In a dusty alleyway of Shiganshina, the crash of rocks hitting the streets and houses mixes with the desperate screams of the townspeople. The situation is clear: absolute chaos.
In seconds, my mind calculates the trajectory of the debris—every rock, every fragment of stone, every possible escape route. My gaze darkens as I realize that many won't find a way out.
A man runs past us, shouting in panic, "RUN! THE TITANS ARE COMING IN!"
Eren completely ignores him. His eyes reflect sheer terror as he dashes toward our house, directly toward the approaching titans.
"Eren?!" Mikasa shouts, alarmed, trying to keep up with him.
"MOM!" Eren screams, running as fast as his legs will carry him. Mikasa follows without hesitation.
I give Armin a quick pinch on the arm, snapping him out of his paralysis.
"Try to evacuate," I say without waiting for a response. I immediately start running after Mikasa. I already know what we're going to find, and none of the possibilities are good.
The scene around us worsens with every step—shattered houses, stains of blood, and the echo of heart-wrenching cries. With each sign of destruction, Eren's face contorts further with fear.
When we turn the corner, his desperation reaches its peak.
"MOM!!!" he screams with a broken voice.
Our house—or what's left of it—lies crushed beneath a massive boulder. The entire structure has been reduced to rubble.
Eren throws himself into the debris, frantically lifting wooden planks as he sobs uncontrollably.
Beneath one of those planks, "M-mom?" he stammers, finding the pale and exhausted face of Carla, our mother.
She barely opens her eyes, her voice trembling. "... Eren... is that you?"
"HOLD THIS! WE'RE GONNA MOVE THIS BEAM!" Eren yells desperately.
I already know it's useless. Even if we somehow manage to free her, her legs are crushed beyond repair. She won't be able to walk. She's... already dead.
I'm sorry, Eren. This was the worst-case scenario for you.
Even so, I position myself beside Mikasa and Eren, grabbing hold of the beam.
"ALL RIGHT! PUSH!"
The three of us use every ounce of strength we have, but we only manage to dislodge a few small fragments.
Suddenly, the thunderous sound of footsteps—distant just moments ago—becomes impossible to ignore, echoing through the street.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
Mikasa's face fills with fear, and Carla immediately notices.
"What...?"
"HURRY UP, MIKASA!" Eren shouts desperately.
"I know," she responds tensely.
"NOW! MOVE IT, DAMN IT!"
Carla's voice breaks as she fully understands the situation. "The... the titans are inside the city... aren't they?"
Her fear quickly turns into resolve. "RUN! PLEASE!" she pleads, tears streaming down her face. "HURRY!"
Eren breaks down in tears. "I WANT TO RUN TOO! SO HURRY UP AND GET OUT OF THERE! YOU'RE COMING WITH US!"
Carla tries to reason with him, her voice soft but firm. "My legs are crushed... Even if I get out, I won't be able to move. Do you understand?"
"THEN I'LL CARRY YOU!"
Knowing reasoning with Eren is futile, Carla looks directly at me, offering a small, sad smile. "Kiyotaka... you understand, don't you? Please... I know you're strong. Take Eren and Mikasa with you. It's my final request. Please."
"PLEASE HONOR MY LAST WISH!"
I grab Eren by the shoulder, speaking coldly but clearly. "... Stop. It's useless. The least you can do is honor her—"
Before I can finish, Eren punches me in the face. I don't dodge it.
"YOU MONSTER! YOU DON'T EVEN CARE! I WON'T LEAVE HER!"
My thoughts freeze for a moment, but there's no time to dwell on them. The sound of the footsteps becomes deafening.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
Just a few meters away, a titan with a grotesque smile on its distorted face stops and stares at us, a predator locking onto its prey.
Carla screams desperately, "GO! PLEASE! AT THIS RATE, IT'LL EAT ALL FOUR OF US!"
A blond-haired man appears, sprinting toward us. I recognize his messy hair and trembling posture—Hannes. He draws his blades and charges decisively at the titan.
"HANNES-SAN!" Carla shouts. "DON'T FIGHT THAT THING!"
The man stops in front of us. "What do you take me for, Carla?! I CAN'T DO THAT! I'LL KILL THIS TITAN AND SAVE YOU ALL!"
Carla pleads with a broken voice, "PLEASE, HANNES-SAN, I BEG YOU!"
...
Hannes tries to look brave, but his hands visibly tremble. He moves toward the titan, determined to face it.
However, when he lifts his gaze to meet the titan's face, his expression freezes into pure terror.
In an instant, Hannes retreats, running back toward us. With all his strength, he grabs Eren, Mikasa, and me as Eren screams and struggles to break free.
"MOM!!! NO!! NOOO!!"
Mikasa screams too, but I simply keep my gaze fixed on Carla.
She watches us, tears streaming down her face. Despite everything, she offers us one last gentle smile. In a moment of resignation, she covers her face with her hands, realizing that everything is about to end.
The titan's massive arms lift the debris that had pinned her down. I force myself to ignore Eren and Mikasa's cries.
Finally, the titan lifts Carla, time slowing as it holds her and opens its monstrous jaws. Every second, every moment, etches itself into my mind forever.
CRUNCH!!! SQUELCH... RIP... SLURP!!!
Grotesque sounds fill the air: bones snapping, flesh tearing, fluids splattering.
I close my eyes for a moment, bringing a hand to my face.
My mind fills with strange, fragmented images, but in the end...
What surfaces is not this scene, but a simple conversation with Horikita—a trivial exchange where my lips lifted slightly into a smile, the only time I truly felt happy in front of someone.
... I miss that.
I feel something liquid slowly trickling down my hand.
Maybe it's because of this childish body, but...
... I want to go back.
After running for a while, Hannes abruptly stops, stumbling as he receives an unexpected blow from Eren, who screams and thrashes like a desperate animal. I pay no attention to his cries; my ears have decided to disconnect from the world.
I walk silently beside Hannes, barely registering the movement of my feet over the ruined streets of Shiganshina. My mind is suspended somewhere between cold logic and a dense fog of emotional numbness.
Suddenly, I feel something warm and damp on my shoulder.
Mikasa clings tightly to me, burying her face into my shoulder, her tears soaking my clothes. Her uneven breathing and slight trembling pull me partially back to reality.
Without stopping, I simply take her hand, feeling it tremble slightly in mine. It's an automatic, almost robotic gesture, but enough for both of us to find some semblance of stability.
We take a few more steps before her broken voice cuts through the silence.
"Again... they're gone..."
Her words are an echo of pain that requires no further explanation. Losses pile up like a chain of memories impossible to erase.
I say nothing. There's nothing to say.
Instead, I squeeze her hand more firmly, as if that gesture could somehow replace the weight of any words.