Chapter 8: Unwinding
The group spent the next 30 minutes walking back to Adam's house. All the while, Adam gracefully evaded the never-ending questions of his new caravan: where were they? What was this object? Who was he? A simple "I'll explain when we're there," sufficed as a response to most of their inquiries.
Eventually, the group arrived back at Adam's house. He opened the door, standing aside to allow the others entry into his humble abode. Each person was greeted by a blast of warm air as they passed through the door. After Adam closed the door, shutting out the cold, he found most of the group looking around his house with widened eyes and mouths agape in wonder.
"How is it so warm in here?" Jean asked incredulously, his voice still carrying weariness from their journey.
"It's the air conditioning," replied Adam.
"What's that?"
"I'll tell you in a minute," Adam said while starting up the stairs. "I'm going to get changed. You guys can wait in the sitting room for me."
"Uh, sure," said Marco.
As Adam disappeared upstairs, the group wandered into the sitting area, their attention drawn to the several portraits on the wall.
"Are those... paintings?" Ymir asked hesitantly, momentarily pausing with uncertainty.
"Well, not exactly," Harry replied.
"They're really nice!" Krista exclaimed, seemingly delighted with the gallery's craftsmanship. "I've never seen any paintings that well done before. This one is especially nice." She motioned to a picture of a fantastical landscape.
"Yeah, I think that was when Adam and his dad went to the Grand Canyon," said Harry.
Harry recalled Adam's excitement as he told him and Alex all about the trip he was due to go on with his dad. It was one of the last times he could remember seeing Adam genuinely glow with happiness. Considering the unfortunate events that later unfolded, he couldn't blame Adam for becoming more closed off.
"What's the Grand Canyon?" Connie asked, taking him away from his thoughts.
"It's a deep gorge that goes on for miles," explained Harry. "A famous tourist attraction."
"Tourist attraction?"
"Yeah -, it's a popular place that people from all over like to visit," said Alex. "It's usually something special or unique that draws a lot of tourists because it's interesting or fun to experience. I'm assuming you guys don't have anything like that back home?"
"I've never heard of anything like that," Sasha mused more to herself than anyone else present.
"Same here," said Jean
"What's there to see when we've been stuck behind a wall for the last 100 years," Eren murmured under his breath.
The group continued to survey the unfamiliar sights in the room, carefully examining any strange objects. After a few minutes, Adam came down, evidently changed into more comfortable clothes: a white shirt and grey sweatpants. As he entered the sitting room, he gazed at his expectant guests. They took seats across the four different sofas in the room. Adam took their example and also sat down, leaning back as he let out a yawn. After a deep breath, he gazed toward the others.
There was a lot at stake at that moment. Once again, he had to explain what was happening, but to a larger crowd this time. He had to choose his words carefully if there was any hope of keeping peace within the group.
"I'm guessing you guys have a lot of questions."
"You're telling me," said Jean. "A good place to start would be that thing that hit me earlier. What was that?"
"I wanna know about these paintings - they're too detailed," added Ymir.
"Come on, guys. We should be asking the more important questions," Reiner insisted. "Like, where the hell are we, and how did we get here?"
"I'm not surprised - of course you guys would have so many questions," Adam said, more or less silencing their trains of thought for the moment. "I promise you I can answer them all. To address Reiner's question first, this might be hard to believe, but you're currently in Centerville, Utah, in the year 2021."
Adam observed a wave of emotions spreading throughout the group, skewing between astonishment and skepticism to the huge revelation.
"What the hell?!" Connie instinctively swore.
"What do you mean we're in the year 2021?!" Jean yelled, unable to accept the claim at face value.
"You're just joking with us, right, Adam?" Sasha nervously chuckled, ending with a gulp.
"Adam, what you're saying is impossible," insisted Marco. "There's no way we could have gone over a thousand years into the future."
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm telling you the truth," explained Adam. "Think about it: you've arrived in a strange place where you've seen horseless carriages, large buildings reaching into the sky, unbelievably detailed paintings, and a toasty warm house with no fire to speak of. This is all technology that's unheard of in your world."
"How is it possible that we've traveled across time?" Reiner mused with the thought.
"Well, here's where things get a little more confusing," Adam continued. "When I say you're in the year 2021, it's not 2021 in your world. The world you're in now is different from the world you come from. This world never faced the threat of the Titans, and because of that, we've never had to make the walls."
"Wait, so you're saying the Titans don't exist here?!" Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," replied Adam.
As expected, the group on the couches were rendered wide-eyed, with several mouths hanging open. Adam wished he could've broken it to them a little more slowly, but he couldn't find an alternative explanation in time.
"So we're in a world where humanity is free from the Titans?" asked Jean.
Adam nodded his head in response.
"Great, all that hard work, and I don't even get to make it to the MP's."
"Seriously?" scoffed Eren. "We finally find a place where the Titans are gone, and your first instinct is to think about your place in the MP's!"
"What a surprise, the suicidal maniac is ready to run back into the fire," hissed Jean.
"Horseface!" Eren briskly stood, daring him to continue talking back. Jean took the bait, rising to his own two feet in a flash.
"Suicidal bastard!"
But before either of them could continue, Adam quickly interrupted the two.
"Guys, I'm not done explaining everything," said Adam.
"Fine," Jean plopped back down on the couch with Eren soon following suit.
"Now, when I said that Titans don't exist, they are technically real, but in this world, they're... Fictional." Adam stated. "Along with the walls, the Survey Corps, and...All of you."
"Wait, what?!" The group said, unanimously shocked and confused.
"How is that possible?!"
"Are you saying everything in our world's a lie?!"
"What will happen to everyone else?"
"I think we should be more worried about ourselves, Krista."
"The Titans can't be imaginary; people have died fighting them!"
"So the MPs are imaginary too?"
"Shut up about the MPs already!"
"Can you all just please be quiet for a second!" shouted Adam, silencing everyone's arguments and questions.
"Now, I know none of this makes sense, and it's a lot to take in, but look on the bright side. You guys don't have to worry about the Titans or training for now. Not to mention, you have an entirely new world to explore. In the meantime, we'll look for whatever force brought you here and find a way to send you guys back. I promise you we'll work this out."
A heavy silence permeated the air; obviously, the travelers were having difficulty processing this confusing news. In a desperate attempt to pacify their concerns, Adam offered another sliver of encouragement.
"You guys don't have to worry; we're going to be here every step of the way," he said, gesturing towards Harry and Alex. "Right, guys?"
The pair nodded in response, though Alex acted more enthusiastically than Harry. Adam then turned back to the group.
"So, what do you guys think?"
"I don't know..." hesitated Reiner. "What do you think about this, Armin?"
As Reiner posed the question, the group's focus shifted to the young man who previously remained silent, their eyes fixed on him as they awaited his response. Caught off guard by his comrades' sudden scrutiny, a sense of surprise flickered across Armin's face, momentarily taking him aback. Being looked to as a strategist of sorts was still new to him, even though the team had relied on his direction in the past.
"Well, there's more than enough evidence to support his statement. Adam has been kind to us since we got here, so I can't think of a reason for him to lie."
"Well, you make a good point, but I still can't believe any of this could be possible," Marco said while shaking his head.
Adam noticed the confused and exhausted looks in the room and decided that they had all been through enough for the day. They all needed rest with the dark bags that had formed under their eyes.
"I think we should wrap this up for now. It's been a really long day, and we all need some sleep. I promise I'll answer any questions you guys might have in the morning. I know this is a lot, but I promise we will figure everything out."
The group said nothing, but their faces told Adam they trusted him.
"Are you sure it's okay if we stay here?" asked Marco.
"Yeah, it should be fine. I just have to let Sarah know," replied Adam.
"Who's Sarah?" asked Reiner.
"My guardian; she looks after me," replied Adam as he headed to the stairs once more. "If anyone needs a minute to process things, feel free to stay behind for a little. Otherwise, everyone else can follow me."
He approached the stairs, with most of the group shuffling behind him. The curiosity they had previously had clearly given way to a quiet resignation. Despite the shift in energies, Armin's inquiries were not yet extinguished.
"So I wanted to ask you - how do you light up the house like this?" he asked.
"Because of something called electricity," replied Adam. "It was invented around two hundred years ago. If you want, I can explain it to you in detail another time."
Armin nodded in thanks.
Reaching one of the guest rooms, Adam clamped his palm around the doorknob before thrusting the entrance open. He then turned on the lights, revealing the room in a flash of white light. The room wasn't the fanciest, only having a few sets of furniture due to a lack of use. The white walls and crisp bed sheets gave off a relaxed feeling as the group stepped through the door.
"It's not much, but it's better than nothing," said Adam.
"Thanks, but is there enough room for all of us?" asked Marco, observing the medium-sized room.
"Don't worry," replied Adam. "This is just one of the many rooms upstairs. I figured the girls could stay in this room, and the guys could stay in another. You guys had separated barracks, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," said Armin.
"There's only one bed. Where are the rest of us supposed to sleep?" asked Ymir.
Adam walked to the bedroom closet and pulled out three sleeping bags and pillows.
"Two people can share the bed while the others can sleep on the floor. Sound good?"
Most of the girls in the group nodded in agreement.
"Alright, gentlemen. Follow me," said Adam as he left the girls' room and led them to another nearby.
"So, where are you and your friends gonna sleep?" asked Connie.
"My room's down the hallway," replied Adam. "Alex and Harry usually sleep in the room across from mine when they come over."
He went to the room's closet and pulled out more bedding and sheets.
"There you go. I guess you guys can decide who gets to sleep on the bed," Adam suggested before walking out.
It had occurred to him that three members of the cadet corps were still downstairs. Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie.
"I should probably go see what the others are doing," thought Adam.
As he returned down the stairs, he heard whispering from the sitting room. He slowly approached the sitting room entrance and began to listen to the conversation.
"What are we supposed to do now, Reiner?" urged Bertolt. "If we really are in another world, what's our goal from here on out?"
"He's got a point," added Annie.
"I don't know, but for now, we should just play it by ear," responded Reiner. "We don't know how much of this is legit."
In the confusion of recent events, the teen had almost forgotten about the Warrior group. It made sense that they would be the most skeptical of anyone else in the group. They ended up changing everything in the Attack on Titan world.
Annie would have gone on to kill some of the most elite scouts, including the Levi squad. Reiner and Bertholt had killed a good chunk of the population before they were introduced in the show. While they all felt guilt at one point, and their situation was unique and complicated, if the others found out, there's no way they would be so quick to forgive. He concluded that all five shifters needed to be kept under control.
Adam knocked on the wall lightly before walking in. Reiner took on a passive smile, Bertholt straightened up, and Annie more or less stayed the same.
"You doing okay, Adam?" asked Reiner.
"I'm fine - just wanted to know if you guys were good," replied Adam.
"Yeah, we're just taking it all in," said Reiner. "Would you mind if I asked you something?"
"Ask away," Adam sighed internally as Reiner continued.
"Would everything from "our world"be complete fiction? Including what's beyond the wall?" Reiner asked.
While the question seemed vaguely innocent, Adam assumed that Reiner was gauging whether his "hometown" in Marley still existed.
"Pretty much," replied Adam, causing Reiner's pleasant smile to slowly fade away. "But don't worry, we'll see if there's a way to get you back. Look on the bright side. Without the Titans or anything else looming over you, you guys are free to do what you wanna do."
Adam hoped that his message would unconsciously reach them. He knew that none of them were evil at heart, so perhaps knowing that Marley was gone would help them realize they didn't need to fight for the time being.
"Sounds good," replied Reiner with a tired smile. "I think we'll head to bed. Which room is ours?"
"Go up the stairs, make a left, and it's the first room on your right. Annie, you make a left, and it'll be the first down on the left. The others might've already taken the best blankets, though."
"It's fine," replied Reiner. "You coming, Bertholt?"
"Y-yeah," replied Bertolt hesitantly.
The group made for the stairs, with Adam following behind.
Several minutes later, Adam stood at the boys' guest room door. Everyone had discussed their sleeping arrangements and settled down, taking off their boots, jackets, and gear straps.
"I know you guys still have some questions," he began. We'll talk more in the morning. Until then, just focus on getting some rest."
"What time should we wake up?" Marco asked.
Uh, I don't know. What time do you guys usually get up?"
"A little before dawn," replied Armin.
"Geez, you don't guys have to get up that early," Adam told them. "Anytime after eight should do. I'll aim for breakfast to be made by 9:00."
"What's for breakfast?" asked Jean.
"Um, is everyone okay with bacon and eggs?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I'll take that as a yes," said Adam. "My room is down the hall, first door on the right. Alex and Harry will be in the room across from mine. If you need anything, just come and ask. Alright, Goodnight, guys."'
"Hey, Adam?" called Eren before the door completely closed.
"Yeah?" Adam opened it some more.
"Thank you for helping us. We wouldn't have pulled through without you," Eren said gratefully.
"It's nothing," smiled Adam. "Try to get some rest. I'll see you all in the morning,"
After closing the door, he walked down the hall with Alex and Harry.
"Night, Adam," yawned Alex.
"Hold on," Adam stopped them from dispersing.
"What is it?" asked Harry.
"Let's step into my room for a sec. I want to talk to you guys," replied Adam.
Adam then led Alex and Harry into his room, closing the door behind them and turning on his desk lamp.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Harry inquired.
"Did you get what I asked for?" asked Adam.
"Oh yeah, I did," replied Harry, bringing out a folded packet and handing it to Adam.
"What's that?" asked Alex.
"Something for Sarah," replied Adam as he grabbed the packet and tossed it on his desk. "It's not important right now."
He then looked at his two best friends with an uneasy expression, sighing in exhaustion before continuing.
"So, how do you guys feel about all of this?" asked Adam.
Alex and Harry looked at each other, expressing uncertain looks.
"Well, everything's been crazy," replied Harry. "But it seems like things are under control for now."
"Alex?"
"I don't have a problem with it," smiled Alex. "This is the coolest thing that has ever happened to us."
"You got that right," added Adam.
"So you just wanted to know how we feel about everything that's happened?" asked Harry.
"Yes and no," replied Harry. "I also wanted to talk about the AOT characters."
"What about them?" asked Alex.
"As of now, we don't know where they came from or how to send them home," explained Adam. "So we're gonna have to teach them about this world and how to live in it."
"That makes sense," Harry nodded, agreeing so far. "So what's the problem?"
"Judging by their appearances and stories, they were brought from season one, episode four," said Adam.
"Yeah, what about it?" Alex wasn't following his train of thought.
Adam gave a grave stare at his friend before speaking.
"No matter what, we can't let them know what happens in their future."
"Why not?" asked Alex. "Wouldn't we be helping them if we told them what would happen?"
"It's more complicated than that," replied Adam. "Certain things happen in the show that the group can't be aware of. The results would be unpredictable."
"He's right," said Harry. "It would be chaos if they found out,"
Adam and Harry understood what was at stake because they read the manga. Disaster would unfold if any AOT character learned what would happen in their story.
"Uhh, now you guys are making me scared," groaned Alex. "I definitely have to catch us with the series."
"Oh yeah, that's another thing," said Adam. "I don't want you to watch the rest of the series."
"What?! Why not?" Alex cried indignantly.
"It's best if fewer people know what happens in the show," Adam tried to circumvent the true reason he cautioned against her involvement.
"That's not fair," scoffed Alex. "How come you guys get to know what happens and I don't?"
"Don't take this the wrong way, but you have a big mouth," explained Adam. "Wouldn't want you to accidentally spoil anything for them."
"I am not a loudmouth!" whined Alex.
"Well..." hesitated Harry.
Alex's mouth dropped open, but her expression slowly hardened as she shook her head.
"You guys are assholes," she grumbled.
"If it makes you feel any better, we're not saying it to be mean," said Adam.
"Oh yeah, that makes me feel a lot better," she scoffed at Alex as she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed."
"Wait, Alex," Adam cautioned.
"What?"
"Promise me you won't watch Attack on Titan."
Alex looked at Adam and Harry for a moment before sighing.
"Fine. I promise," she said without an ounce of enthusiasm.
"At least now you can find a new show to binge-watch," Adam smirked.
"Whatever," Alex replied as she left the room.
"Maybe this isn't fair to her, and we should let her watch the show," suggested Harry.
"I was thinking the same thing, but I don't wanna risk it," replied Adam. "You know how Alex gets when she's excited about a show."
"Guess you're right," said Harry.
"Anyway, I'm glad it's just me and you now. I wanted to talk to you about the Titan shifters," Adam began.
"Yeah, I expected you to bring them up," Harry admitted.
"For obvious reasons, we have to keep all of them under control," explained Adam. "Especially the Warrior group."
"What about Eren and Ymir?" asked Harry.
"Well, Eren doesn't know about his powers yet, and Ymir's motives have always aligned with His-Krista's well-being, so neither should be a problem."
"Alright, what do we do about the Warriors?" asked Harry.
"We just need to keep a close eye on them more than anyone else," said Adam. Based on what they know, I'm sure they're more cautious than the others. We don't need them to think that they're in danger. Otherwise, things could become "colossally" worse, if you know what I mean."
"Wait, you don't think-," Harry paused in mid-sentence, and Adam finished the thought.
"That they can still turn into Titans in the real world? Yeah. I figured if the characters themselves are here, I don't see why they wouldn't bring any of their abilities with them."
"Good point," replied Harry. "Guess all of this is more complicated than I thought."
"Same, but let's not stress about it," suggested Adam. "Let's just take it one day at a time."
Adam then bumped fists with Harry, and they both said goodnight before retreating to their rooms.
Finally left to his own thoughts, Adam sat down, grabbed a Redbull, and turned on his laptop, ready to research how his newfound friends had found their way into his world. His hand confidently grasped the mouse, ready to begin what would surely become a long night.
Five hours and several Google searches later, Adam hit a dead end in his research. Having searched practically everything: science communities, mathematics institutes, engineering forums, and even succumbing to desperate measures like Fanfiction and Tumblr, he found no clues as to how or why they ended up where they did. He was just about ready to give up when he heard three gentle knocks against the old oak. The sudden announcement heightened his fear, but he was quickly able to calm back down from the surprise.
"Come in." He muttered quietly, closing the near-dead laptop down before putting it to the side.
Leaving the room lit by a single lamp, its dull glow illuminated the almost empty room along with small amounts of moonlight that passed through the curtains. The door slowly creaked open, shattering the silence like glass. A familiar girl with bright blonde hair and blue eyes walked through the door.
"Hey, His-Kristia, are you okay?" Adam asked, yawning slightly from fatigue.
"What are you doing up? It's late," she asked, her voice and tone swayed by concern.
"Uh, no reason," replied Adam, attempting to avoid the question. "What are you doing up?"
"Honestly?"
"Honestly," said Adam, prompting her to sit down on the couch beside him.
"I was having trouble sleeping," admitted Krista. "I guess I'm just worried about everything,"
"I understand. But I'm sure everything will turn out fine," replied Adam in an attempt to lighten her worries.
"Do you really mean that?" asked Krista.
"Honestly, I partially believe it," answered Adam. "Truth be told, I can't 100% guarantee that I'll be able to get you guys home right now, but I'll tell you this: I won't stop trying."
Krista's features softened, her tenseness fading away for the moment, and a warm smile graced her face.
"Thanks, Adam," replied Krista. "You've been a big help. By the way, since we're talking, could you tell me the real reason you're awake right now? You didn't exactly answer the question."
A sting of pain arose from his gut, as Adam knew he couldn't avoid answering any longer.
"Well, I'm just doing some research," admitted Adam.
"On how we got here?" asked Krista.
"Yeah, figured I better start ASAP," replied Adam.
"Have you found anything?"
"Not yet. Been at this for hours, but I'm not giving up," said Adam.
"It means a lot that you're helping all of us," smiled Krista. But you shouldn't overwork yourself. You should get some rest."
"You're probably right, but I don't sleep much anymore."
"Why not?" asked Krista.
"It's...Complicated," replied Adam, his voice laced with mystery and reluctance.
Sensing the weight behind his words, Krista's kind eyes filled with concern. She reached out, gently placing a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"You help me back at your school. Let me help you."
Adam stared at Krista momentarily before closing his eyes and sighing heavily.
"If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it between us."
"I promise," said Krista.
"Okay... I don't get much sleep anymore because of my dad," said Adam
.
"Your dad? Why wouldn't you get much sleep because of him?" asked Krista.
"Well, over a year ago, my dad died. He was killed in a mugging," admitted Adam.
"Oh no! That's terrible," gasped Krista. "How did it happen? If you don't mind me asking."
No, it's alright," replied Adam. "It all started about three months before my dad died. For whatever reason, he and my Mom were constantly getting into arguments. I don't know why, but it was like they didn't love each other anymore. Anyway, on the day he died, he and my Mom had this huge fight, and he stormed out of the house and went on a walk to clear his head."
His voice started to tremble and waver, and his words came weakly as if halted to a crawl. He took a deep breath and continued.
"My Mom and I waited all night for him to return, but he never did. In the morning, we called the police, and they put out a missing person case. After a few hours, the police eventually found his body."
He involuntary paused, drawing in a very shaky breath while using all of his might not to let any tears out.
"They said he'd been shot in the head, and his wallet and watch were missing. They assumed he tried to fight back, and the mugger panicked and shot him out of reflex."
Adam's vocal cords seized up, leaving him in a desperate state of self-pity and sorrow. All he could focus on were those horrible, horrible memories that had caused so much pain and suffering. He was so distracted that he didn't even register Krista moving towards him until her arms were gently wrapped around his shoulders.
"None of that was your fault, Adam," said Krista in an attempt to comfort him.
"I know it wasn't," sighed Adam. "But it doesn't matter. He's still gone, and now I'm all alone. Plus, my Mom practically hates my guts."
"Your Mom hates you? Why?" Krista was shocked by this revelation.
"Due to the constant fighting, my dad left everything to me in his will," Adam explained. "He didn't leave a single fraction of it to my Mom. After that, she had a severe meltdown, and all her anger was directed at me. She was admitted to a mental hospital, later. Haven't seen or talked to her since."
"Do Alex and Harry know?" asked Krista.
"They do, but they don't ask me about it," replied Adam. "I think they're afraid of how I'll react."
Adam lowered his head in shame, wiping his eyes. Krista, too, felt a wave of emotions resurface as she recalled a similar memory from her past.
"If only...If only I never had you!"
In one slick motion, Krista oriented herself to look Adam squarely in his eyes.
"Adam, look at me," she said, her voice a strange combination of soft and stern. "Never blame yourself for that. You had no control over what happened. There was nothing you could have done, so don't put all the guilt on yourself. Okay?"
"Okay," Adam sniffled while quickly breaking eye contact.
She then pulled him into a warm embrace, and he accepted it, clinging to her.
"Um, I should probably get some sleep instead of holding you up any longer."
"Yeah, probably," replied Adam.
"Goodnight," smiled Krista.
"Goodnight," replied Adam.
She then closed the door, leaving him with his thoughts. Before he knew it, he was lying on his bed, completely exhausted, as his eyelids fell, covering his world in pitch-black darkness. Soon enough, he was plunged into a deep sleep, with a stray tear rolling down his face.