Alright so this chapter contains some spoilers to Erwin's past if you haven't read chapter 55 of the manga. Warning you now!

I remember lying awake at night when I could not sleep and looking through the pictures on my phone. The phone was practically useless to me now. As my knowledge of German grew, the less I needed its help with conversations (unless I did not know a certain word I needed). It was odd though, as I looked through each photograph, I realized the faces of my parents, my friends, and even my dog were blurry. Not matter what I did, be it rubbing my eyes or editing the picture, the images would not clear.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to remember their faces and their voices, but just like English was leaving me, so were my memories of my own world. I wondered if this meant that I would never return home. That also made me want to cry. A lot of things did. I was able to cry even if I did not think I had any tears left, but I never let anyone see me crying. Not even Espyon.

Having Espyon and Erwin as company helped, but not as much as I would have liked. Erwin was always busy with his duties as a Commander and Espyon did whatever orders she was given for the day (Since I did not need her help as much as I had before, she was given a few regular orders each day). I was alone for a good portion of my time.

Erwin looked from the two of us and continued to speak. "I have a theory regarding how Ariadne was able to arrive in our world. Well, as much as I understand anyway." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Espyon sat in the chair beside me. "What if, Ariadne, you are from the time before the Titans?"

I blinked. "Huh? Wait, so there was a time in this world when Titans didn't exist?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes, but as you know, humanity was pushed back into these walls over a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, but if that's the case, wouldn't you have all the technology that I'm familiar with?" I asked. "Electricity, cars, computers, etc."

He raised his eyebrow at me. "I'm not entirely sure what those are, but I'm assuming they're useful."

"Loads," I replied with a small smile.

Erwin cleared his throat. "Anyway, if you are from before that time, I have some information (that I believe to be true) regarding the hundred years before the walls were built." He sat up a little straighter and leaned forward. "It has been 106 years since the King has made any interest in the outside walls taboo."

I creased my eyebrows. "Why would he do that? I mean, people wouldn't want to go outside of the walls anyway because of the Titans right?"

"You'd be surprised," Espyon replied.

"In any case," Erwin continued, "I trust that you two will keep this in this room. Do not speak of it to each other nor to anyone else." We both nodded obediently. "My father was a teacher and taught in the town I grew up in." I mentally wondered why he suddenly talked about his father. It was such a quick change in conversation.

He went on. "As you would expect, I was in his classroom. To make a long story short, we were told about how humanity was pushed into the walls and none of the previous human history was allowed into the new society. I questioned my father as to why, but he indirectly gave me an answer in class. However, when we went back home he answered my question fully." I shifted in my chair, accidentally letting out a little squeak from the cushion. My face turned pink and I nodded at Erwin to let him go on. "He told me that the history books distributed by the government were full of contradictions and many other unreliable things. Even without the recorded history of the previous human history, the history could be orally passed down through the generations."

"Makes sense," I said with a nod.

"It is my belief that since the oral passing did not happen, that the people's memories have been altered." Erwin looked between the two of us as what he said processed through our brains. What? That did not make sense, nor did it seem possible.

"How?" I asked.

He was reluctant to admit it, but he eventually said he was not sure. "However, I have every reason to believe that my father's ideas and theories are correct."

My brain hurt to think so much. It was a lot of information for one day. After our conversation, Espyon helped me back to my room and got me into bed. My legs were extremely sore, but I was happy to have gone outside. After the events of the morning and the afternoon, I was exhausted, but Espyon and I pondered what Erwin told us while we were together in my room. We struggled to keep to our promise of not discussing it with anyone, even each other. I had so many questions that could probably not get answered. Where did Erwin's father get his information? Could I really have been from before the time of the Titans? If so, what was my reason for being here? If there was a specific reason.

Later that evening, Espyon brought me dinner and also some for herself. We both ate in my bedroom in silence.

Espyon set the spoon down in her now empty bowl of soup. "Ariadne, are you happy here?" she asked softly.

I looked up from my own meal. "Where did that question come from?"

She shrugged. "I was just wondering. I mean, you've been here for, what, 6 months now? Since you arrived here I mean."

"5 months," I corrected. I shrugged this time. "I suppose I'm happy. I'm recovering well. I've gained some weight back."

Espyon nodded. "True."

"Why do you ask if I'm happy?"

"Not a whole lot of people in this world are."

"Do I seem unhappy?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Just lost."

I sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I suppose I am," I said reflectively.

Again we sat in silence. "Are you done eating?" Espyon asked after a while. I nodded and let her take my bowl. She stood from the bed and left the room. I looked out the window and saw it was dark. I figured I might as well go to sleep. I was exhausted.

"Ariadne, wake up. Wake up!" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, shaking me out of my nightmare. Erwin's eyes met mine.

I grabbed for him and held on tightly. "Please," I said quietly into his chest as I caught my breath. "Don't let them take me again… I can't stand it…"

He put his arms around me and stroked my short hair. "You're safe," he assured me. "It's not real."

My grip tightened but then slacked. "Sleep with me again," I requested.

"I thought it was only going to be for that one night?" he said.

"You keep my nightmares away. Please…?"

It did not take long for him to give in and lie next to me. We faced each other this time, studying each other's face in the dim light of the lantern. We were close enough to be touching, but not in an uncomfortable way. As I studied his face, I realized I liked the way his face curved sharply into his features. I could just barely see a bit of stubble on his face, as if he had shaved it that morning and it had already grown back some. If I wanted to, I could talk about his strikingly blue eyes and his oddly shaped brows for quite some time, but I was too sleepy.

"Ariadne." His voice pulled me out of the half-asleep state I was in.

"Yes?"

"What would you say if you became a soldier?"

I creased my eyebrows. "You mean become a member of the Survey Corps?"

He nodded. "If you wanted to. Or you could do something else."

I thought for a moment. What else could I possibly do in this world? It was not like I knew anybody outside of the Survey Corps members. "When would I start if I were to do that?"

"Probably in the Spring of this coming year," he replied, adjusting himself on the bed. "There's a group of recruits made of people who join the military later in their life instead of as a teenager. You could fall among their ranks and graduate with them."

"You're just trying to recruit me," I said with a small laugh.

Erwin smirked. "Like I said, if you wanted to."

"Give me time," I replied. "Let me get stronger and then I will go in the Spring."

We talked of other things before falling asleep beside each other again. He asked about my family and what my world was like. It never occurred to me how difficult and how odd it seems to describe a world nobody has never heard of before (try describing the internet or a computer for instance). I asked him what his family was like. He only talked of his father, but even then it was a bare minimal. He never said anything about his mother or if he had any siblings. I did not have any siblings either, but I was still curious about his family.

When I awoke the next morning, Erwin was already gone. I supposed he did not want a repeat of yesterday morning (not that I wanted that to happen either). I rolled over on my other side to keep sleeping. I found that my pillow smelled of his cologne.

Aww I just love those two.

Sorry I had to cut this chapter short. I would have made it longer but there wasn't much I could add to it. The action will pick up next chapter I promise!

You know what to do.