Chapter 16
As the sun began to fade behind the towering walls and shadows stretched longer across the ground, the recruits at the training camp were finally resting after a long day of drills and discipline.
In the large building designated for the trainees, some sat along the wooden ledges surrounding the entrance, while others stood silently near the door, gazing out at the vast, dust-covered courtyard.
There, at the far end of the yard, a girl was running steadily, tirelessly, as if time itself couldn't catch her. Sasha Braus, famously known as "Potato Girl."
Connie Springer, nearly bald with a round head, stepped out of the building, grumbling. He looked up and smirked when he spotted Sasha still running.
"Man… that potato girl is still going, huh?" he said sarcastically.
Standing beside the door, Eren Yeager was quietly watching Sasha, who had already distanced herself by more than a hundred meters. He commented in a calm voice:
"She's been running for over six hours now… Seems like exhausting herself bothers her less than being banned from dinner."
Connie chuckled and leaned against one of the wooden pillars.
"I remember something about Dauper Village, her hometown... Tiny, isolated up in the mountains. Full of hunters. Makes sense now—she runs like she's being chased by bears."
As they spoke, Marco Bott approached them—a kind-looking young man with neat, short black hair and calm eyes that reflected his gentle nature.
He stood beside Connie and said in a mildly curious tone,
"Honestly surprised to hear her village still exists…"
Then he turned to Eren and Armin with a friendly smile.
"By the way… I never got the chance to ask. Where are you two from?"
Eren placed a hand on Armin's shoulder, who stood beside him.
"We're both from Shiganshina District… Grew up there together until we were ten."
Armin continued in a soft voice, as if lost in memory:
"Before we were forced to move to the countryside inside Wall Rose… after the catastrophe."
A silence fell among them. The weight of those words "after the catastrophe" hung heavily. Each one of them had their memories, their losses, their pain.
Connie looked at Eren in surprise, tension flashing across his face.
"So… you were there? When it happened?"
Before he could press further, Marco quickly raised his hand and tried to ease the mood.
"Hey, easy, Connie. Maybe now isn't the best time to bring that up…"
But Connie ignored the warning, turning quickly to Eren with urgency.
"Did you see it? The Colossal Titan? Did you actually see it with your own eyes?!"
A moment of silence followed before a distant voice echoed from the mess hall as recruits began filing in one by one, gathering around the wooden tables. The rumors were already spreading.
Eren and Armin sat down at a table, and soon, a group of fellow recruits gathered around them—faces filled with awe and tension.
One of them asked,
"Eren… is it true what we heard?! You were there? You saw the Colossal Titan?!"
Eren sighed and ran a hand over his tired face.
"For the thousandth time… yes, I saw it."
Excitement rose among the group, and questions started flying.
"How big was it?!"
Eren tried to be as precise as he could.
"Big enough to peek its head over the wall… It was truly colossal—bigger than anything I've ever seen."
A stunned silence followed before whispers began spreading.
"What?! I thought Titans couldn't get over the walls!"
"Same in my village! They always said Titans can't be taller than the walls… That's impossible!"
But the truth Eren had spoken shattered their beliefs.
Another voice asked, trembling,
"And its face? What did it look like?"
Eren looked around at them and answered slowly:
"It wasn't covered in skin… just raw muscle. A massive mouth… its features were… inhuman."
A heavy tension settled over the group. The clinking of spoons and shuffling faded into silence.
Then someone asked suddenly:
"What about the Armored Titan? You saw him too, right? He's the one who broke through Wall Maria!"
Eren hesitated for a moment before replying:
"Yes… I saw him. Despite the intimidating name, he wasn't as huge as the Colossal Titan. Looked more like an average-sized Titan… maybe stronger, but not bigger."
Connie jumped in again, trying to lighten the mood with a nonchalant tone:
"So… what would you say is the size of an average Titan?"
The moment the question left his mouth, Eren's expression changed.
His body tensed, and his face twisted in pain.
He was suddenly overwhelmed by the memory—the unforgettable image of the Titan leaning over his house… pulling his mother Carla from the rubble… nearly eating her alive in front of his eyes, if not for Rio's intervention.
He clutched his mouth tightly, tears forming in his eyes. He struggled to breathe, swaying as if about to vomit.
Everyone fell silent, concerned and embarrassed.
Marco stepped forward, raising a hand.
"That's enough, guys… Some things are better left unsaid. We're not here to reopen wounds that haven't healed."
Connie quickly added, regret all over his face:
"I'm sorry, Eren… I didn't mean to… I forgot how bad that day was for you."
Eren sat silently, wiping his face with his hand, trying to regain control.
---
Once he calmed down, silence returned to the table. But soon, Eren clenched his right hand tightly, a faint spark of fury flashing in his eyes. Then he spoke clearly, as if answering an inner voice:
"No!"
Everyone turned to him. A rare look of determination had taken hold of his face.
"They're nothing special… those Titans. There's nothing impressive about them once you really think it through."
Everyone listened now, the laughter and casual expressions gone.
Eren continued, his voice firmer:
"Once we master the 3D Maneuver Gear, they won't even be worth mentioning in our letters home!"
Some recruits exchanged surprised glances—they hadn't expected the boy who nearly broke down minutes ago to rise from his grief with such resolve.
He pressed on, his voice now charged with hope:
"What, become miners? Get married and spend our lives behind walls?! No. We're here! We have a real chance to train, to become soldiers, to fight, to reclaim our freedom!"
He tried to smile, then added:
"There's nothing to worry about… I just let my emotions get the better of me for a moment. I'm fine now."
Marco, seated beside him, looked at him in mild shock and stammered:
"W-well… okay…"
Then Eren murmured, eyes scanning his fellow recruits with firm resolve:
"I'm joining the Survey Corps… and I'll wipe the Titans off the face of this earth… one by one!"
But before he could finish his declaration, a mocking voice interrupted from across the table.
It was Jean, leaning on the table, speaking coldly:
"Are you stupid?"
Everyone turned to look.
Jean smirked.
"You just said you're joining the Survey Corps, right?"
Eren replied with unwavering tone:
"Yes, I did."
Then, studying Jean's face, something clicked in his memory.
"If I'm not mistaken… weren't you the one who said he wanted to join the Military Police?"
Jean scoffed and said:
"I'm honest, that's all. At least more honest than someone pretending to be brave while pissing himself inside."
Eren's anger flared. He shot Jean a sharp glare and shouted:
"Look at you! Acting like you're the smartest guy here? Just because your pants are tidy doesn't mean you're not a damn fool!"
A few recruits chuckled softly as the tension around the table r
ose.
Jean pointed at Eren with mocking amusement:
"Oh, sorry! I've got this bad habit of saying what's on my mind… didn't mean to upset the big hero."
To be continued…