In a narrow alley of Shiganshina, a group of thugs surrounds a blond boy barely able to stand, cornered against the worn stone wall.
"What's the matter, heretic?" growls the leader of the group, a boy with a twisted grin and bloodied knuckles. "If you don't like getting beaten, defend yourself!"
The boy, though trembling, keeps his head held high as tears blur his eyes.
"No way!" he shouts defiantly. "I'm not stooping to your level!"
The thug's face twists in fury.
"What did you say?"
"You know it's true!" the boy continues, his voice broken yet resolute. "You have no choice but to hit me because you're too stupid to even look for an answer!"
Unable to bear the humiliation, the thug raises his fist, ready to unleash his rage. However, before the punch connects, he feels a firm hand gripping his wrist. His gaze, tinged with fear, turns slowly toward the newcomer.
"A-Ah!" he stammers in panic. "I-It's Kiyotaka!"
"Run! We're screwed!"
Without hesitation, the thugs release the boy and flee at full speed, their footsteps echoing through the alley as they vanish into the distance.
The blond boy, now drained of strength, collapses to the ground, leaning against the wall, gasping. I approach and extend a hand toward him, observing his pale and delicate face. There's no need to ask his name; I recognize him instantly: Armin Arlert.
Just then, Eren arrives running, with Mikasa right behind him.
"Ooooh!" Eren exclaims smugly. "Just seeing me makes them scatter like rats!"
"Not exactly," says Armin, rejecting my hand with a determined look as he struggles to his feet, wincing in obvious pain. "They ran because of Kiyotaka... actually..."
Mikasa and Eren immediately surround him with concern.
"Hey! Are you okay, Armin?"
"I'm... fine," he murmurs, though his voice trembles.
After helping him walk, the four of us end up sitting by the edge of a small river, letting the sound of the water soothe the tense atmosphere.
"So, you told them that humans will have to leave someday?" Eren asks, frowning.
"Yeah," Armin replies, touching a bruise on his side. "And then they beat me up while calling me a 'heretic.'"
Eren pounds the ground in frustration.
"Dammit! How can they treat you like that just for saying you want to go outside?!"
"People fear what they don't understand," I respond coldly. "Leaving the walls goes against their need to feel safe, even if that safety is a lie. If you speak your mind, you inevitably become their enemy."
Armin nods, bringing his hand to his chin.
"I know... that's why the royal government has banned any interest in the outside world."
"The king left, end of story," Eren growls, visibly angry.
"You're right," Armin continues, "but is that the only reason?"
"It's our own lives at risk!" Eren shouts. "It's our business!"
"I don't think so," Mikasa interjects calmly. "Forget it. None of us are going."
"Ugh! That reminds me," Eren points irritably. "What got into you earlier, when you told our parents?!"
"I never said I was going to cooperate," she replies emotionlessly.
Eren lets out a frustrated huff.
"At least Kiyotaka agrees with me!"
I observe him for a moment before responding.
"You shouldn't enlist." My voice is calm but firm. "I have my reasons for doing so and am confident in my abilities... but if you enlist with your current attitude and behavior, you'll just end up getting eaten in the first battle."
"Y-YOU TOO?!" Eren stands up, furious.
I sigh, ignoring his reaction. Mikasa gently takes my hand, as if trying to ease the tension.
"Don't take it so seriously. It's just a recommendation," I add indifferently.
Armin, seeking to change the subject, asks:
"So... how did it go?"
"Well..." I reply. "They weren't exactly happy."
"I figured."
"What?! You're telling me to quit too?!"
"Well, it's dangerous," Armin admits, "but I understand your attitude. I'm also curious about the people who think these walls will protect us forever..."
"The wall may not have fallen in 100 years," he adds, "but no one can guarantee it won't happen someday. Besides..."
Suddenly, the ground shakes violently.
!!!!KKKKRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
The deafening roar shakes the earth, filling the air with dust.
"What was that?!" Eren shouts.
"An earthquake?!" Mikasa adds, trying to keep her balance.
I ignore their questions and run toward a nearby street for a better view. What I see beyond the wall stops me in my tracks.
A dense column of steam rises beyond Shiganshina, seemingly stretching toward the sky.
"O-Oye, what's that?" Eren asks, his voice trembling as the four of us stop to observe.
A heavy, rocky sound fills the air. Slowly, a gigantic hand, covered only by muscles, grips the top of the wall.
"N-No way..." Armin stammers, his face pale. "That wall is... like fifty meters tall!"
From the steam, an enormous face emerges, composed solely of raw, pulsating muscles. Its eyes gleam with a terrifying intensity as it observes the city like mere ants.
"E-That's..." Armin stutters. "One of them... a Titan!"
The air freezes around us.
That day, humanity remembered...
The terror of living under their rule.
The humiliation...
Of being trapped like birds.
"IMPOSSIBLE! TITANS CAN'T BE MORE THAN 15 METERS TALL!" a man shouts, his voice filled with disbelief and fear.
In that moment, my eyes widen slightly, not from the titan's presence but from something else. "It's right at the gate..." I murmur quietly, mostly to myself.
This Titan... is intelligent. It's not like the others.
"IT'S MOVING!" Eren shouts in panic, but I cut him off.
"GET DOWN, NOW!"
There's no time for hesitation. Another, even louder explosion echoes through the air. Stone fragments fly everywhere, destroying everything in their path. Houses are obliterated, and countless people are crushed beneath the debris.
We jump to our feet, dodging the dust and chaos around us. Mikasa is the first to speak, her voice barely audible over the screams filling the air, her face pale from the shocking scene.
"The... the wall..."
Everyone's gaze follows her pointing finger.
"There's... a hole in the wall?!"