Chapter 2

"Hm… I still prefer restaurants. It's so boring here since there's not much to see. Just trees and rivers.." Ymir commented.

"Still very pretty though," I said.

Krista being 'Krista' added, "That's what makes nature so special, Ymir." then continued, "Sometimes, you just need to appreciate even the simplest things in life."

"Yeah?" Ymir said nothing after that.

After a few more minutes, we finally settled under an oak tree. We were seated in a circle. Out of boredom, Ymir began: "Hey y/n, which unit are you taking?"

I answered without hesitation, "The Survey Corps."

"The Survey Corps, huh?" Ymir repeated. "That's a very tough one. Regarding the fact that you didn't even make it to top 10, I'm not certain if you could make it out alive."

"Of course she will. I believe y/n will make a fine soldier. She's as capable as you and me." Krista piped in.

"Thanks and I can't back out now, I only joined the Training Corps to get admitted there in the first place," I answered rather confidently.

"Let me guess… Your reason for doing this must've had something to do with what happened four years ago?"

Krista gasped, "Ymir!"

I halted. For some reason, I lost my hearing. Next, my vision blurred then replaced it with my brother's face, the day before it happened. How giddy and innocent he looked back then as if the world would forever treat him with kindness. Not an ounce of pain or sadness was seen through his eyes until the last time I saw his face and they were so different. His eyes had this new emptiness in them I have never seen before like all colour in them had quickly drained away and long forgotten. Despite his current state, they displayed no feelings of pain but showed a rather strange peacefulness in them. Because his eyes did not match my brother's, it was difficult for me to even recognize him at first glance.

I was back to my senses when I heard Krista calling my name.

"Y/n! Thank goodness, you're back!" Krista exclaimed, teary-eyed for whatever reason. She directed to her friend, "Ymir, apologize to her!"

But before she got the chance to talk, I cut her off, "I'm sorry..."

Confused, she asked: "You're sorry?!' Then halted, and resumed with a tone of disbelief: "Why are you being so apologetic all of a sudden?"

"I… don't know. But forget about what happened, okay? I think I need some space."

Ymir sighed, "If that's what you need, I won't stop you." I smiled softly at her and walked away.

"Hey, wait a sec-" Krista tried to follow me but Ymir grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Forget it, Krista. Didn't you hear her?"

"So we'll just leave her like that?" Krista said, "You know you can't stop me. Y/n needs our help!"

However, the time Ymir replied, I was already at a distance where their voices were out of reach. From here, I could hear the river once more. Then, at the corner of my eye sat a blondie. For a while, I thought it was Krista until I realized that the person's hair was a lot shorter and had a Bowl cut. It was Armin.

Luckily, he faced behind and was too busy reading a book that lay propped on his legs. I took a good long look at him until he rubbed the back of his neck and looked behind. I was slow to react when his eyes reached mines. "Oh. It's just you, y/n."

It was a lot clearer for me to see the huge leather book he was holding. Rumours say that he reads forbidden books so I pointed at it, saying: "If that's what I think it is, I don't think it's safe to be reading that around."

He smiled, "Because it's not a forbidden book if that's what you're referring to." He knows his rumours well, "Even I'm not crazy to walk around town carrying something like that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"What are you reading, then?" I moved closer to him.

"The Science of Titans. I'm still pretty weak on that subject." He handed me the book. It was one of our textbooks we used in class. It consisted of their biological functions as well as their way of thinking but their history remained quite unclear even to this day. As much as I refused to believe it, but Armin only scored an A-. It really was his worst one yet apart from tests that required physical strength or ability. "What about you, y/n? Are you interested in books about...you know? The outside world?"

"I only hear about them sometimes." I answered, "And I have to say. Though it kind of piqued my interest, I just don't read much."

His eyes glimmered. He settled next to me "According to this book I read as a kid, Titans aren't the only things outside the wall. There are burning waters, a land made of ice and snowy plains of sand. Let's not forget the 'Sea'!" It was a very strange word. One I have never heard of before.

"See?... Never heard of that before. What exactly is it?" I asked.

"Well. I read there's far more water in the sea than there is in the canal. Probably enough to cover the entire area inside the walls! In fact, apparently, the majority of the outside world is the 'sea' and land rose up out of it. But, even though the land covers less than half of the world's surface, there is still vastly more of it than is contained within the walls."

"So it's like a giant lake then..." I took this in.

"Exactly! Filled with so much saltwater the merchants could never collect them all. There are even new species of fish you can only find there!"

I was struck with awe. This sounded like a myth. Surely, there isn't a lake so big as to practically cover the Earth's surface, "Surely, you don't believe all that, Armin?"

He smiled sadly. Then with hesitation, he said: "In my mind… no." Though, I felt like he's hiding something. A topic like this is considered a taboo here so it must've been reasonable for him to say that. "But it's true," he continued, "that that book gave me my interest in the outside world. It might not be the dreamlike world from my book but I'm certain the outside world is huge… and I want to see it for myself." Just as he finished, a new light dawn on him. From that point, I begin to see him differently.

Suddenly remembering about the time, I checked my pocket watch, "It's 9:45. We have to go now."

"Let's be off then." Armin picked up his book.

A massive, 50-meter wall surrounds the city. On top, I saw the canons and some of the soldiers I recognized have already made it there. Even Krista and Ymir made it there too. As we took the elevator to the top, neither of us said a word. Krista wrapped me in a hug when I reached my destination, "Y/n, we missed you!" She lets go, "Are you okay now? Where have you been?"

My feelings from before slowly faded. I smiled at her as if nothing happened, "Everything's alright now, Krista. I was with Armin the whole time."

She embraced me again, "Ymir's deeply sorry about what happened, y/n. I made her promise she won't do it again."

"Sorry about what?" I said, "It was never really her fault, to begin with."

Krista said nothing.

"By the way, where is she?"

"We had an argument when you left."

"Wait… What? For me?..." I knew this was all just a big misunderstanding but before I could say anything the instructor ordered us to clean the canons. We exchanged expressions and walked to our designated area. The only comrades near me were Marco, Jean, and Krista. Still, Ymir was nowhere to be seen. Maybe, they kept an oath not to see each other for a while.

While Jean and Marco had their conversations to themselves, Krista and I didn't talk other than a few simple exchanges of words.

That was when the Colossal Titan made its second appearance.