HUMANITY'S CURSED EYES
MYSTERY
CHAPTER V

This wasn't planned for

Suprisingly, the training ground is completely empty of any soldiers. Probably they're having their breakfast at the moment or were given a different schedule. Aji briefly scans the area for any suspicious activity. Even though the Commander and the Captain haven't indicated any signs of threat, she can't help remain hostile towards her surroundings.

She sees the lovely sight of the Viola. 'Beautiful.' It's ironic the Viola is the only huge tree in the training grounds. Without taking her eyes away from the jacaranda mimosifolia tree, she makes her way to the trunk.

This morning Levi instructed her to find this tree and remain here until he arrived with the full squad. After two weeks, with Levi's report of her behaviour, the Commander allowed Aji to finally interact with other members of the Scouting Legion. The Commander notified all his soldiers that tonight he will be giving out new information regarding Aji's appearance outside the walls. She will be making her first official appearance since the encounter two weeks ago, tonight in the training grounds.

The wind blows calmly on her face and onto her short hair cut shoulder length. Her fingers brush the strands of hair she magically converted into a brown color. Both the Commander and the Captain were a bit stunned when she entered the room with brown hair instead of a bronze color. She lied saying Levi saw something completely different, the affects of wet hair.

As she predicted, both fell for the white lie. It's obvious when interacting with normal humans the veracity of her hair color will never be discovered. To be able to magically shift color hair in an instance is too magical and impossible to be true. Supernatural as it is, she possess the ability to change hair color. To be honest, she has no clue of its purpose.

Ten minutes pass by and not a single figure appears in the area. 'Seems the waiting will take a while.' She sits on the grass and stares off into the distance.  'Why are they taking so long?' Her fingers play with the purple leaves that are gently falling down to the grass. She sighs to herself. These pass two weeks, she's been meditating on her true abilities. The result is ----- she has no clue what the hell she is.

______

Two weeks after she showered after days putside the walls, Levi took her into Erwin's office for more questioning. "Aji." Erwin said. She lounged on one of the seats in front the almighty Commander, Erwin Smith. Few blank papers laid neatly in front of him. She assumed the papers will be the report of her identity.

"Yes...Sir." She mumbled the last part, recalling to address Erwin by his superior rank.

"I hope you will be open to all the questions I'll be asking in this moment."

"Whatever that can ensure my safety." In the side of her eyesight, she catched Levi taking a seat next to her.

"What do you mean?" Erwin questioned.

"I hope I don't end up twenty-feet under the ground."

"Well then" Erwin leaned closer to his desk, his elbow resting on the papers. Levi didn't lay his eyes off Aji in case she attempted any vicious act towards Erwin. "We want to know more about you? I promise you. I assure you that we are not here to hurt you. With your ability we may be able to gain more advantage in defeating the Titans."

"So I'm a useful weapon to you." She stated it more than a question.

"..."

"Fine...but on one condition-" She leaned foward on the chair "-you surely wouldn't mind rejecting."

"What will it be?"

"Fill me in with all your plans and discoveries." She ascend from the chair and placed her palms onto his desk. "I mean everything." She clarified. "I need to know what I am dealing with here. And you better not be hiding something because I will find out, so don't play with me...Sir."

"You have my word." He replied with no hesitation.

"Erwin." Levi warned Erwin.

"If I have yours as well." Erwin ignored Levi's warning.

"...Well see." Aji took a seat once again. She had no evidence to doubt his trust but she cpuld of sworn to the sacred walls she's seen Erwin somewhere before. She just can't quite depict from where. She believes it would be best to reveal the varicity of her past but not mention the most substantial part.

"Alright." Erwin replied.

In an hour Erwin bombarded her with important information regarding the titans. During Erwin's prolongue disquisition, she found out Levi and her are quite the same. Raised in the Underground. Levi wasn't fond at all revealing his general personal life to a complete stranger like her, out of the blue. Many times Levi will warn Erwin but was told the small information was for the best. If they wanted her on their side, they would had to inform her about the basics. Well, actually everything.

"Your turn Aji. Where were you born?" Now here comes the questions that she has been hesitate to answer. After what she heard, she believes without a doubt the Survey Corps are the good guys. So she thought it will be best to reveal her background but of course try to not spit everything out in the moment. Not even she knows what the heck she is.

"Aji." Erwin called her again.

"I'm really not sure."

"Really?" A hint of doubt is heard from his rough voice.

"I don't exactly know where I was born but I assume I was raised in Wall Maria. I've lived there for 10 years isolated by everything. Reasons I personally don't really understand. I guess my parents were too overprotected." She sighed. "I believe my past is really insignificant. What truly matters are my abilities and intentions."

"We need a further understanding about your background."

"I understand, Sir." After a small pause Erwin began to speak again as he grabbed a paper and ink. "We have no records of you as you stated you don't have a name so I'll be asking you some questions to create a folder for you. It will help us a lot if you cooperate with us."

"Of course."

"Do you have any family members or close friends?"

"No. They all died some couple of years ago. My family was murdered when I was around ten then a friend of my parents took me in and raised me but was killed six years ago."

"Sad to hear."

"Don't be...there're dead and we can't do anything about it. End of story." She said calmly. Like if Erwin really cared about her loss. To be honest the moment her entire family got murdered not a speck of sorrow and grief overtook her. A daughter should have be devastated seeing their whole family dying in front of her eyes. Aji was an exception and she wondered why.

"Where were you taken after your family's death?"

"The Underground."

"Where did you get such abilities in the first place?" Erwin said, leaving the written papers, and facing her with a serious expression.

"I honestly don't know." She said, shaking her head slowly.

"Let's alter the question. When did you realize that you had such abilities? Did you have any symptoms?"

"I didn't get symptoms but it was when Wall Maria was breached. I was there when it happened. A story I rather talk about later if you don't mind." Well, there went a slight lie about not knowing she had such abilities. "It was the moment I used my powers to kill a titan that I knew I was different. Afraid what people might think, I escaped to Wall Rose and tried to learn more about my abilities and powers." That's actually all true except not knowing she had such ability.

"What was the result?"

"What the Captain saw. That's it. I find no other meaning but simply having the power to eliminate titans with not much effort." A lie. She knows exactly the purpose of her powers. Or does she?

"So you are aware that Levi found you because of the voice he heard several months ago? We assume it came from you but we're not 100% sure."

"Pardon. I don't quite understand." Her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Are you also aware that when Levi reached you, he took noticed that your eyes were not your green but plane white?"

"Wait. Hold on." She raised a palm in the air.

"Lastly are you aware-"

"Stop!"

"..."

"I think I may have a clue about my eyes. This is only an assumption and it may be inaccurate. Whenever I sensed a horde of titans nearby, my body started to loose focus until falling into oblivion. I can't stay conscious for some reason. At first I got scared thinking I was just fainting but realized when I woke up that there was no more titans left. I was confused but found out I was the one who defeated the titans. We can say that my body is being taken over by something I don't honestly know. It happened many times during the day."

"I see. It seems I have a better understanding in what we're dealing with here. I think that's all for today."

"Alright." She rose from the chair, but Erwin stopped her from her tracks.

"Aji. Before you leave, let me summarize everything you have stated so far." She nodded.

"You don't possess a name. Have a inexact place you were born but assume you were raised in Wall Maria for ten years before the incident. Then moved to the Underground with a friend of the family. What was his name?"

"He never told me his real name. I always called him 'V' because every time he'll eat an apple when we had the chance to, the first bite was always the shape of a V." She cleaned off the dirt inside her nails.

"So you weren't aware of your powers until the breach of Wall Maria which means you were in District Shiganshina in that moment?"

"Yes."

"Then later moved to Wall Rose until we found you, right?"

"Yes."

"Then...raised in Wall Maria, moved to the Underground, returned back to Wall Maria in Shiganshina District and later escaped to Wall Rose?"

"Exactly."

"How old are you exactly?"

"I'm ...twenty-five." That's what she believes.

"Dismissed."

"Yes sir." At that she left. 'Why will he want my age? Maybe for my record I guess.' She shrugged.

For the past two weeks Aji spent the time training with Levi privately which wasn't much. The majority of the time she was besides Captain Levi meanwhile he did some short required paperwork and had meetings with Erwin, Hange and some other superiors. She was basically stuck with him 24/7, well almost. They never talked to each other unless necessary. Not that she mind. What she did mind was repetitively cleaning the same area because the short Captain turned out to be a CLEAN FREAK.

There were a couple of times she was helping the Commander know more about herself which wasn't that much. After a couple of visits to his office, Aji found out the commander was a determine man who was willing to fight to save humanity even though he had to sacrifice his man. Selfish but necessary to obtain freedom.

______

The sky is clear from any clouds. The soft breeze sends Aji into a state of drowsiness. A great amount of shade surrounds her. The area is silent except for her soft breathing as she slowly drifts off to sleep.

A faint branch snaps near her right. She stands up immediately and reaches for the black knife she has under her brown coat out of instinct but doesn't draw it out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." A tall boy with extraordinary turquoise eyes appears in front of her followed by a group of five other people. "You must be the person Captain Levi was talking about." Her assumptions are that he's still a teenager. She watches the teenager near closer and she steps back. He notices this and remains where he is. "I'm Eren and this is Mikasa, Armin, horse face-"

"My name is Jean. Dushbag" A taller young man with light-ash brown hair that looks a bit grown out, creating a bit of bangs on his forehead, glares at Eren. Probably he's eighteen or something around that age.

"Whatever-" Eren rolls his eyes on him and faces Aji again. "-this is Sasha and Connie. We're part of Levi's Squad. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." He extends his hand hoping she will shake it.

"You don't seem too honored." Aji leans on her hip.

"Well, you did interrupt an important mission." He retrieves his hand.

"You're the titan shifter, are you?" She says emotionlessly.

"Yeah... I guess Captain Levi told you already." Aji nods and take his form for a couple of seconds. 'Of course Levi didn't tell me. I can sense it from here. Wait, what? What in the name of the sacred walls? Did I just sense it?'

I have the ability to sense a Titan Shifter?!