by thick clouds that did not leave even a small space for the moonlight or stars to illuminate the earth. From what little they knew about the monsters, their activity occurred exclusively under those night lights, and as long as there were none, none of them would be seen approaching the walls. Perhaps it was a respite that the world was giving them after the recent catastrophe, or perhaps it was the prelude to something much worse. Either option did little to reassure anyone.

Throughout the day until sunset, Eren and Mikasa just sat in the shelter, not really doing much (after all, what could they do?). Mikasa ended up falling asleep, and Eren just stared at his key and thought about his father, his dreams, that place, that girl...

Again, it might seem absurd for Eren to worry about mere dreams, but that key told him that it wasn't just a simple dream, and if it wasn't a simple dream, then his father...
His thoughts were interrupted when the warehouse doors swung open and countless refugees entered, almost piling into the warehouse. Mikasa woke up at that moment and, together with Eren, they saw the large crowd entering non-stop, so many that they both thought they were going to be crushed by the large number of people entering. Mikasa remembered with little enthusiasm how the day before it had been so difficult for her to even make space for herself so as not to be crushed by the people who could barely breathe with so many people so close together.
Now she would face the same situation, only now she also had to worry about Eren not ending up crushed or suffocated.

"Hey, don't push me!"
"Stop complaining, there's not much space!"
These were the many complaints that the refugees shouted as they crowded together, and little by little more people had to find a place where they could at least have some mobility or at least not feel so uncomfortable, and that crowd of tightly packed people reached Eren and Mikasa.
Eren felt himself being pushed in all directions, people accidentally kneeling on him from all sides, and the feeling of being trapped in a place where oxygen was slowly running out came over Eren. Things were not so different for Mikasa; the same pattern repeated itself as with Eren; knees, shoves, and the lack of air was already noticeable in her. Enough was enough.

With all her strength, she managed to make her way through the jungle of adult legs until she found Eren, who was completely disoriented and could barely move freely.
Mikasa managed to grab his arm and began to make her way with him to somewhere that at least felt less claustrophobic and more free, even if only a little, but they couldn't find it. No matter where she looked, there were only more people suffocating them both.
At that moment, Eren was also trying to find a space, even a small one, and he found it, right in the corner of the warehouse.
Now it was he who took Mikasa's hand and made his way as best he could through the crowd. For both of them, it was like walking through a forest where all the trees were sticking to them, leaving little room to manoeuvre. Finally, with great effort, Eren and Mikasa managed to reach a small space that the crowd had not yet reached.

Both children gasped for breath as sweat trickled down their foreheads and then all over their bodies.
"Damn it, is this the only shelter in the entire Rose Wall?"
Eren said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Yes, it is."
Mikasa said as she also caught her breath. Direct and to the point.
"Luckily, the government decided to give us this warehouse as a shelter. They're not willing to give us another one. According to them, it would be an unnecessary expense to have to remove the things from the warehouses and build more for them, and it would only increase the problem of resources for the population."
"And how do you know that?"
"It was the first thing the guards told us when we got here. You were there, I thought you remembered."

Eren was surprised to hear that, which only increased his questions and, in a way, his fear of his dreams and what they meant.
"Eren, are you really okay?"
Eren no longer saw any point in trying to lie to her. In fact, he could no longer bear to think about these issues alone. But he also didn't know if what he would tell Mikasa would make any sense to her, or if she would simply think he had gone mad.
"I—"
"Attention!"

A shrill voice shouted, drawing the attention of all the refugees. It was a soldier accompanied by others, but they were not garrison troops; the symbol stamped on their uniforms did not indicate that. Instead of the red rose symbol of the garrison troops, it was the symbol of a green horse with a long horn protruding from its forehead. With that, they knew who they were dealing with: the Military Police Brigade.

"As you may already know, food has been becoming scarce at an alarming rate lately, and with the recent refugee crisis, the situation has only gotten worse."
The citizens were not very happy to be reminded of the obvious, especially in these difficult times, but their internal complaints vanished with the following words.
"Although the workforce to grow more food has increased, it is estimated that the current number of workers will not be enough to effectively solve this problem."
The man paused briefly, almost preparing himself for what he was about to say next.
"Therefore, it has been decreed that starting tomorrow, all refugees will go to work in the fields to help with food cultivation and production."
Those were the words that caused a scandalous chorus of jumbled and incomprehensible complaints to be heard throughout the warehouse. All the refugees protested against the decision made by their government; they were not amused by having to survive the Apocalypse and then be forced to work inhuman hours in such a short time.
"What are you talking about? What do you think you're doing?
"Do you really think we're in this situation for that kind of thing?!"
These were some of the complaints that the soldiers managed to discern from the sea of anger and demands that were hurled at them.
"Calm down! We didn't decide this, it's orders from above."
The attempts to calm the situation were in vain, as the protests only grew louder and louder. But as they grew, the patience of some soldiers waned.
A loud shot rang out, and the echo of the warehouse helped to make it even louder. The refugees screamed in fear when the bullet was fired, and finally all complaints ceased. The person responsible for the shot pointed his rifle at the ceiling and exclaimed in a firm voice.
"It was not our decision to force you into this situation. We understand that your situation is difficult, and we wish things were different, but at this point, it is not possible. We are all doing our part to prevent things from getting worse, and at this moment, we ask you to do the same. It is the only thing we can do now!"

Once he had finished his speech, silence fell over the room. Not even the slightest whisper could be heard.
The soldiers then decided it was time to leave. They withdrew without saying another word, and among the refugees, only resignation remained in some, and complaints in many more.
Some complained quietly, others simply accepted the shit that would come their way starting tomorrow.

Eren and Mikasa simply watched and listened to the entire exchange, from beginning to end.
Deep down, Mikasa felt deeply frustrated, but sooner rather than later, she accepted what her life would be from now on. To her surprise, Eren did not.
"Great, just what we needed."
he said as he kicked the wall in indignation.
"You heard him, Eren. We have no other choice."
"And you accept that? Just like that?"
"Eren, this is what we have from now on."
Mikasa said in a stern tone, almost like a scolding.
"We're not in Shiganshina anymore, this is our life now; we work the fields, we produce food, we subsist on that, and that's it, end of story."
Eren tried to object, but then he remembered what had happened hours earlier; again, it was useless to throw a tantrum at this point, and he finally accepted it, reluctantly, but he accepted it.

Eren sat leaning against the wall, annoyed but resigned at last, and Mikasa sat down beside him once more, seeing that his angry expression hadn't changed and sensing that he would keep it even when he fell asleep.
She then put a hand on his shoulder and Eren turned to look at her.
"I'll be there to help you deal with this, okay?"
she said, flashing a small smile that could easily go unnoticed by less observant people. Eren looked at her silently for a moment, his face softening slightly in his anger.
"Okay."
said Eren, somewhat calmer now, but still not entirely satisfied despite everything.
"Well, we'd better get some rest. We'll need it."
"Mikasa..."
The girl heard Eren say her name in a tone that was more melancholic than angry, and when she looked at him, she realised that his gaze was directed at the floor, with a guilty expression.
"Do you think he's still angry?"
Eren didn't need to say her name for Mikasa to know who he was talking about.
"You know Armin, you just have to give him time."
"I didn't want to hurt him, and yet I did. It's just that... so much has happened."
This time, Mikasa gently wrapped her hand around Eren's.
"Don't worry, he'll understand."
Eren blushed slightly; this time, he didn't pull his hand away from Mikasa's gentle grip. Even so, the guilt didn't go away.
"Maybe, even so, I have no excuse. I lost my mum, my dad; I don't want him to be next."
"He won't be."
Mikasa smiled at Eren. Seeing her smile, his melancholy diminished and he was able to feel a little calmer, at least for now.
"Thank you,"
said Eren, smiling back at her.
"Good night, Eren."
"Good night."
Despite the place where they now had to fall asleep, Eren and Mikasa managed to sleep soundly that night.

The sun rose over the world once again and a new day began, and with it, a new routine. The warehouse doors opened with a loud bang that woke up most of the refugees, including Eren and Mikasa.
"Get up!"
the soldier announced.
"It's time to go."
Reluctantly, several had to get up and start following the soldiers to the field, with many complaints again, of course.

All along the way, Eren tried to spot Armin and his grandfather among the many walking, but he couldn't; the refugees walked through the streets of the city, and as they did so, they saw that several inhabitants had already come out to see them, with the simple aim of seeing the misfortune of others, perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps out of simple morbid curiosity. The only thing the refugees knew was how some inhabitants felt when they saw them. Some gave them looks of genuine pity, others of disdain and annoyance at having to share space and food from now on, and others with simple gossipy curiosity. For Eren, the feeling of multiple eyes staring at him as if he were an animal never seen before became unbearable, even very annoying. He was about to shout, 'What are you looking at me for?' but when he opened his mouth, Mikasa stopped him just in time, with a look that made one thing clear: 'It's not worth it. Eren then decided to let it go. She was right; they already had enough problems.

Finally, after walking for a long time, they managed to reach the field.
It was gigantic, a huge expanse of land and grass with several reminders of the work some refugees had already done the day before.
Eren looked on in awe, admitting to himself that it was a pleasant sight despite the circumstances.
He saw that many of the refugees were also looking at the landscape with admiration, and to his surprise (and joy) he also saw the person he wanted to see so much. He started running towards her, with Mikasa surprised to see him start running and following him without understanding the reason for his reaction, until they reached the place where Eren was headed.
"Armin."
Eren said.

Armin was with his grandfather when he heard his name. He turned around in surprise and saw Eren and Mikasa approaching him and his grandfather.
"Oh, hello, everyone."
Armin said in a monotone voice.
"I thought you weren't coming. I didn't see you on the way here."
"There were a lot of us, Eren. It was to be expected."
He said dryly, which made Eren feel somewhat guilty. Memories of yesterday came flooding back, reminding him of his cruel words to his friend. This made him look a little more downcast, although he tried not to let Armin notice too much. Despite his guilt, he felt that a simple 'sorry' would not be enough this time.
"You're right... My bad."

"Eren? Mikasa?"
said a fourth voice, one that sounded like someone their age.
"Oh, hello Mr. Arlert, it's good to see you."
"Likewise, children,"
said Shane, relieved to see that at least Eren and Mikasa were still alive, until he saw Eren's bandaged hands.
"Ah, that's right, how are your hands, Eren? Do they still hurt?"
Shane asked the same question his grandson had asked the day before, and received the same answer Armin had given the day before.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Eren touched his hands as he said those words, somewhat surprised that he was actually... fine, too fine for those kinds of injuries.

"Even so, I should change those bandages now, they could make the wounds worse."
Shane felt lucky to be carrying enough bandages and other items to treat wounds like these. After all, it wouldn't be unusual for him to need them during field work for wounds that he or someone else might suffer. He approached Eren with some of these bandages in his hands, ready to use them. He silently thanked Grisha for the advice and teachings he had given him to treat such problems, and he also lamented his possible death. He could only hope that, if there was an "afterlife," he and Carla could be together now.

"Let me see your hands, Eren."
The boy agreed, holding out both hands so Shane could examine them again. The old man unwrapped the bandage on Eren's right hand first. It took a while because he had wrapped it tightly, but when he finally managed to do so, he saw something that left him frozen, in shock, with a look of pure disbelief on his face.
Eren was puzzled by this unexpected reaction, and upon inspecting his own hand, he soon shared that feeling.
His hand was completely intact, without any wounds, not even a scar. It was as if he had never been hurt.
"Holy... God."
Shane said, stunned. Armin and Mikasa came over to look, and like Eren and Shane, they were speechless at what they saw.
Shane then quickly unwrapped Eren's other hand in an act that was more unconscious than conscious, and his astonishment increased when he saw that his other hand was also free of any wounds.
"B-but what...?"
Eren looked at both hands in disbelief, remembering well how badly they had been injured and the pain it had caused him. Even in his strange dream with his father, he could still feel the burning sensation and the bandages that were wrapped around them, so as far as he was concerned, those wounds did exist.
"How is it that you..."
Shane said, the shock so great that he could not even speak.

"All right, everyone, listen to me!"
said a shrill voice. Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. It was a man dressed in a green military uniform, with white trousers and black boots that reached his knees. on his arms, back, and chest was a symbol that made it clear who would be in charge of monitoring their activities: none other than the military police, damn it.

"Everyone here, without exception, will have to do their part in these fields if they want to have a bite to eat to survive."
said the man sternly, whose clothing betrayed his high rank. He stepped aside, giving a clear view of the crops, the countless bags, and, in general, the large plot of land that would be their responsibility from now on.

"You will be divided into groups. Strong adults will work in the fields; they will till the soil, help move the heaviest sacks, and also be responsible for digging, sowing, and watering. The children will do lighter tasks; those who are strong enough will carry buckets of water for irrigation and to hydrate the workers, while the others will be responsible for separating the seeds, counting tools, and cleaning the harvesting instruments that need the most maintenance. Finally, the elderly: one group will help the children carry buckets of water, while those who are not strong enough will be responsible for health and medical support, supervision and counting materials.
Those who already have their positions assigned from yesterday should go to them, the others will be examined to determine which section they will be in."
The man gave each of the instructions in a firm voice, his shouts seemed to tear his larynx apart, but he was so used to using that tone that he could well have shouted even louder and then spoken normally, as if nothing had happened.

Shane stood up and prepared to go to his medical support post, still feeling uncertain and somewhat fearful about what he had seen with Eren; for the moment, he tried to put those thoughts aside, at least for now. Before leaving, he made sure to say goodbye to the trio for the time being.
"Well, the day is beginning. Be careful, all right? Do everything they tell you. They're a bit intense with people when it comes to following orders."
"All right."
said Armin, and with these words from his grandfather, he hoped that Eren would be clear about what he definitely should not do.
Shane finally left for his post, while Eren, Armin, and Mikasa watched him, wondering what awaited them on this day. Almost as if in response to fate, a Military Police soldier approached them, silently examining them with his gaze.

"Hmm, you look healthy and strong; you three, support duties, go with the water guys."
Eren and Mikasa were surprised when they heard the words "you three." Mikasa was more than capable of this task, Eren would manage, but Armin definitely would not. But before they could say anything to have Armin reassigned to counting seeds, or some other task more suited to him, he beat them to it.
"Understood, sir,"
he said calmly.
"Armin—"
Before Eren could finish speaking, Armin raised his finger to his mouth, with a gesture that made an obvious indication, "be quiet."
"All right, move along then."
When the man withdrew to see the other refugees, Eren hastened to question Armin about his decision.
"Armin, what are you doing? Wouldn't it be better for you to go to some lighter work?"
"No, I've made my decision."
"But—"
"Come on, they'll complain if we stay here doing nothing."
Armin began walking towards where the soldier had indicated they should go to work; Eren and Mikasa exchanged a look of mutual concern.

The rest of the day was much the same, equally exhausting for everyone. Those who had been sent to do the heavy work already had blisters that were too noticeable and, in some serious cases, their hands were already starting to hurt like hell; and the sun, that bastard star that beat down on them with its burning, suffocating heat, did not help matters at all. Those carrying the sacks felt their bodies turn to jelly from extreme exhaustion, their legs struggling to keep them from falling to the ground, and some were even beginning to delirium from fatigue and the heat that made their bodies burn. Things were not much different for those who were tilling the soil or digging; their hands were almost stained dark from the earth, with so much of it buried deep between their fingernails that a tree could have grown there. Not to mention the almost superhuman effort that many had to exert with the tools, as not many had even the slightest idea of what each one was for, and their use in inexperienced hands only added another layer of exhaustion to the situation.

Those in the health and medical section hardly had a break. The inexperience of several of the refugees had cost them quite a few injuries with the tools, while others had succumbed to exhaustion from the gruelling work of digging and tilling the soil and were taken to the medical section in an emergency. Even for the children with simple tasks, the situation was torture in its own way. Some already felt like they could go mad at any moment from having to separate countless seeds that seemed to never end, or from cleaning the absurd amount of tools that were covered in dirt up to the handle.

For Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, the situation was no better. The demand for water was constant, literally constant, whether for irrigation, for people to bathe from head to toe with a bucket of water made lukewarm by the scorching sun, or to drink almost the entire bucket of water.

The children responsible for carrying the buckets full of water walked a few metres, or kilometres, or even from one end of the field to the other, depending on how lucky they were with the next person who needed water.

Eren felt every muscle fibre in his body tearing more and more each time he had to force himself to carry a new bucket, adding to the feeling of fatigue and the already pleading need of his being to simply pass out; he was so drenched in sweat that it looked like he had bathed in one of the buckets of water, and as much as he wanted to do that, he knew that if he did, he would only be met with a reprimand and possibly punishment for it. This became clear to him when one of the children did just that and was severely scolded and forcibly taken to dig alongside the adults so that the consequences of disobeying orders would be clear. In addition to the shouting and mistreatment given to those who stopped working or were unable to complete their tasks, the helplessness caused by such actions was somewhat diluted when he saw that at least some of the soldiers supervising them still had some humanity left and allowed them to carry out such actions without consequence.

But despite the exhaustion, fatigue and pain, Eren kept going without stopping; the rage he felt was the driving force that prevented him from collapsing on the ground; he hated seeing the unfair treatment of him and his people, he hated having to beg for alms from now on, he hated working for people who saw him as a mere pest that had come to invade their lands, and above all, he hated how all of that made him feel like cattle, like a slave. That was the fire that fuelled his anger and that he used to give his body the strength to remain standing for a few more moments, despite the agony it caused him.

Once the water had been carried and used to irrigate the crops, Eren returned, panting heavily once again, to the well from which so much water had already been drawn. Finally, he allowed himself the small, simple pleasure of lying on his back on the ground while he caught his breath as best he could. There was not a single object or artefact in that place that could provide sweet shade to shelter the tired water carriers. A few metres away, there was a barn where they could have enjoyed that luxury, but the exhaustion and pain of having to struggle to walk another centimetre prevented them from reaching it. so Eren had to lie down, receiving the full force of the sunlight on his face, already drenched in hot sweat, which now felt like it was burning all over his skin. Although he hated it, for him, the simple fact of at least being able to rest his body for a while was a relief that, although it felt bitter, was a relief after all.

Eren's heavy, tired breathing gradually returned to normal, and as this happened, Eren heard other tired gasps that did not come from him, but from his side.
When he looked at the source of the sound, he realised that it was not actually 'he' who was responsible, but 'she'.

Mikasa was sitting a few inches away from Eren, leaning against the old, durable concrete of the well, showing the same signs of exhaustion as Eren, and like him, fatigue prevented her from walking a little further to the barn. Mikasa managed to hold out longer than Eren, even doing her job more effectively, but the long time it took to do this difficult task finally caught up with her, and exhaustion, although it took a while, ended up overcoming her too. With that, Eren saw that even though Mikasa was the strongest person he had ever known physically, it reminded him that, like him, she was just a girl who was also doing the best she could.

"I see you didn't have a good time either."
said Eren, now a little more recovered.
"Not at all."
replied Mikasa, who was now struggling to catch her breath.
"How long will we have to stay like this?"
"I don't know, but it will probably be until sunset."
Eren looked up at the sky and could tell that at least the approximate time for the end of the day was approaching.
"Well, okay, we'll just keep doing this until we have to go back to the city exhausted, then the Titans will arrive and we won't be able to sleep all night, then in the morning they'll tell us to get up to work and repeat."
Mikasa was a little upset to hear those words, precisely because they were so true. She wondered how long it would be before people, or even they themselves, started to go crazy over the whole thing.
"I'm sorry, I know that wasn't very optimistic of me."
said Eren, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, you're not wrong, but for us, this is all there is."
"Yes..."

Eren and Mikasa remained silent, the acceptance that from now on this would be their life until the day they died was too difficult to accept; or so it was until they heard a loud noise near them. They both turned towards the source of the sound and saw that it was a child who had fallen to the ground. He showed no movement or heavy breathing; he had presumably fainted, which was not surprising, but it was cause for concern.

Both ran to help the boy, who was lying face down, motionless. As they approached, Eren got a better look at him; he saw that he had blond hair, and when he looked more closely at his clothes, he and Mikasa were filled with fear when they realised who it was.
"Armin!"
They shouted in unison. When they reached him, Eren immediately turned him over to look at him and saw that Armin, still unconscious with his eyes closed, was having difficulty breathing. He was so drenched in sweat that even Eren's hands got wet when he held him in his arms. His lips were as dry as those of someone stranded in the desert for endless days and nights without a drop of water. In general, he looked as if he were on his last legs.

Frightened by the situation, they decided it was time to go to the barn. Despite their fatigue and not yet being fully recovered, they knew that going there was no longer a simple desire, it had become a necessity.
"Mikasa, take some water, I'll carry Armin."
"Okay."
Both children walked with difficulty towards their destination, and although at one point they also felt like they were about to pass out, they struggled to keep walking steadily until they reached the shade of the barn, and finally made it.

Upon arrival, Eren laid Armin down on a pile of straw, and Mikasa wet his face with water from the bucket as they both tried anxiously to wake him up.
"Armin, Armin! Please, mate, wake up!"
Eren said as he gave the unconscious boy water to drink. After a few tense seconds, Armin woke up, breathing heavily, with Eren and Mikasa looking on with relief as he opened his eyes again.
"It's okay, breathe, it's okay now."
Eren said, followed by Mikasa with a:
"Are you okay, Armin?"

When Armin regained full consciousness, he was surprised by where he was, unable to remember a single thing that had happened after he reached the well.
"What is... How did I get here? What happened?"
"You fainted near the well. You looked really bad."
Armin was surprised by Mikasa's words.
"What? Did that really happen?"
Eren and Mikasa nodded. Hearing this, Armin leaned back, one hand covering his face in disappointment, deep disappointment in himself.
"What's wrong, Armin?"
"This shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened."
Both were surprised by Armin's words.
"What are you talking about?"
Armin remained silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling, almost as if reflecting to himself. Then he simply got up without saying anything, ready to leave to continue his work.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? You need to rest."
Eren said, grabbing Armin's arm, preventing him from leaving.
"There's still work to be done, Eren."
Armin said, surprisingly determined.
"And you need to rest. You almost died out there. Lie down again, okay?"
"Relax, I'm fine."
"Armin."
Mikasa said authoritatively, getting his attention.
"You're not fine. You need to rest. If you overexert yourself again, you'll end up like before, or worse."
Armin stared at her silently for a few moments.
"I said I'm fine, do you understand?"
Armin pushed Eren's arm away and started walking towards the exit again. Mikasa was about to speak again, but Eren beat her to it, and what he said surprised her.

"It's about yesterday, isn't it, Armin?"
With that, Armin stopped dead in his tracks, surprised himself. And what Eren said next surprised him even more.
"Armin."
Eren was silent for a moment, thinking about what he should say at that moment, and finally let the words come out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. The only thing I could feel at that moment was anger; anger at being weak, anger because...
Eren prepared to say these words, words that disgusted him completely, but which were true.
"Because I'm a disgusting herd."

Armin turned to look at Eren, surprised by his words.
"I couldn't save my mother, the Titans destroyed my home, many innocent people died. And I wasn't able to do anything. I hated to admit it, I didn't want to, I wanted to cling to the idea that I wasn't weak, that I could do something, instead of just bowing my head like that. But..."
Eren saw Mikasa, and the moment she brought him back down to earth came to mind.
"I finally realised that wasn't the case, and it never was."
Eren turned to Armin, who looked at Eren in astonishment, unable to say a single word.
"I have no excuse, I hurt you, and I'm really sorry for doing that, but a simple 'sorry' isn't enough. If you don't want to forgive me, I understand, I wouldn't either."

Eren said, looking at the floor. Even if Armin didn't forgive him, Eren didn't regret apologising. He had to say it, he needed to say it, he owed it to Armin, God, he owed it to him.
The three remained in a tense silence, one that was unbearable, but Eren felt he deserved it. He did not break the silence again because that horrible discomfort was something he felt he deserved to experience, that he deserved to have horrible things happen to him.

"Eren."
Armin said suddenly, in a tone that was a far cry from the cold and distant air of before, and was more like the usual tone that Eren and Mikasa had grown accustomed to hearing from their friend.
"I'm not angry with you."
He said, flashing a smile, which surprised (and calmed Eren to a certain extent).
"Well, maybe I was, a little, at one point."
Armin laughed nervously.
"But that's not why I did what I did."
He looked at the ground, melancholy.
"I... I also hate being weak. I don't want to be a burden to you guys."
Eren and Mikasa were surprised when they heard those words from their friend.
"You've always been there looking after me, you never abandoned me, you never hesitated to help me. And I could never return the favour. I wanted to be able to fend for myself, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of achieving things like this on my own, that I could endure all this on my own.
Armin looked up at a surprised Eren and Mikasa.
"Because I want to be able to help you too, just as you did so many times for me, especially now."
Armin was a little embarrassed to have said those words; being that stubborn was not like him, especially considering the consequences, but he was equally willing to do it, for them and for himself.
Another silence fell between them as they all processed what the other had said.

"Well."
Eren finally broke the silence.
"I guess we're both stubborn after all."
He said with an amused smile on his face. This was contagious for Armin, who smiled too.
"Haha, yes, I guess so."
"Well, it looks like I have more than one stubborn person to worry about now."
Mikasa said, surprisingly smiling too. With that, the three of them began to laugh happily, in a scene where, for the first time in all the constant ordeal they had to go through, they were able to laugh genuinely and feel true calm and joy that is so common in childhood, but for them is a luxury. After the laughter subsided, Eren reached out a hand to Armin, who looked at him in surprise.
"Friends?"
Eren asked.
"Friends."
Armin shook his hand, repairing a brotherhood that he thought, for a moment, was lost; and for Eren, it was a beautiful ray of hope in this storm of misfortune that pursued the three of them.

After this, Eren stretched out, exhausted, remembering where they were and wanting to take advantage of the comfort of the place.
"Well, I don't know about you, but since we're here in the shade, I want to stay and rest for a while."
Despite having been in the shade for quite some time, Eren wanted to be able to enjoy it, focusing solely on resting and regaining his strength. Armin and Mikasa agreed with their friend's wish.
"Yes, you're right."
said Armin in his usual tone again.
"Definitely."
Mikasa declared, in her usual calm tone, but one that conveyed warmth.
The three of them then lay down on a pile of straw, for the first time in a long while, enjoying a peace and calm that, however brief, they treasured every moment of, together.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day until sunset was the same as before: work, exhausted people, some even fainting from exhaustion, extreme fatigue, and so on and so forth. Until finally, the sky began to turn a mustard yellow colour and with this, the Military Police were ready to announce the end of the day's activities, as well as another announcement that could be good or bad, depending on how you looked at it.

Many of the soldiers approached the refugees to stop work and give them the new announcement, with words that several of them repeated, with variations in their communication, but which conveyed the same message.
"You will not return to the warehouses. We have set aside the barns for you to stay in from now on, but you will be separated into two groups. In one will be the adults and the elderly, and in the other will be only the children."

This order had been decreed after it was realised that the comings and goings of the refugees from the warehouse to the fields and vice versa would be detrimental to their work performance. Not to mention the usual attacks by the night titans, which meant that few people in the city could even close their eyes at night, and considering that they needed a lot of food produced quickly and consistently from now on, it was more feasible for those who worked in the fields to stay in the fields. They would be spared the fatigue of the long journey from the warehouse to the fields, and at least they would be able to sleep better so that their lack of energy would not affect their performance. Among these measures to help people recover optimally was solving the problem of space; there was no choice but to choose one place for the adults and another for the children, as this was the best way to distribute the space.

Of course, this upset several parents and children who were reluctant to accept this order; after all, one of the things that could bring a little light in those moments after a hard day's work was to rest in the comforting warmth of the family bosom; especially in difficult times when those little moments of comfort were everything to them, and to take even that away from them was to rub salt into the wound; But in the end, like all previous orders, they had to be obeyed, even if it was with the worst reluctance in the world and with many insults to authority thrown in.

Once the sun had almost completely set, in the barn where the adults and elderly were staying, food rations were being handed out to the exhausted workers, while several of them were finally able to lie down on straw, finally relaxing their tense and burning bodies with pleasant calm; although for others there was no straw left to lie on and they simply decided to surrender to the hard floor, or sit with their backs against the wall; despite their fatigue, they did not care if the place where they lay down was not as comfortable as they would have liked.

Despite the calmness of many of them, for those in the medical section, the work was not yet completely finished; there were still several attending to the many injured by the tools used in the inexperienced hands of these, in addition to those who had fainted and were now just recovering.

For Shane, it was an odyssey from start to finish. He had to attend to so many that there came a point when he just wanted to shout "FUCK IT" and leave his comrades to their fate, but his conscience prevented him from doing so. After all, everyone was doing their part, even if they didn't want to, and he had to do the same. And so it was, until late into the night, when they were finally able to attend to everyone properly. With that, Shane was finally able to give himself the satisfaction of simply sitting in a corner, breathing a sigh of relief, and stretching out, exhausted. His muscles were finally beginning to relax, and the stress he felt in his mind and at the back of his neck was slowly easing.

"Phew, what a day, right, Armin?"
he said in a tone that tried to sound ironic to lighten the mood, but there was no response. He looked around confused until he remembered the order that had been announced to them moments earlier. With this, a sad realisation dawned on him; with a somewhat downcast look, he accepted that he would hardly be able to see his grandson these days, or perhaps for a long time to come, due to the working hours that made it difficult for them to meet.

"Hello, may I sit down?"
said a voice with a heavy, exhausted tone. When Shane looked up, he saw a man about his age (probably 5 or 10 years younger). He had short hair dyed a greyish colour due to old age, and his face also betrayed his age, as it already showed some wrinkles that were not very pronounced but were still somewhat noticeable. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and slightly worn sky blue trousers. When Shane saw him, he knew who he was; he was a man who, along with him, had been most responsible for the patients throughout the day, and Shane found it ironic that even during their break, they would still be together.

"Sure, go ahead."
Shane stepped aside, making room and inviting his colleague to join him in the tranquillity of the break. The man then sat down next to Shane, and the same process of physical relaxation was repeated in him as well. "Heh, to think I'd spend my old age like this. Well, it's better than just lying in bed until I die.
Said the man next to Shane, with a tone that didn't feel so pessimistic despite the situation.
"Yeah, although right now, I wouldn't complain about lying in bed. Although you don't look that old either.
Shane replied in a similar tone, smiling at his co-worker.
"I have to agree with you on that. Eh... What did you say your name was?"
The man had a look of embarrassment on his face, having worked together all day and still not knowing his name.
"Shane, Shane Arlert."
he said, still smiling.
"Shane, that's a good name. My name is Marek."
"Nice to meet you."
The two men shook hands, friendly looks on their faces.
"Hey Shane, where did you learn first aid? You practically carried the entire medical section on your own."
"Grisha Yaeger taught me. I think you've heard of him. He became really famous in Shinganshina for his medical skills."

Marek nodded, impressed. He knew well the legend of Grisha Yaeger, the man who saved all the inhabitants of Maria Wall from a seemingly incurable disease, even saving Marek's son. Grisha almost seemed like a walking miracle because of his unprecedented knowledge, so when he thought about Shane's performance out there, he felt a little silly for not putting two and two together, but it was too incredible to be true.

"Well, that explains a lot."
he said jokingly, to which Shane laughed with amusement and some embarrassment.
"Yes, his son and my grandson are great friends, I often saw him around because of that."
However, when Armin was mentioned, Shane's expression slowly changed to a more sombre one, and then to one that showed some sadness.
"Are you all right, Shane?"
Marek said as he put a hand on his new friend's shoulder.
"Yes, I'm fine, it's just that..."
Shane paused, preparing to say his next words.
"It really hurts me that my grandson and his friends are being dragged into this. They're just children, and now they're forced to suffer like adults. And honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like to see him and help him get through all this. After all, he's the only family I have left."
A silence fell between Shane and Marek, the latter looking surprised and pitying at Shane, who noticed this and felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to sound so depressing."
"No, it's okay, I understand. Sometimes it's better to get the bad feelings out so they don't weigh you down so much."
Said Marek, who, like Shane, looked a little more downcast when he saw that someone else shared his pain, but Marek didn't want it to stay that way; he knew that words like 'everything will be fine' or 'don't worry' would only be comforting lies that someone like Shane would instantly realise were just lies; so at least he wanted Shane to feel that there was someone with whom he could share his pain.

"You know."
he finally said.
"I feel that way too."
Shane looked at him, surprised by those words.
"I have a son. His mother died during the fall of the wall."
Marek's downcast gaze intensified.
"Now he's the only family I have left. He's only 15, and today he had to work like he was 20. Honestly, the exhaustion I felt today was nothing compared to what I felt when I saw him carrying water under the sun, almost on the verge of collapse."
Marek remembered so well the helplessness he felt when he saw that, that he felt he could see his son in front of him again, with himself far away, forced to stay and tend to the countless wounded, while his child forced himself to find the strength to walk a long way.
"When you're a father, nothing hurts more than seeing your child suffer, and the worst thing is seeing that, seeing how he just wants to cry and be comforted by someone, and not being able to do it, no matter how much you want to."
The memories of just that, of his son on the verge of tears, and seeing how he resisted with all his strength, made Marek's smile at the beginning of the conversation disappear completely, replaced by palpable melancholy.

A silence fell between Shane and Marek, with the former looking at him with understanding and pity.
"I'm sorry..."
Shane finally said.
"Don't be sorry."
Marek looked up and turned his gaze to Shane.
"I... I just wanted you to at least not feel alone with all this."

Shane was surprised by Marek's words, remaining silent for a few seconds, until he smiled again, this time with a look that communicated gratitude and understanding, a very moving one.
"Thank you, really."
Now it was Shane who placed a hand on Marek's shoulder.
"That's what friends are for, right?"
Marek said, smiling back at him, and both men laughed softly at each other's company, both physical and emotional.

In the barn where the children were to stay from now on, the situation was not very different, although it was slightly more chaotic. During the distribution of rations, there were fistfights between several of the children, who, desperate from hunger and exhaustion, resorted to violence to get a bite to eat, even though the military police forcibly separated them and repeated over and over again that there was enough for everyone.

For Eren, surprisingly, the situation was somewhat calmer, which even he found strange. He received his ration as usual: dry bread and soup, that was all, and Eren really couldn't complain about that. He looked for a place where he could eat his food in peace and also where he could reserve a space for Armin and Mikasa. He found it in a corner of the barn. Unfortunately, it wasn't one where there was straw to lie down on, but Eren thought it was better than nothing. He sat down and began to eat in peace. It was a comforting peace, a very enjoyable one after a day like this; it was a peace... similar to when his parents were still alive. It was ironic that at this moment he was eating soup with bread, the same meal he had had that day with his family, eating together one last time before everything went to hell, and for Eren, the memory of that peace tainted the current peace he thought he had with sadness. He tried to spot one of his friends to call him over to keep him company, wanting at least their company to make him feel a little better. He managed to see Armin, but when he was about to shout his name, he noticed something, something not very good.

He saw Armin a little way off, already holding his rations, and near him he saw some children talking to him. The children were a little taller than the young Arlert, and Eren thought he saw a somewhat nervous expression on Armin's face, and that gave him a bad feeling, which was confirmed when one of them pushed Armin, who fell to the ground with his food slipping from his hands; even the soup he was holding fell on him and stained his clothes. For Eren, that was the signal to take action.

"That's what you get for not sharing."
said the boy who pushed Armin.
"Share? You wanted to steal my food, even though the guards said there was enough for everyone."
Armin said in an annoyed tone as he wiped the soup off his shirt.
said Armin in an annoyed tone as he wiped the remains of the soup that had fallen on his shirt. At that moment, one of the children grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up to eye level; Armin could see how the boy looked at him with anger and contempt.
"Today we had to carry a bunch of buckets of water back and forth all day. Do you think that didn't leave us exhausted and hungry?"
"So? Me too, and you don't see me bullying others because of it,"
Armin said in a firm tone, trying his best to hide all the fear he was feeling at that moment. However, that fear was finally expressed on his face when he saw the boy who was holding him give him a look of maximum anger, raising his fist, and from what Armin could see, it was aimed at his face. The boy closed his eyes in fear, waiting for the impact of the blow, but it didn't come. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see a hand stopping the bully's fist, who was also surprised and turned to look at the person responsible.

"Hey, leave him alone,"
said Eren, trying to sound reasonable, even though deep down he wanted to knock out the boy's teeth. The bully removed his hand from Eren's grip and let go of Armin, who moved closer to Eren.
"And who called you?"
said the bully, even angrier than before, to which Eren responded by trying for the first time in his life not to resort to violence as his first option.
"Listen, we don't want any trouble, okay?"
"Well, I'm sorry to inform you that we already have some."
Eren's desire to hit the boy only increased, but he resisted as best he could.
"Look, if there was a misunderstanding, we can just talk about it, okay?"
"Ha, yeah, right. Sorry, but in the real world, words don't work in these situations."
The bully had adopted a mocking expression towards Eren, and Eren felt some of his anger beginning to surface, but he still refused to hit him, even though his anger was too much to contain, so he let out a little of it with a comment he muttered under his breath.
"With empty heads like yours, how could they?"
Eren muttered to himself, but not quietly enough for his listener to hear.

"Excuse me?"
The boy approached Eren and gave him a hard shove, one that almost knocked Eren over. After regaining his balance, Eren felt his anger becoming almost uncontrollable. He clenched his fists tightly and his gaze communicated the burning rage within him in a remarkable way. The bully noticed this and, far from being frightened, felt satisfaction at that look, adding fuel to the fire by smiling smugly and mockingly at Eren.
"What? Are you angry?"
he said, still maintaining his haughty expression.
"Go ahead, little man, hit me back. Be a real man."

Eren was very willing to comply with his request, his goal was precisely to hit him on the nose, where he would undoubtedly cry a lot from the blow. But just as he was about to do so, his gaze shifted to Armin, who was looking at him with eyes that clearly said, 'No, it's not worth it.' Eren was trembling with rage at that moment, and when he saw that look in Armin's eyes, he struggled to resist the impulse, closed his eyes, and tensed up from all the fury burning inside him. After a moment of hesitation, Eren managed to maintain his composure. It took a tremendous effort, but in the end, Eren prevailed. The boy sighed, which extinguished some of his anger (though not all of it), and he simply decided to let it go.

"Let's go, Armin,"
he said curtly, and turned to leave with his friend, who followed suit. But seeing this, the bully did not give up his provocations; on the contrary, he doubled down.
"Well, in the end, you weren't a little man, you were a chicken.
The bully began to caricature the clucking of said animals while making exaggerated gestures, with his two companions laughing at such mockery of Eren.
Eren tried to keep his mind calm, even though rage still burned like an uncontrollable flame that infested his entire psyche. The boy did his best to keep it under control, but all Eren's efforts to do so were lost forever with the following words uttered by the cretin.
"Too bad there's no mother hen for the boy, he has no one to cry to."
Eren stopped suddenly, without turning to face the bully.

The bully laughed loudly and turned for a moment to look at his friends, who laughed even louder; immediately, he turned back to the front, expecting to see Eren's angry face, perhaps with tears in his eyes, but what happened instead was that the moment he turned, he felt a very strong impact on his face, more specifically on his nose, and the moment the impact hit, there was a soft but noticeable sound of something breaking, a slight "crack" could be heard. The boy then fell hard to the ground, hurting his head badly when it hit the hard surface of the floor. He quickly brought his hands to his nose, which was throbbing with pain that grew with every second, all while he moaned in pain on the floor. There he felt his hands getting wet with something that felt sticky, and when he raised his hands and inspected them, he saw with alarm that what he had on them were stains of a liquid as red as a rose in its prime.
"M-my nose!"
He cried out as he continued to moan in pain and began to cry.

Many children around him watched the scene with curiosity and amazement, watching as the boy cried on the floor with his bloodstained hands pressed to his nose, occasionally crying out, "My nose, you broke my nose!"
The boy's friends looked on in shock, and their surprise quickly turned to anger as they turned to look at Eren, who was panting not from exhaustion or fatigue, but from the uncontrollable rage he felt and which he was finally able to release a fraction of with that blow. This idiot had the audacity to intimidate Armin, the stupidity to continue a conflict that Eren wanted to end, and now, he had the utter cynicism to mock his beloved mother, who was no longer among the living, having been one of so many innocent victims who died horribly at the hands of the Titans.
Armin saw Eren looking surprised, surprised and fearful to know what was coming next.

"Now you're going to pay for that."
One of the bully's friends shouted at Eren, approaching him with a raised fist aimed at Eren's face, specifically his nose. Eren responded furiously, approaching the boy with the intention of fighting. His calmness and serenity burned away completely with his rage, and now he finally exploded, and he was going to keep doing so with these idiots. But before Eren or his attacker could realise what was happening, a hand caught the forearm of the boy who was about to hit Eren in mid-air, and Eren watched in complete surprise. His anger had subsided with this feeling, and when he turned around, he saw that the person who had done this was a girl with long, dark hair, wearing a pink coat and an unmistakable red scarf around her neck. On the one hand, Eren was a little glad to see her, but on the other, he knew he would get a good scolding when the situation calmed down.

Mikasa was holding the boy's limb quite tightly, so much so that it was uncomfortable for the child and was even starting to hurt, a sensation that grew and became more noticeable when Mikasa squeezed the boy's arm even harder, causing him to kneel on the ground crying from the insane pain.
"We don't want any trouble, and I hope you don't either."
Mikasa said in a tone as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife.
"No, we don't, I swear, please let me go!"
The boy said, already sobbing and trying with his free hand to remove Mikasa's hand, which was squeezing his forearm with increasing force, feeling as if it were about to break at any moment.

Mikasa continued to do so for a few more seconds, coldly watching the boy beg for mercy for his arm, until finally letting go with a push that sent him backwards, crashing onto the floor on his back.
The boy finally gently touched his injured forearm, free from the suffocating sensation Mikasa had given him, almost seeming incredulous to see that it had not been torn off.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
A voice with an authoritative tone shouted in the distance. The children moved aside to make way for one of the military police officers, who, attracted by the shouts and moans of pain from the bullies, hurried to see what was happening. He was surprised to see a child lying on the ground with his hands full of blood held to his nose, moaning, "My nose, my damn nose," and another child holding his arm while sobbing on the ground.
"What the hell happened here?!"

I asked immediately, and all the children fell silent, none daring to say a word for fear that the girl with the scarf had indirectly instilled in them.
"Well, are you going to answer or not?!"
I said, with more annoyance in my voice.

"It was an accident,"
Armin finally said, trying again to make his lie sound as believable as possible.
"They were so desperate to eat that they ended up fighting each other, that's why they're like this."
"That's not—"
The third member of the group of bullies was about to contradict Armin, but at that moment his gaze met Mikasa's, and when he saw her, he felt his soul leave his body as he saw those black, threatening eyes giving him a look that could have killed him right then and there.

The boy could only stare at those eyes in shock, unable to utter another word, until the guard snapped him out of his trance.
"Well?"
"It's... true, they were very hungry, that's why they ended up doing this."
The boy tried to make his tone sound convincing and not let the paralysing terror show too much. He succeeded, as the guard let out a grunt of annoyance and lifted both boys up, helping them walk to another place while scolding them, with the third boy clumsily following behind them.
"Idiots, how many times do we have to tell you that there is enough food for everyone? Come on, we'll treat your wounds and take you to the ones who give out the rations."
The guard finally disappeared with the boys into the crowd of children; everyone watched them walk away in silence, and finally, to save themselves more trouble, they decided to pretend nothing had happened, with only a few inaudible murmurs to their classmates or friends, but the trio of friends couldn't care less, the worst was over.

Eren let out a long sigh, one that conveyed relief and some peace of mind. His anger had subsided, and for now, no one would bother him anymore; or so he thought before feeling a slight tug on his ear, not hard enough to cause him great pain, but certainly enough to cause him great discomfort. Eren quickly moved away and, bringing a hand to his pulled ear, looked angrily at Mikasa, who didn't bother to lower her hand to hide the fact that she was the one who did it.
"Hey, what was that for?
"How many times do I have to tell you the same thing? Don't go looking for trouble."
Mikasa crossed her arms, and both Eren and she looked at each other with some annoyance. Eren was about to defend himself against Mikasa's accusation, but before he could utter a word, Armin beat him to it, surprising Eren with his words.

"No, Mikasa, he didn't do it to cause trouble, he was just trying to defend me. He even tried to resolve the issue peacefully without resorting to violence."
Mikasa listened in surprise to Armin's version of what happened. Of course, she really had no reason to think Armin was lying about it, as surprising as it seemed to her; after all, Armin also tries to prevent Eren from getting into these kinds of conflicts, so why would he lie?
Mikasa turned her gaze to Eren, now surprised instead of annoyed, but Eren still had some annoyance in his eyes, although a little calmer.
"See? I'm not as stubborn as you think."
Mikasa was still looking at Eren in surprise, and then her face changed to an expression that now communicated some guilt and regret.
"Well... I'm sorry then."
Eren stared at her for a moment, doubtful, but finally accepted her apology with reservations.
"Anyway, let's just go eat, okay?"
"Ah, Eren, about that..."

Armin pointed to his food on the floor, and then to his shirt, which was still wet from the soup that had spilled on him.
"Oh, right, I can give you some of my food if you want, Armin."
"No, Eren, don't worry, I'll just go order another one."
The three of them then turned to see how long the queue would be to order another portion; they saw that it was so long that it looked almost like a giant snake made up of children, one behind the other in a seemingly endless line; Armin was not amused by the sight of such a crowd, and noticing this, Eren insisted on his previous suggestion.

"Come on, Armin, I don't mind sharing."
Armin sighed in embarrassment, but finally agreed.
"All right, thanks, Eren. Oh, right, what about you, Mikasa? Aren't you going to eat?"
"I already did."
the girl said calmly.

"Without us?"
Eren said in a somewhat joking tone as they headed towards the corner he had set aside for them.
"I couldn't find any of you, and I was already very hungry."
Mikasa replied normally, apparently unable to grasp the joke.
"Well, one less mouth to feed."
"Hey."
Eren and Armin laughed in unison while Mikasa simply decided to let the comment slide, still not fully grasping the joke.

When night finally fell, all the children and adults in their respective barns were lying down in various places, even though the places where they were lying down were nothing like sleeping in a bed, and the cold certainly bothered many of them quite a bit. they all shared a small feeling of happiness knowing that perhaps for the first time ever, they could sleep peacefully and calmly without having to worry about being awakened in the middle of the night by the sounds of cannons and rifles being fired, and occasionally, the anguished cries of soldiers being crushed by nocturnal abominations that came to hunt them down. But for the Garrison Regiment, that was not going to be the case tonight.

The night glow provided by the moon and stars illuminated the silent streets of the city protected by the Rose Wall. The night light from the stars in the sky painted a picture of beauty that was pleasing to the eye and could fill the hearts of those who saw it with calm and happiness. But for Hannes and his companions, it was not something to be happy about, much less enjoy. The light of the moon and stars was the equivalent of morning for the night titans, and the equivalent of breakfast for them was the soft, bloody flesh of the people who lived within the walls. At this moment, the Garrison Regiment must be the ones to prevent the titans from filling their "stomachs" or whatever they have with this nightly breakfast stained with blood and pain.

Hannes was already at the top of the wall, rifle in hand, and surprisingly, with ODM equipment and his swords already equipped. Unlike ordinary titans, nocturnal titans were difficult to kill using only swords, as their weak point was not in the back of their necks, but in their exposed, beating organs in their torsos, and approaching them to cut them was like running into the lion's den, the mouth of death. Therefore, it was decided that the way to deal with these abnormal beings would be with cannon fire and gunshots. At least this increased the chances of survival by finishing off from a distance the creatures that began to climb the walls, or even managed to reach the top. After all, in addition to hitting the exposed organs of these beings, another way to kill them was to make them fall from the top of the wall and crash onto the hard ground, and it was easier and "safer" to do this using rifles than to throw oneself at them with manoeuvring equipment and swords. But that strategy had to be modified after the fall of the Maria wall; now that humanity was forced to retreat one wall, defending them at night required every possible and necessary resource, even if it meant resorting once again to the traditional method and combining it with the modern one.

The soldiers were already waiting with trembling impatience for the arrival of the Titans, and for the blood-and-lead carnage they had become accustomed to for so long to begin at once. Due to the desperate situation, countless medium-sized braziers had been placed during the day along the wall to the point where the night Titans could reach. When they were lit at that moment, the lighting around the summit improved, allowing the soldiers to see their surroundings better at night. However, even though there was more light contrasting with the darkness of night that loomed over them, the darkness of fear and anxiety still did not disappear from them.

Hannes could certainly confirm that. He clutched his rifle tightly as he trembled slightly, cold sweat running down his head, clinging to his weapon like a child would cling to a comfort toy to sleep with, feeling accompanied. but for Hannes, clinging to his weapon was literally clinging to the only thing that could save him from dying a savage and cruel death at the rattling, bony, malnourished hands of 3- to 5-metre-tall subhumans who were dying to sink their rotten, crooked teeth into his fragile flesh and crush it with strong, agonising bites. And Hannes saw that his fear was just one more among all his companions who shared that feeling reflected in their eyes and body language, which was practically the same as Hannes's. Perhaps that did not make his fear disappear, but at least it helped him a little to know that he was not the only one who felt that way.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of ODM equipment being used was heard. causing some of those who were already on high alert at the top of the wall to scream in fear. When they turned around, they were surprised to see other soldiers wearing dark green capes, and that the symbol stamped on their jackets and the backs of their capes was not the red roses of the Garrison Regiment, but a pair of white and blue wings firmly stamped on them. There, the garrison troops understood that today they would join forces with a sister faction: the Survey Corps.

"Sorry for the delay."
Said a man with dark skin and deep-set eyes, but with a determined look, and several recognised him, made easier to see thanks to the braziers that provided better light at the top of the wall. The commander of the Survey Corps, Keith Shadis.
"Don't worry, the important thing is that you're here."
Replied the squad leader of the Garrison Regiment calmly.
Keith and another of his soldiers who was near him looked with relative interest at the braziers scattered along the wall, surprised, and with Keith at the same time with a small ironic smile on his face, although it was not very pronounced.

"It seems that the occasion is so special that they even made it look like a ceremony."
"Those at the top thought that this would serve to, in their words, 'improve visibility'. Although personally, I feel that it's more of a way of indirectly telling the titans, 'hey, stay here, this is where the fresh meat is'."
"Well, it's not very encouraging for us, but at least it could be for the civilians."
A third voice spoke up, none other than the soldier standing next to Keith, a tall, burly man with straight blond hair, surprisingly well-groomed; He had sky-blue eyes with a serene and focused gaze, and something that caught the eye at first glance were his eyebrows, which were somewhat larger and thicker than normal, but far from looking ridiculous or abnormal, they added to the presence that this man conveyed.

"What did you say your name was?"
asked the squad leader.
"Erwin."
the soldier replied calmly.
"Erwin Smith, sir."

"He's my second in command."
Keith clarified, placing a hand on Erwin's shoulder.
"He's someone with a sharp mind in critical situations. His intellect and composure in the face of danger has saved us on more than one occasion."
Keith knew what he was talking about. There were many occasions when Erwin came up with a plan on the fly or led frightened soldiers in the midst of a direct confrontation with the Titans. He still remembered when they were in Titan territory at night, death looming over them as many of those monsters attacked the scouts with voracious savagery, and the casualties were already beginning to be countless, until Erwin suggested a plan that was insane in every sense of the word, but which worked to guarantee their escape from where they were.

Some soldiers, including Erwin, attracted the attention of several Titans, causing them to chase them with savage killer instinct. In doing so, the soldiers, led by Erwin, led the monsters towards others in the area, thus provoking a clash among the beasts in which several of them diverted their attention from the soldiers to the other Titans, causing an indiscriminate fight among several of them that allowed the survivors to escape.
Although Keith was grateful to have a soldier like Erwin in his ranks, and even developed a great admiration for him, deep down, the 'victories' they achieved thanks to him reminded him of something painfully obvious, so much so that Keith could even wince in acute pain when he remembered it. Erwin Smith was by far a better choice to be commander of the reconnaissance legion, even better than he could ever be.

"Are you all right, sir?"
Erwin asked Keith, who did not realise that he had a somewhat downcast expression on his face, showing the pain and frustration that these thoughts brought him.
"Ah... Yes, I'm fine, don't worry about me."
"Sir!"
Someone nearby shouted. It was Hannes, who was rushing towards the three high-ranking men.

"What's going on?"
asked the squad leader, who saw a look of palpable terror on Hannes' face, which made sense when he heard his words.
"They're here..."

Hannes pointed into the distance, and thanks to the moonlight, everyone could see the large figures of the night titans trotting on all fours towards them, their eyes fixed on the top of the walls. and all the soldiers felt as if those gazes were already crushing their spirits and destroying any feeling of vigour that might have come over them. Along with this, their stomachs churned as the painful explosion of their eyeballs came, spreading pools of blood across the green blanket of grass beneath them.

"Get ready,"
said Erwin, surprisingly calmly, as he saw the danger literally approaching before his eyes.
"It has already begun."

Chapter Text

Hannes still remembered when he first faced the night titans. Even today, he could clearly recall the screams of his comrades as they lay in the stinking, deformed mouths of the monsters, their skin practically melted and their organs exposed.
During his first and only battle against them, Hannes was more of a dead weight trying to save himself than a soldier whose duty was to fight the night monsters to the death. Even if the defence was successful that time, it did not change the fact that Hannes was left with an indelible trauma that would haunt him like a shadow cast behind him, whether it was night or day. He remembered with shame and pain how he even took refuge behind the few soldiers who did not hesitate to fight and give their lives against the beasts, firing without pause and managing to hit their always exposed organs.

After the defence was over, Hannes' "performance" in the event became known, and he was relegated to being a simple gate guard during the day, a position that could even be considered degrading, as it meant only one thing: he was so useless that the only thing he was good for was a position in which he would never see action or have to do anything more than fill a post that, until then, had been reserved for the most useless.
Far from complaining about such a blow to his pride, Hannes felt such deep relief and satisfaction that it could even have made him cry with happiness. But even with the joy of never having to face those abominations again, the shadow of that disastrous defence haunted him in the form of taunts from his fellow soldiers, who called him by the same derogatory name: 'Hannes, the drunken coward'. Hannes could tolerate that, but what he could not tolerate was when it was time to clean up the titans' disgusting slime, collect the few remains of the unfortunate men, and give their families the painful news.

But what changed everything, what made Hannes insist vehemently to his superiors that they let him climb to the top of that damn wall once more, was the debt he still owed and would never be able to repay in full. If the memory of his first defence was a shadow that haunted Hannes, the memory of Carla's death and Eren's screams were a spectre that clung to him with cold claws that, when they dug into his mind, reminded him of everything that his surroundings and his shadow had repeated to him over and over again for years, and he struggled to turn a deaf ear: he was nothing more than a coward, one who had the audacity to fear death, when it was what he deserved most.
And yet, even knowing what he was, Hannes once again climbed the wall, once again carried that rifle in his hands, and once again saw the beasts trotting on all fours towards him and his companions with murderous appetite; the sharp, paralysing fear made his mind beg Hannes again to flee, not to fight, but he did not give in. He stayed there, sweating cold, shaking uncontrollably, even on the verge of wetting himself, but he remained there. He would fight to protect every person on the walls, especially those children who had been orphaned because of him.

"PREPARE THE CANNONS!"
The squad leader shouted without wasting any time.
Several soldiers rushed to the aforementioned weapons, which were already pointing downwards, waiting for their prey to begin climbing the wall in a disgusting manner. And so they did.

The titans pressed their torsos against the wall, their organs expelling the slime that allowed them to adhere to it, and began to climb without delay up the surface to the top; but as they did so, they were greeted by the soldiers in the form of cannonballs. The cannons fired with a deafening burst of fire and smoke, the giant bullets travelling at incredible speed towards the titans, hitting their targets squarely. The bullets struck the monsters with brutal force, so strong that upon contact, many of their limbs exploded in a burst of blood and flesh that fell to the ground, painting it scarlet red, glistening in the moonlight. Others were hit squarely by the bullets with such force that they fell at the first opportunity, their bodies horribly mangled by the shot, with many limbs and organs flying through the air. But even though a veritable slaughter was taking place among the titans' ranks, they did not stop, nor did their numbers seem to diminish. There were still countless beasts climbing the walls in a hurry, even when an arm or part of their face was blown to pieces, they did not stop climbing the walls, paying no attention to their wounds from which a very clear line of hot steam was coming out. But the soldiers did not stop either.

They fired and reloaded the cannons as fast as their adrenaline-fuelled bodies would allow. Each shot from the cannons felt to them like a piece of their will and anger descending to destroy these monsters that had them living in constant hell; and surprisingly, this was also the case for Hannes; he found himself firing one of the cannons, with another soldier quickly placing the next charge when the previous one was finished. Hannes managed to hit many Titans as they climbed, even managing to destroy and bring down five of them. At that moment, Hannes' mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, some even contradictory. He felt joy, adrenaline, fear, realisation, so many emotions and thoughts filling his head as he fired more bullets at the Titans, the powerful blast of the cannon shot hitting his eardrums and almost deafening him.
«That's it, fall, fall, you bastards!»
Hannes thought, with an expression that wavered between showing fear or a smug smile, until the ammunition ran out and his face decided to show fear.
"Quick, the next load!"
The man in charge of that turned to pick them up, but stopped, unable to move.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!"
The man turned around with a look of pure terror on his face.
"We're out of ammunition..."
"W-what?"
Hannes looked at the other posts and was about to ask them for some bullets, but his fear increased even more when he saw that they had all run out of ammunition.
"That can't be true."
Hannes said without realising it.

"Is there no more ammunition left?"
The squad leader asked one of his soldiers.
"Negative, sir. We're all out."
"Sir!"
A voice shouted. It was Shadis, who was standing next to Erwin watching the Titans climb the wall. but now there were fewer of them. After a quick count, Shadis realised that there were now 18 Titans heading towards them. The other monsters had been reduced to piles of mangled flesh, scattered organs and debris that was slowly turning to dust, carried away by the night wind.

"They're coming this way, but there aren't that many of them anymore,"
Shadis said determinedly as he drew the rifle he carried on his back, with Erwin following his example.
"Then we'll have to..."
A soldier who was there began to tremble when he said those words, and his fear prevented him from finishing his sentence, but Shadis did not need him to do so to know what he was going to ask.
"Yes, get ready."

Every soldier readied their rifle, including the Survey Corps; several were already ready for what was coming, and several were not, including Hannes, who waited for what seemed like an eternity for the Titans to rear their heads with their disgusting globes of flesh staring at them with murderous intent.
Once again, the shadow of his first defence tormented him, and Hannes felt that he was returning to that moment in a very vivid and clear way, almost as if he had travelled back in time. Once again, his mind screamed loudly for him to run away, to save himself. They were screams that Hannes could almost hear in his ears, and for a moment, Hannes was going to listen to them. But the spectre of Carla's death dug its cold claws into Hannes' mind once more and reminded him of the painful truth: he was a coward, one whose lack of guts cost other people their lives and made the lives of many more miserable, for example, Eren.
And with that, Hannes stood firm with his rifle in his hands, waiting, terrified, too anxious, but always firm and determined.

"Wait."
The squad leader extended his arm to his soldiers as a sign of his order; they waited, with the sound of guttural muffled groans that sounded like a poor imitation of the human voice, one that some tried to associate with the sound a person would make while choking on their own blood as they tried to scream in pain, but these sounds were filtered in a way that felt otherworldly. This fact further increased the fear among the troops and, surprisingly, the desire to kill in some soldiers.
This continued until a head, with skin ravaged by wrinkles that looked like black lines scattered across its face, and eyes exploding with blood, appeared over the edge of the wall, and then, with astonishing speed, pulled up its entire repulsive body with exposed organs, displaying its disturbing figure illuminated by the glow of the braziers.
The soldiers were paralysed for a moment, unable to even move their fingers to pull the trigger, until they were snapped out of their trance by a shout, the shout of the squad leader.
"OPEN FIRE!"

Out of pure instinct, they all sprayed lead at the 4-metre titan standing on two legs in front of them, but the titan quickly moved to the right, managing to avoid the bullets hitting its organs, but it did not do this in order to dodge the attack, but to reach the prey that was closest to it.
The monster lunged at a soldier, who, before he could fire at the titan approaching him rapidly, was knocked down by two gigantic, bony hands that slammed him hard to the ground. Before he knew it, the titan's enormous, stinking mouth was close to his face, open and with clear intent. But before the man said goodbye to this cruel world, he could see the titan stop dead in its tracks, its mouth open just inches from his face, and before he could process the situation, he felt himself being drenched in a viscous liquid, one that blinded him for a moment, and in his blindness he heard the sound of something large and heavy falling to the ground.
Quickly, he wiped the liquid, mixed with saliva and blood, from his eyes as best he could, and having more or less regained his vision, he saw a soldier standing in front of him with her back to him (who, as far as he could tell, was a woman), wearing a green cape with the symbol of the Survey Corps on her back. The woman had two swords from her ODM equipment stuck in the monster's organs, which had fallen face up on the ground. The woman was soaked in the same liquid as her observer, from which small lines of vapour emanated, slowly disappearing from the woman's body and his. The soldier was panting heavily, but the man sensed that it was not from exhaustion, but from anger, a very intense anger.

"T-t-thank…."
The man tried to express his gratitude to his saviour, but fear made it impossible for him to utter a word. However, the woman turned around and the man got a better look at her appearance. She was a girl with square glasses, dark brown eyes and hair tied in a peculiar ponytail. The woman's gaze reflected anger and determination, one that burned away any fear she might have towards these monsters and allowed her to fight effectively against the predators of humanity.
"Are you alright?"
she asked in a firm tone.
"Y-yes."
"Then don't just stand there. Pick up that rifle."
The woman put away her swords and drew the rifle she was carrying on her back, with the soldier she had saved obeying her order and picking up the rifle that had fallen from his hands.

More titans climbed up to the wall and the massacre finally began.
Many titans between 3 and 5 metres tall rushed towards several soldiers, but the soldiers anticipated their movements and fired quickly and accurately at the monsters' exposed organs. Some fell to the ground lifeless, but when the soldiers lowered their guard to reload, another wave of titans rushed towards them with almost imperceptible speed, and before they could react, they were caught by elongated hands that broke as they bent to grab them, and then they were carried to enormous mouths with twisted teeth, feeling and smelling a nauseating stench that went beyond the word "disgusting" before the enormous teeth closed and quickly and brutally crushed the skulls of their victims, and then the rest of their bodies.

The situation was the same for the rest of the troops, whose numbers began to decline significantly. One titan was already devouring a man, but this left an advantage: its organs were exposed and vulnerable as it ate what little remained of the poor wretch, and Hannes took advantage of this to fire three shots that hit their target squarely; the titan let out a spectral scream of pain before falling lifeless onto its back. Unlike his other fallen comrades, Hannes did not let his guard down. Turning to his left, he saw a titan approaching him at great speed, but with adrenaline-fuelled speed, Hannes fired two shots at the titan's organs. The titan fell to the ground, sliding face down due to the speed it had gained, until it came to rest at Hannes' feet. Hannes looked on in surprise at the feat he had just accomplished, but remembered that this was no time to hesitate. As if fate were proving him right, he saw two bony hands with elongated fingers just a few centimetres away from him. Hannes quickly threw himself backwards, falling onto his back on the ground, but far enough away to aim his weapon at the organs of the titan in front of him. He fired quickly and managed to hit the creature right on target. Another scream of deep, inhuman pain filled the air and the monster fell to the ground, face down.
Hannes got up quickly and saw that a few metres in front of him, a malnourished, 3-metre-tall titan was fighting a woman with glasses, brown hair and a ponytail. Hannes tried to go to her aid, but he heard a guttural sound coming from his left. When he turned, he saw two titans approaching him quickly, so Hannes had to postpone his goal of helping her and deal with both monsters instead.

The titan tried to bite the woman's face, who held her rifle at both ends in front of her like a shield to prevent the titan from biting her. The woman struggled with the monster as best she could, trying to push it back and get a chance to shoot it in the organs. However, she ended up being pushed back herself, falling backwards onto the ground with her rifle slipping from her hands and then falling off the wall. The girl tried to get up, but she was caught by a huge hand with long, bony fingers that pinned her arms to her sides, preventing her from using her hands to at least try to stop the titan from closing its jaws on her.
The monster lifted the woman and slowly brought her closer to its mouth, and she could feel with some fear the putrid stench of death that lay in the beast's jaws; the woman writhed desperately and with all her strength, even kicking unconsciously. She tried to free even one of her arms to resist, but it was useless. The more she struggled, the more she felt them tighten, so much so that for a moment she felt as if a bone would break. The titan put her between its teeth, and she fought more desperately to free herself as the stench became almost unbearable, causing her to tear up as it burned her nose.
«No, I can't die yet, I still have to make them pay!»
she thought, now with more anger than fear, and when she noticed that the titan was about to close its mouth, she closed her eyes tightly, hoping that this damn monster would finish her off once and for all. But at that moment, before the titan could close its mouth, the woman stopped struggling and was surprised when she heard the sound of flesh being pierced, followed by a squirt that was all too familiar to her.

Immediately, the titan fell sideways with the woman still in his hands, and she felt his grip on her loosen, finally allowing her to break free and quickly move away from the monster's mouth and hands, seeing him lying lifeless on the ground, his mouth abnormally open.
"Sergeant Hange, are you all right?"
said a voice at her side, and she turned to see a young soldier with two unsheathed swords. Both the weapons and the soldier were covered in slimy blood.
"I'm fine, thank you, Moblit,"
said Hange, who immediately drew her swords quickly.
"How many are left?"
"I'm not sure, Sergeant, but I think there are 13."
"Good."
Hange then quickly threw herself back into battle, with Moblit following behind her, trying to watch her back.

Shadis had already managed to kill three titans at this point. One of them lunged at him and would have devoured him if it weren't for Shadis's razor-sharp reflexes. He managed to shoot one of its eyes, which exploded with more violence than usual, and then hit its organs squarely. The second fell when Shadis sensed an enormous presence behind him and, turning as quickly as the titans had demonstrated, fired an accurate shot that killed the titan with a pitiful, inhuman scream. The third was the most difficult, because when Shadis saw it approaching, he tried to fire another shot at the monster, but at that moment he realised that he had run out of ammunition. Far from pausing to be surprised by this fact, he threw his gun to the ground and quickly drew his sword just in time as the titan lunged at him. Shadis managed to stab his weapon into one of the titan's organs as it lunged at him, and both the man and the monster crashed to the ground, with the titan's corpse crushing the commander of the Survey Corps, but not killing him. This momentarily surprised Shadis, but he quickly shook off these thoughts and focused solely on escaping from the place where the titan was crushing him. He managed to escape, gasping for breath and covered in blood and slime that covered his entire body; however, this was something that a titan took advantage of to approach Shadis and reach out to him with clear intentions, but before achieving its goal, two swords pierced its organs, which expelled blood and slime, and it fell to the ground, lifeless. When Shadis turned around, surprised by this, he saw that the person responsible for his rescue was none other than Erwin, who, like him, was completely drenched in red, viscous liquid, which was withering and disappearing in lines of vapour.
"Thank you."
said Shadis as he got up and changed his swords, already feeling the fatigue beginning to take its toll.
"How many are left, Erwin?
"There are only eight Titans left... And we only have eight men left as well."
Shadis was terrified by Erwin's last statement, and when he looked at the rest of the wall, he could see that he was right.

There were eight soldiers fighting eight titans measuring between 3 and 4 metres tall, using only their swords, as they had run out of bullets for their rifles. They were also fighting the titans hand-to-hand, as the only thing their equipment could hook onto and fly away with was the titans themselves, and that only ensured certain death.
At that moment, Erwin and Shadis heard a heart-wrenching scream behind them, and when they turned around, they were surprised to see a titan holding the squad leader of the Garrison Regiment in its hands. The titan had already devoured part of the man's arm and was calmly chewing on it while the man cried and screamed in agony over his torn-off limb, desperately trying to escape the monster's grip.

"HELP, PLEASE, HELP!"
The leader screamed his lamentations, which were so loud that his vocal cords could well have broken at that moment.
"You bastard!"
Shadis shouted at the titan, who was preparing to rescue the man, but at that moment, both he and Erwin felt something flying over their heads at great speed with a strong breeze caused by its velocity, that someone being none other than the once known as the drunken coward Hannes.

The man had used the gas from his ODM equipment to propel himself forward at high speed, and in an instant, two sharp swords pierced the monster's veiny eyes, which exploded in a powerful torrent of blood, accompanied by deep, piercing cries of pain from the titan, who released the squad leader, who fell to the ground, clutching the stump of his lost limb, with a large amount of blood pouring out of it.
Hannes quickly jumped backwards with a twist and landed on his feet, then advanced rapidly with a cry of pure bravery, stabbing his swords forcefully into the monster's organs, which died quickly, falling to the ground.
Once this was done, Hannes quickly approached his commander.
"Are you all right, sir?
"Do you think I'm all right?!"
The squad leader held his increasingly bloody stump even tighter, while Hannes tried to help him control the blood loss.

Erwin turned and saw that there were only three soldiers left against a group of three Titans, who were trying to devour the few survivors, with all their swords already used up and only managing to flee and avoid being caught by the monsters as best they could.
«Now what?»
Erwin thought to himself.
«At this rate, no one will get out of here alive and the Titans will enter the city. What do we do? What must we do to win?»

However, in what seemed almost like divine revelation, a titan lunged at a soldier, knocking over one of the braziers whose embers fell from the top of the wall to the ground below. The titan had noticed this and did something that left Erwin stunned. The titan threw himself from the edge of the wall where the embers had fallen to the ground. He did not even press his body against the wall to descend, but simply threw himself down with an urgency and haste that seemed desperate.
At that moment, Erwin managed to piece together a plan in his head.

He quickly searched the ground and found a piece of a broken sword, long enough for what he needed. He took off his Survey Corps cloak and tore off a piece of it, which he wrapped around the tip of the sword as best he could. Shadis noticed this, completely confused by what Erwin was doing.
"Erwin, what are you doing?!"
Erwin did not answer, but quickly approached one of the braziers.

Moblit was running away from a titan that almost caught him. His swords had become blunt or broken, and now he had no choice but to flee, hoping that the titan would tire of chasing him, which would never happen, but at this point Moblit was clinging to any hope he could find. This went on until the young man stumbled and fell hard. When he saw what had caused him to fall, he was horrified to see that it was the upper half of a soldier, whose dead eyes still bore a look of utter panic. Moblit shuddered to the core at the sight, and as he noticed a large shadow covering him, he looked up and saw the Titan crouching down, finally reaching out its hand towards him. Moblit could no longer move, he could not even scream, only watch trembling and horrified as that hand reached out towards him.
Or so it seemed, until Hange quickly lunged at the Titan, stabbing a broken piece of sword into the monster's eye, which exploded in blood and splattered Hange's face. She did not hesitate and buried the sword fragment she held in her bare hand, which was bleeding profusely, even deeper. But Hange, in her anger and determination, still held the sword and buried it completely in the titan's eye. Hange then stepped back, and both she and Moblit watched as the Titan writhed in pain from the wound. After a moment of deep cries of agony, the Titan turned its uninjured eye towards Hange and Moblit and let out a roar that sounded less like pain and more like deep annoyance.
Moblit shuddered even more at this act, while Hange only gave the Titan a look of pure hatred, ready for whatever was to come.

"Hey!"
A voice shouted in the distance, and both Hange and Moblit were startled by this. They both turned in the direction of where the voice came from, looking surprised at Erwin with a sword with the tip wrapped in a piece of green cloth. The titan turned around too, and with that, Erwin put his plan into action.
Erwin brought the sword close to one of the braziers and the tip caught fire, looking like a kind of improvised torch.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
Erwin raised his improvised torch in front of him and saw the Titan begin to approach him at an ever-increasing speed. Erwin stood still, waiting for the Titan to get close enough; then it was closer, and closer, until it was finally just centimetres away from Erwin, which was his signal.
Erwin threw the torch into the void and quickly moved away, with the Titan looking to the side where Erwin had thrown it, but then changing the direction of its gaze to the falling torch and doing exactly what Erwin had hoped it would do. the Titan desperately lunged into the void, following the burning flame of the sword as it fell without delay to the ground, until it finally collided with it and shattered in an impact that sent flesh, blood, and slimy organ remains flying.

Hange and Moblit watched the scene in shock, unable to react to anything else around them, until Erwin's shout snapped them out of their trance.
"TAKE WHATEVER YOU CAN FIND AND WRAP IT IN A PIECE OF CLOTH, THEN THROW IT ON THE GROUND!"
Without wasting any time, Hange picked up a rifle he found on the ground and wrapped a piece of his cloak around the tip of it. Moblit followed suit with a piece of sword he found. Both lit the objects with the braziers that had kept their fire burning throughout the carnage.

Once this was done, they quickly headed towards two Titans who were relentlessly pursuing a soldier who, with sharp reflexes driven by terror, was dodging as best he could from the monsters that wanted to devour him.
"Hey, you bloody freaks!"
Hange shouted, and the two Titans turned towards her and Moblit.
"Leave him alone, come after us!"
With that, they both ran to the edge of the wall with the Titans chasing after them. Once at the edge, they turned to see the Titans rushing towards them, their mouths open, exposing their teeth glistening in the night light, with lines of slimy saliva on them.
"Not yet, wait,"
Hange said to a trembling Moblit, who watched with increasing fear as the Titans approached them.
"Not yet."
The Titans were finally inches away from them.
"Now!"
Hange and Moblit threw both torches into the void, and the Titans lunged at them, falling at great speed to the ground in free fall until they were smashed into bloody, slobbery pieces.

Hange and Moblit gasped, their hearts pounding so hard in their chests that they felt as if they were going to break their ribs. The adrenaline in their bodies gradually subsided, and an unusual sense of calm came over them both.
Erwin approached them and looked over the edge of the wall to see the corpses of the Titans expelling thick clouds of hot white steam. Suddenly, he felt someone approach him and saw that it was Shadis, who also looked silently at the ground and the corpses still emitting steam. Next, Hannes approached, helping the squad leader, who had a cloak wrapped around his stump that was almost entirely stained with red blood.
"Will he be all right?"
Shadis asked.
"If I get medical attention, I will,"
the squad leader replied in a hoarse, tired voice. Shadis looked back at the ground, still somewhat incredulous that they had managed to survive another day (or in this case, another night).
"Erwin, how did you come up with this?"
Shadis asked.
"When the Titan hit one of the braziers, it threw itself into the void without thinking, seemingly desperate to reach it, and I thought: Maybe what attracts the Titans is heat. After all, our bodies emit a certain amount of heat, so I thought it might be a very feasible possibility."
"If that's the case, then why did they focus on us and not the braziers when they came up?"
Hannes asked suddenly.
"Because as soon as they came up, we started attacking them, and they focused more on the source of heat that attacked them."

Shadis once again had to thank Erwin for being among his ranks, but with this, the usual painful feeling began to arise in him. He looked around, watching as several titan corpses scattered across the wall began to wither and disappear in the wind, as if nothing had happened; but what remained at the top of the wall and would not disappear with the wind were the remains of the soldiers who had not been so lucky, and those remains were a reminder that what had happened was real.

"Just... are we the only ones left?"
Shadis asked in a subdued tone as he continued to look at the corpses.
"Yes... that's right, sir."
Hannes replied.
"Hey, are you...?"
The squad leader finally spoke and saw Hannes, only then realising the identity of his saviour. All this time, the only thing the leader had been concerned about was the sharp pain, paying no attention to what was happening around him or to the people in it.

Hannes was surprised by his leader's words, and with a somewhat embarrassed expression, he revealed his identity.
"Yes, sir, Hannes the drunken coward."
The squad leader let out a dry laugh at that statement, which confused Hannes.
"Well, you don't seem so cowardly to me."
He said, smiling as best he could at Hannes.
"If it weren't for you, I would have lost my life instead of an arm... Thank you."
Hannes was surprised by those words, looking at his leader in disbelief and processing the fact that he had said them.
"It's true, what you did was a true display of courage,"
Erwin said suddenly.
"Yes, you have to have balls to throw yourself at a Titan like that."
Shadis reaffirmed to his second in command.

Hannes couldn't believe a single word he was hearing, so much so that he even thought that perhaps he was dead and this was just a fantasy of his mind in his last moments, but it wasn't so. He had truly achieved what he had achieved, and the highest-ranking men in the reconnaissance legion were truly praising his courage. his emotion was such that he did not realise that tears were beginning to fall from his eyes, completely moved, with a feeling of fulfilment that warmed his heart.
"Are you all right?"
Moblit asked when he saw Hannes begin to cry.
"Yes, don't worry, I'm fine,"
Hannes said as he wiped the tears from his eyes, and he wasn't lying. Now, he felt better than ever.

Suddenly, sounds were heard in the air, but they were not guttural roars or screams, rather the sounds of meat being struck with a hard object. Everyone looked in the direction of the sounds and saw Hange striking the corpse of an evaporating Titan incessantly with a rifle. It was Moblit who approached to stop his superior, already very tired of being at the top and just wanting to return to the barracks and simply rest.

"Sergeant, it's okay, it's already dead."
Moblit had placed a hand on Hange's shoulder, but she didn't listen and continued to strike the enormous corpse with force.
"Sergeant, that's enough..."
Moblit looked down to get a better look at the creature's corpse, and what he saw left him frozen.
The upper torso of a man lay a few inches from the monster's mouth, the soldier's guts still on the ground, looking almost like bloody snakes that were as motionless as their owner. looking closer, he saw that a sword was stuck in the titan's body (which was lying on its side on the ground), piercing its organs, now empty of blood and saliva, and with this, Moblit knew what had happened; while being devoured, the man had used his last strength to stab the creature's organs with his sword, dying but not before making sure to take the monster with him.

Moblit stared at the gruesome scene for a few seconds, until Hange's angry growls woke him up.
"You wretched, miserable, disgusting monster!"
Hange shouted as he continued to beat the corpse with his rifle.
"Sergeant, that's enough!"
Moblit took the rifle from Hange's hands.
"What do you want me to do? Not get angry?
"He's already dead, it's over."
"It's over?!"
Hange's expression became even more annoyed.
"As long as these things keep breathing, it will never be over, and our comrades will never stop dying."
Hange pointed her finger at the man's disembowelled torso; Moblit certainly couldn't blame Hange for acting this way, as both she and he had lost countless comrades and even friends at the hands of the Titans, and although he didn't think it was appropriate, he understood Hange's feelings perfectly.
"And until I exterminate every last one of them, I won't be at peace!"

Hange then kicked the titan's head with all her might, but at that moment something happened that neither she nor anyone else could have expected, even in their hatred. The titan's head was easily detached from its body by Hange's kick, and by the force of the blow, it flew off and fell over the edge of the wall. Hange, Moblit, and the others watched in disbelief at what had just happened, so stunned that they were unable to speak, until Moblit finally did.
"Wow, Sergeant, I know you're angry, but..."
"I... I don't..."
Hange couldn't finish her sentence, still overcome with surprise. She turned to the titan's corpse, no longer looking at it with hatred, but with some curiosity. She approached it and took hold of one of its still-smoking arms. Like the head, the arm came off with absurd ease, and Hange's surprise only grew when she realised that the limb weighed absolutely nothing, despite its size.

"Wh-what? How is that possible...?"
Hange couldn't believe her eyes. Once again, she saw the titan's corpse becoming increasingly withered, slowly disappearing into steam. Suddenly, she felt a hand on his shoulder. When she turned around, he saw that it was Moblit.
"Let's just go, okay?"
Hange looked at him for a few moments, her anger now completely gone, replaced by something much stronger this time: curiosity and intrigue.
"Yes, you're right, let's go."
They both began to walk towards the edge of the wall leading to the city of Trost, but not before Hange took one last look at the almost disappeared corpse of the Titan.
"What else are you hiding from us?"
But before leaving, she and Moblit saw the soldier they had saved on the ground, in a foetal position, trembling and crying. Moblit helped him to his feet, but the man still had a lost look in his eyes and began to murmur inaudibly to himself.
"It's okay, it's over now,"
Hange said to him as she and Moblit carried him, and as they approached the edge of the wall towards the city, Moblit lifted him into his arms as they began to descend using their ODM gear, with Hannes behind them, also carrying the squad leader in his arms.

As they walked towards the edge, Shadis wanted to say a few words to Erwin before returning to the city.
"Hey, Erwin."
Erwin stopped when he heard Shadis call his name.
"Yes, sir?"
"Thank you."
Erwin raised an eyebrow when he heard those words.
"Thank you?"
"If it weren't for you, we'd all be dead now."
Shadis looked down at the ground.
"I, on the other hand..."
"Sir?"
Erwin and Shadis stared at each other in silence for a few moments, and then Shadis spoke again.
"I don't know how much longer we can hold out with me at the front."
Erwin approached Shadis.
"We're still alive, aren't we? And we managed to defend the city successfully, which in itself is a victory, and that was with you as commander."
Shadis tried to let his guilt and pessimism diminish with those words, but he couldn't. All he could do was pretend and simply go home to be consumed by guilt in solitude.
"Yes, you're right. Let's go."
With that, the survivors finally descended from the wall, able to say goodbye to the nightmare at last.

Chapter Text

The day was drawing to a close, and therefore the work was almost finished, all of which was something that was repeated over the months that passed. Tilling the soil, sowing seeds, watering, separating seeds, carrying buckets of water, and a long list of other tasks. But at least now many people had become accustomed to using the tools and had learned to do the work effectively, so in that sense, things had improved, perhaps not as much as some would have liked, but it was something.

The objective of this work also bore fruit, and never better said; the amount of vegetables and other items that helped reduce the food crisis that citizens and refugees were facing at that time increased. However, despite this, the overpopulation of the Rose Wall was still a problem that, even with the progress made in crops, could not completely solve the fact that there were still many mouths to feed.

As for the medical section, although there were still people who needed medical attention, either for accidental injuries or other issues, they were no longer as numerous or constant as before. And that, for the people in that section, was a relief. There was a queue of a few people who still needed help, because even though they were now better at handling tools and managing their work, there were still incidents of people accidentally cutting themselves, or people who needed treatment for blisters on their hands, which were so swollen and severe that they were extremely painful. Those in that section took turns attending to those in need. Two people would attend to them, and after a while, two others would take over, and so on. On this shift, there were Marek and Shane, considered by many to be the best in that section.

They had already treated a man who had a rather deep cut on his leg, caused by a hoe with which he had accidentally inflicted a serious wound.
Shane wiped the sweat from his forehead, because even though his work was carried out in the barn where they rested once night fell, the surgical precision sometimes required in these situations could make him a little nervous, and with nerves came a little sweat as he took care not to make a mistake in treating the wound.

"Heh, if you keep getting so stressed about these things, I'll have to treat you for a heart attack."
Marek said with a few light laughs in between.
"I'm not that old. It's more likely that I'll be the one treating you for that."
Shane laughed along with his comments. The man they treated was helped by two others to a nearby corner where he could rest.
«Look on the bright side, mate, at least you'll get a few days off for that wound.»
Marek thought, and then the words he had been repeating all day, which he was already finding unbearable to repeat, came out of his mouth.
"Next."

This time his next patient was a child, a blond-haired boy with hair down to his shoulders. Marek saw that there was nothing wrong with him, apart from his face, which showed great exhaustion. But he noticed that the boy had very noticeable blisters on his hands, some of them horribly swollen, and seeing that in a child made him feel sad. The boy only saw his hands with their horrible, swollen bumps, not noticing the two people who were going to treat him.
But one of them did recognise the boy's identity, Shane recognising his grandson's face.

"Armin?"
She said, her voice trembling slightly, and the boy looked up, his expression of discomfort at his blisters changing to surprise when he heard the voice that spoke his name, seeing the face of the one he had not been able to see for many days.
"G-Grandfather?"
Armin said, unable to contain his emotion and a few tears on his face.

Armin quickly ran towards his grandfather and suddenly hugged him, the movement being so sudden that Shane almost fell from where he was sitting, but far from wanting to reproach Armin for that, he hurried to wrap his arms around Armin, affectionately returning the hug in which his grandson enveloped him. How long had it been since he had seen Armin, even from a distance? Daily work made it too difficult for parents and children to even see each other again, so for Shane, this was almost as if the world, for a brief moment, had grown tired of tormenting them and allowed them a little happiness.

Marek watched the scene with emotion. After all, what wouldn't he give to hug his son like that, to cry with happiness like Armin and Shane were doing at that moment? And at that moment, Marek felt a twinge of envy. If the world had smiled on Shane for a moment, Marek felt that with this scene, the world was mocking him cruelly. But despite that, despite the envy and the pain, Marek also knew how important this moment was for his friend, and also that if Marek were in Shane's place, he would want to share a moment with the only family he had left.
"Hey Shane, take a break."
Marek nudged Shane gently as he spoke these words, and Shane was surprised by this.
"But my shift isn't over yet."
"Hey, there aren't that many patients left, I can take care of this. Go."
Marek said, looking at Armin, who was still hugging his grandfather, too moved to pay attention to Marek's words. Shane noticed this and gave Marek a touched smile, and with that smile, Marek understood what Shane wanted to express to him without words: "Thank you very much, my great friend." Shane nodded and got up from the box he was sitting on, going with Armin to another part of the barn where the medical staff could rest when someone else changed shifts with them.
That sight of his friend with his grandson took away some of the envy he felt, and instead he felt some peace in his heart. At least, if he didn't have that same luck, he wished his friend did.

"Next."
He said, turning his attention to his last patient, who surprised Marek with the stunned look on his face, as if he had seen something so shocking that it left him speechless for several hours.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Marek asked.
"Oh, yes, sorry, everything's fine."
The man showed him the reason he was there, blisters on his hands, which many of his patients had suffered from throughout the day. Marek began to treat the man's problem, but even with that look still spinning around in his head, it was a look that denoted something else, something that Marek did not like, and that feeling did not improve when he saw that the man's expression had not changed, he did not even show discomfort at how his hands were being treated.
"Sir, are you sure you're all right? I mean, beyond your hands. It seems like there's something else bothering you."
The man was surprised when he heard Marek's voice. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings until he heard the voice of the person attending to him. The man stared at Marek with a tense look, as if there was something inside him that he could no longer bear to carry.
"No, sir... Actually, I'm not okay."

Shane and Armin arrived at the place where their companions were resting peacefully after long shifts working in the barn.
As they approached, their companions noticed that Shane was accompanied by a child, and they were quick to question him about it.
"Hey Shane, who's that kid?"
"He's my grandson, Armin."
"Really? Well, nice to meet you, Armin."
One of the men extended his hand to Armin in a friendly greeting, and the boy shook it with some embarrassment, not yet accustomed to socialising, especially with people older than his grandfather. In fact, Armin saw that most of the people there were about Shane's age, which made sense, since for the military police, only older people could be fully effective in this task.

"And why are you here, little one?"
One of those present asked him. Armin simply showed his hands, which were covered in horribly swollen blisters that looked painful (and indeed, for Armin, they were). Little Arlert preferred to show the reason why he was there rather than have to talk and explain his reasons, as the shame of being there was too much for him.
"Oh... I see."
said the person who questioned Armin about his presence in the barn, with a slight grimace, upon seeing the boy's hands.
"I'll take care of treating it. Do you still have some?"
Shane asked his companions, who nodded and gave him a small jug that still contained some honey. Shane would have asked Marek to give him some before leaving with Armin, but Shane was a little embarrassed to ask Marek for that, knowing that he had covered for him on his shift so he could spend time with Armin, so he decided to ask his resting companions for some. They made room for Shane and Armin so they could treat Armin's discomfort.

Shane wasted no time in treating Armin's hands the same way he treated the others. He sat Armin down and went out to fetch a bucket of water. When he returned, he put a cloth in the water and then wrung it out until it was damp. First, he cleaned his grandson's hands as best he could, then dried them with another dry cloth. Next, he rubbed honey on his hands and gave Armin clear instructions.
"This may hurt a little, so you'll have to bear with it."
Armin nodded nervously but determinedly. Shane then began to rub the honey on the blisters, trying to do it gently so that it wouldn't be too painful for Armin, but Armin still ended up gritting his teeth from the pain he felt in his hand, and he still had to feel it in the other one. Having repeated the same process on the other hand, Shane proceeded to gently wrap both of Armin's hands in white bandages, just as Shane had wrapped Eren's hands some time ago.
"You'll have to rest those hands for a few days. If you go back to work like this, they'll be worse than before."
Shane said, and Armin nodded as he caressed his still-aching hands, yet he was glad they no longer hurt as much as before.

"Hey, and... How have you been coping with this new routine, Armin?"
Shane tried to strike up a conversation with two aims in mind. The first was to help Armin cope better with the pain in his hands. The second, and more important of the two, was that Shane wanted to talk to his grandson for a moment, especially now that he hadn't seen him for quite some time.
"Well, I'm doing the best I can, Grandad. Carrying buckets of water everywhere is no easy task."
Armin tried to smile a little, as he also enjoyed being able to talk to his grandfather once again. Shane was surprised when Armin told him about the task he was responsible for. Of course, it wasn't difficult for Shane to guess, given the state of Armin's hands, but even so, he hadn't expected that answer.
"Is that really your job?"
The boy nodded.
"But Armin, wouldn't it have been better to get a lighter job? Like counting seeds, for example."
Armin stared at his grandfather after hearing those words, then looked down at the ground, somewhat discouraged. Shane noticed this immediately, thinking that perhaps his response had not been appropriate.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
"It's okay, Grandad, I know you didn't, don't worry."
A tense silence fell between them, and Shane regretted a little that their reunion had been so awkward.

"Why?"
Shane finally broke the silence.
"Why are you there, Armin?"
Armin seemed unsure how to respond, but finally decided to do so.
"Because I want to be strong. I want to fight to be more than just a weakling who always needs help."
Shane was surprised by Armin's words, but Armin continued talking.
"The bullies in town always saw me as someone to have fun beating up. I tried to fight back many times, but in the end, I never achieved anything. They kept bothering me no matter what I did. That's why I thought that if I showed them I wasn't afraid of them, even without hitting them back, they would leave me alone, but that wasn't the case."
Armin's discouragement grew even stronger.
"And that's why Eren and Mikasa always had to come and save me. They did it so many times that I can't even count them all. And I, on the other hand, never managed to do anything for them... Not even now."
Memories of when he fainted near the well and when those bullies teased him in the barn came to Armin's mind, and they only made him feel even worse about himself.
"I want to be strong, I really do. I don't want to be a burden to them or to you or to anyone. I want that when one day they need me, I can help them just like you guys helped me once, but... I think that, in the end, I'll never be able to do it."
And Armin believed those words were true, he believed them painfully; he felt that his destiny was always to be the one defended, but never the one who defends. He tried with all his might to take on the difficult task of carrying heavy buckets of water up and down almost without rest, but in the end, sooner rather than later, his fragile body quickly gave way to the consequences of such great effort, and for Armin there was nothing worse than that. Not even his intelligence made him feel that it compensated for anything. How could he protect his friends with that, or more extremely, how could he help them if they ever joined the Survey Corps, as Eren still plans to do, even these days?

But his pessimistic thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand gently rest on his head. Armin looked up in surprise and saw his grandfather's eyes, which looked at him with paternal affection. even though he was his grandfather, Armin felt that look was not unlike the one a father would give his son when he is proud of him, and with the wisdom that comes with adulthood, he would make him see why.
"You're really too young to understand this, but it's not a sin not to, especially at your age."
Shane said with a reassuring smile on his face. Armin was genuinely confused at that moment.
"What are you talking about?"
"Armin, in one way or another, we all have something in this world that makes us strong."
Shane pointed to Armin's thin arms.
"Strength isn't only found here; that's important, but it's not more valuable than this."
Shane pointed to Armin's heart.
"Nor is this."
He pointed to the boy's head.
"And this, Armin, these two things here are your greatest strengths, son, and without them, the strength of your body is worthless. In my eyes, Armin, you are the person with the strongest spirit and the sharpest mind there could be, and it's not because you're my grandson, but because I truly believe it."
Shane's proud smile took on a more emotional tone, almost like nostalgia; nostalgia combined with pride.
"Really, you are the spitting image of your parents. You have your mother's heart and your father's intelligence. But more importantly, you have that same strong spirit from both of them, and every time I see you, Armin, I see that same spirit shining in your eyes."

Armin was surprised by those words, not because his grandfather's words of encouragement would magically take away his grief, but because they brought back memories and another way of looking at them, which proved his grandfather's point, all buried under layers of self-contempt and lack of self-confidence.
Despite the beatings and humiliation he suffered at the hands of the other children, he never bowed his head or let them see his weakness. He also remembered when he had almost managed to prevent Eren from being beaten by that despicable soldier, or when he lied in the barn to prevent Mikasa from being punished by the soldier. He had done all this without resorting to brute force, demonstrating fortitude and courage on his own merit, with his heart and his sharp mind. It was his grandfather who made him see those painful memories in a different light, reminding him of what he had once told him: that was what made him special.

Armin couldn't find the words to express his gratitude for his grandfather's words, or for making him see those memories differently. He could only hug him tightly as tears streamed down his face, unable to stop them, and Armin felt that he really didn't want to. Those tears represented his love for his grandfather and his gratitude for having him. Shane responded to the hug with a smile, silently thanking Armin for letting him hug him once more, and Marek for helping to make it possible.

Unfortunately for both of them, the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard in the air; grandfather and grandson saw some people beginning to enter the barn, and also because the barn doors were too wide open, they saw the sky beginning to take on dark and opaque hues that indicated the onset of night.
This frustrated Armin internally; once again, he did not know how long it would be before he could talk to his grandfather like this again, or even see him again, and although his grandfather shared that sentiment, he knew it was time to say goodbye, at least for the moment.
"As nice as this is, you have to go now."
Armin wanted to object, but he knew his grandfather was right. After all, the military police were strict, and the last thing he wanted was to get them both into trouble.
"All right... Goodbye, Grandfather. Take care of yourself."
Armin said, smiling at his grandfather.
"You too, Armin."
Shane smiled back at him.

The boy then made his way towards the exit, pushing his way through the adults entering the barn to reach the doors. Fortunately for Armin, there weren't many of them yet, which allowed him to leave the place without too much difficulty.
Shane just watched him disappear into the crowd of people entering the barn, silently grateful that where they were, he would not be easily caught by the night titans, allowing him to sleep tonight and the nights to come.
"I suppose there's always something good in every bad thing."
he said to himself.
Suddenly, he noticed the person who had sat down next to him was Marek, who had something about him that puzzled Shane a little. Marek's eyes were so wide open that they looked like saucers.

Suddenly, he noticed the person who had sat down next to him. It was Marek, who looked a little strange to Shane. Marek's eyes were wide open, and his face showed great surprise that he was unable to hide.
"Hey Marek, are you okay?"
He did not respond, just stared into space with that look of surprise on his face.
"Marek."
Shane snapped his fingers near Marek to snap him out of his trance. It worked, and Marek returned to the real world and looked at Shane, who was watching him with a curious expression.
"Are you okay, mate? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Marek remained silent, looking at Shane, almost hesitating to tell him, which only intrigued Shane even more.
"Marek?"
Marek looked down at the ground, accentuating his doubtful expression; finally, he decided to let out what was bothering him so much.
"Shane, you might think I'm sounding very... ridiculous, but I think something is brewing within the government, something not very good."
Far from clarifying things, Shane only felt more confused by those words.
"What do you mean?"
"The last person I served looked strange, as if they had seen, or rather, heard something they shouldn't have."
Marek fell silent again, thinking about how he would tell his new friend, who, far from understanding, only felt more confused by Marek's ambiguous statements.
"What are you talking about?"
Marek finally decided to confess.
"I think... they want us to recover the Maria wall."

Chapter Text

Shane couldn't sleep well that night, unable to close his eyes with that conversation still running through his head.

"But what? And why would they ask us to do something like that?"
"I don't know."
"And how did that guy find out? Are you sure he wasn't just delirious from exhaustion?"
"Possibly, which is why at the time I refused to believe it was true. But even so, I can't help feeling that part of me does believe it."
"Hey, relax, I don't think they'll actually do it. I mean, if we went, we'd be nothing more than cannon fodder."
"Actually, Shane..."
Marek paused for a moment before finally blurting it out.
"I think that's exactly why they want to send us."
Shane's eyes widened at Marek's words.
"Why do you say that?"
he asked, although deep down he already knew the answer.
"Think about it, even though we produce more food, it's still not enough for everyone. I mean, do I need to remind you that two days ago they gave us nothing, and yesterday we barely had a few crumbs to eat?"
Shane had to agree with him. That day, the only ones who were able to eat a little were those who did the heaviest work, while those in charge of medical matters did not receive even half a loaf of bread to eat. And for Shane, having to do his job the next day with the torturous feeling of hunger was an ordeal worse than he could have imagined.
"Yes, you're right."
"Well, with that in mind, what's the quickest way to solve a situation like this?"
Shane just looked grimly at Marek, and the answer to that question loomed like a deadly snake slithering across the ground.
"End the cause of the problem."
Shane said dryly. Marek nodded, as did Shane, with a sombre look in his eyes.
"Do you really think they're capable of doing something like that?"
Marek didn't give him an answer. In truth, he wasn't able to give him one. Deep down, he felt that it wasn't because he didn't know the answer, but because he was afraid to say it.

That conversation, for Shane, was the reason why he didn't sleep for most of the night, until dawn.

During the day, although Shane and Marek did their job, they didn't do it as efficiently as they had on previous days. Of course, they didn't do it badly enough to receive complaints from patients who were treated inefficiently, but it was easy to see that something was bothering them. That's how it was, from the start of the day until dusk approached, heralding the night.
Normally, Shane and Marek exchanged words in mundane conversations that could only be had with a friend, but this time they said nothing to each other.
They simply found themselves having dinner, grateful that this time they had a full meal and not half a meal, and this was a relief. Even so, Marek could no longer bear the uncomfortable silence that had formed, finally deciding to break it with whatever he could, even if it meant talking about "it" that made them both so uncomfortable.
"Hey, cheer up, there weren't as many today as yesterday; maybe in the future we won't have to sit on our backsides in those boxes all day long."
Shane didn't seem to pay attention, just chewing the bread he had, his gaze lost on the floor.
"Hey."
Marek said, shaking Shane slightly.
"When one person makes a joke, the other usually laughs."
And Marek really wanted Shane to laugh, and for his nervousness to subside, even if only a little.
"I'm sorry, it's just... I didn't sleep well last night."
"Well, if that's the case, then today you'll sleep like a wrinkled baby."
A slight smile finally appeared on Shane's face and he let out a small laugh at that comment.
"Are you that desperate for me to laugh?"
"Well, I got it."
They both laughed equally, and at least that was a respite for their worried minds, for a moment that felt too brief.

Suddenly, they saw many people getting up from where they were sitting and heading towards a single spot in the barn. This greatly intrigued Shane and Marek, who couldn't resist getting up themselves and heading towards the spot where everyone was looking with confused and expectant faces at several members of the Military Police.
This deeply frustrated several of them, as it could only mean one thing: another stupid announcement that would only make their lives more difficult.

However, those expectations were subverted when other people appeared, whom the refugees quickly noticed did not have the symbol of the Military Police on their uniforms, but rather that of the Survey Corps, identifying the man who stood in the centre of all the soldiers as the commander of that faction: Keith Shadis.
This only filled the refugees with questions, especially when the commander began to speak.

"Good evening."
he began.
"As you know, these days have not been very... favourable, but compared to how we were at the beginning, there has been some improvement."
The refugees had to agree with Shadis in part, but for them, once again, he was only emphasising the obvious. Frankly, they just wanted the bad news to come, and there it was.
"Today I have some important news to share with you. I have been informed that there has been a lot of discussion on this topic recently, but a consensus has finally been reached, and today I am here to make the announcement."
Shadis paused before speaking again, his gaze and body tensing.

Both the people and the soldiers felt that Shadis was doing everything possible to avoid breaking the news so soon, but in the end he did so.
"It has been decreed that a special mission will be carried out, namely the recovery of the Maria Wall."
As Shadis expected, opinions were divided among the people, but in the tone of their chatter, one could sense a slight hint of hope, almost cheerfulness even, which made the burden on Shadis' conscience heavier and more unbearable.

Shane and Marek didn't quite know how to feel about it. They had hoped he would simply say, "You will recover Wall Maria," but that wasn't the case. Still, they both shared a common feeling: uncertainty.
This grew with the comment from one of the refugees.

"Excuse me, but how exactly will you do that? Shinganshina is infested with Titans. There are so many that even the entire Survey Corps couldn't match them in number."
Several had to agree with the man's question. Some would even dare to say that not even the three factions together could really achieve it. This opinion was even shared by some of the Military Police soldiers who were there, but when some of them turned to look at the members of the Survey Corps, they could see that their faces were filled with guilt and sadness, which surprised those who saw them.

"That's true."
Shadis said suddenly, becoming increasingly tense.
"That's why the government decided that not only the legion would go on that mission."
After a sigh, Shadis finally said it.
"They decided that you will also participate in the mission."
What followed would haunt Shadis for the rest of his days.

Several refugees roared in protest, filled with disbelief, indignation, and above all, anger. Some even almost lunged at Shadis to grab him by the collar of his shirt and shout at the top of their lungs, "ARE YOU CRAZY?" They had to be restrained by several soldiers from both the Military Police and the Survey Corps.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"
"THIS IS INSANE!"
"IF YOU WANT TO KILL YOURSELVES, DO IT YOURSELVES, DON'T INVOLVE US!"
These were the many protests shouted by the people at the commander of the Survey Corps, who was overwhelmed by the screams and complaints directed at him.
"Calm down! Calm down!"
Many of the soldiers shouted as they tried to stop the angry civilians from advancing. Shane and Marek did not participate in the struggle or furious protest, but both could only stand perplexed before this declaration, their eyes filled with terror and fear running through their souls, seeing their suspicions confirmed before them.

"LISTEN!"
Shadis shouted, his voice so loud that it drowned out all the refugees' protests, causing several of them to fall silent instantly, stunned.
"We understand that you have all lost your homes, many loved ones, and have not even had time to properly process all of this. And there is nothing that pains my soul more than that. But here, at this moment, we have an opportunity to recover what the Titans took from you, an opportunity to make those monsters pay for everything they have done to you!"
All the refugees stopped protesting at this point and simply listened.
"But above all, we have an opportunity to give back to your sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren the home where they belong and which should never have been taken from them. This time, we will fight not only to regain your homes, but also to give your children back their lives and their futures. That is why I ask you to fight with us, to fight for the future of your families, and above all, for the future of humanity!"

There was complete and total silence in the room. All complaints had ceased. Now there were only frightened refugees with wide eyes staring at Shadis, no longer radiating the hatred they had felt before, but now displaying an intense combination of dread and, in a way, understanding.
Shadis saw each of those looks directed at him and decided to give the last piece of news before finally leaving.
"Tomorrow you will not work. You can spend the whole day with your children before the mission."
With that, Shadis finally left the barn with his men. The refugees simply moved to various places in the barn, trying to rest and, above all, process as best they could the information that had been given to them so suddenly, some crying out of fear and others staring blankly into space.

Outside the barn, Shadis and his men were heading towards the horses, also without saying anything, in a torturous silence that one of the soldiers could no longer bear.
"Are we really doing the right thing?"
It was a question that no one wanted to answer, and the soldier knew that would be the case, but he could no longer bear the silence, let alone continue with that question haunting his mind.
Suddenly, Shadis stopped, almost kneeling, and the soldiers heard him making strange sounds that made them feel uncomfortable; and then they realised what was happening. He was vomiting.
They quickly approached him to check on him.
"Sir, are you all right?"
Shadis vomited once more on the floor and began to breathe heavily, as if he were short of breath, while cold sweat ran down his body.
"No, I'm not, and I never will be again,"
Shadis said with a trembling, broken voice, only to then kneel on the floor, near his own vomit, as he began to cry with the purest and most intense regret he could have ever felt in his entire life.
The soldiers could do nothing but stand by their commander as they silently shed tears at the fact that they and their commander now knew. They had just convinced all those people to go straight to the slaughterhouse.

That night, no one in the barn could sleep, not Shane, not Marek, not anyone, even as dawn approached.
When the sun finally rose completely, the adults and elders left the barn and saw the sunrise in a different way. It was a beautiful sight, one that was even relaxing and moving. And so several began to cry, for they were certain that this would be the last sunrise they would be able to enjoy.
The adults and elders, or rather, the children's parents and grandparents, walked towards the barn where the children were staying. They saw that many children were already awake and standing at the entrance, waiting for their loved ones to run and hug them with tears of happiness in their eyes. Some even broke down emotionally as they hugged them. Shane watched the scene in silence, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, both for his companions and his children, and for himself.

"Grandfather!"
A familiar voice shouted, and Shane saw Armin running to hug him too, surrounded by his grandson's little arms.
"Hello, Armin."
Shane said in a somewhat subdued tone, but one that also conveyed some joy at seeing Armin once again.
"Mr. Arlert!"
Eren shouted, and he and Mikasa approached them. Shane was glad to see them too.
"Hey, how are you kids?"
Shane said in the same subdued but happy tone.
"Everything's fine, sir. How about you? How have you been?"
"Very busy, Eren, but I've been fine. How about you guys?"
"Well, the same as you, sir."
Eren said with a smile, and in fact, both he and Mikasa and Armin were smiling when they saw him, and with that, Shane realised something.
Apparently, the Military Police had not told the children anything about the mission they would be undertaking the next day, which Shane was deeply grateful for, at least for the moment, because Shane knew that sooner or later, the children would find out, which made him shudder slightly.
Shane decided to put those thoughts aside; he would just focus on living in the present with his grandson, and then worry about the future later.

"Well, at least we have the day off today. What luck, huh?"
Shane tried to smile as best he could with those words.
"Yeah, I honestly needed it."
Eren replied as he rubbed his back lightly with one hand.
"My back even hurts from carrying so many buckets of water myself."
"But I helped you carry almost all the buckets of water yesterday."
"Mikasa!"
Eren complained to the aforementioned girl as an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks. Armin and Shane burst out laughing at the situation, which only increased the intensity of Eren's blush and his embarrassment, and he shot Mikasa an annoyed look.
"Well, the important thing is that you don't have to worry about that today."
Shane now smiled more sincerely and less forced.
At that moment, the man saw a line forming near them and realised that they were already starting to hand out breakfast rations.
"Come on, kids, you don't want to start the day on an empty stomach."
He said, pointing to the place where the food was being handed out.

Once the rations had been delivered to them, Shane and the children sat down to eat outside the barn, on the green grass that covered the entire area; with the sun already high in the sky, creating an atmosphere that dispelled the pessimism that everyone had been carrying for so many days. No one could explain it, but even though the day looming over them was the same as always, this time it felt different. this time the day inspired joy in their hearts. Now there was a feeling of peace and joy in the air, as they looked up at the clear blue sky, with the sun that had once tortured them with its relentless heat now warming them pleasantly as they ate in a pleasant silence, enjoying the company of their loved ones for the first time in days.

Once they had finished eating, Eren thought there might be something they could do, including Armin's grandfather, but in the end he couldn't really think of anything, as there wasn't much to do in that place. He had become so accustomed to working all day long that in the end he didn't even know how to pass the time other than carrying buckets of water.
"Would you like to go for a walk in the countryside?"
Shane asked as he stood up, and the trio of friends thought it was a perfect idea.

Shane and the children walked around, observing how much the crops had grown, and, as with the day, they realised how relaxing this place really was, especially for city folk like Shane, Eren and Armin.
"You know, when you're not carrying buckets of water here and there, you really realise how pleasant the countryside is."
Eren commented, waving a medium-sized stick in his hand, holding it as if it were a sword.
"Yes, you're right."
Armin replied, watching with amusement as Eren made movements that attempted to imitate those of a swordsman.
"Ha, you really look like a knight with that."
Shane said, with the same amused expression as his grandson.
"No, I'm more like a soldier from the Survey Corps."
Shane laughed at Eren's childish and dreamy attitude, although deep down, the mention of the legion made him shudder again as he remembered what had happened the day before and what still lay ahead. He shook those thoughts from his head and turned his attention back to the children, watching Eren and Armin talk happily while Mikasa followed behind them. She was just observing the countryside, but unlike Eren and Armin, Mikasa did not have such a cheerful expression; her face showed a certain sadness and nostalgia, as if seeing the countryside reminded her of something that only made her feel melancholy and longing for what she had lost.

"Are you okay, Mikasa?"
Shane asked her. Eren and Armin turned to look at their friend and saw the almost sad expression on her face.
"Mikasa?"
Eren approached her, calling her name, and she finally snapped out of her thoughts, turning her attention to Eren, who was looking at her with concern.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine, don't worry about me."
Mikasa tried to smile to ease the others' concern, but Eren could easily see how forced that smile was. At that moment, Eren realised why Mikasa was acting that way. He remembered that the place where he and she had met was the field, the place that had once been Mikasa's home, and where her whole world had collapsed, all on the day Eren met her.

Mikasa's forced smile finally faded, breaking the mask of joy she had forced herself to wear; she lowered her gaze, her sadness becoming more evident on her face.
Seeing this, Eren placed a hand on Mikasa's cheek and gently lifted her head so that her gaze met his. As he did so, Eren gave her a warm smile that sought to comfort her, just as she had done so many times in the past for him, even though for Eren, the memories of that day also tormented him in his darkest moments.
For Mikasa, this was another reminder, a reminder that he, this boy who was now smiling at her with all the warmth of his heart, was the one who gave her something very precious on the day she lost everything she knew: a chance to live again. And for Mikasa, that was and still is more valuable than anything else in this world. The girl gently held Eren's hand and smiled back at him, as tears began to appear in her moved eyes.

Shane contemplated the scene in silence, and in a way, it calmed him about the future; seeing that in the end, no matter what happened to him, these three children would always have each other to help them get through it.
They walked all day, talking about whatever came to mind, with even Mikasa joining in from time to time, despite her more reserved and serious personality (Eren's encouragement encouraged her to do so). They even came to a small hill that reminded the children of the one in Shinganshina, where they always used to race to see who would get there first. There, they could all fully appreciate the beauty of nature and the day. The sky was now bluer and brighter than ever, along with the clouds that looked like soft floating cotton balls above the green ground full of plants and trees bursting with life. All of this came together to form a beautiful picture comparable to paradise, and for Shane, being there with Armin and his friends made him truly feel like he was there.

Finally, the sun was about to set on the horizon, and with that, Shane and the children returned to the barn, where they saw several parents saying goodbye to their children, and Shane couldn't help but feel a certain sadness knowing that this farewell would be forever.

"Well, it seems that this is where we part ways..."
Shane said, trying his best not to let his voice tremble and also trying to ignore the lump forming in his throat.
"Right... Thank you, Mr. Arlert, thank you for everything."
Eren said, but this time without much emotion in his voice, unlike before; in fact, Eren said those words with a certain regret in his voice, and when Shane looked at Eren and Mikasa, he saw that they had a noticeable sadness on their faces, as if they were even close to crying, which surprised Shane.
"Armin, I think it would be good for you and your grandfather to talk alone."
Eren said to his friend, who looked at him with some surprise, and then with gratitude, because Armin really needed to talk to his grandfather. Eren and Mikasa proceeded to walk to the barn, leaving grandfather and grandson alone so they could have one last conversation.

Armin and Shane just looked at each other, not really knowing what to say. That's how it was, until suddenly tears began to form in Armin's eyes, and he rushed to hug his grandfather, now beginning to cry silently as he hugged Shane tighter.
The man was confused by this action, but despite that, he did not hesitate to return his grandson's embrace and comfort him while he could not stop crying.
"Please don't go, Grandfather."
Armin said with a broken voice, which suddenly surprised Shane and made him fear the worst.
"What? What are you talking about, Armin?"
Armin responded with even more sobs, and when he had cried enough, he was able to answer his grandfather with a trembling voice.
"Don't go on that mission, Grandad, please, I don't want you to go, I... I don't want you to die!"
Shane was shocked beyond belief by these words.
"H-how do you know that?"
"Yesterday the soldiers told us that you're going to recover the Maria Wall, and that's why we wouldn't be working today, so we could be with you one last time."
The boy took another break to let out his uncontrollable crying, until he finally calmed down enough.
"We didn't want to tell you... I didn't want to tell you. I just wanted to have a nice day with you and not think about it, but now... I don't want you to go.
Armin cried even harder after saying those words, and Shane cursed the soldiers with all his hatred and being. For a moment, the grandfather believed that they still had some humanity in their hearts by not telling the children anything, but now he was seeing that he was wrong.

"Please don't go, don't do this, don't leave me alone."
Shane could no longer hold back his tears, and they rolled gently down his cheeks as he ran his hand over Armin's head, knowing that he could no longer find words to comfort him, for no matter what Shane tried, whether it was pretending to be ill or inflicting a fatal wound on himself that would make him unable to participate, nothing mattered, he knew that in the end he would go, because the goal was not to recover Shiganshina, but to get rid of them at all costs.
They both just stayed like that for a long time, and neither of them wanted that moment to end.

"Armin."
Shane said softly.
"I have to do this, I have to go."
"NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!"
"Yes, I have to do this, for you, son."
Armin raised his head, looking at him in disbelief at his words.
"You deserve to live normally, Armin, you deserve to get back the life that was taken from you. That's why we're going, so that you can return to that life."
Shane knew that those words were just a sweet lie, but in the tragedy that was approaching them, he wanted Armin to at least think that his sacrifice was for a noble cause, and not for the selfish whim of people in power. He wanted to spare Armin the helplessness and anger that came with that fact, for the boy was already enduring enough pain.
"No... It's not true. If you go, you won't survive. You'll die."

Shane knew it, he knew it all along, but despite this, despite knowing that this would be the last time he would see Armin's innocent bright blue eyes, he wanted to make sure that, despite the tragedy that was coming, and those that Armin might have to face in the future, he would always look forward, resisting with vigour, with that strong spirit he had always had and that Shane totally admired.

"Armin, do you remember what I told you a few days ago?"
The boy said nothing, just looked at his grandfather, tears streaming down his face.
"You are the strongest-spirited person I have ever seen, Armin. I want you to remember this, and always, always keep this in mind: you are braver and stronger than you think, and no matter what happens from now on, I know you will always manage to keep moving forward. You always have, and I know you always will, son."

Shane took off his hat, which he had worn all day and was the last thing his father had left him, now leaving it to Armin, placing the hat on his head.
"Take care of it for me, okay? I'll be back."
«Liar.»
Shane said to himself, but he only wanted to ease the pain Armin felt with those words. The boy looked at him silently.
"Do you promise, Grandfather?"
"I promise."
«Liar.»

Shane hugged Armin one last time, with all his strength, as tears once again streamed from Shane's eyes, and Armin returned the hug once more. Finally, Shane Arlert let go of his grandson and turned to leave for the barn where he would rest and prepare for tomorrow. But before doing so, he turned and looked at his grandson one last time, giving him a tender smile illuminated by the setting sun that was already beginning to give way to the night sky.
"Goodbye, Armin."
"Goodbye, Grandfather."
And with that, Shane finally left, a final tear rolling down his cheek.

Chapter Text

The day has arrived.
Dawn broke with a grey sky, painting the world with a depressing, almost gloomy atmosphere.
After breakfast, the Military Police escorted the refugees back to the city on horseback, without further ado, without saying a word. Once they arrived in the city of Trost, they were seen by a large part of the city's inhabitants. The inhabitants watched the parade of refugees just as they had when they first arrived. Now the citizens' gazes were filled with genuine pity and fear for them, just as they had once looked at the Survey Corps soldiers whenever they went out, which made the fear in many grow even more; they did not want to undertake this mission, nor be treated in the same way as those uniformed suicides; Some refugees were even crying as several of them rode forward on horses, for it was on horses that they were being transported. The last thing needed on this mission was people tired from a long walk from the countryside to the city, although there were also some who had to go on foot, as there were not enough horses for everyone. But for many, this whole horse business was nothing more than cruel stupidity. It didn't matter if they were tired or full of energy, the result would be the same, just as inevitable.

They had finally reached the main gate leading outside the wall, where countless Survey Corps soldiers were already waiting for the gigantic gate to open. While the soldiers were equipped with their ODM gear and swords, the refugees had simpler weapons in their hands.
Rakes, hoes, axes, tridents, and all kinds of objects capable of causing mortal wounds, they even carried rifles loaded to the brim with ammunition.
Shane and Marek stood side by side, waiting together with impatient anxiety for the gates to open, carrying their rifles on their backs.

Marek looked at Shane, seeking some kind of comfort in seeing that his friend was with him, but he saw that Shane couldn't stop shaking, his gaze so tense that it made Marek shudder deep inside.
"Hey, we'll be fine."
Marek said, forcing his voice to sound optimistic. Shane relaxed the tension in his face and looked at Marek.
"Yeah, we will."
He tried to smile confidently at his friend, but he couldn't quite manage it; his expression of false hope broke, and he lowered his gaze, a huge sadness in his eyes.
"We have to be okay."
he said.

Marek noticed that Shane's expression of inner pain became more pronounced.
"Shane?"
"I... I made a promise. That I would come back, and I don't want to break it."
The memory of Armin crying in his arms made him grip the strap of his rifle tightly.
"Well... I made one too."
Shane looked at Marek in surprise, who now shared Shane's downcast gaze.
"Do you think you can keep it, Shane?"
Shane said nothing; he was unable to do so, and neither could Marek.

A heavy, thunderous noise filled the air, drawing everyone's attention as they watched the gigantic door slowly open upwards, and all the refugees felt fear finally take complete hold of them.
"Get out of my way!"
shouted one of the refugees, a man who was trying to flee, consumed by terror, violently pushing aside anyone who stood in his way. He finally managed to break out of the formation of refugees and tried to run towards an alley he could see. Unfortunately for him, he was abruptly grabbed by both arms and dragged back into the formation. When he saw who his captors were, he saw that they were two soldiers with the Military Police insignia stamped on their jackets.
"No, let me go, let me go, damn it, don't do this, please!"
The men ignored his pleas; they forced him back to where he had been and placed the axe he had been holding moments before his escape attempt in his hands. The refugees and inhabitants of Trost watched the whole event in uncomfortable silence; several others wanted with all their might to follow that man's example, but when they saw the consequences of such an act, they dismissed the idea, though with great pain in their souls.
Even at the head of the formation, Shadis could also see that unjust scene, and when he did, he felt his helplessness and guilt grow even more and torment him more than they already did; but in the end, he decided to turn a blind eye to those feelings (or at least he tried to).

The Survey Corps began to advance on their horses, and the refugees followed them on foot, slowly leaving the interior of the wall until finally everyone had exited. It was then that the gate began to close as slowly as it had opened, and during that time, the refugees felt the urgent need to turn around and run with all their might to get back to the safety of the walls, but also knowing that doing so would only delay the inevitable: the Military Police and the Garrison Regiment would deny them entry and force them to attend the suicide mission. Just going felt horrible, but doing so knowing this only made it a thousand times worse.
Finally, the gate closed with a loud thud, and with that, everyone knew there was no turning back. Their fate had literally been sealed, and they were walking straight towards it. With pain, fear, helplessness, and rage, they had to face it, even knowing the outcome of it all.

No one said anything along the way. The only sounds in the air were the galloping of horses and the footsteps of the refugees. The inhabitants of what was once Shinganshina had mixed feelings about the whole affair. Some did not know if, when they arrived at the destroyed city, they would feel nostalgia for their former home, or if the memories of the catastrophe would resurface.
Their uncertainty was resolved when they finally arrived, and most people felt melancholy and trauma in equal measure.
Some houses were still mostly intact, and some pieces on the ground, which they later realised were broken toys their children used to play with, brought back the peace and happiness of those days, giving them a slight calm and longing in such a gloomy place with such a depressing atmosphere. But obviously, those memories came loaded with the sadness that comes from knowing that those memories are now just that, longings that are now past history, history stained with blood and loss.

For Shane, it was especially painful to recognise the ruins of a house, his own house. He paused for a moment to contemplate it in silence, staring at it and remembering how happy and peaceful it was to sit and simply read a book, with the sun shining through the window. For him, that was all he really needed to be happy; he was always happy with very little. But with those memories came nostalgia for those days, a nostalgia that was already becoming too strong. He had to look away so that the pain those memories brought him would not break him at that moment. It was enough for him to know what would happen to him.

He resumed walking and returned to Marek's side; he wanted to chat with him a little to lighten the depressing atmosphere, but when he looked at his friend, he saw Marek wiping his eyes with his arm, and Shane saw that they were wet.
"Marek, are you okay?"
"No, I'm not."
Marek wiped his eyes with his hand, drying the last of the tears that remained.
"I'm sorry, it's just that... My son loved coming here, it was one of his favourite places to play."
The sadness on Marek's face was impossible to hide.
"Yesterday, when I saw him, I couldn't stop crying. He asked me over and over again not to come, to stay with him, and I had to tell him that everything would be fine, that I would come back."
Marek let out a soft, rough laugh.
"I couldn't have told a bigger lie in my life."
Shane fell silent at those words, painfully realising how his own situation with Armin was being repeated with Marek (and perhaps with almost all the parents, grandparents or uncles there). They all had to say "I'll be back" to their children, even though they knew it was an empty promise. But who said it had to be empty?

"Hey, what did you say to me earlier? We'll be fine."
Shane gave Marek a light, friendly nudge, but Marek did not share his unexpected optimism.
"Shane, we won't be fine. It's over. This place will be our grave."
Marek said coldly, staring into space, and Shane, as much as he feared and loathed those words, knew they were true, but he was still determined to cling to hope, even at this moment.
"And who decides that?"
He said, with a surprising vigour that Marek found difficult to believe was feigned.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to sit idly by. As long as I'm still breathing, I'll fight to stay alive, and as long as there's a chance of survival, no matter how slim, we'll take it, because that chance always exists. It's just a matter of holding on to it."
Shane said these words to Marek with unexpected determination. He did not know why, but he felt that those words were perhaps not just an attempt at consolation, but that they were true. Armin, yes, it was because of Armin, just as he never lost hope, Shane was not willing to lose his either; even in the bleakest and most hopeless scenario, the memory of his grandson remained that flame of hope that prevented Shane from losing himself in the darkness of pessimism.

Marek was somewhat stunned by Shane's unexpected courage at that moment, which made him laugh a little less dryly and a little more genuinely.
"Well, I think I should thank you for wanting to share some of that hope with me."
"I always will, my friend."
Thanks to that, Shane and Marek no longer felt so uncertain at that moment.

But this peace was short-lived, because at that moment, Shane, Marek, and everyone else looked around and saw something that made them feel as if they were back on that fateful day.
All around them were several amputated limbs, still stained with blood, which was now dry and quite discoloured. There were arms, legs, hands, and some could even make out human organs around the limbs, along with severed heads that still bore a perpetual expression of terror. Unfortunately for them, this was only the beginning. As they entered the city, they could contemplate with silent horror the aftermath of the Titans' invasion of Shinganshina.

There were a large number of half-eaten corpses, their blood staining almost the entire ground and the ruins of houses in the area, even more severed limbs along with heads bearing eternal expressions of pain and terror, and the refugees could even see concoctions of flesh and blood crushed by huge rocks or parts of destroyed houses.
Everyone watched speechless, feeling themselves begin to tremble at the gruesome sight. But, as if it were a macabre twist of fate, when they advanced a few more metres, they saw something that made them feel truly in another world, one that was a nightmare, a figment of the sickest mind imaginable.
Everyone saw countless masses of flesh approximately 2 to 3 metres in size, with a red and pink colour reminiscent of the slaughtered flesh of an animal; the texture of this object was slimy and sticky, with very thick white lines surrounding the mass of flesh, looking almost like cobwebs. Everyone, from soldiers to civilians, felt their stomachs churn with intense, painful roars, causing several of those who saw that fleshy, slimy thing to turn green in the face and feel their breakfast rising up their bodies in a sour, acidic vomit with the most disgusting taste.
"W-what is that?"
asked one of the soldiers, who already felt his vomit rising in his throat.
"It looks like some kind of cocoon..."
said another soldier, dismounting from his horse and walking cautiously towards the pile of flesh.
He carefully took a sword from his equipment and moved much closer to that thing; with the tip of the sword, he lightly pricked the texture of that ball of flesh, feeling an uncontrollable revulsion when the object pierced it without any problem (the boy thought that if he had touched it with his hand, he would already be vomiting uncontrollably). The boy cautiously made a cut in the object, looking to see what secrets it hid inside, but seconds later he would regret that action; without warning, long, white objects piled up inside came out of the cut, causing the boy to jump back with a scream. and when he took a closer look at the material that had come out of that fleshy cocoon, he finally began to vomit violently and uncontrollably. Between bouts of vomiting, he let out heart-rending screams of horror that shook everyone present, who saw those white things and understood and shared the soldier's reaction. They were naked human corpses, reduced to skeletons with their skin still intact and their eyes still intact and wide open. But worst of all, they had a sickly white hue, which was intensified by the viscous, shiny slime that covered their entire bodies.

Several civilians, and even members of the Survey Corps, began vomiting uncontrollably. Some stared at the corpses, so paralysed by shock and trauma that they could not look away, no matter how much they wanted to; others were so terrified that their legs felt like jelly and they fell to the ground, on the verge of fainting, being helped by other refugees. Even Keith Shadis himself was affected; he wanted to vomit as he could no longer bear the disgust of seeing those corpses, but in the end, with all his effort, he managed to suppress that urge.
"I'll die here, yes, I definitely will. I don't intend to live knowing that I led these people to this fate."
Shadis said to himself in a low voice.

Far from that disgusting event was a man who stared unblinkingly at the corpse of a woman. The left half of her body had been completely gnawed away, her organs were a few centimetres away from the corpse, and her blood was almost completely dry. But what affected that man was not only the state of the corpse, but the fact that the few items of clothing that remained were the same ones his beloved wife had once worn. He recognised that lifeless body as hers.

The man was shaking uncontrollably, feeling vomit rising in his throat and his breath catching in his chest. He was even close to tears; he wanted to scream, but he couldn't, the shock prevented him from doing so. He remained like this for a moment, until suddenly he felt something next to him, like a presence, but one that did not feel human.
The man snapped out of his shock and turned towards the source of the sensation. What he saw in front of him was an enormous knee with torn skin, its exposed flesh showing pulsating, bright red veins. Trembling even more violently, the man slowly raised his gaze and saw what he had expected: two red globes of pulsating flesh staring at him with almost sickening enthusiasm.

Everyone present shuddered deeply when they heard a sharp, heart-rending scream that echoed throughout the district.
When they all turned around, they saw with horror a man writhing like a maniac in the hands of a titan who opened his mouth and revealed a row of black teeth and lines of slimy saliva. No one could move because of fear, even the Survey Corps was paralysed with terror; that was why, no matter how hard the man struggled to avoid it, in the end his fate was already decided. The titan put him in its mouth and, without wasting any time, closed it tightly, causing the man's body to explode in blood and the sound of his bones breaking to fill the air, silencing his screams.

At that moment, the refugees noticed the presence of more titans surrounding them on all sides, all with different appearances from the first one, but always with those bleeding eyes staring at them with a sickening voracious appetite.
Everyone could only feel the deepest, most instinctive terror at being surrounded by all these monsters, and some civilians even ended up fainting.
And at that moment, despite the terror, Shadis finally gave the order to counterattack.

"CHARGE!"
shouted the commander, and using his ODM equipment, he hooked onto one of the titans that was slowly approaching them. Shadis propelled himself forward at great speed while drawing his swords. The titan opened its mouth and tilted its head forward to devour Shadis, but the man managed to veer to the right, narrowly dodging the titan's bite and getting behind it. Once this was done, he threw another hook directly at its neck and propelled himself at incredible speed towards it, making a clean cut to the monster's neck and causing it to fall with a thunderous sound.

The other soldiers followed their leader's example and propelled themselves with their equipment into battle, thus beginning the fight.
Meanwhile, most of the refugees could no longer bear the fear of being there and simply dropped their weapons and ran anywhere they could. They were not sure where to go, but what they did know was that they did not want to be there. A few of them brandished their rifles and knives with all their strength, and with battle cries driven mad by fear and adrenaline, they charged at the titans who were now running straight at them, finally unleashing hell.

Shane and Marek were among those who decided not to flee, and at that moment, they were firing repeatedly at some Titans; however, Shane's shots could hardly be considered professional, as he had never wielded a rifle in his life, let alone fired one. When he pulled the trigger, he felt his body recoil a few steps from the force of each shot, along with the sensation that his shoulders would pop out of place, but fortunately for him, his targets were the perfect size, making it impossible for him to miss a shot. On the other hand, Marek had considerable experience wielding such a weapon. Each shot was fired with professional precision and control, and for him, each shot was fired with a high combination of adrenaline and a certain amount of anger. because in addition to the initial fear, what Marek could feel now was rage, the rage of having these monsters in front of him again and remembering with pain how they cruelly ended his wife's life and took away his home and everyone else's.

Marek had managed to hit some of the titans directly in the eyes, blinding them and causing them to writhe slightly in pain, while Shane, despite his very noticeable inexperience, managed to wound the titans, causing them to at least divert their attention to those wounds instead of to them. However, there were still too many titans, and it was clear that they would not be able to kill them all with gunshots alone.
"This isn't working! What do we do?"
Shane shouted, somewhat desperately. Marek knew his friend was right, so he decided it was best to retreat, at least for the moment, and see what they could do later.

"Let's go."
he said, grabbing Shane's arm and running in the opposite direction, taking advantage of the titans' blindness from the gunshots, although Marek wondered how that was possible in monsters that did not even have proper eyes. but unfortunately for the duo, some titans had already managed to regenerate their masses of eye flesh and the wounds around their bodies, emitting deafening and disturbing inhuman screams that Shane and Marek intuited as roars, watching in horror as the titans ran towards them, being mere inches away in a matter of seconds. One of the titans reached out his hand and was about to grab the man at the rear of the group of refugees, but at that moment, like a blur, a soldier lunged at the titan's neck and delivered a powerful blow that sent the giant crashing to the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and steam. The refugees had to cover their eyes and stop to get a better look at what had happened. They saw the soldier covered in blood and gasping for breath, as if breathing was a great difficulty.
"Run!"
he shouted, switching his swords.
"Just run away and get to safet—"
His sentence was suddenly interrupted when a giant hand with large and small fingers grabbed him, covering his mouth and drowning out the soldier's desperate cries. He could do little more than kick, desperately trying to free himself or at least delay the inevitable.
The civilians watched, trembling and wide-eyed with fear, as the titan put the soldier in its mouth and, with one bite, a stream of blood fell to the ground and the soldier's incessant kicking finally stopped, his legs now looking like limp limbs hanging from the man's lower torso as if they were noodles.
The civilians could take no more. Fear finally overwhelmed them completely, and with nothing else they could do, they all began to flee in different directions, even Shane and Marek ended up separating.

Shane ran through the ruins of destroyed houses and past the badly decomposed corpses of those who had died on the day the wall fell. He turned down an alleyway and, upon emerging, saw numerous soldiers swarming around the titans like flies as the latter lashed out furiously with their hands to the sound of spectral, Dantesque roars. Some giants fell to the ground, already lifeless, causing slight tremors in the east that ended up knocking Shane down. On the ground, Shane felt an enormous presence looming over him, and when he looked up, he saw a giant with his neck bent at an impossible and painful angle, his eyes exploding with blood and splattering Shane, who lowered his head and raised his hands above it to cover himself as best he could from the bloodbath. Looking up again, he saw a giant hand a few inches away from him, about to grab him. Shane did not run or even scream, for terror had taken hold of his mind and body, causing him to remain there, waiting to be taken into the arms of this monster while shaking uncontrollably. But at that moment, a soldier launched a suicidal attack on the titan's eyes, stabbing the monster's eyes with all his strength, causing the titan to retreat with shrill cries of pain. The soldier buried both blades even deeper, and a splash of blood covered him completely, with the unfortunate effect that the titan's blood also reached the soldier's open eyes, causing him to feel a painful and burning discomfort as the thick liquid filled his eyeballs. But even so, the brave soldier did not falter and plunged his blades twice as hard once more, his muscles tearing from the force he exerted, and his eyes filled with sticky, fresh blood, which was unbearable torture at this point.

Shane saw the grotesque spectacle before him, feeling nausea rising in him and vomit beginning to rise up his stomach until it reached his throat with its bitter, rotten taste, still unable to move, no matter how much he wanted to.
But luckily for him, someone grabbed him firmly by the arm and pulled him to his feet. When he looked more closely to see who it was, he felt a little relief when he saw that it was Marek.
"Are you okay, Shane?"
"Y-y-yes."
"Then let's go!"

Marek ran as fast as he could, dragging Shane by the arm, both of them running across the battlefield. Around them, several Titans fell, causing the ground to rumble. Soldiers flew at high speed around several Titans, cutting their necks and spilling torrents of blood onto the ground. However, the casualties among the soldiers were also numerous. The two friends had to listen to the cries of despair and pain from the soldiers who were caught and slowly devoured by the Titans. Marek could even see a soldier being squeezed so hard that he could clearly hear his bones breaking and saw him vomit a large amount of blood due to the force of the grip, only to be quickly but brutally swallowed. Marek looked away in disgust and focused only on getting out of there with Shane as quickly as possible.

Shadis was panting heavily and felt his body was almost numb with exhaustion; the man only had three pairs of functional swords left, and he felt that at any moment he would run out of steam.
At that moment, Shadis saw a titan running quickly towards him and leaping with such force that its chin was crushed against the ground. The titan opened its mouth abnormally wide and dragged its chin towards the commander with a blood-curdling animalistic ferocity.

Shadis jumped up, using the momentum of his equipment's gas to dodge the attack. Once in the air, he threw a direct hook at the titan's neck and propelled himself towards it at bullet speed, slashing with both swords with all the strength he had left in his arms to make the cut deep enough, which it was.
The titan let out a cry of pain and finally stopped moving.

Shadis took a moment to breathe heavily and wipe the sweat from his brow. He tried to climb down from the titan's corpse, but as he did so, his body finally gave way and he lost most of his strength, causing Shadis to stumble on the way down and crash heavily to the ground.
And on the ground, the pitiful and agonising sounds of screams reached his ears, screams of human beings, an intense and brutal cacophony of suffering, fear, and pain that felt like being in the darkest and most terrifying depths of Tartarus. Looking up, Shadis saw a scene that was not far from that place.

A slaughter of soldiers and civilians alike, perpetrated by enormous titans with the most vomit-inducing deformities the human eye could behold, saw soldiers being chewed up little by little and screaming in such agony that they even began to cough up blood; civilians being crushed by the creatures' gigantic feet, reduced to unrecognisable masses of flesh, bone and blood; and other refugees desperately fleeing, hiding, or even fighting back, cutting at the titans' feet with hoes or tridents with all their might, but in the end, he always saw the same result: everyone dying horribly, either crushed or devoured.

Shadis watched the grotesque spectacle with an intense combination of feelings: rage, fear, disgust, guilt. They were so many and so intense that the man felt his sanity cracking with every second that passed as he watched the scene.
And it would have continued that way, had it not been for the fact that Shadis' attention was no longer focused on the people dying around him, or on the deformed appearance of the Titans, but rather on those soldiers who had not yet fallen and were still giving their all to protect the few civilians who were still alive. who were following the soldiers' example and, rifle in hand, continued to fire with desperate determination, fighting on despite knowing that their grim fate was already written in stone.
«No»
thought Shadis, rising with monstrous difficulty.
"They don't have to die too, not if I can help it!"
Shadis was determined to die at first. If he perished, things would simply be so much easier. They would choose another commander (possibly Erwin, he was a great option), he would pay for his sin of bringing so many men and civilians on this mission, and above all, he could finally rest. The guilt, the pain, the shame, nothing would matter anymore, he would be free, truly free. But what about those who were still alive and did not want to die? What about the soldiers he could still get out of there? The parents he could still save and prevent more children from becoming orphans? Would he really put himself before those who needed him? Was he going to be that selfish? No, of course not.

"Retreat!"
He shouted with what little strength he had left.
"Take whatever horses you can find and get the civilians away!"
Shadis heard a piercing scream; he saw a woman trying to flee from a titan, but she ended up tripping and falling to the ground, which the titan took advantage of to grab her and carry her towards its mouth. With an effort that Shadis felt was beyond human capability, he propelled himself towards the titan with what little gas he had left in his equipment, slashing its neck with such force that his blades broke, but in the end Shadis achieved his goal. The woman was released from the titan's grasp and was saved in mid-air just in time by a soldier. Unfortunately, Shadis was not so lucky. The man had to use the last of his gas to slow his fall even a little, and he succeeded, but that did not take away from the fact that his crash into the ground was extremely painful. Shadis had hit the ground sideways, and upon contact with the hard concrete, he heard the familiar and unfortunate sound of an object breaking. Shadis knew almost immediately what that object was, confirming it definitively when he felt an intense, sharp pain in his left arm. Realising what had happened, he knew he had broken it in the fall.

But despite the pain, the burning fatigue throughout his body, and the lack of air in his lungs, Shadis ran quickly towards his men, who had already recovered the few horses that had survived. The soldiers were mounted on them along with the few civilians they had managed to rescue. Despite this, Shadis was alarmed to see that there were too few civilians mounted on the horses.
"Are these the only ones left?!"
He asked one of the soldiers already mounted.
"They are the only ones we found, sir."
"But what about the others? There may still be people in the area who need help."
One of the civilians inquired.

Shadis quickly and carefully assessed the situation, and that man was right: there could still be some innocent people and soldiers in the area, desperately looking for a way to save themselves. Worse still, they could be looking for them for protection. Would Shadis really have the audacity and moral baseness to abandon them to their fate? Shadis looked once more at his soldiers and the civilians on the horses, and the commander of the Survey Corps saw with surprise and some alarm that all the horses already had their saddles full of soldiers and civilians alike, with no room for even one more.
"Are there no more horses left?"
"No, sir, these are all we have left."
Shadis now felt truly trapped. He had to be the one to lead the few survivors to safety, and with that in mind, the mere thought of abandoning the other civilians and soldiers who were not here, in this place, paralysed him with fear. Above all, he thought of the eternal contempt and hatred he would feel for himself for the rest of his life. But also, if he did not focus on saving the few who remained, then there would be no lives to save, and everyone would be doomed.

Shadis clenched his teeth and fists tightly (even his left arm, which caused him to experience a burning wave of pain that, to him, felt deserved).
He tensed his gaze in a way that was even painful, hesitant, and even close to tears. After a few tense seconds, Shadis finally made his decision.
"Let's get out of here as quickly as possible,"
he said, as he ran to the only horse available.
"B-but the other refugees and soldiers—"

The civilian interrupted his prayer when they heard the sounds of pitiful but angry supernatural roars nearby, which made everyone's blood run cold.
"There's no time, let's go!"
Shadis shouted at the top of his lungs, kicking his horse's ankles and leading the way out of the place.
"Shit, SHIT!"
said a soldier, with deep helplessness in his tone. They all rode as fast as their horses could go, finally leaving that hell behind them, also leaving behind, with a pain that gnawed and crushed their souls, their brothers in arms, and above all, those innocent civilians whose only sin in deserving such a fatal outcome was wanting to fight to regain their lives and, above all, to give their children back their homes.

Marek and Shane just kept running, with no clear direction, only able to run amid the rubble of houses and bitten corpses, and the slimy cocoons that still contained those white corpses inside. As they ran, the roars of the titans, the battle cries and screams of terror from the soldiers could be heard with a terrifying force, amplified by spectral echoes, all of which made the two men feel trapped in a grey apocalypse stained with blood and death.
They both kept running until their bodies finally lost strength and they had to stop. They were both bent over, their hands on their knees, panting heavily, feeling their bodies burning with heat and their bodies and eyes moistening with every breath.

"We can't stay like this forever,"
Shane said with difficulty.
"You're right, we have to find the soldiers, and maybe then we can escape."
"Yes, but how will we get to them? We don't even know where we are."
Marek didn't know how to respond, but he felt that in the end it didn't matter, because his answer would be very predictable, but despite that, giving up was not an option for him.
"Well, we'll find them."
Marek put his hand on Shane's shoulder, and Shane saw in Marek a look that inspired unexpected confidence.
"What did you say? If there's a chance to survive, we'll take it, and we'll hold on to it."
A confident and inspiring smile spread across Marek's face, one that was contagious to Shane, along with the memory of his own words. Mr. Arlert stood up straight and returned his friend's confident and hopeful gaze.
"It's true, we will survive, and we will keep our promise."
But the world certainly does not tolerate hope at this point, and this would be proven at this very moment.

A soft but chilling guttural sound was heard nearby, and when they turned around, both men saw a titan with extremely small arms, so small that they looked more like the arms of a normal human attached to the enormous body of a titan, as if it were a toy with interchangeable parts.
The bizarre apparition was enough to paralyse both men, freezing them in fear and shock, unable to move no matter how hard they tried with all their might; but despite this, the worst was yet to come.

The titan bent its back forward abnormally, doing so in such a way that its jaw made contact with the ground, so that the titan's legs remained straight and firm, with the creature's body from the waist up bent at an acute angle of less than 90 degrees, the monster's mouth open and its chin touching the ground. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was seeing the titan let out a powerful roar of despair and rage, dragging its mouth at a terrifying speed towards Shane and Marek.

Shane tried as hard as he could to move, but he couldn't. The only movement his body made was the tremors he was producing. Shane could only stand still, helpless, watching as the dark mouth with crooked teeth came closer and closer to him, unable to do anything to prevent it.
The mouth was now only about 8 centimetres away from Shane, and he could only close his eyes, waiting for the painful end, but to his surprise, he felt something push him hard from the side, pulling him out of the titan's reach. Shane fell hard to the ground, and there he heard the loud sound of enormous teeth closing and biting something, something fleshy. Shane quickly checked himself and saw that he had not been bitten or injured in any way, so what was that sound?
His answer was a heart-wrenching scream of pain that could be heard above his head; when he looked up, he saw something that made his blood run cold much more than any titan or corpse he could see.

The titan had Marek by his left leg, from which blood dripped incessantly.
Marek's eyes were so wide open from the pain that he felt they might pop out of their sockets at any moment, or even start bleeding from the strain. in his leg, held by the titan's teeth, he felt a burning pain that could only be described as being sprayed with acid and then set on fire, a sensation that worsened and became worse as the titan bit harder and harder.
Marek screamed with all his might as he felt his bones breaking and crunching, along with his nerves being cut and crushed, adding to the electric pain Marek felt throughout his leg.

"MAREK!"
Shane screamed, his eyes wide and crying with pure rage and pain alike.
He quickly grabbed the rifle that had fallen from Marek's hands and began firing at the titan's body. Shane wasn't aiming at any particular spot, he was just shooting with all the desperation of his being, all in pursuit of the titan letting go of Marek. And it worked halfway, as the titan turned its gaze to an irate Shane who was firing to the sound of his cries of rage fuelled by desperation. But despite Shane's efforts, the titan seemed to find him nothing more than an annoyance that was beginning to irritate him. The titan pushed Shane aside with his foot, in a way that for the monster was like delicately removing a stone from the path, but for Shane felt like a forceful shove that sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Shane hit the wall with such force that he felt a burning, unbearable pain in his spine and a sharp, stabbing pain in the back of his head.

Shane fell to the ground, feeling waves of pain coursing through his back and head, feeling something wet on the back of his neck. He put a hand there and felt it getting soaked with something. When he looked at it, despite feeling very dizzy, he saw with horror a large bloodstain covering his entire palm. He felt his vision becoming increasingly blurred and the world around him slowly fading away.

Marek's screams prevented him from fainting. With a great effort that only increased the pain in his body, Shane crawled pitifully towards the titan, still intending to try to rescue his friend. He continued to drag himself across the ground like a dying worm until his body lost all strength and Shane could no longer move an inch. The man forced himself to try to move forward once more, but it was useless.
Shane looked up and saw Marek holding his leg, which was losing more and more blood and was still bitten by the titan's yellow teeth. Marek hung upside down from the monster's jaws like bait on a hook, screaming louder and louder.
"Marek..."
Shane tried to shout, but what came out of his mouth was a pitiful whisper.

Suddenly, Shane saw a metal wire hook onto the titan's neck, and immediately, a man made a clean but brutal cut to the back of the titan's neck. The titan let out a chilling cry of pain from the wound that had been inflicted, which finally made him let go of Marek's leg, and he fell towards the ground. Marek, still in agony, was certain that he would not survive the fall from that height, so he simply waited for the impact that would end his pain and his life, but to his surprise, something collided with him and before he knew it, he was on the ground, safe and sound. Looking more closely, he saw that his saviour was a woman wearing the Survey Corps vest and cape.

"Come on, we have to go."
The soldier helped Marek to his feet and moved forward, assisting him as best she could, especially given the state of his leg, which had been reduced to a pile of crushed, bleeding flesh from which broken bones could be seen.
The soldier who had killed the monster approached his companion and the wounded man they had just saved.
"Are you all right?"
the soldier asked, but Marek couldn't answer him. The pain was so unbearable that he couldn't even speak. Even so, the man raised his arm and pointed his finger in a specific direction. When they looked where Marek was pointing, they saw Shane on the ground, his head covered in blood and looking as if he were almost dead, but at least still alive.

The soldier quickly approached Shane and helped him up and walk alongside his partner. The two soldiers and two civilians moved forward at a brisk pace, or at least they tried to, as Shane and Marek's injuries made it difficult for them to walk.
"We must meet up with the others and get out of here,"
said the soldier.
"Yes, but how? They could be anywhere."
His companion paused for a few seconds as a dark and terrifying thought crossed her mind.
"What if... What if they abandoned us?"
Her companion shared her look of terror upon hearing those words, but in order not to be overwhelmed by fear, he tried to cheer up his comrade.
"No, of course not, that's absurd; they wouldn't do something like that to us. If they were to leave here, they would take all of us with them."
His companion found it hard to believe those words; in fact, she didn't even believe them, but even so, she was not willing to give up hope. If there was still a chance of getting out of there alive, then they would fight for it.
"It's true, this fight is not over yet."

They continued to advance as best they could through the destroyed alleys of Shinganshina. Surprisingly, there was no sound in the environment, no screams, no roars, no sound of heavy bodies crashing to the ground, nothing.
There was only total silence, in which the only sounds were their own footsteps and heavy, tired breathing, both theirs and that of the civilians they were carrying. and that, far from being a relief, created great uncertainty, one that grew as they advanced, and the silence became increasingly tense and heavy, so much so that it was almost like having anvils on their backs.

"I have a bad feeling about this,"
said the boy, his voice sounding somewhat broken and trembling.
"Yes, you're right."
Without warning, a half-destroyed house was hit by something that reduced it to mere rubble, raising a large cloud of dust and dirt. The soldiers, along with Shane and Marek, had to cover their eyes. Once the violent gust of wind had passed, they saw what had caused it.

A titan of an abnormal and intimidating 17 metres, whose skin had luminous lines similar to veins covering much of its body, loomed over them, its flesh eyes fixed on its prey.
At that moment, the soldiers could do nothing but tremble with terror; internally, they begged not to have to encounter one of these titans, but in the end, their fear manifested itself physically on their faces, and its intentions were clear.

The titan quickly ran towards them, roaring loudly, the lines of his body lighting up more and more as the volume of his cry increased.
The soldiers threw themselves to one side, along with Shane and Marek, narrowly dodging the titan, whose speed was such that he ended up tripping and falling onto some nearby houses, which was just what the only survivors needed.
"Quick, run!"
The female soldier said to Shane and Marek, who were incredulous at her words.
"What? But what about you?"
Shane asked.
"We'll stay and finish this thing off. You get out of here and find the commander and the others. We'll catch up with you when we're done with this monster."
"What if you don't succeed?"
Marek could barely get the question out, he was still too stunned.
The soldiers remained silent for a few seconds with somewhat nervous expressions on their faces, which only worried Shane and Marek even more.
"If we don't come back, then you'll have to leave and find the others on your own."
the girl said curtly.

Shane and Marek hesitated for a couple of seconds, but finally, with frustration, agreed to the plan.
Shane helped Marek walk, as he was still able to walk with some stability, and it was a certain stability because Shane still felt dizzy, with his body feeling increasingly limp and weak, but even so, his determination to get out of there made him put his best foot forward in the face of these physical difficulties.

Shane moved forward as best he could and at a speed he considered fast given his condition. He made several rounds through the destroyed streets of Shinganshina, looking for the commander or some other soldier who could help them, but it was useless. He simply couldn't find anyone. The city was now truly a ghost town in every sense of the word, a feeling that was made even more real when he heard the angry roars of the titan and the determined battle cries of the soldiers, which were now echoes that shook his bones and made his condition even worse.
But when he saw Marek, Shane realised that his own condition was nothing compared to that of his friend, who had a heavy expression, like someone who could no longer keep his eyelids open and was finding it very difficult to breathe.
"Hang in there a little longer, mate, we're almost there,"
Shane said in a raspy tone, and honestly, he didn't even believe his own words. They were just moving forward without any real purpose or direction, only postponing the inevitable.
Another silence fell, even more deathly than the previous one, which only made things worse for Shane. That was how it was until finally a sound was heard, but it was a sound that Shane prayed he would not hear. The sound of thunderous footsteps that were getting closer and closer to them, and the closer they got, the more the ground shook. Shane turned his gaze behind them, but he saw no one, nothing that could be approaching them, but still, the footsteps were getting closer and closer, as if they were no more than a metre away from where they were.
Quickly, Shane limped as fast as he could towards an alleyway between two half-destroyed houses.
He laid Marek on the ground as gently as possible and then sat down beside him, groaning in pain.

Both Shane and Marek were now just resting, trying not to make any loud noises that would give away their position. They had both lost a great deal of blood and felt their bodies were close to their limits, sitting side by side, just as they had on the day they met and forged a friendship that helped them cope with the difficult days in the field. Shane would give anything to return to those days when his only concern was helping the wounded, instead of him and Marek being the wounded, who now had no one to help them, nor to get them out of this place. The footsteps were now closer, just a few centimetres away from where they were. Shane and Marek held their breath and remained as still as statues when they saw the huge, luminous figure of the titan walking with an unsettling calm near where they were, fortunately without discovering their hiding place. The titan simply moved forward slowly, waiting patiently to find another prey. That was when more footsteps were heard, footsteps that could be heard from far away, but were easy to hear, and Shane knew what, or rather who, they were.

A wave of fear, despair and pessimistic resignation washed over him; no matter how hard he tried to escape, his injuries would not allow him to get very far, nor would they allow him to escape from a group of hungry titans, not to mention that if he tried to take Marek with him, the chances of escape would be even slimmer. It all led to one outcome: death.
Shane simply laughed softly, but it was not a laugh that had a hint of amusement; it was dry, rough, laden with despair and a certain concealed madness. The outlook was so pessimistic and cruel that Shane found it hard to believe it was real, or that he was really there, so he simply decided to wait for death to claim him once and for all.

But suddenly, he felt something gently land on his shoulder, and when he looked down, he saw that it was Marek. What surprised Shane most was Marek's gaze; despite the pain, the wounds, and being more dead than alive, the flame of determination in Marek's eyes had not yet been extinguished.
"Distract these things, and you'll be able to escape from here."
Marek said, his voice weak, but Shane felt it full of vigour.
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Look at me, Shane."
Marek pointed to his mutilated leg.
"There's no way I can run or even walk on my own. And if you drag me, it won't do any good, they'll catch us both."
Shane knew that was true, but he refused to accept it.
"Stop talking nonsense, I'm not leaving you here, not even as a joke, and I... I'll think of something."
"There's no time left."
Marek said dryly, without emotion.
Shane felt tears welling up in his eyes. He frantically thought of a way to save them both, anything, but in the end he knew that nothing would work, there was no way they could both be saved.
"No... I can't... I can't do it, not without you,"
said Shane, already starting to cry.
"If we're going to die, let's do it together."
"Don't even think about it, you idiot, do you understand me?"
Marek said it with a harshness that surprised Shane.
"You made a promise, didn't you? You promised your grandson you'd come back. Are you really going to break that promise? Just like that?"
Shane was speechless at that moment, just staring at Marek with wide, teary eyes.
"But you also made a promise, and yet you're going to kill yourself."
Marek was silent for a few seconds, seeming thoughtful.
"Then keep that promise for both of us."
Marek began to cry too.
"My son's name is Drek. Please tell him to forgive me."
More tears fell from Marek's eyes, and his voice grew weaker.
"Tell him that his father loves him with all his heart, and will always love him and be with him, even in death. Please, Shane, tell him that."

Shane looked for a few seconds at Marek's tear-filled eyes, trembling with sadness and helplessness; finally, he nodded, with a look of fragile determination.
"All right... I'll do it."
"Thank you, Shane."
With that, the two men, the two friends, embraced each other tightly, tears streaming endlessly from their eyes.
"Thank you for being my friend... and my brother,"
said Shane, and Marek hugged him even tighter in response. They remained like that for several seconds, embracing, crying, and wishing they never had to part, but the footsteps growing closer and closer brought them back to cruel reality.

Shane then moved away from Marek, stood up as best he could, and began to move forward as fast as he could. Shane forced himself not to look back, no matter what, he didn't want to look back, but he couldn't help it, he was weak. He turned his head and saw Marek leaving the alleyway using his good leg and a stick he had found, which he used as a crutch to move forward. Then Marek turned left and disappeared from Shane's view.

Shane turned his gaze forward and forced his body to run. He felt that his body was barely responding. Walking felt too horrible for Shane. His body felt so heavy, so much so that it was almost as if it were a bag of heavy earth. But despite this, he forced himself to run as fast as he could.

Shane had already covered some distance, or... maybe not? How far had he run? One metre? Two metres? One kilometre? Or maybe he had only moved a few centimetres away? Shane's sense of time began to fade, he felt less and less conscious and reality became increasingly blurred. He no longer knew whether he was awake or dreaming. What was that feeling in his head, sliding down the back of his neck? It felt wet and cold. Shane's vision began to blur. Were those screams? Was he really hearing them, or were they just in his head? And if so, whose were they? Shane felt like he knew those screams, but he didn't know why or whose they were.

Shane felt that his body could take no more, his consciousness now like an ember that could barely stay lit.
The man finally fell to the ground. Shane began to feel his own breathing rough and heavy, almost as if he were struggling to breathe. He felt the sensations in his body fading to the point where he no longer even felt it as his own body.

Suddenly, he felt something envelop him and saw himself begin to rise, the ground moving further and further away until Shane realised he was too far away from it. Slowly and calmly, he felt the thing that had enveloped him turn him around until Shane could see what had grabbed him, although only vaguely, as his blurred vision only allowed him to make out two very large red circles.
The being began to slowly draw Shane closer to it, and the man saw how that thing seemed to open a kind of abnormal and very long mouth, and contrary to what might be expected, Shane felt nothing. No fear, no despair, nothing. He could not even distinguish what was happening, much less know if this was real or just a dream.

Shane felt his head make contact with a hard surface, harder than the ground itself. It felt damp and slimy, and an unbearable, nauseating stench reached his nostrils, but even so, Shane did not react.
Until something manifested itself in his mind, something that made Shane regain what little consciousness he had left. It was a familiar image that made Shane feel a combination of tranquillity and sadness.
He saw the memory of a child with golden blond hair as bright as the sun, blue eyes full of hope and life, hugging him tightly and giving him a radiant and touching smile, and with the last of his consciousness, Shane knew the identity of that child.
"Armin..."
he said, in a quiet, pained whisper. Finally, for Shane, everything was darkness, a darkness deeper and more welcoming than that of the night, and for him, it was going to be eternal, in an eternal dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

All the children waited all day, from the moment the sun rose, illuminating the dark grey that hung over the land, until now, when the sky was already close to its nightly rest.

Today, on this day and under other circumstances, the children could well have taken advantage of not having to work to play, joke around or tease each other, as any normal child might do; but today? How could they do that? All the children stayed in the barn, some sitting with their thoughts a torrent of worry and terrible scenarios, others pacing back and forth, gnawed by uncertainty, and others just finding themselves praying to see their parents again; the day had become eternal for them, and every second that passed only served to increase the uncertainty as the endless day wore on.

In a corner, sitting alone with his thoughts, Armin simply held Shane's hat in his small hands; he held the hat tightly, anxiously waiting for the sound of horses' hooves approaching or the shouts of an adult saying the words, "Children, we're back."
Armin didn't really care whether the mission was a success or not. What did it matter if they never returned to Shinganshina? Or even if he spent his whole life alone in that field? He just wanted to see Shane again. He wanted his grandfather to be there when he heard the footsteps of the horses and the refugees. He wanted to run and hug him once more, with tears of happiness streaming down his cheeks as Shane hugged him back, with Armin returning his hat to him. That way, they would both fulfil the promises they made to each other. He asked for nothing more, not to return to Shinganshina, nor to his former life, just to see his grandfather safe and alive. Could the world really not give him something so undemanding?

"Armin?"
said a familiar voice suddenly, close to Armin, which made him turn his attention to something other than the hat in his hands; the person who had called him was standing in front of him, along with another familiar person.
"Oh, hello, guys."
Armin said to Eren and Mikasa, who were just as worried as Armin, except that their concern was, in fact, for Armin himself.
"Are you okay, mate?"
Eren asked.
Armin was downcast, and after Eren's question, he took a few minutes to respond. When he did, it was not with words, but by shaking his head from side to side in denial.
Eren and Mikasa looked at him with pity and helplessness.

They also hoped that Shane would not be among the unfortunate ones who perished on the mission; in these times, they could almost consider him a father figure to all three of them, and the last thing Eren wanted was to lose another such figure in his life. Something that neither he nor Mikasa wanted was for Armin to suffer the same fate as they had with Carla and Grisha.
With this in mind, they both sat side by side next to Armin, with Eren on the left and Mikasa on the right. Armin didn't seem to notice this, as he continued to stare at the hat with a blank, emotionless, and sombre expression.

"Hey."
said Eren, causing Armin to turn his gaze towards him, although he remained expressionless.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine."
said Eren, placing a hand on Armin's shoulder.
«Yeah, right, as if he's going to believe that.»
Eren thought to himself. In this situation, he really didn't know what to do.
Armin did not change his expression, only returning his gaze to his grandfather's hat, now looking somewhat more concerned.
Mikasa chose to simply remain silent and accompany Armin in this difficult moment; she understood that words would be of little use in this situation, and being there for him was the only thing she could really do for Armin.

They remained there until one of the barn doors suddenly swung open with a loud bang, giving everyone present a slight fright. The culprit was a boy whose expression was one of absolute excitement, his eyes shining as if stars were embedded in his pupils.
"They're back!"
he shouted, and began to run in the opposite direction, his excitement reflected on his face.
Several of the children and teenagers felt a huge wave of hope and began to run in a herd at full speed towards the exit.
Armin stood still for a moment, processing the news, until finally a broad smile spread across his face and his eyes began to sparkle with life again as he unconsciously clutched his grandfather's hat tightly.
The boy got up quickly in a movement that neither Eren nor Mikasa could discern.
"Wait, Armin!"
Eren shouted, getting up too and running in the same direction, with Mikasa following behind him.

As Armin ran forward, he saw that in front of him there was a large crowd of children who shared almost the same enthusiasm as him, running towards where they could already see people on horseback slowly making their way towards them. When they stopped, they saw that indeed, there were refugees who had now returned, still alive, dirty, and somewhat injured, but alive nonetheless. The children, including Armin, ran straight towards them, unable to wait for them to approach, but when the children got closer and could see the number of survivors more clearly, they were all shocked to see that only 15 people had returned out of the nearly 1,000, or even more than 10,000, who had left. and this sight, for Armin, was like receiving the coldest bucket of water that had ever existed.

The refugees were escorted by the few surviving members of the Survey Corps, led by Keith Shadis, who had a lost look in his eyes, frozen in an expression of indescribable shock.
He had survived, his chance to rest had gone down the drain, and now he had no choice. Each and every one of the fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who did not return with them would forever be ghostly echoes resonating loudly in Shadis's head. Now, the looks of fear and concern he could see in the children's eyes would follow him forever in his deepest, most tormented nightmares.

The few survivors quickly dismounted their horses and ran towards their children, who imitated their parents' actions and did not hesitate for a second to run into their arms, reuniting in strong embraces filled with loud cries and relief from children and adults alike.
Armin and the other children searched among the few survivors for the familiar face of a relative, something, anything. Armin searched frantically, his mind in such a state of worry that he didn't even realise that he himself was breathing faster and faster, reaching the point of hyperventilation. He searched and searched, but found nothing. His grandfather was not there, nor was there a single trace of Shane Arlert.

Armin began to tremble at this point. He refused to believe it; he couldn't do it. It wasn't true. His grandfather was still alive. He just had to keep looking... keep looking among the 15 survivors, none of whom he recognised as his grandfather.
Armin ran straight to Commander Shadis, who had already dismounted his horse and was beginning to receive concerned questions from the children and teenagers: Where are your parents? What happened there? Why did so few return?
Armin made his way through the crowd as best he could and with difficulty managed to get to the front of the group.
Shadis looked uncomfortable and felt overwhelmed by the number of children questioning him almost desperately, and for Shadis, not knowing what to say at that moment was even worse; for him, not even a thousand titans with the most horrible and unspeakable deformities straight out of hell were worse than having a bunch of children who, because of him, were now orphans.

"Sir, excuse me."
Armin tried desperately to speak to Shadis, but his voice was drowned out by the cacophony of complaints and questions the other children were asking the man.
"Sir!"
Armin raised his voice, but even then, he couldn't get Shadis' attention, who, along with his soldiers, was trying to calm the others down.
Armin couldn't take it anymore; he needed answers.
"HEY!"
Armin shouted as loud as he could, and he himself was surprised at how loud it was, so much so that it drowned out the others, who fell silent and turned to look at him in surprise, both the children and Shadis and the soldiers.
Armin felt uncomfortable and overwhelmed by the many eyes now staring at him, and he felt that they were also judging him, but even so, Armin did not let himself be intimidated by his severe introversion, and finally took advantage of this opportunity to ask the question he so desperately wanted to ask.

"Excuse me, what happened to the other refugees? Where are they? Are they delayed and on their way?"
The tension on Shadis' face increased, which made Armin a little uncomfortable, but he continued talking anyway.
"My grandfather... His name is Shane, Shane Arlert. He's not here... Is he coming?"
After Armin's question, there was a very tense silence that lasted a few seconds, and Shadis's face changed to one of deep silent pain, which caused a palpable fear to emerge on Armin's face. It was then that another spoke, this time a teenager.
"Yes, what about my father? His name is Marek, he also went on the mission, what happened to him?"
And so, there were more questions like that. Where was their father or mother? And their uncle? Where is their grandfather? Why didn't they come with them?
Again, the complaints began and the soldiers tried to calm them down as best they could.
"Calm down, it's okay, calm down..."
Shadis raised his hand silently, gesturing for both the soldiers and the children to be quiet, and everyone followed his unspoken order. Once again, there was silence, and now the children looked at Shadis with confusion and even more concern. He was downcast, with a dull, totally dead and sombre look on his face. For what seemed like an eternity (which it was for everyone), Shadis mentally prepared himself to utter those words, the hardest and most difficult words his lips had ever spoken, and yet he had no choice.
"I'm very sorry."
he said, his voice flat.
"We couldn't save everyone."

Those words caused the ensuing silence to be the worst that anyone there could experience. The children just stared at the commander in shock, unable to say a single word, their heads and feelings now a chaotic and contradictory whirlwind that no longer allowed any of them to think clearly.
Armin shared that reaction, he could only stare wide-eyed at those words. At first he refused to believe them, for a moment he even thought it was just a cruel joke; yes, that must be it, his grandfather was still alive, and in a few seconds he would see him arrive. That was what Armin believed... no, that was what a small part of Armin believed, because the rest of him knew that the commander's harsh words were true, and as much as Armin wanted to deny them, he knew that the truth was the truth, and the truth was that Shane Arlert was dead.

"Armin."
Eren said, finally both he and Mikasa managed to reach him, approaching him.
"Armin, are you okay?"
Eren put a hand on Armin's shoulder, and Armin jerked away, startled, which took Eren by surprise. He saw Armin shaking violently, his eyes now nothing more than two wet circles from which tears were falling and sliding down his face, all while he was breathing heavily, already hyperventilating at this point.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Eren and Mikasa watched with concern as Armin could no longer cope. He turned quickly and began to make his way through the children, running away as fast as he could while tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
"Armin!"
Eren and Mikasa shouted, trying to make their way through a crowd of children who were advancing towards the commander to shout all kinds of insults, complaints, or simply to confirm if what he had said was true.
Shadis felt overwhelmed again, now worse than before, as he listened to the angry and painful cries of the now orphans, several of whom hurled all kinds of insults at him in powerful shouts of rage. Some even tried to go directly to him with the intention of beating him to death like their parents, and had to be restrained by the soldiers. although Shadis certainly would not have stopped them, in fact he could not blame them, he himself recognised that suffering was also his desire, he wanted punishment, and he was receiving it with those screams and insults at that moment, and Shadis did not complain about it.

When Eren and Mikasa managed to escape from that group of children, they looked around for Armin, but couldn't see him anywhere.
"Maybe he's in the barn,"
said Mikasa, and they both ran there, but when they entered, they saw no sign of Armin.
"He's not here..."
said Eren, already very frightened, and when he looked at Mikasa, he noticed that she shared the same expression of deep concern for Armin.

Eren and Mikasa searched for Armin all afternoon, trying to find him as quickly as possible before night finally fell, but in the end, night fell upon them, painting the sky a deep jet black with the stars as small bright dots and the moon as a brightly shining night sun, which both children were grateful for and feared at the same time. They were grateful because it allowed them to see clearly in the darkness of the night and avoid getting completely lost in that place, but they also feared it because it meant that the attack of the night titans would be inevitable tonight, and with that in mind, the need to find Armin became more urgent.

They searched the grasslands, the crops, and even the forest, but found nothing, not even a trace of Armin.
"Armin!"
"Where are you?"
They both shouted as they walked through a completely open section of the field, which Eren and Mikasa had recognised as the path back to the city, and also, with some nostalgia, as the place where they had walked peacefully with Shane the day before he left.

"Where could he have gone?"
Eren said in a worried tone, not really expecting an answer, but unable to help asking the question.
"We've searched practically everywhere and found nothing.
"He has to be somewhere, we just have to keep looking,"
said Mikasa, still hopeful of finding him. Eren agreed, but knowing that it was a clear night and that the moon was still shining brightly on them made him want to hurry up the search.
"We'd better find him soon, tonight the night titans will undoubtedly come to the city."
"Yes, but I don't think they'll make it to the countryside, Eren. As far as we know, they've never done so, even when they managed to get past the defences."
"You're right, but I'd still feel better not being out here."
Eren said as he looked up at the night sky. Certainly, being out here in the middle of nowhere with no sign of his friend made him feel a twinge of fear that he tried to ignore, but he could hardly do so. However, seeing the night sky, the bright stars, and the moon, which was almost like a celestial eye watching his every move, caused a greater and more primitive fear to invade Eren. But the reason was not the night titans, but something else, a memory that was more like a trauma that still haunted Eren both night and day. That strange place he had come to that time, that desert, that divine and infinite tree, that girl, and above all, that torturous pain.
Eren just shook his head, as if he could make those thoughts slip away with that action.

"We have to find him, and the sooner the better."
said Eren.
"Yes, but where could Armin have gone? I mean, I don't think he would have gone back to the barn, would he?"
Mikasa replied. The girl suddenly stopped at that moment; she stopped walking as she was paralysed by a thought that crossed her mind and left her frozen.
Mikasa replied. The girl suddenly stopped at that moment; she stopped walking, paralysed by a thought that crossed her mind and left her frozen, which did not go unnoticed by Eren.
"Mikasa? What's wrong?"
Eren could faintly see the look of fear in Mikasa's eyes at that moment.
"You don't think Armin... ran away to the city?
Eren's skin bristled at those words, and in fact, a thought occurred to him at that moment; considering Armin's condition, could he have gone to the city to...
"It can't be."
Eren whispered in dismay.

He and Mikasa exchanged a look of fear and concern and began running towards the city; what they were doing was suicide, and it was precisely to prevent Armin from committing such an act.
They ran with strength and fear, and for a moment Eren couldn't help but relive the moment when he himself ran home, begging that his mother wasn't dead; Eren felt the trauma resurface in him again as he found himself in such a similar situation.
«No, please, not again, not Armin.»
Eren thought as they ran more and more desperately, until they suddenly heard a series of low but audible sounds, which took them by surprise and frightened them in a way. They stopped and looked around in alarm, trying to decipher the nature of those sounds, and little by little they did so, realising what they were: sobs, soft sobs, but easily noticeable in the deathly silence of the night.
They both turned towards the source of the sounds and saw the hill they had visited the last time the world allowed them to share a final moment with Shane.
As they climbed up and reached the top, they finally saw the one they had been searching for so desperately.

"Armin!"
They shouted at the same time as they approached a trembling Armin, his head buried in his knees and his arms wrapped around them, clutching his grandfather's hat tightly in his hand.
Eren tried to say something to Armin, anything, but he couldn't find the words, neither he nor Mikasa. So they simply sat side by side with him, just like in the barn, accompanying him in this difficult moment. None of them said anything beyond Armin's sobs. There was only silence between them, and as time passed, Eren felt a deep frustration. It had happened again, but now it wasn't him it had happened to, but his friend, his best friend, and that made him boil internally with rage and, above all, helplessness. Once again, the Titans had taken away everything they loved, and they could do nothing but bow their heads.
Eren clenched his fists in frustration.

"All this is the Titans' fault. If we could defeat them, we would get back our—"
"WILL YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT THE TITANS FOR A SECOND?!"
Armin suddenly shouted, startling Eren and Mikasa. The young Arlert faced Eren with an angry expression and his cheeks wet with tears.
"THE ONES WHO KILLED MY GRANDFATHER WERE THE DAMNED ONES WHO GAVE THAT ORDER, THEY SENT HIM TO HIS DEATH, THEY WERE THE ONES WHO KILLED HIM!
When he finished speaking and had regained control of himself, Armin saw Eren's frightened face looking at him, which brought young Arlert back to reality, realising what he had done.
"I'm sorry... I-I didn't mean to treat you like that... I'm sorry."
Armin turned his gaze to the hat he was holding in his hands, remorseful. Burying his head between his knees again, and contrary to what Armin thought, Eren wasn't really upset at all; in fact, he could only see a reflection of himself in Armin, and for Eren, no pain could compare to that sight of his friend.
"It's okay, I understand."
He said, lowering his gaze to the ground.

The three fell silent once again, on that hill that almost perfectly mirrored the hill in Shinganshina, where the three friends used to race to see who could reach that giant tree first and claim victory, or where the three of them would simply lie down and gaze at the beautiful clear blue sky. Now the three of them were on this hill under the darkness of the night, sharing pain and mourning alike.

Eren looked up at the night sky, his expression tense as he saw in the stars the memories of his mother being devoured and the Titans invading and conquering his home, and along with the bitter memories came a question that had echoed in Eren's mind back then and continued to do so now.
«Is this really all we can do? Just sit and cry?»
Before, Eren had asked himself that question with blind rage and repressed hatred, but now it was a question Eren asked out of genuine disbelief. Was this really how his life was going to be?
He remembered how, despite the hatred and resentment he felt towards the Titans, when he saw his reflection in the water while standing on that ship, what he saw was exactly what he really was: just a child, one who was unable to do anything before, and unable to do anything now. Was this really how things were going to be? Loved ones, innocent people dying, and him unable to save anyone? Was all he could do was stand there and cry?

«I will kill them all.»
Those words resurfaced in his mind like a vital reminder. He remembered them not as mere words, but as his oath, a declaration of war, one that he was willing to win at the time, and now, more than ever, he knew that it was no longer just a simple desire for him, it was now a responsibility; the responsibility to give meaning to the deaths of those who had fallen, to fulfil that promise not only as revenge, but as a promise to those who were no longer there, the promise to reclaim this world that had been taken from them.

"Armin."
Eren said, causing the aforementioned to raise his head from where he was and direct his gaze at Eren, with Mikasa doing the same.
"In three years, I will enlist in the training corps. I will become strong. I promise you both that I will take back our home."
The words surprised Armin and Mikasa, and the latter certainly did not know what to think; unlike the many similar promises Eren had made before, this one felt different. It was not driven by anger and pride, but rather by determination and duty. It was driven not only by anger, but also by a genuine sense of responsibility, and that, rather than angering her, made her feel surprised.

"Me too."
said Armin, with the same determination as Eren, if not more.
"Armin, you don't have to..."
"Me too. Eren, I have to do this."
Eren was speechless, and in a way, he admired Armin for his courage at that moment, seeing how, even though there were still tears in his eyes, his gaze reflected a vigour that Eren himself was lacking.
Eren was speechless, and in a way, he admired Armin for his courage at that moment, seeing how, even though there were still tears in his eyes, the look in them reflected a vigour and determination that surprised Eren.
"All right.
He said.
"I'll do it too."
said Mikasa, with a determination that, although cold, felt the same as Armin's, and both boys were surprised by their friend's words.
"Mikasa, you don't have to do this. You said it yourself, survival was the important thing."
said Eren.
"Yes, and that's why I'm going, to ensure the survival of both of us."
Eren could only look at Mikasa and Armin in silence, hesitant, and even a little afraid for them, but seeing how the three shared the same conviction, he reaffirmed his decision.
"All right, we'll do it. Together?"
Armin and Mikasa nodded determinedly.
"Together."
said Armin.
"Together."
Mikasa reaffirmed.
Eren simply smiled at his friends, and they smiled back at him; the three then turned their gaze to the moon and stars, remembering from then on, with the night sky as their witness, the promise that would keep them together forever. They truly had each other, and none of them would abandon the others. From now on, every difficulty, every tragedy and every pain they had to go through, the three of them would do it together, helping each other and moving forward, never letting themselves be broken again; facing everything.

Five years later

It had been a long time since that 'failed' mission to recover the Maria Wall. A large part of the population had been reduced, and with that, the food problem had been largely solved. All this came at the cost of innocent lives, sacrifices that the high command was willing to make, and which resulted in there being only orphans left on the farmlands.

Five years had passed since that promise made by three children under the starlight and the darkness of the night, and now, this year, they were finally going to fulfil it.
In a place where the ground receded from the green blanket of the countryside, countless recruits from the new generation of soldiers stood at attention.
All of them were barely teenagers, between 12 and 13 years old, and now, at this moment, at such a young age, they would become practically adults in this place under the instruction of a well-known figure.

"From now on, you are officially members of Training Corps 104!"
said the instructor in a firm, authoritative voice.
"Unfortunately for you, I, Keith Shadis, will be in charge of this basic unit!"
Shadis stood in front of the recruits, looking almost identical to how he did in his painful days as commander of the Survey Corps, with the not-so-subtle difference that now there was not a single strand of the black hair he once had left on his head, now presenting a completely bald head, which only served to enhance his presence and authority.

"I'm not here to give you a warm welcome. You're all nothing but pathetic cattle waiting to be devoured by the Titans. No, my mistake, you're even worse than cattle!"
Some recruits already felt their self-esteem and desire to continue diminishing with these comments, but some remained coldly steadfast in the face of these words, and among them were Armin and Mikasa.
The years had passed for them, and those harmless and fragile-looking children were long gone. Now both their bodies and minds had grown and changed over the years, but their conviction remained the same since that night. Armin looked at Instructor Shadis with vigorous eyes, while Mikasa remained as cold and steadfast as she had been since childhood, hardening more solidly than the hardest diamond as time had passed.
"Over the next three years, I will train you so that you are not as useless as you are now! I will teach you how to face the Titans, and in three years, when you finally fight those monsters, will you still be a miserable herd? Or will you be the glorious wall that protects our people from them? Or perhaps you will be the powerful champion who exterminates all the Titans. The choice is yours."

A recruit, Eren Yaeger, internalised that last sentence Shadis said, reminding himself once again why he was there. His oath resonated within him more strongly than ever, and his determination grew much stronger than ever before. Eren was very clear about one thing: he would avenge his mother, his father, Shane, and each and every one of those who died at the hands of those hellish monsters. He would fight for revenge, for justice, to recover what had been taken from them. His emerald green eyes reflected Eren's unwavering determination to fulfil his mission.

It all begins here, in this forge that will shape his path and where he will see the rebirth of the one whose hatred is the engine that keeps him standing in this dying world, and whose oath is what keeps him steadfast and moving forward in this crusade he began on his own.
Here began the journey of that freedom fighter, Eren Yaeger.
"I will kill them. Every single one of them, I will leave none alive."