By the time Killian and his squad reached Lagos, Sabina was completely lost in her own thoughts. She knew that she was walking right into the heart of the enemy's fortress, a dangerous, horrifying place where she would be targeted the moment they suspect her true identity, but in the moment, this felt like the safest option. Her only alternative was to be struck in the wilderness ravaged by Marleyans…Those people who she was taught to hate, the ones that Eldian taught always demonized…yet she saw a lot of genuine pain and scorn in Raven's voice and eyes. It was lashing out at a human who was hurt and wounded, no different from any Eldian. Still, if she were to meet him again, the Raven might not spare her.

The moment Killian and his soldiers marched through the gates of Lagos, Sabina saw many similarities to Alvur's architecture. An intricate design of stone and wood that created a fortified city with a castle standing at its heart and countless houses around it, growing smaller and poorer the further away from the castle and the closer to the walls they were. The flag was the main difference, it showed a golden knight of a gigantic size, no doubt representing the Armored Titan.

"Welcome home, my Lord! We've been expecting you!" One of the noblemen was there to meet Killian, immediately speaking in this tone of exaggerated admiration, something that the young Lord didn't like at all, judging by his tired sigh. This nobleman wasn't the only one; an entire group of soldiers and tradesmen saluted Killian and his squad. She remembered Agatha and other Lysanders getting similar reactions in Alvur. "How goes the hunt? Have you driven out those Marleyan thugs yet?"

"I'm working on it, so there's no need to rush," Killian said firmly as he made his way deeper into the city. This 'parade' clearly got on his nerves.

"And who's this girl? Did those monsters harm her?!"

"Wait till the council meeting, we will discuss all of this there." Killian said vehemently before finally making his way further into the less refined district of the city, perhaps hoping that the clingy welcomers wouldn't follow him. Luckily for both of them, this plan worked, remaining soldiers from the squad stayed closer to the gates, while Killian and Sabina's horse drifted away from the pesky crowd.

"Finally, some peace…" Killian sighed. He looked back to Sabina after the two of them moved far enough. "This road is a bit long, but it still leads to the castle…A shame we have to go through those slums, but I'd rather be here than surrounded by people that 'enthusiastic.'"

"Slums?" Sabina wondered, looking at the district before her. Very small houses, covered in mud and rust, barely any people outside, most of them looking very weak and thin, if not outright sickly. This created a stark contrast to the rest of the city.

"Yes, that's where we keep our Marleyan contingent," Killian explained. "A lot of them were taken prisoner from previous conquests. Now they work for us day and night while we allow them to live in the city."

"You don't treat them well even when they're not fighting…"

"What makes you think so?"

Sabina had to bite her tongue. She knew that Marleyans were considered the lowest class of citizens back in Alvur, and there was no reason for Lagos to be any different, but she could not give Killian any hints at the truth.

"I heard others say that…"

"They were our sworn enemies one day, and yet we allow them to live right by our side while they prove their loyalty to us by working. I think that's a fair exchange."

Before Killian could continue his musings, a strange man emerged on the road from the opposite side, the one that led to the castle. He was in great hurry.

"Lord Killian! Finally, I found you!" He rushed towards the Lord while the man looked at him with slight confusion. "I have an urgent message from Lord Finn!" Those words were enough to garner Killian's full and undivided attention. The Lord even got off his horse and walked towards the messenger. Eventually, the two of them met in the middle.

"Can't this wait until I meet him? I was just about to go visit my father."

"I'm afraid it can't, milord. Our agents have delivered the most shocking of news…The Armored Titan has reappeared." Those words made Sabina's entire world freeze. Her heart skipped a few beats, and every second felt like a long, agonizing eternity to her. The girl knew that it would happen sooner or later, that they would find out what happened in Alvur and the Armored Titan's reappearance. But to have it happen almost the moment she entered the city and watch Killian's shocked, wide-open eyes as the news was delivered to him, it was harrowing, if not outright mortifying.

"W-what? Are you sure?" Killian's voice shook. "Where?!" He said, demanding an answer.

"The Titan emerged in Alvur." The messenger explained.

"Of all places…It had to be there? Who…Who was it? What happened them?"

"Lysanders are trying to keep the identity of the Titan a secret, but it was one of their own citizens."

"This must have been a child of ten years old…"

"The Lysanders didn't know that the Titan was in their city, and by the time the transformation happened, the Armored entered a frenzy and ran away into the wilderness."

No, this was too much. Sabina knew that even if Killian would deny it at first, he had already made the connection. He would suspect her and realize that she fits the description. This would explain the memory loss and the strange situation the girl found herself in. He would imprison her and let the Colossus eat her…No, no, she couldn't just stand by and let it happen!

The girl only saw one possibility before her, and that was to run. She jumped off the horse and rushed away from Killian and the messenger while the two of them were distracted, which put her on a path deeper into the slums. She had to act quickly, choosing the streets with the least people and not looking back out of fear. Killian could run after her any second, and she would never be quick nor brave enough to continue. She rushed among those old, broken homes, desperately looking for a place to hide. There were a few spots covered by the shadow, but those were not nearly enough.

As the girl scouted the surroundings in panic, she eventually tripped over and fell into the mud. Once again, her heart stopped, and her veins grew cold; the distant echo of footsteps echoed in the girl's ears. She didn't know whether those belonged to Killian or someone else, but she wanted to get as far away from them as possible. There were people who looked at her, but Sabina rushed past them with too much speed to even look them into the eyes. She was among the Marleyans now, those filthy, evil people that all the Eldians despised…But it was better than looking into Killian's eyes, knowing just how much she lied to him.

Eventually, Sabina got far enough to take a short break and think. The girl looked for a place to hide and noticed a lone barrel standing beside one of the shabby houses. This was her only opportunity. Sabina rushed towards the barrel and buried herself inside. It was a dark, cramped, and wet place; Sabina could feel the filth as she submerged herself underneath and closed the barrel. They shouldn't find her here; no one saw her getting inside…Now all that was left to do was pray that Killian doesn't check on this barrel.

Sabina was left all alone…Alone in this darkness, a tight prison that surrounded her, all while she couldn't move, only feel her limbs shaking. It was hard to breathe; YT she had to hold on, had to try and relax, to keep herself hidden away and completely silent. A part of her wanted to stay in here forever, to avert her gaze from the outside world of endless change and cruelty, the world she was pushed to the center of because of her abilities, her curse.

Eventually, the girl heard someone running, a series of footsteps that made her shiver once again. This must have been Killian. Maybe he wasn't alone, so close to her…Sabina clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, listening in to the sounds.

"She must have gone that way, come on!" Killian's determined voice rang in her ears as the steps moved further away from the girl. Her desperate idea worked…They had no idea she hid inside the barrel. This allowed Sabina to let out one small sigh of relief, as well as yet another question.

What now?

In a few moments, all that remained around Sabina was silence. Void with only occasional steps echoing outside…Sabina wasn't even sure if they were real or a simple figment of her imagination. She needed to get out of this barrel before it became hard to breathe, but what good would it do? Sabina hated the thought of anyone seeing her, hated that Killian could've been outside and that he could've already realized the truth about her curse. She didn't know what to do at all. She was lost amidst all the confusion and fear…Sabina made peace with the fact that this nightmare would not end, but it hurt her nonetheless. She felt tears falling from her eyes, adding to the humidity of the barrel and making it even more disgusting to be inside of.

This sense of dread continued until Sabina saw the light again. When the barrel opened, there was a tanned man looking at her. He was slim and had a short beard cover his face, his eyes radiated curiosity but she didn't see any hatred in them. For a short while he stood there, completely stunted and uncertain of how to react, perhaps expecting some reaction from the girl. After she remained silent, the man finally spoke up.

"And who are you going to be?" He had a different accent, not dissimilar to what she heard of Raven…He must have been a Marleyan, maybe someone the Ferns captured a while ago. Sabina expected him to look more hostile, but this was far from the case, he was more puzzled than anything.

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…Please don't hurt me!"

"Hurt you? Who do you take me for, some kind of animal?" The man chuckled. "Not often you'd find a child in a bloody barrel…" He looked at her closely. "And you sound like an Eldian, too."

"I just fell asleep and…"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." The old man looked at her with compassion. "I'd take you home, but if you had any home, you wouldn't be out here, sleeping in a barrel…" The man took a deep sigh.

"I…I don't have anywhere to go."

"So you're a waif, huh? Better get out of our Marleyan slums before the guards get the wrong idea." The man said as he turned around, but Sabina couldn't let go of the opportunity.

"I…Wait! I want to go with you?"

"With me?" The man said, clearly puzzled. Sabina didn't like begging but there was no other choice in her situation.

"If you allow me to sleep in your house or anywhere under a roof at all, I promise I'll help you and repay you! It'll help with the chores and everything; just please let me stay for one night!"

"Listen, I'm not sure that I have good conditions for a child…"

"Please, anything not to sleep outside!" Sabina begged, making the old man ponder for a moment, though the pity in his eyes suggested that he made a decision already.

"Alright…Just because I know I won't be able to sleep knowing I sent a poor child away."

"Thank you, kind sir, thank you!" At least, this would grant her some time and allow her to think of her next steps.

"Call me Lewin. And you are?"

"Sabina…Nice to meet you!"

Lagos…

The place where their sworn enemies resided. Even since Luke's days in school he was taught the vileness of house Fern. Even in the days of Eldian Unity, they were always the ones sowing discord in the king's court, trying to eliminate their competition via the king. Rotten manipulators that hid behind the pretense of nobility represented by the Armored Titan's golden cover. When Luke decided to join the military, the hatred that his superiors instilled in him got even stronger. Ferns and their servants were the lowest of Eldians, no better than the Marleyan slaves. All those years only to finally look at their city from the safety of a hill covered by the trees' shadow…It wasn't all that different from Alvur. A similar city of people that bowed to the lords that shielded them. They haven't participated in warfare for a decade; instead, they rely on protection from the far more powerful House Thorson. This Alliance remained in the shadows, waiting for other houses to gut each other, picking a perfect time to strike…Or at least so people theorized.

Luke expected his visit to Lagos be during a glorious conquest, yet here he was, following his mentor's guidance in a desperate attempt to save his sister. When the two reached the city, Agatha went forward, saying that by the time she returned, they'd be able to enter the city without causing suspicion. His job was to guard the spot she pointed him towards and await for her return. She promised to be quick and efficient, as she always was.

Her skills weren't the cause for Luke's concern. They didn't talk about Sabina after Agatha's previous words about the girl's fate. She spoke of inevitable doom for Sabina, that no matter what happens, she will be subject to a short and agonizing existence, so much so that ending her life would be the best option for everyone involved. Luke tried to imagine how he would react if he was to die at thirteen…Just the time when he matured and began to grow into the man he was now. The life that ended just when he got the taste of it. But was forcing her to die while there is still an opportunity for her to experience some joys of life, no matter how short and fleeting, any better? Luke could not accept this. Agatha would never convince him of it. Not even his parents could.

Eventually, he heard approaching steps.

"Here, here, please, hurry!" It was strange to hear Agatha's voice ne so loud and emotional, mixing in with sobbing and shivering. From this moment, Luke already knew that this was an act, Agatha would've never behaved like that. "My little brother is here, help him!"

Brother?

Luke stayed near the tallest tree, watching the two silhouettes emerge from behind the woman. They seemed worried and even terrified, a couple made of man and a woman, both pale and slim with distinct tiredness in their eyes, but they were nevertheless remarkably focused and listen to Agatha's pleading cries.

"Where is he? We have to hurry if you want to help!" The man spoke with worry as Agatha looked around. Luke stepped forward, allowing the trio to focus their attention on him. Suddenly, they have gone silent and he could notice a string of shock on those people's faces.

"Oh, there he is." Agatha giggled and waved while the other two remained stumped. Luke wondered what was on her mind and who those people were. This must have been a trap for them…

Moments later, Luke's suspicions were confirmed. Agatha took out her knife and sliced the woman's neck, making her fall on the ground and drown in blood. The man turned around with unmitigated terror in his eyes.

"What the…"

Agatha jumped at him, plunging the knife into his neck. The man desperately tried to resist and managed to push Agatha away before the pain from the wound kicked in. He fell on his knees, shaking and desperately grasping for air as Luke watched the bloody picture unfold. He had never seen Agatha strike someone in the back like this; the people she killed fell to her in Titan form; it felt detached, but this…This was a swift murder, one that she performed seamlessly as if it was a form of art.

The man tried to crawl away, but Agatha left him no chance. She pierced his back with a knife, wounding him again and again until he was stuck in a dirty crimson lake, letting out his final breath.

"God, what a feisty one…Appearances sure can be deceiving." Agatha said with slight worry, quickly searching the man's pockets. "Ah, here it is, just before it could drenched in his blood, perfect!" She took a small card and showed it to Luke, who still couldn't let go of seeing Agatha act so ruthlessly with no weapons but a knife with her.

"What is this? And who were they?"

"It's a pass that will allow us into Lagos," Agatha explained. "They can't allow just anyone in, but they also can't keep people trapped inside the city. It is a similar system to what we have at home, imperfect, but that's good for us…Those poor fools were some of the peasants that worked outside helped some local farmers in the city. I told them a tragic story of my little brother being bitten by a snake and collapsing. He really needed a few people to carry him into the city's hospital, or he would die on the spot…I was very convincing." Agatha said with pride as she took another pass from the woman's body and gave it to Luke. "If anyone asks, we got those passes from our friends at home. They were very considerate and decided to allow us an opportunity to visit the city and wait out the Marleyan skirmish."

"So these were just two civilians? And you killed them?" Luke should've expected this, but it still felt wrong.

"You didn't think we could get far without bloodying our hands, did you? Here, everyone is an enemy, civilian or not. Understand?"

"Understand." He was getting used to it, caring about such trivial matters would be a disservice to Sabina. When it came to it, Luke would allow Agatha to kill anyone if they stood in their way to Sabina.

Perhaps he would kill them himself.