The carriage rattled along the dirt road, its wheels kicking up dust under the pale afternoon sun.
Zeke finally adjusted to the shaking and broke the silence. "Are you guys on bad terms with the Garrison Regiment? The moment they appeared, you bolted."
Levi didn't even glance at him. "Mainly because no one likes being sent to die."
"...?"
"They called us for backup in the middle of the night," Levi muttered, rubbing his temple. "We don't even live in Shiganshina, and they still dragged us out there.
Do they think the ODM Gear's for swinging around like kids on a playground?"
Zeke chuckled faintly. "After all, you're stronger. You can handle any problem."
"'Free' doesn't mean 'volunteer.' No one wants to go on suicide runs." Levi's tone was clipped.
Zeke sighed, resting his head against the carriage wall. "Is your headquarters far?"
Levi hesitated at the sudden change of topic, but replied anyway. "Pretty far."
"Wake me when we get there," Zeke murmured, closing his eyes.
Levi frowned. "What for?"
No answer. Zeke was already asleep.
Levi leaned back, observing the young man quietly. "I forgot to ask—did we know each other before?"
Zeke's eyes remained closed. "I don't know you."
"Then why do you feel familiar to me?"
"I don't."
"Are you afraid of me?"
"Not at all."
Shing!
The sound of metal slicing air cracked through the silence.
Zeke jolted awake, eyes wide, as Levi's blade gleamed inches from his throat.
Zeke stared, dumbfounded. "...Really?"
Levi smirked faintly. "That was a quick reaction."
"If you want to talk, just talk. Stop waving that knife around!" Zeke groaned.
"Then answer properly. How do you know me?"
Zeke threw up his hands. "You said it yourself—you don't recognize me! When we first met, your swordsmanship left an impression. If anyone among humans could kill me, it'd be you."
Levi scoffed. "Nonsense. When we fought, you weren't afraid of me at all."
Zeke's gaze drifted to the window. "That's because… I saw your potential early on. You'll become faster, more ruthless… no, I shouldn't say more. Just stay how you are. Yes, please—stay exactly like this."
Levi frowned. "How's that possible?"
He studied the man before him — calm, calculating, and far too composed for someone chained in custody.
His own pride as a soldier stirred. "Next time, you can turn into a Titan and spar with me. The fake Titans at HQ are useless. I've never fought a real one in training."
"No!" Zeke sat up, horrified. "You think I'd volunteer for that?"
Levi smirked. "Then how about a peace offering? I'll treat you to kebabs. You eat human food, right? Or do you prefer it raw?"
Zeke's temples throbbed. "Levi, I'm human! Measure me like one!"
"Barbecue or hot pot?"
"I don't want either!"
"Steak? Rare?"
"Levi…" Zeke groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I'm tired. Let me rest."
Levi shrugged and sheathed his blade. He studied Zeke's slumped form — pale, drained, his breathing slow but steady.
Who wasn't exhausted these days? From the battle in Shiganshina to now, none of them had rested properly.
For the soldiers, returning to HQ meant a few hours of sleep. For Zeke, it was likely the first peace he'd had in days.
"Guess turning into a Titan really burns you out," Levi muttered. "You're at your weakest right now. You could lose control at any moment, huh?"
Zeke didn't reply.
Levi's hand brushed his knife again. "Should I provoke you or let you sleep? If you lose control, someone could die." He hesitated — then exhaled.
Forget it. Everyone's too damn tired.
He let his hand fall away from the hilt.
Meanwhile, in the carriage behind them, Carla noticed something glinting near Eren's seat. She gasped softly and reached down. "Ah…"
A pair of cracked spectacles rested on the floorboards.
"These look like Dr. Grisha's glasses," Hange said, leaning closer. Though they'd only met briefly on the street, that bespectacled doctor had left an impression. "Your brother must've been holding them. I found them in his hand during the examination."
Carla's breath hitched. "Why are Grisha's glasses here?" Her fingers trembled as she clutched them.
Keith, riding beside the wagon, noticed her expression. "Don't panic, Carla. Grisha's still in the forest. He wouldn't do something as foolish as inject himself. He'll walk out on his own, and I'll talk to the Garrison to bring him back."
"He… might inject himself?" Carla's voice cracked. The image of her husband, syringe in hand, flickered in her mind — her heart lurched.
Keith hesitated, then said, "It's possible. If Grisha really possessed the Titan serum, he might've used it already."
Carla's stomach twisted. The bile rose in her throat; the taste of morning bread returned unpleasantly.
Hange frowned. "That's unlikely. No matter how reckless a scientist is, he wouldn't use the serum on himself mid-experiment. That would destroy the data — and his sanity."
Carla exhaled shakily. Relief — fragile, fleeting — washed through her.
Keith muttered under his breath, "So instead, he used his sons?"
"No!" Carla looked up sharply. "Zeke said Eren didn't get the injection!"
"But Zeke himself did," Keith replied grimly.
Carla bit her lip until it bled. Even now, she couldn't accept that Zeke — that boy — was Grisha's son.
"No matter what, I believe Zeke," she said at last. "If he said Eren wasn't injected, then he wasn't. So… I have a request."
All eyes turned toward her.
"Please," she said softly, "don't let Eren know about any of this. He doesn't even know Zeke's a Titan. If he's just an ordinary child but learns all this now, he'll be terrified — or worse, others will see him as a monster. Even if he's proven innocent later, he might never live normally again. So… please, don't tell him. Not yet."
Her voice cracked, trembling between pride and pleading.
Hange hesitated. "But… we can't hide this forever, right? Once we interrogate Zeke and reveal the truth about the Titan serum, everyone will know. How could we possibly conceal—"
"Hange."
Captain Keith's voice cut through, quiet but firm.
He looked at Carla for a long moment before speaking. "I promise you this — until we confirm everything, Eren Yeager's basic human rights will be preserved."
Carla's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you… truly."
The road stretched endlessly ahead. The horses' hooves beat a steady rhythm. No one spoke after that — the exhaustion was too deep.
Hours later, as the forest thinned and the walls of the Survey Corps headquarters came into view, Eren stirred faintly in his sleep.
Two silent tears slipped down his cheeks, catching the dying light.