Meeyn nodded, his eyes half-closed as he looked at the sky."Means they know who's in charge," he said. Then he looked at her, his tone gentle but curious. "And you? You doing okay?"
Annie touched the edge of the cloak and looked down at the fire."Yeah," she said softly. This time, she meant it. After a short pause, she added, "Thanks for leaving instructions. It helped."
Meeyn gave a small smile."I told you I'd be back. Just had some things to take care of."He watched her for a moment, then added, "I ran into some people we know. Reiner. Bertholdt. Ymir."
Annie's breath caught, and she looked at him quickly. Her hands stopped moving, the knife forgotten."What?"
Meeyn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees."I found them near Wall Maria. They were running. I gave them an option—to join us."
Annie's eyes widened. She always knew Reiner and Bertholdt were still out there. But Ymir?"Ymir's with them?" she asked, shocked. "She's just a cadet. Why—"
Meeyn's smile grew, his red eyes shining."She's not just a cadet. Ymir's a Titan shifter—the Jaw Titan. Her secret's out. Same with Reiner and Bertholdt. They're the Armored and Colossal Titans. Everyone knows now."
"Ymir… a Titan?" Annie whispered. "And their secrets… really exposed?"
"Yeah," Meeyn said casually. "Reiner told the truth himself. He had no choice. They're trapped. I told them they could fight for themselves, with us. They're thinking about it."
Annie looked down at the fire, her mind spinning. Reiner and Bertholdt exposed. Ymir a Titan. It meant Marley's plans were falling apart.
She remembered being ten years old, shaking from the cold in a Marley training yard. Her father's voice still echoed in her mind:
"You're nothing without Marley's orders. Fail, and you're useless."His kicks left her ribs bruised. His harsh drills made her hands bleed. No love. No choice. Just survive, obey, and come back.
But then she remembered Meeyn's voice from days ago. Calm and kind:"You're not just a tool, Annie. You matter."No orders. Just a warm cloak over her shoulders, a fire to sit by, and a place to be herself.
Annie's fingers tightened on the cloak. Her father made her into a weapon. But Meeyn... he saw her as something more. Someone he trusted to hold the line while he was away. And she had done it—because he asked, not because he forced her to.
"You really think they'll join you?" she asked. Her voice was quiet, but steadier now.
Meeyn tilted his head."Maybe. They're scared, but smart. They'll see they have no other choice."
Annie slowly nodded.
She still didn't fully understand him—his powers or his plans—but something inside her had changed.
She had kept the fire going, fixed the barricade, and watched for Titans, all because Meeyn trusted her. And now, sitting here with him, she wanted to keep that trust.
Meeyn stood, brushed off his cloak, and motioned toward the hut."Come on. I want to show you something."
Annie stood without question and followed him in. Her steps were confident. Inside, the hut was dim. The firelight barely touched the walls. Meeyn sat on the floor, legs crossed, and held out his hands."Watch this," he said, his voice low and focused.
Annie knelt nearby, curious. The air felt strange. Dark threads slowly slid from his fingers, like living shadows, moving and pulsing.
The darkness gathered into a small blob above his hands, about the size of a walnut. It twitched, reaching toward his finger like it was alive.
Annie leaned closer, eyes wide."It's moving," she whispered.
Meeyn's brow tightened, sweat forming on his face."Yeah," he said, his voice tense but excited. "Trying to make it stable."
A ray of sunlight came through a crack in the roof. The blob twitched hard, then melted and faded into the air.
Meeyn let out a breath and sat back."Stupid sunlight," he muttered. "Still, that was better than last time."
Annie tilted her head. She was impressed."It listened to you," she said softly. "Like the Titans."
"Almost," Meeyn said, smiling.
Outside, Meeyn stood by the hut, his red eyes watching the trees.
"This place won't last much longer," he said quietly. "Too close to the walls. Too many people nearby."
Annie, not far from him, pushed a stake deeper into the barricade. She followed the steps he'd taught her.
She looked at him and nodded, even though she didn't fully get his reasoning.
The spot seemed safe enough—they had made it strong. But Meeyn's voice had something she trusted. So she didn't argue.
"We need a base outside the walls," Meeyn continued. "More space. And no sunlight messing up my work." He turned to her, his expression softer. "You coming?"
Annie nodded.
"Yeah." She didn't know all of his plans. Or why the sunlight affected him. But he had kept her safe. That was enough.