The smell of burning wood mingled with the dust and the fragrance of wildflowers growing by the walls of Shiganshina. It wasn't just a fragrance; it was the smell of death I knew so well in my previous life… or so I thought.
Kyle opened his eyes suddenly, his body jerking as if struck by lightning. He breathed rapidly, his chest heaving, as if he'd run a mile under unbearable pressure. He touched his trembling neck: no blood, no blade piercing his throat, no giant's hand crushing him like an insect.
He looked around. He was sitting on a wooden bench in the public square. The sun was warm, the sky a provocatively clear blue. Passersby strolled by calmly, laughing, exchanging greetings.
"Impossible…" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
He was already dead. He remembered Eren's distant scream, the wall collapsing, the giant's enormous shadow blocking out the sun, his body being torn apart by the fangs of that monstrous creature with the cold smile. A familiar voice startled him:
"Hey! Kyle! Did you fall asleep sitting up again?"
He froze, then turned slowly. Hans stood before him in his garrison uniform, smelling of alcohol, with two laughing soldiers beside him.
"Sir... Hans?" The words caught in his throat.
Hans chuckled coldly, then patted him on the shoulder.
"Who else? Looks like you had a bad nightmare, kid. Go get some water for your face; training starts soon. We don't want a volunteer like you fainting in front of the commanders."
Hans and his soldiers left, and Kyle remained standing, a chill running through his extremities despite the heat. Everything… every detail of this day, this laugh, even that black cat that had crossed the alley, felt familiar.
He pulled a copper coin from his pocket, scarred with a deep scratch in the center. The same scratch had been inflicted when he had tried to fend off the giant's attack moments before his death. How had it traveled with him? He walked the streets like a ghost among the living. The city throbbed with life, but every corner held the specter of doom. He knew what was about to happen.
He muttered:
— The hour… He glanced at the central clock in the tower: 11:45 a.m.
At precisely 12:00, the history of humanity would change forever.
Kyle raced toward the Wall. He bumped into people, apologizing in a low voice, his heart pounding like a war drum. It couldn't be a hallucination. This was either an opportunity… or a curse.
He reached a crossroads leading to the Yeager family home. In the distance, he spotted a dark-haired child carrying firewood beside a girl in a red scarf: Eren and Mikasa.
He hesitated: Should he tell them? Would anyone believe him? They'd think he was crazy or deranged.
Suddenly, an eerie silence fell. The wind stopped blowing. Even the birds that had been chirping above the rooftops flew off at once in one direction… away from the Wall.
Kyle looked up at the sky. There were no clouds, but terror seeped into his very pores. The people around him froze, looking up questioningly.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the ground beneath their feet. Kyle dropped to his knees, the jolt in his skull unlike any he'd experienced before. Inhuman force.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes wide with terror. Above the top of the fifty-meter-high wall, a huge, skinless, red hand emerged, emitting hot vapors. Then a massive, eyelidless head appeared, staring blankly at them.
"It's starting…" Kyle whispered, tears streaming down his face. "Hell is back."
Screams filled the air; chaos erupted. Everyone ran for their lives, while Kyle remained standing, staring at the gap the giant had created in the gate.
He knew what was coming next. The giant who had devoured him in his previous life…
But this time there was more than just fear. There was rage, and a spark of knowledge that no one else possessed. Suddenly, strange golden words appeared before his eyes, floating only in the air:
[Observer Protocol Activated: Attempt #2]
[Current Mission: Survive for 60 Minutes]
[Reward: Kinetic Prediction Skill - Level 1]] Kyle's eyes widened:
— What is this? Is this why I came back?
He barely finished his question when he heard a massive crash behind him. He turned to see a giant boulder fly off the wall and crash down on the house in front of him, reducing it to rubble.
From the dust, a gigantic shadow with a wide grin began to emerge, heading straight for where little Eren stood frozen in shock.
Kyle gripped his small dagger and looked at the floating screen, which had begun a countdown: 59:45…
— This time… Kyle gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to die that easily." Suddenly, he felt a cold hand grip his shoulder from behind, and a strange, whispering voice said,
"Don't try to change too much, Kyle… The price could be higher than you imagine."
He turned quickly, but the alley was empty. Smoke rose from the rubble, and the countdown continued.
End of Chapter One
Who is the mysterious voice? How will things change with this time loop? And will Kyle survive this time?