The sun was bright but, at the same time, surprisingly cold. Clouds were dotted all over the sky, the typical vision you get from a morning in humanity's last refuge. The year was 847, and the 104th Cadet Corps was about to be formed. Former Commander of the Scout Regiment Keith Sadies is their head commandant and he is delivering their rite of passage before training begins.
Several soldiers have been interrogated by Keith so far. It usually goes the same way: he approaches them and they salute him. He asks their name and what's their goal. He then rebuts it and heads on to the next. An officer and his attendant are passing by, spectating the whole ordeal.
"Why does he do that?", the attendant asks his superior, curious.
"He's breaking them down psychologically", the officer replies. "He's burning their identities down so they can be rebuilt as soldiers."
"He has skipped a handful of them, though", the young man mentioned.
"Indeed", the officer stated as he glanced forward with an odd peaceful expression in his eyes. "Those... have a different expression on their faces. They don't need to be broken. They most likely have seen hell two years ago."
A tall, muscular blond boy with frizzy hair stood side by side with an even taller boy who had short, dark hair. A short, blonde girl with a serious face and a distinct nose kept her eyes forward, focused. A boy of average height and piercing teal-green eyes remained by a girl with black hair and an unique facial structure. A tall girl with freckles all over her face had a more neutral expression. A girl with distinct, long brown hair and skin white as snow stood by her side. All of them escaped the commandant's intimidation, but it didn't mean they hadn't caught anyone's attention.
Later during the evening, a young cadet by the name of Sasha Braus ran past the barracks, exhausted. She had been running laps for hours after getting caught eating during the earlier introduction and answering the commandant in what he deemed a "mocking, ironic piece of lack of discipline that got you officially into my shitlist". The girl with brown hair had been sitting on the fence in front of the barracks, watching all of it in what seemed like a trance to any observer. A few feet from her, some of the cadets also watched the scene. A curious boy named Marco Bodt decided to approach the girl, who had been silent all along.
She was of average height. Her skin was pale, her long hair almost reaching her hips, having a light brown shade, almost orange. Her eyes were also brown, but much darker in tone. She had naturally rose lips and the look in her eyes went straight through one's soul. Marco spoke to her, shy, wondering if he would be annoying the somewhat intimidating girl.
"E-excuse me... you have been there for a while since we were dismissed... are you ok?", he asked. The other cadets turned their attention to them.
The girl turned her face towards Marco. His eyes widened as he felt a little bit scared.
"Oh, hi! I'm ok, just... just entertaining myself with that potato girl, i guess. Don't worry!", she said in a much friendlier tone than expected. Marco relaxed instantly. "What about you? Your name's Marco, isn't it?"
"O-oh... yeah, i'm fine, thank you! You're right, it's Marco. Marco Bodt. Those right there are Armin, Eren, Mina and Connie". They all waved at her, and she waved back.
"Hi, everyone! I'm Laure. Laure Garnier. That girl has been running for a while, haven't her?"
"Yeah", Connie replied. "What shocked her the most wasn't even the order to run... it was actually the notice that she wasn't going to get any dinner. Dauper is an isolated village that mostly depends on hunting, from what i know."
Eren caught attention of a wagon filled with people. It was leaving.
"What's that?", he curiously asked.
"Those are the quitters", Mina said. "The ones giving up asked to go back home."
"But it's only the first day...", Armin stated.
"There's no other way. The weak have to go. They will have to go back to working on the fields", Eren said with a determined look in his eyes.
Laure looked at him, slowly recognizing who he was.
"You're the boy on the boat, aren't you?"
"Huh?", he said surprised.
"Back during that day... on the boat, you're the one who said was going to kill all of the titans, right?"
"So you were there too, huh?"
"Yes, i am from Shiganshina. Just like you two."
Connie, Marco and Mina looked at them, surprised. Connie let out an inappropriately excited comment.
"So you guys saw the Colossal Titan?!"
Erwin was leading the returning scouts. It had been a major defeat, with dozens of casualties. Almost half of the hundred scouts had died and the rest was wounded in one way or another. His white horse was stained in blood. As they crossed the city, rows of people stared silently at all of them, their faces literally blank. A young blond child walked to the middle of the road and faced the Commander. The sky suddenly turned orange and the boy disappeared. Erwin's horse suddenly got intensely hot and he felt pain through his whole body. The animal turned his face towards him, his head having been transformed into a skull. Erwin sweated nervously, confused and filled with dread, unable to comprehend what was happening. The horse opened his mouth and screeched as he suddenly swallowed the Commander and darkness engulfed all of his vision.
A ray of light suddenly shined from above. The Commander was in an empty, moist room that he could feel had no beginning and no end. The light, casting in front of him, slowly moved forwards as if it was alive. It suddenly illuminated a half eaten face of a familiar individual- Bertholdt Hoover. The head was the size of the Colossal Titan's and would speak in whispers, even though it didn't open its mouth.
"This... hurts... this... hurts... it hurts... hurts..."
Bertholdt's remaining eye shifted towards Erwin and the loudest noise he had ever heard shocked him wide awake. He was shirtless, laying on a sleeping bag atop the wall that surrounded Shiganshina. Right by his side, a wounded Sasha moaned in pain as she slept. Laure Garnier sat at the edge of the wall alongside Armin Arlert, both overlooking the location the Beast Titan was in just a few hours ago. The startled commander caught their attention and Laure quickly loaded a flare and shot it upwards. Armin was also covered in bandages and his face had ointment all over it. Laure's head had a bandage wrapped around it, the wound on the back of her head having stained it with a small amount of blood. She had tried to braid her hair again, but it was too messy and dirty. She remained with her torn green cape.
"Hello, Erwin". Captain Levi's words came from behind the Commander. He was sitting near his friend for all the time he had been unconscious. Hange, Eren, Mikasa, Connie and Floch had been searching for survivors and looking for a possible sign of a counter-attack. Jean stood alone not far from the wounded scouts, silently looking at the sky. He didn't even flinch when the flare was shot.
It didn't take long for the search team to return. Still, by the time they got there, Erwin was already halfway through telling his dream to Levi and the others.
"... and then Bertholdt looked at me.", he said. "His eye made a sound, one i can't describe at all. All i can say is that it was the loudest sound i have ever heard. It's what made me wake up."
"Erwin", Levi started speaking, mildly changing subjects. "What is the last thing you remember?"
"Leading the charge towards the Beast Titan."
The Commander didn't remember everything, but he knew exactly what had happened. His expression felt more positive than his usual neutral face. After all, he knew him being alive meant he would finally learn the truth.
"As i talked about the dream, i was thinking at the same time", he said once more. "If i'm alive and we're here, it means we successfully defeated the Armored, the Beast and the Colossal. It means my injuries weren't fatal and i survived the charge. However, i don't see any bandages or blood. I feel pain, but it comes from a wound i don't have at all. The dream with Bertholdt can only mean one thing. I am now the Colossal Titan."
"Correct, Erwin", Levi said as he stood up. "Well, almost completely correct. We did indeed defeat the three of them, but the Armored and the Beast have escaped thanks to that Cart Titan."
Erwin didn't express disappointment at all. Although their enemies weren't killed, the battle was still a victory for them.
"I promised you i would kill that hairy shithead, but i didn't". Levi was slightly angry and frustrated.
"Levi, i don't think the Beast's survival is relevant at the moment. We didn't account for the Cart Titan, let alone him being intelligent."
The Captain looked at his friend.
"You ordered me to die and yet i'm here, still alive. Humanity now has the power of the Colossal Titan. This is a victory larger than anything we could have expected. Your promise has no meaning. The Beast is a problem for another time."
Levi and Erwin traded a look of respect and agreement. Levi was thoroughly happy his friend had survived, but he felt annoyed he didn't fulfill his promise. The sentiment of relief was mutual among everyone, although that didn't exactly mean everyone was happy.
"It still cost a hundred lives", Laure said as she approached the Commander. He looked at her and they stared at each other. Levi stood up and everyone else looked at the female scout.
"Everyone here right now, Erwin, is what remains of this operation. Eleven survivors. I saw half of my team get crushed by rocks and become nothing but guts, and i myself escaped that fate by pure luck."
She was going to keep talking, but Levi interrupted her.
"Listen here, kid-"
He couldn't finish his setence because Erwin raised his left arm.
"Let her speak". Everyone remained in silence.
"When i woke up, i saw the other half of my squad, and all the recruits for that matter, riding their horses to certain doom. Floch was the only one to survive. All of those lives were sacrificed under your orders, Commander."
"I don't need your reminder, Garnier. I know very well what i have done. However, you need to remember that this mission was greater than any of us. Which is why i put my own life on the line. It is why i was ready to sacrifice everything i had for it. You knew this kind of situation was going to happen when you joined the Scouts. It's what i said to your graduating class."
Laure's feelings were shared with Floch, although he didn't say anything. They knew it was a sacrifice that had to be done, just like the others knew. But Laure was not afraid to show she didn't agree with it.
"We are all suffering from the losses of this battle, Laure", Hange said as she brought a bottle of water to Erwin. "Humanity as a whole, the Scouts as an organization and we as individuals have lost a lot today. You, me and everyone else, we all sacrificed something in order to survive and to achieve our goal. The Commander is not to blame."
Deep down, Erwin hated everything he had done to achieve his goals. He hated it because he knew, in the end, it was to serve the greater purpose of his dream and nothing more. The hundreds, if not thousands of scouts who died while serving him, all of them amounted to a pile of bodies that served as steps towards the truth. Truth that was at the basement they were finally going to be able to reach. And although it did help humanity several times, his selfish desire was his inherent motivation. But although he disliked it, he didn't regret it at all.
Laure greatly admired Erwin. She once again thought about Moblit as she looked at Hange. She felt bad for letting frustration take the better of her and lashing out at him.
"I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't mean to be egotistical. It's just that..."
"This is a subject for another time", Levi interrupted. Erwin grabbed Hange's canteen with his right arm. He looked at it, finally realizing his lost limb had reappeared. It was his newly acquired powers that regenerated it. However, he barely managed to hold the canteen. He was still weak.
"Don't be sorry, Garnier. You have experienced hell today. All of you have. It's ok to feel distressed."
Erwin stretched his hand towards Laure just like he once did to Eren. The scout grabbed it and shook it, a tear escaping her eye.
"Now that the Commander is awake, should we continue our searches?", Connie asked, interrupting the moment.
"I don't think we're going to find anyone", Eren said. "The Colossal evaporated everyone near the blast radius. We couldn't find anything besides ashes..."
"The basement", Erwin said as he attempted to stand up, using Laure's hand as support. "We're going there."
"Oi, oi, oi! Erwin, calm down! You're too weak, you should stay quiet.", Levi said as he tried to hold his friend back. The Commander sat down because of Levi's pull.
"I do not care, Levi. Just give me a few minutes and find me a crutch to use. It is finally time. I wish to be at Grisha's basement."
About 20 minutes later, some of the scouts departed towards Eren's old home. Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Levi, Hange and Erwin slowly walked through the streets. Memories flooded the three friends as they passed through familiar locations. It was a very bittersweet feeling that took hold of them, seeing the devastated streets filled with vegetation, the houses and buildings destroyed and empty, the echoes of the once alive city. It was the afternoon and the sky was clear as all the smoke had finally left. As they turned a corner, Eren's house was enlightened, the giant boulder on top of it beamed by the sun. Carla Yeager's ghost haunted Eren and Mikasa.
The remanining scouts sat together near Sasha, who had now stopped moaning. Jean and Laure were side by side, the female scout resting her head on his good shoulder as she caressed a sleeping Sasha's hair. Connie was eating a ration and Floch looked around, saddened, listening to his comrades. It often felt like Sasha was smelling Connie's food.
Laure stared sad at the horizon.
"I feel dread...", she said. The others turned their attention to her.
"We know that titans are humans". She looked at Connie, who then held back a sad face. "I fear what we may find about that info."
"Whatever it is, it can't be worse than knowing we had been killing people all this time", Jean spoke softly.
After using some help from physics, the scouts managed to easily displace the small rock sitting on top of the cellar's entrance. Many plates, cutlery and pieces of wood & furniture were scattered on the floor. Soon, the door to the basement was on their sights. Hange carried a flashlight.
"This is it", Eren said.
He moved forward, picking his key. The door had a lock on it but, as he tried to unlock it, he quickly noticed it wouldn't open.
"Faster, kid!", Captain Levi said, annoyed.
"I'm trying, but the key won't fit!"
Levi pushed Eren aside and quickly kicked the door down without saying a word.
"That's one way to deal with it", Hange jokingly said. Erwin stayed silent throughout the whole thing, his mind focused on what was in front of him.
As they entered the dark basement, Hange's flashlight illuminated the area. The place was well preserved, even if dusty and filled with spider webs. Said spiders quickly ran to the corners of the room when they noticed the light. She had just commented about how the place was luckily never flooded by rain. A small lamplight sat on Grisha's old desk and the scouts quickly lit it up.
"Kinda looks like a lab...", a curious Hange said.
"My father was a doctor", Eren replied. "He came here often to prepare medicine."
"I understand", she said as she inspected a few bottles. "This is all widely available medicine. There's probably something in here that could help Armin with his burns or Sasha with her pain. All the books are related to medicine, too."
Armin started speaking.
"Nothing suspicious so far... which is what Eren's father would have wanted if he's hiding something important here". Armin thought of his grandfather's book about the outside world and how he found it by accident.
"Arlert's right", Erwin said. "Keep an eye out for hidden compartments or anything unusual."
The scouts started to search around. Mikasa noticed a cup on Grisha's desk; one she had brought to him earlier in the day the titans attacked. As she picked it up and had a look at it, she was surprised to notice it still had liquid in it. Five years old stale tea fell on the floor and startled Hange. She approached the liquid. "What's that?", she asked, curious.
"It's just tea...", Mikasa answered, her memory still vivid.
As Hange was crouched examining, she caught something in the corner of her vision.
"I found something. It's a keyhole."
Eren quickly went to her. He wasted no time putting the key inside it, letting out a sigh of relief when it fit. He opened up the small drawer only to find it empty. "It's... it's empty!", the anxious Eren said.
"Calm down, kid", Levi said as he approached. He put his hand inside and passed it through the corners. "It's a false bottom". He removed the bottom. Everyone approached to see what was inside it.
Three books were inside the drawer, carefully protected from moisture and insects, as Hange stated.
"Seems like this is what we are searching for", Levi said.
"These books contain Grisha Yeager's knowledge about the reality of the titans, i assume", Erwin said as he sat on Grisha's chair. Eren laid one of the three books on the desk and put his hand on it, ready to open it. He hesitated for a bit before Mikasa laid her hand over his, and together they looked at each other before finally opening the book.
Erwin started smiling and laughing. Levi looked at his friend, annoyed.
"You're laughing at the worst time possible again?", he asked while crossing his arms. "I hope this doesn't become some sort of running joke."
Erwin stopped for a moment, still smiling.
"This means...", he said as he raised his head. "My father was right all along."
The sun was finally starting to set when the team returned from the basement. The scouts on the wall quickly stood up, curious to what they had found. Sasha was awake and eating.
"Sasha, we found something for your pain", Hange said. "Just ask whenever it hurts too much". Sasha smiled with her mouth full, saying a chewy "thanthk thyou" as food fell from her mouth.
"What did you find?!", Floch asked. Erwin looked at the remaining scouts, a book in his hand. Eren and Mikasa were also carrying a book each.
"What i'm about to tell you all is top secret. I believe it is deserved of your parts to know the truth, considering the pain you have been through today."
Erwin sat on top of a crate and raised his book in front of his face.
"This book, and the other two Mikasa and Eren are carrying, contain the memories of Grisha Yeager alongside other information. His memories and said information tell us about the outside world. Humanity has not perished outside the walls."
No one expressed shock towards Erwin's revelation. He continued.
"The people who live inside the walls are refugees from a race called 'Eldians', also known as 'Subjects of Ymir'". Laure raised an eyebrow at the mention of the name Ymir.
Sasha spat her food, choking herself and coughing. Armin quickly ran to the scout to help her. Erwin continued.
"This race has the unique characteristic of being able to transform into titans. Other humans cannot. Eldians ruled as an Empire while using the power of the titans until about a hundred years ago, when internal conflicts led to the Eldian Empire's downfall. The nation of Marley, who had been ruled over by the Eldians, managed to get hold of the power of almost all of the titans and overthrow their rulers. The old eldian king gathered as many followers as he could and escaped to the island we live in, constructing the walls using millions of colossal titans to protect his people. The threat of said titans was used as a means to mantain peace with the outside world for as long as he could. The Armored Titan, the Colossal Titan, the Beast Titan, the Cart Titan and the Female Titan were all weapons of the marleyans."
Connie dreadfully looked down at the wall as his entire body shivered. All of the scouts that stayed behind were in complete silence, fear explicit in their eyes. They knew titans were humans, but they couldn't have imagined that. Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Hange had thoughtful looks as they heard the Commander and looked at their friends.
"There is much more information in these books detailing the outside world, but we have yet to read it. For now, this is all that we know. You are not allowed to mention this information to anyone. Not until the government has officially decided to disclose it to the public", Erwin added.
He finished his speech with one last statement.
"The leak of this information will result in punishment by death."