"All stories here are like that. Starting in a hopeful and promising way, only to end in despair and tragedy."
"When I looked into Zeke's eyes then, the moment the boy led the Marleyan security guards to point out and betray everyone, I knew I was a terrible father. Even though I understood better than anyone how wrong it was to impose my views on my children, I still did it."
"I repeated everything my father did. The boy must have been so tired and frustrated, even numb."
"I never truly treated Zeke as himself, as my own son. But only as the boy carrying royal blood, the hope of the Restoration Movement."
"Zeke, I'm... sorry..."
Grisha managed to utter those words before being violently escorted away by the Marleyan guards. From the corner of his eye, he vaguely saw Zeke being moved. Unfortunately, his apology came too late. The boy abandoned the parents who had put him in danger, trading them for the safety assured by his grandparents.
Grisha and Zeke had very similar lives. Since birth, both had been constantly subjected to their parents' subjective viewpoints. Both had to witness the truth of this world at a very young age. Both had to face crucial choices before they were mature enough.
The difference was, Mr. Yeager imposed his views because he didn't want anyone in the family to die a tragic death. Grisha imposed his views because he wanted to aim for a better future. Without discussing who was right or wrong here, the fact remains that children are the most vulnerable.
There was one more difference. In the moment of choice, young Grisha chose to obey his father. Young Zeke chose to resist, doing what Grisha had failed to do.
It's just that the price was too high.
Thud!
"Aaaa!!! Aaaa!!!"
"Speak, who is The Owl?"
"I... I don't know! None of us know!"
"Too bad then, another finger."
"I... I've told you everything, please..."
Thud!
"Aaaaaaaaa!!!"
Grisha screamed in agony in the interrogation room. To discover the identity of "The Owl," the one who manipulated the entire Eldian Restoration Movement, they cut off his fingers one by one. Now, he only had two thumbs and one ring finger left.
Blood continued to flow. Grisha sat numbly on the chair when an officer suddenly entered. He recognized this man; it was the officer who had kept him to watch the hot air balloon many years ago, and the one who accompanied the fat officer who murdered Fay.
The tall, thin man, Kruger.
"Time to depart. We are going to Paradise Island."
Kruger ordered the soldiers performing the interrogation to withdraw. He then took out a piece of cloth and blindfolded Grisha.
His vision was gone, but he could still tell he had been transported onto a steamship. Even now, his mind was churning like soft mud, seemingly trying to deceive himself about the cruel fate ahead.
Sent to Paradise Island.
The horrific punishment, worse than execution, that Grisha had heard countless times—he was about to witness it now.
The blindfold was removed. Grisha was kneeling on a platform adjacent to the harbor. The platform was about thirty meters high relative to the sandy ground in front, with the sea behind him.
"This is..."
"Paradise Island, the place of exile for betrayer Eldians."
Kruger, standing behind him, offered the explanation, then continued.
"You are sentenced to death, and you will wander forever as a mindless Titan. You will sniff out humans, chase humans, devour humans, until the day you die."
"Though, you won't actually die."
"I... I met you before. When I was a child..."
"You remember?"
"How could I forget... that day?"
Kruger did not reply, his eyes glancing towards another prisoner being brought to the platform.
It was a young man named Grice, the very person who met Grisha at the clinic and invited him to join the Restoration Movement. Grice shouted at Grisha about Zeke, asking why he betrayed everyone. But Grisha couldn't utter a single word to defend himself.
"You can go now."
The fat officer came up behind Grice and kicked him down onto the sand dune below. He then shouted loudly to him below.
"Run north! If you're lucky, you might reach the Walls!"
It sounded like a kind reminder, but what the hell was "kindness" doing existing here?
Immediately after, the purpose of releasing Grice was revealed. The captured Restoration members were injected in the nape of the neck with some substance and then kicked down. A few seconds later, they transformed into mindless, feral Titans. Seeing Grice running away, they chased after him.
The Titans did not go near the sea. By releasing a lure, the Titans would move far away from this spot.
"Stop it, everyone! Don't! It's Grice!!!"
"Don't you recognize him?! It's Grice!!!"
Grisha screamed in despair. No one paid him any mind. The fat man scratched his ear, looking annoyed.
"Kruger, turn this one into a Titan. He's deafeningly loud."
"Wait a bit longer, I'm interrogating."
"Tsk, don't get too dedicated, or we'll be behind schedule."
Next, a woman was brought up, who was none other than Dina. This encounter stunned Grisha. Dina was of royal blood. The existence of royalty was extremely important even to the Marleyan Empire, so how could she be...
"Why... is she here? Didn't I confess everything? No, Dina is..."
"Silence!"
Before the two words "Royal Family" could be uttered and reach the ears of the fat man who was preparing to inject Dina, Grisha's head was forcefully pressed down onto the concrete by Kruger, stunning him with pain. Kruger's hand tightly squeezed Grisha's mouth, preventing him from making a sound.
"Could it be... he's the one who suppressed it all?"
Terror flashed across Grisha's eyes as he met Kruger's gaze. The fat officer paid little attention, plunging the syringe into Dina's nape.
"Grisha, no matter what form I take... I will come find you..."
"Ha ha, sounds good. Enjoy your eternal life as a Titan together."
Dina was kicked down, transforming into a Titan, suffering the same fate as everyone else.
"Aaaaaaaaa!!!"
Rage transformed into strength. Grisha broke free from Kruger's control and lunged towards the fat officer. Unfortunately, Kruger reacted very quickly, pinning him down before he could move even a meter. Still, Grisha roared in anguish.
"It was you! Fifteen years ago, you were the one who fed my sister to the dogs! You used my sister as dog food!!!"
The fat officer was surprised, staring suspiciously at Grisha's face. He fundamentally didn't remember anything; after all, the number of people who died by his hand could be counted in the four digits, and children were certainly among them, so how could he remember them all?
But that look on Grisha's face seemed genuine.
The surrounding soldiers only fell silent, not daring to utter a word. Doing that to a child, even an Eldian, was still somewhat too cruel. However, this fat officer was their superior; it wouldn't be beneficial to judge his actions.
The fat man pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and put it in his mouth. He personally escorted the last prisoner and ordered all the soldiers to retreat to the port to prepare for departure. He turned to Kruger.
"You're done interrogating, right, Kruger? Then it's time to let this one dance."
"D-dance?!"
"Yes, I won't turn you into a Titan, son. This one will eat you. I'll turn him into a three-to-four-meter Titan. Hopefully, you can wrestle for a while."