Chapter 1: Warriors of Marley
The world outside the window was dark. Not a single light could be seen beyond the deck.
The only thing that was noticeable was the occasional crash of the waves over the dark sea. The night sea was a strange place in itself.
"Why does everyone look so nervous? Relax a little."
I tried to lighten the mood by talking to the kids sitting next to me.
There was a girl with her hood pulled low, sitting silently. Another kid, tall and thin, was shivering. And then there was a boy with blond hair and a strong, imposing appearance. Each of them had a tense look on their faces.
The blond boy, trying hard to act confident, spoke up.
"Nervous? No way. I was just focusing."
He said this with an exaggerated smirk, but it was clear he was trying to hide his own anxiety.
If it weren't for the beads of sweat dripping down his face, he might have looked convincing.
"When did you have time to shower, Reiner? Your face is all wet."
"I.. It's just the weight of our mission as warriors. If I were really nervous, I'd be shaking like Bertolt over there."
Reiner wiped the sweat from his brow as he spoke.
Even Bertolt, who was usually so composed, was showing signs of tension. When I asked if he was okay, he finally gave a sheepish smile.
I turned my gaze to the girl with the hood. She was quietly staring out the window, lost in her thoughts.
"Annie, you seem to be holding up well."
She glanced over at me briefly.
"Not really."
With that short reply, she turned her gaze back to the window.
Annie had always been a bit aloof, somehow distant. Still, I felt we had become a little closer since our cadet days... or at least I hoped so.
I shook my head and sighed.
"Anyway, don't be too tense. We're going to stick to our training and, as always, complete the mission successfully."
It was meant to be reassuring for everyone, but it was also a pledge I made to myself. So much had happened to get us to this point.
I had woken up in this new world of Titans without any understanding of how or why.
On top of that, I was just some random extra from Marley, someone I knew nothing about.
But I had to stay focused. For the past two years, I'd been putting in blood, sweat, and tears to join Marley's Warrior Unit.
It was the only way to survive in a world that was destined to get destroyed. It was the only way to change the future.
And now that I was taking the first step down this path, this crucial path, failure was not an option.
"It has to succeed."
***************
Before long, the ship reached the coast. Only a single lantern dimly lit the deck.
A man stood there, his face barely visible in the shadows. He greeted me and the other Marley Warriors with a handshake.
After the formalities, the man began his speech in a serious tone.
"Warriors, the mission you've been assigned is of great importance. You carry a significant responsibility to serve the empire."
His calm delivery might have made it seem like a routine conversation if you didn't know better.
"Since this is the Founder's Retrieval Operation, a plan that has been in the works for a long time, I'm sure you understand the seriousness of this mission."
The sole goal of Marley's Warrior Unit: reclaim the Founding Titan. For this goal alone, we had endured years of grueling training.
"As you all know, after two years of intense training, the four of you have emerged as the best candidates."
Four Titan successors.
Marley had deployed four of its most crucial assets for this mission.
This operation was incredibly important, and only the top of the line had been chosen to handle it.
"Having overcome all the challenges and training, you are now Marley's elite warriors. I'm confident you will complete this mission with the same precision and decisiveness you've always shown."
The man's dark face revealed no emotion, but his words were steady and clear.
"Myself, our military, and indeed the entire empire are counting on your success."
He then called out each of our names: Annie, Bertolt, Reiner, and mine.
"Best of luck to all of you."
With that, he wished us well, and we stepped off the ship, setting foot on solid ground.
The ship gradually disappeared into the distance. In the impenetrable darkness, it had become a mere speck on the horizon.
I turned away from the vanishing vessel and focused on the towering wall ahead.
"Is this the execution wall...?"
It was lower than Wall Maria, but still seemed about half its height.
This was the wall where Eldian Restorationists and rebels were sentenced to be turned into mindless Titans.
The other kids looked at the wall with their own expressions of apprehension.
Like me, the other Marley Warriors had grown up in the Eldian internment zones.
I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if we had come here as prisoners instead of Warriors...
Even if we didn't say it out loud, I was sure everyone was thinking the same thing.
'Mindless Titan punishment.'
It was a gruesome fate where you became a mindless monster, endlessly hunting for human flesh.
Just thinking about it was horrifying. In fact, I'd once considered joining the Eldian Restorationists instead of staying with Marley's Warriors.
But thinking about the possibility of becoming one of those mindless Titans made me feel that my current choice was the right one.
"Reiner, Bertolt, Annie."
As everyone was lost in their thoughts, I called out the names of the Warriors.
No matter how trained they were, they were still just ten-year-old kids. In modern times, they'd be barely in elementary school.
To complete the mission, I needed to keep my mind sharp and move quickly.
"Enough daydreaming. Let's get out the compass and map."
The Warriors snapped out of their reverie and hurriedly started unpacking their gear. I used the compass to find our direction and pointed at the map.
"We need to head north. It's farther than I thought. Reiner, Annie, and I will take turns transforming into Titans to cover the distance."
We had a long way to go. Alternating our Titan transformations was essential.
Bertolt also had the ability to transform, but his Colossal Titan wasn't suited for traveling long distances.
Besides, he had crucial tasks to perform once we reached the wall.
"We'll reach Wall Maria and then..."
I tapped the map where Wall Maria was marked.
"We'll destroy the wall, just as planned."
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Samuel_Haein This is my unique take on a novel that I like that got dropped
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