Armin remembered, in crystal clear detail, the time his mother confided about her magick to him.

It happened sometime in the middle of spring. A few hours after breakfast, to be exact, as Armin prepared to meet his friends at the usual time, at the usual place. Before that, though, Armin's day began as normal. A tense atmosphere existed between his parents, which did not go unnoticed by his immature, yet astute, mind. His mother's forlorn mood worsened after his father left. Armin pondered the many thoughts that could plague her mind and depress her. But, as a child, he felt completely and utterly powerless. So, Armin observed her uncharacteristic listlessness from afar.

Gradually, Armin became less preoccupied with his mom's mood and more preoccupied with the encyclopedia he constantly toted around. That morning, he was mentally bookmarking pages to show Eren and Mikasa. Armin raced outside to where his mother unpegged the laundry. His eyes were set on his favourite blue cardigan, reaching out to snatch it while rapidly informing her of his plans. "Bye, Mom! I'm going to meet Eren and Mikasa now!"

His mother halted him as his fingertips grazed the sleeve of the cardigan. "Hey, not so fast!" Glancing over his shoulder in confusion, Armin froze, assuming he would be scolded. Instead, his mother abandoned the wicker basket on her hip and leaned down to draw her surprised son into a hug.

Armin never took issue with the squeezing, suffocating, yet completely affectionate hugs his parents gave him, but this time, his mom hugged him for longer than he was used to. Much longer than he was used to. Fitting perfectly between her shoulder and the crook of her neck, as though the snug space were made to fit his head, Armin could only stare into space, holding her back, while patiently waiting to be released. She, like the dry laundry bundled within the wicker basket, smelled of warm sunshine. She must have stood outside for a while, staring at the sun leisurely shift through the sky. He'd never rebuke his mother, especially after considering her poor mood that morning. Though the book's sharp spine threatened to pierce them, though his grip weakened with every passing second, and though they grew uncomfortably warm in the hottest part of the day, she needed this. She really needed this and, relieved to see her brighten back up again, Armin let her hold him for as long as she needed.

With one last even tighter squeeze than he thought his mom was capable of, she finally released Armin.

"Thanks," she smiled breathlessly, gratefully. Armin mirrored her smile.

"It's okay..." he replied, emotions swirling inside of him that were far too complex for his young brain to understand. Despite her return to her usual self, Armin couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off...but he couldn't rationally explain what troubled him.

"Where are you heading off to today?" She gestured for Armin to follow her beneath the shade. With a flick of her finger, she brushed a slightly damp strand of hair from her cheek. The strand joined the other locks of her blonde hair that were neatly behind her ear. Armin stood in front of his mother. The heat didn't bother Armin in the slightest. He was prepared to flee to where he'd meet his best friends the moment his mother dismissed him.

"With Eren and Mikasa. I want to show them more pages of my book." Armin lifted the heavy book under his arm for emphasis; the one about the oceans, the forests, and all the interesting miracles of Earth nobody could see within the walls they resided - the one they were utterly obsessed with! Such curiosity was inherited from Armin's parents, which spread to his friends as contagiously as the common cold.

"Sounds like fun! But, before you go, can we talk for a bit first? I won't take up too much time, I promise." Her palm pat the space next to her on the ground and Armin immediately acquiesced.

He balanced the book on his lap. "What is it?"

"I just..." She exhaled, long and shallow, grimacing as though the action pained her. "I need to tell you that your father and I will be leaving tomorrow. Our preparation is complete, so we finally decided to go and explore outside of the walls. Remember how I was telling you about the land outside of the walls while we were looking through your book?"

"Yes?"

"Well, it's time for us to go and explore it now," his mom declared with such determination that Armin expected her to depart right then and there. Thankfully, she didn't...but it certainly wouldn't be long before she did!

As exciting as it sounded, Armin couldn't help but feel apprehensive. He'd never been without his parents before! Not even for a single night! "When will you be coming back?"

Her expression crumpled before recomposing herself within seconds. Armin almost missed the sudden change…almost. "One day. I'm not sure how long it'll take us to see everything we want to see, but we'll see you again someday. Your grandpa will still be here to care for you so there's no need for you to be anxious." She placed a comforting hand on his back.

"I'm not anxious, mom. I promise!" Of course, Armin lied through his teeth in a poor attempt to be brave. She knew, too, how brave Armin was trying to be. "I'm excited to hear about everything you'll see while you're away!"

"I'm glad. We'll tell you about everything we see. I'll bet there are things out there that aren't written in your book, or written in any book!"

Such a promise delighted Armin as a hopeful child. In hindsight, her empty promise left the bitter taste of resentment in Armin's mouth, for she and his father never returned to describe their findings. Truthfully, and Armin despised thinking about it, they most likely didn't live long enough to see anything eventful, anyway…

Armin found himself starving for the intimate details of their decisions. His large inquisitive eyes met her inviting ones. "Mom? What made you want to explore outside of the walls? How did you know now is the right time to leave?"

"Well...exploring outside the walls is something your father and I both wanted. Despite how dangerous we're always told it is, and from the amount of bloodshed we see from the Survey Corps when they return from expeditions, seeing everything and its dangers is a desire that has always held us captivated for years. As much as I wanted it, I think your father always wanted it more than I did; so incredibly badly," she recounted, eyes softening with her voice. Armin nodded along as his mother spoke, not entirely understanding everything she said. He was just happy to hear her talk about their shared interest! "He always talked about wanting to find, create, or build a way to explore outside the walls, even...even if it killed him. He wanted it for us - I wanted it for us, too - so we made it happen. With a lot of hard work and…a lot of magick."

He immediately perked up with interest. "Magick? Like, real magick?" Armin's face lit up with joy as his mother nodded in agreement. "What kind of magick?"

"The magick I was born with. My magick allows me to grant a wish. It was passed down to me through my parents." Her arms spread in front of her, an aura of mystery accompanying her movements.

His excitement wavered. It almost seemed like she was playing a trick thinking Armin was gullible. He wasn't gullible, he insisted to himself! "So…you're a witch?" While cautious to not fall for her joke, part of him wondered (and, daringly, hoped) she was telling the truth.

She hummed. "I suppose that's a possible word for it. I don't have any other powers though, aside from my wish. What do you think? Does it still count?"

He nodded. "I think so!"

Throwing her head back in a carefree movement, she laughed. Armin could tell the gesture wasn't out of malevolence, but rather out of happiness to be sharing a moment with him. She was telling the truth. Her laughter seemed as magickal as she appeared at that very moment. "If you want to call me a witch, then I suppose I'm a witch!"

"That's so cool! How did you know you could grant wishes?" He asked, imagining his mom perhaps had a similar conversation with a family member. Who was that family member? How old was she? What other things did she learn? Would…she teach him those same things, too?

"Your grandfather - my father - told me. I was a little younger than you when we had the conversation," his mother explained as though she read the myriad of questions in his mind. "He showed me, and now, it's my turn to show you."

"You'll show me your wish?"

"Yes. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!"

"Then, come here." Normally, Armin would have obeyed his mother without question. This time, her voice turned ferocious, a tone Armin had never heard before - not even before he was punished! Gone was the light-hearted, bubbly mood. Even her expression turned dark and solemn. He hesitated, and she coaxed him once more. "This is important for you, so you need to see this through to the end and listen to everything I tell you, okay? Now, come here."

Climbing into her lap was normal for a siblingless child with two doting parents such as Armin. Instead of being welcomed into her gentle embrace, her arms snaked around his waist, clasping her fingers together firm as an unbreakable harness. Suddenly, as his breath hitched in his throat. Her grip felt suffocating to him. Armin felt afraid, taken aback by such an action from his usually calm mother.

"You must watch carefully. You mustn't run away," she commanded.

"I won't." He wouldn't. He literally couldn't, even if he wanted to!

"Promise?" She held him closer.

"I promise, Mom."

Her grip finally loosened, allowing her son the room to settle despite his rapidly beating heart. She stuck her palms together and a bright greyish orb slowly manifested atop her hands.

If she had not trapped him within her lap or verbally instructed him to remain still, Armin would have fled! His body instinctually wanted to run as far and as fast as he could. The urge felt primal, making Armin wonder if cavemen who discovered fire felt similar. Armin quickly caught himself and froze. Instead of doing everything necessary to escape, he channelled his promise to his mother that he would remain and listen to her, and simply flinched backwards against her chest, hands twisting and pulling the sleeves of her blouse. Everything about the grey orb scared Armin! His heart pummelled in his chest the longer he looked at it, leaving him trembling, breathless, and filled to the brim with adrenaline. Novelty was scary, particularly to a child such as Armin who assumed feats like magick were only present in novels written by brilliant authors with busy minds. Many jumbled words and questions and accusations bounced around in his brain, his jaw twitching and lips trembling as those words fought to control his mouth and vocal cords.

His mother is a witch.

His mother is a real witch with magickal powers she is currently exposing to him.

What did that mean for Armin? For his grandparents? What else was she about to show him?

"This is my wish. Well...it was my wish," she haphazardly corrected herself. "I only had one. Everyone in our family only has one."

Armin gulped to suppress his fear, feeling as though he swallowed glass. His throat felt so sore from his tenseness and ragged breathing. "Th...This is the one you gave to Dad?" He clarified, unsure.

"Yes, honey," she confirmed. "It is. I'm sorry that I scared you, but there's nothing to fear, I promise. Put your hand through it and feel it if you want. Touch it; it's important you know what it feels like."

Armin wrinkled his nose; touching this freak of nature incited a sort of repulsion he had never felt before. Still, his mother wouldn't suggest this if she considered it dangerous. His first movement, driven by apprehension, was rapid and unsavoured. Despite Armin's quick movement, for a split second, his hand became submerged in a lukewarm feeling. Armin could only describe it as 'lonely', as though something was missing. It inspired a new flavour of curiosity within him, though, as his second movement aimed to truly feel the orb. Armin spread his fingers, twisted his wrist, and even attempted to grasp it, but it remained unbroken, unmorphed, and hovering over his mother's hands. How durable. Sufficiently entertained and with a new understanding of a phenomenon he didn't know existed (and would continue to question for the rest of his life), Armin's hands returned to his lap.

"...it's amazing," he murmured, overcome with awe.

"It is, isn't it? It used to be blue. But it turned grey after the wish was fulfilled," she explained. Her hands nestled underneath Armin's to cup his hands similarly to how her hands were previously positioned. Premature excitement had Armin perking up! Somehow, he already knew what his mother would tell him before she even opened her mouth, as though her intentions, desires, and reasons for divulging such a secret to him transferred to his mind with the touch of their skins. "Yours will be blue - like mine was - because you still have your wish to give."

"I do?" Armin breathed in a tense whisper. "How do you know?"

"I can feel your magick. It's still weak because you don't know how to use it, or appreciate it, just yet." Armin found himself no longer afraid. Her large hands felt hot, but not uncomfortably so, shaped around his own. Armin's heart beat almost violently in his chest, knowing in a few short seconds, he would bear witness to something he never knew his body - rather, any human body in normal existence - could do!

"I can feel it on my skin, I think. And on my hands, like something's itching to come out…" Armin described without conscious effort. This whole 'magick' thing was second nature! Seeing magick was one thing. Feeling the magick exchanging between them was an entirely different, more exciting, experience!

"Excellent. Take hold of that itchy feeling and pretend like you're pushing it against a surface littered with tiny holes. Think of it like…there's a big ball of pudding and you're trying to push the whole ball through a million tiny mouse holes. But, on the other side of the mouse holes, the pudding is still intact. Don't close your eyes while imagining it, just keep focused and imagine what I told you to do. Picture it like you're really doing it," she instructed, grip tightening on Armin's hands. She kept his limbs rigid so Armin could focus all of his energy on mentally pushing.

Brow furrowing, eyes squinting to follow his mother's orders, Armin imagined and dreamed more vividly than he ever had before. Something that once terrified him suddenly trapped him - willingly - and forced him to fixate upon it until satisfied. The 'him' within his mind desperately shoved the pudding ball against the wall, emulating how much he wanted and needed the blue orb to develop from his hands and match his mother's. Nothing happened…yet, for Armin refused to give up. Inhaling a breath borrowed from the deepest part of his body, the blonde concentrated as hard as he could not only on the image within his mind but the magick oozing from his mother's limbs around him and body behind his own.

Everything made sense in an instant. Because he felt it and understood it. The moment it did, the 'him' within Armin's mind pushed the ball with relatively little effort through the wall, disallowing Armin time to imagine how the ball would appear intact within his mind as the ball appeared hovering over his palms. He could not bring himself to move a single centimetre in fear of destroying this precious ability of his. "That's your wish, baby. It's yours to give to anyone you want."

Armin couldn't say a single word other than open-mouthedly marvel at what his body, his soul, his heart...his magick created. "Anybody I want?"

A thrill immediately ran through him, inciting his mind to run disgustingly wild with all the possibilities he could grant with a single wish! Immediately, his mother intuited his intentions.

Her hands fell from Armin's, causing him to fumble and get rid of the orb by accident. "M…Mom, it disappeared! How…?"

"You'll summon it again - don't worry! Forget it for a second and listen carefully to what I need to tell you before you get any ideas," she instructed. Finally releasing him from his place in her lap, Armin regained his seat next to her. This time, instead of reacting with suspicion or fear, Armin listened with attentive curiosity as this time, he was fully cognizant of the purpose of his mother's spontaneous lessons of magick. "Your wish is about sacrifice. It's a selfless wish - something you want to give to the other person. Someone extremely important and special to you. The outcome of the wish always impacts you. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. That's why you have to put a lot of thought into who you want to give it to. Your instincts will let you know whose wish will be granted."

"How will I know, though? What will it feel like?" Armin begged for knowledge, kneeling beside her and impatiently tugging her skirt. Her crypticness frustrated him immensely! The worst part was she seemed to find amusement in his frustrations.

"You'll know," she insisted. She placated him with a gentle hand on his head, which did nothing to quell his curiosity.

"How? How did you know?"

"You just will. Wishes aren't made out of impulse. Your magick won't be important to you for a while until something in the universe, or your soul, believes it's time to resurface that ability," his mother dictated. "It could be any time between tomorrow and the moment you take your final breath. I can't describe it but you will know, I promise."

"After I know, how do I grant the wish?"

"You bring out your orb, take their hands, and speak aloud their wish. It's so easy and it'll come second nature to you when it happens."

"Cool…"

"We can show others the outcome of their wish so they can decide if they want it to be granted or not," she explained. "Magick will show the recipient the most relevant or important parts of the wish, as well as the witch's or wizard's sacrifice. Some wishes will have a fairly obvious sacrifice, while some won't. Sacrifice isn't always a negative thing, though. It can benefit you in the long run, depending on what the wish you're granting is."

The statement and explanation allowed Armin to pause and truly absorb everything his mother taught him…and relate it to her wish. "Was your sacrifice obvious when you showed Dad his outcome?"

"Yes. He saw what would happen, and he told me everything," she recalled with a slow, deliberate nod. "I agreed to grant the wish, even after everything he told me."

Her aloofness confused Armin; what was she keeping from him? She attempted to skirt around her sacrifice and it briefly made Armin consider that people who use magick may not - or should not - share their sacrifices. He couldn't consult a book, or an educator, for extra lessons or opinions. Still, Armin decided to take the plunge and dared to question her directly "...what happened? What did you sacrifice?"

She troked his head without saying a single word. Her chest barely rose against the back of his head. Armin wondered whether she'd stopped breathing for a short moment. "…I just hope the sacrifice you have to make will be good. I kept this from you for so long because I didn't want you to suffer a tragedy through no control of your own. You might not, but I didn't want to take that chance…"

Armin had a feeling she'd never tell him. And...maybe he wanted it to stay that way.

With a fresh sigh, Armin's mother forced herself to perk up and gently held his shoulders. "Try by yourself. It'll be easier this time because you won't need prompting. Like I said before, it'll become second nature to you," she guided. The pride that overtook her face, so loving and so ecstatic, is an expression that continues to burn within Armin's mind whenever he thinks about his magick. This was a bond they shared - a gift she passed down to him. Her little push was all Armin needed to unlock that gift.

Recalling the imagination method she taught him, Armin, yet again, imagined himself pushing the jelly ball against the wall in his mind. The emergence of his magickal blue orb took much less time and much less mental strain, but the thrill coursing through his veins like electricity remained the same - but perhaps much more special - as before.

"Can I show Eren and Mikasa?"

"If you feel like you should show one of them to grant them a wish, then yes. But to keep yourself safe, don't show or tell them or anybody else if you don't intend to grant a wish. Your magick isn't unsafe, but you never know how people will react to you. Just remember what we talked about and think about how you feel before you take any action, okay?"

"Okay." Armin would keep his magick a secret. However, there was no rule against telling his friends about his mother's magick. Armin didn't ask and he knew the answer would be 'no', of course. Her wish was already used, so what was the harm?

"Now, you can go and play!" She allowed him to jump up from her lap and handed him his blue cardigan. "Be back before sunset. It's our last night together before your father and I leave."

Bombarded and blinded by his ecstasy, Armin completely forgot the sombre undertone of their conversation together. So, with a new and impossibly formidable knowledge of something new and something useful he could do, Armin pulled on his cardigan, overwhelmed with the smell of wind and sunshine permeating its woollen strands, and raced to share this new piece of information with his friends. He hoped to discuss it more with his mother when she returned.

When she didn't return, however, Armin was left with millions of unanswered questions and scrambling for answers. Did his father's wish cause them to die? Did she know granting his father's wish would result in their death? She must have known! Was death her sacrifice? If Armin's mother projected the outcome of the wish to his father, he must have known, too! Was death Armin's inevitable sacrifice? Would everybody who bore the gift of a wish be destined to die?

Just like that, he found himself left alone to navigate strange powers with no teachers, manuals, or mundane knowledge.

During many sleepless nights, part of Armin wondered if his grief-stricken mind imagined the magickal talk he'd had with his mother. Producing that blue orb over, and over, and over again reminded him that it was real. He never spoke with his grandfather, and his grandfather never gave him the lesson he gave his mother. Perhaps he knew their deaths were a sacrifice and did not want Armin to follow the same path - just as his daughter originally intended. Magick gradually disappeared from his thoughts months after his parents' deaths, overshadowed by the Titan invasion and joining the Survey Corps. He never once discussed magick with his friends after that day, too. Armin desired to not create tension or suspicion for his grandfather, or any other citizens within their village, during these tumultuous times. Who knows how witchcraft would have been interpreted?

Considering the fear regarding Titans and their unexplainable existence, Armin could only imagine what his future would hold. So, he kept his mouth shut, and he did it well. He could turn to nobody about this secret of his - aside from the confines of his mind. Was there anything else he was capable of with the magick blood running through his veins? Aside from the glowing blue orb he could summon from his palms, he could think of nothing. Perhaps his mother would have taught him more if she told him earlier…