Chapter 55: Annie’s Change of Heart, Capturing the Aberrant Worm, The End of the Titans

Marley's ship was seized.

The soldiers were temporarily detained.

Fortunately, in this era, communication technology was underdeveloped.

There was no way for the news to be sent back to Marley.

Moreover, Zeke and Pieck's mission required them to stay on Paradis Island for some time. Marley wouldn't notice anything unusual for a while.

Taking advantage of this opportunity—

Haruto took Annie and flew toward Marley.

The sea stretched vast and endless, but Haruto's flying speed far surpassed that of ordinary airplanes.

They set out in the morning, and before noon, they had already reached land, the territory of Marley.

Looking at her familiar homeland, Annie's expression became somewhat lost.

"Let's go to your home first. Point the way. You should still recognize it, right?"

Haruto said.

But Annie shook her head.

"Let's complete the mission first. We'll capture the War Hammer Titan before anything else."

Haruto was momentarily stunned.

Returning home to Marley had always been Annie's wish, so why was she refusing now that they were so close?

"Did something happen?"

Haruto asked directly.

Their relationship was no longer that of strangers. There was no need for roundabout words, asking directly was the best way to solve things.

Annie remained silent for a moment, then pressed her forehead against Haruto's chest.

"I'm scared," Annie said softly. "That home... maybe it's just my obsession."

Haruto fell silent upon hearing this.

Annie's "father" was not her biological father but her adoptive one. The man who adopted Annie never showed any parental affection while training her.

Their relationship was a highly twisted version of a father-daughter bond.

As a child, Annie was trained by her adoptive father and required to obey him absolutely. Rather than raising a daughter, it was more like raising a warrior. Annie's first and only praise from him came when she broke someone's leg during a sparring session.

And yet, despite everything, the only "family" she had was that man.

When she left Marley, her only hope was to return home someday.

But now that she had actually returned—

Annie found herself with the space to think. Yet the more she thought, the more terrified she became.

Maybe that home never really welcomed her.

Maybe that man had only ever seen her as a weapon.

Maybe he wasn't truly her family.

This realization filled Annie with overwhelming fear. The one hope that had kept her going might have been nothing more than an illusion.

The small body in his embrace was trembling slightly.

Haruto hugged her tightly, his fingers brushing through her hair.

"It's okay. If that home is just an obsession, then stay with me. You will always have a place here, Annie."

Hearing Haruto's gentle words, Annie could no longer hold back. She buried her head and cried loudly.

His clothes were soon soaked with her tears.

Haruto gazed down at the chaotic world below and let out a long sigh.

This world was undoubtedly cruel.

Cruel enough that people often forgot how young some of these characters actually were.

Annie was only eleven years old when she was sent to Paradis Island.

At that age, in a normal world, she should have been innocent and carefree. Instead, she was forced to carry the weight of expectations and kill countless people.

And Annie was just one of many examples in this world.

So—capturing anomalies and restoring the world to normal was necessary.

Time passed quietly.

Annie's sobbing gradually stopped. Crying couldn't change anything, but at least it allowed her to vent the pain in her heart and feel a little better.

"Let's go. You should meet him. This has to be dealt with eventually."

Haruto said softly.

Annie nodded.

She pointed in a direction.

That was her "home."

With a flap of black wings, they flew toward it.

Marley's land was divided into two areas.

The Marleyan residential district.

And the Eldian internment zone.

The contrast between the two was stark.

Inside the Eldian internment zone, there were rows of dilapidated houses that barely provided shelter from the wind and rain.

The Eldians here lived in constant fear.

Every month, some were chosen for exile.

"Exile" meant being taken to Paradis Island, injected with Titan spinal fluid, and transformed into Titans.

It was no different from death.

Or perhaps, even worse than death.

In the internment zone, every Eldian kept their head down. There was no hope to be found in their expressions. It was as if the entire world had turned gray.

In this bleak place, inside a crumbling house, sat a haggard-looking man in a chair.

His eyes were sunken, his gaze vacant, and his complexion deathly pale—he looked like a man on the brink of death.

Beside him was an old, battered cane.

There was a knock at the door.

The man lifted his head and looked toward the entrance, his expression dazed. Using his cane, he slowly and stiffly walked toward the door.

When he opened it, he saw a well-dressed young man standing outside. It was obvious that this youth didn't belong to the internment zone.

The man's eyes filled with confusion, and he asked, "Who are you?"

Haruto studied the man for a moment, then spoke.

"I am Annie's companion. I came to inform you of her death."

Clang.

The cane fell heavily to the ground.

Ignoring his own difficulty in walking, the man lunged forward and grabbed Haruto by the collar.

"What are you saying?! Annie—how could she—!"

His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage and despair.

Seeing the man's reaction, Haruto sighed.

At least... there was still some emotion there.

Easily pushing the man's hands away, he collapsed onto the floor.

"I came from Paradis Island. Annie betrayed Marley and handed over intelligence to me. I snuck over while Marley's soldiers were distracted."