They had left the houses and streets behind and were now riding in open country.

  Erwin stretched out his arm. "Get into long-range scouting formation!"

  The soldiers rode off in all directions like arrows from a drawn bow, each disappearing into the tall grass and dusty trail ahead.

  Vivienne glanced over at Connie. “Try not to get killed.”

  A slight smirk tugged at his mouth. “Says you — who can’t even beat me in training. I’ll see you after this mission.”

  And then she was alone. Just her and her horse.

  The rhythmic pounding of hooves blurred into the background, and for a moment, it felt like she could hear her own heartbeat echoing in her chest. Her breath came in steady bursts, but her fingers tightened slightly on the reins. The landscape stretched endlessly in all directions — rolling fields, broken fence posts, the bones of civilisation trying to stay strong.

  Above her, a hawk circled in the pale blue sky, watching silently.

  Focus.

  She leaned forward, urging Braunholz on. The horse responded, steady and sure beneath her. Every training session, the battle of Trost, every sleepless night — it had all led to this moment. She was now officially part of it.

  And yet…

  That feeling again. The one that crept along her spine like a shiver. That whispered into her ears.

  A flicker of movement caught her eye - too far off to see clearly. Dust, maybe. Or not.

  She shook it off and pushed on.

  No distractions. Just ride. Follow the signal flares. Do your job. Don't die.

  Suddenly, a red flare shot up into the sky to the west - smoke curling high above the trees.

  If a member of the squad spotted a Titan, they would shoot red smoke into the air. Anyone who saw it would pass on the signal. And when the commander finally sees it, he shoots green smoke in the air to show the formation where to ride. This allows the whole formation to move forward and avoid the Titans. Sometimes, however, a Titan may not be sighted until much later, due to obstacles that can block the view.

  Then a black flare shot up into the sky, and her heart stopped for a moment.

  Black meant abnormal behaviour. The formation couldn't hold the Titan off. That in itself was rare. But what unsettled her most was the silence. There were no screams. No panicked galloping. Just the distant echo of hooves and the sudden crack of wind where the flare had broken the sky.

  But no Titan.

  Not yet.

  Something's wrong.

  Vivienne yanked gently on the reins and veered westward, her eyes scanning the low tree line. A second flare shot up—another black one—further out. Her chest tightened.

  That’s close to the right flank.

  And then—hoofbeats. Fast. Urgent.

  She caught sight of riders ahead through the thinning trees. One of them had fallen behind slightly, gesturing wildly. As she closed in, she recognised the figures: Armin, hunched over his horse but upright, gripping his reins with both hands, Jean, just behind him, and Reiner bringing up the rear.

  Vivienne rode up alongside, catching her breath as she matched their pace.

  Jean glanced sideways. “Vivienne?! What are you doing here?”

  “I saw the flare. Something’s off,” she called back. “I didn’t see a Titan... but two black flares? That’s not normal. And I needed to make sure..."

  Making sure she wouldn't need to burn another corps.

  “No kidding,” Jean muttered, his face drawn and serious.

  Reiner cut in, “You didn’t see it?”

  Vivienne frowned. “See what?”

  Armin turned slightly, and the look in his eyes was enough to silence her.

  “She’s fast,” he said quietly, “and smart. Too smart.”

  Vivienne’s brows furrowed. “She?”

  Reiner looked grim, sweat streaking the side of his face as he glanced back at the smoke trailing in the air. “That flare came from the right flank… Does that mean we’re compromised? That we can’t continue the mission?”

  Jean grit his teeth, his expression tight. “The recon squad on that side got hit hard. Looks like they were partially wiped out. Titans—loads of them. I don’t know why, but they’re swarming.”

  Vivienne felt a chill pass through her. Something wasn’t adding up.

  Then she saw it. Running some meters in front of them. A titan. But not just any Titan, no. The short blonde hair. Could it really be? Did they escape from her nightmare into the real world?

  Armin, still steady despite the panic in the air, spoke up from ahead. “I don’t think this is random.”

  They all glanced at him.

  “She’s not acting like a normal Titan. She covered her weak point. She avoided unnecessary kills. And... she’s been heading straight through the formation, not chasing any group — just cutting through. Deliberately.”

  Vivienne narrowed her eyes. “She’s looking for something.”

  Armin gave a small nod. “No. Someone.”

  The realisation settled between them like a weight.

  Jean’s voice was lower now. “You think she’s one of us?”

  “She’s like Eren,” Armin said. “A Titan Shifter. I think she’s leading the other Titans this way on purpose. She’s not chasing us. She’s trying to reach the centre.”

  Vivienne felt her stomach knot.

  “Damn close,” Reiner growled. “And we’re right in her path."

  Vivienne’s breath quivered, and her face turned pale. Another shiver ran down her spine as the moment replayed in her mind: the ruined city, the dead mother, the little girl...

  A feeling rose within her — one she knew by name but refused to acknowledge.

  There were more. More than just Eren.

  The realisation struck her like a slap to the face, and she felt as though she were falling from a cliff. Her grip on the reins tightened.

  The Capital.

  There it was again.

  A river.

  The voices.

  “Vivienne.”

  She exhaled sharply in relief. Jean was looking at her, tense. “This isn’t the time for daydreaming. Smoke grenades can’t possibly convey a threat like this.”

  As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. How were they supposed to communicate something like this using smoke signals alone?

  “At this rate, command’s going to be wiped out. Then the formation collapses — and that’ll be it.”

  “What are you getting at?” Reiner asked Jean.

  “In other words... at this distance, we might be able to draw its attention. We might buy some time for a retreat. Maybe... Maybe...” Jean trailed off, his eyes flickering downward.

  “I see,” Vivienne said. “You want us to act as a diversion.”

  “But it’s intelligent,” Armin said quietly. “To it, we’re just insects. It’ll crush us without a second thought...”

  Jean pulled a face - nervous and visibly shaken. “Seriously? That’s terrifying...” he let out a breathy, anxious laugh.

  Vivienne tightened her grip on the reins until her thumbs turned white from the pressure.

  “Are you really Jean?” Reiner asked, eyebrows raised. “The Jean I know only ever looked out for himself.”

  A fair question. If someone had told Jean two years ago that he’d be saying things like this, he’d have called them idiots and bragged about joining the Military Police. He used to joke about letting others take the fall so long as he got ahead.

  “Don’t be an ass...” Jean muttered, his tone shifting. “I just... I don’t want those charred bones I saw to be disappointed in me. I know what I have to do now! This is the job we chose! Help me!”

  Vivienne sighed deeply. He was right - again. This was the path they’d all chosen. She glanced at him and nodded. “Let’s do it, then.”

  Armin pulled his hood up. “Cover your face as much as possible. If it doesn’t recognise us, I don’t think it’ll kill us straight away.”

  “Understood,” said Reiner. “You think it won’t attack if it thinks one of us might be Eren? Not comforting, but better than nothing.”

  “Armin,” Jean grinned slightly, “I always thought it was creepy how much you clung to Eren - but I knew you had it in you.”

  “I don’t like this,” Vivienne said bluntly, her eyes fixed on the Female Titan. “This is a whole new kind of enemy... and let’s be honest - we’re not ready.”

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  The thunder of hooves pounded beneath them as they charged forward, the trees blurring past like the ghosts of those already lost. Vivienne's heart was hammering, but her grip was steady, her resolve sharpened to a point. The Female Titan loomed ahead, impossible to ignore, unstoppable in her advance.

  Jean veered left, urging his horse into a fast arc as he drew his blades. With a sharp cry, he launched his manoeuvre, aiming for the back of the Titan’s knee. His steel flashed - but the Titan reacted faster than expected.

  With terrifying precision, she swung her leg, catching Jean off guard and forcing him to pull back. Before anyone could regroup, the Female Titan twisted suddenly and backhanded Armin’s horse.

  “No!” Vivienne screamed, yanking her reins to the side.

  Armin was flung from the saddle. He hit the ground hard, tumbling through grass and mud until his body lay still, half-curled, barely moving.

  “Armin!” Vivienne’s voice cracked as she kicked her heels into Braunholz’s side and veered straight for him. “Jean, cover me!”

  “Don’t be an idiot—!”

  Too late. She was already moving.

  The Female Titan began to turn again, her head scanning the formation - looking. Searching.

  Vivienne slid down from her horse in one fluid motion, landing hard beside Armin. Blood streaked his forehead and his eyes were dazed, but he was alive. She crouched over him protectively, her mind racing.

  Think. Think, damn it!

  Smoke and wind whipped around them. She saw Jean trying again.

  But it didn’t help at all. The Titan shielded the nape of its neck with one hand.

  “JEAN!” Vivienne shouted, taking a step forward. She had to do something.

  “JEAN! AVENGE THE SUICIDAL BASTARD!” Armin suddenly cried out.

  The Titan’s fist, which had just been swinging towards Jean, froze mid-air.

  “That’s the one! That’s the one that killed him!” Armin yelled, scrambling to his feet. Vivienne stared at him, slightly dazed. Blood trickled down his face.

  “He fell to his death on the right flank! AVENGE HIM!” Armin continued, his voice cracking.

  Vivienne instinctively moved in front of him, shielding him. She still didn’t know what he was playing at — but she knew she couldn’t let him die. Her heart eased just slightly when she saw Jean land safely on the ground.

  But it began to hammer again when Reiner pulled down his hood and surged forward on horseback. Armin kept shouting, claiming to have seen the Titan crush his closest friend.

  Vivienne’s eyes widened as Reiner launched himself into the air with his ODM gear.

  “Don’t do it! It’s too risky!” she shouted.

  The words had barely left her lips before the Female Titan snatched Reiner in her fist. Gasps broke out around them as her hand clenched, and blood sprayed out.

  Vivienne stared in horror, clutching her blades tighter. She braced herself for the worst.

  But to her astonishment, Reiner burst free from the Titan’s grasp. Without hesitating, he sprinted towards her and Armin. He scooped Armin into his arms and shouted back at Vivienne, “Come on!”

  But Vivienne didn’t move.

  She stood rooted to the spot. The chaos around her faded, and the voices of the others became distant echoes. All she could hear was a soft whisper.

  Her emerald eyes met the Titan’s.

  And the Titan looked back.

  That feeling again. Unexplainable, but undeniable - like she knew this Titan.

  Vivienne’s breath caught in her throat.

  The wind rustled through the trees, but in her ears, it was drowned out by something else — distant, echoing voices. Like whispers carried on the breeze, circling her.

  Vivienne

  Her breath hitched. This was the first time the voices used her name.

  Do you remember?

  Her eyes remained locked on the Female Titan’s. Time seemed to slow. Her heartbeat thundered, but it felt muffled, like it belonged to someone else.

  The capital. Her home.

  She saw it.

  The wide cobbled streets of Mitras. Whitewashed stone. The central spire of the Military Police headquarters rising into the pale sky. And laughter - children’s laughter, echoing strangely off the alley walls. A figure standing in a shaft of sunlight, small, solitary. Golden hair glinting, caught in a gust of wind. The figure turned slightly. Cold eyes. A flash of green. The sound of boots on stone.

  Then -

  Crack.

  A flash of fire. Screams. A familiar voice, twisted in rage: “Why did you let them do this to us?” "I knew you joining the Survey Corps will bring only trouble"

  Vivienne staggered, hand instinctively going to her head. The vision snapped like a thread being cut. She gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

  The Titan was still staring at her.

  Not moving. Not attacking. Just watching.

  And for a single breath, Vivienne could’ve sworn she saw something in its expression — not fury, not instinct. Something… calculating. A flicker of recognition.

  She stepped back, blinking rapidly.

  Tears

  Pity

  “Vivienne, come on!” Reiner shouted again, his voice breaking through the haze.

  But she didn't move. She couldn't. Her legs felt heavy, rooted to the earth, as if moving would shatter everything she’d just seen.

  Vivienne’s thoughts were a whirlwind.

  The capital... That girl in the alley... Those eyes...

  She knew that stare. She’d seen it during training. Cold. Focused. Alone in a crowd.

  “…No,” she whispered to herself. “It can’t be.”

  But the image lingered, buried deep behind her eyes.

  And so did the voice.

  You know it

  You watched it

  The voices had faded now, but their echo clung to her ribs like frost.

  Then - a hand. Rough, warm, real - closing tightly around her wrist.

  “Oi!” Jean’s voice, breathless and sharp. “Now is not the time to be having some kind of bloody existential crisis!”

  He didn’t wait for her to answer. He yanked her forward, pulling her into motion with a force that jolted her whole body back to the present.

  Vivienne stumbled after him, her boots dragging in the dirt before catching pace. “Jean—!”

  “Shut up and run!” he snapped, glancing back just long enough to make sure she was following. “Don’t care what’s going on in that head of yours right now, but I’m not letting you die standing around staring at Titans like some wide-eyed idiot.”

  His grip on her hand didn’t loosen.

  Behind them, the Female Titan hadn’t moved. But the moment still felt dangerously borrowed, like it could break apart at any second.

  Only once they were in relative cover behind a large outcrop of boulders did Jean finally let go of her hand — too quickly, like the contact had burned him.

  He turned to her, panting. “What the hell was that back there? You just… froze. You never freeze.”

  Confused he starred at her. This was the girl he needed to stop not that long ago from jumping into the streets that were full of titans.

  "I..." she breathed and looked at her hands. "I don't know I saw something and... I. Maybe... I don't know... I am not sure"

  Jean stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed — then ran a hand through his hair and looked away with a scoff.

  “Well, that’s comforting. I guess next time we’ll just ask the Titan to wait while you finish having a vision.”

  She gave him a tired, breathless laugh despite herself. “Sorry.”

  He didn’t look at her when he replied, but his voice softened a little. “Just don’t do it again, alright?”

  She nodded, eyes lingering on him for a second too long.

  “...You came back for me.”

  That made him glance over, his expression unreadable for a beat. “Yeah, well.” He looked away again. “You’re useful. Occasionally. Who is going to improve illegally our ODM gear, if not you?”

  Vivienne allowed a faint smile. “Thanks.”

  Jean cleared his throat and looked everywhere but at her. “Yeah. Just… don’t get any ideas.”

  Then, more quietly, barely audible: “...Wasn’t going to leave you behind.”

  Before Vivienne could respond, Reiner shouted in the distance, rallying the others to regroup. The moment dissolved like morning mist, swept away by the return of duty.

  But as Vivienne followed Jean back to the others, her thoughts wandered back.

  She didn’t know what she’d seen back there.

  Or did she?

  The thought made her scared and she didn't want to think too much about it.

  At least not now.

  The sound of hooves faded into the distance, leaving only the laboured breathing of the survivors and the eerie, empty forest around them.

  Reiner’s horse stood nearby, sides heaving, its reins tangled in a low branch. But Vivienne’s Holzbraun and Jean’s horse were nowhere in sight.

  Jean cursed under his breath, eyes scanning the treeline. “Damn it… where the hell did they go?”

  Vivienne tried whistling again, sharp and clear through the trees. Nothing.

  “Holzbraun,” she murmured under her breath. “Come on, boy… please be alright.”

  Reiner winced as he knelt beside Armin, hastily tearing strips of cloth to bind his head. “It’s no good. If only one horse came back…”

  Jean looked up sharply. “Then two of us are staying behind.”

  A heavy silence fell.

  Vivienne stepped forward, her boots crunching softly on the undergrowth. She approached Armin, who was crouched near a tree, still catching his breath. His face was pale, streaked with drying blood, his eyes glassy from shock.

  “You alright?” she asked softly, crouching beside him.

  Armin blinked, then nodded faintly. “I think so…”

  “Then I’ll stay with you,” she said at once, without hesitation. “Until the others come.”

  Jean’s head snapped toward her. “What? Are you serious?”

  Vivienne didn’t answer him. She was already helping Armin shift into a more comfortable position, brushing a few leaves from his shoulder. Reiner cast a glance their way but said nothing. He always did that when Vivienne was around.

  Jean frowned. She’s doing it again… Always trying to protect someone. Always trying to throw herself in front of someone else’s pain.

  His grip tightened on the hilt of his blade. What the hell am I supposed to do? Go running off like a coward? His jaw clenched. But if I stay, and the others don’t come…

  A rustle in the trees.

  Armin suddenly sat upright. “Let’s fire a smoke round,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “If the formation kept moving straight ahead, then row 4–3 should be somewhere close by.”

  A second later, the crack of the signal round echoed through the forest, a plume of smoke spiralling up through the trees.

  For a moment, all they could do was wait.

  Then - hoofbeats.

  Vivienne stood quickly. “Do you hear that?”

  Jean grabbed his blades and turned, eyes wide.

  From between the trees, Krista emerged, riding fast, and trailing two horses behind her. One of them was brown, strong, and stubborn-looking, its reins whipping wildly as it fought against the lead. Holzbraun.

  “Thank god,” Vivienne breathed, rushing forward. “Holzbraun!”

  The horse whinnied as it saw her, stomping the ground. Krista brought them to a halt, panting. “Is everything okay? They doubled back when they heard the signal! Took me forever to catch them!”

  Jean ran toward his own horse, Buchwald, relief washing over his face despite himself.

  Wiping tears from her face, Krista said in an emotional voice that she was glad no one was hurt.

  The men froze, but Vivienne was still stroking her horse's mane.

  She was still calming Holzbraun, her expression half-relieved, half-wrecked with exhaustion.

  He opened his mouth — then shut it again. Instead, he muttered, just loud enough: “You’re lucky Krista’s got a thing for saving idiots.”

  Vivienne looked up, meeting his eyes. “Guess that makes two of us.”

  Something flickered between them, but it passed as quickly as it came.

  “Let’s go,” Jean said gruffly. “We’ve lost enough time already.”

  Vivienne swung up onto Holzbraun with practiced ease. As the group began moving out, she glanced sideways - just once - at Jean.

  His gaze was already ahead. But when she turned back, she noticed his horse had slowed just slightly. Just enough to ride beside her.

  She didn’t say anything.

  Neither did he.

  They looked up at the sky. Green smoke.

  "A green round?" Jean asked.

  "Looks like they're continuing the operation, just changing course," said Armin.

  "What does Commander Erwin think?"Jean asked.

  Vivienne wasn't sure. But whatever it was, she had the feeling that Erwin had it all planned out. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something she didn't see in others.