Light-headedness was the best way to describe how Annie was feeling right now. Almost like she was in a place consisting only of skies and clouds. Clouds above, clouds beneath, she was completely surrounded by the weird feeling of… well, nothing really. She couldn't focus on anything in particular. The girl's mind was filled to the brim with this empty, almost goofy emotion.

She was in the forest not that long ago. Yes, that she remembered. But what happened there? She couldn't tell. Any images that she could visualise were blurred and cloudy. None of them could be of any help if she wanted to determine the state, she was currently in.

Suddenly, all of the clouds dissipated. Annie could feel that she was laying somewhere. She could feel the sand on her skin, the peaceful breeze that reminded her of the sea, the dark sky full of stars…

"Wake up" she heard all of a sudden.

And just like that, the girl opened her eyes.

The memories of what had happened flooded her head as she asserted her surroundings.

She was in some kind of a prison cell. That much she could deduce from the shackles she was chained with to the wall. But other than that, this place looked nothing like any other prison she visited in her entire life.

The walls, the ceiling and the floor were all made of a shining crystal. There was also no door. It all seemed as if her cell was just a huge hole drilled into the wall.

'Fools' Annie thought as she began to think of all possible escape plans that they left her with.

It was only then that she noticed that she was missing her arms and legs.

As the shock was filling her entire body, she heard the same voice, once again.

"Don't bother with trying to run away. Even if you break the chains and crawl out of this hole, you'll be met with a painful demise."

Annie looked up to see her perpetrator.

Above her, stood queen Frieda. With the icy glare and threatening aura, the tall woman was making her blood freeze in her veins.

"You won't be able to transform right now" the dark-haired female spoke slowly "all of your energy is being spent on healing your missing limbs. But don't get your hopes up. You will never regain enough energy to heal them completely…"

It was true. Even though Annie hadn't transformed, this slumber that she was put to, was extremely tiring. And now, she was missing her arms and legs, which meant she couldn't use her powers to escape this place.

"…You won't be fed properly. Just enough for you to not pass away. Don't worry, we won't kill you."

In a way this was a relief. She had been apprehended, so that meant she would stay alive for a while. Hopefully, Marley would soon invade the island and free her.

Hopefully, she would see her father again…

Suddenly, the queen turned around and crouched over some sort of a bag.

"However," the female spoke again, rummaging through it, clearly searching for something "don't think that you're completely safe…"

As the queen turned around, Annie saw that she was holding some kind of a syringe.

Instantly, fear crept into the girl's eyes as she understood the purpose of this meeting.

"Well," Frieda spoke as she thrusted the piston to the syringe just a bit, to get rid of the excess air "I guess it's all up to you now."

How should Annie proceed right now? Should she tell her everything she knew and hope for the best? Or should she stay loyal to the country that hated her guts?

The girl had not been prepared to be interrogated. She wasn't even supposed to have been captured. None of the reports suggested that the king of the walls would choose to retaliate.

'Damn you Reiner' the blonde thought as the queen neared her, positioning the syringe just next to her exposed neck 'you pulled us into this madness…'

If only they had returned after losing Marcel. Maybe, all of them would be free right now…

"I call this substance 'liquid fire'" the queen announced with a stern face "soon, you'll get to know why…"

And then, Frieda plunged the needle right into her jugular vein.

It didn't take long for the girl to feel why exactly this substance had such a name.

The whole of her body was burning. Her heartbeat raised dangerously, her skin was sweating profusely, and pain started to spread around her spine.

"Ahh…" Annie groaned as she felt those effects.

"I created this while I was experimenting with the gas that put you to sleep" the queen exclaimed "It won't kill you, but soon, you'll wish it would…"

The older female turned around and picked up a second bottle from the bag.

"How many of you are there?"

So, this was how it would be. The excruciating pain lingering within her body, while she tried to regain her sanity. Was she truly that devoted to Marley?

The devils from this island were of no concern to her. She didn't care about them, just as well as she didn't care about the people from her home country. The exception was her father…

Her father who made her into who she was… A monster. An effective killing machine.

Was this also caused by the substance? Or was it just the pain? Annie couldn't be sure. The only thing she knew for real was that the second dose would drive her insane.

"T-three…" the blonde spoke with difficulty as the pain radiated along her body "…there were four of us… but one fell…"

"Good" she only heard in response "do you have any kind of communication with Marley?"

It was only reasonable to cooperate. She never harboured any good will towards her superiors. The only thing she wanted was just to go home.

Home… Was it really one? She wasn't welcome there, really. Her old man had some regrets after everything that had transpired between them, but was it really enough to make that place feel like home?

"Every…" Annie started slowly, trying to bear with all the pain "…every full moon, the Marleyan Navy anchors at the southern harbour…"

"This was your way out" Frieda concluded as she looked away, wondering "I guess it doesn't matter anymore. Will they take action once they discover you've been apprehended?"

The blonde tried to think this through. Would they really do anything? Could the three of them be saved?

The colossal titan was way too valuable for them to not even try recovering. But was Marley really capable of doing it?

"W-we don't keep a constant contact…" Annie answered honestly "…they won't know for a long time…"

Once she said that, the queen smiled at her.

"Thank you, Annie Leonhart" she said as she walked over to her bag and picked it up "you've helped me a great deal…"

Tears started pouring out of the blonde's eyes. Only now did she realize that she had become a traitor.

"I'm sorry…" the girl whispered, as she shut her eyes in sorrow "…I'm sorry…"

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she noticed that Frieda was standing right in front of her.

"I can't offer you any absolution" the woman spoke with a weird warmth within her eyes "you are an enemy soldier. You won't be forgiven for what you did…"

All of a sudden, the burning pain spreading along her body, disappeared.

Then, the queen stepped away from her and looked, somewhere in the distance. Upon that, the blonde couldn't hold it in, any longer.

"Why are you doing this?!" She screamed hysterically "if you're not willing to fight, why don't you just die?!"

"Worry not, my child…"

This was not the response she had been expecting. And Annie almost couldn't believe what the queen said next.

"…for there is a new god, watching over our people…"