Three hours later…
In the infirmary—
"Sally! Didn't you say Zeke would wake up? Why hasn't he woken up yet?!" Hange grabbed the doctor by the collar, pointing accusingly at the unconscious man on the bed.
The doctor looked flustered. "I—I don't understand it either! Normally, with this kind of injury, the patient should've regained consciousness long ago…"
Nonsense, Zeke thought while lying perfectly still. How do you wake someone who's pretending to be asleep?
"It's strange," Dr. Sallymurmured after a pause. "That other child hasn't woken up either. I examined him myself—just a broken arm, nothing life-threatening. Why is he still unconscious?"
Zeke: "…"
Another pretender. A partner in crime.
Hange suddenly snapped her fingers, eyes gleaming. "I get it! That child must be a Titan Shifter too!
Just like Zeke! When Titan Shifters get seriously injured, they fall into comas! That must be the price they pay—the cost of wielding Titan power! Their human bodies become fragile! Yes! This is the price of coveting the might of the Titans!"
Zeke: "…"
Sally: "…"
After a long silence, Dr. Sallyasked cautiously, "Should we… tie the child with the broken arm as well? Maybe test how the other children react to injuries?"
"Hey, hey, hey! I was just theorizing!" Hange waved her hands frantically, sweat trickling down her temple. "Right now, we don't fully understand what 'Titan Shifters' are! We'll only know after we reach Grisha's basement! Everything I said is pure speculation! Don't take it seriously!"
Dr. Sallynodded awkwardly. "True… By the way, how's the gunpowder collection going?"
Hange's shoulders slumped. "It's… been difficult."
"Difficult? Why?"
"Because Erwin's and the commander's plan isn't just to collect a bit of gunpowder—they want all of it!"
"…Are the four commanders here today because of that?" Dr. Sallyasked, voice dropping.
Hange sighed. "Not only that… Apparently, some of the other corps and regional commanders have also heard rumors."
Dr. Sallyfroze. "Rumors? But I thought the news was contained!"
Hange shook her head. "Before the blockade, word had already spread among the troops—that humans can turn into Titans."
The rumor hadn't just reached soldiers. It had spread among civilians, too.
Zeke remembered it clearly—the day he'd first arrived at Eren's house, whispers had already filled the streets.
"The hope of all mankind against the Titans!"
"For the first time in history, a Titan has been defeated!"
And among soldiers:
"Titans are humans transformed!"
These rumors existed even before Shiganshina's fall, before his true identity was exposed. So no matter how the leadership tried to suppress it later, it was already too late.
Now the situation was spinning out of control.
The four commanders' arrival could only mean one thing—they were here because of those very rumors.
Judging from Keith's earlier remarks, the pressure on him hadn't just begun yesterday. It must have started from the moment Zeke was captured by the Survey Corps.
So the serious old man's been taking all the heat for me, Zeke thought quietly.
Dr. Sallyfrowned. "Then… shouldn't we just tell the commanders everything about Zeke?"
Hange shook her head. "No. Doctor Grisha was the captain's good friend. But Grisha's background is unknown—no one knows his real purpose in creating Titans. Was it to save humanity? Or to destroy it? Was he the one behind the abnormal Titan that destroyed Wall Maria? The only way to know is to reach his basement and find his research logs. If we reveal anything before that, Grisha's entire family could be dragged into this mess!"
"You mean," Dr. Sallysaid slowly, "the commander is doing all this to protect his friend's family?"
Hange nodded. "That's what it looks like."
"But as long as the commander doesn't hand Zeke over, the regional corps won't turn in their gunpowder."
"Exactly."
"Then what are we going to do?"
Hange stretched, yawning. "Who knows? Luckily I'm not the commander. This kind of hair-loss-inducing problem isn't my responsibility, hahaha!"
She stayed in the infirmary a while longer, but when Zeke still didn't "wake up," she finally gave up and went back to her duties. Before leaving, she told Sally, "Once Zeke wakes, inform the Second Team immediately."
Dr. Sallypromised politely, but even after Hange left, she lingered beside the bed, frowning. "Why won't he wake up?" she murmured. "Could it be that his body really is weaker than a normal human's after injury? Maybe that's the price of the Titan's power…"
Still muttering, she finally left.
Once she was gone, Zeke let out a tiny sigh of relief and shifted slightly. Of course, "shifting" was a generous term—his limbs were still bound, so the best he could do was rub his sore back and find a slightly more comfortable position.
He dared not let his consciousness sink completely into sleep. He had to keep a trace of awareness—otherwise, the wounds would start healing.
That was one of the perks—and curses—of a Titan shifter's body: rapid regeneration.
Even if he didn't move, the wounds would close on their own. To prevent that, he had to consciously suppress the process, keeping his body's instinct to heal at bay.
If a Titan shifter truly wished to live, they could even survive decapitation—their body would grow back. But if they lost the will to live, a fatal wound would end them instantly, their regeneration ceasing altogether.
Right now, Zeke was deliberately maintaining a "normal human" healing speed. By sheer willpower, he slowed the regeneration to match that of an ordinary man.
Never thought I'd end up like him—hurting myself, playing weak, hiding among enemies… He chuckled bitterly. I should've known better. Whether it's Marley or Paradis, politics is never simple.
Gradually, his mind drifted into a hazy half-sleep.
He didn't know how much time passed before he felt movement around him—someone was touching him.
His senses sharpened immediately, but he kept his eyes closed.
He had only one job right now: be the perfect "Sleeping Beauty."
Soon, he felt the ropes loosen. Two people were untying his wrists and ankles—but then they wrapped new bindings around him, layer upon layer.
Oh, great. Mummy-style this time.
This was even stricter than the Survey Corps' restraints!
Before long, the intruders hoisted him up—one carrying him on their back, the other keeping watch—and crept out of the infirmary under cover of darkness.
The escape went surprisingly smoothly.
Zeke, pretending to sleep, cracked his eyes open just enough to glance at his captors. Two masked figures in the night—no distinguishing features.
Wonderful. Not even a dramatic reveal. He sighed inwardly and "fell back asleep."
Outside the walls of the Survey Corps headquarters, a carriage was waiting. The two men shoved him into a wooden crate in the back, sealed it, and climbed aboard.
The carriage lurched forward.
Zeke thought about counting the turns of the wheels or the horse's steps, just to estimate distance—but after a few attempts, he realized math wasn't his strong suit. He gave up halfway through.
Whatever. When I wake up, I'll know who wanted me badly enough to kidnap me.
He drifted again, time stretching and folding.
Eventually, the carriage stopped. There was shouting outside, then silence.
The crate opened with a creak.
A tall figure stood over him, framed by the faint moonlight.
Then came a familiar voice—calm, confident, unmistakable.
"Zeke," said Erwin Smith, "stop pretending to sleep. It's time to get up."