“Salute!”

  The squad snapped to attention, raising a military salute, and stood in silence.

  “I’m Squad Leader Ness. And this is Shallot, my horse.”

  None of them had expected to spend their first official day of training in the stables. But it made sense. The Survey Corps operated mainly beyond the Walls, and for that, they needed to be paired with a horse and taught how to handle it.

  Ness, with a white scarf tied round his head, gently stroked his horse. “She loves chewing on people’s hair, so be careful if you don’t want to go bald.” That would explain the scarf, Vivienne thought. “Nice to meet you!”

  As soon as he stopped speaking Shallot snatched the scarf straight off his head. She tugged at it while Ness scrambled to pull it back.

  “Hey! Someone grab her!”

  Vivienne couldn’t help but grin.

  Soon after, everyone was assigned a horse of their own.

  “There, there…” Vivienne murmured, placing her hand gently on the flank of her mount, a mare named Braunholz. She glanced at the others.

  Connie seemed to be managing well. Armin was having a bit of trouble, but most of them looked like they were getting the hang of it. She even caught the faintest hint of a smile on Jean’s lips.

  Sasha’s horse stood calmly beside her, leaning against her as though they'd known each other for years.

  “You’re really good with horses,” Vivienne remarked. She’d noticed it back at the Academy. While some had struggled, Sasha had handled them like it came naturally—almost like a horse whisperer.

  “My family owns a horse farm,” Sasha replied, glancing over. “I miss the forest sometimes.”

  Vivienne nodded, her fingers brushing through Braunholz’s coat. Then Sasha asked, “Is there anything you miss from home? From the capital? Connie said you used to have cake every Sunday.”

  They had. Vivienne remembered her mother, setting the table with the help of the staff.

  The cups and plates were porcelain, white with delicate floral patterns. Because a slice of cake always came with flavoured tea. A spoonful of sugar, a dash of milk.

  Every Sunday, her mother made the afternoon feel like something out of a storybook.

  Afterwards, her father would often take her into his study. The last rays of sunlight would spill through the windows, and for a while, she was lost in her own little world.

  “I miss… my father helping me fix things. I miss how my mother would go out of her way to set the table—just for some cake and tea. I miss how my uncle…” She trailed off, then said quietly, “I miss my uncle.”

  Before she could say any more, Ness called out, drawing her back. There was still more he needed to show them.

  Instead of practical training, they spent most of their time memorising the long-range scouting formation Commander Erwin had drawn up for their first mission beyond the Wall. It was incredibly detailed, yet Vivienne noticed that Eren’s position wasn’t listed anywhere — even though he was meant to be the mission’s main focus.

  She scribbled notes in her notebook. Day after day, the meetings all blurred together. But Vivienne didn’t want to spend the rest of the month just learning exactly where to ride her horse. At least not just that.

  Her gaze settled on the wooden table in front of her. Pieces of ODM gear were spread out across the surface — even the tiniest components. She rested her hand against her chin, staring at them one by one, as if willing them to start speaking.

  “I knew I’d find you here.”

  She turned slightly, a little startled. “Connie.”

  He stood beside her, eyeing the parts on the table with mild curiosity, brow slightly furrowed. “You trying to modify your ODM gear again?”

  Vivienne shook her head. “No… I’m trying to understand it.”

  She went on to explain that adjusting the controllers wasn’t too difficult, but, “Everything else… I don’t really have the knowledge.”

  “Didn’t your family invent the ODM gear?” Connie asked.

  Vivienne nodded. “They did. But I didn’t train as an engineer within my fathers business — I chose to become a soldier. That’s why—”

  “If it isn’t our noble girl. Though I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think you’d last this long.”

  “Ymir! That’s not a very nice thing to say!”

  Connie and Vivienne turned their heads. Standing in front of them were Krista and Ymir.

  Most of them had grown very fond of Krista during their time at the Academy. She was that one girl — the one everyone liked. Admired. Kind. Sweet. But whenever Vivienne was around her, she felt her stomach twist. A strange sense of insecurity would creep up inside her and take over.

  Vivienne couldn’t explain it. But standing next to Krista felt like sinking to the bottom of a deep lake. No matter how hard she tried to swim upwards, she could never reach the surface. The pressure built up inside her, pulling her further down.

  It was one of the reasons she didn’t like being around them.

  Ymir’s eyes drifted to the wooden table. “Don’t you think that’s enough? You don’t need to impress anyone now we’re members of the Survey Corps.”

  The words stung slightly. “I’m not doing this to impress anyone,” Vivienne said, a little sharper than she intended.

  “No? Then why? Why go to all the trouble of taking apart your ODM gear?”

  The question hung in the air. Vivienne’s emerald-green eyes fell back on the scattered pieces.

  Why?

  Why was she doing this?

  “I... I want to understand the ODM better. I want to improve it. If I improve it, then...”. The faces of Marco and Heinz flashed before her. Her hand clenched into a fist. She knew exactly why — but she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t speak the words aloud.

  “And you think you can actually manage that?” Ymir asked, pulling Vivienne’s gaze back to her.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted honestly. “But I want to try.”

  Once again, silence settled between them, broken only by the wind stirring the branches overhead.

  “How noble of you.”

  Ymir’s sarcasm didn’t go unanswered. Vivienne gave her a steady, serious look.

  “At least I’m trying to do something.”

  The atmosphere grew tense. But Ymir just clicked her tongue and turned away. A moment later, Krista called after her and hurried to catch up.

  Vivienne exhaled slowly. Adjusting the controls wasn’t enough anymore.

  She didn’t want to think about it. But Heinz’s empty eyes still haunted her mind.

  A gentle hand touched her shoulder. She looked sideways and saw Connie’s worried face.

  “You all right?”

  Vivienne sighed again and gave a small, wry smile. “I think I’ve forgotten how to put the ODM back together.”

  Panic flashed across Connie’s face. “What do you mean, you’ve forgotten?” His eyes darted over the table. “All right... I’m no expert, but I think this screw goes in here—”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  He was holding a screw far too small for the much too large opening.

  Connie wasn’t like Armin — or her — but Vivienne appreciated the effort. And that's why she couldn't stop smiling at him.

  A few days later, she made her way down the corridor at headquarters, her heart quickening with every step. When she reached the door, she took a deep breath. Then she entered, gave a military salute, and said,"Vivienne D'Aubigne. Member of the Survey Corps, currently under the supervision of Squad Leader Ness."

  For a moment, all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.

  "I always wondered if you'd turn up here one day," Erwin said, though he didn’t look up from the documents spread across the desk in front of him.

  Vivienne's eyes widened and she blinked. "I must admit, I'm surprised you recognised me."

  Erwin picked up a file. "Vivienne D'Aubigné of Mitras. Physically, and with her condition, she has some difficulties, but she stands out in her handling of the ODM gear — particularly the adjustments she made to her own equipment to eliminate a Titan dummy faster than the opposing team."

  At last, his icy blue eyes — the ones she remembered so well — met hers. "Though I must say, you've grown a bit since we last met."

  Their last meeting...

  Uncle étienne had meant the world to her. But it hadn’t been his death alone that had made her decide to join the Survey Corps. That memory was still painfully fresh: standing with Erwin at the edge of the river, the wind cold against her skin, as he handed her a piece of cloth — the symbol stitched onto it haunting her ever since.

  The emblem of the Survey Corps.

  But it wasn’t the cloth that had changed everything. It was his words. He had asked her how far she would go to find out the truth about her uncle's death.

  Confused, she had stared at him. "You... You don't know how my uncle died?"

  Something cold had spread through her chest, and Erwin had simply looked at her — the same measured look he always seemed to wear, as though he were waiting to see how she would react.

  "We found his troop dead. But your uncle... there was no trace of him. We never found his body."

  A shiver ran down her spine and she pressed her lips tightly together. She could have guessed as much — but it was different hearing it said aloud.

  Then Erwin added,"It's not what you think."

  Now she was utterly confused.

  "We know what a crime scene looks like when a Titan eats its victims. But that wasn't the case here."

  The words shook her, and she stared at the cloth in her hand. "How... What happened to my uncle? Where is he? If it wasn't a Titan, then what...?"

  Before she could finish, Erwin's earlier question echoed in her mind.

  How far would you go to find out the truth?

  Far enough.

  "I need answers. I need to know what happened to my uncle," Vivienne said.

  Erwin had explained, even then, that the Survey Corps didn't have the time or resources to launch a full-scale investigation — and she had understood. Especially after hearing the way people in the capital whispered about her family.

  "When you look at the ODM, what do you see?" Erwin asked now, pulling her back to the present.

  The question caught her off guard, but she answered honestly. "It's good. But I think there's room for improvement."

  "What would you change?"

  "The reaction time — and the cylinder for the swords," she replied. "The lighter the mechanism, the easier it is to move around using the gear."

  Erwin rose from his chair. "I want everyone focused on the mission at hand. But once it's over, I'll allow you to see our report on your uncle's death."

  Vivienne stared at him, stunned. Somehow, she'd imagined it would be more difficult — that she'd have to fight harder to get the chance. "Thank you," she said quietly.

  "Before you go, could you deliver this report to Hange Zo?? She's one floor down."

  Vivienne saluted once more, took the document from him, and left the room.

  Erwin turned back towards the window, gazing out at the horizon. Levi’s earlier words echoed in his mind: Had they become an orphanage for the spoiled rich?

  Others had been surprised to learn that the niece of a fallen comrade had chosen to join the ranks.

  But there was a reason for everything.

  The air in the Survey Corps headquarters smelled of ink, parchment, and a faint trace of metal. The dim light from the lanterns flickered against the walls, but it was the daylight seeping through the windows that cast long shadows across the room.

  Vivienne stood stiffly near the door, her hands clasped behind her back, the report Erwin had given her held tightly in her grasp. Her emerald green eyes scanned the cluttered room. Papers were strewn across the desk, a half-eaten loaf of bread teetered precariously atop a pile of books, and in the midst of it all — bent over a scribbled diagram of a Titan — sat Hange Zo?.

  Vivienne had heard of her, of course. Everyone had. The eccentric, Titan-obsessed scientist who often forgot to eat or sleep when absorbed in her work.

  She cleared her throat quietly.

  Hange's head snapped up so fast that Vivienne half-expected her to strain something. Large brown eyes fixed on her, scrutinising her as though she were an unidentified specimen rather than a new recruit.

  "Ah, you must be the Mitras girl," Hange grinned, springing up from the desk in one fluid motion. "Vivienne, right? Fascinating, fascinating — Erwin said you might drop by!"

  Vivienne tensed slightly at the way she said Mitras girl — not unkindly, but with a certain fascination, as if she were another puzzle waiting to be solved.

  "Just Vivienne is fine," she replied in a calm voice.

  Hange stepped closer, head tilted, studying her. "Hmm... You've got that noble look, but there's something else, isn’t there? Something different."

  Vivienne stiffened. Could it be? Did Hange somehow know about the voices — about the madness she feared was creeping in?

  But Hange only grinned wider. "Don't worry, I love different."

  Vivienne exhaled slowly through her nose, watching as Hange turned away and began rifling through a stack of notes.

  "Tell me, Vivienne," Hange said without looking up, "what do you think of Titans?"

  Vivienne hesitated. "I think they're monsters."

  Hange paused. Then, to Vivienne’s surprise, she laughed — a bright, almost delighted laugh. "Ah! That's the first thing most people say."

  She turned her full attention back to Vivienne, her eyes gleaming.

  "But I have a feeling you’ll think differently, in time."

  Vivienne frowned slightly. "Why would I?"

  Hange only smiled. "Because you look at things as if you're searching for the truth."

  A strange shiver ran down Vivienne’s spine.

  The truth.

  "How far would you go to find the truth?"

  She let out a breath. "I'm here to fight," she said simply.

  Hange hummed thoughtfully. "Fighting and understanding aren't mutually exclusive," she said, tapping a finger against her chin. "I think I’m going to like you, Vivienne. Yes, yes — I think we'll get along splendidly."

  Vivienne wasn’t sure what to think. But when Hange launched into an enthusiastic explanation about Titan anatomy, gesticulating wildly with ink-stained hands, Vivienne listened.

  And she realised something.

  They knew almost nothing.

  The Titans had roamed outside the walls for over a century — and they still knew almost nothing.

  And with every answer came only more questions.

  Sleepless. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling. She really needed to sleep. But it was getting harder with each passing day. Vivienne still hadn’t figured out how to adjust to everything that had happened. She tossed and turned, but when she realised it was useless, she let out a long, heavy sigh.

  Carefully, she slipped out of bed and crept past the others.

  Once outside, she wandered aimlessly down the corridor. Her footsteps eventually slowed, and she looked up — only to find Jean standing a few metres away. They both froze, surprised to see each other.

  Jean opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. He looked up at the night sky instead. "Looks like you’re missing out on your beauty sleep, Princess," he said.

  Vivienne gave a quiet laugh and moved to stand beside him. "The horses miss you in the stables too, but here we are."

  They stood silently next to each other. They hadn’t really spoken since the Battle of Trost. Not that they had talked much even before then — mostly, they had argued or annoyed each other.

  Footsteps echoed from down the hall. They turned to see Armin and Connie approaching from the left, with Sasha coming from the right.

  Silence fell.

  No one spoke.

  Then Sasha pointed dramatically at Vivienne. "Vivienne! Are you having a secret date with Jean?" she cried.

  Vivienne’s cheeks flushed red. She glanced at Jean, who immediately snapped,"Are you mad? As if I’d go on a date with a spoilt princess like Vivienne!"

  Vivienne scowled. She didn’t like that at all. "Good. Because who’d want to hang around with someone who looks like a horse!"

  "The hell did you just call me?" Jean spluttered.

  The bickering continued for at least another ten minutes, until eventually, both of them folded their arms and turned away, sulking.

  The rest of the group couldn’t help laughing.

  Connie fished a deck of cards out of his pocket. "Wanna play a round?" he suggested.

  The others looked at each other, hesitating for a moment — then agreed. They quickly explained the rules to Jean, and soon the game was underway.

  "Careful I don't kick you straight back to your horse stable," Vivienne teased as she placed a card down.

  "Funny," Jean replied, placing his card. "I was just thinking how perfect it’d be for you to get locked up in a fancy tower somewhere."

  Despite the earlier tension, the game carried on.

  Jean, looking smug, was just about to play his final card when Sasha suddenly leapt up into the air.

  "Yes! I’ve won!" she cried.

  Jean stared at her, open-mouthed. "You cheated! There’s no way you could’ve won!"

  "What do you mean, cheated?" Sasha protested.

  "If anyone cheated, it was you two!" Connie chimed in, and yet another heated argument broke out.

  Armin and Vivienne just looked on, half-exasperated, half-amused. But after a while, a wide grin crept across Vivienne’s lips.

  Their next mission would begin in two days.

  But maybe — just maybe — some things would stay the same after all.