Year 845
The morning air inside Wall Rose was still, carrying a strange sense of calm that Erwin couldn't quite place. He stood in the early light, adjusting the familiar weight of the green cloak draped over his shoulders, the Wings of Freedom insignia catching the soft glow of the sun. It was supposed to be a day like any other—a day of planning, strategizing, and training. But the atmosphere in the Scout Regiment's headquarters was different. Heavy. A shift had been coming, one Erwin had sensed for months.
Keith Shadis had grown quieter, more withdrawn. The weight of command was crushing him, that much was clear. Erwin had seen the way Shadis hesitated more frequently, how the losses they had endured were visibly taking their toll. It wasn't that Keith had lost his nerve, but the spark that once drove him had dimmed, and everyone could feel it.
That morning, the announcement came.
Keith stood before the regiment, his face drawn and weary, the years of battles etched into the deep lines of his skin. His voice, usually so forceful, lacked the commanding presence it once held.
"I am stepping down as commander," Keith said, his tone heavy with the finality of the decision. His gaze swept across the gathered soldiers, many of them stunned into silence. "It's time for new leadership."
Erwin stood among them, his tall frame still and composed, though inside, his mind was racing. He had known this day was coming, but now that it was here, the gravity of the moment settled on him like the weight of the cloak around his shoulders.
Keith's eyes met Erwin's, and for a moment, there was a silent exchange. Shadis, the man who had led them through countless expeditions, was passing the torch to him. Not in words, but in the quiet acknowledgment that Erwin was the one best suited to take up the mantle.
"I have recommended Erwin Smith as the new commander of the Scout Regiment and the top brass agrees," Keith declared, his voice steady despite the exhaustion that weighed on him. "He will lead you from here. Trust him, as I have."
Erwin stepped forward, his face impassive, but inside, a storm was brewing. This was what he had prepared for. This was the responsibility he would bear. He had spent years building strategies, pushing the boundaries of what the Scouts were capable of. And now, he stood at the precipice of command.
As he took his place before the regiment, Erwin spoke clearly, his voice carrying over the gathered soldiers with the calm confidence they had come to expect from him. "We fight for humanity's future, for the truth that lies beyond these walls. I will lead us to that future."
The soldiers saluted him in unison, and with that, the transfer of command was complete.
Erwin was now commander of the Scout Regiment.
Yet as the ceremony concluded, Erwin felt a ripple of unease in the back of his mind. Something lingered in the air—an anticipation he couldn't shake. But there was no time to dwell on it. The responsibilities of leadership demanded his focus. He had to plan the next expedition, reorganize the ranks, and take on the duties that Keith had left behind.
A few hours later, just as Erwin was settling into his new role, the earth suddenly shook. Everyone looked at each other for answers but no knew what that was
Ten minutes later, a frantic knock at the door broke through his concentration. The door swung open, and a soldier burst in, out of breath, his face pale with fear.
"Commander," the soldier panted, "Wall Maria… it's been breached!"
Erwin's heart sank as the words hung in the air. Wall Maria—breached. But how?
For a moment, the room seemed to freeze. Erwin's mind raced, piecing together the implications of what this meant. Wall Maria was the outermost of the three walls, protecting the largest population of humanity. If it had been breached, hundreds of thousands of people were now at risk.
He stood abruptly, his body moving before his mind could fully process the gravity of the situation. "How did this happen?"
"We don't know," the soldier stammered. "But… according to the witness reports, the gate's been destroyed. A Colossal Titan appeared in Shiganshina, and then an armoured titan ran through Wall Maria and the Titans are flooding in."
It sounded ridiculous to his ears. The scouts had never encountered any such titan in any of their expeditions but now wasn't the time to debate.
Erwin's hands clenched into fists. Shiganshina and Wall Maria, a gateway to the world beyond the walls. If that was lost, then the entire population within Wall Maria would be forced to retreat. Thousands would be trapped in the chaos.
Erwin rose from his desk, his movements deliberate and precise. He had feared something like this might happen one day—had theorized the possibility in countless strategy meetings—but hearing it now, the reality hit hard. The situation wasn't just about Wall Maria. If the breach spread, if they couldn't contain it, Wall Rose would be next. And if Wall Rose fell, his family—Anne, Eric—would be in immediate danger.
I can't let that happen.
Erwin moved swiftly, calling for an emergency meeting with the Scout Regiment's senior officers. His mind was racing, not with panic but with the calculations of what needed to be done. He had just taken command, and now he was facing humanity's greatest threat—a breach of the walls, something that hadn't happened in over a hundred years.
The Scouts had always been on the front lines, venturing beyond the walls to fight the Titans, to gather information, to push humanity's boundaries. But this was different. This was an invasion—an attack on their very survival.
"We need to act now," Erwin said sharply, turning to the other soldiers in the room. "Coordinate with Garrison. Prepare evacuation routes. The people will need to be moved to Wall Rose immediately."
The soldiers nodded and rushed off, leaving Erwin standing there, alone with the weight of his new command pressing down on him harder than ever before. His thoughts flickered briefly to Anne and Eric, safe within Wall Rose for now, but how long would that last? If they couldn't contain the breach, however it may have happened in the first place, the Titans would move inward, and his family would be caught in the crossfire.
As he stepped outside, the first hints of smoke drifted in the air, carried by the wind from Wall Maria. The Titans had come closer to the heart of humanity than ever before.
Erwin mounted his horse, his expression cold and determined. The reality of command had arrived faster than he could have anticipated. He had to act. Every decision he made from this point forward would shape the fate of humanity. The weight of that truth pressed heavily on his shoulders, but he had no time to hesitate.
As he led a group of Scouts toward the approaching chaos, his mind was already running through scenarios. How long could Wall Maria hold? Could they get as many people as possible to safety before the Titans closed in?
But despite the overwhelming danger, Erwin's thoughts returned to the same question that had always driven him—the truth. The truth about the Titans, the truth about what lay beyond the walls.
We have to find it, he thought. This can't be the end. This is just the beginning.
The wind howled as they went toward the burning remains of Shiganshina, the roar of Titans echoing in the distance. In the span of a few hours, Erwin had gone from stepping into the role of commander to leading his soldiers into humanity's most dire moment.
But for Erwin, this was why he had become a Scout—to face the impossible, to confront the terrifying unknown. He had been made commander on the day humanity faced its greatest threat. And now, more than ever, he had to prove that he was worthy of leading them through it.
As the time passed, the full scope of the breach became clearer. The Titans had broken into Wall Maria, and the civilians were fleeing toward Wall Rose. The evacuation was chaotic, and the Garrison was struggling to keep order. Reports of mass casualties and destruction flooded in.
"The Scouts will be deployed," Erwin continued. "We'll work with the Garrison to create safe evacuation routes for the civilians. Our goal is to prevent the Titans from advancing any further. We need to buy time for the people of Wall Maria."
The officers nodded, but the fear in their eyes was unmistakable. They were soldiers, trained for battle, but this—this was an unprecedented disaster. Nobody was prepared for this because nobody expected this would happen.
As he spoke, his mind kept drifting back to his family. He hadn't had time to send word to Anne or Eric, but he knew they would be hearing the news soon enough.
And the truth was, this breach would change everything. The Scout Regiment, which had always been focused on expeditions beyond the walls, would now be forced to turn inward. Their mission would shift from exploring the unknown and expansion to reclaiming and defending the very walls they had always taken for granted. They would need to adapt, to restructure their strategies and resources. The expeditions beyond the walls might be halted entirely, as their primary focus would now be on preventing further breaches and supporting the Garrison.
Wall Maria was as good as gone. It would no longer be habitable with the constant threat of the titans.
In the years to come, the Scouts would become more vital than ever, but their role would evolve. They would no longer just be explorers—they would be defenders, standing between the Titans and what little of humanity remained. And with Erwin at the helm, the Scouts would need to be more than just a fighting force. They would need to be the vanguard of humanity's survival.
As the day wore on, Erwin felt the weight of his new command settle more heavily on his shoulders. The breach at Wall Maria had been a devastating blow, one that would haunt them for years. But Erwin knew one thing with certainty: he would do whatever it took to protect the future of humanity.
The fight for humanity's survival had just begun, and as commander of the Scout Regiment, Erwin Smith would have to lead that fight—no matter the cost.
The day had started like any other for Eric. The early morning sunlight filtered through the small window of his room, casting soft, warm rays on the wooden floor. He could hear the familiar sounds of his mother, Anne, moving about downstairs, preparing breakfast.
His father, Erwin, had left earlier than usual, heading off to Scout Regiment headquarters, which wasn't unusual. Eric was used to the long stretches when Erwin was busy with his duties and expeditions.
Eric had spent most of the morning playing with Tomas. His mother had always encouraged him to make friends with kids his age. He would love to if it didn't feel like babysitting to him. He wanted to make friends with adults but they probably felt the same way about him too. So for now, Tomas would have to do.
I am an adult damnit! So treat me like one, he thought as he stomped his feet
After a while, his mother called him in for lunch. Eric left and ran inside, where the scent of soup greeted him. He sat at the small table, his legs dangling from the chair as Anne placed a bowl in front of him.
"Did you have fun?" she asked, her tone light. He nodded in return.
Later that afternoon, Eric was back with Tomas, swinging swords. The day was calm, peaceful even, though there was a strange tension in the air, one that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He couldn't place it, but something felt off.
As he practiced, the ground shook and a distant sound caught his attention—a deep, rumbling noise that sent a shiver down his spine. Eric paused, lowering his sword as he glanced toward the horizon. His stomach churned with unease.
Some minutes later came the shouting. It started with just a few voices in the distance, but soon, the noise spread, filling the streets as people began running, their faces pale with fear. Eric dropped his wooden sword, his heart racing. He'd never seen people act like this before. They were fleeing—some carrying bags, others pulling children along, their eyes wide with panic.
Anne rushed out of the house, her face tight with fear.
"Ma?" Eric called, his voice trembling.
She'd heard the noise, the shouting, and like Eric, she knew something terrible was happening. She knelt in front of him, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Eric, come inside," she said, her voice steady but filled with urgency.
"What's happening?" Eric asked, his voice small. He could hear snatches of the panicked voices in the distance—people yelling about Wall Maria, about Titans. His chest tightened.
Had the breach finally happened?
Anne's grip tightened. "I don't know, but we need to be ready."
Just then a garrison soldier came in rushing and announced
"Wall Maria has been breached. Titans have broken through Shiganshina."
Eric's heart plummeted.
Anne staggered back, her face paling. "How… how far have they come?"
"Not here yet," the soldier said, glancing over his shoulder as though expecting to see Titans looming behind him. "But they're evacuating people to Wall Rose as we speak. You need to prepare to leave, just in case."
The words hit Eric like a punch to the gut. The outermost wall—the wall that had kept humanity safe from the Titans for over a century—was breached. The safety of their world was crumbling before his eyes.
Anne nodded, her voice trembling as she ushered Eric back inside. "Thank you," she whispered, before closing the door and turning to her son. "Eric, listen to me. We need to pack some things quickly. If the Titans come this far, we'll have to move."
Eric nodded, though his mind was reeling. The Titans were out there, pouring through Wall Maria. It was the stuff of nightmares, the kind of thing people whisper and joke about but never truly believed would happen. For the people, The walls were supposed to be invincible.
As he packed a small bag, his hands shaking, his thoughts kept returning to his father. Erwin was out there, probably already dealing with the chaos, helping the Scouts in the evacuation efforts. But what if something happened to him? What if the Titans got to him?
The image of his father, standing strong and calm, flashed through Eric's mind. He had come to believe his father could handle anything. But now, with the wall breached and the Titans closing in, doubt gnawed at the edges of Eric's mind.
His mother was packing quickly, her movements hurried but methodical. She glanced at Eric, her eyes filled with worry but also determination. "Eric, stay close to me, okay? We're going to be fine."
Eric nodded, but his heart felt like it was lodged in his throat. They might be fine for now, but the threat of the Titans loomed large, and for the first time in his young life, the safety of the walls felt fragile. Breakable.
As he watched through his window, the streets outside grew more chaotic. Soldiers were directing people to stay inside, while others sprinted off toward the gates. The tension was thick in the air, the uncertainty palpable.
For the first time, the world outside the walls felt terrifyingly real. The Titans weren't just stories, and the walls weren't unbreakable. As the fear swirled in his chest, Eric gripped his mother's hand tightly.
Father… please be okay, he thought, hoping that the Titans wouldn't come any closer.
The atmosphere within the walls had shifted dramatically after the breach of Wall Maria. Fear, once a quiet murmur beneath daily life, now screamed through the streets of every district. The fall of Wall Maria had shaken the very core of the people's belief in their own safety, and the consequences of that disaster rippled through every corner of society.
Erwin Smith, the newly appointed commander of the Scout Regiment, found himself at the center of this whirlwind. His mission had never been more vital, nor had the Scouts ever been more needed. With the breach of Wall Maria still fresh in everyone's minds, the regiment was tasked not just with survival but with discovering a way to reclaim what had been lost. The Titans weren't just a threat—they were now an ever-present enemy that had to be faced head-on.
The energy within the Scout Regiment shifted as well. The seasoned veterans who had fought and survived countless expeditions beyond the walls felt the weight of their responsibility grow. They weren't just risking their lives for exploration anymore; they were fighting to prevent the total collapse of humanity. The new recruits, brimming with energy and determination, brought a different atmosphere to the regiment. They were eager, but inexperienced, driven by a sense of purpose that had come from seeing their world torn apart.
The world within the walls was no longer complacent. People had been forced to confront a harsh reality, and the Scouts had become the spearhead of their collective hope. The breach of Wall Maria had changed everything, and with that shift, the Scout Regiment transformed from a misunderstood group of outliers to the last line of defense in a battle for survival.
The urgency was palpable, and for the first time in a long time, the Scouts weren't fighting alone. They had the backing of a terrified and desperate populace, people who were now willing to sacrifice everything to push back the threat that had so violently torn through their lives.
Titans were no longer stories, no longer just outside the walls. They were here, pushing at the borders, and the breach had changed everything.
For Anne and Eric, life had shifted dramatically. The news of Wall Maria's fall had shaken them, and the quiet safety they had once known in Wall Rose now felt fragile. Every day, Anne felt the growing tension and the uncertainty in the air. She tried to keep a brave face for Eric, but her worry was palpable. It was hard to hide the gnawing fear that one day, the Titans might breach Wall Rose as well.
And then, the orders came.
Erwin had returned late one evening, his face set in a way that Anne knew meant something had changed. He was quieter than usual, his movements deliberate as he removed his cloak and boots. She could sense the weight of the command on his shoulders—the responsibility of keeping humanity safe from the Titans now more urgent than ever.
They sat at the kitchen table, the soft flicker of candlelight casting shadows on the walls. Eric was asleep upstairs. The house was quiet, but the tension between them was thick, unspoken.
"What's happened?" Anne asked, her voice low but steady.
Erwin leaned forward, his hands resting on the table. "I have become the commander of the scout regiment. The breach at Wall Maria has changed everything," he said, his voice calm but strained. "The Titans have poured in faster than we expected. The refugees are in thousands and situation might deteriorate further owing to the limited resources "
Anne's heart tightened. "Are they coming closer?"
Erwin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "There's a chance. We don't know how Titans breached in the first place, but we can't afford to take any risks."
She stared at him, her stomach churning.
"I am moving us to Wall Sina," Erwin continued, his voice firm but quiet.
Anne blinked, her hands tightening around the edge of the table. Wall Sina. The safest place in all of humanity, the innermost wall where the elite and the wealthy lived. It was a world removed from the constant fear of the Titans, where the threat felt like a distant myth. But moving there meant leaving behind everything they knew—their home, their neighbors, the small but familiar life they had built inside Wall Rose.
Anne swallowed hard, her throat tight with the weight of his words. She had always known that Erwin's role as a Scout was dangerous, that he was often gone for long stretches, risking his life beyond the walls. But now, with the Titans more closer, the threat felt real in a way it hadn't before.
Anne looked down at the table, her heart heavy with the weight of the decision. She didn't want to leave him, didn't want to uproot their lives and move to Wall Sina, away from everything they knew. But she also knew that Erwin was right. The world was changing, and they had to adapt, or they would be caught in the storm.
"I understand," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But what about Eric? How do I explain this to him?"
Erwin was silent for a moment, his jaw clenched as he thought of their son. Eric was only ten, still a child, but he was already aware of the dangers the Titans posed. He had heard the stories, seen the fear in people's eyes as the news of Wall Maria's fall spread. But how could they explain the reality of the situation to him?
"I'll talk to him," Erwin said finally, his voice steady but quiet. "He deserves to know the truth. At least, part of it."
"Eric," Erwin called softly, walking over to him.
Eric turned, his face lighting up at the sight of his father.
Erwin smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He knelt down in front of his son, resting a hand on his shoulder. "
Eric's face fell slightly, sensing the seriousness in his father's tone. "What's wrong?"
Erwin took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "We're going to be moving, Eric. To Wall Sina."
Eric's eyes widened in surprise. "Wall Sina? But… why? I thought we were safe here."
Erwin's grip on Eric's shoulder tightened slightly, "We're safe for now, but things are changing. The Titans… they've breached Wall Maria. We don't know how far they'll come, so we need to make sure you and your mother are protected."
Eric stared at him, his young mind processing the information. "But what about you?" he asked quietly.
Erwin shook his head, his voice soft. "Right now, I can't, Eric. I have to stay here and lead the Scouts. It's my responsibility to protect everyone. But I need to know that you and your mother are safe. That's why you're going to Wall Sina."
Eric looked down at the ground, fists tightening.
"I know, Eric. But right now, this is the best way to protect you. I'll come as soon as I can, and I'll always be thinking of you and your mother. But my job is to keep everyone safe, and I need you to be brave and help your mother in Wall Sina."
Eric nodded slowly, though the disappointment and fear were clear in his eyes. "Okay," he whispered, though his voice wavered.
Erwin pulled his son into a hug, holding him tightly. "I'm proud of you, Eric. Always remember that."
As they stood there, the weight of the decision settling over them both, Erwin knew that this was only the beginning of a long, difficult journey. The world was changing, and nothing would ever be the same again.
In the day that followed, preparations were made to move Anne and Eric to Wall Sina. The process was swift, with government officials handling the arrangements, and they were set to leave. As they crossed the gate into Wall Sina, the contrast was stark. The streets were clean, the buildings taller, the people wealthier, with an air of detachment from the struggles of those living closer to the walls that now held back the Titans.
For Anne, it felt like entering a gilded cage—a place of safety, but one that felt foreign, distant from the life they had known.
Now, more than ever, Erwin had to ensure that the breach wouldn't spread. Not just for the future of humanity, but for his family's safety.