"You... are kidding, right?" Connie said, smiling. But that smile wasn't out of happiness, no. It was out of doubt. The moment when we pray we have misheard or got the new information wrong. That it was a joke, something that can never happen.

Petra, with the look of guilt and sadness, shook her head. Connie's smile vanished and he grinned, flopping himself on the chair, face in his hands.

Sasha had her hand to her mouth, staring at the blank space only her eyes could reach. Gunther, Eld and Auruo stared at the floor too. Ymir and Historia were leaned on the wall, same expression as the already mentioned trio. Armin scratched his head, thinking about everything he's just heard.

Annie was sitting at the table, chin in her palm. After Petra and Mikasa told them the truth, they've been awfully silent. And the long silence is never good.

And for her, she came to witness it just as her job with her family and Eren was done. Entering on her own, only her steps had been a source of sound. Uncomfortable to others, sonorous to her.

Even any sound repelling the words she had heard did the task.

On the other side, Jean was silent and surprisingly still. He was feeling the weight of everything and the tension in the air, but he didn't say anything. Despite his moral characteristics, he had masked the truth and kept silent when he shouldn't have. On his way to Krolva, he and his guards saw something. And that something had changed his life forever. That was the first thing he'd told Levi. In the end, that's how Levi found out about Marley Warriors taking actions. Dead people spoke louder than hundreds of witnesses that stayed alive.

Jean had been passing near the Dauper with his guards when a scout informed them about dead people. They came there to see and then, because Krolva was nearer, headed to the town to ask for help from the Duke. But that night, they were attacked in the forest Petra was too.

When Jean had heard Sasha was from Dauper, he barely slept that night. He was torn between two decisions. To tell or to not tell? After the day of distancing himself and endlessly thinking about it, he'd made his decision. Not to tell was the right choise in his opinion. He didn't want to worry her or cause her unpleasantries. When the right time comes, she'll get to know. How? He hadn't known.

Why didn't Mr. Levi mention anything about it? Did he tell girls anything? Or he didn't tell them at all? Does that mean... he waits for the right moment to explain how my report was important without ruining mine and Sasha's friendship?

"So... all this time he was informing our families about our well-being? And on top of that, he knows Commander intends to start the revolution against the long-aged enemy," Eld said.

"If someone told me, I wouldn't believe it. Eh, from little and seemingly insignificant things, a meaningful and great are born," said Gunther.

"Tch. Bastards," Auruo spat. "Why so much hate and chaos? What have we done as a nation to deserve this?!"

"What one fool does, not even a hundred smart people can fix," Annie summarised.

"Connie," Mikasa said and placed a hand on the boy's back. "Do you think you can stand?"

Connie wiped his face and raised his head. Fire was in his eyes. He nodded and stood up. "Then we must be smarter. We must retrieve what's ours and protect the same."

"But what should we do?" Christa said.

Petra eyed her from the corner of her eye, still remembering what Levi had told her.

"Don't tell them about Christa's true identity," Levi had whispered in her ear before she got out of the room.

"Alright. But why?"

"Just do as I say. I'll explain later."

Petra knew, after everything, that she could trust him. When she thought about it, it'd be unpleasant for the young girl and got her in trouble. Besides, there's too much information they had to handle in the first go, this one will cause an explosion most likely. As if fire wasn't already set.

"So what are we going to do?" Ymir asked in her determined way so rarely seen. No mochery nor cheekiness was in her eyes - truly a sight to behold.

Petra inhaled eyeing everyone around her. "We have to help as much as we can. Each one of us," she said seriously.

Fire in Connie's eyes only spread out. Nobody had seen him like that before. Sasha gulped silently, both of a slight trepidation of Connie's state and holding back tears.

My village... My friends... she thought, knowing deep into her gut everyone felt much or less the same.

Annie stood up, making the chair scrape uncomfortably, drawing attention.

"Listen everyone now," she said calmly, but her voice was demanding, understanding and strong at the same time.

"We are listening," Ymir said, the side of her lips turning up. Despite the serious situation, she couldn't help but to be herself - to annoy someone to light up the spirit of the mass.

But now, nobody chuckled nor smiled. Ymir sighed, admitting defeat for the first time.

"We will have to move from here or stay. We will have to fight and run, to save our families, our hometowns and later the whole nation of Eldia," Annie said, voice like a general's. "If any one of you wants to avoid this, they can talk. We will make sure they are safe and escorted to the place nobody of enemies will find them."

Silence enveloped the group. Mikasa shifted her eyes over alongside most of the others, noticing hesitation and unsureness in rare eyes.

Nobody said anything, making Annie's blood boil.

Speak or stay silent already, she thought in irritation. As if the bad news of her father were not enough, now they were hesitating to say whether or not they wanted to be protected. Something her father will never have...

She clenched her fists against the table.

"Options will maybe as well be that anyone who leaves now will have to change their names. As well as hair colour and maybe other things as well," Petra added seriously.

It can be an option. They must be aware of it, she thought while frowning seriously.

"Then, anyone?" Mikasa inquired, skimming her almost black eyes, searching for any hidden emotion or unease printed on her friends' faces.

She found none, but still, she was obliged to ask every single one separately. Just in case.

Locking eyes with Petra, they shared a nod before Petra looked at Auruo and Mikasa at Sasha, ready to ask them.

Suddenly, Christa, or Historia however one would like, started raising her hand slowly.

Ymir snapped her head at her, slapping down Christa's hand. Christa winced, glaring up at Ymir.

"Let me say," she whispered angrily, enough for the whole room to hear her.

"Not on my watch," Ymir hissed back, throwing a glance at Annie who narrowed her eyes at them. "You brought yourself enough trouble, enough is enough."

Christa clenched her fists and looked at her friend dead in the eye. "But I know things. We must tell them."

Mikasa and Petra exchanged a look, fully aware of what that something was. Better if she says now than the truth being known to only a few, leading others to feel betrayed for being left in the dark for so long.

That's why Levi told me not to tell anything, Petra realised.

"And if that's not another nick in your tally of things done to be completely exposed," Ymir retorted. "You must survive."

"And so do others!" Christa yelled out, startling Sasha from her pensiveness.

"What- what is going on?" she asked, eyes darting between two girls and Mikasa.

Black haired girl put a finger on her lips, pointing at the conversation. Sasha pressed her lips, already on edge of an outburst which was building up since she heard the fate of her village.

"I will tell everything I want to! I must or else we will all be in danger. If I don't, I will not be able to live anymore!"

Ymir's jaw hung in the air. Christa had never been this opposing nor rude. She couldn't blame her and yet, found herself furious just because her friend doesn't seem to realise how this will affect her.

"I can't be selfish anymore, Ymir," Christa said, staring at the floor. "I can't feign ignorance and... and... everything I am. I can't pretend to be someone I'm not just to stay safe and alive. What life would it be if I did? It won't be something I'd be proud of."

"Still-" Ymir started before being cut off.

"Let Christa decide for herself, Ymir," Annie said in a low voice. Blue eyes darkened akin to a never-ending dark well, daring the freckled girl to say any rebuttal speech she might come up with.

Surprisingly, Ymir indeed fell silent. Her hand twirled with the rim of her blouse, nails picking at stray threats. Look of displeasure evident on her visage.

"Well? What do you know?" Annie asked and Christa took a deep inhale.

"My name is not Christa. It is Historia Reiss."

.

.

.

"So what do you suggest, Kenny?"

"I suggest one of us goes to the Capital and investigate what had happened to the royal family. However, someone must go to your friend Erwin and ensure everything is set when we arrive. Or you think it would be redundant?"

"It would be," Levi answered, holding his chin between two fingers. "I trust Erwin fully and he'd need no help. However, the royal family is another worry. Maybe the greatest."

He sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, we also must rely on their strength. Or as you please - the strength of Frieda Reiss."

Annie tightened her fists in the creases of her skirt. "What about my father? We must help him as well."

"Annie," Levi said and crouched in front of her. His hand found hers, squeezing them gently. Only one look in his eyes relieved her, but she couldn't just kick away relentless worries eating her insides.

"We will save your father, believe us. We must send someone somehow who will send his message to us. We have to fortify whether he has a plan or not."

"A plan? You mean... if he is not escaping because he might-" Annie said, eyes widening. "You think he will utilise his capture to our aid?"

"Exactly. That's why we have to know his intentions first. As well as to spy on Marley Warriors."

"Can I ask something?" Eren raised his hand in the air, making Kenny, Levi and Annie notice he was there for the first time.

Eren almost sweatdropped at his ostensible invisibility. "Who exactly are Marley Warriors? I mean, they are obviously from Marley but they are Eldians by blood, right? Also, who is in charge in their attack on Mitras?"

Kenny coughed. "I don't think you should know."

"And why's that?" Eren raised an eyebrow. When he looked at Levi, the said one stood up, approaching him.

Looking up with confusedness, Eren observed Levi's scrutiny.

"Do you deem yourself someone we can trust?" Levi asked Eren.

For some odd reason, Eren felt insulted. Green eyes flashing, pride hurt, he stood up. Now he was face to face with Levi, tall but less intimidating.

"I will not betray any of my friends. Nor will I turn against them. Ever," Eren confessed, throwing a hard look in Kenny's direction. "Nor the ones close to them."

To that, Kenny grinned, revealing his sharp fangs. It took Eren all his self control to not take a step back.

"I like this one," Kenny let out a laugh. "Takes after you midget, ain't it?"

Glaring at Kenny, Levi stepped aside, noticing Annie's discomfort. Pale face was the first indicator of shock, together with hands gripped together in a bundle.

Putting a hand on her back, Levi spoke quietly: "You can join others in the Dinning Hall. I'll tell you what we decided."

Nodding more to herself, Annie mechanically stood up and exited the room. No looking back.

Letting out a sigh, Kenny took off his hat. "Unfortunately, just now we can talk seriously."

"What do you mean?" Eren asked.

"We couldn't talk formally without mentioning her father, Verner Leonhardt," Levi explained with a tint of bitterness. He didn't like the fact Annie's absence was beneficial for them, but sometimes thing liked to go round that way

"Oh..." Eren let out. "Then, what is it you asked me? If I'm deemed trustworthy?"

Levi chuckled unhumorously, puzzling Eren. "You are never sure of what reaction you might draw from someone."

"Reaction? Why? What happened?" Eren urged, feeling a strange tingle under his skin, like thousands of ants were crawling underneath.

"Because the one leading Marley Warriors right now is known as War Chief Zeke," Levi said grimly, watching the crease between Eren's eyebrows deepen.

So he really doesn't know.

He smirked. "Zeke Yeager."

To that, Eren's heart froze in fear.

"So you are saying... my father was in Marley. Was a part of an alliance with fake idealists from Eldia and therefore had gotten himself and his group of Eldian rebels captured?" Eren enunciates every word slowly with eyes wide, boring at space beneath the floor. If that place even existed to anyone but him.

"That's right."

"And then... among them was his... wife," Eren let out a word like it was a poison. "She was one of the Pures - descendants of royal Ymir. The last one in Marley. Dina Fritz."

"Alongside you father, who was part human, they had gotten a son. Much older than you," Kenny added, observing the boy's shocked expression. Polishing his set of knives all the while and lining them on the blanket of the bed once done.

"I have a brother..." Eren muttered, aghast.

"And not a friendly one if you ask me," Levi said. "I hope it doesn't run in the family."

Unaware of the reference Levi's been hinting at, Eren remained unrespondive for a minute. Finally, he buried his face into his palms, tips of his fingers tugging at his forehead hair.

"And where is my father to explain it all from his side? Where did he go, leaving us behind?" he muttered, a desperate tone felt in his voice.

"We don't know it. But we will soon and it will be our first step to solve these problems. Are you with us, Eren?" Levi asked seriously. He knew hundred percent what the boy would say after everything, but he needed to hear it from his mouth.

As if considering the act, Eren looked through the window. A large hawk was on the tree, holding a bleeding sparrow in its talons. Eren swallowed a lump in his throat and faced two expectant vampires.

"I am," he said, feeling he's just leapt over an invisible barrier of something he will only later grab the meaning of. "I am."