"Forgot…? Forgot?" Hange leaned forward, blinking rapidly. "Eren, try again. What did your father say to you? This might be vital to humanity!"
Eren's brows knit together. He paused a moment, then said quietly, "I can't remember."
"Come on~ Think about it again!" Hange urged, her tone almost pleading.
Eren stayed silent.
"Enough!" Carla suddenly cut in, stepping protectively in front of her son. "If the boy doesn't remember, then he doesn't! Stop pressing him!" Her voice rose, sharp with anger. "You people from the Survey Corps—every question you ask sounds like an interrogation."
She pulled Eren closer, her arm wrapped firmly around his shoulders. "Eren isn't some kind of experiment. He's just a normal child!"
Hange froze, her mouth half open, unsure whether to defend herself or apologize.
"Eren," Carla said softly, crouching to his eye level. Her eyes were full of worry and exhaustion. "Do you know where your father went?"
Eren's gaze drifted to the horizon, calm and unreadable. "…I don't know."
Carla's expression faltered. He really doesn't know… The faint hope she had been clinging to sank like a stone. If only Grisha would appear—then everything could be explained. But he was gone, and silence was all that remained.
"That's fine," Hange said gently after a moment, forcing a smile. "Once we find Dr. Grisha, everything will make sense. Eren, would you mind talking with me for a bit?"
Carla's arm tightened. "That's enough! Stop making things difficult for him! How many times must I tell you? He's just a child! Don't question him like a criminal!"
"I—" Hange's words stumbled. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She had fought Titans, dissected corpses, faced death itself, but nothing was more terrifying than a mother guarding her cub.
Eren watched quietly. An ordinary child…? The phrase echoed strangely in his head.
Carla leaned close, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Eren, listen to me. From now on, don't speak. Don't answer any of their questions. Not until your father comes back. Otherwise, one wrong word could bring disaster to us all. Understand?"
"Don't be like that!" Hange protested weakly. "We're not the Military Police Brigade. We don't do interrogations!"
But Carla didn't answer her. She looked only at her son.
Eren nodded once. "Yeah."
With that, he went silent, obediently sitting beside her and refusing to respond to Hange's increasingly desperate attempts at conversation.
"Why's he so quiet?" Hange muttered under her breath. "His brother, Zeke, was at least talkative."
Keith cleared his throat. "Carla, don't you even trust me?"
"It's not about trust," Carla replied coldly. "It's about responsibility. If you want answers, find Grisha. Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Don't burden my son with things he doesn't know."
Keith sighed. "Fine. When I find that bastard, I'll make sure he explains everything himself."
The rest of the journey continued in tense silence. The carriage rocked steadily over uneven ground. Outside, wind whispered through the trees.
Eren sat quietly, staring at the floorboards. When he finally looked up, he found Mikasa glancing at him nervously.
"What… what are you looking at?" she asked, tugging her scarf higher to hide the bruise on her cheek from her earlier scuffle.
"Nothing," Eren said, smiling faintly.
Mikasa frowned, flustered. Why is he staring at me like that?
Minutes passed. She dared another glance—and saw that Eren was still watching her.
"What are you looking at again?!" she burst out, cheeks burning. She'd lived next to him for years, but never had he stared at her this long.
Eren blinked, startled. "Nothing, really."
"Then why are you smiling?"
Caught off guard, Eren chuckled. "You're just… making that face again."
Mikasa ripped off her scarf with a huff, her catlike eyes flashing. "Laugh if you want! I fought someone earlier and lost, okay? Happy now?"
Eren's surprise was genuine. "You… lost? How? You never lose fights."
That only made her angrier. "Hmph!" she crossed her arms and looked away, muttering something about "that damn short guy."
"Mikasa!" Carla scolded gently. "You're a girl. Stop thinking about fighting all the time! Especially adults! You can't beat a grown soldier."
"…Yeah," Mikasa mumbled, puffing her cheeks out in frustration.
Eren laughed quietly. He couldn't help it—her childish sulking was strangely comforting.
But Mikasa noticed his gaze again. "Can you please stop staring? It's weird!"
"Sorry." He turned away… then peeked back again moments later.
Mikasa rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Finally, the carriage slowed to a halt.
"We're here!" Hange's cheerful voice shattered the quiet. "Survey Corps Headquarters! If we'd stayed in there any longer, my butt would've fallen asleep!"
She hopped out first, landing with a thud, then reached back to help the others. "Come on, kids!"
She lifted Armin out of the carriage.
When she turned for the next child, Mikasa had already jumped down gracefully, brushing off her skirt.
"…These kids," Hange muttered, half-amused, half-defeated. "At least one of you could let me help, you know."
Armin patted her arm. "Don't feel bad, Captain. I've gotten used to it too." He sighed dramatically. "Being the only one who ever needs help… kind of hurts the pride."
Hange chuckled and tousled his hair.
Eren helped Carla down carefully, his small hands steady against her arm.
"Thanks, sweetheart. I can walk now." She adjusted herself on the crutch Zeke had carved for her. The smooth wood gleamed faintly under the sunlight.
Her eyes softened. Zeke… Despite the truth she had learned, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. He was gentle, capable, kind. Why did you have to be Grisha's child?
With a sigh, she followed Keith toward the headquarters.
Mikasa stood waiting ahead. The instant Eren caught her gaze, she looked away sharply, pretending to fix her scarf.
Eren walked over quietly. Her scarf had slipped again, loose and uneven. Without saying a word, he reached up and adjusted it for her.
Mikasa froze, eyes wide.
When he finished, he smiled softly—and then, as if drawn by something deeper than reason, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"Eh?" Mikasa blinked, too stunned to move. Her cheeks burned. "E-Eren?"
He didn't answer. He just held her a moment longer, the air between them still and fragile. Then he laughed, shaking his head. "Ah… I must look like a weird old man doing that."
"What did you say?" Mikasa frowned, tilting her head in confusion.
Eren smiled faintly and rested his forehead against her shoulder. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's nothing. Just remember… I'll be there when you need me."
Mikasa's breath caught. The words lingered in the air like a promise—one she didn't yet understand.
But someday, she would.