Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan

Rated M for gore violence, language, and sexual content

Enjoy

Shiganshina District, Wall Maria, 850...

Raisa stood at the edge of the wall. The bodies of the titans Levi had killed had long since evaporated. She had dressed her wounds, cleaned herself up. She wasn't in as bad of shape and she had thought. Plus, most of her wounds were nearly fully healed. Hange flew atop the wall, and approached. "Find anything?"

"The trail leads far beyond the wall." Raisa pointed southwestward. "Who knows how far it goes...but the enemy is long gone. And so is Princess Cassandra."

"I bet you she's still alive," Hange said. "Reiner definitely heard us when we said she had royal blood. And her being pregnant didn't exactly help the situation. That was a risky gamble he took...tackling her like that, getting swallowed by a titan...? Could her unborn child survive that trauma?"

"I don't know. Eren was their main target, but we know they wanted a member of the royal family." Raisa sighed as she folded her arms under her chest. "Shit. Historia's gonna be pissed."

Pop! They turned to see the green flare. Hange sighed this time. "Guess Armin's awake. C'mon."

Above the Inner Gate...

Armin stared off into space, holding the empty water canteen. Floch kept watch while everyone else was gathered around Armin. Raisa was checking Sasha's bandages while Conny hovered anxiously beside her. Levi was the only one standing, his arms folded under his chest. "Okay. Are you up to speed now?"

Armin blinked. "Uh...yeah. We won. But of the Scout Regiment, there are only ten soldiers left alive. Only us."

"That's what it looks like," Jean said as Raisa gave Sasha some water. "The fighting ended four hours ago. We've been searching for survivors, but...no luck."

"So...to be clear, we resealed Shiganshina's gate, securing Wall Maria. Reiner kidnapped Princess Cassandra and escaped with the Beast Titan and the Quadruped," Armin recollected as he wrung the empty canteen. "And then, with both the Commander and me wounded, you had to choose which of us to give the injection to. And you chose...me. I...transformed into a titan and killed Bertholdt. I...ate him."

He slapped his hand to his mouth, feeling the urge to vomit. Jean reached over and offered his canteen. "Here."

He snatched it up and gulped down the water. After a moment, he stopped and took a deep breath. "Why though? Why'd you pick me? No matter how you look at it, Commander Erwin's the one humanity needed the most." Armin looked to Levi. "Captain. Why'd you give me the injection?"

Levi rolled his eyes in annoyance and kicked Eren. "Hey! I thought I told you to tell him everything, Jaeger."

Eren rubbed his butt. "There was a short debate," Levi continued. "Your friends here argued that you were the one we needed to revive. And when I disagreed, they staged a little mutiny."

Eren lowered his head. "It's true. We'll accept whatever punishment."

"You most certainly will. Both of you," Raisa said. "Insubordination is inexcusable. And don't think getting punished is the same as making amends."

Eren slumped his shoulders. "I know."

Raisa turned to Armin. Her eyes full of disappointment and controlled anger. "The decision was Levi's alone, but...in the moment, he allowed his personal feelings to cloud his judgement."

"I did," he admitted, ignoring her glare.

Armin glanced back and forth between them. "Sorry. I just don't understand. How could letting Erwin die be the right thing to do? What are the Scouts without him? If he's gone, then how will we go on?"

"You're right, Armin," Hange agreed. "I believe it should've been used on Erwin, too. To be be brutally honest-" she sighed, slumping her shoulders "-nevermind. It's a shame we had to choose in the first place. Erwin told Levi to use the syringe as he thought best, and Levi chose to use it on you. What's done is done."

"So what...happens now?"

"Erwin's life and the power of a titan both rest on your shoulders," she told him. "No matter what anyone says, that's the truth. It's part of who you are now. Accept it."

Armin's eyes widened. "Wait...so does this...mean that I need to become Erwin's replacement?"

"No," Raisa answered. "Don't misunderstood. There's absolutely no way you could replace Erwin. Besides, Hange was already chosen as his successor. She's our Commander, now."

"That said, you have a strength within you that no one else can claim," Levi added. "Don't let any of us regret this. Not me, not either one of our mutineers here, nor anyone else. And especially don't regret it yourself."

Armin exhaled, processing his words. Sasha growled, squeezing the blanket in her hands. "Shut...the fuck up."

They all turned to look at her. Hange chuckled, smiling even. "Yup. That's our Sasha. She's always been one to speak her mind." She shifted her gaze back to Armin. "You know, I'm more or less in the same boat as you. We'll just have to grin and bear it, while doing what we can."

Armin squeezed the canteen. "I'll try."

"Good." Hange stood up, brushing dust off her lap. "Now that we know Armin's alright, let's locate that cellar. Eren, Mikasa. You two can come guide me, Raisa, and Levi. The rest will stay. Keep an eye out for Cassandra or hostiles from here on the wall."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Eren, you still have the key, I assume?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Eren touched the key through his shirt. "I do. Let's do this."

He and Mikasa rose. Raisa got up as well, instructing Conny on caring for Sasha properly. Eren and Mikasa took the lead with the adults following. They flew down towards the ground. Eren landed first, recognizing the street. He could even recall the merchant stalls that lined the edges of the street. Levi glanced around impatiently. "Well, take us to your house."

"Uh...yes, sir." Eren gestured for Mikasa to follow him down the street to the right. They came to a fairly large courtyard. They stopped in front of an old crate and a few overturned stools. Eren remembered this as Hannes' favorite spot to drink and hangout with the other soldiers. Eren pushed aside the memory and continued on. He recalled the many times he and Mikasa would run down the street, hurrying to get home for dinner. He also recalled that day. The day Bertholdt and Reiner attacked. How fast he ran when he realized a piece of the gate had landed on his house.

Eren stopped at the base of the stairs, looking up at the smashed house. Hange studied the area curiously. "Is this the place?"

"Yeah," Mikasa answered.

Raisa sniffed the air, noting the lack of smoke smell. "Luckily, the fires burnt out before they got this far."

They began digging through the debris. Eren and Mikasa mapped out the house layout together. Raisa, Levi, and Hange helped by clearing the area of rocks and weeds. Eren carefully cleaned up a bunch of broken dishware. And then he grabbed at something that was attached to the ground. "Hey. I found it," he announced. "This leads to the stairs to the cellar below."

"Perfect," Hange hummed.

They had managed to find two sturdy logs. Hange and Raisa held one while Levi, Mikasa, and Eren had the other. Together, they used the logs to roll the large boulder off the cellar door. It finally budged, and once it was out of the way, Eren hurried to brush aside the wood and smaller rocks. He grabbed the handle and opened it up. Hange peeked inside. "That's a relief. I was worried that it might've flooded by now."

Raisa turned on her lamplight and Levi did the same. They headed down, reaching the door at the bottom. Eren wiggled to the front, taking the key off his neck. Levi raised his light for Eren. "Go on."

"Yes, sir."

He grabbed the lock. The four of them waited patiently as he messed with it, jiggling it and gasping in surprise. "What's wrong?" Raisa asked. "We don't have a lot of time."

"I can't...this key, it...doesn't go to this door."

Hange blinked in disbelief. "What?"

He turned so that they could see. The lock was too small for the key. Mikasa shook her head. "That...doesn't make any sense. That's the key. That's the one Doctor Jaeger always had."

"For fuck's sake, step aside." Levi shoved Eren behind him. "I'll open it."

"Wait, what? Levi-!" Raisa gasped as Levi kicked the door, braking the lock.

Hange shrugged her shoulders. "Well...that'll do it."

Levi yanked on the door, swinging it open. They used the lamplights to illuminate the pitch dark basement. Eren felt oddly underwhelmed. There were cabinets lining the walls, filled with books and bottles. There was a desk immediately to the left, papers still littered on it. Raisa went to the small lantern on the desk, and lit a match. The soft orange light fully illuminate the room. Hange messed with the scrolls piled up in the corner. "It almost feels like a laboratory down here."

Eren gently touched the scale on the desk. "My dad was a doctor, so he was always cooped up down here...mixing medicines."

"That makes sense," Raisa noted as she picked up a bottle of medicine. "Everything in here seems to be properly labeled...and widely available. Not to mention all these books on medicine."

"And?" Levi asked.

"Eren's father evaded the Interior Police for many years. He was smart. This looks like any other doctor's study." She gestured to the entirety of the room. "At first glance, there's nothing suspicious."

"You're right." Levi turned his frown to the kids. "Hey. Don't just stand there. Get to work."

"Yes, sir."

Eren went to the far bookshelf, quickly checking the books and shelves themselves for any clues. Mikasa checked the walls, wondering if there was a hidden panel. Hange was rummaging through the medicines. She grabbed one bottle and furred her brows as she read it. "Is this in another language?"

"You're holding it upside down." Raisa took the bottle and put it correctly in Hange's hand. "It's wood garlic."

"Raisa, come here," Levi called. As she approached, he held up the book in his hands. "This is just a medicine book, but...isn't this your mother's handwriting?"

Raisa took the book, flipping through the pages and frowning in confusion. "Not only is this her handwriting, but its also her own recipes and cures. I mean, it's technically a botany book, but it details the uses for each plant. I know this stuff because she was insistent my sisters and I knew it all by heart."

"Your mother knew Grisha Jaeger?" Hange asked.

Raisa slowly shook her head. "I...I don't know."

"Eren," Mikasa called. "I found a keyhole."

Everyone gathered to Mikasa. She pointed out the small keyhole on the side of the desk. Eren knelt down in front of it and nervously inserted the key. It turned easily and the lock unclicked. His heartrate increased as he opened the secret drawer. He gasped at it's contents. "It's empty?!"

"Look closer." Levi stuck his hand in. He shoved his fingers and the bottom of the drawer moved. "There's a false bottom."

He pulled the false bottom out. Underneath were three books. A blue one, a red one, and a green one. Hange reached in and grabbed the rolled up cloths stuffed between the books. She sniffed it. "Smells like peppermint and charcoal."

"Safeguards, most likely. To ward of moisture and bugs," Raisa explained. "I think we've found what we're looking for."

Eren picked up the blue book, reading the title. "After all this time...Dad might finally explain himself."

He set the book down on the desk beside the lantern. His hand shook as he grabbed the cover, unsure of what the book entailed. Mikasa grabbed the book as well, calming Eren. He took a deep breath, and together they opened the book. On the first page was a small portrait. Eren blinked in surprise. "That's my Dad."

He gently picked it up as the others gathered closer around him. His father, Grisha, was standing next to a woman in a nice dress who was sitting in a ornate chair and holding a small child in her arms. Eren squinted his eyes. "Is this a painting? It's black and white."

Hange held out her hand. "Lemme see." Eren handed it over and Hange held it close to her face. "This can't be. It's far too detailed to be hand drawn. The likeness is too real."

Mikasa blinked, noticing something. "Hey. There's writing on the back."

Hange flipped it over, holding it close again to read. "This is no illustration. It's called a photograph. It was made by gathering the light reflected off the subject...and burning it into an image on special paper. Where I'm from, there are many amazing technologies like this. Mankind isn't gone."

Garrison Headquarters, Trost District, the next day...

"Then Erwin raised his hand and asked the strangest question," Nile said. He sat at the conference table with his fellow Commanders, Premier Zachary, and Katya. "His thinking was that since we'd never been able to search freely beyond the walls, we had no way of confirming that the rest of humanity had been wiped out by titans completely. Back then I made fun of his theory, but he may of been right."

"You know, he's going to milk an apology from you for years," Katya teased. "Erwin may seem like the noble type, but he can be pretty petty when he wants to."

Nile frowned in annoyance. Pyxis hummed as he gazed out the window. "Look there. The sun's rising. If our heroes are going to return, it should be soon."

The main doors suddenly burst open, and Anka rushed inside. She came to a halt a few feet from the table and tried to collect herself. "Um, pardon! But the scouts came back a moment ago! They did it! they reclaimed Wall Maria!"

Eastern Wall Rose, three days later...

Hange, Levi, and Armin sat in the wagon while Raisa steered the horse. Hange and Armin were quiet, watching the 3-year-old Remi paced about the wagon freely. Remi went up to Hange and held up a toy monkey, beaming proudly. She smiled at him. She hadn't realized how much he had grown. "I wonder," Hange began, "if we should've brought Eren on this little field trip."

"He's still got eleven days of confinement," Raisa reminded. "No special treatment."

Armin watched Remi play with his toy monkey. "I'm sorry. I don't quite understand...why me? Why was I chosen aside from Hange for this trip. Is this because of what you found in Doctor Jaeger's library?"

"Partly," Levi answered. "Actually, it was Hange who suggested you accompany us. Didn't really want to bring the whole Regiment up here."

Armin blinked in surprise. "Huh? Why is that?"

"Because my mother doesn't like visitors. Especially surprise ones," Raisa said as she steered the horse around the bend of the road towards the forest. "Seeing her grandson will help keep her calm."

Hange raised an eyebrow to Levi, hoping for further explanation. Before he could say anything, Remi yanked on his sleeve. "Papa! Papa! I need to hide."

"Come on." Levi raised his arm. Remi crawled up onto the bench and buried his face inside Levi's jacket.

"Why is he hiding?" Armin asked.

Levi rubbed Remi's back comfortingly. "Little kids get scared."

Before the horse could take another step into the forest, Raisa shook the reins to stop the horse. She turned around in her seat to look at both Hange and Armin. "Listen to me very carefully. In this forest, you're going to see...things. Impossible things. As long as you both remain calm, you won't be noticed by those...things. If you show any fear, any negative emotion...let's just say it'll get messy. And that's the last thing we need right now."

She turned back around and signaled the horse to continue. Hange glanced back and forth between Raisa and Levi. "What? What the hell is that supposed to mean? What are these things?"

"You just have to see it to get it," Levi said.

Armin furred his eyebrows nervously. The forest was thick and dark. He felt a strange chill crawl up his spine. The horse snorted as it followed the path. Remi occasionally turned his head, peeking out of Levi's jacket to check for some unknown monster Something several meters away drew Armin's attention. He didn't quite get a good look at it. Was that a...a person? Is someone walking through the woods?

He shifted gaze away, and noticed Remi looking at him. No, looking at something behind him. Armin turned around and gasped, nearly yelping. Hange turned as well and flinched. "What the hell?"

"Stay calm," Levi urged. "It'll leave you alone if you just ignore it."

"How am I supposed to ignore that?!" Hange pointed to the creature.

Armin recoiled from it, but then froze. The creature was pale. Inhumanly pale, and it's eyes were cloudy like a corpse. It's face was hollow and thin. But what frightened him the most...was the symbol on the jacket the creature was wearing. The symbol of the Military Police. Now, he could see it. See the person this creature used to be. "What...are they?"

"Revenants." Armin and Hange turned to look at Raisa. She was watching the creatures mindlessly mill about in the forest. "They're former Interior MPs. Sent to capture my mother. After she killed them, she'd turn them into these things. They're completely under her control, and now haunt this forest. Protecting her from enemies."

"How does she do it?" Hange asked. She wished Raisa would stop the horse. She wanted to inspect the creatures. "How many has she, uh, turned?"

Raisa shrugged. "Couldn't say how many, but...my mother is a bit old school. Our ancestors worshipped strange gods, and they believed these gods granted power via spells and whatnot. Honestly, I don't really understand the mechanics behind it."

Armin took a shaky breath. "So, your mother killed all these MPs and turned them into undead protectors?"

"Yup."

That's insane. Armin struggled to comprehend it. They more he stared into the vastness of the forest, the more revenants he saw. Empty eyes and empty souls. Armin couldn't come up with a single reasonable explanation. There's so many of them. His gaze shifted to Raisa. Who is her mother? What kind of power does she have?

Hange began to relax a little. "Raisa...be honest, can you do this to people? Turn them into monsters? Can Katya?"

Raisa hesitated before answering. "I'm not as religious as my mother. Neither is Katya."

Hange wanted to push more, but some instinct told her not to. After awhile, she got used to the revenants. They hardly looked her way, now. She observed their movements, wondering what kind of power could reanimate a corpse. She also wondered if Raisa's mother's power had anything to do with Grisha Jaeger. Maybe some sort of advanced technology? No, that can't be right. Raisa said her family's been hiding here since the beginning. Still...I can't shake this feeling that its all connected somehow. She narrowed her eyes at on revenant that bumped into a tree. Her power...it kind of reminds me of what Grisha wrote about.

Armin was still wary of the undead. When sunlight began to break through the thick forest canopy, he was extremely grateful. The revenants seemed to avoid sunlight. After another hour or so of riding, they finally reached a large clearing. At the top of the hill, sat a large cabin house. Armin surveyed the area. No revenants. So they just stay in the forest, I guess.

Remi popped his head out from inside Levi's jacket and looked around. The horse snorted again, feeling a bit nervous, but Raisa urged it to continue up the path to the house. Someone was on their knees in front of the garden, digging as a child stood next to them. The child yanked on the gardener's shirt to get their attention. Remi leaned over the side of the wagon. "Papa, we're here!"

"Hey. You're gonna fall over." Levi grabbed the bottom of Remi's shirt to pull him back.

Raisa steered the horse around the garden and shook the reins for it to stop. The gardener removed her gloves, stuffing them into her apron pocket. Armin blinked in surprise. The woman looked eerily similar to Raisa. The same copper skin and exotic beauty. But her stoic violet eyes were cool and unwelcoming. Armin noticed some tattoos on the woman's arms. Raisa slid off the wagon and smiled at the woman. "Hi-ya!"

"What're you doing here?"

Raisa feigned hurt. "Aw, come on. Is that anyway to greet your baby sister, Nadia?"

Nadia glanced at the others. "Who're they? Why did you bring strangers here?"

"They're friends," Raisa said, dropping her playful façade. "We're here to see Mom. We need to talk to her."

Armin happened to glance at the porch of the cabin. The child, a boy, was standing atop the steps. He looked a little older than Remi and had the same stoic expression on his face as Nadia. Armin furred his brows. The boy looked...familiar. Whom does he remind me of?

"This isn't a good time," Nadia said. "She's been in a bad mood all day. She's inside taking a nap right now."

"Well, wake her up."

Nadia deepened her frown. "Raisa, be serious. You know how she gets on bad days. And meeting strangers is just going to make things worse. It's best for all if you just leave."

Raisa folded her arms under her chest. "Erwin istha muerdo."

Hange blinked in surprise at the sound of the foreign words. Nadia softened her frown. "¿Kómo?"

"It's best for all if I tell you and Mom everything together. Please."

Nadia took a deep breath as she thought it over, glancing at Armin and Hange. She bit the inside of her cheek then nodded. "Vueno. Come inside."

Raisa nodded her thanks. Nadia walked up the steps and ushered the boy inside. Hange and Armin exited the wagon while Levi hopped down with Remi. They entered the cabin with a warning from Nadia to keep quiet. She directed them to the dining table in front of the kitchen. As Hange and Armin took their seats, Raisa took Remi's hand and followed Nadia and the boy up the stairs. Levi sat down at the table across from Armin. Hange stared at the ceiling, following the sound of the footsteps. "You've been here before?"

"A couple times," Levi confessed. "Raisa and her mother have a complicated relationship, so we don't really visit. Not that we had time to in the first place."

Footsteps drew their attention back to the stairs. Nadia re-entered the room, no longer wearing her apron. "Raisa and our mother will be down shortly," she announced. "Would anyone like some tea?"

Levi spoke up first, albeit sarcastically. "That'd be great."

Nadia went to the kitchen. There was already a kettle of hot water, so she began prepping the pot. "Where is Katya?"

"Back in Trost. She didn't want to come."

Nadia sighed before pouring the hot water into the tea pot. "Figures. I can't even begin to imagine her pain. And the children's...I hope they're all right."

"Um...excuse me," Armin interjected softly. "I'm sorry, but...can I ask about the, uh, revenants in the forest?"

"No."

Armin flinched at the coldness of her tone. He opened his mouth to argue, but Levi gestured for him to keep quiet. Nadia picked up the tray and brought it over. Hange and Armin remained awkwardly quiet as Nadia set their cups. She returned to the kitchen once more to retrieve a plate of cakes and bread. Raisa finally returned, descending the stairs followed by another woman. "Sorry about the wait."

Hange and Armin got up from their seats to greet Raisa's mother. Armin immediately recognized the resemblance. Raisa's mother was incredibly beautiful. Almost regal. She was shorter than Raisa by barely an inch, but of the two sisters, Raisa looked the most like this woman. Her purple eyes were bright and kind, and intense dark kohl lining her eyes. Armin noticed she carried herself with dignity. The way she stood up straight with her hands clasped at her waist and a polite smile on her face. "Guys, this is my mother," Raisa introduced.

"Nice to meet you both." She held out her hand. She had a slight accent, something Hange nor Armin had ever heard before. "I'm Roksana Kruger."

Hange shook her hand first. "Zoe Hange. Nice to meet you. This is Armin Arlelt."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kruger." He shook her hand, hiding his blush. Roksana held onto his hand, tilting her head in curiosity as she studied him. Armin stared back confusedly.

Raisa placed her hands on Roksana's arm. "Oh-kay. Mom, don't be weird."

"Hm?" She released Armin, and let Raisa steer her to the table. Levi got up as they approached. Roksana beamed at Levi, pulling him into a hug that he tolerated. "It's good to see you, Levi."

"Likewise."

She smiled again and patted his cheek. Nadia served the tea as they sat. Roksana took her place at the head of the table with Hange sitting on the other side. Though Roksana had a friendly look in her eye, Hange couldn't help but notice the tension in the air. Both Raisa and Nadia were eyeing their mother nervously. Roksana crossed her legs and tapped her finger on the tea cup. "So...tell me, why has my daughter brought you two all the way out here? I don't get many visitors as you can imagine."

Hange glanced at Raisa who gave her a silent look to proceed. With a deep inhale, Hange rested her elbows on the table and began. "As I'm sure you're aware, we work in the Scout Regiment. The sole purpose of our existence is to explore the lands beyond the walls and fight titans. And after the incident five years ago, we've also had the goal of retaking Wall Maria."

As she talked, Roksana listened patiently. "Five days ago, we set out on a mission to retake Wall Maria," Hange continued. "We succeeded. We sealed the gates and took back our lands. We even seized control of the Colossal Titan, but...we sustained heavy losses. Including our Commander, Erwin Smith."

Roksana's polite smile fell. She looked to Raisa who nodded sadly. "How terrible. Erwin Smith was an exceptional man." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette case. "You girls...always had a knack for finding incredible people to fall in love with. It's a curse, really. Poor Katya. My heart breaks for her."

She opened the case and pulled out a dark brown cigarette. Though, Armin noticed it didn't quite look like a typical cigarette. "I'm afraid I don't get much news out here," she said as she lit her cigarette. "Did you use that boy to seal the wall? The one that can turn into a titan? Nadia is always kind and brings me the newspapers from the village."

"Yes. His name is Eren Jaeger." Hange noticed that Nadia flinched ever so slightly at Eren's name. "He has the ability to harden his titan body, and he used that power to seal the hole in the outer gate of Wall Maria. Because of him, we've finally taken a step forward against the titans and the enemies that lie beyond the wall."

"You must be very proud," Roksana said, letting a puff of smoke billow out of her mouth. Her kind eyes were now cold. "You do not have to regale me with tails of your adventures, dear. I'm well aware of the significance of what you are and what you've done. Just tell me why you're here."

Hange raised an eyebrow. "Very well. In addition to reclaiming Wall Maria, our mission was to investigate the cellar of Eren Jaeger's home. His father, Doctor Grisha Jaeger, told Eren to get there in order to learn the truth. In the basement, we found three, extremely detailed notebooks written by Doctor Jaeger. About his life before he came to live in the walls, about the titans and their history, and information about the outside world."

It took a moment for Nadia to realize what Hange said. "Huh? Did you say 'about his life before the walls'? Is he...from outside the walls?"

"Yes."

Nadia took a shaky breath as the shock took over her body. She leaned forward, resting her forehead on her hand. "I don't understand. How is that possible?"

Raisa frowned in confusion. "Nadia...did you know him?"

"I...I did," she confessed, her whole body shaking. "He came to the village may years ago. It's how I met him. He taught me about medicine, and he delivered my son. We were..."

Raisa and Levi exchanged surprised glances. "And he never told you anything about his past?" Hange asked. "Any clues?"

"No. He never said...a goddamn thing." She buried her face in her hands.

Armin didn't quite understand, especially why Nadia was so upset. She seemed utterly distraught. But something was bothering him. "Um, I'm really sorry...Nadia. I get you didn't know about Doctor Jaeger being from outside the walls, but-" he shifted his gaze to Roksana "-Mrs. Kruger, you don't seem to be surprised at all."

Roksana said nothing, simply taking another puff of her cigarette. All eyes were on her, but it did not faze her. She leaned back in the chair. "Doctor Jaeger's autobiography...I take it you read the part as to how he obtained his titan power?"

Nadia glanced up in surprise. Raisa mirrored it, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Yeah," Levi answered. "We also found medicinal books in your handwriting, and we know the good doctor wasn't a thief."

She sighed in defeat. "You must understand. For nearly twenty years, the Reiss kings have sent Interior Police here. Wave after wave of soldiers with the mission to capture my family dead or alive. It's hard to tell the truth when your survival depended on keeping it buried."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Raisa assured her. "But you need to tell us. Anything and everything you know. Please. It can't be a coincidence...Dad's name was in Doctor Jaeger's book."

"What?" Nadia breathed.

Roksana closed her eyes, furring her brows in pain. She tapped her cigarette, letting the burnt end fall off onto the teacup saucer. "Yes, I knew Grisha Jaeger. And my husband, your father, knew him as well." She opened her eyes and met Hange's gaze. "I was born fifty years ago in a land called Anscar to the Ivera family. I will tell you my story."

End of Chapter 28