It was the year 845.
With Mikasa now part of the Yeager family, we had grown into a household of five.
Under Carla's gentle command, the three of us—Eren, Mikasa, and I—were out gathering firewood for the stove.
We wandered across the untouched plains stretching just beyond Wall Maria, still within the West District of Shiganshina.
Mikasa stayed beside me, quietly picking up sticks and branches for the hearth. She still wore the red scarf I had given her the previous year. She treasured it dearly, always keeping it wrapped around her neck.
Meanwhile, Eren was sprawled under a large tree on a nearby hilltop, napping in its shade without a care in the world.
My wooden backpack was already filled with firewood, but I continued collecting more—this time for the lazy one sleeping on the hill. If Eren didn't bring anything back, Carla would surely scold him again.
"Sandra… can I ask you something?"
Mikasa's voice was soft as she gathered wood near me.
"Hmm?"
I was kneeling beside a patch of purple-blue flowers. Their sweet, fragrant scent drifted up as I picked one and held it close to my face.
"You didn't originally come from Dr. Yeager's family, did you?"
It was a gentle question. One she had clearly pondered for a while.
She hadn't known of my existence before she was taken in. Back when her parents were still alive, she had never heard of the Yeagers having a daughter.
I glanced at her and hesitated for a moment.
"Yeah… I'm like you. I became part of the Yeager family a few years ago."
I chose my words carefully. I didn't want her to feel like she had been taken in out of pity.
I was overthinking it, I knew that. But I didn't want her to feel like she didn't belong.
Because I had wondered the same thing once.
But the truth was, the Yeagers had treated me like one of their own.
And I was truly, deeply grateful to have met them.
Mikasa walked closer and knelt beside the same patch of flowers.
She didn't speak. She simply leaned in a little, as if quietly acknowledging that we shared something similar—two people who had found new homes under the same roof.
Her silence was warm. Familiar. A kind of understanding only siblings-by-choice could share.
I smiled.
Two girls, leaning into each other, surrounded by blossoms under a peaceful sky.
Not a word needed to be spoken.
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"Eren, time to get up."
The sun had shifted. We'd gathered enough firewood, and it was time to return.
I gave Eren a sharp shake. He looked like he was trapped in a nightmare.
"Agh…!"
He jolted awake, his face damp with tears. For someone as prideful as him, it was a rare sight.
"Sandra…? Mikasa…?"
He blinked, disoriented. Sitting up, he wiped his face, confused by the tears he hadn't noticed before.
"Let's head back," Mikasa said simply, crouching beside me.
"Why… why was I here again?" Eren murmured, looking around at the quiet grasslands.
His eyes drifted to Mikasa, and he blinked as if something felt strangely out of place.
"Mikasa… your hair.
It's long again…?"
Mikasa touched the ends of her hair, confused. "It's always been like this, Eren."
Eren frowned, rubbing his forehead.
"I… I don't know. For a second, it felt different. Like I saw you with short hair."
Mikasa and I exchanged a short glance, but neither of us said anything.
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"You dozed off, that's all," I said, standing up with the firewood pack strapped to my back. At my feet lay the bundle I had collected on Eren's behalf.
"No… I feel like I had this really long dream…"
Mikasa and I said nothing as we stuffed the bundle into Eren's wooden pack.
"What was it… I can't remember."
He stared at us both, then at my face lit by the afternoon sun.
"Eren, were you crying?"
Mikasa's question made him pause. He touched his cheek.
He had, in fact, been crying. Large, warm tears.
"Just wipe it and let's go," I said, handing him his pack and walking ahead.
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The West District of Shiganshina was part of the protruding edge of Wall Maria.
In our world, humanity was protected by three towering walls: the innermost Wall Sina, followed by Wall Rose, and finally Wall Maria.
All of them stood fifty meters tall and were built for one purpose—defense.
To keep out the Titans.
Titans.
Giant, grotesque creatures that devoured humans.
They had no need to eat for survival. They consumed simply to kill.
They came in all sizes, ranging from three to fifteen meters in height, mostly humanoid in form, but lacking reproductive organs, clothing, or even intelligence.
For over a hundred years, even with no access to humans, they had somehow endured beyond the walls. They didn't digest the humans they consumed. Instead, they vomited them out—proving they had no digestive systems.
Their existence was simple.
Slaughter.
They possessed extreme body heat and near-unbreakable regeneration. Within a minute or two of injury, their bodies would repair themselves.
And yet, they had one weakness.
A precise strike to the back of the neck, at a depth of one meter and a width of ten centimeters. Only then would a Titan die—its body dissolving into steam.
The Yeagers lived within Wall Maria, in the southern Shiganshina District.
Today, we were on our way back through the inner gate, firewood strapped to our backs.
"You guys better not tell anyone I cried," Eren muttered, walking beside Mikasa.
"I won't," she replied calmly. "But if you're crying for no reason, maybe you should have your dad check it out."
"Don't be stupid. There's no way I'm telling him that."
Eren scowled and looked at me.
"Sandra, promise you won't tell either!"
I just nodded. I had no intention of telling anyone.
"What are you crying for anyway, Eren?"
As we passed through the archway of the gate, a man reeking of alcohol stumbled over and blocked our path.
"Mr. Hannes," I greeted politely.
He wore the standard brown-and-yellow uniform of the Garrison Regiment. Two red roses were embroidered on his jacket—the symbol of his corps.
"Hey, Sandra!"
Hannes ruffled my hair with a drunken grin before turning to Mikasa and Eren.
"Eren, did Mikasa rough you up again? You crying because she beat you?"
His breath reeked of booze.
"Guh—! I'm not crying! And your breath stinks!" Eren yelled, pinching his nose.
This world, protected by three great walls, was also guarded by three major military forces—
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