Golden sunlight slipped gently over the towers of Mitras, washing its ancient stone streets in a soft glow that exposed the illusion of calm draped over the city. Soldiers moved with disciplined precision, officers passed in hurried steps, and eyes watched everything—everything.
The black carriage stopped at the gates of the royal headquarters. Beneath the stone walls, where spears gleamed beside wary gazes, military order merged with the gravity of rule. Sarah stepped down first, followed by Armin and Hange. As they crossed into the palace, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
Sarah wore a white dress of light fabric that brushed the ground in silence, cinched at the waist by a golden belt. A translucent shawl softened the dark cascade of her hair. She looked like a messenger from another world—walking with quiet elegance, carrying within her steps all that could not be spoken.
Yet behind that poise… her soul stood alert, like someone entering a court without knowing whether she was a witness or the accused.
❖ The Meeting Begins
The great doors opened with a heavy sound. The trio entered beneath a weighty silence, as though breaths had stalled and the hall itself feared what was to come.
Upon the carved wooden throne sat Historia, wearing a modest crown and a simplicity befitting a queen who concealed more than she revealed. To her right stood Commander Pixis; to her left, several stern-faced officers.
Despite the formal words of welcome, the gazes were sharp as blades—eyes that did not ask who are you? but what are you hiding?
Historia smiled calmly, the smile of a queen who knew peace was fragile, and that every political meeting was a test of intent.
Within Sarah, walls collapsed and rebuilt at once.
After the opening formalities, silence settled.
Historia turned to Sarah, her voice gentle yet firm.
"You stand before us today as what, exactly? A scientist? An envoy? A witness? Or something else?"
Sarah lifted her gaze steadily, a faint smile on her lips.
"Perhaps all of those… or perhaps none of what you expect.
I came to your island because Marley demanded answers.
And I came because I wanted to understand."
The officers exchanged glances as she continued, her tone growing more serious.
"What Marley failed to understand is that truth belongs to no one."
She drew a breath.
"I have a sister. Her name is Layla. Five years younger than me. She is all that remains of my family… and the reason I wake each morning."
Her voice paused, then met Historia's eyes directly.
"Marley is watching me. If they suspect—only for a moment—that I am cooperating with you, or withholding something from them… they will make an example of Layla."
The atmosphere trembled. In Sarah's eyes, Historia saw not weakness—but a pain deeply mastered.
"I am not seeking asylum," Sarah said firmly. "Nor do I come bearing a white flag. What I ask for is indirect protection for my sister. Any exposure of my loyalties now would be her death sentence."
Armin looked at her in stunned understanding.
"Then your purpose here isn't only science or research," he said quietly. "It's buying time."
Sarah nodded once.
Armin continued, "Then we must be smarter than confusing loyalty with fear. If her life is tied to your movements… perhaps protecting the island begins with protecting Layla."
Hange raised an eyebrow, eyes gleaming.
"Well, that's a first—asking for protection not on the island, but beyond it!"
Sarah smiled faintly.
"True protection begins when we shield those who cannot defend themselves… even across continents."
Silence followed.
At last, Historia spoke.
"Your request will be recorded. But action requires precision. And you, Sarah, will prove in the coming days whether you deserve more than to be merely heard."
"I ask for nothing more," Sarah replied calmly.
As the meeting adjourned, Historia stepped closer to her.
"I know what it means to have your heart imprisoned in one place, and your body in another. No one has the right to judge your feelings—but everyone has the right to be cautious of you."
She paused.
"If you choose to stay, I will grant you space. Not full trust—an opportunity.
Trust, Sarah, is not given. It is built."
Sarah inclined her head, understanding perfectly.
Hange leaned in, voice playful yet sincere.
"We have Zeke. And a handful of quiet Eastern diplomats who speak little but act decisively. If there's a crack we can slip through to save your sister… we'll find it. I don't promise—but I believe in the impossible."
Sarah said nothing. But in her eyes appeared something rare—not gratitude, but a silent acknowledgment that this island, despite everything, was beginning to resemble home.
❖ Night in the Palace
When Sarah entered her chamber, the gilded walls felt suffocating. The bed was comfortable, the light soft—yet none of it soothed her.
She removed her shawl and sat at the edge of the bed, then drifted to the window, pressing her palms to the cold glass.
"Father… Mother… tell me—
which path spares me from becoming a killer?
Which road does not bury Layla?"
The moon remained silent, its glow almost merciful.
"I need a miracle," she whispered,
"or a map that comes from a dream."
Sleep claimed her before tears could.
❖ Vision of the Olive Tree — A Prophecy from the Past
She awoke within a garden that did not exist.
The wind was felt, not heard. Flowers bloomed as memories, grass moved like waves. And at its heart stood an olive tree, its roots not in soil—but in light.
Beneath it stood a figure her heart knew before her voice dared.
"Father?"
He smiled—the way he always had when she came home broken.
"I came because of your fear, not your dream," he said gently.
"You stand at a crossroads. And the sky does not abandon its daughters on their darkest nights."
"Layla is your heart," he said. "But you are more than a heart, Sarah.
You are the daughter of light they tried to bury in shadow.
The daughter of knowledge they killed so hope would never be born."
Her voice shook.
"I can't choose. I can't sacrifice her… but I can't betray the truth either."
"Do not choose between fear and love," he answered.
"Create a third path.
They will call it impossible—
but you were born to break chains, not hide behind them."
As he faded, his voice lingered:
"The path will appear in the shadows—
just as stars emerge when the sky remembers those it forgot."
❖ Awakening
Sarah woke abruptly, heart racing.
The room was unchanged—except for one thing.
The necklace at her throat was warm.
"A third path," she whispered.
"Layla… I won't lose you.
And I won't extinguish myself."
❖ At Headquarters — The Noise of Silence
Night wrapped the Scout headquarters in stillness.
Levi sat at his desk, reading the same line for ten minutes without comprehension. His tea had gone cold.
Mikasa entered quietly.
"No issues today," she reported. "The soldiers finished training. Even Connie stopped talking about food."
Levi nodded.
After a pause, she added softly,
"It's been two days. No word from the capital. Armin has never been late."
Levi closed the book slowly.
"Armin doesn't delay without reason. If there's no danger… then calculations remain unfinished."
She hesitated.
"Do you trust her?"
A long silence.
"Trust isn't given easily," he said. "But she didn't lie—despite every reason to."
As Mikasa left, she added,
"No one has taken the rooms beside hers. Even with the headquarters full… they remain empty. As if waiting for her return."
Levi stood abruptly and walked—not to the meeting room, not to the library—
But to Sarah's room.
He stopped at the door, hand hovering.
"Why?" he whispered.
Inside, the room was immaculate. His eyes fell upon a small perfume bottle on the table. He didn't touch it—only breathed.
He sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing a crease that wasn't there.
The room understood.
And near dawn, sleep claimed him—not the sleep of soldiers or lovers, but something in between.
Waiting.
❖ A Strange Dream — A World Without Walls
Levi stood in a world without walls.
No Titans. No screams. No weapons.
And Sarah was there—transformed.
Hair like wings of light. Barefoot upon glowing grass. Peaceful.
"This is the world that was never chosen," she whispered.
"Is this… real?" he asked.
"It's where the curse ends," she said, placing her hand over his heart.
"Where no one needs to fight."
Before he could ask who paid the price, the world shattered.
Her final whisper lingered:
"I missed you."
He awoke, hand trembling.
The dream faded—but the feeling remained.
❖ Flashback — "Just One Drop"
The night before leaving, Sarah stood before the mirror, holding a small perfume bottle.
One drop on her scarf.
Another on her pillow.
Not an invitation.
A farewell.
"Some traces are never meant to be left," she whispered.
"But they remain… because they are honest."
❖ Questions
Was Sarah right to reveal her truth to Historia, or should she have kept it hidden for Layla's safety?
Did Levi notice the perfume she left behind—and choose silence anyway?
Will Layla and Zeke become Sarah's greatest strength… or her greatest weakness?
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