Year 844

POV: Armin

There had never been a formal report for the incident. This lack of public uproar reduced all gossip to confused, unconfident whispers.

"You saw it, right? That girl—she climbed the wall. I know it."

But the last statement was never as self-assured as it needed to be. It was always open-ended, always with the inflection of a question. They never doubted that they had seen it happen—everyone had—but their military never addressed it. Did the event even matter? Had it ever even happened? Were they all just…insane?

The more time that was put between the district and the event, the more confused the people's memories became. Had the girl climbed all the way to the top, or a mere quarter of the way? She didn't get even that far, some men claimed. She couldn't have.

Some witnesses denied the event altogether. There was no possible way a girl could ever climb a fifty meter wall. Holding to this belief made things…easier. Simpler.

The conviction would have greatly eased Armin Arlert, but he would not allow himself to believe it. All he knew was that both his parents and the girl had wanted to leave these walls, and now…they were both gone.