A long line of horse-drawn wagons, carts, and carriages moved along the green plains eastwards in the direction of Eldia. Sören and Klaus rode on horseback side by side. As usual, everyone was in high spirits. Eldia winning a battle was the norm. Klaus looked at his nephew, thinking of something to talk about.

— Hey Sören.

— Yes, uncle?

Sören was looking ahead, avoiding his uncle's gaze. Klaus noticed and felt a slight pain in his chest.

— I hope you've learnt how to use the Armoured Titan from watching me all these years. Your future sure seems bright.

— A bright future… — He repeated to himself. — Listen, uncle.

Sören turned to look at Klaus with a serious expression.

— Eldia shines because it takes away the light from other people. I don't think I'll be able to…

— Are you having second thoughts? I know what you're feeling, I was just like you before inheriting the Armoured from your grandfather.

— You do not. If you truly understand, why did you kill all these people during your tenure? Why did you trample villages, commanded your men to pursue those who survived… Why did you do all that?! — Sören furiously asked, his eyes welling up.

— I wish I could tell you we're that much superior to non-Eldians… We really do descend from a goddess and you've seen what the titans are capable of. The truth is, we're almost regular humans when not transformed. An arrow or a knife can kill us just fine if the right spot is hit.

Sören wiped off his tears and continued to listen intently.

— If we don't devour, we'll be devoured… If we stop killing, we'll still be killed, because other cultures resent what our ancestors had done to theirs. So swallow up your angst and play your part in the grand scheme of things.

Klaus spurred his horse and sped on ahead, leaving Sören to think alone. Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the plains and the line disorganised. Some of the cavalry sped towards a lone tree, two or three of them falling to the ground before reaching it. Sören saw two people armed with crossbows among the branches, shooting bolt at the pursuers. They were quickly disposed of by long spears.

— Lord Sören! — Said a bald man running on foot, his face horrified. — Lord Heinrich was shot!

Sören's mind went blank. His childhood friend would die within minutes. It's like his uncle knew what would happen. He jumped off the horse and ran towards Heinrich. Many people were around him, one of them stopping the bleeding on Heinrich's chest with a piece of cloth. Sören came closer and knelt on the ground. He grabbed his friend's hand and sobbed.

— Sören… — He said between bloody coughs. — I'm going to meet our goddess soon…

Sören struggled to speak.

— Do you want me to tell anything to your family?

— Hodritz must not… inherit the Beast Titan… He can never hold that much power…

Heinrich's eyes suddenly widened, and he reached out for something invisible with his hand.

— There's a tree.. Oh! I see her! Ymir looks just like a… young Princess Hildegard…

Heinrich's eyes turned dim, his raised arm falling to the side. Sören stood up and walked away crying. The auxiliaries quickly wrapped up the body and carried it away. Klaus approached and put his hand over his nephew's shoulder.

— It is as I told you. Death does not discriminate based on whether our ancestors were gods or not.

— You're not helping. — He took Klaus' hand off his shoulder. — Is this how the survivors from our wars feel?

— He will have a proper burial back in Eldia. I'm sure he's already with Ymir by now.

Sören did not answer. Klaus stood silent in fear of saying something wrong again.

Night fell some hours later and the soldiers were setting up camp. Scouts were ordered to patrol around in order to prevent more casualties. A gaunt, tall slave came back with a bundle of wood and sticks.

— You can set it up right there. — Sören ordered.

The slave arranged the wood and began working on lighting up a fire with a flint stone. Klaus again came to talk with his nephew.

— Do you want to get revenge on them?

— This is what my heart tells me to do. To raze their cities to the ground and to step on all of them.

Klaus' eyes widened. He scratched his chin and looked at Sören with concern.

— I've never seen someone change their mind so quickly. Even I wouldn't…

— But I won't do it. — Sören interrupted his uncle. — It will be an endless cycle of hate and death, even after my death… Even after thousands of years.

The slave managed to light the fire. He bowed and walked away, vanishing amidst the camp. A yellowish light illuminated their faces.

— I cannot change anything on my own, uncle. — He forced a smile. — I will play my part for the glory of Eldia.

Klaus shook his head and looked deep within Sören's eyes.

— That's what I've been doing my entire life, Sören… I will take countless regrets to the grave with me, and it seems it'll be the same with you.

— Yes, we are just the leaves of an enormous tree. It won't make a difference if a couple fall off.

Both stared at the fire in silence. The army's liveliness had vanished after Heinrich's death. Bringing bad news back, such as the death of a titan's heir, was very rare for Eldian armies. Sören looked up at the numberless stars in the night sky. "Just thirteen more years" — He thought.