The moon hung low in the midnight sky, casting an eerie glow over the uneasy crowd gathered inside Wall Maria. Fear and uncertainty rippled through the air as citizens whispered amongst themselves.
"This has never happened before," an older man muttered. "Why are they keeping us out here?"
A pastor, his face red with fury, stood at the front, shouting at the garrison officers. "You're lying! No wall has been broken! This is a sham to cover up some heretical act!" His words only added to the unrest.
Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood near the edge of the crowd, their young faces painted with worry. Carla and Grisha remained further back, trying to avoid the chaos.
"Armin," Eren asked, his voice low but urgent, "what do you think is going on? Did the walls really have a hole?"
Armin frowned, pressing a finger to his chin as he thought. "I don't know. The walls have protected us for a hundred years. It doesn't make sense for them to fail now. But..." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Why are they keeping us outside the town? If the wall was really broken, wouldn't they just ask us to move away from the breach? Why force everyone out here?"
Mikasa and Eren listened intently, their concern deepening. Armin continued, his voice hushed, "It's almost like something is happening inside the town that they don't want us to see."
Before they could say more, the tension in the crowd erupted into chaos. People surged forward, shouting and pushing as they tried to get closer to the gates.
"This is ridiculous!" one man yelled. "Let us back inside!"
"We can't stay out here all night!" a woman cried.
The crowd grew more frantic, shoving and trampling in their desperation. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were caught in the chaos, their small bodies no match for the tide of panicked adults.
"Eren!" Armin shouted, his voice barely audible over the din.
"Mikasa! Armin!" Eren called back, struggling to break free from the crowd.
Carla screamed from the back, "Eren! Mikasa!" Her voice was drowned out as the wave of bodies pushed her further away.
Eren's frustration boiled over. He clenched his fists, anger surging through him. "STOP IT!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
But it wasn't his voice that silenced the crowd.
"SILENCE!"
The command rang out, sharp and commanding, cutting through the chaos like a blade. All heads turned to see Captain Erwin Smith riding atop a powerful horse, flanked by nearly two hundred Scout Regiment soldiers. The moonlight reflected off their polished weapons and supplies.
Beside Erwin, Hanji sat on a horse, her ever-curious gaze scanning the crowd. A girl with long black hair and piercing red eyes sat behind her, her expression calm and unreadable.
Erwin's voice carried authority as he addressed the crowd. "The Scout Regiment is conducting a critical operation to capture Titans alive for research and experimentation. To ensure the safety of all civilians, you are required to remain outside the town until the operation is complete."
A murmur spread through the crowd, but Erwin's steely gaze silenced most objections.
"For those who refuse to cooperate," he added, his voice like iron, "you will face the consequences."
Hanji chimed in, her tone less intimidating but equally firm. "We've developed new weapons to aid in this mission. Tonight, we'll be testing them on smaller Titans—three to four meters tall. We've already conducted one successful trial, and this is our second. Please give us your cooperation!"
Her explanation seemed to ease the crowd's tension. Gratitude mixed with apprehension as people whispered their reluctant acceptance.
As the soldiers began to move into the district, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin finally managed to regroup.
"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked, her hands gripping Eren's shoulders.
"Yeah," Eren muttered, still shaken.
Armin's sharp eyes caught sight of the black-haired girl riding with Hanji. "Who's that?"
Eren followed his gaze. "That's the girl who bumped into me earlier."
"She's wearing orphanage clothes," Armin observed, his tone thoughtful. "But orphans aren't usually allowed outside the town. Why is she with the Scouts?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the Scout Regiment disappeared into the shadows of Shiganshina District.