Kaelen Adler had never liked the quiet mornings in Shiganshina. The streets seemed too narrow, the walls too tall, and the sky just out of reach. Each day he walked the cobbled paths, his hands scraping against the stone walls, imagining the world beyond. Mountains that scraped the clouds. Oceans that stretched beyond the horizon. Forests untouched by human hands. That was the world he longed to see—freedom itself.
"Kaelen, come help with the supplies!" his mother called from the kitchen window, her voice carrying the warmth of normalcy he had always taken for granted.
He shook his head without looking back. "In a minute, Mother. I want to see the horizon first."
His younger sister, Lira, appeared beside him, tugging at his sleeve. "Don't get lost like last time," she said, her small face earnest. "The wall is huge, but the alleys are tricky."
Kaelen grinned, ruffling her hair. "I won't get lost. I know these streets better than anyone."
He wandered further along the inner wall, past the market stalls where merchants were already setting up for the day. The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with the iron tang of the blacksmith's forge. Children chased each other between the stalls, their laughter ringing like fragile bells against the massive stones.
And then he saw it.
A shadow rising above the wall.
At first, he thought it was his imagination, a trick of sunlight and smoke from the forges. But the shadow grew, stretching, elongating until it became undeniable. Something was moving on top of the Wall Maria. Something enormous.
Kaelen froze, his pulse quickening. His chest tightened as a deep, tremorous roar filled the air. He stumbled back, his hands scraping against the rough stone. The roar repeated, louder this time, a sound that shook the ground beneath his feet.
"Kaelen!" Lira screamed, pointing.
He turned in time to see the colossal figure looming over the wall. Its skin glistened like raw muscle, steam rising from its body in hissing waves. The townspeople scattered, screams echoing down the narrow alleys. Merchants dropped their wares. Soldiers shouted orders that were lost amid the chaos.
The Colossal Titan had come.
Kaelen's legs moved before his mind could react. He bolted through the streets, dodging panicked townspeople and upturned carts. Behind him, the sound of stone cracking against stone reverberated as the Titan's massive hand tore through the gate. Dust and debris filled the air, stinging his eyes and choking his lungs.
A scream tore from the crowd—a mother clutching her child, swallowed by the chaos. Kaelen forced himself to look away, though the image seared into his mind. He had seen death before, in stories and drills, but never like this. Never so close.
"Stay together!" a soldier shouted, ushering people toward the riverboats. Kaelen grabbed Lira's hand, pulling her along. Her small fingers trembled in his grip, but she followed without hesitation.
They reached the river just as the first boats pushed off. The water reflected the chaos behind them: smoke curling from burning homes, the Titan's grotesque face peering down, and human figures running, stumbling, and falling. Kaelen scanned the crowd. His father was nowhere in sight. His mother's face was lost among the throngs. Panic clawed at him, but he forced it down. Survival first.
Lira tugged at him. "Kaelen… there!"
He followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure—Eren Yeager, barely older than Kaelen, standing with his friends. Mikasa, calm but watchful, and Armin, pale and trembling, holding tightly to a satchel of supplies. Their eyes met his for a brief second, recognition flickering in the chaos.
"Stay close!" Kaelen shouted, running toward them.
The roar came again, louder this time, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. The Colossal Titan's gaze swept over the fleeing crowd. Buildings trembled and fell, and people were thrown aside like rag dolls. Kaelen tripped over a loose stone, scraping his knees, but Lira's hand kept him upright.
A smaller Titan appeared, a grotesque, hulking creature that moved among the fleeing townspeople with predatory curiosity. Kaelen's stomach churned as he watched it seize a man, lifting him high before crushing him in its fist. The sound of breaking bone echoed in the alley.
"No… no…" Kaelen muttered, pushing himself forward. He had trained in basic defense, but nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing could.
Eren's voice cut through the haze: "Form up! Soldiers, protect the civilians!"
Kaelen followed their lead, though he had no sword, no maneuvering gear, only a desperate will to survive. He shoved people out of the way, pulled Lira behind him, and kept moving toward the boats. The Titan's hand slammed into the ground near them, sending debris flying. He felt the heat of its body, smelled the iron and raw flesh as it exhaled.
Finally, they reached a boat. Soldiers pushed them aboard. Kaelen hoisted Lira up, sitting her down safely, then turned back to help another civilian. But the boat jolted violently. A shadow loomed above—the Colossal Titan had stepped fully onto the streets, its grotesque face inches from the fleeing humans.
Kaelen stumbled back, heart hammering, as the ship heaved. Smoke and ash filled the air, cutting visibility to nearly nothing. The last thing he saw before the deck tilted violently was a figure, tall and determined, standing amidst the chaos: Eren Yeager, eyes burning with hatred and defiance, screaming toward the Titan.
Kaelen swallowed hard, gripping Lira's hand.
This was only the beginning.
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