"Quick, Falco, Sophia, grab everything, we're getting off!" Gabi rushed out of the crowded train car, taking three steps at a time.
Dragging her large suitcases behind her, she reached the platform and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Falco and Sophia followed closely behind, carrying their clothes and supplies, drinking water and catching their breath beside the black steam train.
Traveling on a steam train in the summer was like sitting inside a sauna; everyone was drenched in sweat, their clothes completely soaked.
Except for Gabi, who remained full of energy, Falco and the others were already exhausted by the heat.
Still, the thought of returning to the village soon made Falco let out a sigh of relief.
The war had finally ended; they no longer had to sleep in the communal dormitory.
Ever since the war between Paradis Island and the World Alliance had begun, they had been forced to leave the small home where they had lived for half a year and travel by train to the containment zone within Wall Maria.
Living conditions in the refugee camp were far worse than in the village, but Falco never complained. At least they had food and a place to sleep, a hundred times better than their lives as fugitives in Marley.
Falco stood on the platform, watching as the train departed once again, the long steel dragon releasing white steam as it headed toward the green plains with a loud whistle.
He closed his eyes, silently praying that everyone would return home safely.
"Come on! Falco, how can a boy be so weak? You need to exercise more!" Gabi exclaimed, pulling Falco toward the station exit.
Falco scratched his head, slung his luggage over his shoulder, and the group walked down the adjoining corridor.
With their residence permits in hand, they checked in one by one with the inspector before waiting for the next bus that would take them back to the village.
The tension finally eased a little.
After waiting for half an hour, they boarded the return bus, and by sunset they saw the sea dyed red by the evening sky.
On the beach, Gale walked beside Historia.
The waves crashed against the shore as they walked, silently listening to the sound of the surf.
"Oh? So you don't want to be a princess anymore?"
"It's not that I don't want to be one. It's that I'm not a princess anymore." Historia, her hands behind her back, kicked a white seashell into the sea. "This is my decision, and I don't want you making decisions for me!"
She no longer wore elaborate dresses, only a simple knee-length dress, looking as petite as the girl next door.
This was her true self; she was just a little girl covered in mud who had grown up on a farm. Back then, no one played with her, so she ran freely around the farm by herself. She caught frogs and poked cow dung with sticks; the so-called princess was nothing more than a label others had placed upon her.
"I left the capital last month." Historia kicked at the sand, her head lowered. "I don't like attending events, I don't like wearing those heavy, bulky dresses, and it's exhausting having to smile all day. Having an entire unit following me around and being watched no matter what I do... I'm sick of it."
"I wanted to resign a long time ago, if it weren't for..." Historia looked into Gale's face, her eyes filling with tears.
She felt wronged; last month, she had cried bitterly after learning that Gale had disappeared.
She had no idea what was happening at the front until she asked, and Eren awkwardly explained everything.
"You can use the Founding Titan's power! Why don't you do something? At least contact him!" Historia snapped at Eren.
"I tried," Eren replied with his head lowered. "Aunt Dina and I entered the Coordinate, hoping the Founder would help us, but she ignored us."
"The Founder's footsteps never stopped for me. I couldn't even touch her. Neither Aunt Dina nor I could reach her. The Founder rejected us."
Historia could not understand the Founder's power; she only felt as though the sky had collapsed.
The little piece of sky that had supported her had crumbled.
Historia had only one thought in her mind: find him.
But everyone around her kept telling her to remain in the capital.
Mikasa came to her room and comforted her, saying, "I'm sure Gale wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
Everyone—Petra, who protected her, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, whom she had known since childhood, and even Commander Pixis, who oversaw the capital's general affairs—wanted her to continue being the princess.
Yes, even Gale wanted the same thing.
She had been living according to other people's expectations, even though she didn't want to. She had been willing to sacrifice herself; she had shackled herself. But she changed her mind. She no longer wanted to live for others; she wanted to live for herself.
That day, she attended the event as usual to please the people.
After the event, she stood upon the brightly lit stage, removed her crown, and bowed to the crowd.
"My name is Historia, not Historia Reiss—just Historia. So... I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm not going to be your princess anymore."
She made an unexpected move, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.
She offered no explanation and refused to appear in public again afterward.
Inside the royal palace, she tried to escape several times at night, although she was caught every single time, making her determination perfectly clear.
"I will no longer be a princess."
Because of her close relationship with the President of the Senate, the government eventually made concessions.
That was why she was now at the harbor, walking along the beach with Gale, who had returned completely unharmed.
The two of them stopped by the water's edge when a shadow appeared before them.
It was an illusory bubble, like a ghost.
Historia suddenly tensed and grabbed Gale's arm; she had always been afraid of things like that.
But the shadow faded into the wind, and before disappearing, the girl holding the bucket of sand looked at Gale.
"Was that... a ghost of someone who died tragically in the war?" Historia asked nervously.
Gale shook his head. "I saw her when I inherited the War Hammer Titan. She was the Founding Titan, Ymir—the origin of all Titans."
"The Founding Titan?"
Historia vaguely remembered the Founding Titan Eren had mentioned inside the Coordinate. Was that really the Founder?
"Why is the Founder here?"
"I don't know." Gale gazed at the darkening sky and gently patted Historia on the head. "Let's head back to the village. It'll be dark soon."
They walked toward the village, which was bustling with activity. A crowd of people had gathered together.
"Don't do anything rash, soldier! Calm down!" Gabi shouted, raising her hands toward the Middle Eastern soldier who had rushed out of his room.
The soldier, his eyes bloodshot, was holding Falco hostage, pressing a pistol against his temple.