Chapter 17
Six minutes before dinner time, outside the large building housing the recruits of the 104th Training Corps, in a dusty clearing over eighty meters away, Rio Ackerman was immersed in his personal training.
No one was with him—only two wooden posts firmly embedded in the ground, with a long metal bar secured between them. He had built it himself, precisely for this purpose.
His body rose and fell steadily above the bar, swinging between air and earth, lifting himself with the strength of his arms alone, rising until his chest nearly touched the metal, then lowering slowly with unwavering rhythm. His tense biceps bulged beneath his sweat-soaked shirt, and his serious expression never changed, even with the pain.
Before this routine, Rio had run for more than half an hour without stopping—long, predatory strides like a wolf chasing its prey, shifting between high and low ground, running on the balls of his feet for balance. Sweat streamed from every part of his body.
Running, then push-ups, then jumps, then endless sets on the bar. All of it… just to feel like he was getting closer to his goal:
To never be weak again.
To never be helpless the next time a Titan appeared in front of him.
Suddenly, this iron focus was broken by a loud sound:
"BOOOONG——!"
It was the bell tolling from the nearby command tower, officially signaling the start of dinner.
He stopped, jumped off the bar, and knelt for a moment to catch his breath. Then he grabbed a small towel from a wooden plank by a short tree, wiped his face and neck, slung it over his shoulder, and began to walk.
His entire body shimmered with beads of sweat from his head to his waist. His clothes clung tightly to him, clearly outlining his muscular form.
His path led through a narrow alley between two wooden buildings. Just as he turned right to round a corner, he encountered something unexpected.
A girl was standing there—apparently about to turn the corner herself. She froze in place, surprised by the sudden encounter. She had soft blonde hair that reached her shoulders, sky-blue eyes clear as a spring morning, and snow-pale skin untouched by blemish.
She stiffened for a moment, clearly flustered to meet someone alone in the alley.
But as usual, Rio didn't linger. He glanced at her with calm politeness, then spoke in a quiet tone:
"Sorry if I startled you."
The girl looked at him shyly and replied,
"It's fine."
Rio continued walking without looking back.
She, however, stood frozen in place, watching his retreating steps—his broad back, the towel swaying gently on his shoulder, his damp shirt clinging to his athletic figure.
Suddenly, her heart began to pound violently. A strange feeling gripped her chest. She placed a hand over her heart and whispered to herself:
"Why is my heart racing like this?… I've never felt this before..."
She was Historia Reiss, who beneath her calm and delicate face, harbored a deep and quiet soul. And now, for the first time, that soul stirred with something unfamiliar.
---
Rio Ackerman stepped into the large hall where the 104th recruits gathered, his body still drenched in sweat from intense training. The white towel hung over his right shoulder, and drops of sweat trickled down his neck in harmony with his heavy, controlled breaths.
The indoor air was warmer than the cold outside, but the smell of food filled the space with a comforting presence.
He raised his eyes slightly to see that everyone had already begun eating. The clinking of spoons and faint laughter echoed around the room, but none of it distracted him.
He walked calmly toward the side hallway that led to the recruits' quarters, passing a few fellow cadets who shot him brief glances.
He reached his room, opened the wooden door, removed his soaked shirt, and changed into clean, simple clothes before heading back to the dining hall. His steps were steady, though fatigue still clung to him—but his expression remained firm as always.
He approached the table where Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were seated. He spoke in a low voice as he pulled out a chair:
"Evening."
Bertolt responded quietly with a faint, nervous smile:
"Hey."
Rio sat down without delay, reaching for the bowl in front of him. He dipped a spoon into the hot soup, tore off a piece of bread, took a bite, and began chewing calmly.
Reiner watched Rio's face for a few seconds, then asked, curious but sincere:
"Sorry if this sounds intrusive, but… I saw you come in sweating. Were you working out?"
Rio raised his eyes to Reiner and answered evenly:
"Yes… I went running outside."
Bertolt smiled awkwardly this time, though there was clear tension behind it.
"Well… I heard your name's Rio Ackerman. I'm Bertolt Hoover. Nice to meet you… If I may ask—where are you from?"
Rio took a sip of soup, savoring it for a moment before answering:
"I'm from the Shiganshina District… near Wall Maria. And you?"
Bertolt blinked in mild surprise:
"Oh! Then you must know Eren and Armin! They're from Shiganshina too!"
Rio nodded slowly, his voice soft:
"Yes. They've been my friends since I was two… and my neighbors. We moved to the countryside two years ago… after the wall fell."
The moment Rio uttered "after the wall fell", Bertolt's face visibly changed. His complexion turned pale—like a blank page soaked in fear.
Rio noticed every shift. He watched Bertolt carefully, then said with a quiet tone laced with subtle sarcasm:
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a Titan."
Bertolt flinched slightly. An odd silence followed. Reiner and Annie both noticed his sudden anxiety, their faces tightening with alarm—as if Rio's words had struck deep.
Reiner quickly jumped in, trying to defuse the situation:
"Right… Bertolt gets really anxious when he remembers that day. Our hometown—his, mine, and Annie's—is a village in the southeastern mountains near Wall Maria."
Rio turned slightly, gazed back into his soup, and murmured:
"I see…"
Reiner let out a small sigh of relief, realizing that Rio hadn't pressed further. He seemed to have shifted his focus back to eating.
As Rio leaned forward to take another bite, Reiner seized the moment to shoot a sharp glare at Bertolt—a silent reprimand:
"You almost blew our cover."
---
The room still buzzed with the clinking of spoons and the comforting aroma of warm soup. Everyone seemed at ease after a long day of training.
Suddenly, Rio raised his head, as if remembering something. He looked steadily at Reiner and spoke in a calm voice, though his words carried weight:
"But earlier today, in the courtyard… when we were introducing ourselves to Commander Shadis, I heard you tell that blonde girl with blue eyes—and the girl beside her—that you weren't present when the wall fell. That you didn't see either the Colossal Titan or the Armored Titan. Yet your hometown is very close to Wall Maria."
The atmosphere tensed. Conversations slowed. The rhythm of eating dulled. Rio continued, sharp and observant:
"But Wall Maria… it's visible even from Wall Rose. So what does that mean?"
Reiner froze. He hadn't expected Rio to catch such a passing conversation—especially since Rio had appeared to be chatting with other cadets on the opposite side at the time.
It should've been impossible—or so he thought—for Rio to have heard those specific details.
Reiner realized things were slipping out of control. His mind scrambled for a logical explanation. The location he claimed as his origin was dangerously close to the event… and without a convincing answer, suspicion would fall on them.
Rio's eyes gleamed—not with aggression, but with the calm before a storm.
But before Reiner could speak, Annie broke the silence. Her voice was soft, her eyes fixed on her plate:
"We were in the underground city beneath Wall Maria at the time of the attack. When the Titan appeared, the ground shook beneath us. We were there on a special mission… a personal matter in that city."
She looked up, meeting Rio's gaze with calm blue eyes, and continued:
"When we came out, chaos had already begun. Dust, screaming, people running in all directions… We never saw who was behind the wall's destruction."
Her words were calculated. The story structured. Nothing about it felt off—on the surface. In fact, her explanation would have seemed reasonable to anyone listening.
And yet… Rio didn't feel at ease.
Something was wrong. He couldn't explain it—but his instincts, which rarely failed him, whispered that these three were hiding something.
He looked back at his soup, breathing slowly, and replied in a neutral tone:
"I see..."
He drew in a breath, then looked up and added:
"I apologize if I asked too many questions."
Bertolt laughed nervously, his voice carrying subtle tension. He raised a hand as if to lighten the mood:
"No worries, Rio, haha… We're friends now, right?!"
Rio held his gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable, and finally answered in a low, sharp voice:
"Yes."
To be continued…
( Let me know your thoughts in the comments section of this chapter—or on the story in general. I'd love to hear if you're enjoying the journey so far and chat with you all.)