Grisha's figure faded into the distance, his long coat billowing in the breeze. Eren stood on the wooden porch, gripping the edge of the railing as he watched his father disappear down the path. His fingers twitched with anticipation. The basement… the secret he's been keeping all this time…
The thought alone sent a thrill through him.
"Goodbye, Dad!" he called, his voice full of hope.
But hope is fragile.
--
Carla's voice was sharp, slicing through the moment like a blade.
"I won't let you do anything as foolish as joining the Survey Corps!"
Eren's head snapped toward her, his face twisting in frustration.
"What foolish?!" he spat.
Without another word, Eren stormed off the porch, his fists clenched at his sides. But after a few steps, he stopped, his shoulders tense.
"The way I see it…" His voice was low but filled with conviction. "People who are satisfied living like caged birds… are the real fools."
With that, he turned and walked away, not looking back.
Carla's breath hitched. She pressed a hand against her chest as if the words had physically struck her.
"Eren…" she whispered, so soft it was almost lost to the wind.
Mikasa stood frozen beside her, her dark eyes flicking between Carla and Eren's retreating figure. She wanted to say something—to reassure Carla, to do anything—but the words wouldn't come.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken feelings. Carla exhaled shakily, her gaze drifting on the path Eren had taken before shifting to Mikasa.
Carla, her heart heavy, knelt to Mikasa's level and rested her hands on the girl's shoulders. Their eyes met, sorrow mirroring sorrow.
"Mikasa… That boy is foolhardy. So help him out if he gets in trouble."
Mikasa's gaze hardened with quiet resolve.
"I will. I promise."
---
In the narrow alley between two wooden houses, three boys cornered their victim. Their leader, a sneering brute named Dirk, had his hands gripping the collar of a trembling boy —Armin Arlert— with short blonde hair and large blue eyes. A fresh wound mark his round face.
"What's wrong, Hertic?" Dirk grinned, his two henchmen crackled beside him.
Armin swallowed hard. "N-No way… I'm not going to stoop to your level."
Dirk's smirk faltered. "What did you just say?"
Armin took a deep breath, standing his ground. "It's because you know what I'm saying is right. That's why the only response you have is your fists. That's as good as admitting defeat."
Dirk's face twisted with rage. "S-Shut up, you little bastard!" He raised his fist, ready to strike.
"Knock it off!!"
A furious voice rang through the alley. The bullies turned to see a boy charging toward them, fists clenched.
"What the hell are you guys doing?!"
One of the bullies turned, a wicked smirk creeping onto his face. "Oh, look. It's the bloody fool, Eren."
Dirk's fury shifted into amusement. He released Armin without a second thought and turned toward the new challenger.
The lackeys cracked their knuckles, grinning in anticipation—until they saw her.
Mikasa.
She was right behind Eren, her expression unreadable, her presence alone enough to send a chill down their spines.
Dirk's confidence shattered. "A-Ah! F-Forget it! Mikasa is with him!!"
Like terrified animals, the bullies scattered, tripping over themselves in their desperate attempt to flee.
Eren reached Armin, grinning triumphantly. "They saw me and ran away!"
Armin, still weak, tried to stand but collapsed back onto the ground.
"More like they saw Mikasa and ran," he muttered, wincing as he attempted to rise again.
Eren extended a hand, but Armin hesitated, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I can stand on my own."
"You sure?" Eren asked.
Without answering, Armin pulled himself up, and together, they walked toward the river.
---
Sitting by the riverbank, the three friends gazed at the shimmering water.
Armin's voice was quiet but firm.
"So… when I said that humanity should eventually go beyond the walls… he punched me and called me a heretic."
Eren scowled and hurled a stone into the river, watching it vanish beneath the surface.
"Damn it. Why do people act like even mentioning the outside world is a crime?"
Armin sighed. "Because we've lived peacefully inside these walls for a hundred years. People are afraid. They think if we go out carelessly… they could get in."
"The royal government even made it taboo to talk about the outside world."
Eren's jaw tightened. "In other words, the king is a coward."
"You're right about that," Armin admitted. "But I wonder if that's the only reason…"
Eren gritted his teeth. "They're our lives. We can do what we want with them, right?"
Mikasa, silent until now, finally spoke.
"Absolutely not. No way. Just because it's our life doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. Have you even thought about the consequences?"
Eren shot her a glare. "That reminds me—thanks a lot for ratting me out to Mom and Dad."
Armin's eyes widened, realizing what Eren meant.
Mikasa's expression remained unreadable. "I don't remember agreeing to keep it a secret."
Armin hesitated. "So… how did they take it?"
Eren exhaled sharply. "They weren't pleased, naturally."
Armin turned to him. "Look, I know how you feel, but come on—it's dangerous."
Eren's frustration boiled over. "Are you telling me to give up on it too?!"
Armin shook his head. "No… in fact, I think people who believe we'll be safe inside these walls forever have a screw loose. Just because the wall hasn't been breached in a hundred years… doesn't mean it won't be today and like ---."
Before he could finish his sentence—
[BOOM!!!]
A thunderous explosion ripped through the air. The ground trembled violently, sending ripples across the river.
Eren's breath hitched. "What… was that?"
Mikasa stood frozen. Armin turned toward the sound, his face pale.
A crowd had gathered in the street, staring toward the source of the sound, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Shouts rang out among them.
"It came from the wall!"
"Something's there! Look!"
Armin ran forward, pushing through the crowd.
Eren followed, his pulse quickening. "Armin! What is it?!"
But Armin didn't answer.
His face was pale. His hands trembled.
Eren and Mikasa skidded to a halt as they saw it—
A massive plume of smoke curled into the sky behind Wall Maria.
Then, out of the smoke—
A giant hand gripped the top of the wall.
The fleshless, long-muscled fingers dug into the stone, cracking it. Steam poured from its exposed muscles, shrouding the monstrous limb in a ghostly mist.
The hand was followed by something worse—something impossible.
A head.
A colossal skull, stripped of skin, with exposed muscles glowing red-hot. Its empty eyes stared down at them, Steam hissing from its massive body, distorting the air around it.
Armin's voice trembled. "It… it can't be… That wall is fifty meters high!"
Eren....
Eren could only stare, his body trembling as a single thought consumed his mind—
"Tha-That… That's a Titan!"
Outside the wall the Colossal Titan drew its foot back then.
And then--
[WHOOM!!!]
—And with a single kick, the unbreakable wall shattered.
Massive rocks the size of houses rained from the sky like projectiles, crushing homes, people—everything. Dust and debris choked the air, turning day into night.
A century of safety collapsed in an instant.
And beyond the wall—Dozens of Titans turned their heads toward the breach.
And then, like a flood—
They came.
---
"The day the human race remembered… the terror of being at the bottom of the food chain. The humiliation of being trapped inside a cage. And the nightmare… that was about to begin."