The sun rose upon the horizon, its golden rays shining from the East, the dark shadows laying low in the humble town of Jinae. The clapping of hooves against the firm ground became closer and closer as distraught mothers would bid farewell to their children, who were about to embark on the journey that would most likely end with their deaths. Sobbing and strained shouts of agony would fill the streets, everyone knowing the fate of the children of Jinae.
"Nothing breaks my heart more than the burden I have brought upon you both..." A single tear would trickle from the woman's eye as she spoke to her two children, gazing at them both helplessly. "Maybe one day you can forgive me. For now, all I ask of you both is to take care of each other…" Her tears would gather at the tip of her chin as her children would tremble and sob with her, the harshness of their reality sinking in. The terrified mother would grasp the hands of her weeping daughter, speaking firmly to her two children. "But please, this is an order from your mother, only die if the other one can live. Do you hear me, children? Say it to me, tell me you understand." She would grit her teeth as her children would choke back their wailing.
"I understand, mother." Choked the eldest young man as the horse pulled carriages neared.
"We understand, mother," Whimpered the younger girl, following her mother's orders just as she did five years ago. The carriages would come to a halt in the town square, the soldiers shouting for the departure to happen as quickly as possible to stay on schedule. The family of three would embrace each other closely, the mother holding back her emotions as she would grasp her children tightly. The eldest would pull away as his name was called, the youngest following soon after. The only things the children carried on their backs apart from their clothes were a fountain pen, ink, a journal, a chunk of bread, a cardigan or jersey, and a photo of their loved ones. They would all make their way towards the town square, followed by the parents they had told to stay behind. Many attempted to make the farewell short and curt as if the pain of leaving would be elevated. There were already other children in the carriages, who could barely watch the sobbing mothers beg their children to stay, and the fathers who held expressions of pure desolation.
Their belongings would be left in another carriage, and after stating their name and date of birth, they would ascend the carriage. Children around their age would help the siblings onto the rig, the two siblings bidding their thanks as they would sit down next to each other. They saw their mother be ordered to stand back to allow the others to ascend the transportation. The sun had fully risen as the shouts of farewell sounded throughout the little village, each child from the age of twelve to fifteen being carted away to the military. They would lean out of the carriages, waving as the horses would continue their journey. Soon enough, the mother waving her scarf in the air could no longer be seen, and her children would sit back down, sending each other dreary and worried expressions.
"You're both talkative." Exclaimed a blonde boy with a slight smirk, causing the two siblings and the boy sitting next to him to jump. The brother would begin to stammer helplessly as he tried to find the right words to say, regretting having not been the first to greet the people who he knew he would be surrounded by for the next few years. They were his new comrades.
"Reiner, that's insensitive!" Scolded a hook-nosed boy with dark hair gently, as Reiner would chuckle softly. The siblings supposed that they had already known each other before they ascended the carriage that leads them to a new chapter in their lives. Along with that, the twins felt a strange sense of familiarity with them, even though they hadn't spoken.
"We're sorry, we didn't mean to be rude!" Apologized the older sibling frantically, "My name is Marco Bodt, and this is my sister Adeline. We were just a bit lost for words, having to leave home all over again…" He would lower his head sadly, the boy called Reiner responding calmly:
"Don't worry about it, everyone is going through the same thing. My name is Reiner, this is Bertolt and Miss. Grumpy is called Annie. A pleasure to meet you, Marco and Adeline." He would extend his hand kindly, Marco shaking it with a strange feeling inside. Bertolt would do the same with Adeline, who would shake his hand with a smile. Adeline's feeling of recognition only became more intense, gulping as she would reach into the depth of her memories to find where Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie had previously turned up in her life. She would soon put these feelings aside, yet not completely abandoning her intuition. The rickety carriage would trundle along the firm roads, its passengers being jolted and rocked back and forth.
"It's nice to meet you all too." Spoke Adeline in her small voice, sending a smile to the monotone Annie, who would nod in return. "Would you guys like some milk bread? Our mother made it so we could share it with others on the journey…" Adeline would rear a cloth with the cornbread inside, smiling as she noticed her new companion's mouths' watering. They accepted, and she would pass around a chunk to everyone, leaving a small one for herself.
"This is amazing!" Gulped Bertolt with a smile, scoffing down the rest of his chunk as if he hadn't eaten since last year. Marco and Adeline became rather concerned for Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie, and offered more of the bread to them. With those words, Adeline could feel her memory coming back to her. She glanced at her brother wondering if he had realized the same too.
"Haven't you all eaten this morning? Here, take more." Offered Marco, looking up suddenly as Annie would finish her first serving.
"We've had this milk bread like this before, you met us a few years ago." She would state blandly, Marco and Adeline's expressions lighting up.
"I knew I remembered you all from somewhere! Don't you remember Marco, when Wall Maria fell, we went around giving bread and cheese to the refugees!" Exclaimed Adeline cheerfully, relieved to have finally reached a conclusion, "It's such a coincidence! Bertolt, I feel like I remember you saying the same thing a few years ago when you tried the milk bread! I'm glad to see you guys again…" Adeline would beam towards Reiner, who would send back a calm and crooked smile.
"I'm glad to see you again too."
"How long have you three been in the carriage?" Questioned Marco curiously, Reiner sighing deeply and responding:
"We left so early in the morning it was still dark, we were the first people to be collected. I wonder how long it is until we arrive…" Grumbled Reiner tiredly, a glint suddenly appearing in Adeline's eyes. Whipping out her fountain pen and paper, she began to draw a little doodle of the carriage, the town of Jinae, and the training camp.
"Well, the training camp is further along Wall Rose, exactly at the South-West, which we can assume is around 130 kilometres, just like the distance between Wall Rose and Wall Sina!" As the young girl spoke, her companions would lean closer to the page she wrote on as she wrote the formula. "Let's suppose the carriage is going at twenty-four kilometres per hour, so then… If we divide the distance of 130 kilometres by twenty-four kilometres per hour of speed, then that gives us," she would scribble on the page frantically, her eyebrows knitted into a frown in concentration… "Five hours until we arrive!" She would say triumphantly, her friends flipping their heads back in annoyance. Adeline would chuckle gently and sigh with a weak smile, her companions complaining loudly.
"How on earth did you do that?" Questioned Bertolt curiously, not understanding how she had reached her conclusion.
"Adeline is good with numbers, that's all." Marco would shrug. "Ask her an equation like one-thousand times twenty-five, she can solve it in her head!"
"That one is easy, Marco." Laughed Adeline, "It's twenty-five thousand! Give me a harder one."
"A hundred and twenty-five times seven." Uttered Annie with a slight grin pulling at her cheeks, with her smile quickly wiped off her face as Adeline responded after thirty seconds of thought.
The five children would laugh as they tested Adeline, bantering cheerfully as they did so, smiles even coming from Annie. The sense of familiarity greatly calmed and relieved Marco and Adeline, realizing that at the Training Camp they would have no issues with mixing with others and forming new friendships.
Rows and rows of cadets stood, alert, as Commander Keith Shadis marched around in search of prey. He would pick on everyone seemingly at random, leaving them aghast once their verbal beating ended. They all managed to stand tall and stoic, inwardly praying that the commander would ignore their presence and choose someone else to belittle and terrify. He picked on the tall, self-righteous appearing boy next to her, who responded fearlessly and confidently to the Commanders interrogations.
"Who are you?!" Hollered the ruthless Commander, his glare attempting to sear into the casual gaze of the young man who saluted in front of him.
"Jean Kirschtein, from Trost!"
"And what are you doing here?!"
"Joining the Military Police for a life deep within the walls." He would answer in an offhand manner, pulling an aloof grin.
"Oh… I see, you want to access the interior?" Pondered the Commander in his grisly voice, his tone lower than usual, as if there was rage bubbling inside of him.
"Yes sir!"
With this response, the arrogant young cadet would receive a swift headbutt which sent him to his knees, causing everyone in the vicinity to gasp and freeze, some may be feeling satisfied that his arrogance had been punished. Adeline would flit her eyes to the down spirited young man with pity as he was lectured by the commander, barely able to keep her monotone composure as she wanted to help him back to his feet and make sure he was okay.
"You said you could sit down? Anyone who can't handle this will never make it into the military police!"
The girl prayed that her brother Marco wouldn't be picked on, as he had intentions of joining the Military Police just like the boy who had just been pummeled by the Commander but merely hoping was no use.
"Marco Bott, Jinae City, Wall Rose South District! I want to join the Military Police to offer the King my body and self in service!"
Keith Shadis would grumble calmly… "Really…? I'm glad to hear that, Cadet. Good luck, however… The king doesn't want your body. NEXT!" Marco's expression was defeated and lost, meeting his sister's sympathetic eye. Adeline suddenly noticed that Keith Shadis had his back turned as he lectured a grey-haired boy, leading her to briskly help Jean to his feet despite the orders to stand straight and forwards until the opening ceremony was over.
"What do you think you're doing, Cadet?" The Commander would seethe fiercely...