"After saying so much, what exactly does your Survey Corps do?" Reiner finally asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.
At once, Isabel straightened her posture and puffed out her chest with pride. When she spoke, her words carried unshakable confidence.
"Our Survey Corps specializes in expeditions outside the walls," she declared. "Look—Wings of Freedom!"
She spun around, pulling her short cloak to the side so the children could see the insignia embroidered upon it: a badge of two wings crossed, one white and one blue. The way the colors overlapped made it seem as though the emblem could truly take flight, as if the sky itself was reflected in its design. For Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie, it almost looked like the clouds and sky had been captured and stitched into fabric.
"Our legion fights for the freedom of humanity!" Isabel said proudly.
"Humanity…" Reiner muttered, exchanging glances with Bertolt and Annie. The three couldn't hold back bitter, sarcastic laughter.
"You don't believe me?" Isabel shot back, pointing ahead at the distant, towering walls. "Do you see that? That is where we live. Humanity is sheltered behind those three walls, protected from the Titans."
"Protected…?" Reiner nearly burst out. "What are you talking about? You are clearly—"
Before he could say more, Zeke lunged forward, clamping his hand over Reiner's mouth and pulling him tight against his chest.
Lock it down! Zeke cursed inwardly.
Children in their rebellious stage were unbearably troublesome—never listening, never staying quiet when it mattered most.
"I told you already," Zeke growled through clenched teeth, "listen when someone else is speaking. Don't interrupt."
Only when Reiner finally stilled did Zeke turn back with a forced smile, gesturing for Isabel to continue.
Somewhat puzzled, Isabel nodded and pressed on.
"Though the walls protect us, they also imprison us. Beyond them, Titans roam freely. No one knows exactly where they came from—only that they appeared one day and began devouring every human in sight. Humanity was nearly wiped out. In order to survive, our ancestors retreated here, where they built these massive walls to withstand the Titan invasion.
But humans are never satisfied with mere survival. We've never stopped dreaming of reclaiming our lands. That is why the Survey Corps exists.
We venture beyond the walls, risking our lives, so that one day… humanity will be free again."
She lifted her chin, eyes burning with conviction. "We fight for freedom!"
Her words sent a jolt through the carriage.
"What are you saying?!" Bertolt blurted. Even Annie, normally cold and detached, couldn't conceal her shock. Her voice trembled when she spoke,
"This… this is completely different from what I was taught…"
Isabel blinked, startled. "Different? What do you mean? Isn't this common knowledge for everyone?"
"Common knowledge?!" Bertolt shot back. His fists clenched. "What kind of nonsense—"
"The imprisoned demons," Zeke interrupted smoothly.
Three sets of eyes snapped toward him.
Annie froze.
Bertolt's face drained of color.
Reiner stiffened.
Isabel just stared, confused.
Zeke sighed. So much for keeping them quiet—three mouths were too many for one man to cover.
He leaned back casually, lips curling into a smile. "I once read in an ancient book: the world is not flat, but round. Not just this island, but an entire globe—home to billions of people living beyond the ocean. And those so-called Titans?" He paused, letting the tension build. "They're humans. Transformed."
"You're lying," Annie whispered, but her voice lacked conviction.
"Each one of us is a descendant of Titans," Zeke continued, unbothered. "With the right serum, anyone can become one. The walls don't protect us—they imprison us.
The king built them not to shield humanity, but to keep us inside, so we don't destroy the world."
His calm delivery was more shocking than if he had shouted. The entire carriage fell silent, the air heavy and suffocating.
Then—
The soldiers of the Survey Corps behind them suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hah! What kind of nonsense is that?" one snorted.
"Sounds like a twisted fairy tale. Authors these days will write anything!" another chuckled.
"Titans being humans? Absurd!"
"If only it were true. Then all we'd need to do is stop the transformation. Instead of hiding like cowards, we could actually win."
"That's right!" someone agreed. "There's no proof they're human. They just look human, that's all!"
"No matter what, we'll expel them one day!"
"Reclaim our lost lands!"
"Humanity will rise again!"
Before long, the whole unit was chanting together, fists raised high:
"Reclaim our lost territory!"
"Drive out the Titans!"
"Long live humanity!"
Their cheers echoed across the plain, filled with passion and conviction.
Meanwhile, Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie sat frozen, their minds spinning. Their worldviews—the truths they had been raised on—were crumbling before their eyes.
"What are these people even saying?" Bertolt muttered under his breath, his voice trembling. "Why is it so different from what we know…?"
None of them had time to think further.
The ground beneath their carriage rumbled violently. Horses whinnied and reared in panic, their reins straining in the soldiers' hands.
"That sound…!" one soldier shouted.
"Incoming Titans!" another cried. "Two o'clock, left flank!"
"No—it's a whole group!"
Despair spread like wildfire through the Survey Corps ranks as the thunder of approaching footsteps drew closer.
The cheers for humanity's freedom were drowned out by the tremors of approaching death.