"Eren probably went to find Armin. This way."
Mikasa walked quietly beside me, her steps matching mine. She always stuck close to me for some reason. Maybe she still felt indebted to me for helping her back then. Maybe this was her way of trying to repay that.
My mind drifted back to the day I first met Mikasa…
It was a bloody day. An odd way to meet someone for the first time—covered in fear, violence, and trauma. But that was our beginning.
"…Hah! If you're not happy, then fight back!"
As we passed a narrow alleyway, we heard voices. Loud, aggressive—definitely neighborhood kids.
Both Mikasa and I knew right away. If someone was getting beat up with that much noise, it was either Eren… or Eren was rushing to get involved.
"That just makes you as low as them, doesn't it?" The voice that followed was unmistakable—Armin Arlert.
"What did you just say?!"
"You're proving my point. You think I'm right, and you can't argue back, so you use your fists. That's how losers behave."
Without needing to speak, Mikasa and I broke into a run. Whether Eren was already there or not, we had to help Armin.
"Damn it! Shut up, you annoying freak!"
And just like that, Eren came charging in from the other side.
"Stop it!" he yelled, throwing himself into the fray, not even hesitating despite the odds. He saw Armin being ganged up on and dove in, fists ready, heart blazing.
The three bullies turned to him with smug grins. They weren't the least bit intimidated.
"Look who it is—dumb Eren showed up to get his face smashed!"
"You really love pain, huh?!"
"We're gonna knock your teeth out!"
They cracked their knuckles, cocky as ever.
"Let's go," I said, rolling up my sleeves. Mikasa mirrored me, her eyes already darkening with silent fury.
We followed behind Eren. Our expressions were enough. After all, fear is best communicated without words.
"H-Hey—wait… is that Sandra?! And… M-Mikasa too?!"
The boys froze.
Suddenly, their confidence shattered. They remembered us. Oh, they remembered us well. The last time they tried to mess with us, we'd flipped the script on them so hard they ran crying.
"Forget this! Let's get outta here!"
Tails tucked, they scrambled away.
"Heh… ha… did you see that? I scared them off!" Eren grinned, full of bluster.
Not quite.
Armin, a timid boy with sandy blond hair and a mind sharper than anyone I knew, corrected him with a strained chuckle.
"No… they ran because of Mikasa and Sandra… cough…"
He collapsed down onto the pavement, still reeling from the punches he'd taken.
"You okay, Armin?" Eren knelt beside him, hand extended in concern.
Armin stared at that hand, his lip trembling. His pride didn't want help. But his heart—
"I can stand up on my own." He leaned back on the wall and slowly pulled himself upright. His clothes were scuffed, dirt clinging to every fold. Clearly, the fight had gone on for a while.
My fingers brushed something inside my pocket—a small vial. Grisha's medicine. I'd already taken it this morning, so I wasn't concerned. Just instinct, maybe.
"Let's go to the river," I suggested.
————————————————————————————
The sky had turned orange by the time we reached the riverbank. The golden light spilled over the town, warm and gentle, with the breeze softly brushing our cheeks. The wind from the river mingled in, crisp and refreshing.
"…I said, 'No matter what, humanity should explore the world beyond the walls.' That's when they started hitting me. They called me a heretic." Armin sat on the stone steps near the water, explaining how it all started.
I was one step lower, right by the water's edge, shoes off and toes dipped into the cold current. It was calming—watching the river, the distant crowd across the bank, the world just moving on.
Mikasa stayed behind me, seated on the higher step. She didn't remove her shoes. She just listened quietly.
"Those jerks…" Eren growled, hurling a pebble into the river. "Why do people act like it's wrong to want to go outside?!"
"Because the walls have been peaceful for a hundred years…" Armin hugged his knees tightly. "The king's regime wants to stop people from going beyond. They call those thoughts taboo so no one drags Titans back in."
"But we're the ones risking our lives! What right do they have to stop us?" Eren's voice was full of conviction… but also carelessness. It was hard to say if he was right or wrong.
"Absolutely not," Mikasa's voice cut through the wind.
"Huh?" Eren and Armin both turned toward her.
"I said no." She repeated it, firm and clear. Her position was obvious now.
"Oh yeah, by the way—how could you rat me out to my parents?!" Eren suddenly turned on her, indignant.
"I don't remember ever promising to keep your secret," Mikasa said flatly, eyes drifting back to me, to the girl who was still gently kicking her feet in the river.
"What?! No way! I clearly remember—"
"That was me, Eren." I turned around to face them. "I was the one who promised not to tell. You can't blame Mikasa."
Eren blinked, stunned. He'd finally remembered.
"So… what happened next?" Armin asked curiously, still sore but eager to hear the rest.
"They… well… they weren't exactly thrilled."
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