Darkness.
I saw darkness.
Rather—I didn't see anything at all.
I—Jason James—remembered buying the newly released GTA VI from SuperMart—only 200$.
You had no idea how long I'd been waiting for that game to drop. No idea.
I was crossing the street until I met someone. What was his name again?
Oh! His name was Truck-kun. We all know Truck-kun, right?
After that, I saw nothing but darkness.
I was unable to speak or even force out the most subtle of noises.
Pushing out all my willpower, I felt a strange energy. It seemed to envelop me—my soul, I assumed.
The darkness slowly yielded to light, and the light dissolved into colours—a sky framed through a narrow gap of trees.
"Huh!" I jolted up from my bed—what was supposed to be a bed, at least.
It felt hard—wooden.
I took in my surroundings. I was currently sitting in a carriage, rolling through a thick forest. Sitting opposite me was a girl wearing a rather archaic dress—something straight out of the Renaissance.
She had purple, neck-shoulder-length hair and was nibbling on a potato like it was treasure.
At the front sat the carriage driver, reigning in the horses with steady, practiced motions.
"What?" I blurted out.
"So, yer alive?" the girl said in a distinct accent.
I looked around once more. If this was a dream, it looked far too real. Transmigration?
STATUS WINDOW ACTIVATED!
A voice rang sharply in my ear.
Within my mind, I saw a string of words arranged inside a virtual box.
STATUS WINDOW
HOST: JASON JAMES
AGE: 24
FAVORITE PIECES OF FICTION: SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN, LORD OF MYSTERIES, HARRY POTTER
NEW WORLD (CHOSEN FROM ONE OF THE ABOVE THREE): SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN (ANIME)
NEW IDENTITY: OLLY BRAUS
NEW AGE: 12
BOON(S): ODM PROFICIENCY, HUNTING PROFICIENCY, COOKING PROFICIENCY, MARTIAL ARTS PROFICIENCY, UNIQUE TITAN TRANSFORMATION*
*FIRST TRANSFORMATION MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF SELF-CONTROL UNTIL A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME ELAPSES. TRANSFORMATION WILL AUTOMATICALLY OCCUR UPON FIRST DEATH, AND REBIRTH WILL FOLLOW (REBIRTH LIMIT: 1).
....
The fuck was all this?
I had read many fantasy webnovels—like Lord of Mysteries—so transmigration wasn't a new concept to me. And this situation met all the requirements a little too perfectly.
After reading the status window carefully, I couldn't help but feel a rising sense of disdain.
Was I really in the world of Attack on Titan?
One of the worst fictional worlds to exist.
I noticed that my current name was Olly Braus, then looked at the girl opposite me.
Sasha… Braus.
It appeared that—uh! Fuck! Headache! Was I dying again?!
These memories! It seemed the original owner of this body had been found as a baby in the forest by Sasha's father a few months after she was born, and he took the child in—naming him Olly.
Olly grew up learning to hunt with Sasha under her father's strict yet rustic tutelage.
Finally! The headache was gone!
"So," Sasha said, "yer alive?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" I responded calmly.
"Well, ya passed out at while thinking about the cadets."
"Oh, right." I turned my head slightly.
More like had a heart attack! How much of a wimp could Olly be to die like that?! At least I stepped in! Now Olly wouldn't be eternally remembered as the fool who died because of the thought of his own future! Hahaha!
Wait… the cadets? So that's where we were heading?
I turned back and noticed Sasha staring at me with unreadable eyes—a mix of anger, regret, and something else simmering beneath.
"What're ya lookin' at me like that for?" I asked, attempting to mimic Olly's accent. It flowed smoothly thanks to his memories.
"Why didn't ya die?" Sasha rolled her eyes to the side.
"Huh?" I was truly and utterly confused. What kind of dumb question was that?
"I hoped ya had finally croaked. In all my twelve years in these walls, you've never let me nibble on a potato in peace." she said bluntly.
"If ya want room, just say so." I responded with equal bluntness.
"I've asked for space so many times. Ya never listen. You love to torment innocent girls."
Fuck her!
Something about her blunt honesty was just so off-putting. I felt strange. I guessed that was a normal conversation between her and Olly—I only spoke with equal bluntness because this body's instincts pushed me into it.
We turned our heads away from each other, the silent awkwardness building like a fog.
For the rest of the ride, we both remained mute, as though some oppressive force stood above us pressing down.
I guessed I was Olly now.
....
After making it to the destination, we were given our uniforms with the Cadet Corps badge embroidered on them.
We were also taught the basic rules.
We, along with many of our peers, stood in an open field of rocky ground.
In front of us stood a bald, brown-skinned man—in the same uniform.
He had a strange aura of dread wrapped around him like a second cloak.
I remembered him from the anime. Keith Sades. Haha! Remember when he died in the final season.
Still couldn't believe I was actually in Attack on Titan. Strange how calm I was about it. Maybe a secret boon from the transmigration?
The man began to speak.
"Straighten your spines, pissants! The 104th Cadet Corps boot camp starts now!"
Yay! I was in the same group as Eren and Mikasa—oh! Forgot about Armin.
Why couldn't I have been sent to an earlier time?! Eren's generation was by far the most dangerous—the Colossal Titan breaks through Shinganshina! The Armored Titan breaks through Wall Maria! Annie totally destroys the scouts (not literally) during a reconnaissance mission! And she has a super Titan battle with Eren, damaging so much of Stohess District! Reiner and Bertholt reveal their true motives! They kidnap Eren! The scouts become fugitives! They take back Wall Maria, but after reaching the basement, Eren's worldview is utterly shattered! He eventually becomes humanity's greatest threat, wiping out 80%! All for the sake of the seen future which, for some stupid reason, could never be changed!
I felt like vomiting right there on the rocky floor at the thought of the upcoming future.
But who knew—maybe my presence had already changed everything, for better or for worse.
"My name is Keith Sades, and you will grow to hate me!
"If I've done my job, you all will be waking up in a cold sweat from memories of this place for every night of your miserable lives!
"You're nothing! Livestock! But over the next three soul-crushing years, you'll learn to take down your own goliath!"
His speech was pretty boring. My brain automatically filtered parts of it out.
I already knew what was going to happen from here.
He approached Armin, insulting his name. He compared him to titan food.
He told Jean to forget about the Military Police.
He crushed Marco's ambition, telling him a cruel truth—the King's only use for him was as titan fodder.
He tormented Conny for saluting with the wrong hand.
Then he noticed Sasha… snacking on a potato.
My lips curled up. I didn't know why—I just felt like laughing.
"You're are officially on my shitlist! Just who in the hell are you?!"
She swallowed the potato.
"Sasha Braus from Dauper Village, sir!"
"Sasha Braus… What is that you're holding?"
"A steamed potato! It was begging to eatin'."
"Why… Why eat it here of all places?" Keith said, his voice low and ominous.
"It was gettin' cold, so I chose to give it shelter in my stomach."
"Why—I can't comprehend. Why would you eat that potato?"
Here it came. I remembered the next line as clearly as my butt as a baby! She was going to be told to 'run to the sunset' as punishment! Haha!
"Well, my brother never lets me eat potatoes in peace! He's always a nuisance, sir! He's that scrawny kid over there!"
She actually pointed at me. I knew my presence would alter some things, but not like this!
Keith marched over to me.
"You! What's your name?!"
"Olly Braus!" Though my heart pounded when she pointed to me, my voice remained calm as I spoke.
"You're her brother, huh? Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass whether or not your sister gets to enjoy potatoes in peace."
Sasha frowned.
"Now tell me! What are you doing here?!"
"Do you mean my goal, sir?" My voice stayed calm.
"No, I mean your dick!"
A few cadets laughed secretly, until Keith gave them a glare—one that sent shivers ripping through them.
It took me some effort to ignore his sarcasm.
"Well... I don't know."
Silence.
Everyone's attention shifted to me.
But… I was being honest.
"And… what's that supposed to mean?" He looked down at me with death in his eyes (again, not literally).
"Well, graduation isn't anytime soon. I still have five years to make up my mind, sir! Truth is, I only came here to look out for my stupid sister! Wherever she goes, I go!"
Keith gazed at me for nearly a minute. It was as if he was testing me—waiting for me to break under pressure.
I remained as calm as the ocean… when the ocean was actually calm.
He finally turned without a word and started walking away, until he paused.
"Hey! Potato girl!"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone awaited Keith's words like an incoming storm.
They came like a whisper in the void.
"After this… run to the sunset."