The pier district was in chaos.
"Why block the whole street?!"
"I need to catch the boat to Trost! You people are ruining my business!"
"How much do you think I lose every minute I'm stuck here?"
A crowd of angry townsfolk gathered outside the cordon that had suddenly gone up half an hour ago. For reasons no one understood, the Survey Corps had swarmed the docks, evacuated the residents, and sealed the entire area.
The docks—closed?
That was the lifeline of the town.
"What's going on?" Carla muttered, blending into the restless crowd, her gaze fixed on the Pier Hotel beyond the blockade.
If her memory served right, the blockade started right after Grisha followed Zeke back into that hotel. Moments later, soldiers appeared, shouting orders and drawing weapons.
Why?
Why the sudden alert?
Her husband was just a mild-mannered doctor.
Zeke—a polite, if somewhat strange, young man.
So why did it feel like the whole Corps was treating them as threats?
And what was she supposed to make of Zeke calling her husband "Dad"?
"Mom!"
Her thoughts broke when a group of children came running through the crowd, each holding a piece of bread. Relief rations from the square.
Carla hadn't gone with them; she'd been too anxious to eat.
But then, one by one, the children broke off pieces of their bread and offered them to her.
Carla blinked. "Huh?"
"This was Armin's idea!" Eren grinned. "He said if we all gave you a piece, you'd have the same as us and wouldn't go hungry!"
Carla looked at the small, round-faced Armin and smiled softly. "Thank you, Armin."
Children's kindness—it always hit her harder than anything else.
Eren munched his bread without a care, watching the soldiers at the dock.
He didn't understand any of this. Why would they isolate his father and that "brother" of his?
Maybe it was just for security.
After all, Shiganshina had fEren, and everyone feared another Titan attack.
Perhaps they were guarding the waterways, just in case the monsters could swim.
Eren didn't know.
He just felt uneasy.
"Hey, Mom," he said between bites, "is that Zeke guy really my brother?"
"Well…" Carla hesitated, her voice tight. "I don't know, Eren."
"According to the laws of genetics," Armin said, already in full lecture mode, "children inherit physical traits from their parents. Uncle Grisha has brown hair and green eyes. But Brother Zeke has blond hair and blue eyes—and he's a lot taller and stronger. Based on that, it's unlikely they're biologically related."
Carla frowned. "He said he looks like his mother."
Armin's eyes sparkled. "Ah, then it's possible. Some kids take after one parent completely.
Like Mr. Hannes' daughter—she's practically his twin!"
Annie, who had been quietly eating, raised an eyebrow. "You know a lot for your age."
Before Armin could answer, Bertolt subtly stepped between them, shielding him like a nervous wall.
Armin froze.
Annie: "?"
The tension was awkward, to say the least.
Carla tried to focus again. "If Zeke really is Grisha's son… then that means you two—no, you three—"
Her words caught in her throat.
Her face went pale.
And with a faint gasp, Carla fainted on the spot.
"Mom!" Eren rushed forward, catching her before she fell.
"I'm fine…" Carla murmured weakly. "Kids… don't worry…"
Annie and Bertolt exchanged glances.
Should we answer her?
What if we say the wrong thing and Erwin hears later?
The solution came instantly to both of them—
Keep eating.
As long as they kept chewing, no one could ask questions.
Carla blinked at them in confusion while Armin squinted like a tiny detective, studying each of their faces.
"One's tall and dark-haired, the other's blonde and pale…" he mumbled. "Neither of you looks like Dr. Yeager or Zeke. It's statistically impossible for three siblings to share no similarities."
Mikasa, who'd been silent until now, offered casually, "What if they all have different mothers? Then they'd each look like their own."
Carla gasped again.
Her knees wobbled.
"Mom!" Eren cried.
"Carla?"
A voice cut through the crowd. Keith Shadis pushed his way forward, concern etched on his face.
"Keith…" Carla pressed a hand to her forehead. "I just… have a headache…"
"What happened?" Keith demanded.
"It's fine. I'll wait until Grisha comes out to ask him myself."
At the mere mention of Grisha's name, Keith's face twisted.
"That bastard!" he exploded. "If he's cheating on you, I swear I'll make him pay!"
Carla sighed, exhausted. "Let's not jump to conclusions. There were four children with Zeke. Maybe there's some misunderstanding…"
Keith froze. "Four?!"
Eren blinked. "Wait—four?! So I have more than one brother?!"
Annie and Bertolt stared blankly.
We're just going to pretend we didn't hear that.
Keith grit his teeth so hard it was audible. "Four kids… that bastard Grisha!"
But before he could rant further, duty snapped him back. "Erwin!"
"Here," said Erwin Smith, stepping forward from the cordon line.
Keith glared. "Why are you blocking the docks and half the street? Do you realize the chaos this is causing? I've had three complaints from the city guard already! Open it!"
"Sorry, I can't," Erwin said calmly. "Not yet."
Keith scowled. "And why's that?"
"Until we confirm that Zeke and Grisha Yeager are safe," Erwin replied, "no one leaves or enters."
Keith threw up his hands. "Safe? They're just ordinary people! What kind of danger could they possibly be in?"
(Captain Keith Shadis, who still firmly believes humans and Titans share nothing in common, has always dismissed rumors that "Titans were once human" as civilian nonsense. After all, no investigation had ever proved such a thing… and the idea was too horrifying to accept.)
Before Keith could argue further, someone shouted from the blockade—
"Someone's coming out!"
Heads turned.
A man staggered from the hotel—coat disheveled, eyes wide, moving like a fugitive chased by death itself.
"Grisha?" Carla cried, leaning on her crutch as she rushed toward him.
Grisha's eyes darted around until they landed on Eren. Without a word, he strode forward, seized the boy, and lifted him into his arms.
"Grisha? What are you doing?" Carla called.
"Dad?" Eren blinked in confusion.
Erwin stepped in his path. "Dr. Yeager—"
Grisha's voice was hoarse but fierce. "Keith! Stop that boy—no matter what, you must stop that boy!"
Keith froze. "What—?"
Before anyone could ask what he meant, a blinding flash of golden lightning split the sky.
The hotel behind them exploded outward as a massive Titan erupted from within, roaring in fury.
The shockwave knocked people off their feet.
Keith's eyes widened. "By the walls—what is that?!"
Reiner, crushed underfoot by the sudden transformation:
"I just wanted to finish my bread in peace…"