The road ahead

"Ow! Was that really necessary, Annie?" Yago rubbed his chest. Annie's punch had landed squarely on him. He had figured she was just a little girl-how hard could she possibly hit?

But when Annie's fist struck him, Yago realized how terribly wrong he had been. This girl was seriously strong. Not as absurdly strong as Yago, but definitely stronger than an average adult. Yes, an adult. Luckily, Yago was tough enough to take it. Anyone else-Armin, for instance-would probably have been bedridden for a week after that punch.

A faint blush still lingered on Annie's small face, though it was hard to notice in the sunset.

Watching Annie slowly tie her hair back into a bun, Yago had the strange feeling that he knew how to do her hair, too. It was odd. Every time he spent time with Annie, he felt strange. Could this be fate?

"Annie, which regiment will you join after graduation? I'm sure your grades will be great," Yago asked, trying to sound casual.

"Which regiment? Probably the Military Police Brigade," Annie said. "Doesn't everyone envy life in the interior? What about you?"

Hearing Annie's answer left Yago feeling hollow. So it was life in the Military Police Brigade she wanted. "Me? I decided a long time ago to join the Survey Corps. It's good that you're going into the Military Police Brigade. At least it's safer there..."

Yago couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes, and Annie naturally noticed. It was getting late. Annie stood up, and Eren and the others were preparing to leave as well. Yago scratched his head, torn.

"Actually, the Survey Corps isn't bad either. Brave soldiers fighting Titans-it sounds pretty cool," Annie told Yago before leaving. His eyes lit up. "Yeah, the Scouts are all amazing. They @#$&%..." Yago rambled on, probably without even knowing what he was saying.

In the end, Yago didn't want to be separated from Annie, even if that meant being in the Survey Corps together. It wasn't that he was selfish. He... If Annie really joined the Survey Corps, Yago swore that nothing would happen to her as long as he was still alive.

Their short day off was almost over. Yago lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind filled with nothing but Annie. What's wrong with me? Am I possessed? This is so frustrating!

"Drip, drip." Water fell onto stone slabs with a light, clear sound, and Yago groggily came to.

"Where am I? Huh? What's going on?" Yago froze. His entire body seemed to be fastened to a chair. Everything around him was pitch-black, and countless iron chains seemed to bind him.

Yago struggled desperately, making the chains rattle. "Why does this scene seem familiar?" He tried to break free as he thought. Could this be a prank? But that doesn't seem likely.

Just as Yago strained against the chains, a blinding light appeared. A sudden blaze as bright as the sun shone before his darkness-adjusted eyes, forcing them shut.

"Click." With the sound of a door closing came footsteps. Yago could only scrunch up his face. The intense light stung his eyes so badly that he couldn't see who had arrived.

"Heh. How pitiful. Like an ant someone caught-tiny and helpless," a hoarse voice mocked.

"Hey, that's pretty rude," Yago said. "Who are you? Did you bring me here? I'll have you know I'm a soldier in the Training Corps, and I'm on very good terms with Instructor Keith. You'd better not try anything, or you'll regret it."

While Yago kept talking, he quietly felt around with his hands. Whoever this person was, he had to escape as quickly as possible.

The man seemed to see through Yago's intentions and sneered. "It's no use. You can't transform into a Titan here."

Yago's heart sank. His Titan Power had always been his secret; he had never told anyone. At the same time, the lengthened nails on his right hand retracted. If this man knew about his trump card and was still so calm, something was definitely wrong. For the moment, Yago didn't dare act rashly.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be some kind of mad scientist, would you? Curious about Titan Power? Actually, so am I. How about we team up and unravel the Titans' secrets together?" Yago changed his tone as he spoke. Meanwhile, his nails secretly lengthened again, their sheen growing duller and their edges sharper. If it really came down to it, he would have to give it a try.

Yago gradually regained his sight, but everything around him was still pitch-black.

"Hahaha... ha!" The man suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.

Yago grew thoroughly exasperated as the laughter continued. What's so funny?

"I finally understand. How ridiculous. The one defying fate itself is fate itself. So that's it. Haha, so that's it."

When the laughter ended, the figure seemed to turn around. "Then let me see whether you can truly make it to that day. The road to the future... You said the future wasn't predetermined. I'd like to see this future of yours, Yago-or rather, the Fate Titan."

Yago was utterly confused, and a sense of danger erupted within him. Something bad was definitely about to happen. "What do you mean? What Fate Titan? Hey! Explain yourself!" Yago had never felt so desperate before. It was as though every truth in the world lay before his eyes, yet they were like bubbles, impossible to grasp.

"I know you're here. Come out and meet me, Yago," the man said calmly.

"Huh? What? Aren't I right here?" Yago said.

"I knew you'd be here. Do you still not believe me?" A voice came from behind Yago, strange yet familiar.

"I had to make sure, didn't I? But now I understand. You were right, Yago. What a pity. If you really had appeared back then... ah, no, now you're the real one. Haha. Still, this is good, too. This is the best outcome, isn't it?" The man's voice sounded doubtful, then regretful, before finally settling into acceptance.

"It's time for me to leave. I shouldn't have been here in the first place. Goodbye, Yago," the man said calmly.

The voice behind Yago answered just as calmly. "Goodbye, Eren."

Yago was shaken to his core. Eren?! What on earth is going on?

With a crack, as though glass had shattered, the darkness broke into fragments, revealing the light beneath. His surroundings became almost a realm of pure light, and the chains binding Yago seemed to have vanished without his noticing.

Yago immediately stood and turned around. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. "You!"

"Remember, you are the Fate Titan. Walk calmly toward the future."

Those were the last words Yago heard.

In the morning, Yago groggily climbed out of bed, his head aching slightly. Did I have a dream last night? Why can't I remember any of it? But he didn't dwell on it. It was only a dream.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yago's mind. My Titan is the Fate Titan. Huh? Why is it called that? Yet his subconscious brushed the question aside. The fact that he was the Fate Titan seemed as self-evident as needing to drink water when thirsty.